I am taking the summer off, but I will return in early September.
Thanks for being patient.
dave
Gratitude #83 - Sweet Biddies!
13 years ago
Wednesday, July 23, 2008
Saturday, June 21, 2008
today
Remember Red Foxx the comedian.
The TV show that made him famous was Sanford and Son. Sanford was his original last name, by the way.
Anyway every time Red would get a hang nail he would expect that this was the beginning of “The Big One.”
I am beginning to understand old Red better. Then I realize that he was younger than I am when he died.
It is not too often that I read the obituaries in the paper, but when I do, it seems that most of those who are honored are younger than I, some a LOT younger.
But there is this guy from Arizona who thinks he can lead the world for a while and he is older than I. Ok, not by much, but by a little. I am having trouble keeping track of the cooking gear that my wonderful little Alzheimer's wife “puts away” and no one can find again.
But today is a new day, the first day of summer, officially. And, just to celebrate, today’s temp is to be 95. Hottest day of the year by a hunk.
I am not sure that “all is well”, but it sure could be worse.
Ask Red.
The TV show that made him famous was Sanford and Son. Sanford was his original last name, by the way.
Anyway every time Red would get a hang nail he would expect that this was the beginning of “The Big One.”
I am beginning to understand old Red better. Then I realize that he was younger than I am when he died.
It is not too often that I read the obituaries in the paper, but when I do, it seems that most of those who are honored are younger than I, some a LOT younger.
But there is this guy from Arizona who thinks he can lead the world for a while and he is older than I. Ok, not by much, but by a little. I am having trouble keeping track of the cooking gear that my wonderful little Alzheimer's wife “puts away” and no one can find again.
But today is a new day, the first day of summer, officially. And, just to celebrate, today’s temp is to be 95. Hottest day of the year by a hunk.
I am not sure that “all is well”, but it sure could be worse.
Ask Red.
Wednesday, June 18, 2008
gas saver
OK, so it won't work, but it is a great idea. Both rigs are owned by my friend Randy. The Honda gets 50 to 60 miles per gallon, too bad the trailer with Dodge doesn't so well.
ramblings
I haven’t written for a while, which is a punishable offense.
As an appeasement to the blog gods I’ll throw some salt over my left shoulder the next time I think of it.
We have been busy. Emily graduated from the 8th grade in Portland, and of course it is not possible to graduate without a grandpa and grandma being there. That day was also our 52nd wedding anniversary.
Spring is finally here, not summer mind you, but spring. We have finally had days in the 80’s. The garden is growing, which is good. We are eating out of it, but not like my friend in Georgia. I almost envy her!
I have been working on the entry to our church. Wainscoting, rather complex design. My design of course, so no one to blame. It looks good. We will be working on the church most of this month, then that should be done for a while. I’ll post a few pictures at some point.
On our trip, I decided to drive a constant steady 60 mph, even on the freeway. I knew it would increase gas mileage. Well when it was all figured out, slowing down earned me about $15 to 17 an hour in gas savings. In retirement especially that is workable.
There were a lot of cars doing 60, and lots of big SUV’s and pickups doing 80, a speed that gets the really bad mileage. But at $4 to $4.25 a gallon (that was last week, it is up another 5 of ten this week) gas is a major thing. The shortage of RV’s was partly related to the price of fuel and partially to the late spring.
Emily was the uncrowned star of her graduation. She attends a small Charter school. It was a pretty low key service, but at one point each of the 15 graduates had an opportunity to make a short speech. One girl thought a bit about what to say, a couple more spoke a bit off the cuff, but Emily had a speech all written out. It was funny, well written and she delivered it flawlessly. Then at the end there was a power point program about their recent week long science trip. Emily did the power point and it was very well done.
She told me that the fee for the bus on that trip was 7000. It was a good trip. They were busy every moment traveling around Oregon looking at specific things: fossil beds, volcanos and so on. It was a science trip. The school takes the 7th and 8th graders on such a trip each spring.
We got to Portland Friday a few hours before Emily arrived back from this science trip. I expected her to call me for a ride home, but there was a dull bang on the front door, and when I opened it, there was Emily burdened with bags and books and a sleeping bag. She had banged her head on the door. When I saw her, she broke into tears, she looked so pathetic there for a minute.
She had not had a shower for a week (no one else did either), she was bone tired and hungry for “real” food. After a bit of rest, a shower and some “real” food, she recovered well.
So here we are back in Idaho, I watch the grass grow, and sand boards. Exciting stuff. Miriam is chugging right along, though even my friends see a bit of slippage.
Fathers day, I worked in the garden. Emily had gone from Portland Oregon a day after we left to visit her half brother and sister in Houston, Texas. Portland is a very moderate climate, rarely hot or really cold. But Houston is very hot and humid this time of year. “I hate Texas” was her first comment. It is good for her to visit her sibs though. I got phone calls from all my wonderful daughters as well as Emily and Stefanie. It was a nice warm day besides.
We are finally going camping next weekend. If friends can go along it will be fine, if they don’t it will be fine too. Haven’t decided where to go, that will depend on the weather: cool weather stay at low elevations; warm weather go higher. And with that gas price we may well take tent gear and enjoy that mileage boost!
And, after a friendship that dates back to my mid 20’s my mustache and I parted ways this week. It has been along time since the sun shown on that lip. I don’t recognize myself in the mirror! One daughter said: “Wow, he has lips.” Many comment, some don’t see any difference.
So that is how it has been here in the Gem State. It is a bit boring, but life is more than a bit boring much of the time. I remember a pilot talking about flying. Long periods of boredom interrupted by brief moments of panic.
As an appeasement to the blog gods I’ll throw some salt over my left shoulder the next time I think of it.
We have been busy. Emily graduated from the 8th grade in Portland, and of course it is not possible to graduate without a grandpa and grandma being there. That day was also our 52nd wedding anniversary.
Spring is finally here, not summer mind you, but spring. We have finally had days in the 80’s. The garden is growing, which is good. We are eating out of it, but not like my friend in Georgia. I almost envy her!
I have been working on the entry to our church. Wainscoting, rather complex design. My design of course, so no one to blame. It looks good. We will be working on the church most of this month, then that should be done for a while. I’ll post a few pictures at some point.
On our trip, I decided to drive a constant steady 60 mph, even on the freeway. I knew it would increase gas mileage. Well when it was all figured out, slowing down earned me about $15 to 17 an hour in gas savings. In retirement especially that is workable.
There were a lot of cars doing 60, and lots of big SUV’s and pickups doing 80, a speed that gets the really bad mileage. But at $4 to $4.25 a gallon (that was last week, it is up another 5 of ten this week) gas is a major thing. The shortage of RV’s was partly related to the price of fuel and partially to the late spring.
Emily was the uncrowned star of her graduation. She attends a small Charter school. It was a pretty low key service, but at one point each of the 15 graduates had an opportunity to make a short speech. One girl thought a bit about what to say, a couple more spoke a bit off the cuff, but Emily had a speech all written out. It was funny, well written and she delivered it flawlessly. Then at the end there was a power point program about their recent week long science trip. Emily did the power point and it was very well done.
She told me that the fee for the bus on that trip was 7000. It was a good trip. They were busy every moment traveling around Oregon looking at specific things: fossil beds, volcanos and so on. It was a science trip. The school takes the 7th and 8th graders on such a trip each spring.
We got to Portland Friday a few hours before Emily arrived back from this science trip. I expected her to call me for a ride home, but there was a dull bang on the front door, and when I opened it, there was Emily burdened with bags and books and a sleeping bag. She had banged her head on the door. When I saw her, she broke into tears, she looked so pathetic there for a minute.
She had not had a shower for a week (no one else did either), she was bone tired and hungry for “real” food. After a bit of rest, a shower and some “real” food, she recovered well.
So here we are back in Idaho, I watch the grass grow, and sand boards. Exciting stuff. Miriam is chugging right along, though even my friends see a bit of slippage.
Fathers day, I worked in the garden. Emily had gone from Portland Oregon a day after we left to visit her half brother and sister in Houston, Texas. Portland is a very moderate climate, rarely hot or really cold. But Houston is very hot and humid this time of year. “I hate Texas” was her first comment. It is good for her to visit her sibs though. I got phone calls from all my wonderful daughters as well as Emily and Stefanie. It was a nice warm day besides.
We are finally going camping next weekend. If friends can go along it will be fine, if they don’t it will be fine too. Haven’t decided where to go, that will depend on the weather: cool weather stay at low elevations; warm weather go higher. And with that gas price we may well take tent gear and enjoy that mileage boost!
And, after a friendship that dates back to my mid 20’s my mustache and I parted ways this week. It has been along time since the sun shown on that lip. I don’t recognize myself in the mirror! One daughter said: “Wow, he has lips.” Many comment, some don’t see any difference.
So that is how it has been here in the Gem State. It is a bit boring, but life is more than a bit boring much of the time. I remember a pilot talking about flying. Long periods of boredom interrupted by brief moments of panic.
Monday, June 9, 2008
moss
The green of western oregon comes at a price: rain.
Everything gets a coat of moss, even this white vinyl fence
another graduation
It might seem that we never stay home.
My last post was about going home from Alan’s graduation. Now we are in Portland and tomorrow Emily graduates from middle school. We were home for a couple of weeks.
Portland this time of year is wet and cool and this is no exception. The sun shown yesterday and we worked out in the yard a lot. I stopped mowing the back yard when I noticed that the neighbors were outside sitting in their back yard, and I know how much noise can bug me.
Today it is a bit rainy, but I will finish. There is a mysterious leak in daughter’s studio roof, and I’ll do some caulking and cleaning. Maybe I can solve the problem, maybe not.
Saturday we spent with friends Ron and Rozella along with a friend of Stefanie, who lives here in Portland. It was good.
Tomorrow we have the graduation for Emily then on Wednesday we go south and then on home on Thursday.
Someone said that life is what you do while you are waiting for something to happen. In a lot of ways we are waiting for another shoe to drop.
Ron is doing well with his Alzheimer’s. He and Miriam are about the same place in the disease. They do well but forget easily. Still both are wonderful people.
We left our garden in the care of a neighbor and our house and mail in the care of another neighbor. It will be good to go home again, but if it ever warms up a bit, the camping bug will bite me.
And we will go again.
Though not so far.
My last post was about going home from Alan’s graduation. Now we are in Portland and tomorrow Emily graduates from middle school. We were home for a couple of weeks.
Portland this time of year is wet and cool and this is no exception. The sun shown yesterday and we worked out in the yard a lot. I stopped mowing the back yard when I noticed that the neighbors were outside sitting in their back yard, and I know how much noise can bug me.
Today it is a bit rainy, but I will finish. There is a mysterious leak in daughter’s studio roof, and I’ll do some caulking and cleaning. Maybe I can solve the problem, maybe not.
Saturday we spent with friends Ron and Rozella along with a friend of Stefanie, who lives here in Portland. It was good.
Tomorrow we have the graduation for Emily then on Wednesday we go south and then on home on Thursday.
Someone said that life is what you do while you are waiting for something to happen. In a lot of ways we are waiting for another shoe to drop.
Ron is doing well with his Alzheimer’s. He and Miriam are about the same place in the disease. They do well but forget easily. Still both are wonderful people.
We left our garden in the care of a neighbor and our house and mail in the care of another neighbor. It will be good to go home again, but if it ever warms up a bit, the camping bug will bite me.
And we will go again.
Though not so far.
Monday, June 2, 2008
living
Whether we like it or not we have turned a corner.
Some one once said that the only thing you can really count on is change, and if so we are really in for it now. At the root of the current change is the near doubling of fuel prices.
A sizeable raise in the price of energy probably would have been good for us, whether we liked it or not. Cheap fuel is at the root of a lot of our societal problems, it has been argued, but those of us on fixed incomes, it can be lethal.
Some years ago I bought a new Chevy pickup for my work. While it was new, it was about the cheepest thing you could buy that still said Chevy on it. It was a superb pickup and it did it all for me for about 230,000 miles. It was getting old, and it seemed to me that if I were to buy another new pickup, I could work long enough to pay for it and would have a good rig for retirement.
The idea is still good, but even though it can get 20 mpg on a careful run, that is wildly over budget. Instead we drive our 16 year old car that gets 30 mpg.
And that is just the beginning.
Today my power bill goes up 10%. Food prices are rising. Our health insurance has doubled in 5 years.
That garden is not a luxury any longer. It is a necessity.
Last month I put $30 worth of gas in the pickup and I still have some left. That means I didn’t drive that nice pickup very much.
That added discipline is good for us too, maybe. I am a big time journal writer, and go through a pocket Moleskine every few months. I have always been wanting to learn to bind my own books, and now is the time.
The part that hurts is that we won’t get to see grandkids as often. In the past we have driven 165 miles to see a grandson in a play or a granddaughter in a game, and then come home the next day.
That probably won’t happen as often.
This week we are going to go to another graduation. I think it is important that kids are afirmed by grandpa and that their accomplishments are honored. The way we do it may well be in for a transformation.
My grandkids are my best legacy. They are all worth it.
Some one once said that the only thing you can really count on is change, and if so we are really in for it now. At the root of the current change is the near doubling of fuel prices.
A sizeable raise in the price of energy probably would have been good for us, whether we liked it or not. Cheap fuel is at the root of a lot of our societal problems, it has been argued, but those of us on fixed incomes, it can be lethal.
Some years ago I bought a new Chevy pickup for my work. While it was new, it was about the cheepest thing you could buy that still said Chevy on it. It was a superb pickup and it did it all for me for about 230,000 miles. It was getting old, and it seemed to me that if I were to buy another new pickup, I could work long enough to pay for it and would have a good rig for retirement.
The idea is still good, but even though it can get 20 mpg on a careful run, that is wildly over budget. Instead we drive our 16 year old car that gets 30 mpg.
And that is just the beginning.
Today my power bill goes up 10%. Food prices are rising. Our health insurance has doubled in 5 years.
That garden is not a luxury any longer. It is a necessity.
Last month I put $30 worth of gas in the pickup and I still have some left. That means I didn’t drive that nice pickup very much.
That added discipline is good for us too, maybe. I am a big time journal writer, and go through a pocket Moleskine every few months. I have always been wanting to learn to bind my own books, and now is the time.
The part that hurts is that we won’t get to see grandkids as often. In the past we have driven 165 miles to see a grandson in a play or a granddaughter in a game, and then come home the next day.
That probably won’t happen as often.
This week we are going to go to another graduation. I think it is important that kids are afirmed by grandpa and that their accomplishments are honored. The way we do it may well be in for a transformation.
My grandkids are my best legacy. They are all worth it.
Tuesday, May 27, 2008
time to go
It is time to go home.
It is wonderful to visit grandkids and their families. In the last few days we have seen 3 or our daughters and 8 or our 11 grandkids. Not bad for this time of year.
But I finished reading the book I brought, and I have written as much in my journal as I can, and I have done a good bit of internet research.
So, obviously it is time to go home.
It is spring, the garden is growing but the weeds grow a time or two faster than the veggies. The weather has been cool so the plants should be in good shape, but still it is time to go home.
Sooner than I might wish it is going to be time for some of us to go to the big home, tht is not a day I look forward to.
Each year my grandkids get older, I seem to get older too.
It has been 9 years since Miriam was diagnosed. I was thinking that one day that it would be so nice to be closer to one of our daughtes, but at the rate we are going that will be when we are old and infirmed, and it is possible that those little grandkids will be gone off to live their lives.
So, it is good to go home, I think.
It is wonderful to visit grandkids and their families. In the last few days we have seen 3 or our daughters and 8 or our 11 grandkids. Not bad for this time of year.
But I finished reading the book I brought, and I have written as much in my journal as I can, and I have done a good bit of internet research.
So, obviously it is time to go home.
It is spring, the garden is growing but the weeds grow a time or two faster than the veggies. The weather has been cool so the plants should be in good shape, but still it is time to go home.
Sooner than I might wish it is going to be time for some of us to go to the big home, tht is not a day I look forward to.
Each year my grandkids get older, I seem to get older too.
It has been 9 years since Miriam was diagnosed. I was thinking that one day that it would be so nice to be closer to one of our daughtes, but at the rate we are going that will be when we are old and infirmed, and it is possible that those little grandkids will be gone off to live their lives.
So, it is good to go home, I think.
Monday, May 26, 2008
Alan the graduate
Someone asked: Where did Alan get his brains. I answered quickly: From his grandfather. They all laughed.
home school graduation
My third grandson graduated from high school.
The oldest one took his GED and went to college, the next has serious learning disabilities, so Alan was number one.
He has been 12 years in home school, and the graduation was of 6 students, all home schooled. Some of the grads had not met each other before.
It was a good service. The kids were amazingly talented. Grandson gave a good speech about Thomas Edison who was a home schooler, and how quoted him as saying all you need to invent is a pile of junk and imagination!
One couple, parents of a graduating child, are our age, early 70’s. They birthed a family, raised them, adopted a second family and raised them and this girl, who they adopted when she was 12, is part of the third generation of their children.
Imagine such people. Super good people who are doing well with these kids. I was astonished and pleased. Older adoptions are tough, but this girl, and her parents, seemed confident and well adjusted.
The church where the service was held, (the pastor’s daughter was among the graduates), was full with a couple hundred people honoring these kids who finished their tasks at hand.
Afterward their was a good meal. Three of our daughters were there, it was a small family reunion.
I was so pleased with it all. Good kids, great parents, and a fine afternoon.
The oldest one took his GED and went to college, the next has serious learning disabilities, so Alan was number one.
He has been 12 years in home school, and the graduation was of 6 students, all home schooled. Some of the grads had not met each other before.
It was a good service. The kids were amazingly talented. Grandson gave a good speech about Thomas Edison who was a home schooler, and how quoted him as saying all you need to invent is a pile of junk and imagination!
One couple, parents of a graduating child, are our age, early 70’s. They birthed a family, raised them, adopted a second family and raised them and this girl, who they adopted when she was 12, is part of the third generation of their children.
Imagine such people. Super good people who are doing well with these kids. I was astonished and pleased. Older adoptions are tough, but this girl, and her parents, seemed confident and well adjusted.
The church where the service was held, (the pastor’s daughter was among the graduates), was full with a couple hundred people honoring these kids who finished their tasks at hand.
Afterward their was a good meal. Three of our daughters were there, it was a small family reunion.
I was so pleased with it all. Good kids, great parents, and a fine afternoon.
Saturday, May 24, 2008
age 5
My hair naturally parted on the right side. Hitler was in power when I was young, and he parted his hair on the right, so my father insisted that my hair be parted on the left. It was that way until i decided to change it.
candles
Today is my birthday.
Thank you, thank you, thank you. You can sit down now, please. Thank you.
Today marks the 71st anniversary of my mom’s giving birth. I was her first child, the experimental one, but she did her best, and who am I to complain. She was a good little mother.
I have outlived both of my parents as well as my step father. My grandfather had a heart attack when he was younger than I am, then went on to live another 30 years. On my fathers side, my aunt Ruby is 93 this year. She is not going strong, but she is still going.
I have always been a bit introspective, and as I get older I am more. My head spins with ideas and wonderents and joys on a good day. On a bad, that same brain is full of dread and sadness.
We will travel to see family today. Tomorrow, grandson #3 graduates from high school. He is a real good kid. I am very proud of him. And it is always good to visit family.
We each have a lot of control over our lives, but not ultimate control. Still, we have more than we use. That is true for me at least. I often wonder about the ways I migt have made life better.
Anyway, I am glad to be here. Last year my oldest daughter sent me a box of 70 of her home made chocolate chip cookies for my birthday, this year my sister gave me 72, then ate one herself, so it would come out even!
Thank you each for making my life more enjoyable. Maybe 71 isn’t so bad after all.
I love you.
Thank you, thank you, thank you. You can sit down now, please. Thank you.
Today marks the 71st anniversary of my mom’s giving birth. I was her first child, the experimental one, but she did her best, and who am I to complain. She was a good little mother.
I have outlived both of my parents as well as my step father. My grandfather had a heart attack when he was younger than I am, then went on to live another 30 years. On my fathers side, my aunt Ruby is 93 this year. She is not going strong, but she is still going.
I have always been a bit introspective, and as I get older I am more. My head spins with ideas and wonderents and joys on a good day. On a bad, that same brain is full of dread and sadness.
We will travel to see family today. Tomorrow, grandson #3 graduates from high school. He is a real good kid. I am very proud of him. And it is always good to visit family.
We each have a lot of control over our lives, but not ultimate control. Still, we have more than we use. That is true for me at least. I often wonder about the ways I migt have made life better.
Anyway, I am glad to be here. Last year my oldest daughter sent me a box of 70 of her home made chocolate chip cookies for my birthday, this year my sister gave me 72, then ate one herself, so it would come out even!
Thank you each for making my life more enjoyable. Maybe 71 isn’t so bad after all.
I love you.
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