Saturday, November 8, 2008
I really need some advice here
I don't know what to do. As some of you know surfing the iternet is kind of a hobby with me and because I don't move around to well I usually do a little surfing everyday. Well, this morning I was surfing and all of the sudden this advisory flashed on the screen..It said" ATTENTION!! YOU HAVE REACHED THE END OF THE INTERNET AND YOU CANNOT CONTINUE ANY FURTHER. YOU MUST GO BACK NOW!" Soooo... what do I do now???
Tuesday, November 4, 2008
6 quirks and other stuff
After being harrassed to the point of tears by a couple of grandaughters ( you know who you are and how viciously you harrassed your poor old sick Grandfather) I have decided to attempt an entry........
6 quirks of mine.
1. The fact that I find doing this very difficult because I am near perfect could be considered by
some to be a quirk. If I can ever learn to overcome my modesty I will have achieved NIRVANA and will truly be perfect.
2. The first thing I do every morning is comb my hair. I can't stand for it to be messed up even when no one is around.
3. I can't smile on command for pics like most people can. I can only smile if I think something is funny.
4. When I do smile I have a very crooked smile...more like a sneer..... I have one eye tooth on the left side that protrudes outward which I have always been self concious about especially as a teenager so I practiced smiling while not exposing that tooth hence the sneer.
5. I love a challenge and would tackle almost any challenge with enthusiasm often taking on more than I was capable of doing and then lose interest.I go through hobbies and projects like crazy. Once I am marginally competant at any hobby ( never really completely good at it ) I then lose interest and want to try something else.
6. MGJ might tell you I tend to be somewhat CONTROLLING but that is so not true. I just like to be in charge.
I could probably come up with more quirks but thats enough for now.
I really have been sickly. I got a cold or flu virus a month or so ago and it really zapped me like they usually do. while I had it I could not move at all. I could lift my head off the bed but that was it. MGJ really had a tough time moving me around but as I recuperated a little my favorite nurse practitioner showed us how to use a Gait belt to lift me up and help me move around a little. To make a long story short I am now pretty much recuperated from that bout but each time that happens it seems I am never quite as able to move around as well as I did beforehand.
Since no one can figure out what exotic disease I have (including the super neurologists at the U of Washington medical center) my next,and last stop, may be the Mayo clinic in Minnesota. I should know in a couple weeks if I'll be going there. If they can't come up with a diagnosis ( good or bad) then nobody can.
Thats all for now folks. More later.
6 quirks of mine.
1. The fact that I find doing this very difficult because I am near perfect could be considered by
some to be a quirk. If I can ever learn to overcome my modesty I will have achieved NIRVANA and will truly be perfect.
2. The first thing I do every morning is comb my hair. I can't stand for it to be messed up even when no one is around.
3. I can't smile on command for pics like most people can. I can only smile if I think something is funny.
4. When I do smile I have a very crooked smile...more like a sneer..... I have one eye tooth on the left side that protrudes outward which I have always been self concious about especially as a teenager so I practiced smiling while not exposing that tooth hence the sneer.
5. I love a challenge and would tackle almost any challenge with enthusiasm often taking on more than I was capable of doing and then lose interest.I go through hobbies and projects like crazy. Once I am marginally competant at any hobby ( never really completely good at it ) I then lose interest and want to try something else.
6. MGJ might tell you I tend to be somewhat CONTROLLING but that is so not true. I just like to be in charge.
I could probably come up with more quirks but thats enough for now.
I really have been sickly. I got a cold or flu virus a month or so ago and it really zapped me like they usually do. while I had it I could not move at all. I could lift my head off the bed but that was it. MGJ really had a tough time moving me around but as I recuperated a little my favorite nurse practitioner showed us how to use a Gait belt to lift me up and help me move around a little. To make a long story short I am now pretty much recuperated from that bout but each time that happens it seems I am never quite as able to move around as well as I did beforehand.
Since no one can figure out what exotic disease I have (including the super neurologists at the U of Washington medical center) my next,and last stop, may be the Mayo clinic in Minnesota. I should know in a couple weeks if I'll be going there. If they can't come up with a diagnosis ( good or bad) then nobody can.
Thats all for now folks. More later.
Sunday, June 22, 2008
Grandma Updates
Just thought I'd update this blog a little since Carl/Dad/Grandpa says he's run out of things to say. Not that I'm a fountain of information but I'll try.
My brother Richard had a mild stroke about 3 weeks ago. He was very fortunate to get to the hospital so quickly. He's pretty much completely recovered now. The Dr. has released him to drive again.
Then right after he got home his wife Sue had some sort of heart episode and was in the hospital for a week undergoing all sorts of tests but they haven't been able to find anything wrong. All this was right after they had a sewer backup and overflow in their basement. Thank heavens they have good homeowner's insurance because fixing all the damage and replacing stuff that was ruined is going to run aboud $30,000. WOW!!
Friday we received word that our good friend's daughter Lori Arion died in San Diego. We' ve known Lori for 44 years. She was only 1 year old when we first met the Arions. She had MS for the last 20 someodd years and her death was sort of expected but it was still hard. No parent expects to outlive their child.
And now Carla is coming up on her surgery on the 24th. Hopefully she will recover quickly and feel better once they take out some stuff and put her other innerds back where they're supposed to be.
Carl/Dad/Grandpa has been feeling better lately. He can't stand or walk any better but overall I think he's feeling better. He's been staying up later, beating me at Scrabble, etc.
I've just been hanging around staying out of trouble. Still hitting the garage sales every weekend but I may have to stop. We're running out of room. Everytime I go out I find something for the house and then I have to come home and move everything around to make room for it - and that's a lot of made up work which it just occurred to me that I could avoid if I JUST STAYED AWAY FROM GARAGE SALES.
We're looking forward to hopefully meeting our newest granddaughter-in-law when Josh and Stephanie come home in July. I know they're going to be busy and time is limited but hopefully Steph will get to meet us all.
We sure enjoy all the grandchildren's blogs - being able to keep up with everyone and watching the little one's grow.
Well, as the Ames says - I'm done talking now, I'm leaving. Love you all.
My brother Richard had a mild stroke about 3 weeks ago. He was very fortunate to get to the hospital so quickly. He's pretty much completely recovered now. The Dr. has released him to drive again.
Then right after he got home his wife Sue had some sort of heart episode and was in the hospital for a week undergoing all sorts of tests but they haven't been able to find anything wrong. All this was right after they had a sewer backup and overflow in their basement. Thank heavens they have good homeowner's insurance because fixing all the damage and replacing stuff that was ruined is going to run aboud $30,000. WOW!!
Friday we received word that our good friend's daughter Lori Arion died in San Diego. We' ve known Lori for 44 years. She was only 1 year old when we first met the Arions. She had MS for the last 20 someodd years and her death was sort of expected but it was still hard. No parent expects to outlive their child.
And now Carla is coming up on her surgery on the 24th. Hopefully she will recover quickly and feel better once they take out some stuff and put her other innerds back where they're supposed to be.
Carl/Dad/Grandpa has been feeling better lately. He can't stand or walk any better but overall I think he's feeling better. He's been staying up later, beating me at Scrabble, etc.
I've just been hanging around staying out of trouble. Still hitting the garage sales every weekend but I may have to stop. We're running out of room. Everytime I go out I find something for the house and then I have to come home and move everything around to make room for it - and that's a lot of made up work which it just occurred to me that I could avoid if I JUST STAYED AWAY FROM GARAGE SALES.
We're looking forward to hopefully meeting our newest granddaughter-in-law when Josh and Stephanie come home in July. I know they're going to be busy and time is limited but hopefully Steph will get to meet us all.
We sure enjoy all the grandchildren's blogs - being able to keep up with everyone and watching the little one's grow.
Well, as the Ames says - I'm done talking now, I'm leaving. Love you all.
Tuesday, June 10, 2008
I caint believe.........
I caint believe its been most near a month since I made an entry so I better gitter dun!
Firstof all let MGJ and myself say CONGRATULATIONS to good grand son-in-law Brett for his being hired as the new executive sou chef at the CDA Casino. Its a definite step up for Brett and comes with a healthy raise so we know who to hit up for a loan. Grandma and I always knew you could do it Brett.
So its been a couple weeks since I did the the above paragraph. Don't know why I'm having such a problem with doing this blog cuzz you all know I am NEVER at a loss for words....maybe its because my life is TOTALLY BORING!!!!!!
Also congratulations to James and Leanna on my new great grandson Ryan. Leanna's an excellent baby maker and I guess James had something to do with it too :-) We're looking forward to seeing all the younger Gentrys at Christmas. I'm told James is doing great learning Persian but of course I knew he would as somewhere in James lurk some great Rodgers/Murphy Genes. We're sure hoping that James gets selected for chief.
AND congratulations to Chelsea for completing this semester of college with a 4.0 GPA. Chels, I'm sure you worked hard to get that 4.0 but again, good R/M genes. Accounting was my most difficult course when I went to college. The hardest part to me was doing all the entries on stone slabs.
AND congratulations to Tommy for completing the first phase of his pilots training. He now has his private license. I can't claim his success was due to R/M genes but one of the reasons Tommy has been so successful is the power behind the throne, Shannon who is a really fantastic military wife and of course possesses lots of R/M genes.
And a big congratulations to MGJ and myself for having the foresight to combine DNA however accidently which created 3 fantastic kids and indirectly 8 fabulous grandkids and 7 wonderful
great grandkids (so far).
We had a big garage sale yesterday. Lauren, Carla and Kevin and Heidi Burt all contributed stuff and Carla.Kevin and Lauren all assisted and MGJ spent most of a week in setting it all up. Unfortunately we did not have a big turnout like we usually have. We were expecting a mob when we opened the doors and folks just kind of dribbled in all day. We all think its because of
the gas prices, heat (92 degrees yesterday) and lots of other garage sales but who knows for sure.
Speaking of the weather we went from cold and rainy to extremely hot,97 today....no spring at all. And speaking of the weather I must be running out of things to say so I'm outa here.
Firstof all let MGJ and myself say CONGRATULATIONS to good grand son-in-law Brett for his being hired as the new executive sou chef at the CDA Casino. Its a definite step up for Brett and comes with a healthy raise so we know who to hit up for a loan. Grandma and I always knew you could do it Brett.
So its been a couple weeks since I did the the above paragraph. Don't know why I'm having such a problem with doing this blog cuzz you all know I am NEVER at a loss for words....maybe its because my life is TOTALLY BORING!!!!!!
Also congratulations to James and Leanna on my new great grandson Ryan. Leanna's an excellent baby maker and I guess James had something to do with it too :-) We're looking forward to seeing all the younger Gentrys at Christmas. I'm told James is doing great learning Persian but of course I knew he would as somewhere in James lurk some great Rodgers/Murphy Genes. We're sure hoping that James gets selected for chief.
AND congratulations to Chelsea for completing this semester of college with a 4.0 GPA. Chels, I'm sure you worked hard to get that 4.0 but again, good R/M genes. Accounting was my most difficult course when I went to college. The hardest part to me was doing all the entries on stone slabs.
AND congratulations to Tommy for completing the first phase of his pilots training. He now has his private license. I can't claim his success was due to R/M genes but one of the reasons Tommy has been so successful is the power behind the throne, Shannon who is a really fantastic military wife and of course possesses lots of R/M genes.
And a big congratulations to MGJ and myself for having the foresight to combine DNA however accidently which created 3 fantastic kids and indirectly 8 fabulous grandkids and 7 wonderful
great grandkids (so far).
We had a big garage sale yesterday. Lauren, Carla and Kevin and Heidi Burt all contributed stuff and Carla.Kevin and Lauren all assisted and MGJ spent most of a week in setting it all up. Unfortunately we did not have a big turnout like we usually have. We were expecting a mob when we opened the doors and folks just kind of dribbled in all day. We all think its because of
the gas prices, heat (92 degrees yesterday) and lots of other garage sales but who knows for sure.
Speaking of the weather we went from cold and rainy to extremely hot,97 today....no spring at all. And speaking of the weather I must be running out of things to say so I'm outa here.
Thursday, April 17, 2008
Its been a couple weeks
Its been a couple weeks since I've written anything so this is kind of an update.
YIPPEEE! We sold the Jayco tent trailer last week. We got what we were asking for it and had three folks in line if the party that bought it backed out so that means we PROBABLY UNDERPRICED IT!!!! DARN IT. Oh well that's the story of our life (buy high and sell low). I am glad we sold it but it's also kind of sad because its the end of a long and wonderful time camping and RVing from camping in a tent and the back of a stationwagon with our kids in Illinois and Wisconsin and camping on the beach and the mountains around San Diego, to camping in Zion with our kids and Richard and sue and Mike. Then camping at Fort Stevens with family and also on our own. Touring the country in our Airstream and then our Silverstreak. Then great camping with the family at Farragut ,Glacier and finally Heyburn. So that's like 36 years or so of great memories and we'll have them for the rest of our lives.
We're having new windows put in the front of the house. They are vinyl with the white grids in them and they should look really nice. If I were a lot more ambulatory I would tackle it myself but I'm learning (slowly but surely) that its time to let someone else do it. Power wheelchairs are great but they do have their limitations. I've gotten mine stuck in the snow and in the yard a few times trying to take it places it really wasn't designed to go.
Things are going fine at our house.... We were sitting around the other day trying to figure out
why we didn't have any time left in our days to get anything done that we SHOULD be doing like cleaning house or yard work etc. And we realized our day goes something like this:
1. Up at approximately 7:30 then 2 hours to read newspaper and drink one pot of coffee or in MGJs case doze some more with a blanket and 3 dogs on her lap and then drink coffee and read the paper.
9:30/10:00 Cook and eat breakfast then have a cup of tea and sit around and discuss ALL OF YOU and our plans for the day.
11:00 or so Make bed take baths ,grooming, getting dressed 1.0 hour
12:00 noon or so MGJ goes shopping. I clean up breakfast dishes surf the net, play video games etc. 2 hours
2:00PM MGJ home. works on puzzle and I take a 1 hour nap ( I'm totally exhausted by now)
3:00PM MGJ and I engage in a very competitive game of Scrabble with numerous arguments and referrals to the dictionary and various jibes at each other re: who's the better Scrabble player.
4:00PM feed dogs, MGJ works on puzzle I mill about smartly waiting on dinner, occasionally preparing same but mostly just making hungry sounds until MGJ makes dinner.
5:00PM eat dinner in front of TV while watching a movie... We now have 738 videos in our library. Some last up to 2.5 hours.
7:00PM or later MGJ works on puzzle, I watch TV or read Emails or Craigslist or surf some more. Either MGJ or I clean up the kitchen. 2 or 3 hours.
10:00PM Beddy bye for me or shortly thereafter (you can understand how terribly exhausted I am by then). I usually lay in bed and read until about 11nish or so. MGJ stays up later and works on puzzles or reads she usually goes to bed around 11:30 or midnight.
You can see by our extremely busy schedule that we don't have time for working or anything else :-) We always make time for visiting family or there visiting us. We always love those times and we occasionally go out to breakfast or dinner with friends but that leaves absolutely NO time for laundry ,cleaning , Dr. visits ,lawn work exercise, etc. So, we just don't do them.
Now you might well ask why I just took time out of our brutishly busy schedule to do this blog entry ;that is because I am old and retired and really enjoy rubbing it in to all my working readers!!! Eat your hearts out guys...all you have to do to have a schedule much like ours is to GET OLD!!
On a slightly more serious note, I'm going to try to attach an article I received by Email. I'm not sure who sent it to me but the thought is sure appropriate Its titled "A cup of coffee". For you LDS folk,think Sprite or water :-)
A group of alumni, all highly established in their respective careers, got together for a visit with their old university professor. The conversation soon turned to complaints about the endless stress of work and life in general. Offering his guests coffee, the professor went into the kitchen and soon returned with a large pot of coffee and an eclectic assortment of cups: porcelain, plastic, glass, crystal - some plain, some expensive, some quite exquisite. Quietly he told them to help themselves to some fresh coffee. When each of his former students had a cup of coffee in hand, the old professor quietly cleared his throat and began to patiently address the small gathering. 'You may have noticed that all of the nicer looking cups were taken up first, leaving behind the plainer and cheaper ones. While it is only natural for you to want only the best for yourselves, that is actually the source of much of your stress-related problems.' He continued, 'Be assured that the cup itself adds no quality to the coffee. In fact, the cup merely disguises or dresses up what we drink. What each of you really wanted was coffee, not a cup, but you instinctively went for the best cups. Then you began eyeing each other's cups.
Now consider this:
Life is coffee. Jobs, money, and position in society are merely cups. They are just tools to shape and contain Life, and the type of cup we have does not truly define nor change the quality of the Life we live. Often, by concentrating only on the cup, we fail to enjoy the coffee. The coffee is brewed, but you supply the cups. Enjoy your coffee!'
The happiest people don't have the best of everything, they just make the best of everything they have. So please: Live simply. Love generously. Care deeply. Speak kindly. And remember - the richest person is not the one who has the most, but the one who needs the least.
I'm most thankful for the special flavor you add to my coffee.
YIPPEEE! We sold the Jayco tent trailer last week. We got what we were asking for it and had three folks in line if the party that bought it backed out so that means we PROBABLY UNDERPRICED IT!!!! DARN IT. Oh well that's the story of our life (buy high and sell low). I am glad we sold it but it's also kind of sad because its the end of a long and wonderful time camping and RVing from camping in a tent and the back of a stationwagon with our kids in Illinois and Wisconsin and camping on the beach and the mountains around San Diego, to camping in Zion with our kids and Richard and sue and Mike. Then camping at Fort Stevens with family and also on our own. Touring the country in our Airstream and then our Silverstreak. Then great camping with the family at Farragut ,Glacier and finally Heyburn. So that's like 36 years or so of great memories and we'll have them for the rest of our lives.
We're having new windows put in the front of the house. They are vinyl with the white grids in them and they should look really nice. If I were a lot more ambulatory I would tackle it myself but I'm learning (slowly but surely) that its time to let someone else do it. Power wheelchairs are great but they do have their limitations. I've gotten mine stuck in the snow and in the yard a few times trying to take it places it really wasn't designed to go.
Things are going fine at our house.... We were sitting around the other day trying to figure out
why we didn't have any time left in our days to get anything done that we SHOULD be doing like cleaning house or yard work etc. And we realized our day goes something like this:
1. Up at approximately 7:30 then 2 hours to read newspaper and drink one pot of coffee or in MGJs case doze some more with a blanket and 3 dogs on her lap and then drink coffee and read the paper.
9:30/10:00 Cook and eat breakfast then have a cup of tea and sit around and discuss ALL OF YOU and our plans for the day.
11:00 or so Make bed take baths ,grooming, getting dressed 1.0 hour
12:00 noon or so MGJ goes shopping. I clean up breakfast dishes surf the net, play video games etc. 2 hours
2:00PM MGJ home. works on puzzle and I take a 1 hour nap ( I'm totally exhausted by now)
3:00PM MGJ and I engage in a very competitive game of Scrabble with numerous arguments and referrals to the dictionary and various jibes at each other re: who's the better Scrabble player.
4:00PM feed dogs, MGJ works on puzzle I mill about smartly waiting on dinner, occasionally preparing same but mostly just making hungry sounds until MGJ makes dinner.
5:00PM eat dinner in front of TV while watching a movie... We now have 738 videos in our library. Some last up to 2.5 hours.
7:00PM or later MGJ works on puzzle, I watch TV or read Emails or Craigslist or surf some more. Either MGJ or I clean up the kitchen. 2 or 3 hours.
10:00PM Beddy bye for me or shortly thereafter (you can understand how terribly exhausted I am by then). I usually lay in bed and read until about 11nish or so. MGJ stays up later and works on puzzles or reads she usually goes to bed around 11:30 or midnight.
You can see by our extremely busy schedule that we don't have time for working or anything else :-) We always make time for visiting family or there visiting us. We always love those times and we occasionally go out to breakfast or dinner with friends but that leaves absolutely NO time for laundry ,cleaning , Dr. visits ,lawn work exercise, etc. So, we just don't do them.
Now you might well ask why I just took time out of our brutishly busy schedule to do this blog entry ;that is because I am old and retired and really enjoy rubbing it in to all my working readers!!! Eat your hearts out guys...all you have to do to have a schedule much like ours is to GET OLD!!
On a slightly more serious note, I'm going to try to attach an article I received by Email. I'm not sure who sent it to me but the thought is sure appropriate Its titled "A cup of coffee". For you LDS folk,think Sprite or water :-)
A group of alumni, all highly established in their respective careers, got together for a visit with their old university professor. The conversation soon turned to complaints about the endless stress of work and life in general. Offering his guests coffee, the professor went into the kitchen and soon returned with a large pot of coffee and an eclectic assortment of cups: porcelain, plastic, glass, crystal - some plain, some expensive, some quite exquisite. Quietly he told them to help themselves to some fresh coffee. When each of his former students had a cup of coffee in hand, the old professor quietly cleared his throat and began to patiently address the small gathering. 'You may have noticed that all of the nicer looking cups were taken up first, leaving behind the plainer and cheaper ones. While it is only natural for you to want only the best for yourselves, that is actually the source of much of your stress-related problems.' He continued, 'Be assured that the cup itself adds no quality to the coffee. In fact, the cup merely disguises or dresses up what we drink. What each of you really wanted was coffee, not a cup, but you instinctively went for the best cups. Then you began eyeing each other's cups.
Now consider this:
Life is coffee. Jobs, money, and position in society are merely cups. They are just tools to shape and contain Life, and the type of cup we have does not truly define nor change the quality of the Life we live. Often, by concentrating only on the cup, we fail to enjoy the coffee. The coffee is brewed, but you supply the cups. Enjoy your coffee!'
The happiest people don't have the best of everything, they just make the best of everything they have. So please: Live simply. Love generously. Care deeply. Speak kindly. And remember - the richest person is not the one who has the most, but the one who needs the least.
I'm most thankful for the special flavor you add to my coffee.
Monday, March 31, 2008
Yippee .....its finally on!!!
I finally got some pics of the wonderful quilt Carla made for my 70th
birthday. I took some closeups of some of squares and 2/3 of the quilt.
A good pic of the entire quilt is on Carlas blog. As I said before its probably
the nicest birthday present I've ever received. Between that and the great dinner
with lots of the people I love It was certainly the most memorable birthday of my life.
Be sure and check out the quilt!!!
birthday. I took some closeups of some of squares and 2/3 of the quilt.
A good pic of the entire quilt is on Carlas blog. As I said before its probably
the nicest birthday present I've ever received. Between that and the great dinner
with lots of the people I love It was certainly the most memorable birthday of my life.
Be sure and check out the quilt!!!
Sunday, March 9, 2008
What did I ever do to deserve such a great family
Yesterday was my seventieth birthday. I'm old and pretty decrepit but thats not the reason for writing this.
For the last several weeks I have had a gut feeling that something was going on which I was not privy too. When the Ames,or Carlala came over and I was out of the room or as they were leaving and MGJ was walking them out their voice levels would drop to a whisper and there would be whispered discussions and when I would ask what was going on I would be told in no uncertain terms that "it is none of your business so butt out". I was of course terribly hurt but I didn't ever insist on being informed as is my right as husband, dad and patriarch (I'm the patriarch because I'm older than dirt). To make a long story short I began to suspect that something nefarious was being planned for my 70th. I had a feeling it might be something like my darling kidlets did on my 60th birthday,but I held my tongue. Days and weeks passed and sure as night turns to day I was invited to Elmers, one of my favorite restaurants and as I wheeled in there was all the people I love, with a few exceptions which I'll address later, all waiting for me. The room was decked out in balloons and there was a gorgeous cake and a stack of birthday cards and gobs of smiling faces. There was (in no particular order other than maybe generational) my darling wife of 52 years and mother of the flock MGJ, my fantastic daughters Carla and Amy and their two hubbys and my favorite son-in-laws Kevin the magnificent and the big Randoon, my very handsome son Todd (takes after his dad) and my favorite daughter in law Martha AKA FDIL,my favorite brother-in -law Richard (even though he's retired Coast Guard I've always tried to never hold that against him) and his ever suffering yet always gracious wife Sue, my lovable oldest grandaughter Lauren , my sweet grandaughter Lacey and her fabulous hubby Kelby AKA Kermit,my beautiful great granddaughter Tabitha, my gorgeous great grandaughter Natty, and my two marvelously handsome great grandsons Jordan and Jayden.
Missing from this great group of loved ones were Grandson Josh my hero in the Army and soon to be deploying to Iraq for the second time and his ravishing fiancee Stephanie also deploying to Iraq both of whom are in Germany,my second oldest grandaughter the beautiful Chelsea and her handsome and debonnaire hubby Jeff, both in snowy Colorado. Laurens one and only the dashing Brett who unfortunately had to work, and my third oldest grandaughter Shannon and her soon to be Coast Guard flyguy Tommy, and my great grandson the handsome devil- may- care Jace, in sunny Florida my wonderful Russian linguist grandson and sailor (like his grandpa) James and his loving and ever patient wife Leanna and my two fabulous great grandsons Adam and Kevin, in sunny California. Last but not least are my youngest grandchildren the gorgeous Sara, future tennis star and the dashing Matt future sailor like his Grandpa. Also I don't want to fail to mention my two grandson "Buns" that are still being baked (Leanna and Lacey) I'm sure they'll pop out perfectly done and fabulously beautiful.
So my typing finger got tired on the 9th and its now the 11th at 21:20. For you Army ,Coasties and Air Force types Mickeys short hand is on the 9 and his long hand is on the 4 and its dark out....but I digress... back to the birthday dinner. The dinner went smashingly and I enjoyed all the great cards and seeing and talking to all my loved ones,eating the cake and thoroughly enjoying the great company.
My personal Nurse Practitioner and fabulous daughter Carla presented me with an absolutely beautiful handmade quilt which I know she worked many many hours on and was one of the most thoughtful and nicest presents I have ever received. You've got to see it to believe it. It's all about My Navy career and has pics of me as a whitehat and Warrant Officer and of the Yorktown and the Kitty Hawk, the two carriers I made my three Westpac cruises on , copies of recruiting posters etc. etc. and even genuine dress blue cuff mermaids which all truly salty sailors wore on liberty (me included). I'll try to get pics of the quilt and the party on as soon as I can figure out how to do it. But believe me when I say it was very much appreciated and will always be cherished. I also want to thank my sailor grandson James for providing technical advice and nautical type suggestions to his Mom. AND DIGRESSSING A LITTLE I WAS INFORMED TODAY THAT JAMES HAD PASSED HIS WRITTEN EXAM FOR CHIEF PETTY OFFICER, THE FIRST STEP THAT MUST BE DONE BEFORE HE CAN BE CONSIDERED FOR PROMOTION....SO A BIG CONGRATULATIONS AND HEARTY PAT ON THE BACK GRANDSON. WE'RE VERY PROUD OF YOU AND WE'LL KEEP OUR FINGERS CROSSED THAT YOU GET SELECTED!!!!
I also want to thank my wonderful daughter Ames for organizing, planning and arranging the entire party. Amy is always the one who steps up and takes charge and reponsibility to get things organized and done. She and Randy are one of the primary reasons the family is so close
with their hosting of the family dinners, their generosity and their willingness to share all they have.
No one has EVER had a better 70th birthday than I had and I am always truly in awe when I see all of you together. Amy talks in her blog about being blessed and I believe I am doubly blessed by the love and the existance of all of my family. MGJ and I are very proud of all of you. Thanks for just being you and being my family. Love, Dad,Grandpa,Papa JAKE, Carl
For the last several weeks I have had a gut feeling that something was going on which I was not privy too. When the Ames,or Carlala came over and I was out of the room or as they were leaving and MGJ was walking them out their voice levels would drop to a whisper and there would be whispered discussions and when I would ask what was going on I would be told in no uncertain terms that "it is none of your business so butt out". I was of course terribly hurt but I didn't ever insist on being informed as is my right as husband, dad and patriarch (I'm the patriarch because I'm older than dirt). To make a long story short I began to suspect that something nefarious was being planned for my 70th. I had a feeling it might be something like my darling kidlets did on my 60th birthday,but I held my tongue. Days and weeks passed and sure as night turns to day I was invited to Elmers, one of my favorite restaurants and as I wheeled in there was all the people I love, with a few exceptions which I'll address later, all waiting for me. The room was decked out in balloons and there was a gorgeous cake and a stack of birthday cards and gobs of smiling faces. There was (in no particular order other than maybe generational) my darling wife of 52 years and mother of the flock MGJ, my fantastic daughters Carla and Amy and their two hubbys and my favorite son-in-laws Kevin the magnificent and the big Randoon, my very handsome son Todd (takes after his dad) and my favorite daughter in law Martha AKA FDIL,my favorite brother-in -law Richard (even though he's retired Coast Guard I've always tried to never hold that against him) and his ever suffering yet always gracious wife Sue, my lovable oldest grandaughter Lauren , my sweet grandaughter Lacey and her fabulous hubby Kelby AKA Kermit,my beautiful great granddaughter Tabitha, my gorgeous great grandaughter Natty, and my two marvelously handsome great grandsons Jordan and Jayden.
Missing from this great group of loved ones were Grandson Josh my hero in the Army and soon to be deploying to Iraq for the second time and his ravishing fiancee Stephanie also deploying to Iraq both of whom are in Germany,my second oldest grandaughter the beautiful Chelsea and her handsome and debonnaire hubby Jeff, both in snowy Colorado. Laurens one and only the dashing Brett who unfortunately had to work, and my third oldest grandaughter Shannon and her soon to be Coast Guard flyguy Tommy, and my great grandson the handsome devil- may- care Jace, in sunny Florida my wonderful Russian linguist grandson and sailor (like his grandpa) James and his loving and ever patient wife Leanna and my two fabulous great grandsons Adam and Kevin, in sunny California. Last but not least are my youngest grandchildren the gorgeous Sara, future tennis star and the dashing Matt future sailor like his Grandpa. Also I don't want to fail to mention my two grandson "Buns" that are still being baked (Leanna and Lacey) I'm sure they'll pop out perfectly done and fabulously beautiful.
So my typing finger got tired on the 9th and its now the 11th at 21:20. For you Army ,Coasties and Air Force types Mickeys short hand is on the 9 and his long hand is on the 4 and its dark out....but I digress... back to the birthday dinner. The dinner went smashingly and I enjoyed all the great cards and seeing and talking to all my loved ones,eating the cake and thoroughly enjoying the great company.
My personal Nurse Practitioner and fabulous daughter Carla presented me with an absolutely beautiful handmade quilt which I know she worked many many hours on and was one of the most thoughtful and nicest presents I have ever received. You've got to see it to believe it. It's all about My Navy career and has pics of me as a whitehat and Warrant Officer and of the Yorktown and the Kitty Hawk, the two carriers I made my three Westpac cruises on , copies of recruiting posters etc. etc. and even genuine dress blue cuff mermaids which all truly salty sailors wore on liberty (me included). I'll try to get pics of the quilt and the party on as soon as I can figure out how to do it. But believe me when I say it was very much appreciated and will always be cherished. I also want to thank my sailor grandson James for providing technical advice and nautical type suggestions to his Mom. AND DIGRESSSING A LITTLE I WAS INFORMED TODAY THAT JAMES HAD PASSED HIS WRITTEN EXAM FOR CHIEF PETTY OFFICER, THE FIRST STEP THAT MUST BE DONE BEFORE HE CAN BE CONSIDERED FOR PROMOTION....SO A BIG CONGRATULATIONS AND HEARTY PAT ON THE BACK GRANDSON. WE'RE VERY PROUD OF YOU AND WE'LL KEEP OUR FINGERS CROSSED THAT YOU GET SELECTED!!!!
I also want to thank my wonderful daughter Ames for organizing, planning and arranging the entire party. Amy is always the one who steps up and takes charge and reponsibility to get things organized and done. She and Randy are one of the primary reasons the family is so close
with their hosting of the family dinners, their generosity and their willingness to share all they have.
No one has EVER had a better 70th birthday than I had and I am always truly in awe when I see all of you together. Amy talks in her blog about being blessed and I believe I am doubly blessed by the love and the existance of all of my family. MGJ and I are very proud of all of you. Thanks for just being you and being my family. Love, Dad,Grandpa,Papa JAKE, Carl
Monday, February 25, 2008
Even though there's nuthin new
There really isn't anything new but I suppose I ought to write something otherwise whats the point of a blog? I did get a new 4 gig Ipod and the dock works great now. I'm sitting here typing this with great music in the background now. Probably 90% of anybody reading this would hate my music. Carla,Amy and Todd would know what I'm talking about. They had to put up with 18 years of light opera like Porgy and Bess, broadway musicals and lots of classical stuff.Thats right folks I'm a long hair. I will admit to liking Barbara Streisand and Liza Minelli. I NEVER admit that in public cause folks might think I'm a little "light in the loafers".
MGJ and I are definately ready for summer. It seems like winter has been here forever. There's still lots of snow on the ground and lots of clouds in the sky. I hate dirty snow and dirty cars. Just as soon as the snow melts we're going to set up the camper and hopefully get it sold. The longer it sets in the driveway the more we are reminded how DUMB we were to buy it in the first place. You would think that both of us having nearly 70 years on this planet would be a little smarter,butapparently not. Oh well, our motto has always been to "buy high, sell low" so why change now.
It was really great to see Josh. He's done a lot of maturing and while he was always a good kid he's turning into a great guy too. Would sure like to meet Stepanie tho. I'm keeping my fingers crossed that all goes well on his second Iraq tour.
As soon as I figure out how to do it I'll put on some music and some more pics. I may have to check with some of you techies on how to do that. Enough for now us old geezers need our naps.
MGJ and I are definately ready for summer. It seems like winter has been here forever. There's still lots of snow on the ground and lots of clouds in the sky. I hate dirty snow and dirty cars. Just as soon as the snow melts we're going to set up the camper and hopefully get it sold. The longer it sets in the driveway the more we are reminded how DUMB we were to buy it in the first place. You would think that both of us having nearly 70 years on this planet would be a little smarter,butapparently not. Oh well, our motto has always been to "buy high, sell low" so why change now.
It was really great to see Josh. He's done a lot of maturing and while he was always a good kid he's turning into a great guy too. Would sure like to meet Stepanie tho. I'm keeping my fingers crossed that all goes well on his second Iraq tour.
As soon as I figure out how to do it I'll put on some music and some more pics. I may have to check with some of you techies on how to do that. Enough for now us old geezers need our naps.
Sunday, February 17, 2008
Waterboarding...To board or not to board
I read JC's new blog regarding Waterboarding which is very well written and thoroughly researched as he always does. However, I repectfully disagree with my fantastic grandson when he concludes that waterboarding should never be used. I do agree with JC that waterboarding is a form of torture whether the government tries to deny that fact or not. And I agree with JC that it is something that should never be used UNDER NORMAL CIRCUMSTANCES... but these are not normal times and the type of people we are dealing with are unlike any we have dealt with in the past. They don't care whether they live or die and in most cases would rather die than remain in this world. They can withstand severe living conditions and apparently tremendous hardships. They are dedicated to killing all "nonbelievers" no matter what the cost.
How do you then force these people to reveal anything at all about the atrocities they are planning or involved in? How do you protect the public from people like this? The answer is you use whatever works even if under normal circumstances you would not think of doing this for moral or personal reasons.
We must win this war against terrorism because unless we do one of the first freedoms we will lose will be the right to discuss matters like this openly and to disagree freely.
By the way JC Grandma pretty much agrees with you so I probably won't get any dinner tonight.
How do you then force these people to reveal anything at all about the atrocities they are planning or involved in? How do you protect the public from people like this? The answer is you use whatever works even if under normal circumstances you would not think of doing this for moral or personal reasons.
We must win this war against terrorism because unless we do one of the first freedoms we will lose will be the right to discuss matters like this openly and to disagree freely.
By the way JC Grandma pretty much agrees with you so I probably won't get any dinner tonight.
Wednesday, February 13, 2008
I didn't write this but it sure is the way I feel, especially AFTER I got out.Had I known then what I know now I probably would have stayed for 30. Hindsight is usually 20/20.
I Was a Sailor Once Sharing a glimpse of the life I so dearly loved...
*** I liked standing on the bridge wing at sunrise with salt spray in my face and clean ocean winds whipping in from the four corners of the globe.
*** I liked the sounds of the Navy - the piercing trill of the boatswains pipe, the syncopated clangor of the ship's bell on the quarterdeck, harsh, and the strong language and laughter of sailors at work.
*** I liked Navy vessels -- plodding fleet auxiliaries,--ATF 76 USS Ute-- and amphibs, sleek submarines and steady solid aircraft carriers.
*** I liked the proud names of Navy Aircraft Carriers: Midway, Lexington, Saratoga, Coral Sea, Antietam, Valley Forge - memorials of great battles won and tribulations overcome.
*** I liked the lean angular names of Navy "tin-cans" and escorts - DD 731 USS Maddox - mementos of heroes who went before us. And the Cruisers -- San Jose, San Diego, Los Angeles, St. Paul, Chicago, Boston, Providence, Long Beach-- named for our cities.
*** I liked the tempo of a Navy band and the strains of"Anchors Aweigh" as my ship pulled away from the pier.
*** I liked liberty call and the spicy scent of a foreign port.
*** I even liked the never ending paperwork and all hands working parties as my ship filled herself with the multitude of supplies, preparing to cut ties to the landand carry out her mission anywhere on the globe where there was water enough to float her.
*** I liked sailors, officers and enlisted men, from all parts of the land, farms of the Midwest, small towns of New England, from the cities, the mountains, and the prairies, from all walks of life. I trusted and depended on them as they trusted and depended on me - for professional competence, for comradeship, for strength and courage. In a word, they were "shipmates"; then and forever.
*** I liked the surge of adventure in my heart, when the word was passed: "Now Hear This. Now set the Special Sea and Anchor Detail" - "All hands to quarters for leaving port." and I liked the infectious thrill of sighting home again, with the waving hands of welcome from family and friends waiting pier side.
*** The work was hard and dangerous; the going rough at times; the parting from loved ones painful, but the companionship of robust Navy laughter, the "all for one and one for all" philosophy of the sea was ever present.
*** I liked the serenity of the sea after a day of hard ship's work, as flying fish flitted across the wave tops and sunset gave way to night.
*** I liked the feel of the Navy in darkness - the masthead and range lights, the red and green navigation lights and stern light, the pulsating phosphorescence of radar repeaters - they cut through the dusk and joined with the mirror of stars oerhead. And I liked drifting off to sleep lulled by the myriad noises large and small that told me that my ship was alive and well, and that my shipmates on watch would keep me safe.
*** I liked quiet midwatches with the aroma of strong coffee -- the lifeblood of the Navy permeating everywhere.
*** And I liked hectic watches when the exacting minuet of haze-gray shapes racing at flank speed kept all hands on a razor edge of alertness.
*** I liked the sudden electricity of "General Quarters, General Quarters, all hands man your battle stations," followed by the hurried clamor of running feet on ladders and the resounding thump of watertight doors as the ship transformed herself in a few brief seconds from a peaceful workplace to a weapon of war -- ready for anything.
*** And I liked the sight of space-age equipment manned by youngsters clad in dungarees and sound-powered phones that their grandfathers would still recognize.
*** I liked the traditions of the Navy and the men and women who made them. I liked the proud names of Navy heroes: Halsey, Nimitz, Perry, Farragut, John Paul Jones and Burke. A sailor could find much in the Navy: comrades-in-arms, pride in self and country, mastery of the seaman's trade. An adolescent could find adulthood.
*** In years to come, when sailors are home from the sea, AND SO WE ARE, - We still remember with fondness and respect the ocean in all its moods - the impossible shimmering mirror calm and the storm-tossed green water surging over the bow. And then there will come again a faint whiff of stack gas, a faint echo of engine and rudder orders, a vision of the bright bunting of signal flags snapping at the yardarm, a refrain of hearty laughter in the wardroom and chief's quarters and mess decks.
*** Gone ashore for good we grow humble about our Navy days, when the seas were a part of us and a new port of call was ever over the horizon.
*** Remembering this, WE stand taller and say, "I WAS A SAILOR ONCE."
I Was a Sailor Once
*** I liked standing on the bridge wing at sunrise with salt spray in my face and clean ocean winds whipping in from the four corners of the globe.
*** I liked the sounds of the Navy - the piercing trill of the boatswains pipe, the syncopated clangor of the ship's bell on the quarterdeck, harsh, and the strong language and laughter of sailors at work.
*** I liked Navy vessels -- plodding fleet auxiliaries,--ATF 76 USS Ute-- and amphibs, sleek submarines and steady solid aircraft carriers.
*** I liked the proud names of Navy Aircraft Carriers: Midway, Lexington, Saratoga, Coral Sea, Antietam, Valley Forge - memorials of great battles won and tribulations overcome.
*** I liked the lean angular names of Navy "tin-cans" and escorts - DD 731 USS Maddox - mementos of heroes who went before us. And the Cruisers -- San Jose, San Diego, Los Angeles, St. Paul, Chicago, Boston, Providence, Long Beach-- named for our cities.
*** I liked the tempo of a Navy band and the strains of"Anchors Aweigh" as my ship pulled away from the pier.
*** I liked liberty call and the spicy scent of a foreign port.
*** I even liked the never ending paperwork and all hands working parties as my ship filled herself with the multitude of supplies, preparing to cut ties to the landand carry out her mission anywhere on the globe where there was water enough to float her.
*** I liked sailors, officers and enlisted men, from all parts of the land, farms of the Midwest, small towns of New England, from the cities, the mountains, and the prairies, from all walks of life. I trusted and depended on them as they trusted and depended on me - for professional competence, for comradeship, for strength and courage. In a word, they were "shipmates"; then and forever.
*** I liked the surge of adventure in my heart, when the word was passed: "Now Hear This. Now set the Special Sea and Anchor Detail" - "All hands to quarters for leaving port." and I liked the infectious thrill of sighting home again, with the waving hands of welcome from family and friends waiting pier side.
*** The work was hard and dangerous; the going rough at times; the parting from loved ones painful, but the companionship of robust Navy laughter, the "all for one and one for all" philosophy of the sea was ever present.
*** I liked the serenity of the sea after a day of hard ship's work, as flying fish flitted across the wave tops and sunset gave way to night.
*** I liked the feel of the Navy in darkness - the masthead and range lights, the red and green navigation lights and stern light, the pulsating phosphorescence of radar repeaters - they cut through the dusk and joined with the mirror of stars oerhead. And I liked drifting off to sleep lulled by the myriad noises large and small that told me that my ship was alive and well, and that my shipmates on watch would keep me safe.
*** I liked quiet midwatches with the aroma of strong coffee -- the lifeblood of the Navy permeating everywhere.
*** And I liked hectic watches when the exacting minuet of haze-gray shapes racing at flank speed kept all hands on a razor edge of alertness.
*** I liked the sudden electricity of "General Quarters, General Quarters, all hands man your battle stations," followed by the hurried clamor of running feet on ladders and the resounding thump of watertight doors as the ship transformed herself in a few brief seconds from a peaceful workplace to a weapon of war -- ready for anything.
*** And I liked the sight of space-age equipment manned by youngsters clad in dungarees and sound-powered phones that their grandfathers would still recognize.
*** I liked the traditions of the Navy and the men and women who made them. I liked the proud names of Navy heroes: Halsey, Nimitz, Perry, Farragut, John Paul Jones and Burke. A sailor could find much in the Navy: comrades-in-arms, pride in self and country, mastery of the seaman's trade. An adolescent could find adulthood.
*** In years to come, when sailors are home from the sea, AND SO WE ARE, - We still remember with fondness and respect the ocean in all its moods - the impossible shimmering mirror calm and the storm-tossed green water surging over the bow. And then there will come again a faint whiff of stack gas, a faint echo of engine and rudder orders, a vision of the bright bunting of signal flags snapping at the yardarm, a refrain of hearty laughter in the wardroom and chief's quarters and mess decks.
*** Gone ashore for good we grow humble about our Navy days, when the seas were a part of us and a new port of call was ever over the horizon.
*** Remembering this, WE stand taller and say, "I WAS A SAILOR ONCE."
Monday, February 11, 2008
Well golly! Where do I start?
This is my first posting and I'm sitting here on my bottom in my recliner trying to remember why I am doing this. I suppose it's because I don't at this period in my life have much else to do. I guess anyone that is reading this already knows why I don't have much to do so I won't go into that. I'm doing this web site for both Mom,Grandma, JoAnn and myself so maybe M,G,J will write something occasionally too. If nothing else this is good typing practice (I think I may have been kicked out of typing class too). .....3 days later and I'm still trying to think of some thing great and pithy to say. Yes I did say pithy. My old Ipod is going belly up so I may have to buy a new one. The old one is a one gig one so I think I'll probably expand my horiozons and get a 4gb one.WAHOO. Yes I know you can get 160 gb ones now which record movies etc. but I have enough trouble seeing my 50" tv let alone a two inch screen. All I want is good music not something that will fix dinner. We had a great time visiting Maxine and Gene in San Diego. They are really good people and great friends. The trip south was the PITS what with aircraft breaking down (luckily on the ground) and missing departures due to late arrivals . A normal 2.5 hour trip ended up taking all day. Our flight was supposed to land in San Diego at 12:30 but didn't get into SD until 7:30 pm. Getting on and off the plane with my manual wheel chair was easier than I thought it would be and having the chair made it easier to get around the airport too. MGJ had to do all the work...heh heh. She loves to push me around! She has wanted to do that all of our married life and now she can. If I give her any crap she just rolls the chair to the top of the stairs and pushes...needless to say I try not to aggravate her. Well thats enough for now. My typing finger is getting tired. Dad , Grandpa, Carl
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)