August Gone

Here it is almost the last of August and to say the weather here has been un-August like would be an understatement. We have had the coolest August on record I would imagine, or at least it seems so. The only thing I can figure is it must be global warming. The globe must be so busy making someplace else hotter, it didn't have enough left over for Salina. In fact last winter was so warm we had record snow and ice, again global warming. Anyway, back to August, it is almost past and school has started again. Seems the older I get the faster the years go by. When I was young and in school, the school year by itself was at least 12 months long and then summer vacation seemed like only two weeks it went so fast. I can remember the first year out of high school, I was working full time and when school was let out for the summer I felt like I had been over looked. It was at that time, and the first time, I wished I had stayed in school. There have been other times with the same wish, but alas I know if anything had been different, I would not be her today writing a blog. So, aren't all that read this lucky. Now that I am retired, I am happy but do get a little stir crazy on a daily basis. But, I would not have it any other way. Christmas will be in two weeks probably, or so it will seem. So all I have to say to all is have a very Merry Christmas and a happy New Year.

25 Years

As of today August 13th, 2008 we have been married 25 years. I can safely say it has been the best 25 years of my life and for that I thank God and Estella, my wife. We have four wonderful children and thirteen wonderful grandchildren. Seven boys and 6 girls, that range in age from 16, almost to one and a half. Hopefully, now that we are retired we will get to seem more than in the past. Although they all live no more than four hours away, we still only see most of them two or three times a year.

As I look back on the last 25 years, it seems like only yesterday that we were married in a local park at 10 in the morning. Gladly it was 10 and not later as it was extremely hot that day. We spent a week traveling in Nebraska and South Dakota, taking in all the tourist attractions. Crazy Horse, Mount Rushmore in the Black Hills, The Bad Lands, several gold mines, Wind Cave in Hot springs and The Corn Palace in Nebraska and also The Doll House across the street from the Corn Palace. We drove 1600 miles in a little Chevy Vega, we used 16 quarts of oil and had no air conditioning. My best man offered his real nice Impala with AC, but we declined. Stupid move on my part. In Rapid City we went through a wild life park, it was over 100 degrees at the time. As we entered the bear portion, we were told to keep all Windows rolled up. We were doing alright until a bear decided to lay down in the road right in front of the van in front of us. So, there we sat and it got hotter and hotter in the car. Finally, I tried to roll my window down just about 2 inches. From a loud speaker came a booming voice telling the person in the Vega to roll up the window. Luckily, I think that startled the bear and he moved. There was another incident in the Black hills where a mule stuck his head in my window to see if we had anything to feed him, we didn't so he chewed on the door and scratched it up pretty good. If you want to know about the funniest thing that happened on our trip you will have to ask Estella to tell you, I value my life and know better. Hoping all of you can have as happy a life as I have had the last 27 years and 2 months as we have had.

25 Years

Clearing things up

To start with, I don't think my sister is strange. Maybe some strange ideas only because they differ from my own. But to say she is just strange is not true, she is a wonderful sister and I would not trade her for any other. She is prettier, smarter and more talented than me. I have always thought the reason I don't have any of those good traits is because she came along seven years before me and since God thought my parents would never have any other children, He just went ahead and gave her all the talent and smarts. Then when in fact I did come into the world God had used all the family talent and smarts up, so I was left out. The fact that I never pushed myself to learn is not my fault, it's hers.

I love her so much that I have told her she can't die until after me, of course she says the same about me. I have complete withdrawal if I don't talk to her at least once daily. Her only problem is she is so giving of herself, that she can be taken advantage of. I know I am good about giving her advice, but if I were in the same situation, I would do the very same thing. We both learned this from our father and mother, as they couldn't say no to anyone especially me. There were many times my father should have told me to work it out my self, but he didn't. I am so thankful I had my parents in my life and am doubly thankful my sister is still around to talk with, even though she finds it better to not follow my advice.

Barbara, I love you!!!

Trying to Blog

I haven't been able to create anything for the last couple of weeks, I think my brain is on vacation. So, I will start putting down stuff and see what comes out. We are getting much needed rain this morning and the temperature is a cool 68. Our 25th wedding anniversary is coming up on the 13th, it doesn't seem like that long at all. In fact at times it seems I have not known anyone else all my life, and at other times it feels like it was only yesterday when I first kissed my future wife for the first time. For me it was almost love at first sight, actually we had know and worked together for sometime. I had ask her out two previous times and she had declined as not being ready to date. Finally one day at work one of her co-workers let me know she was ready. I went straight to her office and put my arm around her and told her I needed to talk to her. She wanted to know if it was business or personal. Of course it was personal and she agreed to go to a movie with me. After the movie we went in her hose to talk and finally it was time to leave. Oh yes, I left out the part about her getting cold at the movie and let me put my arm around her to get her warm. Anyway, as I left I kind of grabbed her and pulled her real close and gave her a kiss right on the lips. It was at this exact time I knew she was going to be my wife. For her it took a little longer, but she finally came around and we were married 2 years and 3 months later. We have now, as I stated been married for 25 years and counting the 2 and a half dating years, been together over 27 years. I have told many people, and most can't believe it, that in all that time we have never had any kind of a fight over anything. Oh, we have had our disagreements over things such as what color was our old couch and other important things like that. Through it all, she has stood by my side and taken care of me for all these 25 years and for that I thank God He sent her to me. When I married her I also got a huge extended family, she is one of ten children. I feel so lucky, as the only sibling I have is a sister. What is even more amazing is that all her brothers and sisters are so much alike, all very quiet and hard working people. Well, I should say, when the 5 sisters get together it is not quiet. But, they have fun and that is what is important. So, I guess I filled this blog with ramblings and should get off here so I don't use all my brain power up at one time. You know when you reach the age of maturity you are on overload and just so much fits in and what doesn't forces other stuff you once knew or could remember to leave. So have a great day and week and God bless to all that read my blog.

"ManThings"

What this is about is why are there "Man Things"? Well the only thing I can figure out, if it is mechanical or sports related, it is "A Man Thing". Lets start with the most obvious man thing, the remote control. With all those buttons and choices to make, it is most defiantly a man thing. Now, I don't have to go into all the sports shows on TV, but they are all man things, just because they are sports. Enough said about that. My next real important man thing to me is my truck. What man doesn't like driving a truck, if there is one, I don't know him. Some men don't have a truck now, but have had at one time in their lives and remember how it felt to drive around in "my truck". Of course in today's time there are so many different types of trucks to choose from almost any man can be included in this category. Even a van can be said to be in the truck category. As long as it will haul something, call it a truck. Another man thing with me, and my wife doesn't understand it, is my truck has to be clean. I can't stand a dirty truck, even if it is only bugs on the windshield, it has to be clean. Another thing that is most definitely a man thing, and another thing women don't understand, is how pictures should be hung. There is no way, in any mans opinion, that a picture can be hung with out a level and tape measure. Everything has to be level and square with the wall. A real pet peeve of mine is not knowing where something is when I want it. If you use it put it back where you got it, women really don't understand this concept, at all. There are many other "Man Things", think of your own, but y0u get the idea.

Thankful

We, were told by a priest that when you pray, you should always start off by being thankful for all you have before you start praying for what you want or need. We have been doing this and it is amazing when you start thinking of all the things you are thankful for, just how many things there are. We both had a very bad year in 2007, she with cancer detected in December 2006 and me with surgery and a long stay in rehab from July 27th, 2007 until December 23rd, 2007. We are so thankful we are both doing so much better. We owe it all to God and all the people that prayed for us, even those we have never met, through our recovery process. My wife has been Cancer free for over a year now and although I am not completely healed up, I am stronger and feel better than I was when I went in for surgery. We are also so thankful for our children, their families and our grand children, all 13 of them. We are also thankful for us being able to live in our home and take care of most things we need done. For those things we are not able to take care of we are thankful for having friends and family that are willing to help out. For the bigger jobs we are thankful that we are able to hire those things done. We are thankful for being together for 25 years this August 13th and plan on at least another 25. We are thankful for each wonderful day, with or without rain, and if it does rain we are even more thankful. We are also thankful for being able to get around without too much help and do our shopping and driving where we need to go. We are very thankful for good friends and the fun times we have together with them. I am very thankful that I have a sister that I can talk to as often as I want, even though she lives far off. My wife is thankful for her 9 siblings and the fact they live close, for the most part, and she is able to keep in touch.