Protestantism

» Brother_Jones - Dan Cooper

In response to Dan Cooper posted by dancooper:

San Antonio folks usually think of the Hill Country as well to the north of their city.

I love SA and I lived there after my Dad died for several summers while going to school in Abilene. I hunted and fished your area until my twenties, having grown up on the Gulf Coast. When we took off for the Hill Country, it was the next best thing to Colorado because it looks so different than the Houston area. Now, I am across from white tail deer everyday and it take a bit of the magic away from seeing them, but sometimes I sit up late at night and watch dozens of them across from my home, and I remember constantly freezing as a young boy in my deer stand and there were some seasons that I only saw an occasional doe at a thousand yards.

So I sit and watch them out my second story window and think of all those little small deer I shot, because I was like any twelve year old with a deer rifle and I shot pretty soon after anything wandered up, regardless of size. But it was a tremendous experience to spend so very much time with my Dad. lol.

i am just an oldtimer for the Lord.

-- posted by Brother_Jones

» dancooper - Dan Cooper

In response to Dan Cooper posted by Brother_Jones:

I am originally from northern Illinois where the deer are not as plentiful, but are considerably bigger than the ones down south here in Texas. But I never got into hunting, as my dad wasn't a hunter and didn't hang around with any that I knew of. My older brother had a .22 rifle, but the only thing I remember him ever shooting at besides a wooden target, were a family of rats that had taken up residence in a neighbor's trash dump area.

Speaking of my brother, he is at the very moment I type this probably very close to being out of surgery. I am waiting for the call from family. My brother went into surgery over four hours ago, for the removal of a lung. Cancer was discovered and the lung was collapsing due to other infection. If it had not been for a sudden bout of pneumonia and lung complications, his cancer would not have been discovered in time to stop the spread. We are past the first wave of worry, and with it, the memory of our paternal grand father, who was scheduled for lung removal the night before a massive heart attack debilitated him to the point that surgery was no longer possible. He died a slow and painful death, and my brother was very much aware that he was in the same potential situation last night. We are lucky, very lucky, indeed. No heart attack, and an early diagnosis and cancer removal. I just wish someone would call. I am the only family member who could not get there for the surgery, which makes me feel like a lump of crap.

The deer are certainly plentiful here in the Hill Country. I never knew much about them until moving here. They are such an elegant and graceful animal, it is astounding that they are so stupid. They're dumb as a stump and have survived on two things only as their driving instincts. They are quick and they are fast. And they don't care about which direction they run so long as they are quick and fast about it. So, when you see one appear out of nowhere at night while driving, you'd better be very careful. They are so dumb they will just as soon run right into your car as away from it. That's happened to me twice. And the cars of hill country residents frequently have damaged grills from such confrontations.

Say, I wanted to ask you if you have ever read the book I am currently reading. It is Behold the Spirit by Alan Watts. It is astounding to me how well it presents the case for Christianity. Unfortunately, my reading time is limited and I am only about half way through it. But I am really impressed so far.

-- posted by dancooper

» pink101 - Dan Cooper

In response to Dan Cooper posted by dancooper:
.
Concerns for your brother with hopes and prayers for the best.
.

-- posted by pink101

» Migisi - Dan Cooper

In response to Dan Cooper posted by dancooper:
.
Wow. Sorry to hear about your brother, Dan. I hope and pray things go well for everyone.
.
Had a woman friend of mine smack a big buck in broad daylight near Morris last summer. Yeah, they grow big in Illinois. Corn fed, ya know. It jumped out of a deep roadside ditch up onto the pavement. Who knows why. Luckily, she drives a big Dodge or she might've been hurt or worse. Anyway, she hit it at 60 mph - so hard that its hair flew off. Hair blew through her AC vents all over the cab and her. She was picking deer hair out of her mouth for hours. Yes, she got a mouthful when she yelled the 'O' in 'Oh s@#t!'. Hee hee.

-- posted by Migisi

» dancooper - Dan Cooper

In response to Dan Cooper posted by Migisi:

The kind words of encouragement and hope from both you and Pink are very much appreciated. Thanks.

My brother made it through surgery, an affair lasting almost six hours. He will be in ICU for at least another day, and possibly for as long as a week. He told me prior to the operation that he would probably be in the hospital for at least a week before being released to home care for however long it takes to get back up on his feet again. We are all relieved at his early progress so far, and I look forward to talking with him when he is able, sometime this week.

Thank you again for your concerns and encouragement. My family has been wracked with episodes of that damnable disease. My wife and my mother both died from it. My wife's mother, too. My son was diagnosed with a malignant melanoma 11 years ago, and fortunately, all the cancer was apparently removed. My grandfather died of lung cancer as I alluded to earlier. What a horrible disease and a horrible way to die. Here's hoping my brother, Jack, has a speedy and complete recovery, free of the nasty damned disease. It will likely be tough enough learning to live with only one lung. The constant worry about a recurrence of the cancer is the real weight to bear-a burden that can really drag you down all by itself. Thanks so much for your kind thoughts, prayers and encouragement. They are much appreciated.

-- posted by dancooper

» Brother_Jones - Dan Cooper

In response to Dan Cooper posted by dancooper:

My brother made it through surgery

No, I haven't read any of Alan Watts, but I did go online and reviewed several comments made about his books. He appears to have built somewhat on the writings of Emerson, Thoreau, and even Whitman in the area of an overlay on World Religions. The best example that I know of are Emerson's writings which you might enjoy because he so brilliantly and evenly contested the ideas of the Calvinism of his day...the 1830-1860 era. He and the others, known as Transcedentalists believed in a consiousness of the soul that can always give rise to a better man when the stress and strain of life is encountered. They had a much different outlook on the nature of men than the common message of their day that mankind was a doomed, evil, wicked trespasser on the Earth. They found much in the other religions of the East to support their idea that the seeds of mans desire and quest for God needed only to be recognized and given a little water.

I had a few thoughts about how we all behaved in the deer camp when we brought down the deer, but I am going to wait a day or two before posting out of respect for the situation you and your brother find yourselves in.

i am just an oldtimer for the Lord.

-- posted by Brother_Jones

» Migisi - Dan Cooper

In response to Dan Cooper posted by dancooper:
.
My mother - leukemia. My father - asbestos cancer. I understand.
.
I'm so glad to hear your brother recovered successfully from surgery. That's great news. Sending more good thoughts his way...

-- posted by Migisi

» pink101 - Dan Cooper's Brother

In response to Dan Cooper posted by dancooper:
.
We are past the first wave of worry, and with it, the memory of our paternal grand father, who was scheduled for lung removal the night before a massive heart attack debilitated him to the point that surgery was no longer possible
.
In no way to belittle or to make light of the threat we face whenever we "go in" for surgery, it certainly is fortunate that your brother's cancer was discovered by way of his more obvious symptoms of pneumonia. And, we certainly are fortunate that we live in times when science has been able to progress to its present levels or we'd be wiped out with far less problems. Too bad for your grandfather that science hadn't advanced so far thern as it has now. Think into the future when the current restrictions on stem-cell research have been removed here in America. I'm sure the pharmaceuticals won't like that.
.
:)
.
Tell him your friends on the 'Net are pulling for him.
.

-- posted by pink101

» dancooper - Dan Cooper's Brother

In response to Dan Cooper's Brother posted by pink101:

Yes, I never before thought of pneumonia as lucky in any way, but this case certainly was. I have not yet been able to speak with him since he is still in ICU until sometime today at the earliest. His wife, Beverly, told me she would call when he is moved to a room where he will have access to a phone. She said he is doing very well so far, exceeding recovery expectations. Pathology lab reports are due today, too.

Stem-cell research: I am sure a large portion of the damage done by the current political administration is permanent. But Stem-cell research is an example of one area where they can't hold back progress forever. It is an exciting opportunity for us to swell the medical knowledge base by leaps and bounds.

"Tell him your friends on the 'Net are pulling for him."

I certainly will. And I will tell him how grateful I am for the support offered by those friends. I think we may be out of the woods on this one. But, of course, with this disease one never knows. Being out of the woods can be a path to the valley, or just a temporary clearing in the trees. My son has been "in the clear" for more than a decade now, and I will definitely suggest that he phone my brother, welcoming him to that club.

-- posted by dancooper

» dancooper - Dan Cooper

In response to Dan Cooper posted by Migisi:

"Sending more good thoughts his way..."

Much appreciated. Thank you.

-- posted by dancooper