It was a great sendoff . . .

Chaps fall in semis again: 35-30 vs Beaumont

Lucy on home stretch for 1st semester!

Good luck with exams this week LuLu,

We are proud of how well you have handled your first semester at A&M. 

Today, I share some of the motivational quotes exchanged with Uncle Ricky yesterday on a snowy day in Chapel Hill and his birthday!

"Be so good they can't ignore you."

"Whatever you are, be a good one."

"Be a meaningful specific, instead of a wandering generality." 

Also, I posted my first The Gift of a Sabbatical piece on my LinkedIn page here. Check it out when you get a minute. Part two, titled 'History of Sabbaticals' coming soon.

Make it a great Monday!

THE STORY BEHIND PRESIDENT GEORGE H.W. BUSH’S SERVICE REVOLVER

Hey Lucy,

I hope you are able to see the processional today? Here is an interesting story I wanted to share about Ron Brostrom's father and the rescue of George H.W. Bush. Ron's father, Lt. Albert Brostrom was among the crew who rescued future President Bush when his plane crashed in the Pacific near Iwo Jima. He ended up sharing a bunk with George Bush for a month (on the ship) after the rescue.

I called Ron today just to check on him. He is doing great, now with five grandkids and two more on the way!

Cool story,

Dad

George HW Bush - 'The brightest of 1,000 points of light'

Bush remembered by his son:

Former President George W. Bush’s voice quavered and broke, his eyes welling up with tears, as he came to the conclusion of a highly personal tribute in which he described his late father as “the best father a son or daughter could ever have.”

While others gave testament to the elder Bush's qualities as a politician and national leader, his eldest child focused on recalling his personal attributes.

“The horizons he saw were bright and hopeful,” Bush said.

He talked about his father’s devotion to his mother — how he would hold former First Lady Barbara Bush’s hand while they watched police dramas on television in their later years — and how he prayed daily for the daughter who died decades ago.

The elder Bush loved jokes — "most of ‘em off color" — his son said. “He could tease and needle but never out of malice.”

At the end, love was on his mind.

The younger Bush said he called his father shortly before his death and was told the 41st president might be able to hear him but hadn’t said anything for awhile.

“Dad,” the younger Bush recalled saying, “I love you...you’ve been a wonderful father.”

“I love you, too,” the father replied — his final words.

Make it a Great Monday and . . .

GO TAR HEELS!

My IDP

Good morning Lucy,

It is Fit as a Fiddle Friday and I trust you are making time to climb some rock walls or do something to stay fit, right? I'm going a bit off script with this post and sharing some thoughts around Individual Development Plans or IDPs. That is the term we use at Autodesk when discussing professional development. 

We are all responsible for our own professional development and required to have a written plan in place and regularly review with our manager. It is a simple process that seems to work well.

The company promotes a set of core-competencies and provides guidance on how to develop those competencies. You can use those as a guide, by selecting one or two competencies to work on. Or, you can do your own thing, as long as it is tied to professional development. In other words, something that helps you grow and perform better at work. It is an ever evolving process, not a static plan.

My current professional development is around trying to utilize social media to stay relevant in front of my clients. I am taking a series of writing classes (or workshops) offered through Write by Night. My personal coach is Nick Courtright and I have my second session with Nick this morning. One of the keys to staying relevant, at least for me, is to have some original content. I am about to publish a five part series on LinkedIn titled, 'The Gift of a CC Sabbatical'. I might trial-balloon each piece on Nuggets first and let my Nuggets readers give me some feedback.

Stay fit and keep learning,

Dad

The three faces of our young superstar executive on Woman Power Wednesday

Angel Lucy, Bad Ass Business-Woman Lucy, Pissed Off Lucy

Gilbert Leadership Conference Photos on Stay Whole Tuesday

George Raveling interview by Tim Ferriss

Lucy - Earlier this week we celebrated cousin Stew's business accomplishments in the Energy Business and I posted five of Stew's favorite podcasts from Tim Ferriss. I have spent most of my podcast time this week listening to Tim's interview with Coach George Raveling. In Tim's words:

Coach George Raveling (@GeorgeRaveling) is an 80-year-old living legend and Nike’s former Director of International Basketball. Coach Raveling was the first African American head basketball coach in the PAC-8 (now PAC-12), and he is often referred to as the “Human Google." 

Coach Raveling has held head coaching jobs at Washington State, The University of Iowa, and USC. Following a prolific basketball coaching career, he joined Nike at the request of Phil Knight, where he played an integral role in signing a reluctant Michael Jordan. He’s also been inducted in the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame as well as the National Collegiate Basketball Hall of Fame.

In this episode we cover a lot of things including how he came to possess the original copy of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s “I Have a Dream” speech, how his practice team ended up beating the 1984 US Olympic Dream Team in basketball, and much, much more!

I hope you’ll emerge from this conversation walking on air as I did!

Check out Coach Raveling's website here. I like the Infographics section and found the below to be a good on for Fit as a Fiddle Friday.

Woman Power - HATCH

Where's Emily? HATCH

Stew's favorite podcasts from Tim Ferriss

2018 Oil and Gas Investor: Forty Under 40: Where's Stew?

Lucy - Yesterday, we celebrated Stew Fuller's recent selection to the 2018 Oil and Gas Investor's Forty Under 40. A couple of months ago I asked Stew for a list of his favorite Podcasts and he shared these five from Tim Ferriss. You can find them here or through the links below. Enjoy and Stay Whole!

https://tim.blog/2015/12/06/jamie-foxx/

https://tim.blog/2017/04/11/cory-booker/  

https://tim.blog/2014/10/15/money-master-the-game/

https://tim.blog/2015/08/18/the-evolutionary-angel-naval-ravikant/

https://tim.blog/2018/08/09/george-raveling/

Tim Ferris first became popular through his book The 4-Hour Workweek. Read about Tim here.

Stew Fuller on the rise

Hope everybody is making it a great Monday evening. Last week, our cousin Stew Fuller was honored by Oil and Gas Investor as a Forty Under 40. The honorees selected are individuals whose wide range of skills and experience underscores their current and future leadership potential. Stew was also one of three finalist selected by Dallas Magazine as a Rising Star in the Oil and Gas Industry. While someone else took home the top spot, there is no doubt he is our favorite Oil and Gas man! Tomorrow I will share some of Stew's favorite podcasts so we can see what he listens to when he has time to learn and grow.

Boo

A new adventure - Stay Whole Kyle

From The Blessing Cup: At a New Beginning

Opening Prayer: With hope and fear in our hearts we celebrate a new beginning, in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.

Scripture (Numbers 6:24-26): 

The Lord bless you and keep you;

the Lord make his face shine upon you,
  and be gracious to you;

the Lord lift up the countenance upon you,
  and giver you peace.

Petitions:

(Response: You Lord, are the beginning and the end.)

Be with Kyle as he moves in a new direction, Lord, we pray.

May the sharing and caring of this family be with Kyle Lord, we pray.

Int he excitement of a new beginning, guide Kyle and calm any anxiety or fears that may arise, Lord, we pray.

Collect: We rejoice in a new beginning which Kyle makes today. Guide and keep him in your care.

Amen

Make it a Great Monday

Good morning Lucy. Glad everyone had safe and uneventful journeys home yesterday. It was a special weekend in Georgia. The water ban was lifted last night in Austin. I am off to LA for a few days. Kyle officially moving to ATX this week! Make it a great Monday and have a wonderful week. - Dad

Potato Salad - G Page Singletary

Potato Salad

Spirited

BeBe was indeed a spirited woman

Gorgeous, witty, and down-right smart

and never let you leave hungry

Never, ever would you leave hungry

BeBe enjoyed the simple things in life

Like humming quiet tunes

While she worked in her yard

Or her kitchen

Or her home

If you close your eyes

And quiet your mind

You can still hear that humming

That soft humming sound

And you will always know

That all is well

Sticks

BeBe loved to pick up sticks

Lots and lots of sticks

Stacked in piles

Neatly stacked . . . sometimes wrapped

In piles

Pine cones

Georgia’s finest pine cones

Were especially important to BeBe

And those too, always gathered

For safe keeping

And just because

  

Or sweep the patios

The porches

The front walks

The kitchen floors

BeBe’s hands, unceasing

Picking up things

Sweeping things

Making things

She was a master at sewing

And she taught her children these skills

And her grandchildren learned as well

How to hum

How to work hard

How to sew

If you close your eyes

You can hear the sounds of the broom

Swish Swish Swish

And the humming

The sweet humming

of her favorite tunes

Hush my little child

Did the sweeping stop?

BeBe now dances

With that same broom

Under a midnight moon

To the humming sound

of her favorite tunes

Gardening

Growing things

Tomatoes

Okra, Corn, Onions

Butter beans, green beans, pole beans

Squash

Cucumbers

And much more

Harvested

Shucked

Snapped

Peeled

Shelled

Canned

These were all things

We too learned to do

Cooking

Oh . .  . could BeBe cook

Let’s just take one dish

And break it down now

Potato Salad

Boil the potatoes

Eggs or not

Celery or not

Hellmann’s Mustard or not

Kraft Mayonnaise or not

Vidalia Onions or not

Sweet Pickles or not

That’s right

Boil the potatoes

A little butter

salt & pepper

Some like a little mayo

Some like a little mustard

Some like eggs

Some do not

So BeBe would make

Potato Salad

About five different ways

Because she wanted everyone to enjoy

And never leave hungry

Puzzles

Gigsaw puzzles

She loved puzzles

And in the end

Is it NOT all just one

big gigantic puzzle?

And we just do the best we can

To hum

To pick up sticks

To sweep

To grow things

To make things

And when that final piece

Is finally put in place

And our time on this earth

is done

There is a picture

of BeBe’s hands

From a wedding that took place

Not long ago

A picture

that says it all

BeBe's Celebration of Life Service - Milledgeville, GA

I am honored to lead us today as we celebrate the life of Barbara Jean Bowman Malcom. My name is Page Singletary. I am Cathy’s husband, and the brother-in-law to Cindy, Chip, Caroline, and Susan. 

In the Gospel of John, Chapter 14, we can be comforted by these words:

Do not let your hearts be troubled. You believe in God; believe also in me.2 My Father’s house has many rooms; if that were not so, would I have told you that I am going there to prepare a place for you? 3 And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am.

And also by these words from Psalm 90 . . .

Let the favor of the Lord our God be upon us and establish the work of our hands upon us; yes, establish the work of our hands!

LET US BOW OUR HEADS IN PRAYER

Dear Lord. We are here today, gathered as one large, loving family and friends, to celebrate a life well-lived. A life full of laughter, joy, trials, and tribulations. Help us today to remember Barbara Jean (BeBe) and all that she was and all that she meant to each of us. And may the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, guard our hearts and our minds in Christ Jesus. Amen.

Barbara was born on January 10, 1936 in Abbeville, Georgia, to Myrtice and John Bowman. She was the oldest of five children and was loved by all extended family members throughout South Georgia. She passed away on September 12th in Florida where she spent her final months surrounded by her children and grandchildren. 

Barbara moved with her family to Macon when she was 13 and graduated from Miller High School. She was a member of Belleview Baptist Church where she met Otis Carl (OC) Malcom, Jr. and married him on November 29, 1953. They were 20 and 17 at the time of their marriage.

For most of their nearly 60 years together, they lived in Macon where they raised their children and served the community. They retired to Lake Oconee where Barbara achieved the Bridge ranking of Silver Life Master. She spent many hours playing in and organizing bridge groups as well as gardening and enjoying the lake lifestyle.

Barbara was a poised Southern lady who enjoyed life best when she was surrounded by her family. She enjoyed cooking fresh from the garden meals, playing card games, dancing, and sewing. 

She is survived by her brother, Jimmy Bowman (Murrell Ann); sister, Sylvia Jackson (Joe); children, Cindy Huser (Jay), Chip Malcom, Cathy Singletary (Page), Caroline Malcom, and Susan Malcom (Dana); and grandchildren, Brett Morris (KyAnne), Drew Morris (Kelly), Sally Wilkinson (Taylor), Emily Singletary, Lucy Singletary, Cali McIntosh, and Mike McIntosh; great-grandchildren, Tyler Morris and Maggie Morris. 

[DREW] ROMANS 8: 35-39

35 Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall trouble or hardship or persecution or famine or nakedness or danger or sword? 37 No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us.38 For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, 39 neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

[SALLY] – A GRANDCHILD’S STORY

[PAGE] - POTATO SALAD

[LUCY] PSALM 23:

The Lord is my shepherd, I lack nothing.2     He makes me lie down in green pastures,he leads me beside quiet waters,3     he refreshes my soul.He guides me along the right paths    for his name’s sake.4 Even though I walk    through the darkest valley,[a]I will fear no evil,    for you are with me;your rod and your staff,    they comfort me.5 You prepare a table before me    in the presence of my enemies.You anoint my head with oil;    my cup overflows.6 Surely your goodness and love will follow me    all the days of my life,and I will dwell in the house of the Lord    forever.

CLOSE: AMAZING GRACE

BeBe - A granddaughter's tribute

I am Sally Wilkinson the oldest granddaughter of Barbara Malcom, or as we called her, BeBe and I wanted to share what she meant to us as our grandmother.

We always lived in a different state than Bebe and Pop which made our weeks with them so special and memorable. She made our time count and holds great importance and influence in my life. 

My earliest memories with her involve riding on the boat with an ice cream cone of lime sherbet and a grocery sack tied around my head to prevent wind damage to my ears. The way she would walk out in the yard with a rolled up newspaper to shoe away the geese that Pop had befriended. Tap dancing together to Run Run Rudolph in our kitchen in Philadelphia and watching hours upon hours of Anne of Green Gables.

She was incredibly beautiful and carried herself with elegance in all circumstances. I remember she had the most chic outfit to pick up pinecones on the lawn – a white button down, petal pushers, and a red bandana tied in her hair. She loved to cook and share a meal as a family. It didn’t matter if she was preparing the largest of Christmas suppers or a sliced tomato from the garden with some salt and pepper, she wanted your dining experience to be as perfect as possible. Unfortunately, for our dad and my husband, she taught us all the art of shopping. Not many things made her happier than a good outlet mall and if you happened to pass a garage sale with her, you were most definitely going to stop.

She loved to cheer for an underdog and had an unexplainable love for reality TV. As little girls, we spent many nights in her bed with the QVC channel as our background noise. She was savvy and not easily defeated. When I was in college, we accidentally locked ourselves out of her house and she managed to get us back in with nothing but a credit card.

She did NOT like to be the subject of a joke but was extremely quick witted and funny when she wanted to be. You never quite knew what was going to come out of her mouth which was scary at times but kept us all on our toes.

Bebe had excellent taste, particularly in men, as she spent 60 years with the most handsome man who I know has been patiently waiting for her in heaven. Bebe was bold, resourceful, incredibly intelligent and creative and she encouraged us to be confident young women and men. I am comforted knowing her spirit lives in all of us and will continue to in generations to come.

Most of all, she was an extremely hard worker. A trait that is so evidently instilled in her children as they just finished a week in Florida together (all 5 of them) cleaning up the community after hurricane Michael. I cannot think of a better way to honor Bebe and Pop than you all uniting to help one another. I know they are looking down, together again, and so proud of you all.