Honoring Al Dennis – The Sun Will Come Up

Last fall I wrote an article about Al Dennis when the Baytown Sterling High School football field was named in his honor. That November day was my final time to speak with Coach Dennis. Today I gathered with my brother, my coaches, my teammates, Rangers younger and older, and with the Dennis family and friends to honor this life of deep significance.

There is no advanced math available by which we can quantify the impact he has made in the lives of his players and coaches. The lessons we learned in his program are part of us and our daily decision-making. Moreover, we have passed those values along to our own children and grandchildren. You simply cannot calculate such an effect when compounded over that many lives and over that many years.

How my heart rejoiced with every story shared today from the players who were legends in my life to those players who came after me. The stories also came from coaches, an NFL Hall of Famer and other Sun City friends, his grandson, and a famous TV personality. They were all fantastic.

However, the one I cannot get out of my mind is the story shared by a former student that did not play football. He shared that his father died when he was 14, and coaches Dennis and Kluch went out of their way to help him and show him humanity and compassion, making it possible for him to work an overnight job while still in high school. They showed him amazing respect and help allowing him to have a place to sleep while he worked and went to school. I regret not having been able to find this man after the service. I would love to get to know him.

Thank you to Scott Goodman and Martin Lemond for organizing us into a team that I am sure made Coach proud. Thank you both for your roles today in serving the family and all of us present.

Here is the story I shared today.

After my playing days were over in the fall of 1979, I watched my brother, Kelly, also play for the Sterling Rangers. I was the public address announcer for several years, including Kelly’s two varsity years (’81 and ’82). In the fall of 1982 Sterling had arguably one of the best two or three teams in school history. They had a legitimate shot at winning the state championship. After a satisfying first round win over LaPorte, they faced Beaumont Westbrook in the Astrodome. I got to announce that game, which was pretty special. My wife, Margot, was my spotter, as always.

I will not go into the details of that game, but anyone that was there will never forget it. This was prior to the high school overtime system in Texas for deciding tied games. Tied games at that time were subjected to a series of tiebreakers.

  • The game ended tied 7-7
  • Both teams were tied on penetrations inside the opponent’s 20 yard-line (which was the second tiebreaker)
  • That means the third tiebreaker would determine who advanced. Westbrook had two or three more first downs than Sterling.

They advanced and went on to win the state championship.

After the game, in the bowels of the Astrodome, I sat next to Kelly at his locker. He and his teammates were obviously upset at the result. Even though they had not lost, their season was over. Like them, I could not prevent the tears from coming. Coach Dennis came over and sat down next to me. He had just experienced what must have been one of the biggest disappointments of his coaching career, but he put his arm around me and with a smile said in that deep voice of his:

“Hey, Mr. Casey, the sun will come up tomorrow.”

You know what? It did!

That turned out to be the last game Coach Dennis coached. At that point he was ready to move on to his next challenge of leading schools and then school districts, at which he unsurprisingly excelled.

To Mrs. Dennis, Chad, Coleman, and the rest of the family, you know that Coach was a man of faith trusting in the big promises. I know it was his hope in eternal things that allowed him to remind us all that in the face of disappointments, the sun will come up tomorrow. I hope you find comfort in that. Thank you for sharing him with us!

Rescuing Rhett

On Monday, April 4, 2022 an era ended for our family. Our beloved corgi Rhett passed away peacefully at home in his sleep in his favorite sleeping spot. That he had such a peaceful passing was a great mercy to us. He removed the trauma that we dreaded.

It is the end of an era because he was the final packmate of the trio that included our other beloved corgis Fiona and Toby. Those two were our originals that we adopted when our children were still young and at home. Rhett joined their already well-established pecking order and found a way to fit right in. For the next many years our house was a flurry of furry activity. It was equally noisy and enchanting.

Rhett’s life began at a breeder operation about an hour from us that was dubious, to be kind. To not be kind, it was a puppy mill. Our daughter was at college and wanted a dog to keep her company. She loved our other corgis, so I began looking for corgis in our area. I found this breeder online. We drove there to meet Rhett for the first time. He had been born in October, so he was only a few weeks old when we met him in November 2009.

We waited in the office while Rhett was brought in to us. He was so tiny and so precious. It was love at first sight. Honestly, how can you not fall in love at first sight with all puppies? I requested to see the mother and father (or dam and sire, if you prefer breeder talk). The woman was very reluctant to let me see them. I insisted. She took me back through a maze of dilapidated buildings to a ramshackle shed where this poor mother dog was living in what appeared to me to be squalid conditions. It made me sad. It also made me angry.

I have titled this article “Rescuing Rhett” because once I saw the conditions in which he was born, I intended to rescue him as soon as possible to give him the life he deserved. I was able to do just that on December 10, 2009. I drove down there with a new crate and brought him back to our house. After Rhett was safely in our lives, I also filed a complaint with the authorities about the abysmal conditions at that facility. I never got closure on that, but in my mind I hope that is reason there is no longer any online presence for that breeder.

Off Rhett went to college with Kellen in January 2010 as a very young pup. It was in Lubbock, Texas that he provided love to a college student far from home. There he learned to chase frisbees, go on walks, and keep watch over the apartment as his Mom was at school. Later our son also joined our daughter at college in Lubbock, and he spent a lot of time with Rhett as well.

Every pet has unique characteristics. Rhett had many. One of his most endearing was that when he was picked up and held, he would put his chin on your shoulder facing backward. To us it seemed like a hug, so we would ask him, “Hugs?” Then he would dutifully allow us to pick him and up and hold him in that embrace. He was especially willing to give hugs to Kellen and Matt.

I have lost some of the exact chronology, but once Kellen finished college she and Rhett moved home and lived in an apartment. Then, through an apartment change that allowed no pets, it made sense for Rhett to come live with us and join the existing pack of two with Toby and Fiona. After a short adjustment time, the three of them had the pecking order worked out. Fiona was the Alpha and in charge, but she allowed Rhett to wrestle with her and chew on her a little. There was a limit to that, however, and she would let him know when he had crossed the line.

At various points both Kellen and Matt lived with us and our pack for short times while they were getting started in their careers, so all of us got to enjoy the corgi pack. We have special memories of all three dogs interacting together. Corgis are such entertaining little beings.

In August 2015 Fiona was the first of our pack to cross the Rainbow Bridge. Toby and Rhett became closer and inseparable.

One story from that timeframe. In July 2016 some friends visited us from out of state and stayed at our house. One of the children in that family left her bedroom door open with a suitcase on the floor. Toby, who was always food-crazy, found a package of sugar-free gum. He recruited Rhett to help him devour the package. When we discovered this situation, we realized that the gum was sweetened with Xylitol – very toxic to dogs. Given that it was a weekend, we had to take them both to the emergency veterinarian. When all was said and done, the final tally was $3,646. That was a very expensive pack of gum! From that point forward our vet clinic referred to Toby and Rhett as “The Xylitol Twins.”

We lost Toby in April 2018. He had been our first corgi. As with Fiona, it was very painful to let him go. Our house was much quieter with only little Rhett left. He was never a loud dog, except for four triggers which would set him off. We are certain that he learned his hatred of all three from Fiona. If you wanted Rhett to bark and make a racket, just put a new trash bag in the garbage bin, run a vacuum cleaner across the floor, set up the ironing board, or fire up the hair dryer. I am sure Fiona was proud of her understudy as he faithfully maintained her legacy.

In April 2019 Rhett was diagnosed with Progressive Retinal Atrophy (PRA), a genetic condition allowed to occur because of the unethical breeder, who did not do needed testing before breeding the sire and dam. Our veterinary ophthalmologist explained that every puppy born to that mother and father will have developed PRA. It leads to blindness, and there is no cure.

So, the last few years of his life Rhett was in near-total blindness. It was amazing to see him use his senses of smell, hearing, and touch to compensate for his loss of vision. We had a dog door onto the back patio and into the back yard. Even with his deteriorating sight, he would easily go out and spend hours on the patio enjoying the great outdoors. He had every square inch of that house mapped.

Then in July 2021, we moved into a new house. The back yard is steep enough to require stairs. Stairs are one obstacle Rhett could not master. It was too dangerous. So there was no dog door for him at the new place. Even so, after a couple of challenging weeks, he adjusted beautifully to the new house. The covered back patio was a place he really enjoyed hanging out. We installed a gate so he could not wander onto the stairs. He really enjoyed spending time on that patio and feeling the breeze. He loved being with us and was our constant companion. He was an important part of our human pack.

A couple of additional observations about Rhett. He hated riding in the car. By the time we got him to the vet, he was incredibly stressed and shaking. Like I said, dogs all have their own little idiosyncrasies. Also, when our young grandson would visit us and eat in his high chair, much of what was intended for his mouth ended up on the floor. This was fine with Rhett, who hung out underneath and kept the area clean.

As I already mentioned, even though Rhett was a quiet dog, he was not silent. Our house is now much quieter. There is no more clicking of nails on the floor. There is no more shaking of his collar tag. There is no more sprinting for doors that are opened. Of course, we think of him anytime we vacuum, dry hair, or put in a new trash bag. It is quiet. There is also no longer a faithful companion waiting by the front door or the garage entry door for our return. 

I must thank my Dad for helping take care of Rhett each time we were out of town. My Dad is a definite “dog person.” He had a special place in his heart for Rhett. I know he misses him, too. I also want to thank him for being there for me as we laid Rhett to rest under his and Mom’s Memorial Oak. It is a perfect place where Rhett joins their beloved dog Prissy and Charley the cat, as well as my sister’s cats Buddy and Sasha. Margot and I are grateful.

As with Fiona and Toby, I once again want to thank Dr. Todd Rabon at VCA Premiere Animal Hospital for his compassionate care for Rhett.

At the end of this era, what did Rhett mean to us? He brightened our lives with companionship and happiness. He was important not only to Margot and me, but also to Kellen and Matt. As with Fiona, Toby, and all of the special cats we have had, we stand in admiration – no, we stand in awe – of God’s creative work.

I miss you, Rhett. I love you, buddy. Thank you for sharing our lives with us.

In Tribute to Toby

A Royal Corgi to Us

On Wednesday of this week (4/18/18) at least two beloved corgis ended their stays on earth. One belonged to Queen Elizabeth (the last of her famous corgis), and one belonged to us. Both the Queen’s Willow and our Toby were 14 years old.

The news coverage all says that Queen Elizabeth was hit “extremely hard” by the loss of Willow. We understand. Both of these dogs were important and loved.

I know how it is when other people lose a pet. I empathize with them, but there is no way I can know about everything they will miss about that pet. So it is with our Toby to you. He was our family member, not yours. I am certain you can understand what we are feeling, but you cannot know exactly what made Toby special to our family. So for my sake I need to write a few words. You might find something here for you as well, but even if not I hope you will understand my need to pay tribute to our royal corgi. He was certainly treated like royalty around here.

Margot and Toby – March 2004

In tribute to him I need to say that he was our first corgi. We got him as a puppy from Yvonne Gerhardt in Fredericksburg, Texas. I will never forget that spring break when we spent a few days in Fredericksburg. Our primary mission was meeting with Yvonne and getting our new family member. He was so tiny.

He was everything we wanted in a dog.

As he grew we added another corgi, Fiona, to the mix. We also added our daughter’s corgi mix, Rhett. They were quite the threesome. Fiona ruled the roost until she left us. Toby and Rhett got along splendidly, and now Rhett is wondering why the house is so quiet.

Toby loved food. Breakfast, midday snack, dinner, midnight snack. He would eat as much as we would feed him. He never lost that right up until the very last. More about that later.

Toby’s “personality” was not without its challenges. Many years ago when our son’s girlfriend was at our house for a Super Bowl party, she reached down to pet Toby and he bit her finger. We think it was the anxiety of having a house full of young people, but he did it. We were very cautious after that, but when he would get surprised, he would sometimes snap. Many years ago he bit a vet (at our former clinic) despite our warning her that he sometimes bites. Instead of exercising caution, she reached down to pet him and drew back a bitten finger.

Matt, Toby, and Fiona

That particular bite was especially costly. When the vet went to the emergency room for her finger (which I still think was unwarranted, but whatever), the authorities filed a report and we got a knock at the door from the puppy police. City ordinance required that Toby go to dog jail (quarantine) for 10 days. The only place we could find that would take him was Premier Animal Hospital in Cedar Park, Texas. That was the beginning of a beautiful relationship that continues to this day.

Not only did Toby graduate from quarantine, he thrived under the care of Dr. Todd Rabon and the staff at Premier. I wish I could properly convey the gratitude that my family and I have for Dr. Rabon. As a Longhorn with a lot of friends and family who are Aggies, he is right up there as one of my favorite Aggies. He is a compassionate human being who understands what people go through when it is time to say goodbye. He does it right.

Before I get to the Toby sendoff, I have to say that Dr. Rabon’s care of Toby over the years included the removal of a toe that had to go and the removal of a cancerous tumor last November. Through all of the years of care, no one at Premier was ever bitten. That is a testament to the professionalism of this organization.

The Gum Caper

Two years ago there was also The Gum Caper. The child of a friend who was staying with us for a couple of days left a pack of sugar-free gum in her suitcase in the guest room and left the door open. Toby found it and enlisted Rhett’s help in consuming pretty much every last bite. When I discovered it I saw enough of the remaining package to know that they had eaten gum sweetened with xylitol. As you may know, xylitol is very toxic to dogs. Since it was after hours, off we went to the ER. After staying all night in the ER getting treatment, they were then transferred to Dr. Rabon at Premier where he successfully treated them. The total bill between the ER and the follow-up was $3,646. That hurt, but we were so grateful that they were both in such great hands. I understand that Toby and Rhett were known for a while at Premier as The Xylitol Twins.

Toby and his buddy Rhett

It was the cancerous tumor that was removed last November that came back and ultimately led us to the recent decision. I mentioned how much Toby loved food. Let’s just say that the awesome vet tech, Meredith, knew this and lavished Toby with incredible treats and sent him out a very happy dog. We will forever be grateful to both Meredith and Dr. Rabon. You guys are simply the best. Our entire family appreciates your compassion and professionalism.

Closing Thoughts

I vividly remember 16 years ago both of my kids, dogless at the time, exerting maximum pressure on me to add a canine to our feline household. I resisted for two years until I was finally worn down. They did not know the real reason that I resisted for so long. It was not because I disliked dogs. In fact, it was the exact opposite. I love dogs. I grew up with a wonderful beagle named Snoopy. I still get teary-eyed thinking about Snoopy. What I knew sixteen years ago about dogs is that they do not live forever. There always comes a day like Wednesday when the Queen and I have to say goodbye to our corgis.

Toby and Kellen at Christmas

Sixteen years ago I was basically a coward not wanting the hurt of saying goodbye. I was wrong. This really does hurt terribly, but I was wrong. I would not trade one day of our 14 years with Toby to avoid this pain (OK, maybe I would trade the days that he bit someone). This pain is rendered irrelevant compared to the incredible journey of sharing our lives with old Toby.

Margot and I both thanked Toby for being such a great companion. Our house will never be the same, but our lives are richer for having shared them with Toby. The tears will slow, but the memories will never stop.

I will miss you and those big beautiful ears, Toby-Bear.

My Dad is a Man

miller-fordMy Dad is a man. I don’t mean he is a male — that much is obvious. I mean he is a man in the sense that he is what we call a manly man.

He was a good athlete. He hunts. He fishes. He has at least one of every power tool ever made…and he has used them all. Heck, at age 76 he still uses them all. He is an accomplished mechanic who restores vintage cars like Ford Model Ts. He welds. He mows. He chainsaws. He is a master with the smoker and grill. His brisket is still the standard by which I measure all others. What I am saying is that by every standard by which masculinity is usually measured, he is manly.

It has always been easy for me to look at him and see what a man looks like, but that is not what makes him so special. There are manly men everywhere. What makes him special is the ease with which he models both his manliness and his sensitivity. From the time I was a small child he was comfortable with hugging me and telling me he loved me. We still hug. We still affirm our love for each other. I have come to realize that not all fathers know how to do that. He is a gentle and kind man. He is a man of faith.

My grandfather died when I was five years old. I still remember him, but the memories are veiled by years and by my age at the time. So, I don’t know if he modeled this physical and verbal form of fatherhood for my Dad to see. I will find out today when I speak to him on Father’s Day. Regardless of where he learned it, Dad decided that he would tell his children that he loves them and that he would embrace them to demonstrate his love. He has been consistent with it. I am grateful for that. It helped me see that there is no contradiction between masculinity and sensitivity.

I have friends who did not have that kind of model in their father. Some of them struggle with showing affection to their children. I cannot blame them because the way we are raised has a powerful impact on how we parent. If you are one of those men who struggles with kindness, affection, and expressiveness with your children, let me challenge you to break the cycle. Find a man who does it the way you want to do it and have a conversation with him. Try it sometime with your children even though it may feel strange. You have the opportunity to start a new family tradition that you can pass along to your children and grandchildren. Boys need to see this positive practice of masculinity, and girls need to see it as well.

There are really no downsides to my Dad’s approach. I highly recommend it, and I try to practice it myself.

So, thank you, Miller Lee.

I love you.

A Tribute to Our Girl Fiona

Fiona-Small

Today (8/26/15) was a hard day in our household. We had to say goodbye to a furry friend who graced our home for over ten years. Her name was Fiona. We often called her FiFi. She was a tri-colored Pembroke Welsh Corgi, an enchanted little breed of herding dogs that think they are much larger than they actually are. She was our “alpha male” who presided over a pack that included two male corgis – Toby and Rhett.

Like all dogs, she had some very special qualities and a unique personality that made a difference in our family. Her unique trick was sitting on her butt like a chipmunk. She could balance like that for a long time. She was also the most gentle dog we have met. She loved children and loved us to be in the floor with her so she could snuggle up tight.

I am sure it is a testament to the blessed and easy nature of our lives so far that the decision to let her go was one of the hardest we have ever made. Were we sure there were no other alternatives? We stretched this agonizing decision over multiple days until we were certain it was time.

As Margot and I drove home and amid our tears we agreed that even though the pain of separation is sharp, we would not have traded those ten years of love to avoid this moment. It was not our decision that brought Fiona into this world — that happened without our knowledge or involvement. It was our decision to allow her to become part of our lives, and we will never regret that no matter how much this hurts. The love was worth it all. We gave her a great home, great kids, great canine brothers, and a lot of love. She gave us joy, happiness, and her own love in return. What more can you ask?

‘Tis better to have loved and lost than never to have loved at all. – Alfred, Lord Tennyson

In the end we made a decision motivated by that same real love we bathed her in all her life. Our lives and those of Kellen and Matt are richer because she shared hers with us. Dr. Todd Rabon and the staff at Premier Animal Hospital are compassionate caregivers. We thank you all for your tender care.

Note: See the follow-up post here.

Tweets of the Week: Recipes, Farmers’ Markets, Health, Free Books & More

Week ending June 27, 2015

twitter-bird-3Saturday is a good day to recap the activity from our Twitter feed from the past week. Not sure what Twitter is all about? That’s OK. Neither are we (or at least it remains somewhat mysterious to us). There is no denying, however, that there is some very valuable information shared on Twitter. That is what this weekly feature is all about. Click the links below to check out the good stuff. Here are my Top Tweets from this past week, great for retweeting (whatever that is). If you missed these, follow Forward Story on Twitter.

By the way, if you are wondering what the @ and # signs are all about, these are Twitter’s way to identify the Twitter handle (@) for the person who tweeted (for example, ours is @forward_story) and to allow for an indexing or categorization of the tweet by using one or more hashtags (#). Feel free to ignore these and just follow the link for the content we are sharing with you.

Here are a few recipes from people we trust:

Mark_Sisson ‏@Mark_Sisson Cool Down with Some Salted Watermelon Ice: http://ow.ly/OEz7X

Danielle Walker ‏@againstallgrain Autumn in a Bowl: Spiced Pumpkin Granola #paleo #glutenfree #againstallgrain http://grainfree.ly/1GoeKxx

Civilized Caveman ‏@CookingCaveman Pumpkin Pie smoothie, so easy and so delicious. #paleo #primal #smoothie #recipes http://pinterest.com/pin/64950419602936550/

Maria Emmerich ‏@MariaEmmerich Homemade Almond Milk http://buff.ly/1KeeLbA #LCHF #keto #lowcarb

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Farmers’ Market Locator

Mark_Sisson ‏@Mark_Sisson An Easy Way to Find Your Local Farmers Market. http://ow.ly/OEyoG

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 Some great information related to health:

Why You Can’t Medicate Your Way Out Of Poor Diet & Lifestyle Choices by @TerryWahls http://mbg.io/6Rqa0Lf

Sara Gottfried, MD ‏@DrGottfried The right and left nostril may help you get back to sleep after waking in the middle of the night. Watch as I… http://fb.me/3X4tKU9pl

Experience Life ‏@ExperienceLife 2 simple stretches to loosen early-morning body stiffness this weekend http://j.mp/1wYFlM1 #stretching #exercise #bettermornings

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Free Books for Kids from B&N

Susan Adcox ‏@grandparent Great for the grandkids! RT @aboutdotcom: How to get free books from Barnes and Noble this Summer http://abt.cm/1fmoVtK

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Parents and Grandparents

Susan Adcox ‏@grandparent Amen! RT @thegrandestlove: Grandchildren can bring love and second chances with adult children http://ow.ly/OKZmd