Drive carefully.
It's the first day of summer vacation. Yeah! I've already been outside to work in my flower gardens. Its been raining here for 3 days but is not at the moment and looks like it might clear off. Not quite as cool either...black flies are out and biting though.
Think I'll be nice and make a potroast for dinner....well, everybody, have a good day and think happy thoughts!

So glad to hear that the surgery went well for Neil . That's great news


The funeral is for the dad of Dave's best friend from high school. Dave and Magnus have been stayed close over the years.

We're splitting the trip up going both ways so that we don't have to drive so far at once. We'll have the chance to stayed with Dave's dad overnight on Saturday and take him out to breakfast before heading back Sunday.

Hi Everyone. Neil's surgery went fine...we finally got home around 7:00, had soup, and sent him right to bed. Drugged him for the night and he slept pretty well. Last day of school is today. Its always bittersweet, but mostly sweet for summer. There was a 40 degree difference in temperature yesterday from 90s on Tuesday to low 50s yesterday. Suppose to warm up again today. Hopefully showers will stay away! Have a good day and think only Happy Thoughts!

Thanks, everyone, for the good wishes. Patti, whose funeral are you going to? Anyone we know?

Hey Lori sounds like a busy time again but of course the trip to see family is worth it. Enjoy!

Still raining here but it certainly eliminates the "drought" we usually have goin on. At least we'll start the summer season off moist. Once that sun comes back out the "stuff" will grow and bloom like the dickens.

Richard, I'm sorry this round didn't go well for you. I hope you know we're all pulling for you though for the next time.

We may be heading south for the funeral over the weekend. A 9 hour drive, ick. but we'll see some dear 'ol friends from Dave's high school days.

School is closed up for us now and closed is what I mean. Skyway Middle School is gone forever and the Presque Isle Middle School is being worked on all summer to finish up for opening in late August. I realized Tuesday as I punched out for the last time that for now on I work at a different school. We had a big party here at the house and many of us are good friends outside of school so we'll spend time together over the summer. Bringing in 20 other teachers and creating a new staff will be our challenge. But it's all for the kids and we'll make it work.

Safe travels Lori! Keep pressing on Richard. Kathi, hope Neil breezes through surgery ... again! Looks like a break from the rain here again today ... whoopee!

Have a wonderful trip. Enjoy your family and your friends...remember in the end, everything does get done!
Happy Thoughts!

Richard, it definitely sounds like there's still hope. A "glowing recommendation" for another federal grant sounds good to me. Good luck! You have us all behind you.

I'll be leaving next week (June 21) for my usual 6-week summer trip to Israel to see family and friends. Avi will be coming, too, but only for 2 weeks. I'm always tense before the trip cuz somehow there seem to be a million things to take care of before I leave, but I'm definitely looking forward to being there.

Richard...don't give up. Things have a way of working out when you least expect it. Somehow your dreams will come true. Happy Thoughts!

i have a mixed report. i did not get the grant i applied for. out of 20 finalists, i was one of the 10 losers. they suggested another federal grant and said that they would give me a glowing recommendation, so i still can see possibilities. it is fine. i am used to being squashed like a bug. hey, hold back those tears. otherwise, my work is going okay and the fam is good. that's it from here. karen, the poem does say that there is a lot in seeing the glass half full, but asks the reader to take the next step by making good on the magic that comes when you act from your heart. it is an interesting point for you to consider because you have a great heart that i think you follow a lot. don't ever under estimate how special your heart is, cuz i think you got a really good one. the description of looking into the glass probably has to do with losing yourself in introspection and alcohol. that wasn't my mom's problem, but it was all around her in the three martini lunch crowd she hung with. for me, the poem is a request to my mom to see the magic that she created in me with her heart and to look away from the dark elements of death that she moved into.

I second that one! Congratulations....can you imagine breaking in a new one? I'll keep mine ...most days! Neil is having 2 hernias repaired on Wednesday...to add to his list of ailments...so, it'll be another 6 weeks anyways before he can go back to work. School is out on Thursday.....we'll see!!!
We went for a walk this morning at 6 am...almost to the 2 1/2 mile point, "we" discover that his pedometer is missing...so we back track to find it...and get almost back to our yard when there it is on the ground....so, a 3 mile walk turned into 5 1/2...then I mowed. Luckily, my son came out to help me mow. We were having Neils brothers and families over for a BBQ. It has been so hot and sticky here in Springfield the last few days. I try not to complain too much with the heat because I know I moan and groan with the snow and cold!!
Hope every0ne had a great weekend....Happy Thoughts!

Congratulations Karen!!!! I think we all deserve medals. It seems to be getting more and more unusual for marriages to last longer than a few years.

Hi gang! Today is my 28th wedding anniversary and yes, I would do it all over again. The amazing part is how fast it has gone and to a lesser degree, how much we have changed. Going out tonight to Cafe Intermezzo as it has awesome desserts and I have an incredible sweet tooth. Pat, when you figure out how to be more optimistic please let me in on the secret. My kids always make fun of my negative nature. Richard, I got some champagne for the occasion but am currently out of Chambord .... Dang!

I like that--optimistic about your optimism! I'll have to keep that in mind for myself!

Well Lori I'm a work in progress you see. My optimism is doing o.k. I'm being very deliberate about it for now and then hopefully it will come naturally to me the way it used it. I'm very optimistic about my optimism.

The progressive supper was fun. I pulled out all the linens and fancy glasses I hadn't seen in a few years. It was a lot of fun and everyone's talking about another one.

Those who host don't have to cook? That sounds great to me! I wish I could see cooking as an art instead of a boring chore that HAS to be done. I try to get myself into a good mood when I cook cuz they say the food tastes like the mood you were in when you made it..... How are you doing with trying to see the bright side of things, Patti? You still have your sense of humor. As long as you have that, you'll be okay!

Such a beautiful poem Richard, thank you for sharing it with us. Especially first thing in the morning, I'm enjoying the thoughtfulness it evokes.

Woke up this a.m. a little less than enthusiastic about it (waking) and found the storm last night had blown over my canopy which I had not gotten around to anchoring when I set it up this Sunday. Nice upside-down mess. but I put on the coffee and went on out in my jammies. Cold wet grass. It wasn't broken and I put the anchors in after I got it set up-right again. I felt good that it wan't broken and rejuvenated by the crisp morning air. Looks good and I feel pretty glad that I wasn't cussing and pissed off about it. The bright side of my experience I guess. It's been a tough last few weeks of school and finding the bright side has been a challenge.

So it's a project for me, looking at the optimistic and not the crappy side of everything which frankly is way more evident these days. I told myself the other day to see how long I could go without complaing. It was about 8 in the a.m. when I decided this and then I realized oops too late! I guess I needed to start earlier.

Tomorrow will be fun. I've organized a progressive supper with my female peers at school. We will meet here and then car-pool to Ellen's for appetizers and cocktails. then over to Elaine's for the main course and finally back here for dessert, coffee, and after dinner drinks. all the hostesses have to do is provide the house and break out the "good" dishes. Everyone else provides all the food. doesn't that sound like a good time.

Let's have a cross country progressive supper. I can't seem to get Richard to come over for coffee so maybe we can try this instead. A virtual supper. Remember, those who host don't have to cook.

Hi Everybody. Happy Sunday. The sun is shinning and it is actually in the 80s here today. Chance of thunder showers. Finished putting in the tomato plants and will hopefully finish planting my flowers this afternoon. I was going to mow but its...shhhh...too hot right now. Probably this evening. Making shish-ka-bobs for dinner....maybe strawberry shortcake, if I get ambitious. 9 more school days before summer vacation. Think I'll take my book and sit outside for a while. Hope the weekend has been good to you. Happy Thoughts!

Richard, thanks for sharing that poem with us. How do you know which were your mother's favorite poems, or are you just reading through all her poetry books? Seems like a good way to get to know someone by reading the poems that meant something to that person. And, Kathi, thanks for sharing that story with us. When I manage to replace the negative thoughts with happy ones, it definitely changes my outlook on life. Luckily, there's only room in my brain for one "subject" at a time, so I try to fill it with the good ones.

Lori, I am sorry for your loss. It must have been quite a shock. Kathi, that is a very moving story and the comfort that it brings you is the best part. Like the poems are for you Richard. I am one that tends to see the glass half empty so that poem told me to look for the good and not the bad. Hard to always do ........ We have not seen the sun here since it peeked out last Saturday. The ground is pretty saturated. Have a good weekend everyone!

kathi, thanks for thinking of me last saturday. the memorial service was nice and i had a chance to catch up with some of the (50 year old) kids from my neighborhood. one of the things that my mother's death has led me to is reading her favorite poets and trying to understand why she liked them. what i now realize is that there is a completely non-mechanical way to understand life and the science of the universe. she liked poets that had organic explanations and who felt there was a lack of images in poems that communicate the meaning. these include happy thoughts and lots of others, too. lori, i read mystic blue by dh lawrence and loved it, i liked the tree by ezra pound, but this is the poem that will always be in my heart when i think of her:

THE TWO TREES
by: William Butler Yeats

BELOVED, gaze in thine own heart,
The holy tree is growing there;
From joy the holy branches start,
And all the trembling flowers they bear.
The changing colours of its fruit
Have dowered the stars with merry light;
The surety of its hidden root
Has planted quiet in the night;
The shaking of its leafy head
Has given the waves their melody,
And made my lips and music wed,
Murmuring a wizard song for thee.
There the Loves a circle go,
The flaming circle of our days,
Gyring, spiring to and fro
In those great ignorant leafy ways;
Remembering all that shaken hair
And how the wingèd sandals dart,
Thine eyes grow full of tender care:
Beloved, gaze in thine own heart.

Gaze no more in the bitter glass
The demons, with their subtle guile,
Lift up before us when they pass,
Or only gaze a little while;
For there a fatal image grows
That the stormy night receives,
Roots half hidden under snows,
Broken boughs and blackened leaves.
For all things turn to barrenness
In the dim glass the demons hold,
The glass of outer weariness,
Made when God slept in times of old.
There, through the broken branches, go
The ravens of unresting thought;
Flying, crying, to and fro,
Cruel claw and hungry throat,
Or else they stand and sniff the wind,
And shake their ragged wings; alas!
Thy tender eyes grow all unkind:
Gaze no more in the bitter glass.

You might think this is too weird but... The Sunday after my brother died (5/25/04) I was absolutely compelled to go to church, which I hadn't been in quite a while. I was obsessed with finding out what time mass was and getting there on time. I was sitting in the pew, trying to listen but not really...when the priest, who is new to the parish and I had never met, began his sermon. He started talking about how he had seen a good movie. Peter Pan...and I'm thinking I hate that movie and why am I here. He goes on to say...what saved Peter Pan from Captain Hook....I can hear my brain answering...I don't know...who cares and what does that have to do with anything...when I hear him say....Happy Thoughts saved Peter Pan. Well, the strange thing is I wrote to Kevin every Monday and I would end my letters with the words Happy Thoughts. No one knew that except for Kevin and myself....except for God...apparently. So, I like to think it was Kevin and God telling me that he was okay. So, that is my Happy Thoughts story.

What's your Happy Thoughts story, Kathi? I'm too curious to let that go. Sounds like something that could help us all.

Every day is a gift. Validate and appreciate your friends and loved ones while you can. Lori, it is hard to absorb the fact that that person is really gone from your life and will seem surreal for quite awhile. That stupid saying about time healing.....it just fades a little and you can remember the good things about the person and not necessarily how they died..all the time anyways. I'll have to share my Happy Thoughts story sometime. Hopefully, things will run smoothly with your husbands business and his computers. As always, happy thoughts to all.

We were home for Memorial Day weekend, but it wasn't the relaxing weekend we thought it would be. A young Israeli guy who had been working for Avi died suddenly on Saturday night, apparently from a heart attack. He was only 33, so we're all in shock here--though he was really overweight and I'm sure that had something to do with it. He was a single guy and all his family is in Israel. They flew the body back today. He (Effi) was the one who took care of all the computer problems in the business--and also at home. Every time we had a problem, we called him. I still can't quite absorb the fact that we can't call him anymore. Kathi, I'm sorry for what you must be feeling at this time. When something like this happens, it makes me appreciate my life more.

Hope everybody had a good Memorial Day Weekend. The Holiday takes on a whole different meaning to me now. Richard, I was thinking on you on Saturday. I am sure that your Mother's service was very special and hope that your family found comfort in being together. I read in this mornings paper that Steve Ankuda's mother died...she was 95. My heart is with you. On a lighter note, I went to go mow tonight after school and had just gotten started when it started to pour.......needless to say, by the time I probably get to finish it'll be waist high and I won't be mowing on the diagonal! Plus I'm not into fuzzy hairdos anymore! Hope to hear from somebody soon....Happy Thoughts.

Hey all, Happy Memorial Day WE. Be careful if you are on the road. Just when I was going to give up my window business I had a bunch load of account "dumped" on myself and now I could go corporate and am thinking it over carefully. I always wanted to have a small corporation of my own with say 3 different businesses. Maybe this will be the chance. Wish me luck. I would plan to retire at some point and have residuals coming in?

Can you believe we saw the sun today? First time in over a week. Did have a shower about 6:00 but that was the first one of the day. It was so nice to feel that sunshine. I have decided that it is going to be a very long summer for mowing! We have quite a bit of lawn and no riding lawn mower...and of course, Neil can't mow....so I was out mowing for about 2 hours before my son got home from work..then he helped do some. Of course, that's when we got the rain...so I'll have to finish tomorrow. It is sort of fun to make different patterns in the grass. The baseball fields on tv have neat patterns...the best part of it being on...haha. I am glad that the weekend is here. Long week with the rain, Neil not feeling well, and it being the first anniversary of my brothers death...very emotional. I look forward to planting my flowers and weeding!

Okay, I take it back. The sleeping till noon part is definitely still relevant. My kids have a grandmother here (Avi's mother), so I guess she takes care of a lot of those food needs! They know the good food is at her house. I have no desire to compete. I like her food, too.

I don't think that part of family ever ends. Colin doesn't live here but he comes here every day and watches some TV, eats whatever he can find and wonders why there's nothing that he wants in the fridge. When Kevin comes home he sleep til noon and then just hangs out in front of the TV. It's strange.

But I wouldn't change it for the world.....

Okay, Patti, I'll keep it in mind! I definitely like the way it sounds!

Karen, you really know how to capture an atmosphere. I can see it so clearly and totally identify with what you're talking about--the kids sleeping all day, watching TV, complaining there's nothing to eat..... exactly the way you said it. We're not in that stage now cuz I just have one living at home now--but we definitely went through it.

sorry Karen but I really think we have to run with this mowing thing. Go for it Lori. Put something together for us. I'm sure that movwing on the diagonal can be a metaphor for something wonderful.

After all, mowing is in the eye of the ....well maybe not

Sorry, its not nearly that exciting. Read back to my entry of 4/5/05 and you will catch the gist of it. It does have something to do with independence and beating to a different drum I guess ... or whatever the expression is. I am remembering what summer is all about now with kids out of school and back home. The house is trashed, they sleep all day and come and go the rest of the time. There is "never anything good to eat" in the house. TV is never discretionary viewing. Get the picture? My dog just got her summer cut today for GA heat. Not sure what the plans are for Memorial weekend, how about all of you?

See, Richard? We all need you. Now where are you? Patti invited you for coffee. We're waiting.....

Mowing on the diagonal--a metaphor for something deep? If someone will explain it to me, maybe I can use it in a poem!

No more skunks but a small woodchuck. I'm still after the big I spotted running across the lawn a couple of weeks ago!!

Great news about Neil's surgery Kathi. Make sure he baby''s himself though. I imagine you are a fabulous caretaker..

The sun is out and Dave is mowing. Yippee for dry grass. It smells wonderful and feels yummy on the bottoms of my feet.

Tomorrow is the one month anniversary of my surgery so now I can officially go out and dig in dirt and work in my gardens . halaluah!!

Mowing on the diagonal. Must be a metaphor for something very deep. Personally I like to mow every which way so I can make designs in my yard. It's fun.

Imagine ladies, someone like richard right in your neighborhood to bolster your ego evy now and again. Since this is our common neighborhood, Richard would like to come over for a cup of coffee??

I wish the sun was shinning and it was hot here. The temps are at least 10 degrees cooler then normal. It rained most of yesterday and forecast for the rest of the week. Makes it a very long day in Kindergarten when Children stay inside all day! I did work out in my flower beds yesterday between the rain drops and mowed the front yard . Enjoy your Monday....

Kathi, I'm glad Neil's surgery went well. He must be really strong to have put up with all that pain. And Happy Birthday!!! And there was nothing selfish in anything you said. You definitely deserve whatever you want on your birthday!

Thank you, Richard. It's good to know there's someone out there who believes in us all. I can't say it better than Karen did. She spoke for all the women. Now that I'm aware of this criticism filter, I see how often I become defensive, and it's not so nice to be around someone who's being defensive about everything. So I think I'll switch my filter to the one you described! By the way, what's this about mowing diagonally? Must be a gap in my education. I didn't know there was an art to mowing lawns. Or getting rid of skunks, for that matter.

It's hot. I'm going to swim laps. Bye.....

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.

The weekend is here and its suppose to rain again. Right now it is cloudy and in the 50s. Did get the lawn mowed and raked. Thought I would beat the rain. Hopefully, we are getting a new riding mower before too long.
Picked rhubarb and in the process of making a pie. First of the season is always really good!
Neil is having surgery on Thursday to relieve pressure on the pinched nerve. Hopefully, all will go smoothly and he will recover within 3-4 weeks.
Have a great weekend everybody.
Happy Thoughts!

Best wishes for good health Pat. I did have a good Mother's Day, thanks Richard. We are starting to get sticky weather here now and I have changed my walk to mornings. Rich's family is dragging their feet but know they need to get going on selling the two homes in Perkinsville. If anyone knows someone who might be interested in buying one or both houses and land, let me know. The old house is empty and needs some work (barn goes with that one), the other one is smaller and in good shape. Both sit on the village green and look toward the old village store. I wish we could keep at least the old one, but it is looking unrealistic with college debts for us and none of the family living nearby. Whoever coined the phrase "life begins at 50"? What begins, seems to be saying goodbye to so many things and people that have always been a part of who you are. Now there is a positive, non menopausal, cheerful outlook for you to ponder!!!

I wish you a speedy recovery, Patti, and good luck adapting to all the changes! And thanks, Richard--it's nice to have someone out there saying nice things about us!

I just finished another weekend course given by Landmark Education--this time in communication. That's the last one. Now I need a break from all these courses. But they have helped me a lot, especially the 2 communication courses. I see how I hear people through a filter, as if they're always saying I did something wrong. I'm getting rid of that filter!

Happy Mother's Day- Karen, Kathi, Lori, and Pat. I am glad that there are moms like you. You were born with some natural gifts for the job, but I think you are real cool on your own for who you are!

Pat I hope you are feeling better. Take it easy. It doesn't matter what kind of surgery you have it takes a lot out of your body. Take the time to recover. You'll be glad in the long run. It is rainy and cool here today too. It is suppose to get up into the 70s later in the week. I hope so! I am ready for the sunshine. Neil goes to the specialist about his back on Wednesday. The appointment can't come soon enough for either of us! We have a CD copy of the MRI which is very interesting to look at....too bad neither of us knows what it all means! Modern technology is pretty amazing.
Well, hope everyone is doing well and Pat, you continue to feel better. Happy Thoughts!

Yup Lori, I'm back and missing the sun very much. Overcast today and chilly, but it' just as welll I lneed to hold still awhile more. If it was nice out I'd want to out doing things. I had some surgery last week and am having a hard time in my recovery. I can't get over how much I sleep. Amazing. Dr. didn't want me to go back to school but I did anyway. Maybe he was right. Oh well. This too will pass.

Dave will be home in another week. boy will that be a life altering experience!!

Well gang....had some great opportunities lately. Its feast or famine with me and I like fixing or building and then go onto something better or new. Most of the critters are going to stay with my friends as I am on the road again for a bit. I like travel and just keeping busy. But.... do plan to fins a place and stay and I think this town will be it. I really feel comfortable here and now with my envolvement in the church too and some travel in the future with mission work too. I need to have a place that can keep it self up a bit and be able to be shut down for periods while I am gone. The opportunities have been mostly to bolster my retirement funds.

I've moved a whole mile away from where I grew up. Talk about moving around...lol...Sun is finally peaking out after 2 days of heavy rain. Hard to believe it is May 1st. I am glad that "spring" has offically here in Vt!! Hope everyone is having a good weekend. Funny how it goes by so quickly. Enjoy and Happy Thoughts...

I've been confused, too, about the house situation, Roland. It seems like you're buying or selling houses all the time! Or is that just a misunderstanding on my part?

Patti, are you back in the cold? Missing the Florida sun?

Roland, just exactly how many homes have you had in the last year and where are you living now? You make me look like a homebody!! Don't think the critters will like one acre, do you? Did you change jobs also? We have been wondering where you were! Welcome back!

Richard, sorry about your mom. I have fond memories of her classes. She really loved her work and it showed. Been busy, back on the road again building stores for a local drug chain that was bought out by one we were familiar with in VT, Brooks. Its fun. I only travel to GA, SC, NC, & TN and have 3days at home. I do a four day 40 or more. Put my property up for sale at a steep price for someone to develop. Actually got nibbles..... Want to build something small for myself on an acres or as much as five. Keeping life simple. I found a great church I like and hope to be in the area for some time to come now. Yup, gone Southern Baptist but not on the evangelical side. Our service actually has many of the Catholic properties including a sat night live service as we call it. I have also been doing some missionary work in Tn through the church and hope to make a trip to Mexico next year with the same. Hope all is well with you guys and that the snow dissappears soon for you.

Raining here in VT today. I got to sub today for the Kindergarten class. They keep you on your toes but I like it. My daughter and grandbabies have gone back to NC so I am undergoing baby withdrawal. I am sure it will pass quickly. It is quiet here though. Neil is still out of work with his back and finally has an appointment with the neurologist on 5/11. Hopefully it'll be an easy fix.....he is not used to being home unable to do anything....but watch tv....sports and mad tv are gettin very tiring! for me....hope all is well with everyone. Remember to love your Moms while you can!!! I agree with the no appliance rule!!! Happy Thoughts everybody....