Work In Progress

Category: Family & Friends

  • Sweden So Far

    There were some doubts about the weather on day one but now a week into our trip those fears have been put squarely to rest. Sure the clouds peek out every now and then but there has been enough sunshine to make a (albeit transplanted) phoenician happy.

    The wedding was fantastic; took about a million photos (more on that later). Here are a few snaps I took yesterday with my iPhone during our walk by the sea (cannot wait to get my hands on the five megapixel camera on the new iPhone 4).

    Boat

    Seaside Cafe

    More to come. Happy… what day is it anyway? Ahh, another great upside of being on vacation.

  • Sweden & Sunflowers

    Those of you who know me, know that I (for the most part) cherish routine (and man, has this past week been way outside my normal routine.) However, sometimes I cherish a good stretch of outside of the box, layered on top of more outside the box. Therefore, on the heels of the last five days, my wife and I will be making a trip to Sweden at the end of this week! A trip I have been looking forward to for months and months. We leave on Thursday and will be there for ten days.

    While I’ve visited a few times before, this trip will be unique because it’s summertime! That’s right. We typically visit during Christmas and it can get very cold in December. I’m personally rooting for warm (80 degree) weather, and with any luck, look forward to the beach, and perhaps even swimming in the sea.

    Oh, and Linda’s sister Johanna is getting married to her long time love Andy Preigard. I’ve seen pictures of the mission style church and the ultra modern restaurant where the reception will be held. I’ll be sure to share lots of pictures of both the countryside, and the events, so hold on to your hats folks! It is going to be a fun time.

    I was on a walk this afternoon and came across this flower. Not that I needed reminding, but for some reason it reminded me of our upcoming trip. Maybe it was my expectation of a warm pretty Sweden in bloom. Whatever the reason, in honor of the summertime, the warm sun, and our trip to Sweden, I leave you with this image.

    30440_1499328400859_1163623763_31393956_5366687_n

    Happy Monday!

  • We Are Nashville – Harold’s Flood

    When I was a kid growing up I thought my dad could read minds and see into the future. He always just seemed to know things. Unfortunately even he did not see the Nashville Flood coming. I first heard about the heavy rains from my Nashville Friends on Facebook. I called my sister and she assured me that she and my mom were okay. However, she did express some concern about Dad’s house. You see, it sits just off the Cumberland River.

    A Flooded House

    Bad news came a few days later. The 100 year flood came 50 years early. Reports where that the river crested at 52 feet. That put my Dad’s house approx seven feet under water. He was out of town when all of this was going down. I am thankful for that. I am most thankful that he was safe. Not everyone was so fortunate. When we talked, a few days before he came home, he expressed how much he had been touched by how many folks had called to make sure he was okay.

    Before Cleanup Began

    That was just the beginning. Folks from all over Nashville came out to help my Dad get the house ready for rebuilding. All I’ll say here is that a picture is most definitely worth a thousand words. Each.

    Calling All Heroes

    Calling All Heroes

    Calling All Heroes

    Calling All Heroes

    Calling All Heroes

    The House Gutted

    The House Gutted

    These are pictures provided to me courtesy of Larry Yarborough. Larry thought it was important to share these and I am very grateful that he did. That’s just the kind of man Larry is; great friend, runner, hiker, “retired” (but rumor has it still volunteers a full week as Chaplain for all the YMCA’s of Middle Tennessee), all around fantastic human being, and as it turns out pretty great photographer.

    Calling All Heroes

    Once again, thanks to Larry for the photos and to all of you who volunteered, those of you who stepped up and helped out your neighbors during their tragic time of need, in this case my Dad, a big ol’ from the bottom of my heart thank you. I know thanks and reward did not factor into your decision, but I wish your reward none the less comes back to you a hundred fold.

    (http://www.flickr.com/photos/owenwbrown/sets/72157623936940427/)

  • We Are Nashville – Harold's Flood

    When I was a kid growing up I thought my dad could read minds and see into the future. He always just seemed to know things. Unfortunately even he did not see the Nashville Flood coming. I first heard about the heavy rains from my Nashville Friends on Facebook. I called my sister and she assured me that she and my mom were okay. However, she did express some concern about Dad’s house. You see, it sits just off the Cumberland River.

    A Flooded House

    Bad news came a few days later. The 100 year flood came 50 years early. Reports where that the river crested at 52 feet. That put my Dad’s house approx seven feet under water. He was out of town when all of this was going down. I am thankful for that. I am most thankful that he was safe. Not everyone was so fortunate. When we talked, a few days before he came home, he expressed how much he had been touched by how many folks had called to make sure he was okay.

    Before Cleanup Began

    That was just the beginning. Folks from all over Nashville came out to help my Dad get the house ready for rebuilding. All I’ll say here is that a picture is most definitely worth a thousand words. Each.

    Calling All Heroes

    Calling All Heroes

    Calling All Heroes

    Calling All Heroes

    Calling All Heroes

    The House Gutted

    The House Gutted

    These are pictures provided to me courtesy of Larry Yarborough. Larry thought it was important to share these and I am very grateful that he did. That’s just the kind of man Larry is; great friend, runner, hiker, “retired” (but rumor has it still volunteers a full week as Chaplain for all the YMCA’s of Middle Tennessee), all around fantastic human being, and as it turns out pretty great photographer.

    Calling All Heroes

    Once again, thanks to Larry for the photos and to all of you who volunteered, those of you who stepped up and helped out your neighbors during their tragic time of need, in this case my Dad, a big ol’ from the bottom of my heart thank you. I know thanks and reward did not factor into your decision, but I wish your reward none the less comes back to you a hundred fold.

    (http://www.flickr.com/photos/owenwbrown/sets/72157623936940427/)

  • Hot Sauce!

    Hot sauce. It is one of those things most folks are not on the fence about. When I was a kid I can recall my dad eating hot peppers that had been canned in vinegar. He ate them on his mashed potatoes and told me that everyone in the Brown Family liked hot stuff. I recall an uncle who ate jalapenos right out of the jar, and when he was done, he’d drink the juice.

    When I was a kid I tried to “out hot sauce it” with a Texan. We were on a school trip and the group stopped at a taco place for lunch. His challenge was simple. Nobody liked hot sauce like Texans. After a few tacos, with three packages of the local fire each, I felt like I had stood my ground. Half an hour later back on the bus I felt much differently. Thus is my relationship with hot sauce.