Hilton Head here we come

Looking forward to some recharge time in Hilton Head. We leave this afternoon (or early evening) and will be winging the I-20 route from there. Atlanta by sometime Saturday evening. Happy Friday and Stay Fit!

WPW - School year in rearview mirror

Stay whole Tuesday - Tar Heel PP

Throwback Thursday

WPW - Grandmothers and Great Grandmothers!

Kevin - Stay Whole

Stay Whole Tuesday celebrates Emily and Kyle's new pup, Kevin. Welcome to the family Kevin. So great to hear you are settling in well. We are all looking forward to getting to know you.

For bonus reading, Taylor and I both (coincidently) read Mark Roberts' devotional this morning at the same 'time':

Your Times are in God’s Hand

MIAGM - A game within a game

Good time on Friday night walking nine holes with Mom, plus Lisie and John Sillers. We are blessed to have this gem of a golf course in our back yard and I am lucky Cathy takes so quickly to any new sport or game! She has really embraced the idea of learning the game from the hole back to the tee, thus the limited number of clubs in her bag. We are looking to change that soon!

  "Putting - a game within a game - might justly be said to be the most important part of golf." - Bobby Jones

Congrats Ella Parker - IU Graduation

Fun to get these pictures from my buddy Todd Parker this morning. Laura and Todd drove 900 miles (each way) to Bloomington, IN to surprise Ella at her graduation. The next photo reminds me so much of the fan-favorite from Sally's UGA graduation of the girls at the stadium. Ella interned for Hatch and Calvin Klein in NYC for the past two summers. She was able to be in Bloomington for the final stretch taking online classes with her close friends in a house they rented. Good luck Ella!

Two for Emily plus a flyover for her birthday!

Happy Birthday Emily Page Singletary!

Mom: (1) I love Emily because she is fun. She is a hoot. I am so happy to have her back in Austin. I loved our crazy adventures while chasing down, loading up and hauling furniture from Round Rock or Round Top. I’m glad she is (kinda) settled, but she knows I’m ready at any moment for another adventure. (2) I love how hard Emily works - at her job, organizing closets, decorating her house, and being a good friend, girlfriend, daughter, and sister. She has a way of including everyone and making you feel special.

Dad: (1) I've always thought people who have lots of nicknames are extra fun! E, Em, e-Bug, MeMe, you got it going on girl! Don't ever lose that special ability you have to truly enjoy and 'feel' every moment in life; regardless of whether the moment is simple or complex. That is a gift you have and it is contagious and unique. (2) And one more nickname. I call you 'little-Cathy' for a reason. Not only do you often look like her, you too can 'talk with your eyes', like your mom. You also are a perfect middle-child, connecting everyone with whom you are around with kindness, laughter, and inspiration. This is true whether at a family event, a work event, or a golf-foursome. Speaking of the latter, I sure do miss playing golf with you these Covid-19 days! Happy Birthday Little-C and let's tee it up again as soon as we can. Peach can play with us too! (-;

Taylor: (1) I am glad Emily has adopted me so thoroughly. She calls me brother and I truly feel that way. Thanks for being my sister! (2) Emily’s nickname “E” reminds me of one of my favorite tv shows Entourage. A character in the show has the same nickname, and although they have their differences, E and E are two true characters. E from entourage is the most loyal friend and person, exactly like our E. We’ll have to watch the show sometime.

Lucy: (1) I love how Meme can make everyday life 100% more fun! Whether working from home, solid core, a long walk, a brutal 5-day detox, or just a morning at breakfast, em brings joy and laughter to everything she does! She’s so good at lifting people up and I’m so thankful she moved to Austin last year and that we’ve gotten to do so much more of life together! She is the best person to be your partner in crime and work out buddy, best friend, and sister! I love you so much and can’t imagine this year without all of our crazy adventures. (2) I love how passionate E is! She gives everything she’s got to all that she does. Her gallery walls are perfect, her love for Bailey (and her future puppy) immeasurable, her style, and ability to organize/execute her dream room or outfit incredible! And she is so passionate about being a great big sister to me! She does everything with excellence and then goes even more above and beyond! Em we love how much you love the things that you do!

Sally: (1) I love how Emily is always positive and up for anything. She is upbeat and has a contagious spirit and always so much fun to be around. She can make me laugh harder than anyone with just one facial expression or quirky comment. Emily is always considerate, kind, and inclusive of others. Where she is, there are always good times. She is unapologetically herself always and that is so refreshing. Never change Em! (2) Emily is incredibly talented and creative. She has great style and is always eager to learn something new. She is a hard worker and has a multi-faceted skill set that will take her far in life. I know we always joke about Emily working for me but I think she could run the world. I’m so proud to be her sister.

Kyle: (1) Emily keeps me grounded and I will always thank her for that. She knows how to get me up when I’ve had a tough day and knows how to calm me down when I’m too excited. Emily Is probably the only person in the world that can calm me down when I get riled up. (2) One of the benefits of working from home is we are now able to see into each others' workdays. I can’t begin to explain how impressed I am with Emily. Watching her work on photoshop is nothing short of incredible, even more impressive when she has a glass of wine and does it one-handed. I am so impressed with her work at Consuela and get to see all of her work come to our apartment to be looked at before full production now. I am so excited to see what the future holds for her career. 

Two for Kyle - Covid-19 rules

Taylor: (1) “If you play golf, you are my friend”. Kyle likes to golf, plays on the same level as me, and is a good friend of mine. Golf is a lifelong sport so you do the math! (2) Kyle and I are relative opposites. He speaks his mind at all times and I hold it in for the most part. I appreciate that he teaches me to feel more comfortable speaking my mind.

Sally: (1) I love how Kyle adds so much humor to our family gatherings. Now that he has been around so long, I think we would be a little boring without him. He adds a ‘zest’ that keeps things interesting and entertaining. (2) I love how Kyle is always willing to do get everyone together and have a good time. He is an excellent chef and has a great way of bringing people together.

Lucy: (1) I love how Kyle is so unapologetically himself! He brings a great sense of humor and a new perspective to our family that brings joy, knowledge, and growth to each of us.
(2) I love how Kyle is a learner! He is always researching new things and makes an effort to understand things outside of his daily life and then shares with us.

Cathy: (1) Kyle is generous of his time and helpful in all he does. He kindly helps me with chores - big ones, little ones, messy ones (i.e. the grill). I especially appreciate his love of cooking. I love his visits and appreciate that he will just come over to hang with us! (2) Although Kyle can challenge me to my core, he is witty and very smart. I sometimes do a little fact-checking on the things he says, and always find him to be correct. I've never known someone who knows so much about so many different things.

Page: (1) I love Kyle's stories and his ability to tell them with great pace and anticipation. He is a never-ending open-book of stories that are all entertaining and fun. I love the quotes Kyle leaves me on my Grandfather's typewriter and the sermon he wrote to us all for Easter. Kyle is always thinking and appreciates many different perspectives on life. (2) I love it that Kyle moved to Austin and Emily followed him home!

Emily: (1) I love how Kyle has the ability to talk to everyone about anything! He is a social butterfly and while he may demand the spotlight, the crowd loves him! I love going to social events with Kyle because everyone in the room is drawn to his charm. He is a hoot and can hold a conversation with anyone, the question is: Can they keep up? (2) I love that Kyle is so sure of himself. He takes risks but they are calculated risks. He chose to move to Austin after careful consideration; but then there was not a doubt in his mind. I am especially grateful for this trait because I have a tendency to go back and forth on decisions. Kyle is always the voice in my ear to be sure of myself. While we may be a couple of Taurus’ and notoriously both stubborn, somehow he is the other half I need in my life!

Hey Lucy: Be extraordinary and Make it a Great Monday

Stay fit . . . and happy!

I love to see all my girls sheltering in place together. If you have a chance to listen to Michael Lewis on Tim Ferris, be sure to pay attention to this segment:

How has Michael self-consciously cultivated the narrative that he’s “one of the happiest people” anybody knows (including fellow writer Walter Isaacson), and how does this direct his interactions with others? [1:06:37]

Happiness is a choice!

Michael Lewis on Tim Ferris - Happy WPW

Good morning Lucy May, family, and friends:

It's a beautiful WPW in ATX and we are all super excited to be getting some real-life Sally and Taylor time starting tonight!

My Podcast this week is Michael Lewis on Tim Ferris here. Lewis is best known for Money Ball and The Big Short, but did you know he also wrote The Blind Side?

I am listening to the Ferris interview at least twice and then plan to check out Lewis' podcast (Against the Rules) and the season two material on 'coaching' released this week. Here is a description:

"His critically acclaimed podcast, Against The Rules, returns with season two on Tuesday, May 5. Last season, Michael explored the attack on referees in sports, financial markets, newsrooms, courts of law, and the art world.

This time around, Michael focuses on coaches: why the role of coach has expanded beyond sports in American life and why everyone seems to love coaches. Each episode examines a different kind of coach. From money coaches and voice coaches to college coaches and even the one who changed his own life, Michael delves deep inside the vast world of the coach. Can a good coach level the playing field? What is the secret to effective coaching? What role do coaches have in creating unfairness? Can everyone be coached or are some people beyond help?"

 Let me know if you also find this interesting.

Dad

5.5.05 - 5.5.20 It has been 15 (Bart Star) years since I wrote this . . . Stay Whole!

Chapter One: Fives

(Excerpt: Releasing the Churn: A Journey Rounding Second Base)

It was 5:55AM on May 5, 2005. 

That’s 5:55AM on 5-5-05. I am 45 years old—all alone in the piney woods of east Texas. I am fasting—as in not eating food—having driven to Camp Allen last night—an Episcopal campground near the small town of Navasota, Texas. 

I am wearing my hiking shoes, blue jeans, and baseball cap turned backward. Five is my favorite number—Johnny Bench, Paul Horning, Bart Star plus ten. Five are in my family—if we don’t count our two dogs. Sabrina, the collie of sorts we picked up at the pound the day after 9/11 and Bailey, the quintessential Santa Claus lost-his-mind, Christmas morning Jack Russell terrier. Seventeen fives and one lucky four gets you under 90. I had a couple of 89s and an 88 last summer. Pete Dye saw to it that I have yet to break 90 on my home course—the Austin Country Club, home of the legendary golf instructor Harvey Penick.

I drove east the prior evening in my white 1983 Mercedes Coup. It cost $8500 in 1997. It has at least 175,000 miles on it, best we can tell. The odometer tells a lie from when a previous owner turned back the hands of time. Navy blue sheep-skinned seat covers shroud the front seats. Cathy does not like the seat covers, but loves the car. The Celine Deon CD is still in the glove compartment—the stereo system perhaps worth more than the car. It plays a mean Because You Loved Me. The Harley-Davidson sticker on the back-left window makes me feel adventurous. Those who know me well, know I would never actually own a motorcycle—too dangerous—not to mention impractical. The Harley sticker, like the CD and the stereo system, came with the car.

My friend Josh Kight is from the resort city of Virginia Beach—near where I grew up in the small farming towns of Wakefield, VA and Ahoskie, NC. We are soul mates. He is a renaissance man, an artist and a poet. Josh would have made the two-hour trip from Austin on his motorcycle, which he describes as follows. 

It is a 2000 Kawasaki ZRX-1100, known as Z-REX to his friends. It has 1100 cc's of attitude. It's known as a naked bike, meaning it has little to no wind protection. It has an in-line four-cylinder engine that produces roughly 98 horses and about 72-foot pounds of torque (that's a lot for a four cylinder). It has a redline of 10,500 rpm's and is going 100 mph at 6,000 rpm’s. It gets 40 mpg in town and 53 mpg on the road. It's hooligan black and beautiful. 

Josh tells me he is not a Harley man—he rides a real motorcycle. For me, it was plenty adventurous just to lay open the sunroof, put all the windows down, and putter over in the old diesel—the car my daughter Sally nicknamed Matilda. I wondered if I would run out of fuel. Would there be diesel fuel in east Texas? What a risk-taker I had become!

. . . a goatee, which says, “I’m kind of dangerous,” and a baseball hat turned backward, which says, “But really I’m a little boy; don’t require anything of me.” Which is it? – John Eldredge, Wild at Heart

Say NO and Make it a Great Monday

Lucy,

Week eight of quarantine with the parentals starts today! Thank you again for being such a delightful, smart and motivated young woman. Mom and I are blessed to have this time with you.

This weekend, I reread a chapter in Stillness is the Key titled, 'Say No' (p. 185). The message in the chapter - learn to say 'no' to many of the things people request of us and we can say 'yes' to the things in life that matter the most.

He uses the analogy of young baseball players with great hands and great strength, who make a name for themselves by smashing home runs at every level as they rise through the ranks. However, when they make it to the majors, they are facing the best pitchers in the world, and suddenly being aggressive is a weakness, not a strength. Now they must learn to be still and to wait for the perfect pitch. They must learn non-action.

Read the chapter and tell me who is pictured above? You might win a prize.

Make it a great Monday,

Dad

Blissfully Dissatisfied and Fit

Happy Friday Peeps,

Today I share a few thoughts on something I heard this morning called blissfully dissatisfied. It came from a Karl Morris podcast my golfing buddy Clas Olsson turned me towards recently. Karl's show is called The Brain Booster.

Blissfully Dissatisfied - Desire and appreciation - Are they mutually exclusive?

Being blissfully dissatisfied means we can appreciate and be grateful for all of the good things in our life, but at the same time, we can strive to grow, improve, and learn.

• When we are BLISSFULLY DISSATISFIED we embrace powerful forces
• We are happy today but we have the energy to strive
• We have the momentum to engage with the world and the world of possible
• We set in motion the forces to get closer to our true capability

Great photo of Lucy and Mom about to blissfully enjoy another power walk on a beautiful Friday in Austin, Texas!

God bless you all,

Dad