A Good Day

Yesterday was a very productive day. This morning as we were getting up, Jenny recapped the night before of all the things we accomplished after work and I just wanted to turn over and go back to sleep. I was tired all over again.

I've been staying up later and getting something, just something, done on in or around the house every day after work. It has motivated her to do a little more also. After chasing those horrible 4 year olds all day, she is just shot by the end of her workday or workweek. Jet and Cameron are coming tonight (and Kelley) to attend Abigail's birthday party and we are excited about that. Little things like seeing my kids and my grandkids excite me.

Oh, I think I can download the pictures this time, so here goes and until next time, I have a busy weekend planned.

adiose

Taking Care of What I Have

I really wanted to write more and show pictures, but for the life of me I can't figure out what or how to do it. I'm sure I'll figure it out someday, but at home my computer is so slow and, well, face it ancient, that I just can't seem to get it to work.

We really had a great weekend. Saturday we left out for San Angelo to visit Tyler and Kassie. We had a great day visiting and trying to help them find a place to move to. They want to either buy or rent something soon. We just rode around town and looked at houses to rent and also one that they have looked into to buy. It is really nice, but since our visit they have decided not to buy right now. I talked to him today and they are doing fine and still looking around. Jenny wasn't feeling really well and had to stay at their place while we drove around awhile, but she was feeling better by the time we got back. We got home around 8:00 that evening.

Then Sunday morning we went to Church and then went to Snyder and Ira. Actually Ira and drove through Snyder. Staci and Toby brought pizza and we ate at Kelley and Jimmy's and played with the boys. That's what I wanted to show you on the computer, all the pictures that I took. I'll get them on some day. It was a nice trip and well worth the time, both trips actually.

Just to change the subject, I was visiting with Jenny while paying bills this weekend. We've done all the "right" things and still I can't see why we have to struggle so much financially. I'm sure we are not the only ones who feel this way. We give willingly and graciously to the Lord's work. We attend Church and live Godly lives. I know that we can never do enough but I may have stumbled onto something that has been bothering me for some time now.

I don't believe I have been taking good care of or tending to the things that God has given me. Like a father to a child, you just get so tired of giving to the kid and he just wants more and more and don't even take care of what you have given him. I mean really, how many of us have been on both ends of this situation. "Well, son, if you'd taken care of what you had, then you'd have it today, or at least I'd feel like you deserved more." I'm beginning to feel that that is how God feels toward me right now. I just really have not taken good care of the things I have. Of course I care for my family etc. etc., I'm talking about the material things, "stuff" that is all around my house. I have so much "stuff" that I have to stumble around it to get anywhere. Really, why would He allow me the chance to get more???

I told Jenny that I honestly believe that this is the lesson God wants me to learn and that I felt I needed to verbalize this to her and physically tell her that I was purposing right then and now that I would start trying to take care of my blessings that God has afforded me. Blessings that come in several forms, such as time, "stuff" and $$$$$. So, now that I have acknowledged this to God and to Jenny, I am now writing it down in my "journal" so that everyone knows. I am really going to try and take more care of my "stuff" and show appreciation for the things I have. Yes, I have an ulterior motive, but it's a good one and one that I believe God would be proud of. I'm not looking to become rich, I just want to be happy and my bills to be paid and plan for a bright future with retirement just around the corner. I know that God is on my side. He wants us to have all we need. Just like any father would his children.

Have a nice day and I'll try to write sooner.

Tuesday, February 19, 2008

Lunch time at the OK corral. I wanted to say a few things about yesterday so that, like I stated earlier, I could chronicle my year.

Work was "normal" and after work I went to Wal-Mart after picking up Jenny at work. Prices are just astronomical. We got a few, and I mean few, things and it was 50 dollars. Fifty dollars!!! We went through the "20 items or less" line. No big ticket items. Without telling you the whole list, it included things like a gallon of milk, a bag of chips, small bag of candy, (i know, I know) toilet paper, paper towels, some moth balls for the skunks (it's supposed to work), canned milk (gotta have that gravy), sliced cheese(that's a Jet item). What's this world coming to. Milk is cheaper at the convenience store than at wal-mart and HEB (except they don't have fat free). I must have fat free milk to go with the candy and cookies. We must conserve somewhere.

Anyway, such was the afternoon, it was nearly 7 when we got home and ravaged through the fridge to get what leftovers were there for supper. It was time for the Biggest Loser and I could hardly wait. They all got to go home for a week and this was interesting, but I got to thinking. What do they all do for a living? None of them seem to have a job, except Dan and his Mom who have an after school program thing going on. Okay, they have been at this thing for six or so weeks and nobody seems to be just a little bit worried about the bills not getting paid. And a couple of those houses!!?? Oh, my!!! Beautiful. A couple pretty normal, however, nice. I'm thinking that people who have houses like that and don't need to work, why do they need an extra 250,000???

Then it was "The Office" for a couple of episodes and off to bed. Now you know why you don't get too many "chronicles" of my day. Pretty boring, huh? I'm looking forward to Saturday, we're going to San Angelo to look at a house that Tyler wants to buy for him and Kassie. WooHoo!!

While writing this I am having homemade Taco Soup w/fritos. Not the best weight loss diet, but, no sweets and no cokes, it'll be better than the old days. I'm gonna walk for the rest of my lunch break.

So, guess I'll walk.

Heaven? You betcha!!!

I'm just so tired after work.

I know that is an interesting opening line, but what is going on? I'm thinking it must be the lack of movement. I move all day at work, but somehow, it must be different for old people.

Used to I could sit at a desk all day and then go home and work in the yard, milk goats, tend to chickens, clear brush, mow the yard (push mower), work in a garden and pick stickers. Oh my goodness it makes me tired to write it down now. Now??? All I want to do when I get home is sit and watch TV. I don't think it's the TV. I had TV even back in the dark ages when my kids were small. I wasn't any less active or more active than I am now.

I'm just thinking that it must be that I need to get the old heart pumping after 4:00 to get anything accomplished. But when you don't get home till 6 or sometimes 7 o'clock and then you eat and then what's left? watch tv and go to bed.

How do people live when they don't believe in Heaven? If there is nothing to look forward to than this old rat-race, Oh, my goodness, how do you live?

Now, I'm not talking about all the love, here and there, family, kids, grandkids, sure that's a given. That's what keeps me going here on this earth. And, I love it, I don't want to leave any time soon. I'm talking about the daily grind.

I'm heavenward bound!!!!!!!!!!

Okay, it's gone

Okay, It's gone.
That was about to drive me crazy. Did you see my previous post? I think the title was in hindu or something. I really couldn't figure out how to delet it. So there it was, I should have left it; funny thing is I'd probably get more comments on it than any.

Yesterday was just a blur. I came to work and sat at my desk possibly 3 times, only. It was a "get ready for sing song" day. And today will be a "it is sing song" day.

But as I sat on my couch I last night I thought, wow, what a day, I think I'm gonna be sick.

By the way, thanks for checking in daily. I really had planned to write something very philosophical yesterday, but my day got away from me and honestly, it just flew by what with getting ready for Sing Song and blah blah blah.

Kim asked what my weekend looked like. Well, let me just say, not rest. I have to do some trophies for a guy that I should have done and delivered by Wednesday. I really thought they were for next week. So much for my mental clock. I have to work Saturday 10 - 1 and then I'll probably have to get some groceries. I really want to see my grandsons. That probably won't happen. I have to put some things up into the attic that have been just sitting in my room since Christmas. It's just a long weekend of getting some things done that have been needing done for a long time.

I have no wisdom or devotional thoughts today. Does that make me dumb or not religious? People put lots of weight on what you know or what are your thoughts on something. Sometimes, we just don't have anything to say. Nope, Ma'am. I'm not stupid, I love Jesus, and I just have nothing to say.

Someone said today that "It's not what you know, it's what people think you know". I thought about that for a moment and you know??? he was right. So very right. People think I'm smart---am I? People think I'm sweet and kind---am I? People think I'm religious---am I? People think I'm a good father, husband, son, brother, uncle---am I? On this old world that just might get you by for years and years. But we can't and won't fool God. It's pretty much just the opposite with him. Am I smart? sweet and kind? religious? a good father, husband, brother, son, uncle? I can't fool God, He knows, more than you know yourself.

Have a good weekend and be all those things and mean it. Don't try to fool God.

Thoughts

Well, I just want to say that I only found some of you today. Matt, Rob, Beau, Britney. I'm so sorry that I haven't been reading your thoughts for the day. Thanks for all you do and say to me on my thoughts.

Our thoughts are sometimes so private. In fact I'm sure if a survey was done, we would find that most everyone keeps their thoughts to themselves. There is a reason for this I'm sure. I don't even want to know what everyone thinks about me, nor do I want everyone to know what I think about them. Is that two-faced or polite?

I actually believe that it's polite, rather than two-faced. Why? I think that two-faced is telling one person you feel one way and another person another way. That would be double tongued and that is wrong scripturally.

So, where am I going with this? Well, do I have to be going anywhere? Probably so. I love hearing from everyone and I love the thought that people are reading what I write. I heard you, Matt, say once in a sermon that you were writing in your BLOG one day and blah blah blah, I'm sorry I don't remember the rest of the sermon, but that's where my ADD kicked in and my mind went wondering. I was thinking, what does he write, and better yet, why??? Why would you write all this down just for yourself. If you'll remember, I started this to chronicle my year. What better way to chronicle what's happening in your life than with this blog that keeps it stored on somebody's computer or however it works. That's not important how, just that it works. I also wanted some sort of therapy for myself so that I could get my thoughts out of my head and on paper. (well, not all of my thoughts) That's just it, the thoughts that matter to me and to you possibly.

Again, thanks for letting me ramble. I love this avenue of communication. I think I have a new addiction.

God is Our Father

Slowly but surely, the weight is coming off in our house. Jenny has lost 12 pounds and I have lost 11. I am finally under 230!!!!!!!!!!This is awesome for me. This is where I usually get a little prissy and start eating anything I want, because I am skinny!!!!

Well, first of all, it'll be a cold day in July before 229 is skinny. I really know this. So, all this aside my house has lost 23 pounds (Jenny and I). She hasn't really done anything special, just cut back and eat more veggies. I on the other hand have had to go through missing meals, eating lots less, counting calories blah blah blah and have lost less than she, but that's fine, we're happy.

Did you watch the biggest loser? I know it's sad when my day revolves around a TV show. And the day will come when I it is revealed that it was all fake somehow, but that show really inspires me. "Mark" is down to 215. He is on the biggest loser and now he weighs less than I do. In fact, so does "Bernie". AAUURRGGG. What a mess I have gotten myself into. It's coming off, I say, it's coming off.

Thanks for the prayers and concerns, I had a much better day yesterday. Lots accomplished at work, lots accomplished at home. Mom and Dad are feeling really bad, I took them some medicines and Gatorade and visited Granny at the hospital. We took her a little black gorilla that whistles when you squeeze it's tummy. She laughed and laughed. Her eyes just glistened. You know she is feeling better just by talking to her. I gave her an update on Mom and she was just heartbroke that she couldn't get out of the hospital and take care of her little girl. Isn't that sweet? I suppose your kids will always be your little kids. I know when Tyler was having trouble with a car dealer not fixing his tires on a truck that he had bought insurance for he was calling me regularly, "Dad what do I do?" I gave his several ideas and he had done them all. The last thing I told him was to tell that guy to shape up and do what was right or his daddy would be on his door step. I never heard another word, the tires got fixed and all was good. Whether he actually told the man what I said, I'm not sure, but he either did and the man respected it, or it gave Tyler the confidence that I was there to back him up and he got the job done.

We depend on our parents always, and you know why? Because our parents are always there for us. Good or bad, they are always there. Is it any wonder why God is called our Father? He is always there for us, good or bad, always there, giving us advice, comforting us, coddling us, telling us he loves us.

have a good day

Why do we have skunks?

You know?, they are a niusence..(okay I've tried every combination of letters available and can't figure out how to spell that word, but I think you know what I'm trying to spell)....always. I have a cousin that used to have a pet skunk. It was cute and it walked funny, but the first thing they did was cut off his stinkers. I know some people like that. Right after I met them, the first thing I wanted to do was to cut off their stinkers.

Sometimes, we just have to put up with people who stink in attitudes and behaviors as well as the way they really smell. I guess that is what the lesson for the night was for me. I smelled skunk smell all night long and got no sleep while Jenny lay there and slept like a baby. How could she sleep? It was very tempting to wake her up to share my misery. But, why should two of us be miserable?

I guess what I'm trying to say is that in life we have occasional stinkers that show up and we will have to deal with them as they do. They won't always be able to be "fixed" like my cousin's little skunk. SO DEAL WITH IT!!!!

Did I say I hate skunks?

So all that aside, my day was pretty bad, but I think I brought most of it on myself. I skipped lunch so when five o'clock rolled around I could stop my work and go straight to typing the paper that was due at six thirty. Of course writing the paper took up that time and I missed eating my lunch before my class, so I ate when I got home at ten. That's a really bad time to eat, but oh well, I did it anyway.

I said originally that this would be a therapy for me. I should have used this more yesterday. Yesterday was a bad day in all. There is always someone worse off than me, I know and I'm reminded of that often. Just when I am the "downest" I get reminded from an e-mail, phone call, or note of some sort that it's not all about me.

thanks for listening

What a Weekend

I am sometimes more tired after a weekend than I really believe they were designed to be. Of course my weekends are just so jam packed full of ...do this, do that, go here, go there, and of course eat this, eat that...that I just don't have time to sit and relax sometimes.
I actually did realx some this weekend and that was a blessing... so what am I talking about? Well, at work, everyone always asks me how busy my weekend was because I guess they are used to me telling them that it was very very busy. In fact, few ever ask any more if I had a nice weekend.
.......so what is a weekend??? ...what are they for???

Weekends..........weekends.........weekends...........

I believe they exactly that. They are a couple of days at the end of the work week. I use them for visiting my children and extended family. We well clean around the house. In my case I do some trophy work and maybe some yard work. Catch a movie, on TV or at the theatre, depending on the old checkbook balance.

This weekend started off with playing with my grandsons. Jet likes to watch movies and play video games (he's 5) and also he will interact with you one-on-one if you will sit and do it. He wanted to watch Star Wars this time and I sat down to watch it with him. He kept asking me questions about the movie and I didn't know any of the answers. He actually knew all of the answers, he just likes to ask and see what I know. For example he asked me what the space ship was shooting down and I said that it looked like bombs or something like that. He promptly told me that I was wrong...they were droids. Okay, so they're droids, alright. Because his daddy told him they were. You can learn a lot about a kid just talking to him. I learned from that that Jimmy talks to him during the movies. I think that's great.

He also wanted to know who Darth Vader was and I told him as much that the ugly man in the black mask was Darth Vader. I felt so smart, I wouldn't be wrong on this one. He said, " I think its Annicas (I'm not really sure how he pronounced it, annicus, addicus, annican) Darth Vader. I asked Kelley later and she said that yes, he and Jimmy discuss those things and they had talked about the Darth Vader's real name as Ana...whatever it really is.

Now, if I had not let Jet watch the show, or worse yet not sat down and watched it with him, would I have known that he was so intelligent? Yes, I already knew he was intelligent.

I have rambled more than I should have already. I think short posts are easier to read.

..until next time

It's Over

Well, the end of the day is here. It started with a bang and I'm sure it'll end with one. Cameron was up early and really that was good because we needed them up to get them ready for Annabelle to pick them up before we left for work. And she did.
Today went so fast at work. It was so funny because I have been sick for the last couple of days and I have called Scott at approximately 7:40 each morning to let him know that I wasn't coming in because of my sickness. Well, this morning I called him at 7:40 on the dot. He said he thought, "Right on schedule", which is what I wanted him to think. I said, "Hey, Scott, I'm just calling to...uh...well, I'm at AES". He said, "Glory Hallelujah!"
I felt nice to have been missed.
I think quite often we want to be missed. Don't you? so many times, we say we don't care, when really all we want is for someone to care about us. Shouldn't we care...back???
My goal this next week is to care more. I tried this today and the day went so fast. I spent the entire day doing my work, of course, and putting out fires. That's what I call it. I fix things all day and make little decisions as to what needs to be done here, wouldn't this look better over here, what do you think about this, or that. It's no wonder that at the end of the day, I just want to sit on the couch and be a couch potato and watch the tube all night. OH!!! Psyche comes on tonight...
Anyway, back to the original thought. It felt good to care for other people. It's much like a smile, so I hear. It takes more muscles to frown than to smile. Well, I believe it takes less strength to care than to not.
I'm off for an evening with the grandsons.

Okay, I've done it!

This is to say that I have announced my blog to my friends and family. Was that the thing to do? I hope so, because this is not a gripe page. This is a therapy for me and I would welcome all who wish to respond to anything I have to say, to just go right ahead and do so.
Subjects will range from school, marriage, kids, grandkids, finances, work, religious discussions, devotional thoughts, just a whole lot of "STUFF"
So to those who read, I hope it's not entirely boring, but somewhat entertaining as the blog continues.
adios

Here We Go

A couple of days with the Grandkids. They are so fun. Jet says the darndest things. He loves to play I Spy on the computer and, of course, he gets tired of it so quickly. However, he won't let me use the "helps" because there are only four and then you have no more. And, "Grandma says" don't use them. So well, we don't get to use them, unless he is not looking.
He and Cameron are spending the day with Annabelle and Grandma and I will get them back this evening. Yeah!
Well, I know that I said I would get deeper on some subjects and what my mind is thinking, but for the most part this is just a time-killer and therapy for me. We'll see how this works.
see ya

Random Thoughts

Just want to try this thing out. My thanks to Gina for showing me how to do this and where to start. I have no particular reason to do this, except I wanted to chronicle my year and I haven't had much luck writing it down on paper.
I have been sick this past couple of days, however, who hasn't?
I intend to get down and deep on parts of this blog, but for a start this is gonna have to suffice.
thanks for those who may visit.