Random Meanderings

2006-10-06T07:49:00.000-05:00

Hello everyone.

Bobo continues to grow and to be the absolute CUTEST puppy there ever was!
With the helpful hints from Zoner, I may try to put some pics up before long.

The baseball playoffs are in full swing. My favorite team, the Cardinals, have played so well the last two games, that I am in shock. I really thought they would lose this series to San Diego in 3 straight games. Of course, since it's best of five, they could still be "swept" out of the playoffs. At this point, though, it looks like STL goes to the championship series......to receive the beatdown from the NY Mets. Oh well.

This weekend at church is our annual Spiritual Life Conference. Three sessions, all day Sunday, with Dr. Mike Wittmer from Grand Rapids Baptist Seminary, part of Cornerstone University. I have the privilege of leading singing, and presenting special music in Session One. "Who Am I" by Casting Crowns.

IE (my dear wife) is scheduled for surgery on Oct. 26, for removal of the gall bladder. Hopefully this clears up the recent troubles she has had.

Illinois football is still sky high after the upset of Michigan State at East Lansing.
It's homecoming this weekend, with the Illini hosting Indiana.

So, how bout all the flap over Mark Foley and the contact with congressional pages? Very inappropriate and ill-advised, to be sure. But isn't it funny..........
Democrats always demand the resignation of any and all Republicans when scandal among Republicans breaks out................yet if a Democrat scandal erupts, Democrats DEFEND their boy.........and accuse those who disagree of being "intolerant." So really...................who is more intolerant?

Until next time, keep your stick on the ice.

Bobo is home.....and I didn't go stark raving mad.

2006-09-29T09:12:00.000-05:00

In last week's post, I mentioned our new puppy Bobo. He came home yesterday. It was his first day without his brother & sister (who were picked up by their new owners about an hour before) and mom & dad. He is sooooo cute. Purebred Daschund (sic) born August 8. The cutest thing is that when either IE (my dear wife) or myself would pick him up, he would snuggle on us and go to sleep. Which presented our first challenge: bedtime. Being alone for the first time, in his new carrier, was very hard on him. Our cat Lily is eight years old and doesn't really know what to think of him yet, and she is very large. Anyway, Bobo, being alone, howled and cried all night. And trying to pick up on the housebreaking training will be a challenge. He has not yet sucessfully used the potty pad at our house. There will be trying days. But he will be worth it. Did I mention how CUTE he is? We have taken some pictures; using some tips from The Zoner (thanks for the comment and tips, my friend!) I hope to be able to eventually put up some pics of Bobo.

Otherwise how are things? I was not personally audited here at work during the big time we had here this week; my colleague at our #1 plant was. She did well enough for them to leave me alone..........LOL.

IE and I will be attending a seminar sponsored by Crown Financial Ministries tomorrow. Since financial problems, and the resulting integrity questions, were at the root of suspending my blog last year, (see August 2005 archives), this is something that is needed. I have seemingly always been a spendthrift, and I must be more disciplined in handling the resources that God has trusted me with.
Even now, with IE's varied ailments and temporary reduction in her income, we are having some challenges financially. This seminar is a necessary first step toward becoming a better steward, and a more responsible man.

Have a great weekend, and for the whole clan here in east central Illinois, (or as it would be known south of the Cook County line, Downstate), keep your stick on the ice.

Life can be hard.....but God is good! All the time!

2006-09-22T09:17:00.000-05:00

It's been crazy around here since my last post. IE, my dear wife, had another episode of nausea and pain early the morning of Sept. 19, requiring another trip to the emergency room. She was given medication to stabilize her condition, and a sonogram was performed. She will meet with a surgeon on Sept. 29 as the next step in this journey. The common denominator in both ER trips: a seafood dinner at the local Mexican restaurant. Symptoms were the same in both cases. So.........no more visits to that restaurant for the foreseeable future.

We are getting a puppy! He is now six weeks old, and won't come home for another two weeks or so, but he is ours. A miniature Dachscund (sic)
black with brown around his eyes and feet. We have named him "Bobo" after the Petsmart TV commercial showing the weiner dog with his favorite toy. The toy is named Bobo, and when the opportunity came up to get this puppy, I knew I wanted to call him Bobo. If I can figure out how to add pictures, I will show him off. Those of you who know how, feel free to email me with detailed instructions. LOL

Next week is crazy at work. Our factory is being audited for recertification necessary to continue supplying automotive parts to the auto makers. I have twice the work now, being responsible for two separate plants. I hope I don't go stark raving mad.

Have a good weekend, and for IE and Bobo and Lily (our 8 yr. old cat) and all the gang up here (or down here, depending on your geographic location), keep your stick on the ice.

A wild and wacky last few days

2006-08-30T08:49:00.000-05:00

Last Saturday IE and I helped her birth mother move. Sue has a lot of stuff..........a LOTTTT of stuff. She's moving into a smaller apartment, but in a newly built complex for senior citizens 62 and older; she's 64. Didn't get it all moved; not with two minivans and only the three of us. She needs more help than we can give her.

Sunday night IE became nauseated during our pastor's sermon. (No, it wasn't his fault, LOL) Within 45 minutes she was doubled over in severe pain. Went to the ER; an IV was administered with nausea and pain meds. ER doc seems to think it was a gall bladder attack. She is getting a sonogram today at 1 pm to see what's going on.

A cold and rainy day here in our corner of IL. High temps in the 70's through next week though. That's cool.

*Midweek Musings*
-The Emmys really sucked. A plane crash skit, when the whole country knew of the KY crash earlier that day? Yeesh.
-Katie Couric takes over CBS Evening News on Sept. 5. Yawn.
-Pastor Tom at Blessings and Other Stuff has decided to suspend his blog indefinitely. Been there. Hope to read you again soon brother.

Until next time, keep your stick on the ice.

Update and "Midweek Musings"

2006-08-24T08:07:00.000-05:00

Is it possible that summer is almost over? Now, you must understand, I have my own view of when "summer" is, which doesn't go along strictly with the calendar. To me, "summer" begins on the Friday before Memorial Day, and concludes on Labor Day. I guess I got used to that during my school days sooooo long ago. LOL

I have taken on additional tasks at my job. I am a quality auditor on the receiving dock at my plant (known as Plant 3). On Aug. 11 the lady who performed this job at Plant 2, was laid off. She was told it was for one week, but if she returned to work, it would not be in our department. So I now have responsibility for the work at both plants 2 & 3. Back in December of 2003, she had a stroke at work. I filled in for her at that time while doing my own work. She returned to work after six weeks. The reason for her layoff is lack of work; i.e., reduced amount of product coming in for inspection. It is not that I can't handle the workload; rather, it is maintaining two offices, following all procedures, working with two very different shipping departments......you get the idea.

IE (my lovely wife) continues to struggle with knee pain. In a previous post I detailed this. She is scheduled for therapy beginning after Labor Day; if successful, great. If not she will need surgery. I worry about the effect of possible surgery on her job status; in 2001 she was terminated from her job when she could not report back six weeks after rotator cuff surgery on her right shoulder. Canned on Christmas Eve, no less. She likes the day care center where she is now, but her co-worker, working with toddlers, gave her 2 week notice yesterday because her teaching credentials from Wisconsin, do not transfer to Illinois, according to the Dept. of Children & Family Services. The center was forced to cut her pay, and she gave her 2 weeks. Because of this, I am fearful of what surgery on IE will do to her position. We'll deal with it if it comes.

"Midweek Musings":
*Does anyone really care that Tom Cruise was canned by Paramount Pictures?
*Does anyone really care that the Emmy Awards show is on this Sunday night?
*K-Fed? Who is that? (as if we didn't know) And what is he doing "rapping" and using filthy language at the Teen Choice Awards?
*I voted for GW Bush twice; first time, glad to do so. Second time, started out glad, but starting to wonder......

Until next time, keep your stick on the ice.

2006-08-18T12:46:00.000-05:00

The surprise party for IE's birthday came off very well. Our anniversary was the next day. We agreed to postpone the celebration until the weekend, which is now here. Whoo Hooo! Off to Red Lobster for us either tonight or tomorrow night. She deserves it. In fact, she deserves better than what I can give her, but I digress.

I don't know if any of you watched the series "America's Got Talent" with Regis Philbin, but the winner was announced last night. Eleven year old(!) Bianca Ryan of Philadelphia won the million dollar first prize. I'm glad for her. The first time I heard her sing on the show, I said to IE, "They should just give her the million dollars RIGHT NOW!" It is somewhat ironic in that American Idol judge Simon Cowell was executive producer of AGT, and so young children were allowed to compete, yet Idol has an age limit from 16-29. Of course, Idol is designed to find the next singing star, where AGT was open to all kinds of acts. Just found it interesting.........

Have a great weekend, and until next time, keep your stick on the ice.

Eight Years Together

2006-08-15T09:24:00.000-05:00

Today marks the completion of eight years of marriage for IE and myself. Here is a 'brief' rundown of how we got together:

In 1997 I was really struggling with being single. Then my pastor gave a message on being contented. The point being that, as Paul said, we are to be content in every circumstance, knowing that God is in control. I realized that I had been so concerned about my singleness that I was actually being disobedient. That summer I did something for myself. I took a summer class in broadcasting at the local community college. My dream since age 13 had been to be a radio announcer. Taking the class was a step toward realizing that dream. It was a fun course. Toward the end of the class, my instructor told me that he had recommended me to the manager of a local country music station to fill a weekend overnight shift. I was happy. I was on the air, and I was beginning to find contentment.

In April of 97 I met IE for the first time when she and her mother visited our church. IE and her mother became regular attenders. In October IE became a Christian. Following that event, she joined the choir, and I began to befriend her. On New Year's Eve, we were both at a get together at the home of some friends. I was scheduled to go on the air at midnight. IE and I were seated next to each other during the party. We talked and got to know each other better. I had to leave the party at 11pm to make it to the station. I hated to leave. Four days later, on a Saturday, during a period of time when I should have been sleeping, IE called me. We agreed to have dinner and see a movie. I fell in love that night. And told her so. She was more cautious. It took her two weeks. After a whirlwind six-week courtship, I proposed at a church Valentine's Day banquet. She said yes. Six months later, on August 15, 1998, we were married.

We have had tough times. IE has been hurt more than I would have expected. Rotator cuff surgery, a chronic back condition, emergency appendectomy, current problems with her right knee (which may or may not require surgery)....I tease her that with this history of physical injuries she should be playing for the Cubs......LOL! (Tom and Zoner, it's a joke) :-)

We do not have children. Adoption is our only hope. The price tag is currently out of our reach. Plus our ages (I am 41; IE just turned 42) probably works against us. IE is currently working toward being certified as a pre-school teacher through the day care center where she works. I am very proud of her. I don't know what I would do without her.

That's our story. As Paul Harvey would say, "Eight years.....on their way to forever together."

Until next time, keep your stick on the ice.

A (hopefully) big surprise.

2006-08-14T09:08:00.000-05:00

It's August, and there are lots of birthdays and anniversaries of family and friends this month. Today, my wife IE celebrates #42. I have a surprise get-together planned at one of our favorite restaurants, Ryan's Buffet. Our friend Terri, who is one of the managers, helped me set it up. I don't think IE has any idea. Hee Hee.

Yesterday was my friend Lisa's birthday. I called her and we talked for about fifteen minutes. I've known her since I was 17, and she was 14. One of the big blessings of my life is the fact that we are still friends, and still in touch. We went to my senior prom together. (I think she felt sorry for me.....LOL) She has been, and continues to be, a dear friend. I am so thankful for her. Her husband Don is a good guy as well, and they have 3 kids. In fact, Don videotaped my wedding to IE.....eight years ago tomorrow. That's right, wife's birthday on August 14, wedding anniversary on August 15. Convenient, eh? Through everything, Lisa has been a good and dear friend. I am blessed.

IE loves me so much, and I sometimes feel so undeserving of her. She is a beautiful, sweet, loyal woman who is quiet and a bit shy until she knows you. Then she can open up and be a lot of fun. I don't know what I would do without her. I had accepted the fact of lifelong batchelorhood....even become content with the thought....and then, along she came. She has not had things easy....but has overcome the obstacles, and has accomplished good things, and I am very proud of her.

Tomorrow's post will include the story of how IE and I got together.

Until then, keep your stick on the ice.

Reflections, part 2...

2006-07-31T12:01:00.000-05:00

This post is about my father, Charles. Yesterday, July 30, was the four year anniversary of his passing from complications of diabetes and bone cancer.

When I was very young, Dad was busy as a railroad engineer. He would be gone 3 and 4 days at a time. When he was home, he did take time for me. I remember when I was six years old.....Dad bought a new riding lawn mower. This would not happen today...but he took the old one, and taught me how to operate it. He even let me have a small part of the yard to mow. I thought that was really cool.

From the previous post, you know that a new friend of Mom's began to have eyes for my dad. He moved out when I was seven. At the time I didn't know any other kids whose parents were split up. I thought it was my fault. It wasn't, of course, but that's what I believed......for quite a few years. And so from the time I was eight, I began the routine of so many other kids of divorce..........staying with Mom, visiting Dad basically whenever he was home. At ten, Mom and I moved away. So, being two hours away cut down a lot on the time I had with him....mainly alternating holidays and summer. There were times in summers that I would go to his house for maybe a week, and he would be gone four or five days. So I was left to reconnect with old buddies in town or hang out around my 3 stepsisters.

Five months after Mom and I moved, Dad married Dorothy. He told me in a phone call. It was the easiest way.....it was about two weeks before Thanksgiving in 1975. I was ten; turned 11 three months later. And so things continued in this manner up until Dad was involved in a train wreck in April 1981, which hurt his back severely. He was off work on disability when Mom died in July of 1981. After the funeral, I was told that I would be going to live with Dad & Dorothy, back in my old home town. I didn't want to go. I begged Aunt Norma to take me. In point of fact, my mother had written a will designating Norma as my legal guardian, and she would have taken me if Dad had died in the accident. But he (thankfully) was living, and as my natural guardian, he assumed responsibility for me. I was devastated and heartbroken. I went and finished my last two years of high school. At 19 I moved out on my own. I maintained a good relationship with him, and my stepmother, through my 20's into early 30's. Then, at 33, I met IE (my now wife). We became engaged on Valentine's Day 1998. When I took IE to meet them, it was apparent a problem existed. In a letter (written in Dorothy's hand, and signed by them both) I received a few days later, it was stated that they were against the marriage, and that I needed to consider their feelings. It concluded with "we will NOT be attending this wedding." IE is mixed race; white mother, black father. I am as white as they come. As a result of this I wrote back pleading with them to change their minds. No response.

August 15, 1998. The big day. Just before going to the place to prepare to begin the ceremony, I instructed the ushers (two of my older uncles) that if Dad & Dorothy came through the door, they were to be escorted to their place in church auditorium. I held out hope that I would see them when I entered.

I did not.

IE and I were married. For four years Dad & I didn't speak. Then, in 2002, my niece Kara was getting married. Her parents (my brother and sister in law) sent an invitation to both IE & me. We joyfully accepted. In the lobby of the church, after going through the receiving line, Dad and I spoke for the first time in four years. Dorothy said nothing to me. It was then that I realized, that I had punished my dad, when the problem was my stepmother. We all went to the reception afterward. Everyone who I introduced IE to could not have been nicer. Dorothy continued to ignore us. It was okay though; Dad sat with us and talked with us, and we got caught up. Dad treated IE so well that her opinion changed very quickly.

Seven weeks later, the call came that Dad was in home hopsice care. He was dying. I went home on Friday, July 26, and stayed till Sunday nite. Had to go to work. 9:30 Monday morning, another call. Could be any time....IE and I left immediately. Tuesday evening, 9:15pm.....Dad died, with family at his bedside.

After the funeral, I spoke once more to Dorothy on the phone, to make plans to gather to share the cards and remembrances each of Dad's kids had gotten. In addition to me, he had two daughters and a son from his first marriage. Dorothy said she would call to let me know. I waited, and waited,...............no call. If there was a gathering, I wasn't told. That's when I realized that she never had any use for me. Not really. To her, I was a reminder of my mom. Dorothy and I have not spoken since.

Regret #1: Not being at Mom's bedside when she died.
Regret #2: Being mad at my dad for 4 years and almost missing the chance to reconcile. Looking back, Dad never mistreated IE, never. He was kind and gracious. At that time, and for the length of their marriage, Dorothy was in control. I could not have even seen my own father without her being around. It doesn't excuse what I did; I chose not to talk to him for four years.

In these posts I have attemped to follow the commandment to "Honor thy father and mother."

Reflections...

2006-07-27T08:46:00.000-05:00

Today marks 25 years since the passing of my mother, Ruth. She was born in 1935 in Warsaw IL, the seventh of eight children born to Raymond & Lulu, and the fifth girl. Two older brothers died in infancy. The family barely survived during the Great Depression. Lulu (my grandmother) died in 1943, when Ruth was only eight.

Times were tough, but the family did survive. Ruth grew into a beautiful young lady. She married a man named Lester, and the marriage was rocky, to be kind. During this time, a daughter was stillborn. She was named Janice Lynn.

Lester and Ruth divorced. In 1962, Ruth married Charles, a railroad engineer, in Warsaw. On June 2, 1963, twins were born, nearly three months prematurely. After about five hours of life, Jerry Lee and Julie Ann died within minutes of each other. On February 27, 1965 a son, Robert William (me) was born. In 1967, Dad transferred back to his home area near Beardstown, IL.

Ruth struggled for several years with the fact that Charles, as a railroad engineer on the road 3 to 4 days a week, had "lady friends" in a few cities that he went to. She knew, but tried to work through it. In 1971, they became acquainted with a couple with five kids. The lady became friends with Ruth. The friendship ended when the lady, and Charles, began seeing each other. Both couples eventually divorced (Charles & Ruth in 1973) and Charles moved in with the lady, Dorothy, and her five kids.

In the summer of 1975, Mom and I moved back to her hometown of Warsaw IL. Leaving the town where her marriage had ended was an easy decision for her. Not so much for me; I was ten, but didn't remember ever having lived in Warsaw as a baby. Surrounded by family, however, the transition was made easier.

Mom did date; none of whom I thought was worthy of her. She was everything to me. She was the one who raised me. Then in April 1980, she became very ill with what was diagnosed as hepatitis. Her condition worsened, and she was rushed to a hospital in Quincy IL. In surgery, her gall bladder, spleen, and pancreas were removed. She went to the hospital at 160 pounds; she returned home weeks later at 109. She was diabetic, and needed to have daily insulin shots. I was fifteen years old. I was stunned. I tried to be a better son. She wanted me to learn how to give her the shots. I just couldn't...I couldn't do it. On good days, Mom was able to be up and actually do light housework until about noon; after that she was forced to bed, sapped of strength. In the beginning she slept in the bed in her bedroom at night, and spent afternoons on the couch. As her illness progressed, the hideabed in the couch became her sleeping place, and I left my upstairs bedroom and slept in her room. A few months later, even in the midst of fighting with greatly varying levels of blood sugar, and unbeknownst to me, she began chemotherapy for cancer. My Aunt Norma heroically cared for us both from the day Mom first became ill, and took care of me when Mom couldn't. Mom had to go to the hospital several times during this period of about fourteen months in order to stabilize her condition. Then in late July, 1981, she went into the hospital for what would be the last time. The first day, her sugar level was 155; in less than 24 hours it was 376. At that point she went into a diabetic coma from which she did not emerge. However, when you spoke to her, she could hear you. We were told, (this was a Friday) that she would not live throught the weekend. But she did. On this day, 25 years ago, a Monday, after getting off my summer job for the day, Aunt Norma and I went to the hospital. I told Mom that I had not forgotten that her birthday was the next day, July 28. I said that I would have something for her to mark the occasion. Then Norma took me to her home.

Just after seven o'clock that evening, the phone rang. It was the hospital. Norma needed to go back. She asked if I wanted to go............I said no. What I didn't know, and Norma didn't say to me, was that Mom's death was imminent. At 9:45 pm, Mom passed away. I had gone to bed just after 10. Norma came into the room where I was sleeping at 12:45 am, and told me that Mom was gone. To this day, I regret that I was not at Mom's side when she passed away.

Ruth was a wonderful woman who wanted those around her to be happy. She worked hard at whatever she did. She believed in God from a young age, but became a child of God during her initial stay in hospital; a young minister who also taught at my school, showed her the way from the Bible, and she was saved.

It has been 25 years. I am 41 years old. I still miss her every day. But I know I will see her again! Praise be to Almighty God!

I am humbled and honored.

2006-07-25T07:35:00.000-05:00

There are a few blogs that I check and read on a fairly regular basis. You will find several of them listed to the right. This morning I went to one of my favorites, Tim Ellsworth's blog. I encourage you to read his posts. He has done some updating, and has seen fit to include THIS BLOG on his list of links. I am humbled, honored, and thankful. During the first incarnation of this blog (January-August 2005), I was added to the links list of a blogger from the UK. It really is cool when someone takes the time to add your blog to their links list. Thanks, Tim. You made my day.

This past weekend........I got to be a kid again,........for a little while. IE (my dear wife) and I joined our friends Darryl and Karen and their sons, along with Karen's parents, in a trip to Chuck E. Cheese's in Bloomington IL. If anyone is wondering, it's a pizza place with lots of games for kids, like you would find in an arcade. The kids loved it, and IE and I played some of the games as well.

Beginning this Thursday, July 27, I will be reflecting on my parents. To offer a bit of explanation, July 27 is the day 25 years ago that my mother passed away. July 28 of 1935 was the day she was born. My father passed away on July 30, 2002. Since the passing of Mom, the 27th and 28th of July each year have been tough. Four years ago, July 30th was added to that list. More on this subject is coming.

Until next time, keep your stick on the ice.

Think about it................

2006-07-19T13:42:00.000-05:00

Seen on a church's outdoor sign:

"If you stretch the truth, it may snap back at you."

Midweek Musings

2006-07-19T10:17:00.000-05:00

*It appears that bragging about the seven game win streak of the St. Louis Cardinals has put a jinx on them. The Atlanta Braves came to STL and have soundly defeated the Cards by scores of 15-3, and 13-5. And yet, the Cards somehow manage to remain in first place in their division. And so, I must keep any "bragging" to a minimum.

*The conflict between Israel and Hezbollah continues. I don't claim to know all about what is happening. I do know that the Bible talks of "wars, and rumors of wars," and I sometimes wonder whether IE (my lovely wife) and I will grow old together here on earth. Whether we do or not, we know that we both are children of the most high God.

*Speaking of which, did you hear the one about the judge in Hawaii who found a man in contempt of court because the man said "thank you Jesus" when he was found not guilty of child abuse. It stems from the charge that the man struck his 15-year old son with a broom handle. The truth, which came out in court, is that the younger brother hit the 15-year old with a car door. The judge had instructed the counsel for both sides not to display emotion at the time of the verdict. The defendant's attorney evidently did not have opportunity to inform his client of this instruction; thus the man cried out in praise to Jesus. The judge ordered him held in contempt; six hours later, the judge dropped the contempt charge. The Bible says that the name of Jesus causes offense.............

*High temperatures and humidity continues in central Illinois. It's July; no surprise about that. Might get a break this weekend; temps fall to 85.......................

*Anybody else absolutely SICK of TomKat, Brangelina, and Paris Hilton?

Until next time, keep your stick on the ice.

"Feelin' HOT HOT HOT!!!!!"

2006-07-17T12:12:00.000-05:00

My oh my. Is it ever hot here in Illinois!! Good thing it's slow at work, and my office has central air conditioning. :-)

The Middle East is heating up again. Wars and rumors of wars............sometimes I wonder how long, O God? How long?

The STL Cardinals are riding a seven game winning streak. WHOO HOO!

IE (my lovely wife) attended an education conference on Saturday. She is working toward certification to teach pre-school children. She earned nearly half the hours she needs to put toward her application to become a CDA (child development associate). She is already a CNA (certifed nurse assistant). I told her both of those would look good on a business card. :-)

Take care, stay cool, and until next time.......keep your stick on the ice.

Mmmmmm,................iced tea.......................

2006-07-13T07:19:00.000-05:00

Time Passes.............................

1976:
Going to a new hip joint.

2006:
Getting a new hip joint.

Pieces of history

2006-07-10T13:33:00.000-05:00

It was a good weekend. On Saturday IE (my lovely wife) and I joined six others in journeying to Springfield IL to visit the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library & Museum (www.alplm.org). It is simply outstanding. The complex is made up of two buildings, the museum to the north, and the actual library to the south with an above ground walkway adjoining them. We spent nearly six hours in the museum. The buildings are impressive and very clean. There are reproductions of Lincoln's boyhood cabin in KY, a reproduced facade of the front of the White House, two very impressive theatres with shows that cover the life of Lincoln, and many other features. If you are near Springfield, or will be going there soon for any reason, I highly recommend a visit. They do presell tickets, and since the complex is just over a year old, they will have large crowds for a while, I'm sure. Use the above website for more information.

After leaving Springfield our group had dinner at Cracker Barrel in Decatur IL. The group of eight became ten, as IE's birth mother Sue and our nephew Brandon joined us for dinner. A good time was had by all.

Sunday..........of course was worship at my church. It was a baptimal service. A former Muslim, who has renounced Islam and embraced the claims of Christianity, was baptized in the morning service. His wife had come to Christ several years ago, and she has been fighting cancer for at least the past 2 years. The man's four daughters, along with grandchildren and other family members, were present for this special time. The glow on his wife's face spoke volumes. She had prayed for this day for YEARS. In our church's understanding of baptism, we baptize by immersion, full body, in a large tank. We believe that the Bible teaches that baptism is an act of obedience following conversion to Jesus Christ. Baptism itself does not take away sin. Baptism is a public declaration of a person's salvation through Christ, and his desire to forsake his former way of life in order to follow Christ in obedience.

Have a good day, and as always...........................

Until next time, keep your stick on the ice.

"INFERNAL MACHINES!!!!!"

2006-07-06T13:21:00.000-05:00

This morning, when I came to work at 6 am, I thought it would be like any other day. I opened the door to my office, entered, and turned on the computer. Or at least I thought I did. The CPU unit would not turn on. Even when I contacted our tech support for help. Their suggestions did not work. Finally, at 10 am, one of them came over and, after almost dismantling the entire unit, found that the power source was defective. He replaced it, and I was in business.

Very slow here at the plant. We are in the first week of a seven-week slowdown period, which is common in the automotive parts industry. I still come to work and get paid, and for that I am thankful. Thursday is typically the slowest day of the week, and today is no exception.

Yesterday I read that two officers with the Royal Canadian Mounted Police are getting married. So what, you say. What's the big deal? Their names are Jason and David. Go to www.mensnewsdaily.com and scroll down till you see the article intro in the middle of the page.

Until next time, keep your stick on the ice.

2006-07-05T10:30:00.000-05:00

The long weekend is over, and so back to work. I can't believe how quickly four days can go by. Started out badly with an infestation of japanese beetles on Saturday morning. IE (my lovely wife) was attempting to hang laundry out on the line. These rotten excuses for flying critters immediately landed on the wet clothes AND WOULD NOT LEAVE until I started waving a fly swatter at them like a crazy man. Ended up, since our dryer is not heating properly, going to the local coin operated laundromat. That afternoon, we attended our niece Lexi's ninth birthday party. Kids ran through the water sprinkler, adults sat under the shade trees with their chosen beverages. Sunday of course was worship, with lunch at a local Ryan's buffet restaurant. Monday kinda sucked though. We have a minivan....and the storage for the spare tire is underneath the vehicle. Seems that you have to turn a bolt on the very back floorboard in order to raise or lower the apparatus which holds the tire in place. After much struggle, the nut/bolt stripped out, leaving the tire dangling under the vehicle about four to six inches above the ground. No amount of turning the bolt would move it in ANY direction. A friend of mine came over with some bolt cutters and snipped the wire. So now the spare tire will be stored inside the van behind the very back seat. Unless...........I can use bungee cords to hold it in place in the luggage rack on TOP of the van.........? (suggestions welcome)

My dear friends Darryl & Karen (along with their 2 young sons) arrived Monday night from their home in British Columbia, CANADA, where Darryl is a pastor. In fact, he now pastors the church where his father pastored when Darryl was a boy. He is a gifted musician and computer techie, and as nice a man as there is. Karen is like a sister to me. We have known each other for 16 years, since she moved with her family to the town where I live. Being from Canada, and homeschooled, the prospect of her senior year being spent in an American public HS was a bit disconcerting to her. She credits me with tutoring her through American civics. She is a gifted pianist, teacher, and most importantly, wife and mother. They will be here until August 2. It's good to have them home.

July 4 was spent watching our town's parade, a cookout with games at our church, competitive karoke at a friend's house, and watching fireworks at dark.

Until next time, keep your stick on the ice.

"Where's God?"

2006-06-29T14:09:00.000-05:00

A true story from last night at Vacation Bible School:

It was a good night. The kids had fun, and enjoyed singing.

At the end of the evening, I was taking down the laptop computer

we use to project the lyrics onto a big screen. One of the VBS workers,

Lin, came up to me. She said that during the evening one of the little girls

in her class would ask from time to time, "Where's God?"

Lin would explain that God is everywhere.........at the same time..........

no matter where we go. Finally the little girl pointed to the front of the

stage area where I stand to sing with the kids. "No, I mean him (referring to me)...

God!"

I was speechless.

How do you respond to something like that?

2006-06-28T08:13:00.000-05:00

I previously wrote concerning the Vacation Bible School currently taking place at my church this week, and saying that I would blog about it. So here it is.

Our theme is "Set Sail! Spread the Good News!" A one-week program, 90 minutes each evening Monday-Friday. Around 25 children have been attending so far. My job is to sing with the kids and teach the songs, as well as the opening exercise which includes a brief skit related to the lesson for the evening.

File this under "children are a treasure from the Lord": There is a young girl named Emily who is in VBS this year. This is her second one; she came last year when she was 4. Our age group is 4 years old through completion of sixth grade. Emily is absolutely adorable, just a beautiful little girl. She is also a bundle of energy. Last night, after the last song was sung and it was time to go home, the children filed out of our auditorium. I was there gathering my belongings when, suddenly, here comes Emily! She runs down the aisle and literally runs right into me for a big hug. I gave her a hug and talked to her a bit, then she was off running again. A few minutes later, with me still in the auditorium, here comes Emily again! This time, she stops about two feet away from me and just smiles the biggest smile. I take a step toward her, and she hugs me again. We walk out of the auditorium and she goes with our piano player, who is bringing her to VBS.

This may seem like it is not noteworthy, but as a 41-year-old man who is not a father, what Emily did....made me feel good, to be honest. IE and I cannot have children "the old-fashioned way," and in our current financial situation, adoption is too expensive. My heart longs to be a daddy. When a child feels safe enough to come up to you for a hug, especially when you are not part of their family, that is the most sacred trust that I can think of, outside the bonds of marriage. I simply cannot understand how anyone could hurt, harm, or abuse these precious children.

IE, my dear wife, visited the doctor yesterday. She had been experiencing leg pain for several days. It seems that she has a torn ligament, and a superficial blood clot, behind her right knee. She is off work at least today and tomorrow, and out of VBS as well for those two days. She was helping with crafts. She must wear a large knee brace, and alternate the use of ice and heat on the leg. That's what they told her. Said to come back in a month unless it gets worse. She saw a physician's assistant who is a member of our church, so I am trusting his instructions............for now. :-)

With July 4th on a Tuesday this year, the plant where I work is closing on Monday as well. There is a possibility that I will be called upon to work Monday at one of the other plants in our company; there are 3. I hope I can get Monday off; I could sure use 4 consecutive days off.

Until next time, keep your stick on the ice.

2006-06-23T13:43:00.000-05:00

There are times when other people just frustrate you to no end. Such is the case today. I work in a factory; specifically a plant which manufactures interiors for various vehicles. The materials manager is in a snit today because he was given some parts that he declared definitively were damaged by the freight delivery company. In my role as receiving quality auditor, I check to make sure that the parts are good to use. The manager sent an email to me AND my supervisor with his charges, asking what can be done to ensure that this does not happen again. Well, mr. manager, there is NO CONCLUSIVE PROOF that the damage was the fault of the freight company and that I simply ignored it. Once I approve it, the parts are moved to a storage area, plus they are transported to different areas of the plant. Once I mark them as OK, I HAVE NOTHING FURTHER TO DO WITH THEM. He is doing this because he needs something to gripe about. In the past two years he has been taken out of this plant 3 times on a stretcher because of stress brought upon himself through his intense personality. It's funny that he is paying attention all of a sudden; usually any problems with purchased material are dealt with by going over me. Hmmmmm.................maybe somebody's watching HIM a little more closely......................................

Otherwise, how are things? VBS at my church starts Monday night. Unlike past years, we had only two months to prepare. The organizing meeting was in April and it starts June 26. In the future, I will watch closely to make sure this type of scheduling doesn't happen again. I'm sure I will be blogging during the course of the week about how it's going.

Have a good weekend.

A new week.

2006-06-19T07:30:00.000-05:00

Greetings. I hope your weekend went well. I did something I had never done before. Now, before you get all excited or something, it was rather mundane work. I mowed my lawn. Yawn. But I started doing it at 6:30 am on Saturday. Yes, you read that right. 6:30 am. It really didn't phase me, since during the work week I get up at 4:15 am in order to be ready to clock in at the factory at 6:00 am. I got the idea from a neighbor, whom I observed awhile back mowing her lawn at 5:50 am one day as I was driving to work. So I thought to myself...................."Self,... you oughta mow Saturday morning REEEAAAALLL
early, so it's done and you have the rest of the day free." So I did. Got done by 7:30, and was able to get other things done, and go with my lovely wife IE (as she is known here) to some garage sales in town. At one of them, she found what she called the "mother lode." She is a BIG collector of Garfield items. An entire box of Garfield stuffed toys, and a table with other Garfield items. She brought home THREE bags of Garfield stuff............for only $8.50. If you have Garfield items you would like to sell.............rather inexpensively................leave a comment or e-mail me. Which reminds me, on Friday night, we had a date night; dinner at Applebee's and a movie, "Garfield: A Tail of 2 Kitties." It was funny, especially with Bill Murray as the voice of Garfield. Jennifer Love Hewitt is in the movie as the girlfriend of Jon, Garfield's owner. I must say, she is very beautiful, and a really good light comedic actress. (Did I mention she is gorgeous?) I found something at a garage sale also. Usually I think that garage sales are just people passing their junk on to other people. But someone was selling a gently used extra extra large George Foreman grill ($100 new in stores) for just $25. I've used it twice and the food has been great. I'm happy with the purchase.

I hope that you were able to spend time with your fathers on Father's day. My dad passed away in 2002, and coupled with my mom being gone since 1981, I have no one to spoil on the days in May and June set aside for that purpose. Although I do have 2 mothers-in-law.......................................................
that's another story for another day.

Good day.

Perhaps an explanation is in order.

2006-06-15T14:18:00.000-05:00

As I think about it, I seemingly reappeared out of nowhere on Monday June 12, after four months of no blog entries. Hence, the title of today's entry.

At the time of my last entry in mid February, I was losing interest in blogging. My forty-first birthday was just days away, and it was just more of the same stuff, different day. In mid-March, I came down with pneumonia, which caused me to miss a week's worth of work. If you have had this ailment, you know just how miserable it is. Aches, pain, weakness, unable to breathe........and so on. Then, just one day after going back to work, I called in sick again, this time because of severe gout pain. I began to despair of ever feeling better. Fortunately, it passed, and I returned to the regular routine of life.

Since that time, I have returned to my old home town twice. I realize how blessed I am to be able to "go home again." On the last trip home I received a box of things that had been in my Dad's attic. My stepmother dropped it off at my aunt's house back home. There were pictures, the letters I had written back home from basic training, and occasion cards I had sent to Dad over the years. There was also my original birth certificate, which I had believed was lost, and the paperwork concerning the cemetary plots my parents had purchased in 1963, in order to bury my twin brother and sister, who were preemies, and were born and died on June 2, 1963. (I was born in 1965.) Dad bought six plots; four of them are now filled. The twins, our mother (died 1981), my mom's father (died 1977), and Mom's sister Mildred (died 1984). I read over the papers, and they say that my dad, and his heirs, are the owners of the plots forever. Since he held the papers at the time of his death in 2002, and I assume his son and 2 daughters from his first marriage were not interested, then that makes me his heir in assuming ownership of the plots. But the thing that brought tears to my eyes was the plaque I had made for Dad in 8th grade. An image of a 1912 Maxwell car, pressed in copper, and mounted on a piece of wood. This simple childhood gift hung on his wall til the day he died. He was an antique car collector and restorer. As much as having the plaque back means to me, I wish I had Dad back. He was diabetic, but bone cancer killed him.

Anyway, I've gone quite long in this post. Likely more to come.

_______ ________, .............................Good Day!

Summertime....

2006-06-12T10:30:00.000-05:00

is here, and not a moment too soon. To me, summer begins on the Friday of Memorial Day weekend, and ends on Labor Day. I know, I know, there is the matter of the calendar and such; I don't care. It's when I say it is.

My niece Elexus (long E, then pronounce lexus, like the car) began playing softball this year. It's her first time. She is eight years old, will be nine on July 7. Her first season began in late May and ends on June 29; twelve games in all. The games overall have been high scoring, but usually the runs are scored by the pitcher walking the bases loaded, then walking the batter.....but late in the game it seems that the girls find their hitting range. Last Thursday Elexus hit a pitch clear into the outfield. It landed just in the grass past the infield, then rolled a little bit. I was (and am) a proud uncle.

On May 27 my cousin Donna got married. My wife (IE) and I attended the wedding in Unionville MO, and the next day I sang for the morning service at Bel Air Baptist Church in Keokuk, IA where my cousin Mike is the pastor.
Bel Air was where I committed my life to Jesus Christ in 1979, at the age of fourteen. It is always good to go home again; I am fortunate to be able to "go home" again.

Been struggling with painful gout the past week or so. I think it's time for new shoes. I am very hard on shoes. Plus the fact of being overweight brings on the whole gout thing. We all have our struggles.....we deal with them daily.

Thanks for dropping by.

Bob

A week has gone by since my last post.

2006-02-16T07:37:00.000-06:00

Since that time IE (my wife) has seemed to recover from whatever was ailing her. What drove her nuts was the painful cramping whenever she needed to use the bathroom. It seems to have subsided. She has put herself on a vitamin supplement regimen, in addition to her continued participation in Weight Watchers. She has lost 15 pounds in the two months since joining.

For Valentine's Day we had dinner at Applebee's in nearby Champaign. The reason for this was that this restaurant has a section on the menu that is WW approved. The point values are listed for the menu items in the section. For my part, I had the Bourbon Street Steak. It was outstanding.

Illinois' men's basketball team broke a two game losing streak by beating Northwestern 63-47.
Cool.

It is dreary and rainy here.........high temp expected to be 55. Tomorrow, 29. As the old saying goes: If you don't like the weather, wait a few minutes and it will change.

This week's Link recommendation: Anonymous Midwest Girl. It's always a great read, but viewer discretion is advised..............salty language and the like.

See ya.