This is what we woke up to this morning. Winters last hurrah we hope.
Kinda random but Cindy made dilly bread today and it was sooo good just wanted to share it with y'all...at least you might imagine it :)
Sunday, March 10, 2013
Cranes (the bird type)
Sunday, February 17, 2013
Changing of the Cars
This past week we refinanced our house,bought a new car, sold our van and yelled at our boss and quit our job. That last one is a movie line and isn't completely true...although lately Cindy has come home quite often and said "I yelled at my boss but I didn't quit my job."
We did refinance our house in a little over two weeks completely on line except for the 1&1/2 hours signing of closing documents. Interesting technology now a days. They had a web site setup so we could upload and download documents for the whole process with only a couple phone calls in between.
Cindy's van has been dying a slow death these last couple months and not so slow these last couple weeks. The whining when being started in the morning was becoming louder and longer, so much that I think our neighbors were starting to use us for their alarm clock. The heater started to emit a burning smell so Cindy wouldn't use it...and if she needed to use the defrost she would roll down the windows for ventilation and pull her scarf up a little tighter. The power steering went out so it was talking us a few more maneuvers to get into a parking place...you get the idea.
So my job of researching a new car went from sometime next Fall to let's do this deal. The research was fairly easy with what we wanted in a car and the choices out there. And my new best friend, Bob at Toyota, was very helpful. We bought a Camry Hybrid. This process didn't take much more time than the refinance stuff. We found the car, they got us the color we wanted, we closed on the house Thursday and we brought home the newest addition Saturday.
Now Ashley shouldn't hear this next part since she does struggle with "out with the old and in with the new" (you're not getting rid of that brown chair are you? We've had that since I was born...yes...that's why it's going away. You're not getting rid of that brown kitchen rug are you? I grew up with that rug. Yes...it wasn't brown when we bought it.)
So getting home Saturday around 1pm and 3 phone calls later at 2pm we sold the van to a recycle parts place. The negotiations went something like this....he said "I will give you $350 for the van". I said "OK". We drove the van across town dropped it off and said our good buys. I'm not big on sentimental goodbyes...especially when it comes to cars...but it was a little sad. Even though we've long been calling it our '"cookie car," I had to remind Cindy that it's an inantimate object.
And as you may notice our Rav is parked out on the street...it lost it's place in the garage.
So the moral of the story is "No whining or creating a big stink or you may find yourself out on the street...or worse."
We did refinance our house in a little over two weeks completely on line except for the 1&1/2 hours signing of closing documents. Interesting technology now a days. They had a web site setup so we could upload and download documents for the whole process with only a couple phone calls in between.
Cindy's van has been dying a slow death these last couple months and not so slow these last couple weeks. The whining when being started in the morning was becoming louder and longer, so much that I think our neighbors were starting to use us for their alarm clock. The heater started to emit a burning smell so Cindy wouldn't use it...and if she needed to use the defrost she would roll down the windows for ventilation and pull her scarf up a little tighter. The power steering went out so it was talking us a few more maneuvers to get into a parking place...you get the idea.
So my job of researching a new car went from sometime next Fall to let's do this deal. The research was fairly easy with what we wanted in a car and the choices out there. And my new best friend, Bob at Toyota, was very helpful. We bought a Camry Hybrid. This process didn't take much more time than the refinance stuff. We found the car, they got us the color we wanted, we closed on the house Thursday and we brought home the newest addition Saturday.
Now Ashley shouldn't hear this next part since she does struggle with "out with the old and in with the new" (you're not getting rid of that brown chair are you? We've had that since I was born...yes...that's why it's going away. You're not getting rid of that brown kitchen rug are you? I grew up with that rug. Yes...it wasn't brown when we bought it.)
So getting home Saturday around 1pm and 3 phone calls later at 2pm we sold the van to a recycle parts place. The negotiations went something like this....he said "I will give you $350 for the van". I said "OK". We drove the van across town dropped it off and said our good buys. I'm not big on sentimental goodbyes...especially when it comes to cars...but it was a little sad. Even though we've long been calling it our '"cookie car," I had to remind Cindy that it's an inantimate object.
And as you may notice our Rav is parked out on the street...it lost it's place in the garage.
So the moral of the story is "No whining or creating a big stink or you may find yourself out on the street...or worse."
Friday, February 1, 2013
Dog Days of Winter Are About Over
Frannie goes back to her real people tomorrow. We are meeting up with Dene' and Tyler in
Des Moines for the weekend. Dene' has a class there and we are having a Super-Bowl party Sunday.
Frannie has been leaving dog biscuits all over the neighborhood as we go for walks. They must be for her friends because she has no idea or clue where she left them as we walk each day. Although, someone dropped a sandwich on a street corner that Frannie got a a chunk of before I pulled her away and everyday since she runs to that spot looking for the left overs.
One thing Frannie did get me to do was start walking morning, noon and night.
We will miss Frannie...and there will always be apart of her in our home...the vacuum just can't pick it all up.
Des Moines for the weekend. Dene' has a class there and we are having a Super-Bowl party Sunday.
Frannie has been leaving dog biscuits all over the neighborhood as we go for walks. They must be for her friends because she has no idea or clue where she left them as we walk each day. Although, someone dropped a sandwich on a street corner that Frannie got a a chunk of before I pulled her away and everyday since she runs to that spot looking for the left overs.
One thing Frannie did get me to do was start walking morning, noon and night.
We will miss Frannie...and there will always be apart of her in our home...the vacuum just can't pick it all up.
Sunday, January 13, 2013
Seven Quick Franny Takes
Guest blog by Cindy. Idea stolen from Ashley (or rather,
conversationdiary.com).
The only thing better than chasing squirrels is chasing squirrels in the snow. During her visit last summer, Fran wasn't too interested in the back yard. This visit she seems to be having a blast hunting squirrels.
Fran is a bone snob. She enjoys her Milkbones. She loves leftover rib bones. She will have nothing to do with store-bought raw hide bones. At least, at our house.
When Fran is upset with us, she goes to her 'room' and lays on her bed. She has quite the pout. When she's really upset with us, she gets on the leather couch.
I had my first trip to the vet. Fran's left front paw was bleeding and we traced it to her toe nail. Long story short, nothing serious. She had mearly pulled it away from the skin, we assume during her wild hunting runs through the brush in the back yard. She weighs 38 pounds.
Twice, within a few days, Fran took a Milkbone on her walk, and buried it in the snow. She hasn't seemed interested in finding them since.
What is it about men? Michael says 'Grandpa' clearly and 'Grandma' sounds like 'Grandpa' (I am not complaining - I'll take any form of 'Grandma' I can get!) Fran prefers Mike, if he's willing to pet her.
Franny hardly barks. Unless she has a squirrel treed in our yard. The other day she actually barked, like a real dog, at this squirrel. She also barks when the post man or UPS man approaches the door.
The only thing better than chasing squirrels is chasing squirrels in the snow. During her visit last summer, Fran wasn't too interested in the back yard. This visit she seems to be having a blast hunting squirrels.
Fran is a bone snob. She enjoys her Milkbones. She loves leftover rib bones. She will have nothing to do with store-bought raw hide bones. At least, at our house.
When Fran is upset with us, she goes to her 'room' and lays on her bed. She has quite the pout. When she's really upset with us, she gets on the leather couch.
I had my first trip to the vet. Fran's left front paw was bleeding and we traced it to her toe nail. Long story short, nothing serious. She had mearly pulled it away from the skin, we assume during her wild hunting runs through the brush in the back yard. She weighs 38 pounds.
Twice, within a few days, Fran took a Milkbone on her walk, and buried it in the snow. She hasn't seemed interested in finding them since.
What is it about men? Michael says 'Grandpa' clearly and 'Grandma' sounds like 'Grandpa' (I am not complaining - I'll take any form of 'Grandma' I can get!) Fran prefers Mike, if he's willing to pet her.
Franny hardly barks. Unless she has a squirrel treed in our yard. The other day she actually barked, like a real dog, at this squirrel. She also barks when the post man or UPS man approaches the door.
Tuesday, January 1, 2013
Wonderful Christmas
We enjoyed a very nice visit with Dene' and Tyler as they made some changes in their travel plans and ended up spending Christmas with us. They originally planned on being in Alabama for Christmas but are on a bus as we speak (blog) heading for a FOCUS conference in Orlando, FL, then are spending some time with Tyler's folks in Montgomery. Then they fly to Dallas for Tyler's Grandmother's 90th birthday...then back to Alabama and eventually back to Dubuque, IA. Who is keeping Frannie (the dog) during these travels...oh that's us!
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| We got some snow for Christmas...all the better to see squirrels with, my dear. |
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| Trimming the tree |
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| Dene' made an incredible apple cranberry pie. |
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| These are Christmas cookies even though they look like something for Halloween...they are snowmen. And they were tasty. |
I like to watch bowl games...and Tyler likes to watch bowl games alot! Tyler handed out the bowl schedule of each team with who and where they were playing and we all picked the the teams we wanted to win. This does make it a little more interesting since we all now have a dog in the race (so to speak). And not just bowl games, but Tyler is a huge Memphis basketball fan. It is actually way more fun to watch Ty watch Memphis play BB than anything else.
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| Our TV is not actually gift wrapped...we were watching this game and Tyler had the Memphis game taping on the other channel and did not want to see the score scrolling across the bottom of the screen. We are talking serious sports watching. |
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| Frannie was gift wrapped. |
May our Lord bless us all in the New Year.
Saturday, December 8, 2012
Thanksgiving
We made a trip to Castle Rock via the Black Hills for Thanksgiving. My GPS, whose name is "Dave," reminded me several times as we left Lincoln that the "Hills" were not on the way to Castle Rock. But Thanksgiving is a time to be with family and to thank our Lord for the many gifts we have...and Thanksgiving is not just one day...as we count our many blessings!
So here are a few of the many blessings in my life:
Mom cooked a turkey. My first turkey of the season. This is the first time I have not cooked at least a couple practice turkeys prior to Thanksgiving. And there is no better tasting turkey than Mom's. That's not the biggest blessing in going to the Hills...but its up there. Spending time with Mom and Dad and seeing our siblings and nieces and nephews is the biggest blessing. And breathing in the Hills is huge, actually being able to breath at all after going for a super hike with Sherry behind their house. It was a great hike...I'm just glad Sherry didn't have to carry me home.
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| View from the top of the world behind Sherry and Dave's place |
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| Breath, just Breath
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| Another hike but at least we kept up with the dogs
Then off to Castle Rock. We stopped in Scottsbluff and had lunch with dear friends Doug and Joy Bolin. Heading South for Denver my low tire warning light came on. We made it to a little town on I-76 and pulled into a gas station. They directed us to a tire place on the edge of town and I had visions of waiting hours, if not days, for a 100 dollar fix for a flat. I pulled up to the door and the "super hero" told me to pull right in! Twenty minutes later it was fixed!!! He said it would be 10 dollars. I said, "how much?!" Thinking I misheard him. He said again "10 dollars,"I think wondering if I thought that was too much. I gave him 20 and said thank you Mr Super Hero!
We had major grandson time...Liam and Michael are such gifts from God. Ashley and Alex are, too.
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| Michael and inseparable Thomas (and Percy!) train set |
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| Lots of Liam time |
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| Grandma having some Michael time |
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| Liam's Baptism |
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| Proud parents and grandparents |
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| Proud parents and grandparents |
Michael and cousin Devon each had an I-Pad, which they drove like pros...watching movies and probably down-loading apps!
These are just a few of the many blessings our Lord has given us. In just a few days Dene' and Tyler are going to be joining us for Christmas...and the blessings just keep on coming! May the Lord bless us all.
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| Love "Baby" |
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| View from St Francis church |
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| Pikes Peak from church |
Michael and cousin Devon each had an I-Pad, which they drove like pros...watching movies and probably down-loading apps!
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| The plugged-in generation |
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| Who is having the most fun? |
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| This is our happy thought! |
Sunday, September 30, 2012
Walking on Water
This morning I cooked hash browns and an omelet. Cindy and I normally go to 10:30 Mass so the mornings are quiet and not rushed. Breakfast was served out on the deck...we are having a lovely Fall and I wanted to take advantage of the beautiful weather. OK it was a little chilly but nothing a bathrobe and hot coffee didn't take care of. While we were outside we heard a loud crack and splintering noise. A large branch had broken and was hanging by a thread...well maybe wood. I had four other branches hanging off this tree that needed to come down. So this afternoon I got out my tool of choice for low hanging (and some not so low) branches. It is my ladder ball (two golf balls connected by a short rope) tied to a cloth rope clothes line. So you get the idea...throw it up and hope to wrap it around the broken branch...then pull it down and get out of the way. It actually works quite well...as long as you get the broken branch and not a live one (or the trunk).
Now doing this reminded me of a scripture: Mt 14:22-30 - Then he made the disciples get into the boat and precede him to the other side, while he dismissed the crowds. After doing so, he went up on the mountain by himself to pray. When it was evening he was there alone. Mean while the boat, already a few miles offshore, was being tossed about by the waves, for the wind was against it. During the fourth watch of the night, he came toward them, walking on the sea. When the disciples saw him walking on the sea they were terrified."it is a ghost," they said, and they cried out in fear. At once Jesus spoke to them, "take courage, it is I; do not be afraid." Peter said to him in reply, "Lord if it is you, command me to come to you on the water." He said,"Come." Peter got out of the boat and began to walk on the water toward Jesus. But when he saw how strong the wind was he became frightened; and, beginning to sink, he cried out, "Lord save me!" Immediately Jesus stretched out his hand and caught him, and said, "O you of little faith, why did you doubt?"
Now I'm sure y'all were thinking of this very same scripture with the ladder ball tied to the clothes line and all. Let me explain. The week after next I am giving a couple talks for a CFO (Camp Farthest Out) one day retreat and in the afternoon talk I'm wanting people to relate the scriptures to what is happening in their lives here and now. I have a number of examples I'm giving but this scripture is familiar to everyone...sometimes too familiar so that we don't always hear it with new ears.
We were camping out at the "river" as we always called the Oahe Dam, with the Venners, Johnsons and others. My High School buddy Dave Dutton and cousin Brian and Dan and myself were busy doing what ever guys do. In this case we were digging out several large pieces of driftwood to make a raft. We borrowed Moms' clothes line to tie it all together...then set sail. It was a pretty impressive raft. We used long poles to push ourselves along the shore line until the current took us out to sea. Being guys we didn't think about how we were going to paddle this thing out in the deep...OK...it would be more correct to say being guys we didn't "think"....period. Anyway we were enjoying the ride and saw the adults back at shore waving to us...so we waved back...they thought we had a pretty impressive raft too. Then looking a little closer and hearing a few choice words that made it across the water...we got the distinct idea they wanted us to come back. Yup...my father was calling me out of the boat and to come to him...and like Peter, if I could walk on water I would, but I would head anywhere other than back to shore to that unhappy group. And now the clothes line seemed very important to us...if we loose that we're really going to be in trouble. Amazing how the mind works...or doesn't. I think we threw Dan over board and told him to save himself...and yes head to shore. Needless to say, the wet knotted clothes line was not coming off. So we all abandoned ship and started the slow and dreaded swim to shore.
When Peter said "Lord if it is you, command me to come to you on the water", Peter knew it was Jesus and that all things are possible through Him...even walking on water. A ghost would have said the same thing, "come"...but how far do you think Peter would have gotten? And like Peter...ever get that sinking feeling when we take our eyes off the Lord? Speaking for myself, Jesus calls me out of the boat when it is heading to places I do not belong...it's not easy to abandoned ship and trust in the Lord.
I thank my Dad for calling the four of us off the raft and back to shore. I never got in trouble for loosing the clothes line...but Mom does say with a smile, "remember that time you boys made a raft with a clothes line then drifted out to sea?"
Yea...that was great!
Now doing this reminded me of a scripture: Mt 14:22-30 - Then he made the disciples get into the boat and precede him to the other side, while he dismissed the crowds. After doing so, he went up on the mountain by himself to pray. When it was evening he was there alone. Mean while the boat, already a few miles offshore, was being tossed about by the waves, for the wind was against it. During the fourth watch of the night, he came toward them, walking on the sea. When the disciples saw him walking on the sea they were terrified."it is a ghost," they said, and they cried out in fear. At once Jesus spoke to them, "take courage, it is I; do not be afraid." Peter said to him in reply, "Lord if it is you, command me to come to you on the water." He said,"Come." Peter got out of the boat and began to walk on the water toward Jesus. But when he saw how strong the wind was he became frightened; and, beginning to sink, he cried out, "Lord save me!" Immediately Jesus stretched out his hand and caught him, and said, "O you of little faith, why did you doubt?"
Now I'm sure y'all were thinking of this very same scripture with the ladder ball tied to the clothes line and all. Let me explain. The week after next I am giving a couple talks for a CFO (Camp Farthest Out) one day retreat and in the afternoon talk I'm wanting people to relate the scriptures to what is happening in their lives here and now. I have a number of examples I'm giving but this scripture is familiar to everyone...sometimes too familiar so that we don't always hear it with new ears.
We were camping out at the "river" as we always called the Oahe Dam, with the Venners, Johnsons and others. My High School buddy Dave Dutton and cousin Brian and Dan and myself were busy doing what ever guys do. In this case we were digging out several large pieces of driftwood to make a raft. We borrowed Moms' clothes line to tie it all together...then set sail. It was a pretty impressive raft. We used long poles to push ourselves along the shore line until the current took us out to sea. Being guys we didn't think about how we were going to paddle this thing out in the deep...OK...it would be more correct to say being guys we didn't "think"....period. Anyway we were enjoying the ride and saw the adults back at shore waving to us...so we waved back...they thought we had a pretty impressive raft too. Then looking a little closer and hearing a few choice words that made it across the water...we got the distinct idea they wanted us to come back. Yup...my father was calling me out of the boat and to come to him...and like Peter, if I could walk on water I would, but I would head anywhere other than back to shore to that unhappy group. And now the clothes line seemed very important to us...if we loose that we're really going to be in trouble. Amazing how the mind works...or doesn't. I think we threw Dan over board and told him to save himself...and yes head to shore. Needless to say, the wet knotted clothes line was not coming off. So we all abandoned ship and started the slow and dreaded swim to shore.
When Peter said "Lord if it is you, command me to come to you on the water", Peter knew it was Jesus and that all things are possible through Him...even walking on water. A ghost would have said the same thing, "come"...but how far do you think Peter would have gotten? And like Peter...ever get that sinking feeling when we take our eyes off the Lord? Speaking for myself, Jesus calls me out of the boat when it is heading to places I do not belong...it's not easy to abandoned ship and trust in the Lord.
I thank my Dad for calling the four of us off the raft and back to shore. I never got in trouble for loosing the clothes line...but Mom does say with a smile, "remember that time you boys made a raft with a clothes line then drifted out to sea?"
Yea...that was great!
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