Happy New Year's Eve!

Once in a while, things do get accomplished around here. I tend to start a lot of projects, and sometimes they don't always get finished in any kind of timely manner, but things do get accomplished.



The trees are coming along. Sara, the black lab, really enjoys digging up newly planted trees, over and over again. I, on the other hand, do not enjoy planting the same trees over and over again. Those of you who can make leaps of logic have already figured out the conflict brewing. I have found a new use for the end product of the dog's food processing abilities. (hint: they won't dig in their own poo)

Speaking of little helpers:



MEG was supervising the installation of the new safety gate. She says I did a fine job.

Yesterday was her first birthday, and, of course, her first official birthday 'cake:



Yes, that is frosting all over her face. And hands. And dress. And Dad's shirt. And Dad's hands. What you can't see is the frosting and crumbs all over Gramma's floor.

In case I don't get a chance to do so later, let me take this opportunity to wish you a very Happy and Prosperous New Year.

Thank you for stopping by, God bless you all, Wear Red on Fridays, and support Warriors for Innocence!

Red Friday

Show some spirit, and support! Go on, I dare you!

I double dare you!

Playing hardball, eh? OK, you asked for it -

I double dog dare you!

Thank you for stopping by, God bless you all, Wear Red on Fridays, and support Warriors for Innocence!

That Day Already

Happy Birthday to me, Happy Birthday to me
Happy Birthday toooo meeeeeee,
Happy Birthday to me!

I pray that your Christmas was a blessed one, and that you received not what you deserved, but what you really needed.

Thank you for stopping by, God bless you all, Wear Red on Fridays, and support Warriors for Innocence!

Ho, Ho, Ho, Merry Christmas!

Larry may be offensive at times, but he sure does get a point across.



Merry Christmas, and Happy New Year. May God bless you and your family this Christmas week.

Thank you for stopping by, God bless you all, Wear Red on Fridays, and support Warriors for Innocence!

It's Called Christmas For A Reason

This says it all!



Thank you for stopping by, God bless you all, Wear Red on Fridays, and support Warriors for Innocence!

Red Friday

Thank you for stopping by, God bless you all, Wear Red on Fridays, and support Warriors for Innocence!

Christmas in Arizona

Can you believe it's only five days 'til Christmas?

I grew up in Colorado and Ohio. I live in the Phoenix, Arizona area now. Christmas just doesn't feel "right" here sometimes.

There's no snow. And, no snowshovels!

Most of the trees are fake. But well decorated! There's even a tumbleweed "tree" in Chandler - they rustle up a bunch of tumbleweeds (Russian Thistle) and tie them together in the form of a Christmas Tree, and string lights on it and everything.

I used to ice skate, or play ice hockey, or go sledding the entire month of December, as soon as school was out. If I want to do that now, it's a good two hour drive to the nearest white stuff. I'd rather spend my time on the back porch barbecuing the steaks, thanks.

In Ohio, the ground and nearly all the water freezes in mid-November and stays that way until March of so. In Arizona, mid-November means it's time to plant your new trees. I'm still working on mine.

Santa wears fur lined clothing in the snow country. Once he hits this area, he swaps out his boots for flip-flops and sheds his coat. The old boy would have heat stroke if he tried to keep all that fur-lined stuff on.

There's never a problem with the malls being closed because of a snow storm here - heck, if it did snow, we'd all e out looking at it before it melted. It's snowed twice in downtown Phoenix that I know of. Once, on Christmas Eve, in 1999, and before that it was about the middle of January in 1987 or so. My memory is getting old, so forgive me if I'm off a bit.

But one thing about Christmas, no matter where you celebrate it - it's still the celebration of the birth of Jesus Christ. Thank you, Lord, for sending your Son to us, to take all our sins upon Himself, to die for those sins so that we don't have to, so that we may join You at the last trumpet's call.

Thank you for stopping by, God bless you all, Wear Red on Fridays, and support Warriors for Innocence!

Monday/Tuesday

TMBWitW is on vacation this week, which means that I can get some projects finished up since I won't have MEG attached.

Or does it?

This is the week before Christmas, and TMBWitW also has projects and plans. So, we work out compromises.

For example, yesterday I had planned to pick up my new table saw (new to me, the guy selling it is moving to the mountains and he doesn't have a shop ... yet) and then go over to our friend's house and get the above-ground pool that she is giving us. Our friend has sold her house and is moving, and she doesn't have room for the pool at the new place, and since she got it for free she offered it to us, since she knows that Logan's therapy (pool time - he loves to swim and it doesn't hurt his legs) is a bit pricey, she offered us the pool. Only thing is I would need to dismantle it and move it.

First thing in the morning, I headed over to the church property to get the trailer, and then called the guy I was buying the saw from. He gave me directions, and it was only then that I realized it was about an hour away. Well, the price was really good, so I didn't quibble about the drive. Once I got the saw home, I unloaded it into the garage "for now" and headed over to our friends house. The dismantling wasn't so bad - with the exception of a few rusted or stripped screws, the parts are easy to reassemble. So, six hours later I was unloading the pool parts into the garage also.

Now all I have to do is move both purchases into the backyard. First, though, I have to clear a space for the pool. And then build a ramp for Logan to get up to the rim and into the pool. And build a shelter for the saw. Oh, yeah - and finish planting the trees.

Why am I sitting here telling you this? I gotta get going ...

Thank you for stopping by, God bless you all, Wear Red on Fridays, and support Warriors for Innocence!

Thank You

Stole this from Greybeard. Suggest you do the same.



Private note to those who have served - with, before, or since - me: Thank you.

Thank you for stopping by, God bless you all, Wear Red on Fridays, and support Warriors for Innocence!

Red Friday

On this Friday, while you are wearing your Red Shirts to show your support of the troops, take a minute to examine where else you support the troops. Once they return from the hotzone, do you forget about them? Or, like most Americans, do you give to the Veteran's Organizations that call and solicit donations from you?

How deeply have you investigated the charity that you support? I, myself, am guilty of handing my hard earned money to the wrong organization. I found that out when I read TexasFred's pieces on Veteran Charities. Read more here and here. Then, call your charities and ask them the hard, hard questions: Where do the dollars go? How much of each dollar goes to support overhead, expenses, and salaries? How much did the organization pay to it's highest officers last year? While you are at Fred's. tell him I said howdy...

Thank you for stopping by, God bless you all, Wear Red on Fridays, and support Warriors for Innocence!

Thursday's Ramblings

Still working on a special "Christmas in Arizona" post for my friend, Loon. What rhymes with sunshine?

Looks like another gray day here in the Valley of the Sun. Weather has been weird, much cooler than normal and pretty wet for this time of year. I'm not complaining, since we had a bit of a dry year, but the cold is aching in my bones. Must be all that Global Warming AlGore keeps talking about. Doug has lots of info on that.

Some people should just stay in bed to begin with. Pop a happy pill, Guy. At least you woke up on the green side of the grass.

If you are stumped for a gift for that special someone, try this over at Our Sovereign Joy. Books are always a good choice. I think OSJ got our weather, too.

If you are in a giving mood, Nancy Pelosi always likes flowers. Don't believe me? Just ask Jenn.

That appears to be the latest updates, as of this morning. I'm sorry if I missed your latest witty entries; I will try to do better next time.

Thank you for stopping by, God bless you all, Wear Red on Fridays, and support Warriors for Innocence!

Rare Wednesday Post

First, a quick open note to Loon: The post you suggested is on it's way. I've got to gather my thoughts for that one.

Second: I promised a few pictures of the yard before the trees go in. Here's one, ignore the small brown lumps on the ground. I do have five dogs, you know.



The dog on the left is Logan, he of the polyneuropathy, where the nerves and the muscles don't talk to one another. As you can see, his hind end doesn't work as well as his front end, but he still manages to get around. The black flag tail in the lower right is Mackenzie, the hyper-active Cocker/Dachshund mix who is more bark than bite. She thinks she's in charge. She's not.



This shows the back left corner, where the plan is for a Chinese Elm to arch over a two-seat swing. The other back corner (not pictured) will have a park bench under another Chinese Elm. Or maybe it will be the other way around. TMBWitW is in charge of furniture placement. We'll see where what ends up where. Notice Mackenzie inspecting my work.

Third: Have a great week!

Thank you for stopping by, God bless you all, Wear Red on Fridays, and support Warriors for Innocence!

Tuesday Update

Well, just wanted to pop in and let you know I hadn't dropped off the face of the earth - again.

I really haven't been doing much - I got a bid for an entertainment center, and will be starting that project very soon. Well, as soon as my workshop dries out. I do most of my woodworking in the backyard, and it's been a bit cold and damp here in Phoenix lately. I have even resorted to wearing long pants and actual shoes, for crying out loud.

The planting of trees has been sidelined by the weather, also - digging holes in soil that collapses as you dig is fruitless.

On the upside - MEG is beginning to really blossom - she so wants to walk, and is frustrated with all this crawling around she has to do. It's only a matter of time before she figures out the whole balance/movement issue, and then it will be off to the races!

I've been spending time with her, reading, and just sitting on the floor and playing. I could get used to this, but I've got to get the business going so that TMBWitW can get used to it instead.

I pray your week is going well - and that this Christmas Season finds you with the ones you care about the most. Merry Christmas, Happy Hanukkah, Happy New Year - and if you don't celebrate any of those, Happy or Merry whatever you do celebrate.

Thank you for stopping by, God bless you all, Wear Red on Fridays, and support Warriors for Innocence!

Logan's Call

Tissue Warning

I saw this over at Gawfer's place.

Don't say I didn't warn you.

Listen, then read:



We have had a lot of requests to replay the phone call that Pastor Mike shared during our church service on Sunday, Nov. 11th, 2007.

Here you'll find the video clip that was created just for you. We've placed the video on YouTube so that you can watch it and share with family and friends.

Logan is a 13 year-old boy who lives on a ranch in a very small town in Nebraska. Logan listens to Christian Radio station 89.3FM KSBJ which broadcasts from Houston, TX. Logan called the radio station distraught because he had to take down a calf . His words have wisdom beyond his years.

Since airing the audio of the phone call and now the making of the video clip, it has taken on a life of its own. People are forwarding it all over the world. We encourage you to share the love of Christ with anyone you can.

May this Christmas season find you in good health, with family nearby, and in the company of His grace.

Thank you for stopping by, God bless you all, Wear Red on Fridays, and support Warriors for Innocence!

NBC Trips Themselves Up

ht to TexasFred and Guy K at Charming, Just Charming.

Watch the video, and then read the text. And then, join me in lambasting NBC for being a bunch of wussified PC leftards.



WASHINGTON - NBC has rejected a TV ad by Freedom’s Watch, a conservative group that supports administration policy in Iraq, that asks viewers to remember and thank U.S. troops during the holiday season.

NBC said it declined to air the ad because it refers to the group’s Web site, which the network said was too political, not because of the ad’s message.

“Anybody in the world who would look at this ad would come away with nothing other than we should be thankful for their service,” Freedom’s Watch president Brad Blakeman said.

The spot was to be part of a seven-figure campaign that includes newspaper ads and television commercials. The ads are to run on CNN and Fox News Channel and are running in various newspapers. The New York Times ran a full-page Freedom’s Watch ad Friday that said “Thank You!” and depicted a soldier reading a letter. The newspaper ad also contained the Web site address.

Full story here.

Come on, NBC, the New York Times ran the ad, and you can't because the web site is "too political?" I am throwing the BS flag on that play, NBC. Guess which network just got blocked by the user on my satellite dish? That's right, and all your little connected channels, too - like SciFi (Eureka is in reruns, anyway) and especially MSNBC.

Like Guy K says, if all the vets tell NBC where to go hide this crummy little weasel play, they might realize what kind of a customer base they just pissed off.

Thank you for stopping by, God bless you all, Wear Red on Fridays, and support Warriors for Innocence!

Friday!

Today, December 7, 2007, please take the time to stop and remember the heroes from 7DEC1941. The Greatest Generation led this country through a time of national trouble, and did so with the work ethic they were raised with.

Then, take another moment and remember the heroes that are serving us today.

Thank you for stopping by, God bless you all, Wear Red on Fridays, and support Warriors for Innocence!

Subtle Reminder

Dear Children,

It has come to my attention that many of you are upset that folks are taking My name out of the season. Maybe you've forgotten that I wasn't actually born during this time of the year and that it was some of your predecessors who decided to celebrate My birthday on what was actually a time of pagan festival. Although I do appreciate being remembered anytime.

How I personally feel about this celebration can probably be most easily understood by those of you who have been blessed with children of your own. I don't care what you call the day. If you want to celebrate My birth, just GET ALONG AND LOVE ONE ANOTHER.

Now, having said that, let Me go on. If it bothers you that the town in which you live doesn't allow a scene depicting My birth, then just get rid of a couple of Santas and snowmen and put in a small Nativity scene on your own front lawn. If all My followers did that there wouldn't be any need for such a scene on the town square because there would be many of them all around town.

Stop worrying about the fact that people are calling the tree a holiday tree, instead of a Christmas tree. It was I who made all trees. You can remember Me anytime you see any tree. Decorate a grape vine if you wish: I actually spoke of that one in a teaching, explaining who I am in relation to you and what each of our tasks were. If you have forgotten that one, look up John 15: 1 - 8.

If you want to give Me a present in remembrance of My birth here is my wish list. Choose something from it:

1. Instead of writing protest letters objecting to the way My birthday is being celebrated, write letters of love and hope to soldiers away from home. They are terribly afraid and lonely this time of year. I know, they tell me all the time.

2. Visit someone in a nursing home. You don't have to know them personally. They just need to know that someone cares about them.

3. Instead of writing George complaining about the wording on the cards his staff sent out this year, why don't you write and tell him that you'll be praying for him and his family this year. Then follow up. It will be nice hearing from you again.

4. Instead of giving your children a lot of gifts you can't afford and they don't need, spend time with them. Tell them the story of My birth, and why I came to live with you down here. Hold them in your arms and remind them that I love them.

5. Pick someone that has hurt you in the past and forgive him or her.

6. Did you know that someone in your town will attempt to take their own life this season because they feel so alone and hopeless? Since you don't know who that person is, try giving everyone you meet a warm smile; it could make the difference.

7. Instead of nit picking about what the retailer in your town calls the holiday, be patient with the people who work there. Give them a warm smile and a kind word. Even if they aren't allowed to wish you a "Merry Christmas" that doesn't keep you from wishing them one. Then stop shopping there on Sunday. If the store didn't make so much money on that day they'd close and let their employees spend the day at home with their families.

8. If you really want to make a difference, support a missionary-- especially one who takes My love and Good News to those who have never heard My name.

9. Here's a good one. There are individuals and whole families in your town who not only will have no "Christmas" tree, but neither will they have any presents to give or receive. If you don't know them, buy some food and a few gifts and give them to the Salvation Army or some other charity which believes in Me and they will make the delivery for you.

10. Finally, if you want to make a statement about your belief in and loyalty to Me, then behave like a Christian. Don't do things in secret that you wouldn't do in My presence. Let people know by your actions that you are one of mine.

Don't forget; I am God and can take care of Myself. Just love Me and do what I have told you to do. I'll take care of all the rest. Check out the list above and get to work; time is short. I'll help you, but the ball is now in your court. And do have a most blessed Christmas with all those who you love, and remember:

I LOVE YOU,
JESUS

Thank you for stopping by, God bless you all, Wear Red on Fridays, and support Warriors for Innocence!

What Kind of Tree?

There has been a lot of flap going on in various organizations about Holiday Trees and Christmas Trees. Several Christian Watchdog Groups have exhorted there mailing lists to beware of this retailer or that retailer, depending on the use if the word "Christmas" in their ads. I will ask you one question, and let you decide the whole "Holiday Tree" or "Christmas Tree" issue for yourself: What holiday, during this time of year, uses a tree in it's celebration?

Yes, this month Christians celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ. Notice I didn't say "birthday" of Jesus Christ. That exact date is not known. According to the clues in the Bible, the birth of Christ (the Lamb of God) occurred when all the animals were giving birth - in the springtime, generally - and not in the middle of the winter. (Remember, the Angels appeared to the shepherds keeping watch over their flocks? The flocks are not out in the wild during the winter, they are kept penned up at home then. In the springtime, the flocks would have been roaming in the fields.)

Another clue is the census, (Luke 2:1-3) for tax purposes - historically, the census took place in the early spring. With all the families gathering at their ancestral homes from far-flung outposts, the inns would have been full and all the relatives' houses were probably full also. With a not-quite-wife (Luke 2:5) already pregnant, not too many of the relatives of Joseph would have wanted this scandal under their roofs as it were. So, in order to fulfill prophecy, (Psalm 132:11) Jesus was born among the lowest, so that He could be raised to the highest.

While I am bursting bubbles in Christmas Carols, remember the Magi? You know, the Wise Men that are always portrayed as following a star to present gifts of Gold, Frankincense, and Myrrh to a newborn child? Turns out they didn't show up at the manger - let's face it, would you want to hang out in a smelly barn, once you had been counted and had a child? "Let's get packed up, Joseph - there's a heck of a draft in here." Joseph, Mary and their newborn son returned to Nazareth, where Joseph was a carpenter of some renown. In Matthew 2, the travels of the Magi are related, including a summons by King Herod to tell him when the star that they were following appeared. King Herod, in a show of false fealty, asked that they return to him and tell him where they find the child king. The Magi followed the star, and rejoiced when they came to the house where "they saw the child with his mother Mary and they bowed down and worshiped him." Then they opened their gifts of gold, incense, and myrrh. (Matt 2:11) If Jesus was visited by the wise men as a baby, wouldn't it have said the Magi showed up at the manger? In one of the most profound passages in the Bible, these wise men, once they found Jesus, did not return to the way they followed before. (this is a paraphrase. the wise men had been told by God in a dream that herod wanted to harm Jesus, so they returned to their homes by a different route.)

Now, back to the tree question - besides the attempt to popularize a Hannukah Bush, what other holiday at this time of year utilizes a tree? None. Only Christmas utilizes the tree that is associated with Christmas Lights, Christmas Decorations, and Christmas Gifts.

Thank you for stopping by, God bless you all, Wear Red on Fridays, and support Warriors for Innocence!

Thursday Already

Well, the filling-in for the delivery went OK - except for the lack of sleep part, but I kinda knew that would happen.

Today was a charity auction at TMBWitW's work; she is the go-to person for the auction, the whole department is supposed to help out and be involved, but once again (for, like, the ninth year in a row) (did i mention she's been doing this for nine years? coincidence? i think not!) she pretty much did everything. Last night we were up until very wee hours of the morning getting the last minute details worked out. Naturally, MEG decided that since we were up, she needed to be involved. MEG finally crashed at about 11:30. TMBWitW was almost in tears when she was finishing up the wreath she was working on. It was a "Twelve Days of Christmas" wreath, with plasticine ornaments that depicted the twelve gifts. As she was attaching the drummer, the attachment in the top of his head came out. The drummer hit the floor, and broke a leg at the knee and his head was snapped off his neck. It was ruled an accidental death, and TMBWitW sighed, looked at me and said, "That's it. I'm going to bed. No wreath this year."

Well, I'm not one to watch a tradition go lightly by the wayside. I knew I had glue that would fix the drummer, but the challenge was in finding it. She went to bed, but I searched. I finally found the model glue (i could have sworn i had crazy glue around somewhere, but i just could not locate it.) and reattached the drummer's leg, head, and hook.

The alarm was set for 5:00 this morning. MEG beat it by six minutes, when she rolled over and scared herself over the loss of her sleeping aid. I stumbled into her room, found the wayward item, and restored peace to her corner of the world. TMBWitW rolled over, asked me what time it was, and made herself get up when I told her. I mentioned that if she looked on the counter, she would find some encouraging news. She found the drummer, attached him to the wreath, and let me sleep another half hour before I had to get up and feed the animals and get the trash to the curb. I beat the trash truck by about two minutes.

We had to wake MEG up at 6:00, and then hustle buns to get to TMBWitW's office by 7. I stopped off to grab breakfast on the go, and met her at the parking garage. We had so much stuff to transport that it took both vehicles. All went well, the auction was a success, and MEG was very well behaved all day, for being overstimulated and lacking sleep.

Now, it's off to church. Tomorrow, I may get to sleep in a bit - but I am not counting on it.

Thank you for stopping by, God bless you all, Wear Red on Fridays, and support Warriors for Innocence!

Warning! Graphic Content!

Did the new picture throw you for a loop?

I figured I might as well show you what I really look like.

Where to begin...

Friday, the church spent the day adapting the garage area of the parsonage at the new church property to hold service there until the new sanctuary is built. This included patching, painting, and my favorite, hanging six - count 'em - six ceiling fans, four where no electrical existed. This meant running new power from an existing light fixture. In the attic. Well, more of a crawlspace above the garage, than an actual attic, but there was loose cellulose insulation, rough timbers, no headroom, and lots of dust. I loved it. Meeting a challenge of this type head on and conquering it is so darn satisfying. Plus, the fans look really good. We start meeting in the parsonage the first Sunday in January.

Saturday - out to a potential client's home, to measure for an entertainment center. She has a picture of what the model home looked like, so I can base my drawings on that. Talk eventually got around to pricing, and in the back of my mind I'm in the neighborhood of fifteen, maybe sixteen hundred, depending on the wood and color selection. I asked her if she had a budget figure she had been kicking around, and she cringes a little when she says the words "maybe a thousand?" Keeping my best business face on (similar to my poker face, but I haven't used my poker face since I quit gambling many, many moons ago...) I say "Well, I'll take a look at materials, and I'll be able to give you an estimate on Tuesday or Wednesday, OK?" My gut feeling is that the materials alone will be around 750, so the profit line may be a bit too thin there...

After the estimate visit, I go back to the house I've been working on (the one that belongs to the parents of my friends) and the hall bath is ready for paint, a vanity, and the toilet to be reinstalled. Have I mentioned how much I love plumbing? No? Hmmm... must be a reason for that. The vanity was all of eighteen inches wide (this is a small bathroom, in a bungalow in a very tony neighborhood. the parents have lived here for over thirty years, and the area dollared up considerably since they bought their little house. we are pretty sure that when it sells, it will be a tear down, so there are no walls being moved in this remodel) and little ol' me has to stick head and shoulders inside to connect the fixtures. I'm not bragging, but my shoulders are a bit more than eighteen inches wide. Once I'm squeezed in there, I have to maneuver my arms to turn the wrench. After thirteen and a half years under the sink, I finally manage to get out and turn the water on - to discover that the hot water line washer is no longer viable. After mopping up, I get to squeeze back under and try again. Success on the second attempt, and it's on the the toilet.

I don't know if you've ever removed and replaced a toilet in your life; I really don't wish that kind of work on anyone. Helpful hint - while the toilet is off the pipe, place a rag or wad of paper towels in the opening to keep -uhm- things from surprising you, the least of which is the odour emanating from an active sewer line.

Anyway - during the removal process, before the tile floor went down, it was discovered that the feed valve for the toilet was defective. OK, it leaked when in any position except full on. When you are planning on removing the line, this present a problem, since you can't have the water flowing while trying to tile the floor or paint the walls. Kinda defeats the purpose. The line was capped, and replacement parts for the valve were searched for. Remember, this is an older house, and the plumbing hasn't exactly aged gracefully. The end result was a replacement valve scabbed onto the old feed output, with a brass cap on the old valve housing. Any other solution would have involved "sweating" pipes and "cutting" pipes and "replacing" joints - did I mention how much I love plumbing? No? Well, there's still a reason for that.

I think I am pretty much finished with that project, and the final invoice was presented. Good to know there is money coming in.

Sunday - church in the morning, at the present facility. After church, TMBWitW and I head for the Land of Red Aprons (as opposed to orange - I don't like the land of orange aprons, and only go there when absolutely necessary. like when the local Lowe's burns to the ground. which hasn't happened, explaining why we were at the Land of Red Aprons.) to pick up a few pieces of backyard foliage. By a few, I mean about 33 Italian Cypress, two Golden Arbovitae, two Italian Stone Pine, and two Chinese Elms. Yes, it's fall in Phoenix, which means it's planting time! After seven years with no shade in the back yard, it's time to get some trees growing. Slight glitch develops - a friend calls, and begs me to help him during his last week with my former route. Since I know the vendors, and the route, I figure why not - plus, he's meeting me at the base of the route, so I don't need to go all the way to the dock. And the pay is very good. The hours - still in the middle of the night, but I am able to get home in time for TMBWitW to get to work. Now, I just need to get in the back yard and start planting some trees so they can start rooting in. This might be a long week. I'll post pictures!

Thank you for stopping by, God bless you all, Wear Red on Fridays, and support Warriors for Innocence!

I'll Take "Clueless Emcees" for $200, Alex

Now, this is funny, I don't care who you are...



Thank you for stopping by, God bless you all, Wear Red on Fridays, and support Warriors for Innocence!