Working together and united...what a concept. If only people would realize the advantage of that! what a better place the world could be.
Neil's surgery went well. He had a huge herniated disc pushing on the nerve. The doctor was amazed that he stood it as long as he did...besides the fact it took 3 weeks to get a MRI and another 3 to see the surgeon...He spent the night at the hospital but was smiling when I left which is a major change! I will go and pick him up this morning. Now maybe our life can get back to a normal mode. Thanks for all your support and listening.
Happy Thoughts to all.

Richard, of course it will work. You were always able to make things happen by thinking them through throughly and i suspect have only gotten better at it. summers here in GA and its staying in the 80's already. got my "crew" remodeling and we were on a rold this week with 8 stores!!! It interesting because we are dealing with a strong racial issure here in the Atlanta area and my "team" is split and there is unfortunately a definite line between them. My goal is to get everyone working together and sharing ideas. It will take awhile and maybe some atrition will take place but.......educate , educate, educate eigh?

Happy Birthday Kathi! Hope the year is a good one for you in every way!

Richard ditto from me too, Karen said it all! Thanks! Neil will be staying overnight at the hospital, so I am going to treat myself to my Birthday IceCream at The Dairy Twirl in Lebanon tomorrow night. Fun way to spend a birthday, huh???? That's the selfish me coming out...the real present will be for him to feel like himself again. Thanks again for the Happy Thoughts!

Look at the Rich-meister, Rich-arama, workin' the ladies! Thanks for all the kind words. I am extremely impressed with you Richard. Not only are you talented and smart as hell, you have the ability to express your feelings and thoughts, and not all men ( or women) can do that. You are actually going after something that you have dreamed of and that is very cool. "Richard, this is going to work!" Not understanding any of it ........ I still believe it! Kathi, I pray Neil's surgery is a great success. Keep us posted.

Kathi, my happy thoughts are there for Neil for sure. I have quite a few to give. You hit me at the right time. I am kidding about it being the right time, cuz I am in fact the happy type. I always have happy thoughts to give and I really hope it goes okay.

Here are a couple more that seem easy to offer. Kathi, you have tons of character (all good)!

Lori, I can't believe your filter has ever been to hear anything but respect and a sense of appreciation from people when they speak to you. It has always been the starting point for me with you. You are such an obviously smart (as in not wrong) and thoughtful person. Most people don't stop long enough to be thoughtful. People are lucky for the time that they have with you.

Pat, this thing with relocating skunks is an interesting life lesson. I need to see the skunks in me that I could relocate. Please don't volunteer your thoughts on that one. Let me imagine which of my skunks you would pick. No promises, but I do promise that I won't put the, "I have no skunks" filter on this possibility.

Karen, I have told you before how much I love your spirit and how you make me laugh with no effort. I don't think that I have ever told you that I think your self sufficiency is pretty stellar. Also, I think it takes balls to not mow on the diagonal! Don't ever change.

Now, here is a special favor that I need. Just say one time, "Richard, it's going to work!" I'm trying real hard and that would be really nice for me if you did that.

Patti, glad that you are on the mend. Spring is such a wonderful season. Lots of plants are starting to bloom, the apple blossoms are out, the liliacs beginning to flower. We saw a Baltimore Oriole Sunday afternoon. He was beautiful. Dark orange belly. I haven't seen one in years so it was unexpected. He flew around the trees for a while then away he went. I'm not sure how you go about trapping skunks. You are much braver then I would be. Skunk is not one of those wonderful smells of spring! The Kindergarten went on a picnic today. We went to Cavendish to the teacher I work with house. Lots of field, woods, surrounded by a stone wall, so no one could get lost or hurt. Nice break from being in the classroom all day. There will be lots of tired children tonight. parents should thank us for a early bedtime! Send happy thoughts this way on Thursday for Neil's surgery....

Thanks folks for all the good wishes! I'm getting stronger everyday. it shocked me to find out how weak I could be. Naps are lovely things. Tell Neil to enjoy them Kathi and I wish him a swift recovery.

Dave came home this past Sat. at 4 p.m I'm married with spouse again. I need to get used to that.

Everythings is turning green and beautiful again. A wet week but lots of growth. I'm busy trapping skunks and woodchucks. rural life, what a treat, but if I don't they deat all the little shoots that come up and gardens don't look so hot. I move them into a lovely wooded area where they will hopefully live long and happy lives. Just stay away from my yard...

The place where we go hiking is about a 10 or 15 minute drive from here--which is nothing for L.A. Just a short drive and we're in a completely different setting. Out of the suburbs and in nature on a trail that goes through the woods. When I first started, the uphills were really hard for me. I got really out of breath and hated it. I guess I got used to it cuz now it doesn't seem that terrible to me. I used to walk on our street, which is completely flat, but now that I got used to some uphills, I got addicted to needing the hills.

I try to walk Monday through Friday and right now I am only doing two miles. In MI I was doing 4 miles most days. On the weekends we are usually doing outside work and I don't get up as early. I walk alone and check out everyone's lawns and gardens and sometimes I meet neighbors. My dog can't make it very far anymore as she is nine and has some patella problems ... common in small dog breeds (Maltese), so I leave her home. Where do you hike Lori, near home? Rain here over the weekend and now a couple of dry days. This is finals week for my high school son. The next one in line (home from college) starts his summer job at the golf course.

Wish I could have a piece of that rhubarb pie. Sounds good!

Karen, do you walk every day? How long? I still go hiking with my friend Levana, though we've been lazy the last couple weeks--or maybe just busy with other things. We're getting back into it now. It's good cuz we're taking care of a few needs in one shot--we're getting exercise, we're out in nature, and we're talking and getting out all our shit. Half the time we have to really push ourselves to go, but we're always glad we did. That endorphin (sp?) thing seems to work.