The Bouncing Ball

I had been reading in Ecclesiastes lately and one of the verses got me to thinking about what I had accomplished in my years of working and what got sacrificed over the years because I was working; and so I thought I would write down some of my thoughts hoping that my children will learn from my mistakes and make wiser choices than I did.

Anyway this is the verse that started me thinking. “Yet when I surveyed all that my hands had done and what I had toiled to achieve, everything was meaningless, a chasing after the wind; nothing was gained under the sun.” (Ecclesiastes 2:11 NIV)

There are “seasons” in life when ones work requires more of us than it does at other times. As a father working to provide a home, food and “things” for the family and as the soul provider for the family that season seemed like everyday.

Here are some examples just to try and clarify what I am trying to say. There is tax season for the accountant. Where Christmas season for the person working in retail is like no other time of the year. Whatever your line of work you choose, it likely has a natural rhythm that spikes at certain times of the year.

But increasingly in our success-driven culture, busy seasons have run together into all seasons. We have allowed the pace to perpetuate itself, driving us at full throttle month after month, year after year. Things may begin to come totally unraveled at home, even in your marriage; in your relationship with your children. It can happen, seemingly, in the blink of an eye.

I read an article a while back about a commencement address attributed to Brian Dyson, who held several senior management positions with Coca-Cola during his long career. He told a class of Georgia Tech graduates, "Imagine life as a game in which you are juggling some five balls in the air. You name them - work, family, health, friends and spirit - and you're keeping all of these in the air.

You will soon understand that work is a rubber ball. If you drop it, it will bounce back. But the other four balls - family, health, friends and spirit - are made of glass. If you drop one of these, they will be irrevocably scuffed, marked, nicked, damaged or even shattered. They will never be the same. You must understand that and strive for balance in your life." Brian Dyson, CEO of Coca-Cola Enterprises, 1959-1994

While you may not get as many pats on the back for being at home to wash and dry the dishes; settle a disagreement; help your children with homework or study for a test. You may not receive the same sense of affirmation you feel from accomplishing a work goal or achieving recognition among your peers.

You will however be living proof that winning at home first is the key to winning anything of lasting value. This is something that you will never receive from your work or any where else you might choose to spend your time.

Marriages and families do not bounce. They shatter and they will have an impact on your family for generations. Spend your time wisely…you rarely get a second chance to do it again; spend your time where it will make a difference in eternity and not be forgotten the moment that you walk out the door and leave work.

During all my working years I had planned on doing so many things when I retired and then shortly after I retired my health, cancer in particular, change many of those “dreams” and now I regret not doing some of those things when I could have and enjoyed them with my family.

So do not put off doing what you and your family enjoys doing because you never know what may happen later on. Build memories into the lives of your children, they will last a lifetime, what you did or what you achieved at work they will never remember, they will only remember what they did not get to do.

So with all that said my pray for my children this Father's Day is that they posses the ability to juggle well . . . and to know which balls can be dropped and when they can be dropped without causing major or eternal damage.

Fabulous Friday

When I woke up this morning the sun was shinning so brightly that I thought that it was later than it was. It was actually about the same time that I normally get up on this morning there were no clouds to block the sunshine.

So after eating breakfast and reading the paper I picked up and shook out the kitchen and mud room rugs then put them into the washer and while they were washing I swept the floors in the kitchen and mud room. After finishing that I vacuumed the downstairs carpeting. Kathleen had come downstairs and said that she wanted me to go with her to Montivilla Sewing Center, so I told her that after I finished mowing the front lawn I would go with her.

She needed to eat breakfast and get dressed so I knew that I could get that done in time. So after mowing I got out my blower and air swept the driveway, walkway and all around the edge of the lawn. Kathleen was still not ready to go when I came in but when she came downstairs she said that it might take longer than I would want to stay there so she was going to go by herself.

So I helped her load her sewing machine, baby lock and embroidery attachment into the back of her SUV and she took off. Since I had worked up a pretty good sweat I cleaned up a bit and then went back outside and dead headed the roses and pulled some weeds.

After doing that for a while I decided to go inside clean up and make myself some lunch. Then after cleaning up I got the mail and since most of it was junk I recycled it. I did get my portfolio statements and I did rather well this month.

I had taken out about thirty thousand to put into a more easily accessible account so that is what we will live on plus the interest that it draws for the next hopefully year or as close to that as we can. I can always draw more out of it if I need to but it does not make me as much money as if I left it in the different stocks.

As it was even after taking that much money out I still had more money in my accounts than I had at the start of last month, so I feel pretty good about that. Kathleen came home shortly after I got done plotting my stocks progress; I do that every months so that it is easier for me to decided which ones to keep and which ones I need to see about replacing with something that is going to make me more money.

I am beginning to sound like I know what I am doing, whether or not I do, at least I am having fun doing it. It is kind of a challenge knowing that I am probably not going to be adding to the over all around other than what I can make in the increased value of the individual stocks, funds and bonds.

I hate to leave too much in my cash equivalent funds as I do not make much money on them, but I need something to live on and the other trick is to figure at what time it is a good time to take it out of the money making investments so as to make it less painful.

After I add the amounts in the data base it updates my charts so that I can plot out how each investment is doing either since the last month or last year or last five years or what ever I choose. I am surprised that the last year has been a steady rise which compared to the market in general it is doing much better; I guess that is why I pay someone to help me manage it.

After Kathleen ate something for lunch we took off; we needed to return some things at BiMart, feed Aaron and Tami's animals, and then find a new faucet for the kitchen sink and get some Scott's lawn fertilizer.

So after feeding the animals and playing catch with Archie until he wore out, we proceeded to Wal-Mart as Kathleen to check there first. We did not find a faucet there so we took off for Lowe's. We found a faucet that was not too expensive as I am planning on replacing it when we remodel later on this year. I also picked up the Scott's fertilizer there.

On the way home from Lowe's we stopped off at Backyard Bird Shop and picked up some bird seed for our feeder as we were out of it. Then we finally started back home and Kathleen wanted to stop off at the OroWheat outlet store to pick up some bread items. Then we headed home again.

Our final stop was to pick up the flooring that we had ordered the other day. Kathleen almost drove past it until I reminder her that the reason we were going that way home was to pick up the flooring. After picking it up and going home I got to unload it all. By the time I finished unloading everything I was ready to take a nap.

All in all this was a really nice day and I think that it is suppose to be like this for the next few days; kind of a late Oregon spring!

Another Change of Season

While this morning was still pretty overcast, it did clear up and turn out to be a really nice day. It took me a while to get going this morning in fact I did not get outside until around 1230. After checking out the garden and picking up some of the golden mountain ash branches I got out my electric reel mower and mowed the back yard.

After I finished mowing the back yard I mowed the east side and then the area on the west side of the driveway. Since the mower battery was running low on its charge I put it away and put the battery on the charger. I then went and weeded for a while on the east side of the raised garden.

By the time I finished filling my bucket I decided to clean up and make myself some lunch. Kathleen had taken off before I went outside to meet up with Andrea at John's shop. Kathleen was going to have her oil changed and a new muffler put on and while John was doing that she and Andrea were going to do some running around, at some yarn shops among other things.

She had left a slice of toast with peanut butter and banana on it that she said that I could have so I did. I also had a buttermilk donut that I ate for lunch; probably not the healthiest meal that I have had this week but some days are like that.

We had gotten a couple of bills the last few days so I went online and paid them and checked my e-mail. By the time I finished it was about 1700 so I went into the living room and watched the local news and then Fox news after that.

Kathleen came home and had me take her sewing machine out to her SUV so I did that. She had made herself a sandwich that I cut up for her and put in a bag so that she could take it with her to Montivilla Sewing Center as she was taking a class tonight.

We had gotten some sliced ham and turkey the other day for the deli at Winco so I made myself a sandwich for dinner as well. I kept hearing a lawn tractor and finally I went out back to see what it was and I was surprised to find Steve, the brother of the guy that is going to build on the lots behind us.

He was trying to mow the field behind our house and while he was cutting some of it a lot of it was just being pushed over so he will probably have do it again to get what he missed. I does look much better even partially cut; now I will not have to use my line trimmer to do it. Although he could not get as close to the fence and I can with the trimmer, but I am glad that he at least made the effort. I went up to the fence and thanked him and he seemed appreciative that I would do that.

Look Mom no Cavities!!

Well this morning I had my annual dentist appointment; this is the first time that I have gone a whole year without seeing the dentist for my six month cleanings. It had been a while since I had a full mouth x-ray so that was the first thing that I had done. After sitting through the x-rays the dental hygienist cleaned and applied the fluoride and then did the periodontal depth check; where they check how deep the gum depth is around all the teeth.

She said that my teeth looked really clean especially since it had been over a year since I had had them cleaned. Me x-rays also looked good and my periodontal depth looked pretty normal; she said that some of my teeth showed that I had teeth pulled and she knew that from my having orthodontics.

After the hygienist finished the dentist came in; this was the first time that I had seen this dentist as he replaced my normal dentist who retired at the end of last year. He said that there were a couple old fillings that are starting to show wear and we will need to keep an eye on them so that they do not deteriorate to the point where decay could set in.

The whole process took over an hour and so by the time I got home it was just a little after noon. I could tell that Kathleen had not made it downstairs yet so I went upstairs to change my clothes. When I got upstairs she decided that she probably needed to go downstairs and eat breakfast, so after I changed my clothes I went downstairs to go through the mail.

We picked up a couple apple fritters yesterday and so I had one with a fresh cup of coffee and Kathleen had a jelly donut and her fritter for breakfast. After my snack I went into my office and reconciled my credit union savings and checking accounts and checked my e-mail.

After finishing that I made myself a Boca burger on dark rye toast with melted cheddar and a dill pickle for lunch. Then I emptied the dishwasher that I had loaded up and started this morning.

Around 1430 Kathleen decided that we needed to get the flooring picked out so that we can have it installed when Stan has some time again. By the time we left the shopping area it was around 1730 so Kathleen suggested that we stop at Sherri's and have dinner there. I sounded like a pretty good idea to me as well so that is what we did.

Aaron, Tami and the girls are going to the beach for a few days so I will be going over to their place to feed the animals and check up on things for them for a few days.

Grocery Shopping

This morning was dreary when I got up and it only got worse as the day progressed. I really did not get much of anything done as we needed to go grocery shopping as I was running out of creative ideas for meals. Finally around 1100 I went upstairs and asked Kathleen if she were planning on going grocery shopping today and she kind of muttered at me, so I went downstairs again and checked my e-mail.

Kathleen finally came downstairs and made herself something to eat for breakfast and then went back upstairs. Since it was getting close to my lunch time I made myself some soup. We finally got out of the house around 1430 and shopped at Winco until around 1730.

When we got home I drug the dozen bags into the house and helped Kathleen empty the bags and put things away. Once we got all the bags emptied I took the reusable bags back out to the SUV.

Since she wrote a check for more than she had in her account I had to log on and transfer a couple hundred dollars into her account. After I did that I went upstairs and changed clothes and then went downstairs and watched Fox news.

For dinner tonight Kathleen made some frozen shrimp primavera that we bought today. Tomorrow I have my annual dentist appointment; this is the first time that I have gone a whole year between dentist visits. Up until this year I had always gone every six months, but since I retired from Boeing I have not had dental insurance and since I never have anything done besides cleaning last year I asked my dental hygienist if it would be alright if I came in once a year instead of every six months.

She checked with my dentist and since my teeth usually only require a very light cleaning he and she thought that it would be fine, so it will be interesting to see how bad my teeth are after a whole year of not seeing the dentist or having my teeth cleaned.

We kind of agreed that we would try it and if my teeth stay reasonably clean over the year we would continue that, it would save over a hundred dollars a year and I would rather have that in my pocket rather than theirs.

Visiting with the Children

Yesterday we got together at Alyssa and Dan's to celebrate Dan's birthday; Alyssa had invited some of Dan's friends to get together with Dan to play Basketball and when they finished they all met back at the house for a sports themed party. All of the children were there except for Aaron and Tami.

Toni and Chucky had just returned from their trip to Florida and got there a little late and Andrea, John and Brandon were there ahead of us. We had a good time, good food and got a chance to catch up on what everyone was up to. We finally left a little after 2100 and it was still pretty light out; if fact I was a little surprised at how light out it was.

Then today was kind of a mixed day, part of it was overcast and part of it was really sunny; part of the day there was very little wind and then this afternoon the wind picked up and at times it blew around thirty-seven miles per hour.

This morning I stopped by and picked up the spool for my line trimmer that I broke last week, so now when I get an opportunity I can go on the other side of the fence and whack some weeds.

Remember that clean driveway that I had for the last couple of days, well after the wind the driveway and front lawn are covered with fir pollen pods and fir cones. I guess that with home ownership comes always having something that needs to be done.

Then tonight Becca had her kindergarten graduation, so we went to her school after and watched her graduate. Besides Aaron and Tami, Tami' parents were also there, so she was well represented. The program was about an hour long and it was interesting to see all the different nationalities represented.

Rose Festival Grand Floral Parade Day

Today is our annual Rose Festival Grand Floral Parade and somewhat normal it is overcast and drizzly. I am not sure why they do not schedule it for the end of July or August when the weather is warmer and dry, but it is usually cool and wet for the time the Rose Festival activities take place.

I can only remember a few times when it was hot and sunny, and I think most of them were when our children were young and we use to go to the parade. I can even remember a few times when everyone got a pretty good sunburn from sitting for several hours watching the parade.

Anyway, this morning after reading the paper and eating breakfast I gathered up the dishes and loaded up the dishwasher and started it up. Aaron had called and wanted to borrow my roto tiller, so I went to the garage and got it out so that it would be easier to load up into his Vibe.

He got here a few minutes later and in the time it took for him to drive over it had started to drizzle enough to get everything wet. It stopped before he left and he should be able to roto till today and maybe again in a couple of days so that the soil will have a chance to dry out a little.

Kathleen came outside and talked with Aaron for a while and I had noticed some ivy growing under the fir trees so I dug it out. Then after he left I got out my Brill mower and mowed the front lawn, both sides.

After putting the mower away and putting the battery on the charger I got out the cordless line trimmer out and edged along the driveway, gardens and street. After finishing that I got out my blower and air swept the driveway and walkway; over the last couple of day there have been a lot of fir pollen pods that had fallen and the driveway was really a mess.

After finishing that I went inside, cleaned up and made myself some lunch. The dishes had finished washing, so I unloaded the dishwasher and then put my dishes into it. Alyssa called and said that she would be coming over around 1500 but did not make it until a couple hours later.

We had a good visit with her and then after she left Kathleen made some hash and potato rolls for dinner. She put cheese on top and then toasted the rolls so that the cheese melted, it was really good. I pilled some hash on top of mind and ate them like open-faced sandwiches and added a little Tabasco sauce to spice it up a bit.

The End of a Cool and Wet Week

It was dreary when I got up this morning and it was dreary all day long; I do not think that the temperature got much above fifty degrees all day. What a change from a couple of weeks ago when it was in the nineties.

After eating breakfast, cleaning up my mess and reading the paper I went outside and used the line trimmer to trim the other side of the fence on the east side of the back fence. Then I trimmed my neighbor's yard around her fence and house where her son's riding mower does not get.

While I was doing that the spool for that holds the line broke so I had to stop. I will have to make a trip to Stark Street Lawn and Garden to see if I can find a replacement there. After I put the line trimmer away I got out my cordless hedge trimmer and trimmed the hedge on the east side of the house.

Once I had the "wild" new growth trimmed I put the trimmer away and got out my rake and a yard debris barrel and raked and picked up the trimmings. After I had it all picked up I put the rake away and went into the house and cleaned up.

It was lunch time so I made myself some lunch out of last night's left-overs and also had a turkey brat on a whole wheat bun with the last slice of provolone. After finishing eating I cleaned up the kitchen including picking up, shaking out the throw rugs, sweeping and spot mopping the floor.

I had thought about trying to do some painting upstairs but I did not want to because Kathleen was working on something for Alyssa and if she had finished them we were going to take her SUV to John's shop to change the oil and muffler. Then we would take the Jeep to Alyssa's to drop off the project, but since that never happened and when I realized that it, it was too late to get started.

One of the things that came in the mail today was our savings statement from the bank, so I reconciled it and filed it away. After I finished doing that I logged on line and checked the checking account online just to make sure that everything was okay.

Kathleen reheated the macaroni and tuna casserole from the other night for dinner tonight, there is just enough for a snack that was left-over so maybe tomorrow I will have that with something else for lunch.

I still have not heard from Sue today, I tried calling her home and cell phone again, but did not get any answer; her home phone just keep ringing so I am not sure what was up with that.

And then it Rained

This morning after breakfast and reading the paper I emptied the dishwasher that I had started up earlier. Then knowing that it was suppose to start raining around noon today I decided to go outside and mow the front lawn. Once I got outside I went back to the garden and checked it out and then I heard this noise so I looked around and did not see anything but I started to feel moisture on my arms.

I decided to go out front and see if the lawn was dry or still too wet to mow, and it seemed to be drizzling less. I decided that if I were going to get the front lawn mowed I was going to have to do it now. I went back and got my McLane mower and by the time I got back to the front lawn it had stopped drizzling.

I got to mow the front lawn north and south and then diagonally northwest to southeast. I even mowed the west side of the driveway as well as the other side of the fence and as I was coming back to our lawn I stopped to pull some weeds and I heard rain hitting the walnut tree leaves. As I looked up to see how hard it was raining it really started to downpour, so I put the mower away and went into the house to clean up.

It drizzled most of the rest of the day until late afternoon so I knew my working outside for today was over. The mail had come while I was outside so I went out and got it. Not much there other than some information from my financial adviser from the seminar that they had earlier this week that we were not able to attend.

Tonight Kathleen made some chicken, baked potatoes and green beans for dinner, there was just a little left over for a snack or something. I have not heard from Sue how Bill did with his surgery today, but she probably has been busy at the hospital and a little worn out today, so maybe I will hear something tomorrow.

At Least it did not Rain Today

Today was kind of a dreary day just about all day long and even though it did not rain to day it looked like it might at any minute. This morning as I was putting the paper into the recycling bin after finishing reading it after breakfast Andrea call. Kathleen picked up the phone after a while so I hung up and went outside to dead head the roses. This time of year, and for the next four months, this becomes an almost daily task.

As I was taking the rose trimmings to the yard debris barrel I noticed that Andrea's SUV was on the front lawn, so I knew that she was here. As I was putting the rose pruners away Andrea and Brandon came outside, Kathleen followed a few minutes later so I got out my big McLane push mower and mowed the back lawn.

Brandon liked watching the mower and followed me with his eyes as I pushed the mower over the grass. I think that he was a little intimidated by the size of it and all the grass coming out of the front of it. This mower is so much heavier than my little electric mower but when the grass is was wet as it has been it does a really good job of cutting the grass.

The little Brill does a really good job on dry grass but even when the grass is not very high the grass is so full of moisture that it gets hung up on the cutting bar and causes the Brill to make a grinding noise just like it would if the mower cutting tall grass.

After I finished mowing, I played catch with Brandon, first with a tennis ball and then with a half size football. By playing catch I mean I would throw the ball into the air and when it stopped bouncing Brandon would pick it up and hold it out for me to come and get from him and then wait for me to throw it again.

Andrea left just before Kathleen had to leave to meet up with the lady from church and after everyone left I made myself a Sandwich with ham, turkey and Provolone. And then sat in my chair and dozed again for a while. It has gotten to be a regular thing for me; kind of my siesta after lunch.

Kathleen came home around 1730 and had stopped at BiMart to return some birdseed that I had gotten a week or so ago and picked up some thistle seed and some other things. She also stopped at Papa Murphy's and got a pepperoni and pineapple delight pizza. We both like the delight pizza a lot because there is about half the crust and we do not have nearly enough left-over; I also think that it is probably a lot healthier when compared to a regular crust pizza.

If You Do Not Like the Weather Right Now Just Wait Five Minutes

Today has been one of those days where the weather was changing continually; for one moment it would be overcast and the next it would be sunny and clear, then the wind would pick up and it felt stormy, then the sun would come out and be nice again. Of course it would rain off and on all the time. Most of the rain came this morning and there were just a few scattered showers through out the rest of the day.

It was wet enough outside today that I did not get a lot done outside. Although after Kathleen had gotten up, dressed, and eaten breakfast we went outside and she showed me where she wanted me to plant some of the plants that she bought a couple weeks ago. We also planted some seeds that we had soaked so that they would sprout faster, but I think that they soaked too long and by the time we got around to planting them were too water logged.

This afternoon I decided that I would go out to the garage and see if I needed to put the old Jeep on the charger as I have not driven it in a really long time, but to my surprise it started right up on the first crank. I was all mentally prepared to have to put it on the charger so that was a very pleasant surprise.

I did manage to get my afternoon nap in while watching Fox news; I am not sure what it is about watching Fox news that puts me to sleep but today it was probably the coverage of the South Dakota and Montana primary coverage.

Tonight Kathleen is making a macaroni and tuna casserole for dinner so that will probably last for a few meals. For lunch today I finished the rest of the lentil, barley and ham soup from that Kathleen thawed out a couple of days ago so there will be some room in the refrigerator.

I woke up feeling almost "normal" this morning and I have felt better all day than I have in over a month so maybe I am on my way to getting better. I have been a little hesitant even thinking about that possibility, but maybe it is really happening! If it is it certainly will be a welcome change.

More Weather Changes are on the Way

I woke up a little early this morning but I felt pretty good and my coughing did not last as long as it had been for the last couple of weeks. In fact after I finished breakfast and reading the paper I felt good enough to go outside and trim the arborvitaes and dead headed the rhododendron. After I finished those things I even mowed the front lawn.

When I got done about 1130 I went into the house and cleaned up. Kathleen had not come downstairs yet so I poured myself another cup of coffee and sat down at the kitchen table and opened the mail. One of the things there was Kathleen's charge card bill for her sewing equipment and it was still messed up so I took it up to her and asked that she try to call them again and try to get it straightened out.

I have been paying it on time every month and since she has two large purchases on it one for a deferred payment and one for a twelve month no interest. Since they were bought at two separate times I divided the first one by thirty-six and then when she added the second purchase I divided that one by twelve and added that payment to the first.

Ever since I have been making payments on them they have been adding more of the payment to the one that has thirty-six months so at that rate I will not have the one that only has twelve months on it paid off in time. What a mess!

Anyway, after eating some lunch, I went outside and dead headed the roses and iris that had finished blooming. Right now in the rose garden I have several roses, fox glove, iris, columbine forget-me-nots, and a couple other plants blooming so it really looks nice.

While I was out there, I also cultivated the rows of my vegetable garden as the weeds seem to be growing much better than what I planted although the tomato plants are doing pretty well. After I finished cultivating I sat down rested for a little bit before I went back inside.

After washing up I sat down in my chair and it was not too long before I had fallen asleep. I woke up when Kathleen came downstairs. She had decided to make salmon patties and tater tots for dinner. The as a side we had some sweetened cherries in syrup; kind of good but probably not the healthiest thing to eat a lot of.

I think that I felt better today than I have in about a month or so, so I hope that I am on my way to getting well. I was really getting tired of not feeling well Well it has started to drizzle again. It is suppose to be this way for the next couple of days and the weather people are telling us that it is suppose to clear up later on this week, but around here one has to see it before they can believe that it is really going to be nice out.

Junes First Weekend Wrapup

Yesterday was a nice day and after breakfast and reading the paper I went outside and mowed the back lawn and then got out my grass sheers and edged the back gardens and even the area around the back sidewalk and along the east fence. By the time I was done I was a wee bit tired so I sat out in one of our Adirondack chairs and rested for a while.

After resting for a while I filled up a bucket with some ammonia and water, got a rag and squeegee and went and washed all the outside windows on the first floor. It did not take too long, but it sure made a difference in being able to see out of the windows. Now we will just have to find some time to do the inside. I did not have to be too careful doing the outside as if I spilled a little it did not matter; inside that is not the case.

I finished up around 1800 and I was getting hungry, since Kathleen has not been feeling well I decided that I would make my own dinner and while I was doing that she came downstairs. I spent most of the rest of the evening in the living room watching TV and then went to bed early.

I slept pretty well and when I got up I felt good, but still not good enough to try and go to church as I was coughing and sniffling all morning. Today was different from yesterday as it was wet just about all day. It did not rain all that much, it just never really cleared up. Finally around 1630 I decided to go sweep off the front porch.

The birds really enjoy the bird seed from the feeder but they really make a mess of the front porch. I was noticing yesterday as I was washing the front kitchen windows that the sunflower seed shells from the sunflower bird feeder were covering the ground underneath it. I had to refill both feeders again today.

I took the third feeder down as the squirrels were climbing up it and I wanted the birds to be able to get first shot at it. I do not really care if the squirrels get theirs from off the ground but I do not want them climbing up onto the bird feeder.

Tonight Kathleen thawed out some ham, barley and lentil soup that she made last winter and we had that for dinner. There is still enough left over for at least one more meal and maybe a lunch for me next week.

Well that about covers the weekend, I am starting to feel better every day so I am hoping that I will stop coughing and having so much drainage this next week.

Saturday's Suggestions

Well with summer approaching I thought that I would pass along a few suggestions for keeping insects at bay in yards and off us. Most of these use ingredients that are readily available and are safe to use around people.

The first one is a deterrent for mosquitoes I will call it mosquito lemonade but before using it you will need to do is drain any areas of standing water to keep them from becoming mosquito breeding grounds.

Once this is done, to discourage mosquitoes from returning and keep them away try over spraying your yard 3 times a week in the evening with this mixture.

Mosquito Lemonade:

1 cup of lemon-scented ammonia.

1 cup of lemon-scented dish washing liquid

Then using a 20 gallon hose-end sprayer, pour the two ingredients into it and then fill the balance of the sprayer jar with warm water.

Biting insects are more attracted to certain bright colors and floral patterns. So wearing lighter shades, like khaki, yellow, or white, will draw less attention from buzzing and bothersome bugs and go a long way toward keeping you bite-free. Then if you are going to be outside in the evenings a dab of geranium or lavender essential oil works just as well, and you will smell good as well.

It is barbecue time so here are a couple suggestions to help keep the yellow jackets and wasps away.

If yellow jacket or wasps are ruining your barbecue, try doing a couple of things. First take a piece of the meat that you are going to barbecue and put it as far from where you are going to barbecue and eat as possible.

Then use a hand held spray bottle that you have fill with white vinegar and a squirt or two of dish washing liquid. Then shake it up, and spray those bad-news bugs that find their way to the table they will drop dead in their tracks and you should be able to enjoy your barbecue without the fear of being stung.

Toni called a couple of times today to keep us updated on their progress to Florida. The last time she called they were in Florida enjoying the warm and muggy weather down there. She is down there to go to a high school graduation of a girl that use to live next door to us and she use to baby sit for all the time. I hope that they enjoy their time down there and have a safe trip back home.

Finally a nice day!

I woke up at 0400 this morning and could not get back to sleep so finally about 0430 I got up so that I would not disturb Kathleen. I had breakfast eaten, the dishes washed and the paper read by the time the sun came up so I sat in my chair for a while until about 0930 and I went upstairs to see if Kathleen was yet, she was not, so I went back downstairs.

I knew that I needed to mow either the front lawn or the back lawn today, so I went out and mowed the front lawn and when I went inside and went upstairs to see if Kathleen was up yet, still not luck. We needed to go to Costco and we also had doctor's appointments this afternoon so I started to change my clothes to go to Costco myself.

Kathleen woke up as I was getting dressed and said that she wanted to go as well, so I went downstairs and waited for her. It got to be about noon so I made myself something to eat as I did not want to go to Costco hungry.

Kathleen came downstairs and made herself some breakfast and while she was eating I brought the mail in and recycled most of it. After Kathleen finished eating she went back upstairs to finish getting ready to go. Finally two hours after I started to leave we were out the door.

After spending more money than we should have at Costco we headed home to put everything away and then get ready to go to the doctors. The doctor said that I have acute bronchitis and gave me a couple prescriptions to get filled. While we were there we also picked up a couple things of Benadryl for Becca as she had an allergic reaction to some amoxicillin and had tiny red bumps all over her body.

After dropping the Benadryl off at Aaron and Tami's and visiting with Becca for a while, Alexis was taking a nap, we took off for home. On the way we stopped by Burgerville for something to eat. I had an Oregon Harvest Patty basket; the Harvest Patty is made up of organic black rice, sweet potatoes, Anasazi beans, carrots, mushroom, corn, onions, broccoli, celery and flax meal, and was really good.

We finally got home a little after 1900 and after putting everything away and changing my clothes, here I am.

Slow Thursday

I slept all night and did not wake up because I could not breathe for the first time in that last two weeks. I irrigated my nose last night and got quite a lot of mucus out and I think that is the reason that my nose did not clog up on me last night.

This morning after reading the paper and eating breakfast I went outside and pulled some of the vines out from the garden in front of the house; these were starts from some of the roots that I did not get out when I did it a couple weeks ago. I will probably have to keep doing this all summer as the least little bit of root that is left in the ground and they start growing again.

After I finished pulling the vines, I put in eight solar lights; three of them in the front to lead into the front steps and the rest in the back. I put a couple on each side of the trellis with the clematis growing on it, that leads to the rose garden; one by the trellis with more clematis growing on it, that leads to the vegetable garden; then the rest I just put along the front of the rose garden.

Then I went back inside as I could feel my nose starting its running stage, so I took some more medicine to help elevate the mucus problem. The mail had just come so I went out and got it but there really was not much there; is it any wonder that I fill up a recycling bin with junk mail every week?

After a bit I got hungry so I heated up some of last night’s dinner for my lunch and then went into the living room and watched some television while I finished reading a magazine. Kathleen came down stairs and made herself some breakfast and then went back upstairs; she still is not feeling any better.

I called our financial adviser and let them know that we would not be able to make their program tonight. After a while Kathleen called me from upstairs and let me know that she made a doctor's appointment for each of us. I am starting to feel like pneumonia might be setting in. I cough all day and my nose runs; it seems like I always have mucus in my throat.

Alyssa came over with the children for a while this afternoon and while Kathleen and Alyssa worked on a project I tried to keep the children a little occupied. After a while they all complained about being hungry so Alyssa and I gave them some Cheerios and graham crackers which seemed to satisfy them, at least until they left.

It was dinner time for us when they left so Kathleen heated up the rest of last night’s dinner and some apple sauce. We are both too tired to really care about what we had to eat; we just needed something to eat.

Well, I am hoping that I can get other full nights sleep, even after getting a good night sleep I am still feeling really tired and it is getting pretty old.

Not Even Close to Being a Nice Day!

Unlike yesterday when the sun actually came out in the afternoon today it turned from overcast to actual rain. It looked like rain all day and this afternoon it did.

This morning after breakfast I loaded up the dishwasher and started it up. The mail came but there really was nothing worth keeping other than one of my garden magazines, so I deposited the rest of it in the recycling.

While the dishes were washing I went outside and got my reel mower and mowed the front lawn. I even managed to mow it diagonally after I mowed it east and west but by the time I finished the diagonal cut the battery was just about dead.

When the dishes finished I emptied the dishwasher and put the dishes away. Kathleen finally came back downstairs to eat her English muffin and while she was doing that I made myself some cinnamon toast for my lunch.

After putting the dishes into the dishwasher I went and sat in my chair to read the magazine that came today. I got about half way through and my eyes got real heavy so I put the magazine down and took a nap.

Kathleen had decided that she did not feel well enough to meet with the lady from church today so she was home this afternoon while I was napping. Then tonight she made some chili and brown rice; put it in a pan and the put a corn bread mix on top and baked it in the oven.

Kathleen did not like the way that the corn bread tasted but I thought that it tasted pretty good. The chili was bean less as since the radiation I do not always do well with beans. It is too bad as I always like beans; they did not always like me, but that is another issue.

Today was a rather unproductive day for me, I thought about doing some work inside, but with my allergies/sinuses being what they are I did not think that it was too good an idea.

Stan, the fellow who is helping do our remodeling just called and it looks like he will be able to do some more work toward the middle of next month. So now we need to finish up a couple things and make a decision as to the flooring that we want.

Almost a nice day

I awoke about 0430 this morning with my nose just about totally blocked so I sprayed it a couple times with that decongestant spray and it cleared it up and I was able to get back to sleep again. When I finally got up again it was really dreary looking outside and the weather people were saying that it was going to rain.

After finishing breakfast and the paper I went and sat in my chair for a while and then I went outside and gathered up the garbage can, the recycling bin and the yard debris barrel after they had been emptied. Then I got some more bird seed and filled up the one bird feeder as it had been empty for about a day or so.

While I was doing that the mail came so I met the mail man at the street and brought it in. There was not anything for me worth keeping but Kathleen got a book from her cousin in Seattle. I had been meaning to make some adjustments on my little reel mower so I went out to the garage and worked on it for a while and then adjusted the cutting height as I had been cutting it really low because the grass was growing so fast.

I thought that I would see how it cut so I put the battery in and started it up. I thought that I had set the cutting height too high so I stopped it and lowered it a little bit. The grass was cutting pretty well so I kept cutting and finished the back yard. The battery still had some juice left so I went and mowed the west side of the driveway and the neighbor's grass just on the other side of the fence and their driveway.

When the battery started getting weak I decided to stop and put the battery on the charger. I wanted to trim the grass around the sidewalk in the back yard so I got out my little cordless line trimmer and trimmed it. I also trimmed the grass in the neighbor's driveway near the property line and around the other neighbor's house and stone wall where her son's mower did not get.

By the time the trimmer ran out of power I was tired and hungry so I put everything away and went inside and cleaned up. I made myself a sardine sandwich on jalapeño bread. I had a dill pickle to top it all off. After cleaning up my mess I went and sat down again and just as I was getting comfortable the UPS man rang the door bell. It was something that I had ordered for Kathleen for her birthday but had gotten back ordered.

For dinner tonight I made myself a hoagie sandwich with sliced ham, chicken and provolone cheese on a hoagie bun and another dill pickle. Kathleen had an online class on about her sewing machine tonight so she ate a little earlier.

Memorial Day 2008

Well today is Memorial Day and even though I am not "working" I kind of took a day off. After eating and reading the paper I emptied the dishwasher and then gathered up the towels and washed, dried, folded and put away the towels. Kathleen came down stairs when I took the towels upstairs and made herself some breakfast.

I picked up the kitchen rugs and shook them out and then swept the kitchen floor then put the rugs back down. I had been noticing that the carpeting was getting pretty dirty, fir pollen pods and needles, so I got the vacuum cleaner out and vacuumed the downstairs.

By this time it was time for me to have lunch, so I fixed myself another smoked sausage on a bun with kraut. Kathleen was just finishing her breakfast and complained about the smell; I guess that she just does not appreciate good kraut.

After finishing lunch I gathered up the dishes and loaded them into the dishwasher and then sat for a while in the living room to rest up a little. After a little bit I went out to the garage and gathered up the crushed boxes that I broke down yesterday and put them on the front porch so that I could take them up front tomorrow morning for recycling along with the plastic and paper.

Kathleen said that I should refill the bird feeder on the front porch and then she also said that she wished that she could see out of the window better; a couple weeks ago she tried to wash the windows and just smeared the dirt around and made it look cloudy. So I added some ammonia to a bucket of water and took a cloth and a squeegee out and washed the two windows on the porch that looked out at the bird feeder.

Kathleen said that it looked a lot better but the inside needed cleaning as well but she said that she would do it sometime. For dinner tonight she made a chicken breast cut it up and added it to some rice. She also made some peas to go along with it but when we started to eat she felt that something was missing so we opened up a jar of apple sauce and that did the trick.

After we finished eating I gathered up the dishes and loaded them into the dishwasher and here I sit. I was just telling Kathleen that I do not understand why my nose runs all day long and at night it is all congested. From the time I get up I start coughing up mucus and blowing my nose and then I wake up in the middle of the night and my nose is all blocked up...go figure!

Soggy Sunday

Last night we had one of the longest thunder and lightning storm that I have seen in a very long time. It reminded me of being in the mountains and having the storm rumble on and on for hours. Last night storm lasted a good hour and probably longer, we lost power briefly four or five times for just a couple seconds each time. I cut my blog a little short last night as I wanted to turn my computer off just in case.

This morning it started raining again fairly early and it rained most of the day. So after breakfast I emptied the dishwasher and then read the paper and comics. Not being able to work outside I decided that I would go out to the garage and move some things around. I have a potting bench that has been next to my Jeep and behind some other things so I have not been able to use it.

It took me quite a while before I could get to it but I finally did. In the process I was able to throw some things out and also recycle some cardboard boxes as well. By the time I got everything back so that I could use the garage I was getting hungry so I went inside, cleaned up and made a smoked sausage on a bun with sour kraut on it. I also had some kraut and a dill pickle on the side.

After resting for a while I decided that I would go downstairs and do a little cleaning up down there. I was able to clean up a little area and also found some things that I bagged for Alyssa and Aaron. I am not sure if they want it or not, but it will either be theirs or it will be thrown away. We have entirely too much "STUFF" and we need to weed through it; throw it our or give it away instead of just storing it.

Tonight Kathleen made some roast beef sandwiches with the pot roast for the other nigh and had dill pickles on them with some sea salt and vinegar chips. So far we have had three or four meals out of it and there is still some left for another meal.

Well, I finally am starting to feel better; I slept pretty well last night and was only a little congested when I got up. I did not make it to church this morning as it took me until around 1100 before I could get my coughing under control. I also feel like some of my energy is starting to come back at least I am getting a few thing accomplished.

If you have not looked Alyssa has posted a couple blogs today with some pictures.