We have had one gray, wet Easter. I haven't looked to see how much rain we've gotten over the last few days, but there's water standing in the yard. At least it's warm enough that there's no snow in the picture. We wound up closing schools on Monday due to some of the white stuff in the western end of the county. We actually got more snow on Tuesday but it wasn't a threat to safety and schools ran on time.
MENDING. Mom seems to be doing pretty well. Vicki took her to the doctor on Tuesday and after taking another x-ray he said that she could continue with the boot and try putting full weight on the foot by today, which she has done with a lot of success.
Mom made it to church today and everyone was glad to see her. She enjoyed everything about going to church except trying to get up from sitting in the pew. After church we enjoyed a light lunch over at Mom's house and later in the afternoon she took off with the walker.
We still have people helping Mom out 'round the clock. I think she's needed it since she has so much trouble getting up from low seats and maneuvering with the boot, though that should prove easier now that she can put more weight on her foot. We have met some really nice women and Mom has enjoyed their company.
"WOO HOO! NO HUSBAND, NO CHILDREN!" That's what Vicki heard herself say when she replayed some video she shot as soon as she and her friends were relaxing on the Carnival Fascination. She had thought the camera wasn't recording at the time but then Vicki is always making that mistake with the video camera.
I won't go into all the details of her cruise, mostly because I'm getting the story in bits and pieces. Vicki and her friends all had a great time and are plotting to take another cruise together in the future.
We naturally asked how the Fascination compared with the Disney Magic since that's our only point of reference. She simply said Carnival was perfect for a trip with a bunch of friends and Disney was perfect for a family vacation. She did go on to say that the food aboard the Fascination was excellent.
The girls made two ports of call on their cruise. The first was at Freeport, and they spent their time there at the beach and shopping. Vicki and Roni attempted to use a sea kayak while at the beach but wound up capsizing their craft, entertaining all in the immediate area. I am told there are pictures but I have yet to see the evidence.
Their second stop was at Nassau where they went snorkeling. Vicki said their snorkeling experience was much better than our excursion at Grand Cayman -- the water was much calmer and clearer and the fish more plentiful. She snapped several pictures with a disposable, waterproof camera but the images don't do the scenery justice. (We had purchased a camera like this on Grand Cayman but it leaked so we didn't get any shots.)
So now Vicki is back into the normal routine and while we are glad she could go we are all very glad to have her home.
Joe
Sunday, March 31, 2013
Sunday, March 24, 2013
Comings and Goings
One thing about our weather, we aren't lacking for rain. Jenna wants to have a garden this year. I really need to break ground but I don't know when it's going to dry off enough for me to do that. Actually, the temperature is dropping right now and they're calling for snow tonight.
ANKLE UPDATE. As you know, Mom fell and broke her ankle on Tuesday. I took her to the doctor on Friday for a checkup. After another x-ray he was satisfied enough to send her home with a boot and clearance to place half her weight on that foot. We were glad to get this news because it makes things a little easier on Mom, however, she still faces a lot of challenges and cannot stay by herself.
Vicki has been out of town since Wednesday morning (more on that below) so we've had to scramble to take care of Mom. Judy and Amanda were kind enough to stay with Mom during the daytime last week and one of our neighbors, Sharon, has been staying with Mom at night except for last night and tonight. Jenna has stayed with her grandmother in Sharon’s absence.
The biggest challenge is Mom’s remaining original knee. It has been showing signs of wearing out over the last few months and this is just exacerbating the problem. We've also been fighting some swelling which came last night after Mom and I spent most of the day going through her records so that I can take them to the CPA that prepares her taxes. She simply sat up too long and suffered the consequences. I am very thankful that Sharon lives close and has been so willing to help out. She was Aunt Mar's nurse before she retired back in the fall.
I'm not sure how long it will be until Mom gets back on her feet so our routine is going to be interesting until then.
SO WHERE'S VICKI? I'm sure that's a question on your mind since I mentioned she is out of town above. When we returned from our cruise two months ago the ladies at the church office all decided to take a cruise together so they got online, found a deal with Carnival, and booked it. Their trip just so happened to fall on this weekend. They left home Wednesday morning and should return tomorrow night. I have been too busy to remember many details but I know they sailed from Jacksonville and had stops in Freeport and Nassau. I'm glad she got the chance to go. I'm also glad I've not heard about their ship, the Carnival Fascination, in the news. And I'm going to be very happy to get her back home.
PAINTING. Our bathroom may be done but work on the house continues. We decided now would be a good time to paint both our main and back halls. The last time the main hall was painted was in 2003 and there have been a lot of toys rubbing against the baseboard and bouncing off the walls since then. It was time.
We’ve hired a friend of ours, Jules, who does some painting on the side doing the work. Jules’ wife, Roni, is our church secretary and is on the cruise with Vicki. With everything going on I’m glad I wasn’t tackling the job myself.
CAMPING. Ben went on a campout this weekend. This was a troop trip and they worked on the cooking merit badge. Since coming home he’s gotten a skillet out and practicing his new skills -- and he’s just learned you don’t cook bacon on high (cough, cough).
The troop went to Parish Reservation which is near Fall Creek Falls State Park. I think Ben’s tent leaked because he came home with a lot of wet stuff.
BLUE AND GOLD BANQUET. Speaking of scouting, Nate pack had their annual Blue and Gold Banquet last night. This event normally features a cake decorating contest for scouts and their parents. I was unable to help Nate with this because I was helping Mom gather her tax records so Jenna stepped in and saved the day. They got decorating ideas from the internet and then got to work. By the time I got home to pick Nate up for the banquet and drop Jenna off at Mom’s they had made the cutest -- excuse me, coolest -- cake. It featured a lake with fish in it and on shore there was a tree, tents, campfire with logs around for the campers to sit on. Evidently the judges were impressed because Nate’s cake won first place! I don’t know if Nate realizes it, but he has an awesome big sister.
Nate also received his Webelos patch last night which means by this time next year he’ll have earned the Arrow of Light and will cross over to Ben’s Boy Scout troop. As much as I think scouts are good for the boys I will be glad to drop to one trip to White House each week.
Joe
ANKLE UPDATE. As you know, Mom fell and broke her ankle on Tuesday. I took her to the doctor on Friday for a checkup. After another x-ray he was satisfied enough to send her home with a boot and clearance to place half her weight on that foot. We were glad to get this news because it makes things a little easier on Mom, however, she still faces a lot of challenges and cannot stay by herself.
Vicki has been out of town since Wednesday morning (more on that below) so we've had to scramble to take care of Mom. Judy and Amanda were kind enough to stay with Mom during the daytime last week and one of our neighbors, Sharon, has been staying with Mom at night except for last night and tonight. Jenna has stayed with her grandmother in Sharon’s absence.
The biggest challenge is Mom’s remaining original knee. It has been showing signs of wearing out over the last few months and this is just exacerbating the problem. We've also been fighting some swelling which came last night after Mom and I spent most of the day going through her records so that I can take them to the CPA that prepares her taxes. She simply sat up too long and suffered the consequences. I am very thankful that Sharon lives close and has been so willing to help out. She was Aunt Mar's nurse before she retired back in the fall.
I'm not sure how long it will be until Mom gets back on her feet so our routine is going to be interesting until then.
SO WHERE'S VICKI? I'm sure that's a question on your mind since I mentioned she is out of town above. When we returned from our cruise two months ago the ladies at the church office all decided to take a cruise together so they got online, found a deal with Carnival, and booked it. Their trip just so happened to fall on this weekend. They left home Wednesday morning and should return tomorrow night. I have been too busy to remember many details but I know they sailed from Jacksonville and had stops in Freeport and Nassau. I'm glad she got the chance to go. I'm also glad I've not heard about their ship, the Carnival Fascination, in the news. And I'm going to be very happy to get her back home.
PAINTING. Our bathroom may be done but work on the house continues. We decided now would be a good time to paint both our main and back halls. The last time the main hall was painted was in 2003 and there have been a lot of toys rubbing against the baseboard and bouncing off the walls since then. It was time.
We’ve hired a friend of ours, Jules, who does some painting on the side doing the work. Jules’ wife, Roni, is our church secretary and is on the cruise with Vicki. With everything going on I’m glad I wasn’t tackling the job myself.
CAMPING. Ben went on a campout this weekend. This was a troop trip and they worked on the cooking merit badge. Since coming home he’s gotten a skillet out and practicing his new skills -- and he’s just learned you don’t cook bacon on high (cough, cough).
The troop went to Parish Reservation which is near Fall Creek Falls State Park. I think Ben’s tent leaked because he came home with a lot of wet stuff.
BLUE AND GOLD BANQUET. Speaking of scouting, Nate pack had their annual Blue and Gold Banquet last night. This event normally features a cake decorating contest for scouts and their parents. I was unable to help Nate with this because I was helping Mom gather her tax records so Jenna stepped in and saved the day. They got decorating ideas from the internet and then got to work. By the time I got home to pick Nate up for the banquet and drop Jenna off at Mom’s they had made the cutest -- excuse me, coolest -- cake. It featured a lake with fish in it and on shore there was a tree, tents, campfire with logs around for the campers to sit on. Evidently the judges were impressed because Nate’s cake won first place! I don’t know if Nate realizes it, but he has an awesome big sister.
Nate also received his Webelos patch last night which means by this time next year he’ll have earned the Arrow of Light and will cross over to Ben’s Boy Scout troop. As much as I think scouts are good for the boys I will be glad to drop to one trip to White House each week.
Joe
Tuesday, March 19, 2013
Spring Break and Other Things
We've had up and down weather all winter long and spring break wasn't any different. Some days found me in shorts while others had me reaching for my coat. Either way, the cold weather won't last much longer as we are seeing signs of trees and flowers start to bud.
BATHROOM OVERHAUL. I am happy to report that our bathroom renovation is complete. The rotten subfloor was replaced and tile laid down over it, several walls got sheetrock over the original plaster coated brick, and a new vent fan was installed. While they were at it they insulated the back side of the house. (This is something we didn't do when we insulated a few years ago thinking we would add on and it wouldn't be necessary.) we also have new light fixtures in our hallway.
What's really odd about the bathroom is that the floor is about a half inch higher than it was. We all notice it as we walk in and out of the room.
I was busy with projects of my own last week. I think I mentioned hanging a clothes rack upstairs for our off season clothes. I also replaced the under cabinet lights in the kitchen. And when they got far enough along on the bathroom I painted the walls, ceiling, and trim. I also cleaned up sheetrock dust -- lots and lots of sheetrock dust.
I spent three nights over at Mom's house while our toilet was out of commission. Mom and I went out to eat several times.
FUN IN GEORGIA. Vicki and the kids stayed six nights in Georgia. They did all the thins we normally do when visiting the Jones family plus playing tennis. They got about 90 minutes of tennis in each day which is more practice than Jenna would have gotten had she stayed home.
Anyway, they came home Saturday. I was glad to see them and they were pleased with the changes to the bathroom.
COOL FIELD TRIP. Ben got the chance to go to the Junior Achievement BizTown today. You may not be familiar with the name, but I'm sure you've heard about the simulated city where kids populate the city for the day working at various jobs, running companies, doing business, etc. Of course, they do a lot of prep work in class before doing the actual simulation.
Ben got to be the CEO of the Supply Center, a wholesale supplier of office supplies and business forms. He had to dress for the job so he wore khakis, a shirt, and tie. He said his business got really close to achieving it's objective but I haven't gotten any others details of the day out of him.
BAD LUCK. Mom had a stroke of really bad luck this morning. She was getting ready for a doctor's appointment when she dropped a wash cloth and fell while reaching down to pick it up. Somehow she fractured the fibula in her right ankle in the fall. Now she is to keep her weight off her right foot until we can get to the orthopedic surgeon on Friday.
Joe
BATHROOM OVERHAUL. I am happy to report that our bathroom renovation is complete. The rotten subfloor was replaced and tile laid down over it, several walls got sheetrock over the original plaster coated brick, and a new vent fan was installed. While they were at it they insulated the back side of the house. (This is something we didn't do when we insulated a few years ago thinking we would add on and it wouldn't be necessary.) we also have new light fixtures in our hallway.
What's really odd about the bathroom is that the floor is about a half inch higher than it was. We all notice it as we walk in and out of the room.
I was busy with projects of my own last week. I think I mentioned hanging a clothes rack upstairs for our off season clothes. I also replaced the under cabinet lights in the kitchen. And when they got far enough along on the bathroom I painted the walls, ceiling, and trim. I also cleaned up sheetrock dust -- lots and lots of sheetrock dust.
I spent three nights over at Mom's house while our toilet was out of commission. Mom and I went out to eat several times.
FUN IN GEORGIA. Vicki and the kids stayed six nights in Georgia. They did all the thins we normally do when visiting the Jones family plus playing tennis. They got about 90 minutes of tennis in each day which is more practice than Jenna would have gotten had she stayed home.
Anyway, they came home Saturday. I was glad to see them and they were pleased with the changes to the bathroom.
COOL FIELD TRIP. Ben got the chance to go to the Junior Achievement BizTown today. You may not be familiar with the name, but I'm sure you've heard about the simulated city where kids populate the city for the day working at various jobs, running companies, doing business, etc. Of course, they do a lot of prep work in class before doing the actual simulation.
Ben got to be the CEO of the Supply Center, a wholesale supplier of office supplies and business forms. He had to dress for the job so he wore khakis, a shirt, and tie. He said his business got really close to achieving it's objective but I haven't gotten any others details of the day out of him.
BAD LUCK. Mom had a stroke of really bad luck this morning. She was getting ready for a doctor's appointment when she dropped a wash cloth and fell while reaching down to pick it up. Somehow she fractured the fibula in her right ankle in the fall. Now she is to keep her weight off her right foot until we can get to the orthopedic surgeon on Friday.
Joe
Tuesday, March 12, 2013
There's a Whole Lot of Sawing Going On
Spring break is here. I almost want to say it is a rude interruption. I'm not upset about the break, that's one of the perks of working for a school system. No, it's just that I realize that we're three quarters of the way through the school year and it seems to have come without much warning. This reminds me that Jenna will be getting her learner's permit next month and her driver's license will follow next year. In just ten short weeks she'll have her freshman year behind her and it'll seem like no time before she's ordering a cap and gown. I don't mean to be rushing things, but I know that when spring break rolls around in 2016 I'll be wondering where the time has gone because three years just doesn’t sound like a long time any more.
THE BATHROOM FLOOR, AGAIN. Our bathroom has issues. I wish I could push it off into a sink hole and start over. (No offense to the Bush family in Florida intended.) We have water issues that have never been fixed so for the fifth time we're having the floor redone.
We scheduled this job for spring break so that Vicki and the kids could go spend the week with Will and family in Georgia while I stayed behind to take care of the bathroom. We've hired someone to do the job. I knew from my last two attempts to fix the floor this was beyond my ability and probably too much for me to accomplish by myself in a week.
So, Vicki and the kids headed south after church and lunch Sunday and I headed to Lowe’s. Yesterday the crew showed up and tore into the bathroom. We think the water is mainly coming from a leak in the roof around the sewer vent pipe and the joint where the tub and tile meet. Additionally, we are installing a fan to vent the steam and our bathroom has never had one. We are also putting up sheetrock as the walls were simply plaster coated brick.
I am tackling my own projects while my bathroom is out of commission. I bought a 12 foot clothes rack to hang from the wall in our upstairs storage room to better organize off season clothes and get rid of some old, rolling racks so we can make better use of space. Tomorrow Judy and I are going to help Mom do a little cleaning out.
HOW'S THAT. Saturday night Vicki gave the kids a packing list so they could pack their own clothes for their trip. As Nate was packing he called downstairs, "Mom, what are sweet pants?"
"Sweat pants, Nate. Sweat pants."
"Oh. Okay…Hey, why is everybody laughing at me!"
BAKING "THE CAKE." Everyone has that special dessert, that treat you want above all else for your birthday. Mine is a chocolate cake that Mom and Aunt Mar used to make.
Vicki has tried to make the cake before but mastering the icing, which comes from the inappropriately named "Never Fail Fudge" recipe, has eluded her. I had given up on ever tasting the cake again until Jenna decided to give it a try. She made one this weekend and hope was reborn for me!
What was really funny was that Jenna bursts into the living room where we are in a panic. "We're out of soda!" Then spotting Vicki's can of Coke Zero sitting by her, "Can I have some of your coke for the cake? Please hurry, it's boiling!"
Mom's recipe, which I had copied word for word, calls for soda. I guess Jenna had assumed from a recent Coca-Cola cake that this recipe called for the soft drink as well. When Vicki set her straight that the recipe meant baking soda Jenna shot me a dirty look, complained about my typing up the recipe, and ran back to the kitchen to save the cake.
(If you are wondering why I didn't capitalize "coke" in Jenna's quote above it's because in our pocket of the country it is not in our vernacular to use "soda" or "pop" to describe soft drinks. We use "coke" for this, even if we are talking about non Coca-Cola products.)
Joe
THE BATHROOM FLOOR, AGAIN. Our bathroom has issues. I wish I could push it off into a sink hole and start over. (No offense to the Bush family in Florida intended.) We have water issues that have never been fixed so for the fifth time we're having the floor redone.
We scheduled this job for spring break so that Vicki and the kids could go spend the week with Will and family in Georgia while I stayed behind to take care of the bathroom. We've hired someone to do the job. I knew from my last two attempts to fix the floor this was beyond my ability and probably too much for me to accomplish by myself in a week.
So, Vicki and the kids headed south after church and lunch Sunday and I headed to Lowe’s. Yesterday the crew showed up and tore into the bathroom. We think the water is mainly coming from a leak in the roof around the sewer vent pipe and the joint where the tub and tile meet. Additionally, we are installing a fan to vent the steam and our bathroom has never had one. We are also putting up sheetrock as the walls were simply plaster coated brick.
I am tackling my own projects while my bathroom is out of commission. I bought a 12 foot clothes rack to hang from the wall in our upstairs storage room to better organize off season clothes and get rid of some old, rolling racks so we can make better use of space. Tomorrow Judy and I are going to help Mom do a little cleaning out.
HOW'S THAT. Saturday night Vicki gave the kids a packing list so they could pack their own clothes for their trip. As Nate was packing he called downstairs, "Mom, what are sweet pants?"
"Sweat pants, Nate. Sweat pants."
"Oh. Okay…Hey, why is everybody laughing at me!"
BAKING "THE CAKE." Everyone has that special dessert, that treat you want above all else for your birthday. Mine is a chocolate cake that Mom and Aunt Mar used to make.
Vicki has tried to make the cake before but mastering the icing, which comes from the inappropriately named "Never Fail Fudge" recipe, has eluded her. I had given up on ever tasting the cake again until Jenna decided to give it a try. She made one this weekend and hope was reborn for me!
What was really funny was that Jenna bursts into the living room where we are in a panic. "We're out of soda!" Then spotting Vicki's can of Coke Zero sitting by her, "Can I have some of your coke for the cake? Please hurry, it's boiling!"
Mom's recipe, which I had copied word for word, calls for soda. I guess Jenna had assumed from a recent Coca-Cola cake that this recipe called for the soft drink as well. When Vicki set her straight that the recipe meant baking soda Jenna shot me a dirty look, complained about my typing up the recipe, and ran back to the kitchen to save the cake.
(If you are wondering why I didn't capitalize "coke" in Jenna's quote above it's because in our pocket of the country it is not in our vernacular to use "soda" or "pop" to describe soft drinks. We use "coke" for this, even if we are talking about non Coca-Cola products.)
Joe
Sunday, March 3, 2013
Neither Lion nor Lamb
Up and down. We have a few days in the 50s and 60s and then we have a few days in the 30s. I wish it would stabilize. My eyes are so itchy I can't even think about contacts. This weekend we had a little snow. The yard looks like someone spread a bunch of cotton balls all over it and the boys made three 8” tall snowmen on the picnic table. So what does in mean when March comes in more like a penguin than a lion or a lamb?
BASKETBALL IS OVER. Last weekend saw a lot of hoop action for our family. First of all, Cameron and Zachary's basketball team participated in a tournament in Franklin, Tennessee. We decided to take last Friday (the 22nd) off and watch them play. Unfortunately, they lost that game, but we did have a good time at the game and eating lunch at the Mellow Mushroom afterwards.
We had games of our own on Saturday which prevented us from driving back to Franklin so we missed their two wins. Only Cameron got to play. Darice and Emily had to take Zachary back home for a prior engagement. When the games were over Will and Cameron drove up and spent the night with us. We all enjoyed the visit. They had to head home early the next morning.
The boys ended their basketball season last Saturday. We watched both teams fight hard but victory eluded them yet again. The Upward award night was Friday night so we all crowded in the gym for pizza and a show from an illusionist. Ben will be eligible to try out for the middle school team next year so we left wondering if this would be his last year to play Upward ball.
HELLO RACE FANS. The end of February also brings on pine car racing. Last Saturday evening featured our Cub Scout Pinewood Derby. Every year I say we're going to start those cars early. Every year we wait until the last minute. Nate didn't cut his car out until two weeks ago. Somehow we fit in all the sanding, painting, etc. throughout the week, but we were the last minute getting it finished up. His car did respectably well considering the rush job, coming in 11th overall.
The Awana Grand Prix was Wednesday night. Nate had a separate car for that race. This car did a little better on speed (9th place) but placed first in design. He was really happy to come home with a trophy even if it wasn’t for speed like he had hoped.
NAKED IN CHURCH. Vicki was laughing about what happened in Children’s Church today when I caught up with her after the service. Our children start out in the worship service with everyone else but are dismissed to Children’s Church just before Bro. Bill’s sermon where they spend the balance of the time with Vicki.
Many times in Children’s Church Vicki will tell a Bible story and call on various kids to help her by playing parts in the story. Today’s story was about Adam and Eve so she had a boy and a girl to help her. When she got to the part where Adam and Eve realized they were naked and felt ashamed both kids were so in character that even though they were fully clothed expressions of horror flashed across their faces as they rushed to cover themselves with their hands. This was completely spontaneous and brought down the house. One of the kids, poking a little fun at the whole thing, chided Vicki saying, “I can’t believe you had us standing there ‘naked’ in front of everybody for five minutes like that and we didn’t even know it.”
Joe
BASKETBALL IS OVER. Last weekend saw a lot of hoop action for our family. First of all, Cameron and Zachary's basketball team participated in a tournament in Franklin, Tennessee. We decided to take last Friday (the 22nd) off and watch them play. Unfortunately, they lost that game, but we did have a good time at the game and eating lunch at the Mellow Mushroom afterwards.
We had games of our own on Saturday which prevented us from driving back to Franklin so we missed their two wins. Only Cameron got to play. Darice and Emily had to take Zachary back home for a prior engagement. When the games were over Will and Cameron drove up and spent the night with us. We all enjoyed the visit. They had to head home early the next morning.
The boys ended their basketball season last Saturday. We watched both teams fight hard but victory eluded them yet again. The Upward award night was Friday night so we all crowded in the gym for pizza and a show from an illusionist. Ben will be eligible to try out for the middle school team next year so we left wondering if this would be his last year to play Upward ball.
HELLO RACE FANS. The end of February also brings on pine car racing. Last Saturday evening featured our Cub Scout Pinewood Derby. Every year I say we're going to start those cars early. Every year we wait until the last minute. Nate didn't cut his car out until two weeks ago. Somehow we fit in all the sanding, painting, etc. throughout the week, but we were the last minute getting it finished up. His car did respectably well considering the rush job, coming in 11th overall.
The Awana Grand Prix was Wednesday night. Nate had a separate car for that race. This car did a little better on speed (9th place) but placed first in design. He was really happy to come home with a trophy even if it wasn’t for speed like he had hoped.
NAKED IN CHURCH. Vicki was laughing about what happened in Children’s Church today when I caught up with her after the service. Our children start out in the worship service with everyone else but are dismissed to Children’s Church just before Bro. Bill’s sermon where they spend the balance of the time with Vicki.
Many times in Children’s Church Vicki will tell a Bible story and call on various kids to help her by playing parts in the story. Today’s story was about Adam and Eve so she had a boy and a girl to help her. When she got to the part where Adam and Eve realized they were naked and felt ashamed both kids were so in character that even though they were fully clothed expressions of horror flashed across their faces as they rushed to cover themselves with their hands. This was completely spontaneous and brought down the house. One of the kids, poking a little fun at the whole thing, chided Vicki saying, “I can’t believe you had us standing there ‘naked’ in front of everybody for five minutes like that and we didn’t even know it.”
Joe
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)