Warm Christmas

Explanation

To my family who do not understand. When I drive through McD's and order my McDouble for $1.08 I get a bag that contains another wrapper surrounding the burger, napkins, Ketchup packet, and often some plastic utensils for the use of eating. If you were to take this one time experience and raise it to the power of 7, (one week) and perhaps to the power of 14 (several trips) the car becomes full of trash. This is not a problem until someone needs a ride. You must now move everything from the front seat to the rear seat to accommodate their need. Now the back seat is full and you have just traversed another week. Do you get the picture?

My statement is .... if they would just hand me the burger out of the window my car would not be full of .... because of my smaller readers .... full of McD's paraphernalia.

Thank you for your interest!

Bags, Forks, and Ketchup

Turn up the furnace ..... I'm cummin home for Christmas!!!!!!

Happy Birthday 2U

Happy Birthday Jesseca .... Happy Birthday Jayce .... Love you

Monday Monday da da ... da da da da ... So good to me

For only a dollar! My new mini tripod is the best buy since the closing of Pamida in the summer of 93 and I bought a pair of Remington insulated boots for ten bucks! Only have one of them now. I left them too long in the house in Iowa where things disappear, like the set of sails for my boat!

I haven't added to the blog for some time because there just hasn't been anything happening that is exciting. Same o same o in California. I remember when I thought only other people got to live somewhere outside of Iowa, and here I am. I have discovered .... A place is just a place.

CA out!

Hospitals ... I am amazed the difference. Here in Des Moines they are like luxury motels, not so in CA. I am sitting in the sugary waiting room where there is free Wi Fi and a STARBUCKS! It is like a lounge in a hotel with the exception of a few people being pushed through on rolling beds.

In CA you are stacked up like cord wood with a minimum of two to a room. The halls are packed and the nurse station is like a bee hive in the spring. Here it is laid back and comfortable! Being sick in Iowa if preferable.

I am "in charge" at the house until Friday where the expectations of the arrival home of Sharon will occur. Then my status will be below Sniffy.

Well, good talkin with ya

Back in IA

NFL

NFL baby! Ticket to ride! Well, not yet. First we need to learn how to run, catch, block, tackel, and dump buckets of Gatoraid on coaches, but it will come in time.

U have waited long enough!

Here are the pictures of my new fabricated rudder purchase and found items. The top left is the way Ellen remembers my boat and the one below is the engineering marvel that it is.

Please .... no applause or standing Ovations are necessary. Tickets will be on sale to sail Bodega Bay soon. That's right!!!! SALT WATER!!!! THE MESSAGE GOES INTERNATIONAL or could if one were stupid enough to sail it out of the bay ..... YES!!!! I AM STUPID ENOUGH!!!!

GET YOUR TICKES SOON, IT COULD BE A ONE MISSION SAIL!

CA OUT

The house where we gathered was right on the lake and this is the dock that went from the property to the water. The wind was high and the air was chilly for Midwest standards.

Here the boys chat of the adventures of life and the trophies gathered there from as El wonders how is was that she got on the wrong side of the umbrella.

Newest cousin/nephew! Good lookin boy who is about to turn 2 years old and has not seen most of his relatives. He seemed unconcerned.

Heather's husband who's name I do not recall because I am old.

It was a good day even though I was trying to stay awake all the way to Tahoe. I stopped several times for coffee and dumped on in my lap. There was no more need of coffee to keep me awake, the pain sufficed. If you are reading this and you are in the pictures ... Thank you for having me over. I loved meeting my new relatives and making new friends.

CA out.

Mo pictures

I know that there are repeat pictures but the place I stored them won't let be see what they are untill I have published them.

Family in the Mountains of CA

Oops got the same picture twice

Family Reunion

Here is a bus load of pictures of the gathering at Tahoe. I called Kevin Jason and felt like the old man that I am so just recoginze the people and enjoy!

NEW RUDDER!

That's right! I fabricated a new rudder out of found items in the lumber store! The blade is a thing that you put plaster on when you plaster walls, the spacers for the blade are drilled pennies. They want 20 cents apiece for washers! I did splurge and buy red oak for the transit. Found a piece of chain for the tiller extension and some screws in a box on by porch attached it well. I have a shoe string for raising and lowering the blade! I will show you pictures of it as soon as the Patin is verified.

Took her out today and sailed fine. It is tight so it is like having auto pilot on the boat! I sailed for several hours this morning and got sun fried in the process.

Keep you hopes up ... pictures are coming!

CA out

OK, I went to Harbor Freight and bought more parts for my rudder. I paid the same amount of money for a box of assorted stainless steal bolts as one would cost at Ace. I am ready to construct but I have too many obligations to attend to first.

By the way, I will be in Iowa on the 24th of August and will be there for the 35th anniversary party you all are going to surprise me with! I will receive presents so don't waist you money on a card ... I won't read it .... unless it contains money or a large gift certificate.

I plan on boiling a chicken or two and will make noodles but some body get the sweet corn picked! I NEED SWEET CORN Grimes variety preferred.

Later dudes got Bible Study

Building my Rudder in proper English.

Yesterday after church, I found myself at my "Happy Place" eating the food I have grown so fond of when the thought came to me ... today is the day! I have been grieving the loss of my rudder having tipped my sailboat over and it falling off into the lake never to be seen again. By some strange force I was drawn to the HOME DEPOT where I began to wander looking for something but not knowing what. People in orange aprons kept bothering me asking me if I needed help and I would explain to them I came to buy something that I had not realized yet as to what the something was. In California no one would think this was strange. I began gathering pieces of stuff from various isles until .... I had the parts to my new rudder! Made from red oak, gate hangers, angle iron, and an aluminum mortar board it came together in such glorious fashion I felt like TIM THE TOOL MAN TAYLOR!

It is not assembled yet and I don't know if it will work, but what a day! I wish they were all like yesterday in the HOME DEPOT!

I have been working on this all day to make it posts something so I will try again.

HOT HOT HOT

CA is on broil! I need to get to the ocean where it feel cold. I have no sailboat as I tipped it over and lost my rudder. My friend Hal went diving for it but no luck. He said the water had only two feed visibility and when you are in a lake upside down in a sail boat you forget to take your GPS readings. O that's right, I don't have any! The price for a new rudder is more than I paid for the boat! So, needless to say, what I was taught on the farm will come into play, build one out of something with wire and duck tape!

I would have been in IA in a couple of days but postponed my trip till September to be NURSE BARRY. I will be making NOODLES with REAL CHICKEN (no canned yellow water)!

I am so board with this heat in the day, but at night it gets to the 50's and is great. Great sleeping country!

Love ya all

CA out

Capt. VERN

This is Vern, my janitor at the church ... but today he is Captain Vern of the crab catching likeness of "the deadliest catch!" He has a miniature crab boat that I was fortunate enough to go on the big water to catch a couple of crabs. It was fun and I do want to do it again.

New boat sucks

Mustang and the worthless canoe on the Big River ... which was beautiful!

The wind blasting me like a bullet up the Big River.

Camp site.

Went to the ocean an launched my canoe on the Big River near Modesto CA. The wind off the ocean blew my canoe up the river like a bullet and then I had to paddle back against the wind and the incoming tide. I discovered the canoe has no keel so I poled back. I was exhausted. I did get on the ocean and trap some crabs that was great fun. Just some pics of my adventure

My new boat

My neighbor sold me his canoe and it has been laying in my yard for nearly a year. Friday I labored all day on a sermon that was created from dust and I counld not breath life into it. Saturday morning God opened the gates of inspiration and showed me a sermon in twenty minutes which gave me time to play on the water with my new "old" boat! It was a lake and not a river but water non the less!
I found a leaf blower in my shed and got it to run ... thinking of hooking it on the back of the canoe for more power and speed. I am not sure it will work but will be a good time trying. I also considered sails or just buying an electric trolling motor, that would be way to simple.

They say the American rive is a fun float ... so someday soon I may go and see if Mark has the desire to traverse the river with me.

God bless ... and would someone in this family shoot the dog that bit my granddaughter?

Love you all ... CA out

IOWA!

Well, my head is beginning to clear as the Iowa humidity moistens it to normal functioning. I am enjoying the family gatherings and the food is awesome! Having been away from the center of gravity for nearly 10 years on the road, there is some disconnect with the fam but it is still great to see the little ones roll.

Things change and I am thank God for the changes! New babies, new jobs, new transportation, new adventures to the islands are all great changes. Excitement!

I'm going to take a nap now .... it is Iowa.

IA out

I need some time off! When I find myself mowing, painting, cleaning, with intent ... it usually means it is time to take a break. I love that I have the energy to do these things (thank You God) but they often are a product of furstration. As in the last post where I proclaim I am peopled out, I need to get away for awhile to some place that does not yeild the same anxiousness as where I am. Not that it is bad here .... best place I have ever been ... I just can't keep smiling at the things that hurt or irritate. I have become more vocal in dealing with issues that perplex the mind in simplicity yet yield no understanding. Am I right all the time, of course not, and I am not always wrong either. Instruction is a good thing if the product is to enhance or uplift the recipient of such instruction. When it is received as a club or used as one is the issue. The beginning of wisdom is the realization of God. After that realization it should be understood that listening to God would be a catalyst in action toward the will of the same. He did not wind us up and release us to our own intent and imagination. I have learned this the hard way. Yes, I can joyfully say, "God has kicked my ass on several occasions!" So why am I so bouncy? It is when I choose to expect more from those who are at their wisdom limit. And that ain't my job.

thanks for listening.

CA out

I am peopled out. The collective consensus of the leaders was, doze the house. Then it was determined that it could be saved. From doze it, to a priceless gem in a matte of weeks has amazed me. I started to do some work on this old house so a young married couple could move in. People said "NO NO there is mold in the house!" Big deal. I grew up with mold as a pet! It never killed me! So I buy a paint sprayer and begin to fix the house up. I heard today that there were people who thought I should have washed the windows before taping them so that paint would not get on them. They said they were dirty! Wait ---- yesterday you were going to doze it into a pile!!!!! of let the fire department burn it down!!! AND TODAY YOU MUST WASH THE WINDOWS BEFORE YOU TAPE THEM! I want to live on my own little island BY MY SELF!

People ----- if you don't want to do anything that is OK but if your anything you like to do is to comment on the anything that someone else is doing, find something else to do or nothing will get done.

CA out!

Another Sunday finished! Heaven is such because there is no preparation for worship (i think). After the Super Bowel Sunday of Easter ..... and all you do to bring the CEO,s (Christmas and Easter only) into a relationship with the church and Jesus, the following Sunday the faithful return to an empty sanctuary where the energy level is so low a limbo expert can't get under it. All that energy gone from Super Bowel Sunday.

In every congregation I have been in, I have suggested we cancel both Christmas and Easter. O No! There might be someone who will be saved! Translation: there might be someone who will become members and help with the work on Easter and Christmas. PEOPLE THEY AINT COMMIN BACK TILL CHRISTMAS.

The weather is fantastic here but if you have allergies it is brutal. My car is covered with yellow pollen in the morning and my head explodes around noon.

Loved the postcard. Loved the pictures.

Love you all.

CA out.

I survived Easter!!!! What a time! You need to send your pastor a thank you card for not going postal during the season. We had the best Maunday Thursday service and it was all Holy Spirit directed. Resurrection Sunday Cole called me in the middle of the sermon. People thought that was a hoot. My cell went off at a critical junction in the message so I had to answer it. The face read Sharon Anderson so I answered "Hi honey!" .... "I am in the middle of a sermon, can I call you back later?" At this Cole was confused so he handed the phone to Sharon who thought he had called Jayce. Another act of Holy Spirit ... the congregation roared. Love this place.

Mowed the lawn this AM. and now am preparing to paint a house. So goes ministry!

I need to see my family again so may be in the process of returning to Iowa soon.

Later CA out

update

I don't know if anyone reads this so it may be a my malnourished journal. Times of heaviness do come and to be anxious to tell people of the darkness is undesirable. I once had a Secretary who when asked, "what is the pastor like?" she responded "depends on the weather." It has rained daily here for weeks/months AND TODAY THE SUN IS SHINNING AND IT WILL BE 85!!! I'M GOING SAILING!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! God is good if you wait for His goodness (bad sentence but THE SUN IS SHINNING!!!!!!) I have sprayed the weeds in the church lawn, and now it is time to play!!!! CA out

Drove to the top of the mountains for a retreat! Why would anyone want to go to snow to be on retreat you ask. The reason is this, if you are from the valley they think it is fun! Seriously .... the cabin I was in was a 7 million dollar structure and it was covered with ice and snow to the point I literally walked by it twice before I could see it and it is three stories high! This is my favorite spot to stop on the way to Tahoe.

the sun

This is a picture of the sun at High Noon! They tell me here that this is the worst year for gloom they have experienced since the 60's. Well IT IS 2011 FOR PETE SAKES! I am against retro weather because I am as grey as this sky, and if it don't shine soon .... I'm on my way to the Mountains !!! ...... which have snow .... never mind .... I can handle the gloom better than the snow.

Hey world!! I hired another worship leader last night and now we have two!!! Both are great! Now if I could only preach ... I know!! ... get other people to do that too! Must put plan together.

CA out!

Summer no Winter daze

It is sooooooo good to see the sun again. In all fairness it has been raining here for 40 days and 37 nights. It is just short of Arch issues. Been gloomy for so long the first day the sun came out so did I! What a great day and I am on my way back from BURGER KING! O YEA! The car is dirty because I have not had a chance to wash it but tomorrow is to be even warmer so I will do it then. I wish you all were here to ride the pony with me. Now that I have spent a small fortune getting here to run again she only needs a few thousand dollars more to make her good. Well that is all for today ... girls love to posts keep them coming.

CA out

Happy WoW its over!

Well it is 2011 and here we are. Nothing has changed with the exception of being a day older and wiser if only the second were true. Been trying to get my computer game running so I would have something to do late at night but the game will not initialize the 3D engine what ever that is. So I am left with a functioning computer for business ...BUMMER! As I write I am reloading the software but I can see that it will not work by the pictures being flashed on the screen. O well. perhaps God thinks I should concentrate on other things.

I see the snow in the Mountains and that is close enough, however it is not that warm here. Fog and wet are the condition of NorCal right now.

Well time is long
CA out.