Happy New Year!

Lew and I just got home from a New Year's Eve party at my friend Ellen's house.

Yes, I know that it isn't midnight here yet.

But other parts of the world have experienced the arrival of 2011, and that's good enough for me.

Happy New Year to all!

G'nite!

17,410 Days

A devotional reading that I did today was based on Psalm 90, verse 12:

"Teach us to number each of our days
so that we may grow in wisdom."

I realize that the point is not how many days.  But being a lover of numbers, I was intrigued by the idea of determining my age in days.

I am 17,410 days old as of today.

And if you include the day of my birth, I have been alive on 17,411 days!

What exciting information!  :)

Dad: Unedited XXV

(Dad started writing the following post yesterday.  He finished it up today.  The reader will be able to determine the pace of the action....or lack thereof!  I have done my fair share of phone-sitting, so I can relate to my father's frustration.  Enjoy his post!  -- Tracy)

Writing a day early -- will finish tomorrow.

Derf Here!  From the snowbound Northeast!  Not quite!!

Well, we got our storm Sunday night through Monday afternoon.  I heard a know-it-all weather person tell us that the storm was to be the worst blizzard we'd seen since 2005.  How wrong was he?  Terribly wrong!

We received about 10-12 inches of snow with a lot of wind (which is still blowing).  The storm was, in general, a nor'easter and not even a serious one.  Great!

However, my Chevy pickup, which is my plow truck, is currently out of commission with a serious problem with its four-wheel drive mechanism.  My eight-foot plow (V and scoop) rests in front of the third garage bay looking nice by accomplishing nothing.  I hope to get my rig back today.  It will take me probably close to one hour to attach my 'minute mount' plow when my truck returns.

Well, it was necessary to plow our driveway to get the vehicles out.  So I called our grandsons' other grandfather (Bapa) for a favor.  Glen's dad (Bapa Bob) came to the rescue and made more than enough swipes down the driveway, enabling us to attach ourselves via vehicles to the rest of the world.  Life is good!

I do not want to sound like I'm complaining about the size of our storm.  I am happy it was less than predicted.  In fact, I could go from now until April without more snow and that would suit me just fine.  Upon reading the newspaper and seeing the news on television, the storm was much more severe south of us.  In fact, I saw reports of close to thirty inches of snow in some areas of New York & Jersey.  My comment:  "Better them than me."  I do hope the ski slopes receive a great depth of snow for a long and glorious ski season.  Just keep it less along the coast.  That's my request.

I'm taking a break from finishing this blog until I get my truck back (hopefully tomorrow).  At that time I'll finish the "storm through yard clean up" story.  That is if I don't pass out from the price to resurrect my truck.

The night has passed and Wednesday has arrived.

Noon now!

I just returned from a short excursion through Saco (where I saw my truck outside -- hopefully it is repaired) and checked out with the Old Orchard Beach Police and Department of Public Works to remove an abandoned couch left at sister Deb's cottage.  It will be taken care of as they were very cooperative.  Now I wait to hear from my truck.  I'm getting anxious.

Tracy just notified me that Glen called to tell her Lew's truck is ready to go so we'll pick that up today as soon as her exercises are over.  It is a busy day!  Lew's vehicle needed brakes and various other repairs.  Glen takes care of it at Patriot Subaru.

Time for my wonderful noon salad while I wait for truck call.

Salad's gone and no call.  I still wait.

Just picked up Lew's vehicle and now I'm waiting for a call.  I must meet my deadline, so I'll have to let you know about my truck adventure in next week's post.

I'm losing patience!  Or perhaps I've already lost it!!

Until next time,

Toodle Pip!  Derf.

P.S.  Still no call!  I still wait!

P.P.S.  I just received a call.  It seems that they didn't have the time necessary to find the fault.  It seems to be computer issue (connection, program, etc.).  Oh, joy!  Sounds expensive!!!  Maybe tomorrow!

A Brand Spankin' New Blogger

Emily has started a blog!

I'd like to think that I played a small role in her decision to enter the blogosphere.  But even if that's not the case, I will allow myself that indulgent thought!  (Smile....)

So, please take the time to read Emily's efforts -- two posts so far.  Just use the link "It's just me, M.L.E." that is on the right of my page.

Keep writing, Emily!

(Postscript:  For some reason, it didn't jump out at me what "M.L.E." stands for!  I know now, but I'm usually pretty good at figuring out that stuff for myself.  How about you?  Do you know??)

Lazy Bones

I don't think we got as much snow as predicted, but the weather was bad enough that Lew's boss decided to stay closed today.

Yippee!  Lew was home with me all day!

We both read for most of the morning.  Then we watched a movie....then another one.

After that, Lew decided to get something productive done.  He cleaned off the porch a bit.  Then he made hamburgers on the new Foreman grill that Santa brought him for Christmas.

As for me, I put some new photos on my ribbon board.  I also verified that the offering from yesterday was deposited into the church bank account OK.  (It was.)

It was the perfect day to stay in PJ's, so I did!

Back to the "real world" tomorrow....

Here It Comes

The snow has started to fall!

I just checked the National Weather Service forecast for our zip code.  We will probably be getting at least a foot of snow before this ends tomorrow.  That's at least -- it could be as high as 20 inches.  Yikes.

My father usually has a plow attached to the front of his pickup truck.  The truck is stuck in 4-wheel drive, however, so it is down at the repair shop -- scheduled for repair tomorrow morning.  The plow is sitting at the end of our driveway, looking pretty but not very useful.

But please do not fret for us!  Glen's father is our "backup plow guy" and he is on call for tomorrow, if necessary.

I say "if necessary" because sometimes these big snowstorms fizzle out before they reach us.  They predict 18 inches of snow, and we end up getting 2 inches -- much to the chagrin of the local weather reporters.  They love reporting on inclement weather, and they always seem to be wearing sweaters during their "Storm Center" segments.

I will hopefully be able to post a weather update tomorrow, provided we do not lose power!

(Postscript:  We had a lovely Christmas Day.  Had breakfast at our house with Lew's side of the family.  Then my folks, Lew, and I went down to Debbie's house for a midday meal.  I know that you will be shocked to hear that I ate too much.)

Joy to the World!

The following photo is from Christmas 2004....Our wishes to you remain the same!



A Christmas Eve Surprise

Lew and I just returned from the Christmas Eve service at our church.  It is always one of my favorite services of the year.

Tonight we had a bit of a startle, though.  About half-way through the service, PD announced that one of his favorite new Christmas songs is "Mary, Did You Know?" and that Lew and Tracy were going to come up and sing it now.

Lew and Tracy....well, uh, that's my husband and I.

We sang this song during the morning services on the first Sunday of Advent, and we've had an opportunity to sing it at a couple choir events since then.  But tonight was an (unintended) surprise, as nobody had asked us ahead of time!

PD must have seen that we were unaware of our participation, and he looked over at Melodie.  Apparently each thought that the other had mentioned it to us.

Our church family enjoyed this spontaneous drama that was being played out right before their eyes.  It certainly added some levity to the evening!

And the happy ending....

PD still had our background music from when we sang it at the choir events.  He asked if we would come up and sing the song, despite the "on the spot" notice.  And we did.  (Smile....)

Merry Christmas!

Good News, Great Joy

Last night Lew and I went Christmas caroling with some other members of our church choir.  We visited two area nursing homes, and it was a joy to sing to these wonderful folks.  Actually, I should say sing WITH, as many of the residents sang along to the familiar tunes!

After singing in the lobby at one of the homes, we went to the dementia unit to sing a few songs.  One lady clapped practically the entire time -- in beautiful beat with the music.  Another lady assisted Melodie in directing us.

As we were leaving, I shook hands with the second lady while wishing her "Merry Christmas."  She would not let go of my arm.  I told her that I had to leave and she looked at me with her beautiful eyes and said, "Please don't go.  Stay with me."  I wish that I could have stayed with her longer, and I told her so.  A staff member eventually came over and facilitated my leaving.  As I walked out of the unit, I felt overwhelmed with emotion -- although the start of a new carol helped me overcome any tears.

I pray this lovely lady will someday live in Christ's presence, never to be lonely again.

Thank you, God, for the gift of your Son.

And there were shepherds living out in the fields nearby, keeping watch over their flocks at night. An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified.  But the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid. I bring you good news that will cause great joy for all the people.  Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is the Messiah, the Lord...."
Luke 2 : 8-11  (NIV)

Dad: Unedited XXIV

(My father shares a funny story below.  It made my belly shake, anyway!  Enjoy! -- Tracy)

Merry Christmas!

Derf Here!

Updates!  Updates!

1.)  Josh's team still undefeated -- done until next year.

2.)  My weight reduction (300 down to 259.6) is going well -- however, I have cheated slightly in the past couple weeks.  I purchased ice cream and some Len Libby's 'peanut brittle.'  (Mmm -- good!)  Next week I'll start my exercise along with my leafy diet as I have a doctor's appointment in February.  I want to weigh 250.

Usually, at least once a night I make a trip to the lavatory.  Sometimes, when lucky, I sleep through the night.  Last night the clock was on 3:00 a.m.  I couldn't get back to sleep as I had the following thoughts; why, I have no clue.  My next look at the clock was 5:15 a.m.  The following is the "Studebaker Saga."

Dad bought a Studebaker pickup sometime in the 1950's.  I drove it around quite a bit.  It was very light and I was able to spin the tires in second gear.  The stick shift was on the steering column.  If you don't know of a stick shift, visit a museum or a car show to see one.  The back would jump up over a bump in the road and the spring shackle would flip up so the spring would not work.  I'd jack up the rear of the truck and use a crow bar to snap the shackle back to its proper place and the spring would work properly.

The truck needed painting so we brush painted it using blue paint (probably house paint).  I believe the color was the same as I subsequently used on our Bantam, with the same sad results.

We had borrowed a flatbed truck from Carpenter's Dairy to help move sister Jean and husband Bob to Massachusetts.  I can't remember the town (city) but I think Ipswich.  They needed an apartment fairly close to college.  After spending some time in the apartment they were ready to move.  Anything would be an upgrade.  I believe this was their move to a fairly nice estate as semi-caretakers.  Well, some stuff had to be brought back to Maine.  The rest went with them.

Dad and I were the duo to go to Massachusetts to gather up the extra stuff.  Off we went one day (I think it was a Sunday).  We loaded the stuff in our brush painted Studebaker and headed home.  Why I let my dad drive is still a mystery to me.  We looked like "Fred Sanford & Son's Salvage Truck."  Perhaps we looked more like gypsies.  We were certainly dirty looking and wearing a couple of grubby-looking caps.

Then the one incident happened that I'll never forget.  We were coming to a truck weighing station.  Dad, I guess, thought this meant pickup trucks as well as those 'Big Rigs.'  Before I knew it we were on our way to be weighed.  I attempted to hide my face as we passed by the building that housed the men checking out the trucks.  I guess they just waved us through, as I refused to look at them.  I'm still surprised they didn't pull us over and check us out.  It was a memorable moment indeed.  I think this was the last time I let Dad drive when I was available.  A good move on my part for sure.

We made it back, thankfully, and emptied the truck of the stuff.  A successful trip with a laugh or two.

Until next time!

Merry Christmas!!  Toodle Pip!

Derf!

P.S.  I must mention this, showing my dad wasn't the only family member to err in driving.  We were returning from Boston with me behind the wheel and approached a construction site.  Well everyone said, "Turn here."  Well I turned and went through the construction site when the real turn was further up the road.  I don't think I drove without my glasses ever again.  Another wise decision!

A Cute Movie

Lew and I watched the movie "How to Train Your Dragon" tonight.

We watched it just for enjoyment.  We did not need to watch it for educational purposes, as the only pet in our house is Pepper the Cat.

But I must admit that, well, I kinda want a dragon now.

Lew said that there would be one in my Christmas stocking.

I can't wait!

It's Official

I just googled "first day of winter 2010" and learned that it is tomorrow, December 21.

But I'm going with TODAY!

While much of the country has already experienced significant snowfall, us folks here in Southern Maine had received none to speak of -- just a few "spitting" events.

That has changed.

The sky was clear when I left the house around 2:00 this afternoon to run a few errands.  By the time I got home around 4:20, the snow had been falling for at least a half hour or so.  I could tell it would be more than a dusting.

Lew took twice as long to get home than he normally does.  He gets on the Maine Turnpike for part of his commute, and apparently cars were only going about 35 miles per hour.  He saw lots of cars that had gone off the road.

My father was listening to his scanner and heard that a town plow couldn't even get down a certain road due to the number of cars that needed to be pulled out by wreckers.  A lot of slipping and sliding on that road, I guess.

Yep!  Old Man Winter has arrived!

A Giant Collapse

I have isolated myself in the back room upstairs while my husband recovers from the New York Giants game.  The Giants just played the Philadelphia Eagles.  It was a home game for the Giants.

Lew's team (the Giants) had a 21-point lead in the 4th quarter.  The Eagles scored 28 points within the last eight minutes to win the game in regulation.

I listened to a forlorn Lew say, "How can you not expect an onside kick?" over and over and over and over.  He also exclaimed, "The dubs!" quite a few times.

I figured it was a good time to come upstairs and do some work on the computer.

Go Patriots!

Egg vs. Chicken vs. Tuna

Lew and I went to a Christmas party tonight at the home of some church friends.  We had a wonderful time, and I ate too many sweets (as usual).

Our contribution to the party was a finger sandwich platter -- 12 tuna salad, 12 chicken salad, and 12 egg salad.

I did not make the sandwiches.  Why would I do that when I can walk into Hannaford on a Thursday and order the sandwiches for a Saturday pickup?  :)

Lew had told me to "go heavy" on the egg salad, as it is always the first to go.  That's his theory anyway.

I did not listen and ordered the same amount of each.  I like symmetry.

At the end of the evening, here's what we had left:

1 egg salad
2 chicken salad
6 tuna salad

So, I guess Lew's theory was partly correct.  He is viewing this as a complete victory, although the chicken salad was a really close second!

(Postscript:  Lew also has a pizza theory.  When ordering for a large group of people, "go heavy" on the pepperoni.  I happen to agree with him on this one!)

The Maine Mall

Today I went to the Maine Mall.  There were hardly any people there.  Ha!  Actually, I think there were hardly any people in the state that were NOT there!

I got to the Mall shortly before 1:00.  I was concerned about finding a parking space but happened to come across a pretty good one.  I even backed into it.  (I am my father's daughter.)

I didn't have a lot to purchase, but I was still there quite a while.  I'm not a great shopper when it comes to clothes, but I do enjoy poking around in bookstores, gift shops, novelty stores, and the like.

I saw Santa!  Several tracks of model trains are on display where the kids get photos taken with the big guy.  A very festive atmosphere, indeed.

I ate a late lunch at the food court.  I had a hamburger, cheese fries, and root beer.  My hamburger was FREE!

When I finally headed home, the traffic in the Mall area was outrageously busy.  I had to wait at many lights -- some more than once -- before I finally emerged from the mess.

I do not plan on going to the Maine Mall again until after Christmas!

(Postscript:  Regarding my free burger....Lew ate at the Mall early last week, and he won a hamburger. He gave the ticket to me. Kind of makes me feel slightly guilty about yesterday's fudge. Slightly. Kind of.)

Bah, Humbug!

Tonight's post is a confession of sorts.

I got a haircut early this afternoon.  My hairdresser had a tin of homemade chocolate fudge that another customer had brought in, and she offered me a piece.  She actually offered me two pieces, but I indicated that one was enough.

As I was eating the fudge, she could tell that I was enjoying it immensely.  She asked, "Are you sure you don't want another piece?"  I gave her a look that indicated I was interested in that second piece after all.

She went to get some foil to wrap it in, and she said, "Yes, take another piece.  You can share it with Lew."

What?!!

I gave her another look.  A look that made her laugh!

I did not share today.

(Postscript:  Now, really?  What was I supposed to do?!!)

Dad: Unedited XXIII

(Finally!  Dad tells a story about a monkey.  Enjoy! -- Tracy)

Derf Here!

Ten days 'til Christmas!  Where has the year gone?

A monkey story follows.  One of many!

Over the years as kids, we had a total of five monkeys as pets (not all were friendly).  We named all five Chee-Chee.  The year was late 1940's or early 1950's.  I was around 10 years old (give or take a couple years).  We were in possession of Chee-Chee number one.  Chee-Chee was a male Rhesus monkey (the breed related to the Rh factor in blood work).

It was a beautiful summer day so I thought I'd take ol' Chee-Chee for a walk on a leash.  He had a large cage/home/residence upstairs in Dad's store.  His home had a tree about 8-10 feet high in which to climb and several burlap bags which he would wrap himself in if the furnace wasn't adequately warming his place of residence.  His home had a window so he had a wonderful view of the world.  He was taken care of with all other amenities of comfort like sawdust and shavings (this made it easier to keep his home clean).

One fact of interest was that while there was a monkey in the store, there was never a sign of furry little gray pests.

Now back to the story.  Chee-Chee was on the leash and off I went up the sidewalk towards Lincoln Street.  About one-half block away, as I approached Lincoln Street, the leashed beast decided he would jump back on me.  He grabbed on to my leg and I thought he was about to bite me on the knee.  I wasn't about to let this happen, and in Chee-Chee's defense, he was, perhaps, just being friendly to me.

Self preservation was on my mind and I decided that my safest and best action would be to keep a distance between my knee and Chee-Chee.  I accomplished this by spinning around while Chee-Chee was hanging on for dear life at the end of the leash.  His eyes were wide open, he was holding on the leash so as not to get choked, and he was making a noise that sounded like "Ooooh, Ooooh, Ooooh."  All the while I was yelling, "Daddy, Daddy, Daddy...!"  I finally made it back to the front of the store and was rescued by Dad.

I was not damaged in any way and Chee-Chee survived his ride on the horizontal Ferris wheel.  I will admit that we got along better in future walks with no more incidents.  I have a video of another time I had him on a leash with no consequences.

It was a sight to see, a 10-year-old kid twirling a monkey around (both yelling in their own language) while both beast and child were hanging on to opposite ends of a five-foot leash.  It all is laughable now, but at the time I was not too brave at all.

More monkey stories to follow.

Until next time;

Toodle Pip!  Derf!

P.S.  Josh's baseball team won again last Friday.  Another shutout!

23 Years and Two Days Ago

I encourage you to go back to yesterday's post and read Suzy's wonderful comment!  I also got the following e-mail from her today:

"Can't resist sending you this photo so you have it if you want it for your blog! XXX Suzy"

I will be eternally grateful that Suzy and Barry decided to have the bulk of their wedding photos taken before the ceremony.  Otherwise, they would have had to Photoshop me in.  (Did that technology even exist 23 years ago?)

So, here is the photo that Suzy e-mailed to me.  I am kneeling.  And Suzy is in the white dress!

23 Years and One Day Ago

Suzy and Barry celebrated their anniversary yesterday.  (Congratulations, you two!)

I must tell my recollection of the events surrounding their wedding day.

I was the maid of honor.  (Actually, I was the matron of honor, but that's another story.)  Suzy was living in California at the time, so on the Thursday before the wedding I flew coast to coast.

I have never been a good traveller.

I was pretty exhausted by the time I rolled into bed Thursday night.  But I felt pretty good the next day.  That was fortunate, because we had lots of "day before the wedding" stuff to get accomplished -- final (and only!) bridesmaid dress fittings, brunches, luncheons, wedding rehearsal, etcetera, etcetera.  Did I mention that I sang a duet with Barry's brother at the wedding?  We had a separate practice for that, too.  :)

The morning of the wedding was filled with hair appointments, make-up application, dressing for the ceremony, etcetera, etcetera.

I started to feel pretty queasy while we were at the hairdresser.  So queasy that I was sprawled over several adjacent chairs.  I remember looking over at Suzy.  She was looking at me, too, with her hand up to her chin in a contemplative pose.  I wondered what she was thinking.  Actually, that's not true.  I knew what she was thinking!

I was flinging prayers up to God to please, please, please give me the strength to make it through the wedding.  And, HE did!  I bounced back and got through the ceremony.

Now, I wish I could say that I enjoyed the reception and the rest of the weekend's festivities.  But shortly after the wedding, I pretty much lost it.  I was violently ill for about three days.  I did manage to fly home to Maine on Sunday, but I still pity the poor passengers that had to sit next to me as I barfed all the way across the country.

I once told Suzy and Barry that they had to get married again so that I could enjoy the entire event this time.  Hmmm...I still like that idea!

A Dark and Stormy Night

We are not getting the snow that some areas of the country are currently experiencing, but we do have rain. We're supposed to be getting heavy winds later on tonight, too.

Lew and I are watching the Patriots play the Bears in snowy Chicago. Well, the game is in Chicago. We are at home in Maine. The Patriots are ahead by many, many, many points. Gee, I hope they can hold on and win.

We went to visit Lew's mom after church today. Her lunch request: a hamburger from Burger King!

Right now I feel like it's almost time for bed, but it's only about 6:30. Dark...the rain...heavy eyelids...content.

It's been a good weekend.

Our Weekend

Today is 12-11-10.  How cool is that?!

Lew and I went out to breakfast this morning with Dick and Carole, our Saturday morning breakfast buddies.  We realized that we won't be getting together again (for breakfast anyway) until January 8, 2011!  Next Saturday morning, Lew and I have a church choir gig.  And then the following two Saturdays are Christmas and New Year's Day.

The rest of our day has been taken up with errands and getting caught up on things around the house.  We are hoping to watch a movie tonight to unwind a bit.

We'll be busy tomorrow with church and a visit to Lew's mom and brother.  (I heard that Verlie did well her first night back at home.)  We'll probably watch a little Sunday football, too!

Last night we went to see Carole (an above-mentioned breakfast buddy) perform in a Christmas program.  She signed two songs.  That's not a typo by the way.  She signed -- as in sign language -- not sang!  She did a beautiful job.  She's a very expressive performer.

Carole also made four tunics for the production.  This is the same Carole of jewelry-making fame.  She can knit, sew, crochet, cook, make wedding cakes, and....well, I could go on and on.  I realized today that I am the anti-Carole!  I can't do any of those things!  :)

A Most Excellent Adventure With Verlie

Shortly after 10:00 this morning, I helped spring my mother-in-law from "the joint."

She was released from "the big house."

Yes, Verlie was discharged from the rehab center and was able to go home....Finally!

She had been in rehab for vertigo, but it turns out that she may not have had this after all.  Her condition was probably caused by a stroke.  She has been working hard in rehab the last eight weeks, with no improvement in some areas.  But she is much stronger.  Hence, the "OK" to head home.

Verlie used the walker to get to my vehicle, although she was using it mostly for security purposes.  She was toodling right along.  We probably looked like a comedy duo getting her in the car, but we did succeed.  After a quick phone call to my brother-in-law Wayne (Verlie's younger son), we were off!

Wayne and Verlie live next door to each other.  (It's actually the same property.)  When we arrived, I noticed that the newspaper was still outside, so I stopped at the edge of the driveway to get it.  After I got back in the car, I saw that Sisqo was heading straight for us.  Sisqo is Wayne's dog.  I didn't want to hit him, so I got back out of the car to grab him.  He jumped in instead.  "Well," I thought, "at least I won't run over him this way."  So I got back in again and continued down the driveway, with Verlie and now Sisqo as my passengers.

Wayne walked over and helped his mom out of the car.  I entered the house with some of Verlie's stuff, and when I turned around she was already walking in behind me!  Toodling along.  No walker.

When I left, Verlie was working on her grocery list.  I guess she and Wayne were going to reinstate their weekly trip to Hannaford Supermarket this afternoon.  She doesn't really enjoy grocery shopping, but I could tell she was looking forward to it.  Well, kind of, anyway!

There's no place like home....

THAT is the Question

Now that 2010 is almost over, I have been asking myself, "To blog daily or not to blog daily in 2011?"

I enjoy writing, but sometimes it is difficult to come up with something each and every day.  OK, so Derf helps me out on Wednesdays, but that still leaves me with six days a week.

Pros for daily:
Keeps my writing habit going.
Keeps my fans (!) in the habit of reading "Mainely Tracy."
Shorter posts are acceptable.

Cons for daily:
Motivation level hard to keep up.
Ideas are not always easy to come by.
Time constraints.
The risk of boring my many fans with too many boring posts!

I know there are additional pros/cons, but the above is what I came up with on the spur of the moment.

What to do, what to do....?

Dad: Unedited XXII

(I think my father's theory is a good one.  In fact, I've thought of it myself.  Have you?  At any rate, you should now understand why I enjoy math stuff.  I guess it's in the genes.  Enjoy Dad's post!  -- Tracy)

Derf here, in the cold Northeast.  We're not supposed to have our temperature rise to the freezing level for two or three days.  I'm still quite happy as we have no snow on the ground.  The Chevy is ready, however, as the plow is attached.  I am just waiting for the storm.  Wouldn't it be nice if we got no snow all winter?  The last couple days the mountains have received over a foot of the fluffy stuff.  I hope they continue to get it for the ski business, but just keep it from the coast.  Thank you, Lord, for your cooperation.

So much for the weather.

Derf's theory of days, months, and years quickly flying by:  Even though time flies by faster than I want it to, I have a theory why this happens.  It goes as follows.  Years ago when I was two years old, one year was one-half of my life.  As I proceeded to ten years old, one year was only one-tenth of my life.  Do you get the picture of what I'm trying to say?

Now that I'm in my seventies, one year is one-seventieth of my life.  So you see that one year is such a small percentage of my total life span that it goes by much quicker than when it was one-half of my lifetime.  Does that explanation make sense to you?  It does to me!  So there!

During the year Spouse and I get a chance to watch grandsons Josh (our honor roll student) and Zack play baseball and football.  Those games are played in much warmer weather than we are now experiencing.  There are times, however, early on in the baseball season and later on in the football season when the weather is disgusting, biting, and miserable.

Times certainly have changed since we were young, as we now get a chance to watch Josh play baseball during the winter months.  Josh and Zack no longer play basketball, so winter baseball is it.  Every Friday night at 7:00 p.m. or 8:30 p.m. Josh has an indoor baseball game for one and one-half hours.  It takes place at "Frozen Ropes," an indoor facility that can handle two games at the same time.  So far Josh's team has won all their games, but the kids just have fun and are improving their skills.  There is not a whole lot of pressure.  The kids enjoy the experience and are coached by the local high school coach who has a son on the team.  When Coach is not available, Josh's dad (Glen) takes over.

Spouse and I attended last week's game and I plan on going to all the rest of the games, weather permitting.  I hope this update keeps you up-to-date.

Not a great job on this post, but as one philosopher said:  "A bird in the hand gathers no moss!"

Until next week,

Toodle Pip!  Derf!

Comfort Food

Lew and his friend Dick have an annual tradition.  They take a day off from work to go Christmas shopping together.  (Doesn't that sound like something that women would do?  Ha ha!)

Yesterday was their shopping day.  Subsequently, Lew was quite busy at work today.

When he arrived home, he came upstairs to where I was working at my computer and announced that dinner was going to be "comfort food."

Now "comfort food" could mean several things -- pizza, spaghetti, sloppy joes, Kentucky Fried chicken, Chinese food (for me, anyway), chocolate, ice cream, cookies.....Oops, I'm straying a bit!

But tonight, Lew introduced something new.  He has made them before, but this was the first time I recall him including them in the "comfort food" category.

BLT's.

With a side of fries.

Yummy!

Festival of Trees

Tonight our church choir sang at the "Festival of Trees" at a church in a nearby town.  This is on the choir schedule every year.  Last year (our first year in the choir) we didn't go because of a blizzard.  And we learned tonight that there is a pattern...good weather one year, bad the next, then good again.  So, I guess we will have a blizzard approximately one year from tonight!

I can't remember the exact number, but the "Festival of Trees" is just that -- a bunch of Christmas trees decorated by different groups, organizations, businesses, etc.  Each tree had a label so that you would know who sponsored it.  But some of them were pretty easy to identify based on the decorations alone.

I think the "Festival of Trees" is a nice idea, although I would call it the "Festival of Christmas Trees!"

A Celebrity Sighting

I haven't been feeling 100% today, but I didn't want to miss church nor our town's Christmas Tree lighting this afternoon. Our church choir was asked to sing at the lighting. We had four special numbers prepared, plus some carols.

I made it to church this morning, then I spent the early part of the afternoon preserving my energy. I ate a salad for lunch, did some reading, and watched some football.

At the appropriate time, Lew and I bundled up and headed off to the tree lighting.

Did I mention it was outside? We weren't freezing, but we weren't exactly warm either.

We sang and sang until a town emergency vehicle arrived with a special guest. He waved to us. The kids in attendance were SO excited.

And I do believe the grownups were pretty excited, too....

Yes! I saw Santa, today!

Let There Be Lights

It's been a pretty nice day here so far, despite the blizzard we had last night.

OK, so we didn't have a blizzard -- but it was the first snow that we've had this year (other than the spitting kind).  It was not a whole lot of snow.  In fact, I just looked out the window to see how much was still on the ground.  The answer?  None.

Lew decided to take advantage of the nice weather and put some white icicle lights out on the porch.  We haven't had outdoor lights for Christmas for several years, so he really wanted to attempt it this season.

He tested all of the strands of lights first, and then he strung them around and about on the porch.  Then he turned them on, and....Ta Da!

One strand didn't work.

Lew was almost as upset as Clark Griswold was in "Christmas Vacation."

The bad strand was removed and unceremoniously thrown in the trash.  Lew has since been to the store to purchase additional lights.  I just checked on his progress.

He's done.

Well, almost.....

(Postscript:  We're going to meet our friends Bill and Stacey for dinner tonight.  Then we're all coming back to our house for our sometimes annual viewing of the above-mentioned movie, "Christmas Vacation."  One of Lew's favorite lines is when Eddie says to Clark:  "That there's an RV."  Reminds Lew of our own yard, I guess!)

Jessica Simpson Meets Oswald Chambers

One of the three devotionals that I have been using this year is Oswald Chambers' My Utmost for His Highest.

Yesterday's devotion, titled "Christian Perfection," was based on Philippians 3:12.  OC (my shorthand for Oswald Chambers) wrote that Christian perfection is "the perfection of a relationship to God which shows itself amid the irrelevancies of human life."  Here's the sentence that I really zeroed in on as I continued reading OC's words:

"I am called to live in perfect relation to God so that my life produces a longing after God in other lives, not admiration for myself."

As I was thinking about this again today, it reminded me of the DIRECTV commercial that Jessica Simpson did a few years ago.  After she states that the HD broadcast is in 1080i, she goes on to say, "I totally don't know what that means, but I want it."

I believe that everyone has an innate "want" for God, despite the fact that they may not "totally" know what that means.  Does my life encourage others to discover their longing for Him?  And am I diligently asking God the following three questions:  Where are YOU?  What are YOU doing?  How can I help?

(Postscript:  The somewhat odd connection that I made with the commercial may be a result of my fuzzy head.  Have been fighting a cold.)

(Post-postscript:  The perfect lunch for a cold sufferer  -- Chinese food!  Mom's idea; Dad's drive.  Yummy.)

I Am Resident

Several days ago the "Resident" at my address got a very official letter from the U.S. Census Bureau.  This letter informed the Resident that our household would be receiving a questionnaire in the mail for a "very important national survey, the American Community Survey."

The letter also informed the Resident that "your address" was randomly selected for this survey, and "not you personally."

Apparently this survey is going to be used "to meet the needs of communities across America."  For example, the survey will be used "to develop programs to reduce traffic congestion," among other things.

I have since received the survey.  I filled it out today.  It was 28 pages long.  After about an hour -- and three phone calls to my parents for information -- I had it done.  (You may be wondering why I called my parents instead of just walking over to their side of the house.  I'm wondering that, too.)

I really didn't want to take the time to complete this survey.  And it asked all sorts of nosy questions.  But U.S. law requires that I respond to it, so I obliged.  Fortunately, U.S. law also requires the Census Bureau to keep my answers confidential.  Thank you, U.S. law.

So the next time you are driving in reduced traffic congestion, please think of me.  I have, after all, been instrumental in meeting the needs of your community.

I humbly accept your gratitude.

Dad: Unedited XXI

(I learned something about my mother from this post!  Ha ha!  Oh, and don't count this introduction as a paragraph....Enjoy!  -- Tracy)

Derf here after a very enjoyable and satisfying Thanksgiving day.  There were a minimum of fifteen relatives (extended family included) here to celebrate the day.  It was a very, very good day and the food and desserts were quite delicious.

In my last couple of posts I wrote of attending a gospel concert at the Portland Exposition Building and watching wrestling when television was in its infancy.  Combining these two events will be the main theme of this post.

Question:  "Has anyone out there been to an event where you didn't want to be recognized?"  Mind you, I'm talking about a legal and proper event.  Nothing shady at all.

I must point out that I am not a fan of professional wrestling.  I do know that the WWF (World Wrestling Federation) had to change its name to WWE (Entertainment) because the first WWF (World Wildlife Federation) forced the change.  I also know that the former CEO (Linda McMahon) of WWE ran for office in elections past in Connecticut.  She was defeated.  I would have voted for her had I lived in that state.

The Event:  I believe the year was the late 1970's.  Sister Jean and her family were spending their summer vacation at their cottage in Old Orchard Beach.  During these summers we would attend various programs and events.  We (brother-in-law Pastor Bob, his son Robert, and I) decided to attend a wrestling match.  So the Baptist preacher, his son, and I were off to the wrestling extravaganza.

Wrestling of this era consisted of midgets (male and female).  They were fun to watch and would run around very quickly and even would run under the ring and appear on the other side.  They were very entertaining.  The women's champion (The Fabulous Moolah) was quite a draw working into her 70's and, I believe, even her 80's.  Some of the well-known men were Haystacks Calhoun, Bruno Sammartino, Gorilla Monsoon, Captain Lou Albano, and George (The Animal) Steele.  "The Animal" would stand around like an animal chewing and slobbering on the ring ropes.  I heard that he was very intellectual, had a PhD and was a university professor.  He sure fooled a lot of people.  But not me!!

The headliner at our show was a massive tag team called "The Mongols."  They, I believe, wrestled at a later date under a different name.  I remember little about the matches we saw and can remember no winners/losers.  I do recall the following, however.  I had played, coached, and even refereed games in the EXPO prior to our appearance at the wrestling show.  Probably every other trip I made to the EXPO I would meet several people that I was familiar with.  I must admit, however, that I did not want to be recognized by anyone on wrestling night out.  I'm not sure if my companions cared if they were identified or not.  Fortunately my prayers were answered.  Not identified.  If ever I attend another wrestling show, I'll go in disguise!  Very good idea!

Please re-read the question of paragraph III.  I have!!

Before closing I must insert this story.  I was not going to add this tidbit but was coerced by spouse to do so.

While in attendance at the wrestling show, Pastor Bob told his son that son's Aunt Lou (Mary Lou - spouse) had been a professional wrestler.  Son Robert believed his dad until told the truth.  Was son impressed?  Probably!  It was all in fun.  They were good times.

Until next week,

Toodle Pip!  Derf.