It was a nice kitchen, then it went to "no kitchen, and now its "Super Kitchen"...
The Process took 3 months, but I must say with all the effort that it was fun, exciting , somewhat expensive, but very rewarding and enjoyable...
Sweet Pea and I first tossed around idea's, then one thing led to another and we started visiting places that displayed floor tile, hardwoods, counter tops....Lots of price and quality comparisons, and dreaming followed, more idea's started to emerge. Dreams followed that and then desires to turn dreams into reality...a little daring and money started to make all that happen...Guts even for a guy 69 and 20 some months to muster the energy, desire is one thing but energy to follow through and achieve this is something different..And a little luck here and there along the way, like finding out that at Lowes we could purchase Granite tops through CamriStone International Inc for less money than most of the manufactured tops like Staron and others...And that locals will meet the big boys prices in Indy if you just ask and work with them a bit....But it all happened and am glad it did...we do love the "new kitchen"...maybe its not really a super kitchen, maybe its a "just right kitchen"...we got two bar stools ordered from JC Penney that will finish it off by setting by that bar area..
Comes now the "Corbels", that in case you were unaware like me is a piece of wood or stone in this case, granite that supports another piece of granite, our "island" where many a breakfast, lunch and even maybe a candlelight dinner will be enjoyed...
Anyway corbels is just a word I had not known...now I can not only pronounce it and spell it but I even own three of them here pictured...they made them of the same stuff the big slab of granite we picked out near Valpo..after they cut out the counter tops there was enough left over to do the back splashes, a cutting board and our three corbels...they needed two big ones 14 by 14 inches weighing 50 pounds each we just put epoxy glue on them and held them in place for 5 minutes...after that they were stuck there and doing what they were designed to do holding up the granite that extended over the lower cabinet...I think they add some wow to the whole job...I love our corbels....
Well that's about it for today...the farmer in me will finish planting soybeans today, have had about 4 acres that has went unplanted because of wetness..but finally the spring rains of 09 have come to an end..wind and sunshine has dried that area and many like it throughout the midwest...planter will complete the planting season and we watch those last acres hurry to catch enough growing degrees to make a crop along with the earlier planted ones...
Have a great day...
Monday, June 29, 2009
Sunday, June 7, 2009
Rain Lillies are smart, Very Smart (163)
Doggone it they are blooming, the rain lilly's that is, and that is a bad thing for Indiana farmers trying to get their crops planted. But sure enough these lilly's my brother Larry bestowed upon my wife a few years back are telling me its gonna rain some more...In the last few years I have watched these things and sure enough when they bloom within a day or two it rains...Like I say not good news as the last of the acres that lays a little wet just is having trouble drying out and now after the last big rain a week ago, most of these areas now have standing water on them...and now this, blooming water lilly's aka Larry Lilly's.....
I love June because about every flower in the flower beds is either blooming or about ready too...and no exception is my sweet pea...second picture down...we picked the seed on the side of a mountain in Washington state outside Seattle...they caught our eye blooming so pretty, we seen some that had made pods and dried up a little...I said you know I think maybe these would grow back in Indiana and sure enough they have....
OK up date ( June 9) on those Really Smart Rain Lilly's....a day or two has passed since I took these pictures and let me tell you it rained again like crazy...and forcast for sure again tomorrow...it just keeps coming and word is that this is the wettest spring since 1938...that's a long time back, before this guy was born so most farmers in this area have never seen one this wet...and maybe will not again but who knows that is what makes this farming and gardening interesting and fun...you got to be ready to go with the flow..this year the flow is lots and wet...
I love June because about every flower in the flower beds is either blooming or about ready too...and no exception is my sweet pea...second picture down...we picked the seed on the side of a mountain in Washington state outside Seattle...they caught our eye blooming so pretty, we seen some that had made pods and dried up a little...I said you know I think maybe these would grow back in Indiana and sure enough they have....
OK up date ( June 9) on those Really Smart Rain Lilly's....a day or two has passed since I took these pictures and let me tell you it rained again like crazy...and forcast for sure again tomorrow...it just keeps coming and word is that this is the wettest spring since 1938...that's a long time back, before this guy was born so most farmers in this area have never seen one this wet...and maybe will not again but who knows that is what makes this farming and gardening interesting and fun...you got to be ready to go with the flow..this year the flow is lots and wet...
Thursday, June 4, 2009
Meet Hank the Tank (162)
Jill Sims came calling this weekend to visit her mother, my gal Susan....and with her all the way from Lexington where she is a nurse and is caring for her boyfriend's dog...
He is quite impressive, Hank that is as I have not met Hank's owner yet, wow he is in four wheel drive all the time for sure...He bolted in the house last night, like he had lived there all his life as Jill arrived and immediately excused herself for a needed "powder room" call....As Hank bolted into the room the first thing out of Jeff Sims mouth was "hey its Hank the tank....and what a description, fits that muscle bound doggie to a tee....
Jeff is also visiting this week from his job in Austin Texas, same town as my grandson Clint recently moved to and there will exercise his new Purdue degree....Anyway I on my way out the door to join the crowd at Arni's for some pizza and salads but just had to make a quick post here to intro the new dog Hank...who belongs to Matt who is on a business, yeah right, trip to Finland right now with Jill taking care of his baby...
Semper Fi all the way here too as some of you may know these English Bulldogs are the official mascots of the United States Marines...One is taken care of and spoiled rotten and dressed up and part of all formal Marine Corps parades and such at each Marine base around the globe.....So its Hank the tank yeah it fits....
And by the way, he is quite a lovable dog once he gets settled down and used to things...yeah he's lovable and most handsome...but very friendly for sure...nice doggy....and he dearly loved getting into and drinking from the pond...Jill was worried sick he would jump in and drown, but he stayed in the shallow...I do wonder, hope he comes back when there are lots of grandkids swimming this summer, would like to see if all that muscle swims or sinks....
Oh, one more "by the way", and that is that Jeff served in the Marines in Iraq during the invasion of the country I think it was back in 05, He's still a Marine though like it or not....and beleive it or not in the very same outfit I served back in 57 and 58...The Amphibian Tractor Battalion stationed at Camp Del Mar on the coast...My stint ushered in the P5 landing craft..he tells me that during his time they phased them out for a lot better stuff....but hey 40 years maybe or more, I 'd say the Marines got their monies worth out of those landing craft...
He is quite impressive, Hank that is as I have not met Hank's owner yet, wow he is in four wheel drive all the time for sure...He bolted in the house last night, like he had lived there all his life as Jill arrived and immediately excused herself for a needed "powder room" call....As Hank bolted into the room the first thing out of Jeff Sims mouth was "hey its Hank the tank....and what a description, fits that muscle bound doggie to a tee....
Jeff is also visiting this week from his job in Austin Texas, same town as my grandson Clint recently moved to and there will exercise his new Purdue degree....Anyway I on my way out the door to join the crowd at Arni's for some pizza and salads but just had to make a quick post here to intro the new dog Hank...who belongs to Matt who is on a business, yeah right, trip to Finland right now with Jill taking care of his baby...
Semper Fi all the way here too as some of you may know these English Bulldogs are the official mascots of the United States Marines...One is taken care of and spoiled rotten and dressed up and part of all formal Marine Corps parades and such at each Marine base around the globe.....So its Hank the tank yeah it fits....
And by the way, he is quite a lovable dog once he gets settled down and used to things...yeah he's lovable and most handsome...but very friendly for sure...nice doggy....and he dearly loved getting into and drinking from the pond...Jill was worried sick he would jump in and drown, but he stayed in the shallow...I do wonder, hope he comes back when there are lots of grandkids swimming this summer, would like to see if all that muscle swims or sinks....
Oh, one more "by the way", and that is that Jeff served in the Marines in Iraq during the invasion of the country I think it was back in 05, He's still a Marine though like it or not....and beleive it or not in the very same outfit I served back in 57 and 58...The Amphibian Tractor Battalion stationed at Camp Del Mar on the coast...My stint ushered in the P5 landing craft..he tells me that during his time they phased them out for a lot better stuff....but hey 40 years maybe or more, I 'd say the Marines got their monies worth out of those landing craft...
Monday, June 1, 2009
After the dust has settled (161)
Well, here is my first effort I promised of "before and after", my extreme makeover on my house...I will try not bore you with too many of these, but significant work has taken place here. Sweat, tears, aches, pains, maybe even border line revisiting "mono" as I did last spring, but all in all, I kid you not, it was also a lot of fun. And it ain't near over yet, but enough is done that I can share some of what has been accomplished these last 3 months since returning from Florida.....
I guess truth be known, sweet pea kind of planted the seeds of all of this last summer and fall, pointing out to me from time to time, maybe some "cool" things that could maybe be done to this house to maybe "upgrade" it just a tad...As time went on I guess some of it kind of sunk in and the guy with the brawn and back kind of caught the vision on just how nice it could be. And maybe I caught the nations "stimulus package ideas" of throwing money in several directions all at the same time, just to see what happens...Well of course mine being on a much smaller local scale but never the less, our effort of stimulus, for the likes of Home Works, Home Depot, Lowes, Menards, Sherwin Williams, Russell Drywall and even a few others, but you get the drift, it all cost mucho moolottus, aka, lots of bread....But we both did a lot of labor also along the way that probably cut our cost by maybe 40 or 50 percent....and some of the expense stayed in the family or went to some good people I also consider "friends".........
So to the right is the first two before and after shots...both taken from the exact same spot in the house with the same camera, but a couple months apart...off to the right side is the reference points the door into the guest bathroom, the heating thermostate on the wall and the "mickey mouse", light ficture above now slated for replacement some time soon...But in the lower picture you see the old walls arrangement of an entrance hallway and a door going into what is now the new "study"....aka office......several walls were removed, ceilings repaired so good there is no evidence they were ever there, a 22.5 degree angle wall was added containing a stained french door highlighting the room as well as the new entrance...some nice painting happened and staining, some excellent electical relocation work, lots of tile cemented into place, and of course the tigerwood 3/4 solid hardwood flooring all down, and actually as I now notice essentially the same picture spot taken on the third picture down of the hardwood being installed, and reinstalling the baseboards made it "home again".....and the house more functional, and opened up than before, I like it a lot...
So, how about we all belt out a couple verses of "back home again in Indiana", and call it a day.....
PS...lest we not forget to mention my part time doggy, Buddy James Pickerill asleep there on the porcelain tile in the bathroom...One of his favorite spots during the day...
I guess truth be known, sweet pea kind of planted the seeds of all of this last summer and fall, pointing out to me from time to time, maybe some "cool" things that could maybe be done to this house to maybe "upgrade" it just a tad...As time went on I guess some of it kind of sunk in and the guy with the brawn and back kind of caught the vision on just how nice it could be. And maybe I caught the nations "stimulus package ideas" of throwing money in several directions all at the same time, just to see what happens...Well of course mine being on a much smaller local scale but never the less, our effort of stimulus, for the likes of Home Works, Home Depot, Lowes, Menards, Sherwin Williams, Russell Drywall and even a few others, but you get the drift, it all cost mucho moolottus, aka, lots of bread....But we both did a lot of labor also along the way that probably cut our cost by maybe 40 or 50 percent....and some of the expense stayed in the family or went to some good people I also consider "friends".........
So to the right is the first two before and after shots...both taken from the exact same spot in the house with the same camera, but a couple months apart...off to the right side is the reference points the door into the guest bathroom, the heating thermostate on the wall and the "mickey mouse", light ficture above now slated for replacement some time soon...But in the lower picture you see the old walls arrangement of an entrance hallway and a door going into what is now the new "study"....aka office......several walls were removed, ceilings repaired so good there is no evidence they were ever there, a 22.5 degree angle wall was added containing a stained french door highlighting the room as well as the new entrance...some nice painting happened and staining, some excellent electical relocation work, lots of tile cemented into place, and of course the tigerwood 3/4 solid hardwood flooring all down, and actually as I now notice essentially the same picture spot taken on the third picture down of the hardwood being installed, and reinstalling the baseboards made it "home again".....and the house more functional, and opened up than before, I like it a lot...
So, how about we all belt out a couple verses of "back home again in Indiana", and call it a day.....
PS...lest we not forget to mention my part time doggy, Buddy James Pickerill asleep there on the porcelain tile in the bathroom...One of his favorite spots during the day...
Thursday, May 21, 2009
Hardwood Heaven (160)
It's coming together, finally, I love the hardwood that is currently "going down"...
It's called "Tigerwood", similar to the golfer guy but no "holes in one", no long drives, just real pretty wood floors...Got it at Homeworks here in Lafayette Indiana at Market Square..they met the price that we had gotten at Lumber Liquidators in Indianapolis...So when that happened it was a "no brainer", we like dealing with local merchants, we like not having to drive 60 miles to get more or take back what is left over. And it is being installed by two craftsmen Randy and Brad Denham. They are doing a superior job fitting angles and taking care to place them in a nice pattern...I find myself standing and just watching them work and enjoying the contrast offered by the variations in wood grains and colors...kind of like watching a fireplace burn...I told them today I liked looking at it and then realizing maybe that was "good", as I have at least I hope several years ahead to do just that, "look at it".....
Sweet Pea is down in Kentucky playing nurse to her daughter Jill who had a tonsilectomy this AM....Everything went fine...She had a great surgeon and is now home in bed enjoying her "momma's" expert nursing and cooking...So anyway she is missing, droping in from time to time and watching this stuff go down but will be pleased to see the results when her "shift" of nursing ends and she heads back to Indiana later this week end....
Hopefully tomorrow I will again "roll" my corn planter across some acres of good Indiana soil...Wow what a year...12 days past the optimum planting date of May 10th...So yield is being lost most likely, but what's one to do but get it in the ground as soon as possible, but wisely patiently waiting for proper soil conditions...But the 35 acres I planted a few days back may have to be replanted as it is curling and leafing out under the soil...those hard rains just put to much of a "crust" on the top inch of soil...some of the plants are strong enough to "spike" through the crust and into the sunlight but a lot of them and maybe to many of them are curling under that crust and unfurling the first leaf...Once that happens its not going to come through no matter what...So my plan is to proceed and plant the unplanted acres first then to assess the situation at that time...IF it is as bad as I think it may be I will tear it up and replant....
Actually this is rare to have to do this, its been a long time since I replanted anything....Well its time to retire and refresh....like dad occasionally said "jokingly",
"well Son, we did not get much done today, but we will give it hell tomorrow"...
It's called "Tigerwood", similar to the golfer guy but no "holes in one", no long drives, just real pretty wood floors...Got it at Homeworks here in Lafayette Indiana at Market Square..they met the price that we had gotten at Lumber Liquidators in Indianapolis...So when that happened it was a "no brainer", we like dealing with local merchants, we like not having to drive 60 miles to get more or take back what is left over. And it is being installed by two craftsmen Randy and Brad Denham. They are doing a superior job fitting angles and taking care to place them in a nice pattern...I find myself standing and just watching them work and enjoying the contrast offered by the variations in wood grains and colors...kind of like watching a fireplace burn...I told them today I liked looking at it and then realizing maybe that was "good", as I have at least I hope several years ahead to do just that, "look at it".....
Sweet Pea is down in Kentucky playing nurse to her daughter Jill who had a tonsilectomy this AM....Everything went fine...She had a great surgeon and is now home in bed enjoying her "momma's" expert nursing and cooking...So anyway she is missing, droping in from time to time and watching this stuff go down but will be pleased to see the results when her "shift" of nursing ends and she heads back to Indiana later this week end....
Hopefully tomorrow I will again "roll" my corn planter across some acres of good Indiana soil...Wow what a year...12 days past the optimum planting date of May 10th...So yield is being lost most likely, but what's one to do but get it in the ground as soon as possible, but wisely patiently waiting for proper soil conditions...But the 35 acres I planted a few days back may have to be replanted as it is curling and leafing out under the soil...those hard rains just put to much of a "crust" on the top inch of soil...some of the plants are strong enough to "spike" through the crust and into the sunlight but a lot of them and maybe to many of them are curling under that crust and unfurling the first leaf...Once that happens its not going to come through no matter what...So my plan is to proceed and plant the unplanted acres first then to assess the situation at that time...IF it is as bad as I think it may be I will tear it up and replant....
Actually this is rare to have to do this, its been a long time since I replanted anything....Well its time to retire and refresh....like dad occasionally said "jokingly",
"well Son, we did not get much done today, but we will give it hell tomorrow"...
Wednesday, May 13, 2009
Jack's Planting Progress
I am all done now corn and beans except for about 4 acres of soil too wet to plant for maybe another week....things look pretty good considering....
34 acres of corn now out of the bags and into the ground...61 very wet acres to go...
75 acres of beans also waiting on dry conditions
Todays big rain that seems to want to continue for the next few days have put all planting on hold until we get dried out....back to tile work for me...
Today May 22 I got another 38 acres planted...it went in nice...hopefully will finish the rest of the 23 acres of corn tomorrow...Then I will try and zip in the 75 acres of beans Sunday and then decide if I want to replant that first 35 acres that is struggling to come through the crusted soil...
34 acres of corn now out of the bags and into the ground...61 very wet acres to go...
75 acres of beans also waiting on dry conditions
Todays big rain that seems to want to continue for the next few days have put all planting on hold until we get dried out....back to tile work for me...
Today May 22 I got another 38 acres planted...it went in nice...hopefully will finish the rest of the 23 acres of corn tomorrow...Then I will try and zip in the 75 acres of beans Sunday and then decide if I want to replant that first 35 acres that is struggling to come through the crusted soil...
Monday, May 11, 2009
It's Officially "over"......(159)
Well it could not last forever...All good things have to come to an end...It was great while it lasted..we both have agreed "its over"....Yes, today we have offically announced that the 2009 Mushroom season in Indiana is "over"....
Sweet Pea and I spent a good couple hours in our favorite spots saturday and covered at least 4 hard miles I'd guess and we came out "skunked"...We both agreed it's over, we are not going to risk another tick infestation until next April when we will do it all again...Oh my they were delicious this year..we had about four nice "messes" of those delightful delacasies, but like all good and wonderful things, sooner or later it ends.
And probably in the nick of time, as today I decided that at least one 12 acre field will be dry enough to "no till" corn into in the morning...so there you will find me on Wyandotte Road next to I-65 along about the 166 mile marker..I will be the guy in the CX90 red tractor pulling an 8 row red corn planter at the blazing speed of 4 miles per hour...and as I proceed over an acre of soil 32,223 seeds of corn will find that they have been deposited in warm moist soil at a depth of exactly 2 inches deep..one seed every 6.49 inches in rows 30 inches apart.....There they will spend a little time thinking about life and how they may just want to send a shoot upward into the sunlight and a sprout downward seeking moisture and nutrients...All of that will transpire in the next 5 to 6 days time...
And the weather man says more rain coming through on Wednesday so this is a one day effort I guess..like dad used to say, " Well, we didn't get much done today but we will give her hell tomorrow"....and then maybe a little chuckle cause everyone knew my dad gave it hell just about everyday as far as farm work was concerned....
Well that does it for this trip, its getting dark here in the heartland...
Sweet Pea and I spent a good couple hours in our favorite spots saturday and covered at least 4 hard miles I'd guess and we came out "skunked"...We both agreed it's over, we are not going to risk another tick infestation until next April when we will do it all again...Oh my they were delicious this year..we had about four nice "messes" of those delightful delacasies, but like all good and wonderful things, sooner or later it ends.
And probably in the nick of time, as today I decided that at least one 12 acre field will be dry enough to "no till" corn into in the morning...so there you will find me on Wyandotte Road next to I-65 along about the 166 mile marker..I will be the guy in the CX90 red tractor pulling an 8 row red corn planter at the blazing speed of 4 miles per hour...and as I proceed over an acre of soil 32,223 seeds of corn will find that they have been deposited in warm moist soil at a depth of exactly 2 inches deep..one seed every 6.49 inches in rows 30 inches apart.....There they will spend a little time thinking about life and how they may just want to send a shoot upward into the sunlight and a sprout downward seeking moisture and nutrients...All of that will transpire in the next 5 to 6 days time...
And the weather man says more rain coming through on Wednesday so this is a one day effort I guess..like dad used to say, " Well, we didn't get much done today but we will give her hell tomorrow"....and then maybe a little chuckle cause everyone knew my dad gave it hell just about everyday as far as farm work was concerned....
Well that does it for this trip, its getting dark here in the heartland...
Wednesday, May 6, 2009
Deployment for Eric Smith.....
Wow the US Navy sure don't give a married man much of a honeymoon...The wedding was just days ago and Eric has received orders that he is being deployed on May the 8th...that is a day shy of two weeks since he and Mandy were married here in Indiana..
They had a short honeymoon in Chicago and are now back in Georgia where Eric is stationed. They told me at the wedding that he thought he would have maybe two months before being deployed....
Well have no idea what is "UP", but obviously something is and we wish you and your bride Mandy, well and God speed Ensign Eric Smith....Take care whatever business is at hand....Be a good officer and a gentleman...
Semper Fi........
They had a short honeymoon in Chicago and are now back in Georgia where Eric is stationed. They told me at the wedding that he thought he would have maybe two months before being deployed....
Well have no idea what is "UP", but obviously something is and we wish you and your bride Mandy, well and God speed Ensign Eric Smith....Take care whatever business is at hand....Be a good officer and a gentleman...
Semper Fi........
Sunday, May 3, 2009
Don't get any better than this...(157)
The Mushroom "perfect storm" senereo has hit the hoosierland...for you aliens that is Indiana...the very best of "any old state in the land"....stealing a line from a song I learned at 4H camp titled "We are the Hoosiers of Hoosierland"......
Well this has been an exciting day for sweet pea and me...we both worked our butts off today, she mulching at her house, and me laying floor tile at mine. Then as she "napped", well I took in a tournement baseball game at Loeb stadium today...My grandson Nathan Russell was on the mound, and they beat CC 9 to zip in the 7 innings.
Nate is in the 8th grade, his dad thinks there is a very good chance he will make the colt league next year.. I hope so...But sorry Nate this blog ain't about you its about mushrooms...grandpa's mushrooms that happened after I left the game...
Yep I told sweet pea, hey I know we are both busier than cats trying to cover poop on a tin roof, but this is mushroom season and we have had plenty of rain and some heat.. it is the "perfect storm" as far as mushroom seasons go, we can not let this go by, we need to be "out there in those woods lookin"....she bought the idea and I picked her up and we headed to one of our favorite spots...and at the right side of the page you can see the cause of my excitement today...a whopping 9 inch yellow sponge mushroom. We found 16 all total, varying from 2 to 9 inches, a couple were 7 inches tall..anyway so you will know there was no trick photography involved I brought out a Coor's light bottle of beer...we all know they measure a full 9 inches and this super roony is ever bit as long...So my fellow Hoosiers, we have about another week yet of our roon season ahead of us...get your asses off the couch and get into a woods somewhere. Walk slow and look around, they can be about anywere...
OK..tomorrow night one big feast with shrimp and asparagus saltaed with Olive Oil, butter and chives...
Chef Jack at the stove helm, I like to spoil Mrs. P from time to time, I call it "princess time"...PT for short....she eats it up.....
While we were picking these in the woods a text message came from my daughter Sherry, it was the first time I ever got a message like that...I opened it and it was a picture of a big yellow sponge but only a 7 incher not even close to our big 9er....Seems her hubby Todd found about 40 today up here near Lafayette...and most of them in one big patch she told me...that had to been pretty darn exciting...
Good night all.....Life is good in Indiana
Well this has been an exciting day for sweet pea and me...we both worked our butts off today, she mulching at her house, and me laying floor tile at mine. Then as she "napped", well I took in a tournement baseball game at Loeb stadium today...My grandson Nathan Russell was on the mound, and they beat CC 9 to zip in the 7 innings.
Nate is in the 8th grade, his dad thinks there is a very good chance he will make the colt league next year.. I hope so...But sorry Nate this blog ain't about you its about mushrooms...grandpa's mushrooms that happened after I left the game...
Yep I told sweet pea, hey I know we are both busier than cats trying to cover poop on a tin roof, but this is mushroom season and we have had plenty of rain and some heat.. it is the "perfect storm" as far as mushroom seasons go, we can not let this go by, we need to be "out there in those woods lookin"....she bought the idea and I picked her up and we headed to one of our favorite spots...and at the right side of the page you can see the cause of my excitement today...a whopping 9 inch yellow sponge mushroom. We found 16 all total, varying from 2 to 9 inches, a couple were 7 inches tall..anyway so you will know there was no trick photography involved I brought out a Coor's light bottle of beer...we all know they measure a full 9 inches and this super roony is ever bit as long...So my fellow Hoosiers, we have about another week yet of our roon season ahead of us...get your asses off the couch and get into a woods somewhere. Walk slow and look around, they can be about anywere...
OK..tomorrow night one big feast with shrimp and asparagus saltaed with Olive Oil, butter and chives...
Chef Jack at the stove helm, I like to spoil Mrs. P from time to time, I call it "princess time"...PT for short....she eats it up.....
While we were picking these in the woods a text message came from my daughter Sherry, it was the first time I ever got a message like that...I opened it and it was a picture of a big yellow sponge but only a 7 incher not even close to our big 9er....Seems her hubby Todd found about 40 today up here near Lafayette...and most of them in one big patch she told me...that had to been pretty darn exciting...
Good night all.....Life is good in Indiana
Wednesday, April 29, 2009
PURPLE MARTINS (156)
Well better late than never, the first wave of purple martins made their appearance today. Swooping back and forth over the pond, seemingly happy to be back and the start of another season in Indiana. I was starting to worry a bit that I had lost them, that they had found better housing in which to live, or maybe the Obama people had built them new housing somewhere and maybe even promised them free mosquitoes that they did not have to fly after and catch...Yes I admit I was concerned as last years arrival date was April 21st. So they are 8 days later than last, and I think this may be as late as I have ever seen them arrive. It is darn near May or will be in just 3 more days. But now I will have to look for something else in which to be concerned about, rest assured I will find something around here that needs concern...
Can you imagine how happy they must be arriving at the place they will build nest and raise their young ones all before mid August. And how good it must feel to have flown all the way from South America and today be staying in their "northern" homes.
They did seem quite happy making those first passes over the pond for water and swooping low through the lawn looking for insects to replenish the bodies that expended so much energy just to come and eat my mosquitoes all summer long. I do appreciate them and especially not having to get bit probably even once all summer..
However when they do pull out in mid to late August usually maybe a week later I will swat my first mosquitoes but not long after that cool temps and dry days make them not such a nusance...
Still hard at work on the home refitting projects. Will be laying tile in the laundry room tomorrow. Home Depot and Lowes and Minards all love my stimulus package..... Lawn needs mowed real bad and my hair needs cut...I sprayed some weeds and clover in the lawn today and will do a little more of that as I wait tomorrow for the tile to set up before walking on them to lay the other half of the room maybe later in the day....and I have not even mentioned planting season is well upon us big time but soils are still to wet to lay those seeds down into the ground...but won't be long it will dry out soon...some corn is planted in our area here maybe 10% I would guess....OK it bedtime....
Can you imagine how happy they must be arriving at the place they will build nest and raise their young ones all before mid August. And how good it must feel to have flown all the way from South America and today be staying in their "northern" homes.
They did seem quite happy making those first passes over the pond for water and swooping low through the lawn looking for insects to replenish the bodies that expended so much energy just to come and eat my mosquitoes all summer long. I do appreciate them and especially not having to get bit probably even once all summer..
However when they do pull out in mid to late August usually maybe a week later I will swat my first mosquitoes but not long after that cool temps and dry days make them not such a nusance...
Still hard at work on the home refitting projects. Will be laying tile in the laundry room tomorrow. Home Depot and Lowes and Minards all love my stimulus package..... Lawn needs mowed real bad and my hair needs cut...I sprayed some weeds and clover in the lawn today and will do a little more of that as I wait tomorrow for the tile to set up before walking on them to lay the other half of the room maybe later in the day....and I have not even mentioned planting season is well upon us big time but soils are still to wet to lay those seeds down into the ground...but won't be long it will dry out soon...some corn is planted in our area here maybe 10% I would guess....OK it bedtime....
Sunday, April 26, 2009
Marriage of my first grandchild (155)
Yep, one down and 18 to go, yesterday in Greenfield Indiana my granddaughter Mandy, daughter of Sherry Stair, and Joe Rutherford, was married at 3 P.M. in the Lutheran Church to Ensign Eric Smith. Eric a 12 year Navy man no doubt going for a career of 20 or 30 years found himself a very attractive gal while getting a degree at Purdue University...that being non other than my granddaughter who also was in the Naval ROTC program there and still a couple years away from a commission in the Navy...But love has a way and Eric finished his schooling, they fell in love and the rest is kind of right before our eyes here...They are now Ensign and Mrs Eric Smith....They will be living in Georgia while Eric prepares for a possible deployment cruise in a few months...I believe Mandy has a job lined up as a Nanny for a couple and will be doing quite well and kept busy if Eric does get deployed....Do people have grandson in laws?...I don't know but hey I think I got one here..I like him, he seems like a straight shooter to me and sure Mandy thinks so also...He had about 9 years in as an enlisted sailor and then they offered him a chance at a 4 year college degree and a commission at Purdue. He did it in 3 years which I guess is about the norm with that program..Maybe since they are full time military when they arrive at college they go year around..not sure, just assuming, or maybe they just study real hard and "get er done", I don't know...But I wish them the very best in the world, and with Eric's experience, (notice the medals hanging), I think he will go up the ladder in whatever field he is in...I should have found out more, but it was there wedding day and I doubt that he wanted to stand around breifing his "grand dad in law", if there is such a thing...OK that's about it next up is Lilly and Ryan's wedding in August...with 5 others in the 21 to 27 age bracket I think this could become a semi annual event now for awhile in the near future...who knows...no pressure, no hurry, but biology will no doubt have its way now and then....
Thursday, April 23, 2009
154 Avoiding a trip to the Woodshed
Well this may be boring as hell to most of you but its a worthy subject so here goes.
I installed a waterway in this field about 7 years ago. Sod waterways are very necessary as you will see in the pictures to the right in farming areas where the ground is somewhat rolling and water collects and runs fast and destructively down hill...Water has always ran down hill but almost every day on TV or locally we see people trying to avoid that law of "water runs downhill and seeks its own level"...
Yes it does we see towns along rivers almost every month where homes are maybe a foot or two deep in water in the living room...I have never been able to figure this out why people build homes in an area that could some day under the perfect storm be under water...Well anyway thats a story for another day but today its just day to day soil conservation to be talked about...
Well in these two pictures you see the benefit of waterways after a winter where we obviously had a lot of water run off the land very quickly...Probably a very heavy rain, that lasted long enough to do a lot of soil erosion...My field is the one with the green sod in the bottom of the low area. My neighbor who will remain unnamed has ignored natures destructive potential ways, has lost a lot of soil this past winter, he also has an ungly looking mess, and has a potential for damage to his farm equipment when he farms this field and needs to cris-cross this "ditch"....
I am not without guilt in this post today however either. You see I recieved a letter last fall telling me that a spot check had been made, and that my waterway that was constructed at 34 feet wide is now narrower than that, and will need to be corrected. So today I made the trip into the farm service agency to find out what I needed to do to "avoid a trip to the woodshed"...They laughed and simply said put your waterway back to 34 feet wide and we will be good to go and so will you...
So I purchased some red flags and using my measuring wheel found that sure enough my custom spray contractor had indeed a little at a time narrowed my waterway to as little as maybe 25 feet in some areas. I remember the first couple years I warned the spraying operator each time before spraying as I knew this 34 feet needed to be maintained for me to stay out of trouble...But as time passes one kind of gets tired of reminding and each year it suffer from "Roundup Sprayer Creep", and 6 inches here maybe 12 inches there and a few years go by and you have a 25 foot waterway instead of the original 34. Now I must prepare the soil along the watersay and seed it back to tall fescue grass......Well thats it for today, I hope my chemical spray people read this and make note...and also my Conservation people read this to know how much I appreciate the work they have guided me and helped me do to be a good steward of the land....
Most farmers are, some are not but in the long run they pay and pay dearly for lack of good stewardship....
I installed a waterway in this field about 7 years ago. Sod waterways are very necessary as you will see in the pictures to the right in farming areas where the ground is somewhat rolling and water collects and runs fast and destructively down hill...Water has always ran down hill but almost every day on TV or locally we see people trying to avoid that law of "water runs downhill and seeks its own level"...
Yes it does we see towns along rivers almost every month where homes are maybe a foot or two deep in water in the living room...I have never been able to figure this out why people build homes in an area that could some day under the perfect storm be under water...Well anyway thats a story for another day but today its just day to day soil conservation to be talked about...
Well in these two pictures you see the benefit of waterways after a winter where we obviously had a lot of water run off the land very quickly...Probably a very heavy rain, that lasted long enough to do a lot of soil erosion...My field is the one with the green sod in the bottom of the low area. My neighbor who will remain unnamed has ignored natures destructive potential ways, has lost a lot of soil this past winter, he also has an ungly looking mess, and has a potential for damage to his farm equipment when he farms this field and needs to cris-cross this "ditch"....
I am not without guilt in this post today however either. You see I recieved a letter last fall telling me that a spot check had been made, and that my waterway that was constructed at 34 feet wide is now narrower than that, and will need to be corrected. So today I made the trip into the farm service agency to find out what I needed to do to "avoid a trip to the woodshed"...They laughed and simply said put your waterway back to 34 feet wide and we will be good to go and so will you...
So I purchased some red flags and using my measuring wheel found that sure enough my custom spray contractor had indeed a little at a time narrowed my waterway to as little as maybe 25 feet in some areas. I remember the first couple years I warned the spraying operator each time before spraying as I knew this 34 feet needed to be maintained for me to stay out of trouble...But as time passes one kind of gets tired of reminding and each year it suffer from "Roundup Sprayer Creep", and 6 inches here maybe 12 inches there and a few years go by and you have a 25 foot waterway instead of the original 34. Now I must prepare the soil along the watersay and seed it back to tall fescue grass......Well thats it for today, I hope my chemical spray people read this and make note...and also my Conservation people read this to know how much I appreciate the work they have guided me and helped me do to be a good steward of the land....
Most farmers are, some are not but in the long run they pay and pay dearly for lack of good stewardship....
Thursday, April 16, 2009
(153) More signs of Indiana Sringtime
It's for sure now, Spring has sprung right here in the heartland of Indiana...Seen at the right are more spring flowers and my Indy Gator Alvin E. Gator caught red handed picking flowers again. He loves roses and just about always has one in his hand...thinks it will cut ice with me and I won't call the pound and turn him in for gatorizing my pond....He is a good gator...Came home from Florida with me maybe 6 or 8 years back and had kind of made himself at home here...But anyway Iris's and dafadills and tulips are bursting out everywhere..Why even the peonies are shooting up growth like they are in some sort of hurry to produce those big red flowers early this year.. My guess is they will not wait until late may to bloom but maybe early to mid May we will see them in full bloom.
Now my second pic is a for sure sign of spring also and that is a roofing crew removing the old and then installing a new roof over in the Farmington Addition...It is a large house but they will have it all finished in this dry period we now have going for us...it will be ready then for some warm days to help seal down the shingles and lock them down tight. Something needed big time for those Indiana winds that come our way now and then sometimes in the 60 MPH range...weak shingles just sail through the air like frisby's and cause home owners much stress for sure...
This happy homeowner will be "all set" now with a great looking demensional roof shedding future rains and winds for several years to come.....
Well that's it for this post but rest assured spring has come to the midwest and soon corn planters will "roll" across the Indiana fields and seeds will find themselves surrounded by warm rich soils and feel the life in them that God gave them, and they will send out a shoot and a root...the shoot will head up to the warm sunshine burst out and unfurl leaves and even produce an ear of golden corn...The root will head downward into the rich Indiana soil and seek out the nutrients that are needed by the plant above to make all of it happen this coming Indiana Summer...
Ok yes I use the work Indiana quite a bit...you see my google ads at the top are kind of hung up yet so far on things of Naples Florida...Not sure what it will take to get them oreinted back to Indiana here but maybe this will do it....So here goes google try this, Indiana, Golden Corn, Hoosiers, God's Country, what is it gonna take to shut down the advertisements for Florida????????Well we will see...
Now my second pic is a for sure sign of spring also and that is a roofing crew removing the old and then installing a new roof over in the Farmington Addition...It is a large house but they will have it all finished in this dry period we now have going for us...it will be ready then for some warm days to help seal down the shingles and lock them down tight. Something needed big time for those Indiana winds that come our way now and then sometimes in the 60 MPH range...weak shingles just sail through the air like frisby's and cause home owners much stress for sure...
This happy homeowner will be "all set" now with a great looking demensional roof shedding future rains and winds for several years to come.....
Well that's it for this post but rest assured spring has come to the midwest and soon corn planters will "roll" across the Indiana fields and seeds will find themselves surrounded by warm rich soils and feel the life in them that God gave them, and they will send out a shoot and a root...the shoot will head up to the warm sunshine burst out and unfurl leaves and even produce an ear of golden corn...The root will head downward into the rich Indiana soil and seek out the nutrients that are needed by the plant above to make all of it happen this coming Indiana Summer...
Ok yes I use the work Indiana quite a bit...you see my google ads at the top are kind of hung up yet so far on things of Naples Florida...Not sure what it will take to get them oreinted back to Indiana here but maybe this will do it....So here goes google try this, Indiana, Golden Corn, Hoosiers, God's Country, what is it gonna take to shut down the advertisements for Florida????????Well we will see...
Monday, April 13, 2009
Sweet Home Indiana (152)
I like this picture...Like it a lot cause it was lost but now has been found. You see my computer crashed about a year ago and we had to redue the whole thing. In doing so we were able or thought we did download all the pictures and documents from the old set up then clean it all off and put the stuff back in...But something happened, something terrifying to me as when we did only about half maybe even less than half my pictures were there...I had lost maybe 500 important to me pictures..Lots of the mate of 28 years who died 2 years ago yesterday...But as good fortune continues to follow me a few days ago in my "stuff", I found a CD disc, that said back up from May of 07...Sure enough, all my pictures were on it, and I am happy to report I have them all back...Gosh it was lots of stress thinking they were gone forever, but now they are back...And one of them which I guess was not that irreplaceable, but interesting is this shot of my home taken by a good friend from the air...So I know the song really is "Sweet Home Alabama", and not "Indiana", but who cares, its easy to substitute the word, and of course Indiana is sweeter than Alabama, of course it is...And beside I needed a blog topic today as the work on this home below on the inside is consuming more and more of my time.
But I am enjoying it and even though lots of it lie ahead yet so far it is going well and seems worth the effort...Staining a new door to the study has been kind of a bummer, but I have given it my best shot with three coats trying to come up with the desired and somewhat close to a match to the other woodwork near by...It is a long way from great but I figure when the whole picture is done there will be so much to look at that attention will be drawn away from that..Lets put it this way it's good enough for "government work", and were all kind of working for the government from here on out so what the heck...
But Sweet Home Indiana to the right here is just that...A modest home. A big barn for farm machinery and the summer spot for the "florida home" and of course nice recreation for many in the native grasses south of the pond..And the pond itself which I constructed in 1995 in the fall...It offers lots of swimming and fishing and host many species of fish and ducks and of course water lilies and other plant life...For us it is, "Sweet Home Indiana" why nothing could be finer than to be in Indiana in the Mornoring.....later
But I am enjoying it and even though lots of it lie ahead yet so far it is going well and seems worth the effort...Staining a new door to the study has been kind of a bummer, but I have given it my best shot with three coats trying to come up with the desired and somewhat close to a match to the other woodwork near by...It is a long way from great but I figure when the whole picture is done there will be so much to look at that attention will be drawn away from that..Lets put it this way it's good enough for "government work", and were all kind of working for the government from here on out so what the heck...
But Sweet Home Indiana to the right here is just that...A modest home. A big barn for farm machinery and the summer spot for the "florida home" and of course nice recreation for many in the native grasses south of the pond..And the pond itself which I constructed in 1995 in the fall...It offers lots of swimming and fishing and host many species of fish and ducks and of course water lilies and other plant life...For us it is, "Sweet Home Indiana" why nothing could be finer than to be in Indiana in the Mornoring.....later
Monday, April 6, 2009
Guest Bath Done Redue going well..(151)
Picture at the right is my guest bath after quite a few hours of hard work. Porcelen Tile hard work, but it is all done now. Been grouted and today I sealed the grout the 'step 4' in Home Depot's training on how to put down a real tile floor.
They hold classes at our local store every Saturday morning at 11.00 and I must commend the people they have working there at Home Depot. They are young and take this business serious and do seem to be able to answer with confidence all of my questions. This first job was 'stressful' to say the least...It kind of had me doubting it would go well....but it did I am well pleased in the results and actually looking forward to my next job a 30 twelve inch tile entry way into the home. I will lay down the hardbacker board on that tomorrow...
I have begun to buy some of the tile now from Aaron at the HomeWorks store here in Lafayette...Also purchased my hardwood flooring from them. They met the prices from Lumber Liquidators in Indianapolis so I was pleased to save the fuel cost and spend my money here in my home town, Lafayette Indiana. Each and every day it seems that I do have my own little "stimulus plan" going on as these remodels are of course not cheap...But doing a lot of the work ourselves, my buddy sweet pea and I are saving money better spent on vacations and shopping...S. P. will like that last one there...
I took several before pictures anticipating maybe doing some before and after stories on this blog as time went on. Lots to do yet waiting on some bids but things are at least for now "going well"....I guess my home is being "Born Again" also....
They hold classes at our local store every Saturday morning at 11.00 and I must commend the people they have working there at Home Depot. They are young and take this business serious and do seem to be able to answer with confidence all of my questions. This first job was 'stressful' to say the least...It kind of had me doubting it would go well....but it did I am well pleased in the results and actually looking forward to my next job a 30 twelve inch tile entry way into the home. I will lay down the hardbacker board on that tomorrow...
I have begun to buy some of the tile now from Aaron at the HomeWorks store here in Lafayette...Also purchased my hardwood flooring from them. They met the prices from Lumber Liquidators in Indianapolis so I was pleased to save the fuel cost and spend my money here in my home town, Lafayette Indiana. Each and every day it seems that I do have my own little "stimulus plan" going on as these remodels are of course not cheap...But doing a lot of the work ourselves, my buddy sweet pea and I are saving money better spent on vacations and shopping...S. P. will like that last one there...
I took several before pictures anticipating maybe doing some before and after stories on this blog as time went on. Lots to do yet waiting on some bids but things are at least for now "going well"....I guess my home is being "Born Again" also....
Wednesday, April 1, 2009
Born Again 30 years on April Fools Day (150)
April 1 1979, 30 years ago today, I asked Jesus into my heart and to be my personal Savior. I did it in St. Lawrence Church while mass was going on but about over. Many were filing out "early" and I was an usher and witnessed this exodus of Catholics just too busy to stay for a final blessing. It bothered me that some could do that on a regular basis and not bother them. But that had nothing to do with what and why I did what I did that day. I just simply decided to follow scripture that day and do what Jesus said needs to be done and not trust my salvation to a church of any name but to follow scriptures advice and take that step, of my own doing, that according to scripture does "assure" one of eternal salvation. These scriptures had been pointed out to me at a couple protestant churches I had attended. After studying these scriptures I decided to follow the words of Jesus himself and make that commitment and gain that assurance. So I did it and yes it was April Fools day and I thought about that a few times but I know that scripture does not April Fool anyone. It was as good a day to do it as any other, it just happened to be the day I did it, and asked Jesus in to live in my heart from that day forward...
He is still there, and will be till the day I die and my spirit goes to be with the Lord for eternity. God's Spirit resides within my heart, convicts me of my sins, but blesses me and brings me joy and peace knowing what the final outcome of this thing called life will be.
In the Gospel of John chapter 3 a Jewish leader named Nicodemus discloses privately to Jesus that he knows that considering the miracles he has worked, that he is truly of GOD.
Jesus only states that, "No One will enter the kindom of heaven unless he is Born Again". The Jewish leader then said how can one be born again unless he were to enter again into his mothers womb. Jesus just states for a second time that one must be born again to enter the kingdom of heaven...Born of water and the Spirit. Saying Flesh gives birth to Flesh meaning I suppose our original being born...But then he says, "But the Spirit gives birth to Spirit". and then again says, that you must not be surprised at my saying, "you must be born again". Jesus goes on to explain how the Spirit works in guiding us once we ask him too....Nicodemus continues to question and doubt and then Jesus gives him a more complete lesson on HIS mission here.....
Its all in that Johns Gospel chapter 3 verses 1-21 for all to ponder...I pondered it for quite a spell in 1979 and on this day decided I had pondered long enough
He is still there, and will be till the day I die and my spirit goes to be with the Lord for eternity. God's Spirit resides within my heart, convicts me of my sins, but blesses me and brings me joy and peace knowing what the final outcome of this thing called life will be.
In the Gospel of John chapter 3 a Jewish leader named Nicodemus discloses privately to Jesus that he knows that considering the miracles he has worked, that he is truly of GOD.
Jesus only states that, "No One will enter the kindom of heaven unless he is Born Again". The Jewish leader then said how can one be born again unless he were to enter again into his mothers womb. Jesus just states for a second time that one must be born again to enter the kingdom of heaven...Born of water and the Spirit. Saying Flesh gives birth to Flesh meaning I suppose our original being born...But then he says, "But the Spirit gives birth to Spirit". and then again says, that you must not be surprised at my saying, "you must be born again". Jesus goes on to explain how the Spirit works in guiding us once we ask him too....Nicodemus continues to question and doubt and then Jesus gives him a more complete lesson on HIS mission here.....
Its all in that Johns Gospel chapter 3 verses 1-21 for all to ponder...I pondered it for quite a spell in 1979 and on this day decided I had pondered long enough
Monday, March 30, 2009
Not Bloggin but Tiling (149)
Gosh its been 9 days since I posted a blog..Shame on me this maybe my longest dry spell. But I have a good excuse. Been doing some remodel work on the house. Maybe my contribution to the "stimulus movement". Spending money to get this economy moving, sure hope it works, but even if it don't maybe the house will be nicer..Sweet Pea and I we been painting a couple rooms and now we have taken out a couple walls. My son in law Jeff and I changed the wiring around a bit too, Ya tear out a wall with a bunch of outlets and switches and guess what they have to go someplace. Now another son in law JR well he and his crew came today and fixed the dry wall on all those ceilings where those walls were..Gosh they are good, you can not tell a wall was ever there. But the last two days or maybe 3 as you kind of loose track of time when having this much fun, but anyway I have been installing porcelane tile in the guest bath..Man, what a job first tearing out the old vylnel and then muding in a cement board and then mudding in the tile. It is a tedious slow process and this blogger is getting tired of it already..Maybe its because I decided to lay it on the diagonal and not straight like anyone with common sense would do anyway..Well it will be my last diagonal tile job for sure..From now on it's nice straight rows and maybe that will help. Maybe my creativity is making this a lot harder than it really should be. Especially it being my first tile job in maybe 40 years..Used to do wall tile back then but never a floor with the cementing process...I went to a training session at Home Depot on this work and it really looked rather easy...Maybe I need to go to another session there when they have one..
Till then I will drudge away and do my best and will try and keep you updated here on the old blog as to the local stimulus for Tippecanoe County Indiana.
Till then I will drudge away and do my best and will try and keep you updated here on the old blog as to the local stimulus for Tippecanoe County Indiana.
Saturday, March 21, 2009
By By Winter..HELLO SPRING IN INDIANA 148
I had a good winter break from the worst of it I am told. Six weeks in a place called Naples, the 3rd phase of my yearly rotation of Corn then Beans and then Naples...It's is truly a good rotation that rejuvenates both my soil and my soul...
Sweet Pea came down for a couple very short visits, and the last of which was a couple days on the Naples beaches and then help me guide the motor home to Indiana. Stopping off to see her brother Mark Borton and wife Terry in Pensacola Florida. Pictures to the right are me and the birds in Naples, and then the view the Borton's have from there 16th story (maybe a couple hundred feet in the air) condo on the beach there...We will be going back for some beach time their in August it has been suggested.
But the main thrust of this blog is what's happening right here and now and that being Spring has sprung here in the heartland of Indiana...The first flower appeared shown at right the day before spring arrived...It was such a surprise to see it just out the back door...It greets me each year and is so delicate but it has guts to come forth so early while snow could still be in the wings...Matter of fact the worst snow I saw all winter was in lower Alabama not too far north of Pensacola on our way home. But soon as we neared Tennessee it cleared, and have not seen another flake since. Nor do I care too, so there Mr. Weatherman, let it be know Spring has Sprung.
Another sure sign is George Lumley has worked some ground on the ends of his field along 52 in preparation of NH3 application....Soon others will follow and the black smoke of diesel tractors will catch the eye of travelers along Indiana highways...Soon after that in very early May corn rows will appear as this years Hoosier Gold makes its journey of the Indiana summer....All of that will unfold right here on this blog...even maybe some sex in the corn field..and other headline grabbers as they come along...It's gonna be another great summer....
Sweet Pea came down for a couple very short visits, and the last of which was a couple days on the Naples beaches and then help me guide the motor home to Indiana. Stopping off to see her brother Mark Borton and wife Terry in Pensacola Florida. Pictures to the right are me and the birds in Naples, and then the view the Borton's have from there 16th story (maybe a couple hundred feet in the air) condo on the beach there...We will be going back for some beach time their in August it has been suggested.
But the main thrust of this blog is what's happening right here and now and that being Spring has sprung here in the heartland of Indiana...The first flower appeared shown at right the day before spring arrived...It was such a surprise to see it just out the back door...It greets me each year and is so delicate but it has guts to come forth so early while snow could still be in the wings...Matter of fact the worst snow I saw all winter was in lower Alabama not too far north of Pensacola on our way home. But soon as we neared Tennessee it cleared, and have not seen another flake since. Nor do I care too, so there Mr. Weatherman, let it be know Spring has Sprung.
Another sure sign is George Lumley has worked some ground on the ends of his field along 52 in preparation of NH3 application....Soon others will follow and the black smoke of diesel tractors will catch the eye of travelers along Indiana highways...Soon after that in very early May corn rows will appear as this years Hoosier Gold makes its journey of the Indiana summer....All of that will unfold right here on this blog...even maybe some sex in the corn field..and other headline grabbers as they come along...It's gonna be another great summer....
Tuesday, March 17, 2009
Hankolulu..........(147)
I want to put in a little plug here for a fellow blogger...Stan Hankins, born of great parents in Stockwell Indiana and now for a long spell a resident of Hawaii..I once sold his parents a automobile in my early years, and they have never held that against me. I think the new VW bug turned out to be a car they enjoyed...They now are both residents of the Indiana Soldiers Home.
Stan their kid, is almost a "shirtsleeve relative of mine"...and I say that with pride and respect as he is a brother to my niece Nancy's husband Glenn Hankins..so that makes him a shirtsleeve relative in my book...I know well three of those Hankins boys and they are all "good people"....this one called Hankolulu the youngest "Stan" is no exception...He is a missionary working with "Ambassadors for Christ"..He travels a lot all over the world proclaiming his commitment to this "lifes work", he was chosen for.
I hope you will visit his blog, maybe making it one of your "favorites as I have", and then visit him now and then and see what "the stockwell kid" is up to now. He visit's his family here a couple times a year and sometimes preaches at the Dayton or Stockwell Methodist Churches....I enjoy his approach to this task and his vision and words that lends him to be about "His Fathers Business"....
We share a burden of the "persistant returning dietary struggles"....He shed some of the waistline about a year before I and not only gave me courage but now keeps the pressure of achievement before me....
So let me end this by saying to Hankolulu, "your blog is good, be bold and keep it coming." Here's to Hankolulu, and he can be found at www.hankolulu.blogspot.com
Stan their kid, is almost a "shirtsleeve relative of mine"...and I say that with pride and respect as he is a brother to my niece Nancy's husband Glenn Hankins..so that makes him a shirtsleeve relative in my book...I know well three of those Hankins boys and they are all "good people"....this one called Hankolulu the youngest "Stan" is no exception...He is a missionary working with "Ambassadors for Christ"..He travels a lot all over the world proclaiming his commitment to this "lifes work", he was chosen for.
I hope you will visit his blog, maybe making it one of your "favorites as I have", and then visit him now and then and see what "the stockwell kid" is up to now. He visit's his family here a couple times a year and sometimes preaches at the Dayton or Stockwell Methodist Churches....I enjoy his approach to this task and his vision and words that lends him to be about "His Fathers Business"....
We share a burden of the "persistant returning dietary struggles"....He shed some of the waistline about a year before I and not only gave me courage but now keeps the pressure of achievement before me....
So let me end this by saying to Hankolulu, "your blog is good, be bold and keep it coming." Here's to Hankolulu, and he can be found at www.hankolulu.blogspot.com
Friday, March 13, 2009
Clint will soon be a Texan (146)
My grandson Clint is about to graduate from Purdue Hotel and Restaurant Management School...Sure am proud of his accomplishment. Last night he was in charge of the Purdue Stone Hall Restaurant. Lots of us were invited to attend this affair to see how all this training falls into place. Sweet Pea and I really enjoyed the evening and the food....His Spinich/Artichoke appetizer was fabulous only topped by the special entree of Lamb Chops graced with special mashed spuds and baby carrots...
Well tell you what, I took the camera with me but when we got out of the car we were running a bit late and forgot it...Probably truth be known my tummy was in gear but the brain had slipped into neutral....OH, a couple Alabaster Beers were pretty darn good also...but I do regret not covering this story with a pic..if anyone took a good one send it to me and I will post it...
Clint is off to Austin Texas now after graduation...He says the hotel company he will be working for has about 25 hotels in the Austin area. He sounds excited and seems to be looking forward to becoming a Texan at least for awhile...Sweet Pea's son Jeff also lives in Austin..She said she likes the town so would guess in months ahead we will "kill two birds", with one stone and just most likely visit that Texas town. Good Luck grandson, use the Purdue smarts to the best of your ability and start climbing the ladder of success.....
Well tell you what, I took the camera with me but when we got out of the car we were running a bit late and forgot it...Probably truth be known my tummy was in gear but the brain had slipped into neutral....OH, a couple Alabaster Beers were pretty darn good also...but I do regret not covering this story with a pic..if anyone took a good one send it to me and I will post it...
Clint is off to Austin Texas now after graduation...He says the hotel company he will be working for has about 25 hotels in the Austin area. He sounds excited and seems to be looking forward to becoming a Texan at least for awhile...Sweet Pea's son Jeff also lives in Austin..She said she likes the town so would guess in months ahead we will "kill two birds", with one stone and just most likely visit that Texas town. Good Luck grandson, use the Purdue smarts to the best of your ability and start climbing the ladder of success.....
Monday, March 9, 2009
Market Wedgies and the New Party (145)
I hope you all are starting to get used to the stock market action since the Make Believe Party took over...Man these "wedgies" we have been getting almost daily are starting to affect how my underwear looks on me...you stretch that elastic daily like that and things look a little saggy...I tend to agree however with the markets in its assessment of the new deal stimulus package. Rewarding those most unresponsible, doubling our foriegn aid dollars, throwing our grand kids money into black holes, man I don't know we could be in for a real life nightmare here...
I am thinking about starting a new political party...not sure what to call it just yet. But one that I think the country is obviously ready for...I think it will be kind of easy to win the next election...We will promise whatever we think the people may want. Weather we can do it or not makes no difference, we will just promise it. And whatever is currently happening that is a problem in the least we will be against that and promise change from all of that and see a new day just ahead...I think it is a novel idea, its bound to work....
Seriously, we probably are near a bottom I pray in this nightmare we call reality. Gosh I find myself awakening from dozing off at my laptop, swating at huge "no see'ems and yelling "SELL"...
As a student of the Contrary Opinion we surely will see a bottom soon..The percentage of people who are negative this market has to be in the high 90's...that should do it for no other reason. I sure hope so, I'm running low in underwear..well maybe my Under Armor stock will at least go up....
Hang in there....
I am thinking about starting a new political party...not sure what to call it just yet. But one that I think the country is obviously ready for...I think it will be kind of easy to win the next election...We will promise whatever we think the people may want. Weather we can do it or not makes no difference, we will just promise it. And whatever is currently happening that is a problem in the least we will be against that and promise change from all of that and see a new day just ahead...I think it is a novel idea, its bound to work....
Seriously, we probably are near a bottom I pray in this nightmare we call reality. Gosh I find myself awakening from dozing off at my laptop, swating at huge "no see'ems and yelling "SELL"...
As a student of the Contrary Opinion we surely will see a bottom soon..The percentage of people who are negative this market has to be in the high 90's...that should do it for no other reason. I sure hope so, I'm running low in underwear..well maybe my Under Armor stock will at least go up....
Hang in there....
Wednesday, March 4, 2009
Stop Smoking Now (144)
I just read this post by my deceased wife's Cancer Specialist at IU Medical center. Gosh I really feel for this guy as his words below explain how it must be for a Doctor who see's people all day long who most likely will soon die. I went to the Lungs for life Walk the summer after she died. I remember seeing Dr. Hanna there and he kind of looked away and we did not speak. I understand now how these many many people and families of those dying must affect him. I remember the look on his face when he broke her heart and told her to go home to die, but to embrace life until she does. It has to be something that would get to you for sure. And then his words below about seeing kids still smoking. Maybe this will help someone. JL
Dying breath
Posted by Nasser Hanna, M.D.
"Thank you, doctor." Hearing those words, I leave the room. Sixty minutes prior, I met a 41-year-old female patient and her husband. She had started smoking when she was 15 and quit when she became pregnant at 34. The cough that wouldn't go away was due to lung cancer. I tell her she will die from this wretched disease. While she appreciates my candor, her husband suffers in silence. She has two children, 6 and 4. Her 4-year-old asks me to "Make Mommy better." Mommy dies four months later.
These patients keep coming day after day, week after week. They keep dying. They don't want to suffer for too long. They come in all ages: my youngest is 19, my oldest 91. They never see it coming and when it comes, they wish it would go away. For most, it is too late.
Before I leave for the day, I sign another bereavement card. This happens most days of the week, every week of the year. As I drive towards home, I pass the IUPUI student center, lined with college kids lighting up near no-smoking signs. Another lost generation? Most will never quit. Tobacco will control their lives. It may already.
I can't sit idly by, for I've seen too much. A Greek proverb states, "A civilization flourishes when people plant trees under which they will never sit." Cancer-Free Lungs, an organization my wife and I founded, is busy planting trees. (www.cancerfreelungs.org) Won't you join us, or one of the other organizations fighting smoking?
Comment on this blog posting at tellhetrick.com. Also check tellhetrick.com throughout the week for updated news of interest to our clients and friends. To opt out of this e-mail, please unsubscribe below.
Dying breath
Posted by Nasser Hanna, M.D.
"Thank you, doctor." Hearing those words, I leave the room. Sixty minutes prior, I met a 41-year-old female patient and her husband. She had started smoking when she was 15 and quit when she became pregnant at 34. The cough that wouldn't go away was due to lung cancer. I tell her she will die from this wretched disease. While she appreciates my candor, her husband suffers in silence. She has two children, 6 and 4. Her 4-year-old asks me to "Make Mommy better." Mommy dies four months later.
These patients keep coming day after day, week after week. They keep dying. They don't want to suffer for too long. They come in all ages: my youngest is 19, my oldest 91. They never see it coming and when it comes, they wish it would go away. For most, it is too late.
Before I leave for the day, I sign another bereavement card. This happens most days of the week, every week of the year. As I drive towards home, I pass the IUPUI student center, lined with college kids lighting up near no-smoking signs. Another lost generation? Most will never quit. Tobacco will control their lives. It may already.
I can't sit idly by, for I've seen too much. A Greek proverb states, "A civilization flourishes when people plant trees under which they will never sit." Cancer-Free Lungs, an organization my wife and I founded, is busy planting trees. (www.cancerfreelungs.org) Won't you join us, or one of the other organizations fighting smoking?
Comment on this blog posting at tellhetrick.com. Also check tellhetrick.com throughout the week for updated news of interest to our clients and friends. To opt out of this e-mail, please unsubscribe below.
Sunday, February 22, 2009
Fishing..Church...and Mustgoes all in Paradise(143)
Wow, my last weekend here in Naples..Next week this time I will be "Freezer Bound"....Probably a lot of sympathy I will not get for most of my readership are already "freezer bound" and we all know misery loves company....
But forget what lies ahead let me tell you of a good week end my last in Naples Florida for this season...Work draws me home, work on my house and work on my farm after that...work that I love and with those that I love...so sympathy I really am not after, I am blessed and know it....But George and Gladys took me again into the back water and we caught fish like crazy..keeping the legals and tossing back the inch or two short of legal but all fun to catch and tonight we enjoyed eating that pile of fish you see in the grass before I cleaned them....Well almost we had some "mustgoes"* that I will eat tomorrow...I fixed the green beans wrapped in bacon along with the fish and we had a good cold slaw and some fruit...we did good, we had fun...that was yesterday and a good day it was...
Today, I attended for the second week in a row the "Celebration Community Beach Church"...A church without a church building, they don't even want a building..they meet in public parks here in Naples..Usually under the big Oak trees in the park in down town Naples but today since it was in other use they met in another county park....Thier thinking is (the Holy Bible be the church) not brick an mortor but The Word of God, be their church...I like the idea and of course here in almost perpetural sunshine and warm during winter how perfect can it be to set in a park and listen to a good preacher deliver a great message from Scripture...He talked about Peter walking on water during the storm.. and asked "What is your boat"?....
He said our fears will tell you "what is your boat"...To be of service we have to get out of our comfort or our boat, maybe telling God "hey I may be small potatoes but this bud is for you"...Ha it was a good message..They send a lot of food to Haitti to feed starving children there, I like that..Why Saturday alone while I fished 500 people of that church worked at a Naples School and packed 52,000 meals for shipment to Haitti..Hope I am spelling that right, no spell check on blogspot...the church has a blog I guess I have not been on it but will, maybe you would be curious... www.celebrationbeachchurch.com
He also noted and a good thought for today's mess and that is "Failure does not shape you", but the way you respond does....tough, but good thoughts for tough times...Well "sweet pea" will join me thursday, yippee and we will be beach bums for a day or two and then head north...We will do our best to bring an early spring back to Indiana with us...if we succeed send checks to my home address please for whatever you feel it is worth...if we don't succeed remember what the preacher said...and I hope I do not get "freezer burn"...
* note...mustgoes is a nice way of saying "left overs"...you know, "everything must go"....
But forget what lies ahead let me tell you of a good week end my last in Naples Florida for this season...Work draws me home, work on my house and work on my farm after that...work that I love and with those that I love...so sympathy I really am not after, I am blessed and know it....But George and Gladys took me again into the back water and we caught fish like crazy..keeping the legals and tossing back the inch or two short of legal but all fun to catch and tonight we enjoyed eating that pile of fish you see in the grass before I cleaned them....Well almost we had some "mustgoes"* that I will eat tomorrow...I fixed the green beans wrapped in bacon along with the fish and we had a good cold slaw and some fruit...we did good, we had fun...that was yesterday and a good day it was...
Today, I attended for the second week in a row the "Celebration Community Beach Church"...A church without a church building, they don't even want a building..they meet in public parks here in Naples..Usually under the big Oak trees in the park in down town Naples but today since it was in other use they met in another county park....Thier thinking is (the Holy Bible be the church) not brick an mortor but The Word of God, be their church...I like the idea and of course here in almost perpetural sunshine and warm during winter how perfect can it be to set in a park and listen to a good preacher deliver a great message from Scripture...He talked about Peter walking on water during the storm.. and asked "What is your boat"?....
He said our fears will tell you "what is your boat"...To be of service we have to get out of our comfort or our boat, maybe telling God "hey I may be small potatoes but this bud is for you"...Ha it was a good message..They send a lot of food to Haitti to feed starving children there, I like that..Why Saturday alone while I fished 500 people of that church worked at a Naples School and packed 52,000 meals for shipment to Haitti..Hope I am spelling that right, no spell check on blogspot...the church has a blog I guess I have not been on it but will, maybe you would be curious... www.celebrationbeachchurch.com
He also noted and a good thought for today's mess and that is "Failure does not shape you", but the way you respond does....tough, but good thoughts for tough times...Well "sweet pea" will join me thursday, yippee and we will be beach bums for a day or two and then head north...We will do our best to bring an early spring back to Indiana with us...if we succeed send checks to my home address please for whatever you feel it is worth...if we don't succeed remember what the preacher said...and I hope I do not get "freezer burn"...
* note...mustgoes is a nice way of saying "left overs"...you know, "everything must go"....
Sunday, February 15, 2009
Most of you probably already know (142)
A good teacher about ways of the computer, I am not!
But I did discover something this morning while waiting on my coffee to brew. And always willing to share what little I know here goes...
Well I discovered today how useful the little white search blog box is just above the green area at the top of this blog. Its just a white box that say's "Search Blog"...well that means just this blog so not to be confused with the multi colored seach box higher up that takes you out into the internet.
But anyway this thing is pretty cool and could be very useful in finding something I wrote in the past year in the 140 some articles I have done. I do mention from time to time about a previous topic that I may have wrote about. Maybe for instance when I had Mono real bad last spring. I wrote about it maybe 3 or 4 times. So if you just type in mono and hit the "enter" key it will pull up those articles. Or for instance I am up early today because I am going to the big outdoor church under the trees in down town Naples because the Marine Randy Kington is speaking there today. And I have offered to help his wife Patty sell Randy's book to people after the service. So if you were to wonder what this guy is all about if you were to type Randy Kington in that white box and hit enter then all those articles with his name in them will come up..or what I may have written about my preacher John Walls...Or if your a grand kid of mine and your saying well the heck with Randy Kington and John Walls, has grandpa ever written my name in this blog well you know the drill by now, type your name in that white box kiddo's and see...
So pretty exciting day huh? Jack learned something after a full year on this site and well now you know why I have always considered myself a "slow learner"...
One thing I am slowly beginning to learn is not to be afraid to click on buttons and see what the hell they do...I for one have been timid about those things..afraid I will set off some chain reaction that will wipe out my whatever and loose it all down some imagined whirly gig cyber drain somewhere...you know the kind of stuff night mares are made of...
What amazes me even more is when you do these searches and these stories come up that the google ads at the top of the page change instantly to correspond with the subject matter of that article...the wonders of the internet are endless...
So my fellow Americans, "yes we can", we can do this stuff one small step for man and one more stumble for mankind...
But I did discover something this morning while waiting on my coffee to brew. And always willing to share what little I know here goes...
Well I discovered today how useful the little white search blog box is just above the green area at the top of this blog. Its just a white box that say's "Search Blog"...well that means just this blog so not to be confused with the multi colored seach box higher up that takes you out into the internet.
But anyway this thing is pretty cool and could be very useful in finding something I wrote in the past year in the 140 some articles I have done. I do mention from time to time about a previous topic that I may have wrote about. Maybe for instance when I had Mono real bad last spring. I wrote about it maybe 3 or 4 times. So if you just type in mono and hit the "enter" key it will pull up those articles. Or for instance I am up early today because I am going to the big outdoor church under the trees in down town Naples because the Marine Randy Kington is speaking there today. And I have offered to help his wife Patty sell Randy's book to people after the service. So if you were to wonder what this guy is all about if you were to type Randy Kington in that white box and hit enter then all those articles with his name in them will come up..or what I may have written about my preacher John Walls...Or if your a grand kid of mine and your saying well the heck with Randy Kington and John Walls, has grandpa ever written my name in this blog well you know the drill by now, type your name in that white box kiddo's and see...
So pretty exciting day huh? Jack learned something after a full year on this site and well now you know why I have always considered myself a "slow learner"...
One thing I am slowly beginning to learn is not to be afraid to click on buttons and see what the hell they do...I for one have been timid about those things..afraid I will set off some chain reaction that will wipe out my whatever and loose it all down some imagined whirly gig cyber drain somewhere...you know the kind of stuff night mares are made of...
What amazes me even more is when you do these searches and these stories come up that the google ads at the top of the page change instantly to correspond with the subject matter of that article...the wonders of the internet are endless...
So my fellow Americans, "yes we can", we can do this stuff one small step for man and one more stumble for mankind...
Friday, February 13, 2009
Marine Corps League and Peon Powder (141)
Each week I am honored to take a load of Marines from my RV park to a nice downtown Naples Florida Restaurant for the weekly luncheon of the E.T. Brisson Detachment 063 Marine Corps League..It is a good bunch of guys and one gal that assembles for a great lunch and a short meeting about what is going on and the efforts of this active group I have joined. Last week we may have set a record with 79 members I believe showing up...Usually around 60 to 70 make the show each week...It is fun to rub elbows with these remnants of men who served the nation during world war two in the Pacific Island battles..And the Korean conflict like the Chosin Resevoir campaigne...Then on to a large group who served in Nam and now and then one straggles in from more recent service such as Irag or Afganistan theaters....some into the 90's in age but still enjoying gathering each week to keep the Semper Fi spirit alive and well in this land....
Which brings me to Peon Power that shined up today the Alcoa wheels on my motor home.
As you can see yours truly the "the peon" who was the powder or the power to make them shine. I never will forget one NCO in the Marines who during thursday evening field days always referred to we workers as "peon powder". So if you look closely at those wheels you will see the peon powder reflecting back at you with camera in hand....A lot of effort or elbow grease but gratifying when it is done and one can so well see the guy who did it smiling back.....
Which brings me to Peon Power that shined up today the Alcoa wheels on my motor home.
As you can see yours truly the "the peon" who was the powder or the power to make them shine. I never will forget one NCO in the Marines who during thursday evening field days always referred to we workers as "peon powder". So if you look closely at those wheels you will see the peon powder reflecting back at you with camera in hand....A lot of effort or elbow grease but gratifying when it is done and one can so well see the guy who did it smiling back.....
Thursday, February 12, 2009
Waxing a Coach and Promoting Marines (140)
Well I feel some better, today is a warm day in Naples in the 80's and a great day to add some wax to the motor home. I washed it a week ago in preperation here of this annual event when it gets its yearly protection..may take two days but it will get done before I go home to Indiana which is not too far off in my plans. Sweet Pea had a good visit as you can see in the slide show to the right here. Back in the freezer and her power is out because of 60 MPH winds in Indiana last night...Sure lots of "noise" in the news these days, congress, and wall street scrambling to cover up decades of abuse...Maybe we all need to forget looking for help, shut off the news, Trust the Lord, work hard, watch out for family and forget the handouts.
We are all in it together and together we will get through it...
Got to tell you about two opportunities today. We have all read the emails about reactions from people on airplanes as our hero's killed in action were being escorted home by members of the military and the rituals they follow. All have been touched by them or at least should have been. If you have HBO or know some one who does, or can talk someone you know, into getting it by Feb. 21 you should watch this show coming out. It is titled "Taking Chance". It is a true story about a Marine named Chance Phelps, who is killed in Iraq and about the Marines who "take him home" to be buried...No doubt one that will touch us where it leaks....keep the klenex handy.
It airs at 8 PM eastern time...find someone who has HBO and talk them into watching and inviting you over....
Last one, I have promoted before, but yesterday at the Marine Corps League luncheon my friend Randy Kington told me that the Cambier Open Air Church in down town Naples have asked him to speak at their service this Sunday at 9.30...I wrote a story on here last year in February about this same event. It was the first time I had been to that church and Randy spoke that day also..when he was done 1100 people were on their feet applauding what he had said, and the way he said it...I will be there again this Sunday, as most of this crowd will be knew. It is just a large open air stage with folding chairs all around and people on vacation come their to worship service from the nearby hotels...I like watching the effect he has on them and on me.... Have a great day the sunshine is calling...
We are all in it together and together we will get through it...
Got to tell you about two opportunities today. We have all read the emails about reactions from people on airplanes as our hero's killed in action were being escorted home by members of the military and the rituals they follow. All have been touched by them or at least should have been. If you have HBO or know some one who does, or can talk someone you know, into getting it by Feb. 21 you should watch this show coming out. It is titled "Taking Chance". It is a true story about a Marine named Chance Phelps, who is killed in Iraq and about the Marines who "take him home" to be buried...No doubt one that will touch us where it leaks....keep the klenex handy.
It airs at 8 PM eastern time...find someone who has HBO and talk them into watching and inviting you over....
Last one, I have promoted before, but yesterday at the Marine Corps League luncheon my friend Randy Kington told me that the Cambier Open Air Church in down town Naples have asked him to speak at their service this Sunday at 9.30...I wrote a story on here last year in February about this same event. It was the first time I had been to that church and Randy spoke that day also..when he was done 1100 people were on their feet applauding what he had said, and the way he said it...I will be there again this Sunday, as most of this crowd will be knew. It is just a large open air stage with folding chairs all around and people on vacation come their to worship service from the nearby hotels...I like watching the effect he has on them and on me.... Have a great day the sunshine is calling...
Wednesday, February 11, 2009
Kidney Stones, Colds and Hurricanes (139)
Well I am just finishing up one heck of a cold down here in Florida. So bad that I decided to name it Alvin in keeping with the National Hurricane Reporting where they start with the A's each year and name them something.
Yes Alvin has been with me now for about a week. I have never seen so much "stuff" come from such a normally happy nose..yes that Alvin has been a hurricane in my head, even sending me to bed last night with a headache. Actually I think this may have been my first one in maybe a couple of seasons..Had my flu shot and my pneumonia shot and before I left home even a "shingles" shot, so I should have been good to go but I guess I got a little careless maybe on washing the hands and picked up a cold bug somewhere. I think it is in the last phase I hope at least..I think they say a cold is 3 days coming, 3 days staying and then 3 days going...so hope mine is "going".
Which the naming process I have to tell you my kidney stone story of a few years back. Yes, my wife and I had just paid the price to get into a movie and had just settled down in our seats taking a bite of popcorn, which generates a "second mortgage" as you know...But all of a sudden it was like someone kidney punched me, I told her you know my back hurts so bad I think I will go stand in the back of the theater, you stay here and watch the movie. Well soon I was lying on the floor in the back of the theater but to make a long story short the movie finally ended and she came back and discovered that although I was in emmence pain I was not about to leave that theater without our getting our moneys worth..We started for home but I said lets just go to the hospital instead..thought I would die while the check in processing was needing to be done but finally I was exrayed and they said yes you have a dandy in there and soon he will come out we hope...go home, take meds drink water and pea in this strainer so you will know...Well a couple days later my first born "Albert" did make his presence known with a loud "clunk" into my strainer...there he was, my son, Albert....He is still in a little jar, not real jagged or anything but a nice size grey rock....my boy Albert...
So soon it will begin again Hurricane season and they will start with an A....so if its Alvin it could be wet or if it Albert well it could be little rocky...I am being responsible however and trying to limit my "family" size by taking a daily pink pill called Allopurinal....Hopefully Albert will be my "only one"....
I'll do better tomorrow we all have an off day now and then....
Yes Alvin has been with me now for about a week. I have never seen so much "stuff" come from such a normally happy nose..yes that Alvin has been a hurricane in my head, even sending me to bed last night with a headache. Actually I think this may have been my first one in maybe a couple of seasons..Had my flu shot and my pneumonia shot and before I left home even a "shingles" shot, so I should have been good to go but I guess I got a little careless maybe on washing the hands and picked up a cold bug somewhere. I think it is in the last phase I hope at least..I think they say a cold is 3 days coming, 3 days staying and then 3 days going...so hope mine is "going".
Which the naming process I have to tell you my kidney stone story of a few years back. Yes, my wife and I had just paid the price to get into a movie and had just settled down in our seats taking a bite of popcorn, which generates a "second mortgage" as you know...But all of a sudden it was like someone kidney punched me, I told her you know my back hurts so bad I think I will go stand in the back of the theater, you stay here and watch the movie. Well soon I was lying on the floor in the back of the theater but to make a long story short the movie finally ended and she came back and discovered that although I was in emmence pain I was not about to leave that theater without our getting our moneys worth..We started for home but I said lets just go to the hospital instead..thought I would die while the check in processing was needing to be done but finally I was exrayed and they said yes you have a dandy in there and soon he will come out we hope...go home, take meds drink water and pea in this strainer so you will know...Well a couple days later my first born "Albert" did make his presence known with a loud "clunk" into my strainer...there he was, my son, Albert....He is still in a little jar, not real jagged or anything but a nice size grey rock....my boy Albert...
So soon it will begin again Hurricane season and they will start with an A....so if its Alvin it could be wet or if it Albert well it could be little rocky...I am being responsible however and trying to limit my "family" size by taking a daily pink pill called Allopurinal....Hopefully Albert will be my "only one"....
I'll do better tomorrow we all have an off day now and then....
Sunday, February 8, 2009
Backwater Fishing and Marco Island Sunsets 138
Sunsets on Marco Island or anywhere along the gulf coast are spectacular..they are just magnificent, the very best when the huge red ball hits the water it don't get any better...and 3 minutes and maybe 15 seconds later it is gone completely even the last sliver...Well the sunsets are nice and I love them but even more I love being out on the water backwater fishing around the 10,000 islands that start at Marco and run all the way down along the lower Florida coast to the Florida Keys. Gosh the water is just to clean and refreshing. The air smells perfect and the sound of the water moving with the tides in and out around the islands is just wonderful. Now if you catch fish on top of all of this, well its a bonus but not an absolute necessity for sure. And then to end the day with a nice meal consuming a couple bottle of Brown County Wine makes it perfect..Make that Brown County Old Barrel Port and well were talkin a perfect day..It was good. Tomorrow we are set for a ride through Shark Valley National Park again where we will "dance with the gators"....
Tuesday, February 3, 2009
The Tree and Me and the Fishing Pier (137)
First up let us visit a great fishing pier that just "ain't"...It ain't because the powers to be on marco island don't want it to be...I loved fishing off this pier the last few years. It is or was a great "equalizer" in that those of us without boat, could get out into the channel and fish maybe not as good as those with boats but close. But the hurricane a couple years back lifted one of the sections off the pilings on the Marco Island end of the bridge. It did not damage the pier on the east side of the bridge but they came in and lifted the section allowing access off the pilings thus closing it down for now...even the Marco end there was no reason to close it they could have just as easy baracaded the end where the section was missing and most of the pier could have been used....It is big money talking as far as I can see, the residents of Marco Island do not use it and thus it don't get fixed. But this Collier County has money for everything desired and this project should be fixed and reopened..I took my grandson Lucas there to fish last week and was deeply disappointed that this pier was not accessable any longer... .This writer has taken up the cause with a letter to the editor...the paper asked for pictures that I provided..Hopefully they will take up the cause.
The Tree and Me picture to the right. Well about 1993 or 94 my wife Linda and I owned that lot and planted that tree. We found a nice looking coconut under a tall coconut tree next to the hardware store on the Tamiami trail (US 41). We placed it beside the big rock on our lot half way in the sand and half way out lying on its side if I remember right..the next year we were excited with a 18 inch shoot shot up out of the coconut and each year tremendous growth was noted...Now it stands as maybe the healthiest coconut tree in Silver Lakes RV Park. It is tall and loaded with coconuts as you may see..has a great shape as you would want a coconut tree to have...Only thing is parking under it can be dangerous on windy days...those nuts are heavy...I should have planted it in the back of the lot hanging out over the water...Could of, should of, and would of, like selling stocks a couple years ago...
NOTE: Been at this gig for a year now, it all started last year on Feb. 2nd...
The Tree and Me picture to the right. Well about 1993 or 94 my wife Linda and I owned that lot and planted that tree. We found a nice looking coconut under a tall coconut tree next to the hardware store on the Tamiami trail (US 41). We placed it beside the big rock on our lot half way in the sand and half way out lying on its side if I remember right..the next year we were excited with a 18 inch shoot shot up out of the coconut and each year tremendous growth was noted...Now it stands as maybe the healthiest coconut tree in Silver Lakes RV Park. It is tall and loaded with coconuts as you may see..has a great shape as you would want a coconut tree to have...Only thing is parking under it can be dangerous on windy days...those nuts are heavy...I should have planted it in the back of the lot hanging out over the water...Could of, should of, and would of, like selling stocks a couple years ago...
NOTE: Been at this gig for a year now, it all started last year on Feb. 2nd...
Friday, January 30, 2009
Lucas Update.....(136)
LUCAS UPDATE...Put him on the plane this afternoon and then went shopping...Just talked to him at 5.30 and he was home just turning into his addition...he is ready to man the snow shovel and clean the snow out of his driveway....He's back in the freezer.....But let me tell you he left his mark here in Southwest Florida..Several people came by to wish him well today..Also he is a computer wizard..why even the margins of green on this blog are thinner than they used to be because Lucas changed the HTML or whatever it is called..he figured it out, and we now have more area for print, and less margins...He hooked up a new wireless system for my neighbor to the north and hooked up a TV system for my neighbor to the south...He is generous with his time and enjoys helping others who appreciate it greatly..he noticed the comradreship of this park and our website that keeps everyone informed...he went to work and has designed one similar for his addition now where he lives....he will go far let me tell you....
Thursday, January 29, 2009
Story 135..A day at Ft. Myers and Mustering out Lucas
Grandson Lucas and I enjoyed lunching with about 65 marines wednesday noon and then running up I 75 to Ft. Myers to take in the Henry Ford and Thomas Edison Summer Homes and Museums....See the slide show on the right side marked 135 also..click on the pictures and you can view them larger and slower with tags explaining what your looking at...That Mr. Edison sure had a nice 14 acres of trees and beach front property..He was a brillian man and help pattens on 1093 different things...He was also very wealthy and dabbled in about everything he invented...Henry Ford liked hanging out with Edison so he purchased the land next to him and built a home almost as nice as Edisons....Great place to spend an afternoon, especially for a soldier just home from Irag as the museum lets them in free and all those in their family gets in for half price....So quite a deal and yet another reason to go there just because they are patriotic.....
Well Lucas heads back to the freezer tomorrow afternoon..he will be scooping snow by dark I would imagine as he is going home to about 10 inches of that wonderment...
We have had a good two weeks, played several games of golf, enough to loose most of the balls in both bags into the ponds of Silver Lakes..But Lucas purchased some "second chance" balls at Wal Mart so I am good to go on that. We fished a couple days but caught zippo the second day but had a tremendous day with the Thompsons the day before...We tanned at the Marco Island beaches and picked up sand dollars one afternoon out on Tigertail beach. We cooked a lot and dined out a lot also..Of course don't forget our daring ride threw Shark Valley with the likes of our friend Ernie Maier....Today Lucas shot a 45 and I a 46 on our little golf course here at Silver Lakes.....All in all it was a good visit...So tomorrow evening I will be alone for a few days preparing for my next guest coming in a week....sweet pea...
Well turn to now and clean the coach inside and out even try to throw a little wax on the outside...That is no easy task when the job is do-it-yourself...Usually taking about 3 days to achieve the like new look again like the day when it was..
Well Lucas heads back to the freezer tomorrow afternoon..he will be scooping snow by dark I would imagine as he is going home to about 10 inches of that wonderment...
We have had a good two weeks, played several games of golf, enough to loose most of the balls in both bags into the ponds of Silver Lakes..But Lucas purchased some "second chance" balls at Wal Mart so I am good to go on that. We fished a couple days but caught zippo the second day but had a tremendous day with the Thompsons the day before...We tanned at the Marco Island beaches and picked up sand dollars one afternoon out on Tigertail beach. We cooked a lot and dined out a lot also..Of course don't forget our daring ride threw Shark Valley with the likes of our friend Ernie Maier....Today Lucas shot a 45 and I a 46 on our little golf course here at Silver Lakes.....All in all it was a good visit...So tomorrow evening I will be alone for a few days preparing for my next guest coming in a week....sweet pea...
Well turn to now and clean the coach inside and out even try to throw a little wax on the outside...That is no easy task when the job is do-it-yourself...Usually taking about 3 days to achieve the like new look again like the day when it was..
Tuesday, January 27, 2009
(134) Today on Marco Island
Well as you can see by the picture on the right today was oldies day on Marco Beach..Lucas and I ran into these three gals who looked like they stepped out of the 30's maybe or the 40's....Yes they did, we tried to choose the best looking suit but just could not decide...Who would you pick?....
Next question?...the two homes for sale on the water...which one should I make an offer on...Both say make us and offer so I may...If they take it I hope to be able to at least make the down payment and then wait for the governemnt to write down my mortgage to where I will be able to stay in my new home and pay the insurance and taxes...I like the plans talked about on the view and by Ophra about helping out people who just happened to purchase way more home than they can afford...I gotta get in on this deal....So help me choose which house and which beauty queen?????
This stimulus package is going to be pretty much something for everyone and we gotta be ready...
Folks in Indiana tell me kids are home from school today, too much snow on the ground. They say I gotta be missing all of that by being down here in 80 degree temps...Well there wrong, truthfully I like looking out the windown at a big snow fall but only one time..the second time I look out the window and if it's still there then I am ready for it to be gone. Well take care if your up there negotiating the snow...Use those four wheel drives...OK do this, make a nice snow ball and put it in my freezer..I will try and enjoy it when I get home...
Next question?...the two homes for sale on the water...which one should I make an offer on...Both say make us and offer so I may...If they take it I hope to be able to at least make the down payment and then wait for the governemnt to write down my mortgage to where I will be able to stay in my new home and pay the insurance and taxes...I like the plans talked about on the view and by Ophra about helping out people who just happened to purchase way more home than they can afford...I gotta get in on this deal....So help me choose which house and which beauty queen?????
This stimulus package is going to be pretty much something for everyone and we gotta be ready...
Folks in Indiana tell me kids are home from school today, too much snow on the ground. They say I gotta be missing all of that by being down here in 80 degree temps...Well there wrong, truthfully I like looking out the windown at a big snow fall but only one time..the second time I look out the window and if it's still there then I am ready for it to be gone. Well take care if your up there negotiating the snow...Use those four wheel drives...OK do this, make a nice snow ball and put it in my freezer..I will try and enjoy it when I get home...
Sunday, January 25, 2009
One Fine Coach Story 133
Another Big day in Paradise...Started out slow with we attending the 9 am service on Marco at the Methodist Church...Randy gave a good message but the church was only maybe 30% full...But Randy did good as good Randy always does....But I left my Bible in the pew...So after we breakfast at Porky's we went back thinking the 10.30 would be over...It had just ended and the full to capacity crowd were on their feet giving Randy a standing ovation...So while waiting for the crowd to leave I asked Randy's wife Patty if she needed help selling Randy's Book he wrote, "What a Life"...She said yes so I did that for a few minutes maybe peddling at least 20 some books on my own or more...About that time someone yelled out is Jack Lahrman here?...I said yes and my Bible was then delivered to me...did not even have to look for it...you see know one steals a Bible...never
First off we visited the Million Dollar Motor Home show at Pelican Lake RV park next door..Heard there was some over 2 million dollar coaches there so just had to see..They are nice no doubt about it but golly, when its all said and done Marble scuptured counter tops and a testosterone shower just maybe are not worth an extra 1.7 million or so...even adding in a for real home refrigerator and stack washer and dryer, the desire for me is just not even close...Don't have anywhere near that kind of money but even if I had I would have to put it to other uses better than "fluff and foo foo's".....exit Pelican Lake and move on....
After that took Lucas to the Mullet Festival at the south end of Marco Island...A crazy place called "Stans" where each Sunday people dance and drink and set in the sun and watch crazy's do crazy things....This was no exception..check out Lucas's blog for a picture of him with one of those crazy women dressed like a Buzzard...click here for Luke's fine blog
You see at the annual mullet festival at Crazy Stan's outdoor bar crazy women dress as buzzards and do a dance called the "buzzard lope"...That is supposed to be an immitation of the dance a buzzard does around a freshly found road kill before he eats it....I know it sounds pretty crazy but it all seems to make sense at Stan's place....
Well anyway Lucas was not impressed at all with all that drunking goings on so we left and headed to our last destination for the day...The famed "Tiger Tail Beach"...where you can almost walk your butt off just getting to the end of the tail out there in the ocean...We finally made it and turned around and headed back..My knee was starting to talk to me a just a bit, but I made it back...And just as we got back to the area to leave the beach the big red ball in the sky came to rest right on the edge of the far western sky...It was fabulous maybe Luke will post that also, but it was a beautiful sunset and end to another great day in Paradise...
A steak, baked sweet tater and corn on the cob set us up for doing our double barreled blogs for the day...enjoy....
First off we visited the Million Dollar Motor Home show at Pelican Lake RV park next door..Heard there was some over 2 million dollar coaches there so just had to see..They are nice no doubt about it but golly, when its all said and done Marble scuptured counter tops and a testosterone shower just maybe are not worth an extra 1.7 million or so...even adding in a for real home refrigerator and stack washer and dryer, the desire for me is just not even close...Don't have anywhere near that kind of money but even if I had I would have to put it to other uses better than "fluff and foo foo's".....exit Pelican Lake and move on....
After that took Lucas to the Mullet Festival at the south end of Marco Island...A crazy place called "Stans" where each Sunday people dance and drink and set in the sun and watch crazy's do crazy things....This was no exception..check out Lucas's blog for a picture of him with one of those crazy women dressed like a Buzzard...click here for Luke's fine blog
You see at the annual mullet festival at Crazy Stan's outdoor bar crazy women dress as buzzards and do a dance called the "buzzard lope"...That is supposed to be an immitation of the dance a buzzard does around a freshly found road kill before he eats it....I know it sounds pretty crazy but it all seems to make sense at Stan's place....
Well anyway Lucas was not impressed at all with all that drunking goings on so we left and headed to our last destination for the day...The famed "Tiger Tail Beach"...where you can almost walk your butt off just getting to the end of the tail out there in the ocean...We finally made it and turned around and headed back..My knee was starting to talk to me a just a bit, but I made it back...And just as we got back to the area to leave the beach the big red ball in the sky came to rest right on the edge of the far western sky...It was fabulous maybe Luke will post that also, but it was a beautiful sunset and end to another great day in Paradise...
A steak, baked sweet tater and corn on the cob set us up for doing our double barreled blogs for the day...enjoy....
Saturday, January 24, 2009
Today in Paradise (132)
Every time the Thompson's take me fishing (George and Gladis), I can not help but fall in love all over again with the back waters south of Marco Island...Its know as the 10,000 islands. Doubt anyone ever counted all of them but its probably a good guess. These islands are small for the most part usually under one acre and consist of a pile of sea shells with mangrove trees growing on them...Mangrove trees are known as "island builders", as these mangrove can attach them selves to the bottom sand and hang on until a storm brings in lots of shells..they catch the shells and they pile up under the trees and an island starts and continues to grow.
I love these back waters the air is always so clean and crisp, the water is always pure and clear, and the fish are very healthy and so darn much fun to catch. And then maybe if one is lucky like we were today you have a nice fish fry just as the beautiful sun is setting in the west..I think it would be really hard to have a "bad day" of fishing these waters...
Well today the Thompson's graciously took me and grandson Lucas out there to enjoy all of the above...As per usual Glady kicked our butts...I tell you that woman is a true "Pescadora" (fisher woman)....We had five keeper fish and she caught three of them and the largest. Pic at right shows her with a nice Sheephead she caught. Below that is Happy Hoosier with a beautiful "Snook" fish that just did not meet the between 22 and 36 inches so I had to release him...But he was a nice fish and cleared the water a couple times after I hooked him..Lucas Cole my grandson did bring in a nice sheephead keeper...but my camera broke down and now I must turn to my big camera for the rest of my time here...it don't fit in my pocket so my pics will need to be planned and not alway have it with me...Actually the shutter sticks shut and will not open, maybe it can be repaired, I hope so...
Well we must be off to bed soon, tomorrow we are looking forward to attending the Marco Methodist Church and listening to a Marine's Marine tell his story one more time...His name is Randy Kington...It will be good to hear him again and glad my grandson is on board for this one....
By the way my grandson started a blog yesterday and today he has done his second post to his new blog...tape on it and take a look....we set here now each night as he said on our laptops doing a "double barreled" blog....
click here to see his blog
Semper Fi,
I love these back waters the air is always so clean and crisp, the water is always pure and clear, and the fish are very healthy and so darn much fun to catch. And then maybe if one is lucky like we were today you have a nice fish fry just as the beautiful sun is setting in the west..I think it would be really hard to have a "bad day" of fishing these waters...
Well today the Thompson's graciously took me and grandson Lucas out there to enjoy all of the above...As per usual Glady kicked our butts...I tell you that woman is a true "Pescadora" (fisher woman)....We had five keeper fish and she caught three of them and the largest. Pic at right shows her with a nice Sheephead she caught. Below that is Happy Hoosier with a beautiful "Snook" fish that just did not meet the between 22 and 36 inches so I had to release him...But he was a nice fish and cleared the water a couple times after I hooked him..Lucas Cole my grandson did bring in a nice sheephead keeper...but my camera broke down and now I must turn to my big camera for the rest of my time here...it don't fit in my pocket so my pics will need to be planned and not alway have it with me...Actually the shutter sticks shut and will not open, maybe it can be repaired, I hope so...
Well we must be off to bed soon, tomorrow we are looking forward to attending the Marco Methodist Church and listening to a Marine's Marine tell his story one more time...His name is Randy Kington...It will be good to hear him again and glad my grandson is on board for this one....
By the way my grandson started a blog yesterday and today he has done his second post to his new blog...tape on it and take a look....we set here now each night as he said on our laptops doing a "double barreled" blog....
click here to see his blog
Semper Fi,
Friday, January 23, 2009
Shark Valley (131)
The Everglades National Park also know as "Shark Valley" located about 70 miles down US 41 south east of Naples Florida...We went there yesterday, Lucas and I and we took our bikes and rode the 15 miles with friend Ernie Maier...It was fun it took us just over 2 hours to make the circut...Gosh we seen at least 100 aligators I would guess...ranging from 5 to 12 feet long I would guess...some with thier tail lying out on the black top trail and we would ride out bikes past them within a couple feet of them...at first it seemed risky but after a while we got used to it..Literature states that only one person has ever been attacked by a gator and that was when a small boy fell off his bike onto a gator...I think they have too many gator along the trail, I would clean about half of them out of there and into the frying pan if I were manageing the park....but lucky for the Al E. Gators I am not...
Lots of pretty bird life there also it is a camera buffs paradise for sure...When sweet pea arrives here we will do this little ride again...she will like it, I am sure...Ernie Maier said it was the most fun he has had this year here in Paradise...It is a great place to spend a few hours..and across the street from the entrance is a restaurant run by the local Indians in these parts...Real Indians too not the imported variety...the kind that chased Custer you know....Also they have a pretty good looking airboat operation there...I want to try that out soon its 10 bucks per person and I think it is a more authentic everglade swamp than the airboat rides that are closer to Naples...after seeing the territory the Indians take you too I think it is well worth the extra drive a little further down 41....
OK I am getting sleepy and fussy so am signing off....
Lots of pretty bird life there also it is a camera buffs paradise for sure...When sweet pea arrives here we will do this little ride again...she will like it, I am sure...Ernie Maier said it was the most fun he has had this year here in Paradise...It is a great place to spend a few hours..and across the street from the entrance is a restaurant run by the local Indians in these parts...Real Indians too not the imported variety...the kind that chased Custer you know....Also they have a pretty good looking airboat operation there...I want to try that out soon its 10 bucks per person and I think it is a more authentic everglade swamp than the airboat rides that are closer to Naples...after seeing the territory the Indians take you too I think it is well worth the extra drive a little further down 41....
OK I am getting sleepy and fussy so am signing off....
Monday, January 19, 2009
Two of my Favorite things in Naples....130
Hoosier Farmers in Florida don't take a lot of entertainment...there just so dam happy to be here that everything here seems pretty darn nice...Today though I took Grandson Luke to my favorite barber shop up on the trail...Haircuts By Joe Cool....
I got my usual excellent 5 to 6 minutes in Jake's chair...but always perfect, the guy is a wizard of a barber...but Lucas did not fair quite as well...we walked in and someone told us that Frank the new guy was pretty darn good...give him a try they said and Lucas said, "Ok I will"....Well Frank somehow did not pick up on just what Luke wanted...and he pretty much gave Lucas another boot camp haircut...Lucas ended up getting his hair cut "no charge" so what the heck, he surely got his money's worth and will be another extra week before he need's another...
After that I took Lucas to Homer Hectors' Military Museum located on Shirley Street off Pine Ridge here in Naples...I love going there as it is kind of a hang out for Marines of all ages, but mostly old timers....And Homer has about one of every thing in his antique and military store...He allowed us to "play" with the old BMW World War two motor cycle...Hitlers Army had many of these wild machines...A cool bike with side car and a 30 calibur machine gun to mow down anything in your way...Luke enjoyed setting on it as you see on the right side here...
I knew a German who lived here in Silver Lakes a few years back...Paul Siebert was his name...He rode one of these while he was a member of Rommels little Army in North Africa...The Brits finally shot his third tank up and captured him, much to his benefit as he was sent to a war camp in Canada and then turned loose after the war to become a very successful Chicken Farmer in Canada...I liked Paul and his wife Hilda...Paul reminded me so much of Lawrence Welk and actually could dance about as well also....
But the best story I have about him is taking my visiting brother who was a mortor Platoon Leader under General Patton's 3rd Army over and introducing him to Paul one fine day...I did not tell Brother Bob anything about him only that I wanted him to meet him...It was not love at first sight...Quite the contrary, as the accent just did not play well with my bro...I finally confessed that I had set this up just for my own entertainment and every thing calmed down...I just wanted to introduce a General Patton Warrior and a General Rommel(the desert fox), Warrior and see what would happen....Nothing happened but there were no hugs, maybe a decent handshake and a nice to meet you, that was all....
Tomorrow we will watch the swearing in of the 44th President...
Take care, God Bless America
I got my usual excellent 5 to 6 minutes in Jake's chair...but always perfect, the guy is a wizard of a barber...but Lucas did not fair quite as well...we walked in and someone told us that Frank the new guy was pretty darn good...give him a try they said and Lucas said, "Ok I will"....Well Frank somehow did not pick up on just what Luke wanted...and he pretty much gave Lucas another boot camp haircut...Lucas ended up getting his hair cut "no charge" so what the heck, he surely got his money's worth and will be another extra week before he need's another...
After that I took Lucas to Homer Hectors' Military Museum located on Shirley Street off Pine Ridge here in Naples...I love going there as it is kind of a hang out for Marines of all ages, but mostly old timers....And Homer has about one of every thing in his antique and military store...He allowed us to "play" with the old BMW World War two motor cycle...Hitlers Army had many of these wild machines...A cool bike with side car and a 30 calibur machine gun to mow down anything in your way...Luke enjoyed setting on it as you see on the right side here...
I knew a German who lived here in Silver Lakes a few years back...Paul Siebert was his name...He rode one of these while he was a member of Rommels little Army in North Africa...The Brits finally shot his third tank up and captured him, much to his benefit as he was sent to a war camp in Canada and then turned loose after the war to become a very successful Chicken Farmer in Canada...I liked Paul and his wife Hilda...Paul reminded me so much of Lawrence Welk and actually could dance about as well also....
But the best story I have about him is taking my visiting brother who was a mortor Platoon Leader under General Patton's 3rd Army over and introducing him to Paul one fine day...I did not tell Brother Bob anything about him only that I wanted him to meet him...It was not love at first sight...Quite the contrary, as the accent just did not play well with my bro...I finally confessed that I had set this up just for my own entertainment and every thing calmed down...I just wanted to introduce a General Patton Warrior and a General Rommel(the desert fox), Warrior and see what would happen....Nothing happened but there were no hugs, maybe a decent handshake and a nice to meet you, that was all....
Tomorrow we will watch the swearing in of the 44th President...
Take care, God Bless America
Sunday, January 18, 2009
Me and Luke and the Admiral (129)
Yesterday Lucas and I were busy. We played 9 holes of golf here at Silver Lakes RV and Golf Resort....We both did pretty lousy...Luke hit a house and got the owner next door riled up..he told us to "club down"...after asking what club we used..But over all we did OK and had fun..I lost my sand wedge on hole 5 and never found it..Hope someone turned it in need to go check tomorrow for sure...then after that we headed for the Marco Island beaches...We took this picture of a sea gull that I called the "admiral"....He was a confident proud guy...liked having his picture taken but I think he was expecting a hand out as he then raised his head and let go with a few noisy calls or screams like maybe hey where the hell is my treats guy...
We walked at least two miles in the sand looking for valuable shells or sets out of large diamond rings...found neither but still got good sunshine and good exercise...Then today we went to the church of what's happening now on the Isle of Capri...Then we rode our bike's like the wind for a half hour and then went and worked out in the weight room for a bit before a swim in the pool....after that a relaxing rest on the lounge chairs soaking up the warm sun...unreal how warm it is just 1100 mile south of the freezer that we call Indiana....
Ran into lots of old friends around the park and other spots around Marco and Naples...One was Joe Chard the owner of Exit Realty...He said hey Jack I sure like your beard...I looked up and Joe had my beard exactly...but he claimed to my grandson that I had his beard and was "copying him again".....Another was Doc Jack and his lovely wife Mary, they are wonderful folk for sure, even being from the east coast...I told my grandson that I probably have almost as many good friends here in Florida as I do in Indiana...Only here three months and Indiana for nine but down here it is just different...Up there everyone is working and busy as hell...Down here we are on vacation and reaching out to others for friendship I think...so I think the short time here is friendship weighted and the net result is that I probably do have more great freinds here than at home....maybe not, maybe I am just so dam glad to be out of the freezer that it just seems that way...Anyway freinds are great people to know and either place a huge asset to ones life....howdy to all my good friends and family here and the freezer....semper fi.....
We walked at least two miles in the sand looking for valuable shells or sets out of large diamond rings...found neither but still got good sunshine and good exercise...Then today we went to the church of what's happening now on the Isle of Capri...Then we rode our bike's like the wind for a half hour and then went and worked out in the weight room for a bit before a swim in the pool....after that a relaxing rest on the lounge chairs soaking up the warm sun...unreal how warm it is just 1100 mile south of the freezer that we call Indiana....
Ran into lots of old friends around the park and other spots around Marco and Naples...One was Joe Chard the owner of Exit Realty...He said hey Jack I sure like your beard...I looked up and Joe had my beard exactly...but he claimed to my grandson that I had his beard and was "copying him again".....Another was Doc Jack and his lovely wife Mary, they are wonderful folk for sure, even being from the east coast...I told my grandson that I probably have almost as many good friends here in Florida as I do in Indiana...Only here three months and Indiana for nine but down here it is just different...Up there everyone is working and busy as hell...Down here we are on vacation and reaching out to others for friendship I think...so I think the short time here is friendship weighted and the net result is that I probably do have more great freinds here than at home....maybe not, maybe I am just so dam glad to be out of the freezer that it just seems that way...Anyway freinds are great people to know and either place a huge asset to ones life....howdy to all my good friends and family here and the freezer....semper fi.....
Thursday, January 15, 2009
Me and Luke in Paradise 128
Timing is important, the longer I live the more I realize that. It's below zero in Indiana and I ain't there...Grandson Lucas and I flew the coop three days ago and headed south, just ahead of the oncoming cold front. It's coming all the way to Florida though as I hear that Tallahasee will be about 17 tonight...But we are not there either we are in Naples, and currently its about 60 but would not surprise me if we don't dip into the low 40's by morning...But the good thing is in a day or two we will bounce back into the 70's and that will be good..Lucas and I spent the day shopping for batteries for the motor home..I noticed the last couple days before departure a strong gassy smell coming from the batteries as it sat in the pole barn.
I told Lucas about it coming down and he said "Grandpa that is not good". And I told him they were also beginning to buldge out on the sides and he said "that ain't goood either Grandpa, my guess is you need new battiers"....he was right and today after much internet searches and store shopping we found the best buy in town at Sam's club...By dark thirty tonight we had them changed out, or I should say Lucas did...He said that he does that kind of stuff all the time on Army tanks and such, and it all went well like he said it would....
Well its getting late, my mechanic is already snoring and grandpa is struggling for much more to say so maybe the best thing is nothing at all....Tomorrow Golf and Camera Club, maybe both maybe one or the other....Life in Southwest Florida is just kidda like that, way more things to do than time to do it...Later....
I told Lucas about it coming down and he said "Grandpa that is not good". And I told him they were also beginning to buldge out on the sides and he said "that ain't goood either Grandpa, my guess is you need new battiers"....he was right and today after much internet searches and store shopping we found the best buy in town at Sam's club...By dark thirty tonight we had them changed out, or I should say Lucas did...He said that he does that kind of stuff all the time on Army tanks and such, and it all went well like he said it would....
Well its getting late, my mechanic is already snoring and grandpa is struggling for much more to say so maybe the best thing is nothing at all....Tomorrow Golf and Camera Club, maybe both maybe one or the other....Life in Southwest Florida is just kidda like that, way more things to do than time to do it...Later....
Tuesday, January 6, 2009
Happy New Year So Far (127)
Honky Tonkin in Nashville Tenn was fun at New Years and I imagine about any night of the week there is equally exciting. That was our New Years destination and it did not disapoint us. If you like country music and plenty of it, it is to be had there in downtown Nashville. Don't remember the street we were on but it was lined on both sides with clubs that all had country bands playing all those country favorites.
It is a fun scene for sure if you have never done it, do it sometime. I imagine its where a lot of singers get their start, playing these clubs for "tips" only and hoping to get discovered somehow before they starve to death...It was a fun night spent with Mark and Terry as we soaked up an evening full of country music....
Our host Jessica seen in the pic's should probably be proclaimed Nashville's "Rachel Ray", as she threw open her house and refrigerator and food pantry to the likes of all of us...sweet pea's brother Mark with help from the Dixie Chics brought forth a New Years Day dinner that would bring even downtrodden stock holders of the 2008 crash lots of Good Luck for 2009....I sure hope it works, as we ate all that stuff, corn beef and cabbage, blackeyed peas, cornbread, some kind of herring fish that was "yuck" and not sure what all...But we ate it anyway and we toasted the new year with Brown County and other wines...All went down good and stayed down...Lets hope it all works..actually "family" is always the best part.....HAPPY NEW YEARS TO "Y'ALL".....
It is a fun scene for sure if you have never done it, do it sometime. I imagine its where a lot of singers get their start, playing these clubs for "tips" only and hoping to get discovered somehow before they starve to death...It was a fun night spent with Mark and Terry as we soaked up an evening full of country music....
Our host Jessica seen in the pic's should probably be proclaimed Nashville's "Rachel Ray", as she threw open her house and refrigerator and food pantry to the likes of all of us...sweet pea's brother Mark with help from the Dixie Chics brought forth a New Years Day dinner that would bring even downtrodden stock holders of the 2008 crash lots of Good Luck for 2009....I sure hope it works, as we ate all that stuff, corn beef and cabbage, blackeyed peas, cornbread, some kind of herring fish that was "yuck" and not sure what all...But we ate it anyway and we toasted the new year with Brown County and other wines...All went down good and stayed down...Lets hope it all works..actually "family" is always the best part.....HAPPY NEW YEARS TO "Y'ALL".....
Sunday, December 28, 2008
Guest Bloggers (126)
As Grandpa mentioned Ryan and I have some exciting news! As you might have already guessed we have recently became engaged. Grandpa wanted to share it with everyone and we weren’t sure if he would get all the details right and who better to tell it then us! I have always secretly wanted to blog a bit…
It all started over a year ago. Ryan and I met inside Purdue Christian Campus House. We both attended church there and were actively involved in a service group. We had both been asked with two others to help transport toys to Lafayette Urban Ministry’s for their Christmas Jubilee. It was actually a very short meeting and quick service opportunity but that was the first time we met. In our short chat back to campus we realized we had both signed up to go on a short four day service project in Chicago. The place is called JPUSA (Jesus People USA) you can read up on them on the internet but most people describe them as hippies who live as a community in an old hotel they bought to outreach to the Chicago north side. They take care of elderly people in the old hotel and run three different shelters. After getting to know each other more while in Chicago it all really just took off fast from there…
Now to the engagement story…We all know there is usually a lot of pressure put on the guy to make the proposal special and memorable. Ryan and I had planned to go to Chicago for two days as our Christmas present to each other. We had planned it at least three months in advance and I wasn’t suspecting anything. We left early Sunday morning arriving to -28 degree wind chills in the WINDY city. We went to Navy Pier, checked into our hotel, and then about four we headed down the Magnificent Mile (Michigan Ave). It was so cold out we were getting what felt like brain freezes. So we would walk about five stores and enter the sixth to get warm again. Ryan’s parents had bought us a carriage ride for Christmas and we were ultimately walking to find them. We get to the street where they are suppose to be picking up and they are no where to be found. (Meanwhile Ryan is freaking out a bit because the carriage ride was where he wanted to propose). We finally hear from someone it is probably too cold for the horse to be out. And I was thinking no kidding its too cold for people to be out! J Well we were hungry so we walked back down Michigan Ave. to get some Chicago style pizza…
Throughout the mile or more walk Ryan is texting. Little did I know him and his parents were trying to come up with plan ‘B’. We get to Giordano’s pick out our pizza. Ryan then asks if I want to go to the top of the John Hancock building and see the city at night. I ask him where the building is-he replies, “All the way past where the carriages were supposed to be.” We made a deal to take a cab there and back! ;)
We get to the John Hancock building and the entrance down into the building is all blocked off with ropes. At this point Ryan is thinking he can’t catch a break. We go around the building and find our way in. We get to the top(94th floor) and it is absolutely beautiful to see all the lights at night especially around Christmas time! We walk all the way around the four sides and Ryan says lets go out on the sky walk. Well it was closed due to high winds. Poor guy!! ha! Well he pulled me aside said a few words, pulled out a little black box, and asked me if I wanted to spend the rest of my life with him. And I said YES!
Enjoy the pictures, hoped you enjoyed the story, and I hope the critics are not too hard on me as this is my first blog J
We hope you and your families had a Merry Christmas! Love and Prayers for a Happy and Healthy New Year!
Lilly and Ryan
It all started over a year ago. Ryan and I met inside Purdue Christian Campus House. We both attended church there and were actively involved in a service group. We had both been asked with two others to help transport toys to Lafayette Urban Ministry’s for their Christmas Jubilee. It was actually a very short meeting and quick service opportunity but that was the first time we met. In our short chat back to campus we realized we had both signed up to go on a short four day service project in Chicago. The place is called JPUSA (Jesus People USA) you can read up on them on the internet but most people describe them as hippies who live as a community in an old hotel they bought to outreach to the Chicago north side. They take care of elderly people in the old hotel and run three different shelters. After getting to know each other more while in Chicago it all really just took off fast from there…
Now to the engagement story…We all know there is usually a lot of pressure put on the guy to make the proposal special and memorable. Ryan and I had planned to go to Chicago for two days as our Christmas present to each other. We had planned it at least three months in advance and I wasn’t suspecting anything. We left early Sunday morning arriving to -28 degree wind chills in the WINDY city. We went to Navy Pier, checked into our hotel, and then about four we headed down the Magnificent Mile (Michigan Ave). It was so cold out we were getting what felt like brain freezes. So we would walk about five stores and enter the sixth to get warm again. Ryan’s parents had bought us a carriage ride for Christmas and we were ultimately walking to find them. We get to the street where they are suppose to be picking up and they are no where to be found. (Meanwhile Ryan is freaking out a bit because the carriage ride was where he wanted to propose). We finally hear from someone it is probably too cold for the horse to be out. And I was thinking no kidding its too cold for people to be out! J Well we were hungry so we walked back down Michigan Ave. to get some Chicago style pizza…
Throughout the mile or more walk Ryan is texting. Little did I know him and his parents were trying to come up with plan ‘B’. We get to Giordano’s pick out our pizza. Ryan then asks if I want to go to the top of the John Hancock building and see the city at night. I ask him where the building is-he replies, “All the way past where the carriages were supposed to be.” We made a deal to take a cab there and back! ;)
We get to the John Hancock building and the entrance down into the building is all blocked off with ropes. At this point Ryan is thinking he can’t catch a break. We go around the building and find our way in. We get to the top(94th floor) and it is absolutely beautiful to see all the lights at night especially around Christmas time! We walk all the way around the four sides and Ryan says lets go out on the sky walk. Well it was closed due to high winds. Poor guy!! ha! Well he pulled me aside said a few words, pulled out a little black box, and asked me if I wanted to spend the rest of my life with him. And I said YES!
Enjoy the pictures, hoped you enjoyed the story, and I hope the critics are not too hard on me as this is my first blog J
We hope you and your families had a Merry Christmas! Love and Prayers for a Happy and Healthy New Year!
Lilly and Ryan
Tuesday, December 23, 2008
Connecting Links and the Three Bears (125)
In greiving class last year we learned about "connecting links", which are objects that remind us and tie us to to a loved one who has passed on. The night we were to bring one in for class I took my wife's stuffed monkey that she had kept from childhood...His name was Zippy and came with a book about him that I also have kept. It is a connecting link, and then as seen in a previous post here, I made an even more meaningful connecting link, by designing a gold arch that suspended our wedding rings woven together, and below an airplane, representing the day we met and the life we shared...I have it on my desk and an inscription reads, "love was in the air"...
Comes now, the Three Bears, another connecting link that sweet pea designed for her three grand children to remember their grandfather...I think it is a most clever Christmas gift, using shirts he wore to work and setting in hats that he also wore probably fishing in Wisconsin..... Sure these will be preserved for many decades ahead..each has a name of the grandson on the bottom of the foot...I know they will surely treasure them....A great "connecting link" for these lads and along with pictures will always be a reminder of someone very special, but passed to soon.....
Probably my last post before Christmas....Wishing each and all the Very Merry Christmas that you need to fill your life with good memories, good friends and good days ahead....and even more so, the reason for the season, A life guided from above by Jesus Christ......
Merry Christmas................
Comes now, the Three Bears, another connecting link that sweet pea designed for her three grand children to remember their grandfather...I think it is a most clever Christmas gift, using shirts he wore to work and setting in hats that he also wore probably fishing in Wisconsin..... Sure these will be preserved for many decades ahead..each has a name of the grandson on the bottom of the foot...I know they will surely treasure them....A great "connecting link" for these lads and along with pictures will always be a reminder of someone very special, but passed to soon.....
Probably my last post before Christmas....Wishing each and all the Very Merry Christmas that you need to fill your life with good memories, good friends and good days ahead....and even more so, the reason for the season, A life guided from above by Jesus Christ......
Merry Christmas................
Thursday, December 18, 2008
Ropkey Armor Museum (story 124)
Day before yesterday, my friend Mike Emmert took me to a hidden gem in Montgomery County, the subject of todays blog, the Ropkey Armor Museum...Owned by yet another "Marine's Marine" in the person of Fred Ropkey...free will offering for admission and a great place to spend a morning or afternoon this winter or a warm day next summer...Just be careful going in the summer as you could get run over maybe by a tank...you see he has most all this stuff in good working order and sometimes gets them out on special occasions...maybe the 4th of July even, not sure did not spend a lot of time talking to Mr. Ropkey but did some...We exchanged our "semper fi's" and then the conversation kind of got lost in what a great job he had done gathering all this stuff up and bringing it all back to life, and displaying it in such a way that makes you think you may just be on a military base and not in the rolling hills of Montgomery County...Also shared with him that I has served in the 3rd Amtrac Bn. at Camp Del Mar, California..He knew all about the C-3 amtracs from Korea and WW two and also the new ones that replaced those while I served the P-5 and A-5 armor amtracs. Those eventually were put to good use in Veit Nam...
But what an array of armor this man has put together and willing to display...Also some aircraft, jeeps, halftracks, even a swift boat I think from the Korea or Nam era not sure...a few guns, helmets, you name it, you will probably find it there on this farm between Darlington and Crawfordsville Indiana...I had no idea it was there, Mike has been telling me about it for a year now maybe...I hope to generate some lookers for him as he and his employee "skip" are usually on hand to give you the tour or just let you wander around at your pace.....Skip is very knowledgeable about most all the equipment...Fred shared with me that the new "Museum of the Marine Corps", in Quantico Virgina has several pieces of armor and amtracs that he restored for them...I have seen those and they do look great...I shared with him that my wife and I had been on hand for the dedication ceremony of that museum on Nov. 10, 2006.
And that it had been the final trip that we had taken together in the motor home before her death of cancer the following April. Mr. Ropkey shared with me that he also had lost his first wife to cancer....
I do count him in the few Marines I have met in my lifetime as a "Marines Marine".
I do not know him well of course but any Marine that would go to this extent for a hobby is gonna get listed as such in my book....Now you army guys don't shy away from this place...He gives Army equipment equal time there also...some Navy stuff as well and one of the aircraft is the trainer plane that led to the building of the Lunar Landing vehicle for the moon mission....
OK if you don't do anything else after reading this blog do yourself one emmense favor. Go to the right side here and click on my link that says "be sure and watch this"..click on that...then go down to the 3rd video called Across Indiana...sit back and watch it. it is kind of a classic....
Well that's about it for today, check out my pics on the right hand side and do someday visit this nearby one hours drive from Lafayette or Indianapolis maybe...it is well worth your time....
But what an array of armor this man has put together and willing to display...Also some aircraft, jeeps, halftracks, even a swift boat I think from the Korea or Nam era not sure...a few guns, helmets, you name it, you will probably find it there on this farm between Darlington and Crawfordsville Indiana...I had no idea it was there, Mike has been telling me about it for a year now maybe...I hope to generate some lookers for him as he and his employee "skip" are usually on hand to give you the tour or just let you wander around at your pace.....Skip is very knowledgeable about most all the equipment...Fred shared with me that the new "Museum of the Marine Corps", in Quantico Virgina has several pieces of armor and amtracs that he restored for them...I have seen those and they do look great...I shared with him that my wife and I had been on hand for the dedication ceremony of that museum on Nov. 10, 2006.
And that it had been the final trip that we had taken together in the motor home before her death of cancer the following April. Mr. Ropkey shared with me that he also had lost his first wife to cancer....
I do count him in the few Marines I have met in my lifetime as a "Marines Marine".
I do not know him well of course but any Marine that would go to this extent for a hobby is gonna get listed as such in my book....Now you army guys don't shy away from this place...He gives Army equipment equal time there also...some Navy stuff as well and one of the aircraft is the trainer plane that led to the building of the Lunar Landing vehicle for the moon mission....
OK if you don't do anything else after reading this blog do yourself one emmense favor. Go to the right side here and click on my link that says "be sure and watch this"..click on that...then go down to the 3rd video called Across Indiana...sit back and watch it. it is kind of a classic....
Well that's about it for today, check out my pics on the right hand side and do someday visit this nearby one hours drive from Lafayette or Indianapolis maybe...it is well worth your time....
Tuesday, December 16, 2008
Wine a Bit/ Wine a lot.....and Christmas (123)
Had our Christmas with what is left of our family Sunday less our sister Florence who is currently in a nursing home...in Anderson Indiana, we all went in one car...Days past the drive ways would be choked with cars and the houses we held it in would be bulging at the sides to contain it all...times change and families get older and smaller...such is ours but we carry on the tradition of gathering together for a meal and maybe some good wine or Manhattan's or some good old slush even...The great dinner my sister had prepared was wonderful complimented by her two daugters who also live there in Anderson serving us, so "mom", could just relax with the rest of us.
But this years event was special because 1...... my life is again filled with love and 2.....the lost recipe has been found....Love makes you happy once again to be alive, does not erase beautiful memories, but it brings forth a rebirth of excitement with life in general...it is especially good if you both feel enough love for each other that you would, if you could, wish that what happened to the other could be reversed, and that life could again be as it was...but knowing full well it can not, not feeling guilty about capturing and enjoying the new bond found between us...it is good....it is very good.
So let me share our Christmas tree, our favorite fire place and my family and my new hero my sister Peg...she is my hero this day as she has found what we all thought was lost forever...the recipe for the wine our father used to make each summer...a few years back I got to thinking about maybe taking up wine making and making it as good as my dad used to every summer....he would make about 20 gallons plus each August when our concord grapes would ripen...I think I may have written about stomping grapes in another story on this blog...Anyway a few years back I started inquiring about the recipe...no one had it....I had given up hope for ever finding it...was pretty well pissed off that we had allowed it to be lost but, we won't go there....But Sunday my new hero sister (wine a bit) Peg handed me a recipe card from her file and said, "hey Jack I found this in my recipe box".... I read it quickly and the last thing on the recipe was "fill with water daily to replace what has fermented out the top"....I knew then it was it...it has to be it, as is the last thing we did in the process each summer was to go into the wood shed and watch the purple bubbles boil out of the keg and run down the sides...then add enough water each day to fill it to the top to continue the purification process.....and then it would finally quit, and dad would say it is done fermenting, and we would then cap the wine keg and move it to the basement...that fall my father would finally tap it and serve the wine to us all..it was fabulous...probably 20 plus percent alchohol maybe, I don't know... I do know it had a kick to it...and it was most always as clear a water..even though made from purple concord grapes....
So I now have it again.. thank you sister Peg for finally finding what had been long lost and I thought was lost forever...To me it is a big deal..because it was very special wine...I remember time an time again people telling my dad that it was the best wine they had ever tasted in their life...and asking him how it was that it would be clear as drinking water but yet be made from purple grapes??????
Well next summer we will find out...Currently I am searching for the "just right" oak barrel...will also try a glass container maybe but he did it in an Oak barrel so that I must have...I know where there are some concord grapes that are cuttings from the old grapes that my father used that originally came from Germany....I planted them and I know they will share them with me..especially if I offer to trim the grapes for them next spring as I watched my father do each year...I doubt this every grows into a Sweet Pea Winery or anything like that.. but it will be fun to try, looking forward to it and to a Happy New Year....
But this years event was special because 1...... my life is again filled with love and 2.....the lost recipe has been found....Love makes you happy once again to be alive, does not erase beautiful memories, but it brings forth a rebirth of excitement with life in general...it is especially good if you both feel enough love for each other that you would, if you could, wish that what happened to the other could be reversed, and that life could again be as it was...but knowing full well it can not, not feeling guilty about capturing and enjoying the new bond found between us...it is good....it is very good.
So let me share our Christmas tree, our favorite fire place and my family and my new hero my sister Peg...she is my hero this day as she has found what we all thought was lost forever...the recipe for the wine our father used to make each summer...a few years back I got to thinking about maybe taking up wine making and making it as good as my dad used to every summer....he would make about 20 gallons plus each August when our concord grapes would ripen...I think I may have written about stomping grapes in another story on this blog...Anyway a few years back I started inquiring about the recipe...no one had it....I had given up hope for ever finding it...was pretty well pissed off that we had allowed it to be lost but, we won't go there....But Sunday my new hero sister (wine a bit) Peg handed me a recipe card from her file and said, "hey Jack I found this in my recipe box".... I read it quickly and the last thing on the recipe was "fill with water daily to replace what has fermented out the top"....I knew then it was it...it has to be it, as is the last thing we did in the process each summer was to go into the wood shed and watch the purple bubbles boil out of the keg and run down the sides...then add enough water each day to fill it to the top to continue the purification process.....and then it would finally quit, and dad would say it is done fermenting, and we would then cap the wine keg and move it to the basement...that fall my father would finally tap it and serve the wine to us all..it was fabulous...probably 20 plus percent alchohol maybe, I don't know... I do know it had a kick to it...and it was most always as clear a water..even though made from purple concord grapes....
So I now have it again.. thank you sister Peg for finally finding what had been long lost and I thought was lost forever...To me it is a big deal..because it was very special wine...I remember time an time again people telling my dad that it was the best wine they had ever tasted in their life...and asking him how it was that it would be clear as drinking water but yet be made from purple grapes??????
Well next summer we will find out...Currently I am searching for the "just right" oak barrel...will also try a glass container maybe but he did it in an Oak barrel so that I must have...I know where there are some concord grapes that are cuttings from the old grapes that my father used that originally came from Germany....I planted them and I know they will share them with me..especially if I offer to trim the grapes for them next spring as I watched my father do each year...I doubt this every grows into a Sweet Pea Winery or anything like that.. but it will be fun to try, looking forward to it and to a Happy New Year....
Monday, December 15, 2008
Merry Christmas from my Family (122)
We recently met for a gift exchange...All the Happy Hoosiers pictured to the right wish you and yours a very Merry Christmas and New Year. Five great families pictured here..my son and four daughters and their family...totaling 19 grand children in all...Monica was working and missed it all...she would have been in the first picture...great to have Lucas in that first picture also rather than in Iraq...He is enjoying his home south of Indy that his family completely painted and spuced up while he was over there...
Great time of year is Christmas, somewhat stressful with so much to do and so many places we would like to be...All the hustle bussal of the holidays...We were reminded yesterday by Pastor Eric, that it kind of always has been that way...right from the start...with Mary and Joseph making there way to Bethlehem to be counted for the cenus that was ordered by the Roman rulers...Never mind that she was almost 9 months pregnant and had to ride a donkey for 60 miles to meet a deadline, and then after getting there no place in the inn to have a baby because it was full of other people also required to return there to be counted...Very humble beginning for our Savior to say the least, but the way GOD wanted it...
So when your overwhelmed with this season just keep in mind that the reason for the season also felt kind of pushed and shoved into a corner or manger to be borne...Came her to change the world and us...Love don't get any bigger or better than that boys and girls...Thats why we do it and I guess that is why it is fitting that it is a season of preparation and joy...
Merry Christmas
Great time of year is Christmas, somewhat stressful with so much to do and so many places we would like to be...All the hustle bussal of the holidays...We were reminded yesterday by Pastor Eric, that it kind of always has been that way...right from the start...with Mary and Joseph making there way to Bethlehem to be counted for the cenus that was ordered by the Roman rulers...Never mind that she was almost 9 months pregnant and had to ride a donkey for 60 miles to meet a deadline, and then after getting there no place in the inn to have a baby because it was full of other people also required to return there to be counted...Very humble beginning for our Savior to say the least, but the way GOD wanted it...
So when your overwhelmed with this season just keep in mind that the reason for the season also felt kind of pushed and shoved into a corner or manger to be borne...Came her to change the world and us...Love don't get any bigger or better than that boys and girls...Thats why we do it and I guess that is why it is fitting that it is a season of preparation and joy...
Merry Christmas
Thursday, December 11, 2008
Stocks and Bonds (121)
I heard on a newscast yesterday that so many people were taking money out of stocks and trying to buy T Bills that they are bidding interest to almost nothing just to feel that there money is in safe hands...the report said that some yields were lower even than 1 percent interest.
So in that case for my freinds I want to do another update on "I Bonds"...Now I am not sure what the "I" in US I Bonds stands for...it really does not matter, probably it is interest or investment is my guess...But I have found that these wonderful investment tools are limited to $5000.00 per social security number or in other words per person per calendar year....So thinking that it being near the years end, and so many people seeking safe haven for their money why not put it where it earns excellent interest...Now through April the rate of these bonds is 5.62%...That is a higher rate than any CD offerings that I know of my freinds....
And all you have to do is go to any bank and ask for the I bond application...Simply fill it out and return it to them with your check for up to 5000 bucks and you have made a good investment...The Bond will pay interest if you leave it there and compound each year for 30 years...Or you can cash it in at anytime in the first 5 years and only loose 3 months interest...Now that is not a bad hit at all when you consider the interest rate they are paying in that even if you do cash it within 5 years your net interest earned is most like much higher than if you had that money in a CD....
So my fellow America's this is my Christmas tip to you all...Do your 5000 right now before the end of the year and then do your next years 5000 in January...You will have 10 grand for yourself and 10 grand for your spouse or each of your kids if you want to get creative....invested at a very high rate by todays standards and as safe of an investment as you can make...
Now if your a gambler here is one maybe slightly better than lotto tickets...The RV industry is really on the skids along with a lot of others...But I think there may be a chance that this could change with fuel prices coming down and looking like they will stay down for an indefinate period of time....So my tip is a great RV company that I not only own one of their fine motor homes, but also some of their stock..The stock is currently trading for 12 cents a share...120 dollars buys a thousand shares...a couple years ago it was over 12 dollars a share I believe...
Maybe they will go bankrupt and you will loose like you would with lotto tickets...but maybe just maybe the fuel prices staying about half of what they were causing the RV business to go sour...So maybe folks who are baby boomers and do have some money left to buy a motor home will say, hey fuel is affordable again, let us hit the road momma and drag our Chevrolet along behind....The company is Fleetwood or stock symbol (fle).....don't know the General Motors symbol but if they all drag a chevy that may not be a bad buy either........
All a big gamble yes, but no doubt there are some great buys out there in todays stock market, it's just picking the right ones....no easy task and one that I am sure I will make plenty of mistakes trying to do...but maybe just maybe I will pick a couple that do have a light at the end of the tunnel and that it turns out to not be a frieght train coming....
Semper Fi,
Jack
So in that case for my freinds I want to do another update on "I Bonds"...Now I am not sure what the "I" in US I Bonds stands for...it really does not matter, probably it is interest or investment is my guess...But I have found that these wonderful investment tools are limited to $5000.00 per social security number or in other words per person per calendar year....So thinking that it being near the years end, and so many people seeking safe haven for their money why not put it where it earns excellent interest...Now through April the rate of these bonds is 5.62%...That is a higher rate than any CD offerings that I know of my freinds....
And all you have to do is go to any bank and ask for the I bond application...Simply fill it out and return it to them with your check for up to 5000 bucks and you have made a good investment...The Bond will pay interest if you leave it there and compound each year for 30 years...Or you can cash it in at anytime in the first 5 years and only loose 3 months interest...Now that is not a bad hit at all when you consider the interest rate they are paying in that even if you do cash it within 5 years your net interest earned is most like much higher than if you had that money in a CD....
So my fellow America's this is my Christmas tip to you all...Do your 5000 right now before the end of the year and then do your next years 5000 in January...You will have 10 grand for yourself and 10 grand for your spouse or each of your kids if you want to get creative....invested at a very high rate by todays standards and as safe of an investment as you can make...
Now if your a gambler here is one maybe slightly better than lotto tickets...The RV industry is really on the skids along with a lot of others...But I think there may be a chance that this could change with fuel prices coming down and looking like they will stay down for an indefinate period of time....So my tip is a great RV company that I not only own one of their fine motor homes, but also some of their stock..The stock is currently trading for 12 cents a share...120 dollars buys a thousand shares...a couple years ago it was over 12 dollars a share I believe...
Maybe they will go bankrupt and you will loose like you would with lotto tickets...but maybe just maybe the fuel prices staying about half of what they were causing the RV business to go sour...So maybe folks who are baby boomers and do have some money left to buy a motor home will say, hey fuel is affordable again, let us hit the road momma and drag our Chevrolet along behind....The company is Fleetwood or stock symbol (fle).....don't know the General Motors symbol but if they all drag a chevy that may not be a bad buy either........
All a big gamble yes, but no doubt there are some great buys out there in todays stock market, it's just picking the right ones....no easy task and one that I am sure I will make plenty of mistakes trying to do...but maybe just maybe I will pick a couple that do have a light at the end of the tunnel and that it turns out to not be a frieght train coming....
Semper Fi,
Jack
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