As I went to bed on Tuesday night I asked Mama to pack me a salad for lunch on Wednesday. When I got up on Wednesday morning and was packing to go to work there was no salad waiting for me. I do not usually pack my lunch in the morning (Time is short and it makes too much noise.) so I left empty handed thinking I would go to Taco Bell or someplace else cheap; but I really do not like to go out to eat for lunch – without Mama. Going out to eat without me does not seem to bother her nearly as much.
Mama called about 8:00 a.m. to apologize, but as it worked out I asked her to bring Victoria to Borger with her so they could pick up the little car. As a result I took them out to eat at a decent restaurant in Borger. I got to go home in a company truck. Paperwork for my new truck is being filed and if approved, the truck will be ordered later this month. The expected delivery date will be in early October. Since I will be on call later this month it was decided that I should drive one of the available trucks until mine arrives. Not a bad deal.
As much as Mama and Victoria are stressing out over clothing for this wedding I cannot imagine the stress at Cori’s house in Milton. I think Mama has decided on and bought an outfit for the wedding – more for the wedding pictures. Victoria is ready I guess. It is difficult to tell, but she now has the added expense of getting to and being in her friend Heather’s wedding later in August.
With Victoria having offered to pay for the gas for the Lincoln to and from Milton, pay for her flight to North Carolina for Heather’s wedding and buy the dress that goes along with that trip, she will be completely broke – so much for saving for the move to the farm. All it took was two weddings and those little incidentals that we do to make people feel special. I told Mama it is another one of those times that an expensive dress must be bought to be worn for a few hours all for the purpose of coordinating pictures for a wedding album. I guess it’s a guy thing but I wonder why they can’t rent this stuff the way we do a tux?
Rarely if ever will a groom ask his best man, groomsmen or ushers to buy a tuxedo to be in his wedding. And I ask, would a man not have more occasions to wear a tux during his lifetime that a woman will to wear a wedding gown or her bride’s maid dress? So why don’t we have the groom buy the tux and the bride rent the wedding gown? Total savings would be about $400 and up per wedding.
Can you imagine Nate or Aaron on a Sunday afternoon, friends are over, it’s time to reminisce and he asks, “Want to see my wedding tux? It’s been so long since I’ve gotten it out.” To which his friend replies, “I still have mine. I’m saving it for my sons to wear to their on their wedding day.”
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Thursday, July 28, 2011
Wednesday, July 27, 2011
Scheduling, shopping
I remember a country song that quipped “I got both ends meeting in the middle but I can’t seem to get them tied.” Life is imitating art in that respect. We are pulling all the divergent tasks together but we are not fully confident of the timeframes for any of it. Aaron’s boat is stuck in dry dock because of generator problems so his approved time off for the wedding is in question; but plans move ahead as scheduled.
We are attempting to schedule the closing on our farm on the 8th so we can do that on the way over to the wedding; no commitment on that front either. All these events will happen, but the schedules are not firm. That makes extending invitations and arranging travel plans problematic. So we press forward prayerfully and set the goal as if it were not a moving target.
I went out last night with Mama to look at dresses. She needs something to wear for the wedding photo ops. We struck out pretty badly – it made her miss New Jersey. Either the colors were not right or the fit was not right or the style was not right. We still face the daunting task of accessorizing once she does decide on the outfit. I feel her pain a little because most of the clothing in the stores was just plain ugly. I cannot imagine how some retailers survive.
Mama took me to show me one particular dress that she said she really liked but I could not imagine her ever wearing it with any confidence. It was a shoulder-less long gown with a necklace type neck line. She did not look bad in it. I just cannot imagine her wearing it. Other dresses were too hot, too casual, too short, too wrinkly, too tight, too formal, too see through, too 1920’s (I’m not much on the “flapper” look which seems to be popular.) and on the list goes.
I enjoy shopping with her. We used to do it often, but as we have both gotten old either our tastes have changes or our physique has changed, making it a much less pleasant task. Grandpa Kline often says that he weighs the same as he did when he got married; it is just arranged a little differently. Add to that the money needs we are projecting and a limited budget and you come up with a recipe for discouragement. Mama will recover. I probably will too.
Mama and I did manage to find a suit for Chase at J C Penney’s. They will be back there today to see if the suit pants are needed or if he can make due with what he has. As we were walking through the store to show Chase the jackets we had found he remarked about a headless male manikin with sculpted pecs and six pack abs “Look Dad, they had cast my torso in plastic.” My son is not vain he is just extremely pleased with himself.
We are attempting to schedule the closing on our farm on the 8th so we can do that on the way over to the wedding; no commitment on that front either. All these events will happen, but the schedules are not firm. That makes extending invitations and arranging travel plans problematic. So we press forward prayerfully and set the goal as if it were not a moving target.
I went out last night with Mama to look at dresses. She needs something to wear for the wedding photo ops. We struck out pretty badly – it made her miss New Jersey. Either the colors were not right or the fit was not right or the style was not right. We still face the daunting task of accessorizing once she does decide on the outfit. I feel her pain a little because most of the clothing in the stores was just plain ugly. I cannot imagine how some retailers survive.
Mama took me to show me one particular dress that she said she really liked but I could not imagine her ever wearing it with any confidence. It was a shoulder-less long gown with a necklace type neck line. She did not look bad in it. I just cannot imagine her wearing it. Other dresses were too hot, too casual, too short, too wrinkly, too tight, too formal, too see through, too 1920’s (I’m not much on the “flapper” look which seems to be popular.) and on the list goes.
I enjoy shopping with her. We used to do it often, but as we have both gotten old either our tastes have changes or our physique has changed, making it a much less pleasant task. Grandpa Kline often says that he weighs the same as he did when he got married; it is just arranged a little differently. Add to that the money needs we are projecting and a limited budget and you come up with a recipe for discouragement. Mama will recover. I probably will too.
Mama and I did manage to find a suit for Chase at J C Penney’s. They will be back there today to see if the suit pants are needed or if he can make due with what he has. As we were walking through the store to show Chase the jackets we had found he remarked about a headless male manikin with sculpted pecs and six pack abs “Look Dad, they had cast my torso in plastic.” My son is not vain he is just extremely pleased with himself.
Tuesday, July 26, 2011
Lots of little things
I have to guard myself against the irritations that naturally come as activities extend beyond Mama and our children. It is not so much the added expense of including others, it is the picky little requests that overwhelm me. Rather than just going along with what I can easily provide for everyone I must now do some little thing here and some little thing there to make everybody happy; all the while knowing the it won’t really make them happy, they just need to feel like they got something special out of the deal.
Oh, well. I guess we are all stressing out a little about this wedding but to gain a son-in-law like Aaron it will be worth it. Maggie is getting touchy because there are so many decisions to be made and everything, literally everything, costs money. Maggie is one who likes to get things over with as quickly as possible so she does not have to deal with it any more. Almost any solution will do as long as it’s over. That approach is coming up short with respect to the wedding so it is an emotional, nerve wracking experience for her. What a wonderful growth opportunity.
We are still one thousand miles away and have the closing on the farm hanging out there somewhere soon on top of getting all the family here down to the wedding. My new boss is giving me some problems with commitments made to me by my old boss – imagine that! It will all work out but in the midst of the turmoil it is a struggle to stay calm and focused while every other area of life still goes on.
I have often said that it is rarely the big things that steal our joy. It is the multitude of little things that wear us down into despair. We are not there yet and all the little fires we are fighting will soon be conquered and well behind us. The fact that they are all happening at once is what takes time to digest.
Mama is a little bummed out at not being able to find a dress she likes and I have asked her to ensure what she buys is something she will wear more than once. I have never viewed clothing as task specific. One of the reasons I am annoyed at the expense of wedding gowns is that it is a dress that will only be worn once; as such, it becomes more of a prop for photo ops than anything else. It is bought with the understanding that it will never be worn again. My mind cannot get wrapped around that, but I go along to get along.
Mama has explained it to me several times – enough for me to know that it is important to her and many other females. Honestly, it did not sink in any deeper than when I explain to her why I buy non-metallic brake pads.
Oh, well. I guess we are all stressing out a little about this wedding but to gain a son-in-law like Aaron it will be worth it. Maggie is getting touchy because there are so many decisions to be made and everything, literally everything, costs money. Maggie is one who likes to get things over with as quickly as possible so she does not have to deal with it any more. Almost any solution will do as long as it’s over. That approach is coming up short with respect to the wedding so it is an emotional, nerve wracking experience for her. What a wonderful growth opportunity.
We are still one thousand miles away and have the closing on the farm hanging out there somewhere soon on top of getting all the family here down to the wedding. My new boss is giving me some problems with commitments made to me by my old boss – imagine that! It will all work out but in the midst of the turmoil it is a struggle to stay calm and focused while every other area of life still goes on.
I have often said that it is rarely the big things that steal our joy. It is the multitude of little things that wear us down into despair. We are not there yet and all the little fires we are fighting will soon be conquered and well behind us. The fact that they are all happening at once is what takes time to digest.
Mama is a little bummed out at not being able to find a dress she likes and I have asked her to ensure what she buys is something she will wear more than once. I have never viewed clothing as task specific. One of the reasons I am annoyed at the expense of wedding gowns is that it is a dress that will only be worn once; as such, it becomes more of a prop for photo ops than anything else. It is bought with the understanding that it will never be worn again. My mind cannot get wrapped around that, but I go along to get along.
Mama has explained it to me several times – enough for me to know that it is important to her and many other females. Honestly, it did not sink in any deeper than when I explain to her why I buy non-metallic brake pads.
Monday, July 25, 2011
Wedding plans? Joshua, news items
We should find out this week about Maggie’s and Aaron’s wedding. He is attempting to get the week of the 8th of August off with the wedding scheduled for the 11th: all that is dependant on getting the time off. IF he announces that he is free for those days there will be a flurry of activity at the Mortenson house as the plans are worked to execution. I imagine Cori is going nuts about now.
Joshua told Mama late last week that he has lost the lease at the mall in Hot Springs. We have no idea what is going to happen to his business with the loss of space. We do know that he will not have a place to live any longer since he was living at his business. I am deeply torn about how to pray for my son except that God’s will be done and that he would have the wisdom to fall into step with God in that will. What it will cost him I a am not sure, but God’s way is always the best way – regardless how things look to us.
Mama and Victoria said goodbye to the boys yesterday. Their mother is currently unemployed so she will be keeping her brood at home with her until something turns up. Mama told her she would be unavailable until the 16th of August due to the wedding being planned and the potential of signing on the farm the first weekend in August. (I will be calling to confirm the approximate dated today or tomorrow.) Though we are excited about both events we are scared about the financial hemorrhage it will cause.
Casey, the mother of the boys, promised to arrange visits with Mama and Victoria so they could get a booster dose of Mama Kim through the separation. The couple we invited over for Sunday lunch got to witness the goodbyes and the wife remarked that it is not that hard for her to say goodbye to her grandchildren. She just doesn’t know Mama. With rare exception, every child that comes into her care gets fully adopted into her loving world and every parting is an emotional trauma; the younger they are the more traumatic it is.
Saturday was a workday at the church. There were probably thirty people that showed up to do the hundreds of odd jobs the pastor and staff had thought up. I fixed the sagging ceiling tile in the sanctuary while another group of men replaced lights in the sanctuary. My work was only fourteen feet up. Theirs was two sets of scaffolding and an eight foot ladder above the floor. It was a little scary to watch – especially with the safety focus we have at work. Thankfully we finished the day without injury.
On Saturday evening I got a call from the liquidator concerning the log homes we have been looking at. He did not have the smaller model Mama and I were thinking about – in order to save a little money – but he has two of the models that are slightly larger. After some discussion Mama and I decided to go ahead and order the one we could get and agreed to a delivery date of August 25th. With the down payment for the farm and the log package purchase, we will run our savings account pretty low. Add to that Maggie and Aaron’s wedding and we will be pretty much done. At this point we are not sure where the equipment to work the farm will come from, but it will be ours to work when we can. Patience.
I was privileged with a lightening show all the way to work this morning. I can only hope there is rain in the clouds that were showing off. We are in desperate need of rain.
Joshua told Mama late last week that he has lost the lease at the mall in Hot Springs. We have no idea what is going to happen to his business with the loss of space. We do know that he will not have a place to live any longer since he was living at his business. I am deeply torn about how to pray for my son except that God’s will be done and that he would have the wisdom to fall into step with God in that will. What it will cost him I a am not sure, but God’s way is always the best way – regardless how things look to us.
Mama and Victoria said goodbye to the boys yesterday. Their mother is currently unemployed so she will be keeping her brood at home with her until something turns up. Mama told her she would be unavailable until the 16th of August due to the wedding being planned and the potential of signing on the farm the first weekend in August. (I will be calling to confirm the approximate dated today or tomorrow.) Though we are excited about both events we are scared about the financial hemorrhage it will cause.
Casey, the mother of the boys, promised to arrange visits with Mama and Victoria so they could get a booster dose of Mama Kim through the separation. The couple we invited over for Sunday lunch got to witness the goodbyes and the wife remarked that it is not that hard for her to say goodbye to her grandchildren. She just doesn’t know Mama. With rare exception, every child that comes into her care gets fully adopted into her loving world and every parting is an emotional trauma; the younger they are the more traumatic it is.
Saturday was a workday at the church. There were probably thirty people that showed up to do the hundreds of odd jobs the pastor and staff had thought up. I fixed the sagging ceiling tile in the sanctuary while another group of men replaced lights in the sanctuary. My work was only fourteen feet up. Theirs was two sets of scaffolding and an eight foot ladder above the floor. It was a little scary to watch – especially with the safety focus we have at work. Thankfully we finished the day without injury.
On Saturday evening I got a call from the liquidator concerning the log homes we have been looking at. He did not have the smaller model Mama and I were thinking about – in order to save a little money – but he has two of the models that are slightly larger. After some discussion Mama and I decided to go ahead and order the one we could get and agreed to a delivery date of August 25th. With the down payment for the farm and the log package purchase, we will run our savings account pretty low. Add to that Maggie and Aaron’s wedding and we will be pretty much done. At this point we are not sure where the equipment to work the farm will come from, but it will be ours to work when we can. Patience.
I was privileged with a lightening show all the way to work this morning. I can only hope there is rain in the clouds that were showing off. We are in desperate need of rain.
Friday, July 22, 2011
My new boss, a wedding plan, short nights, Chase
I got to meet my new boss briefly yesterday. He seems like a pretty easy going person. Time will tell as his management style becomes apparent. I have a longer meeting with him this morning so I will get a better feel for him personally. He told me he had his wife with him as he is traveling from place to place meeting his staff and their teams. I can appreciate that.
I talked with one of our land specialists yesterday about tracking down the mineral rights to our property and it turns out to be pretty difficult. He is very familiar with the land we are buying and with the courthouse where all the deed records are kept; doing the research will be tedious and potentially fruitless. He said he spends $300k per month on people to do just that. I think I have other more pressing concerns at the moment. That kind of effort can wait until winter.
It looks like Cori and Nate will host a wedding in their new home. Mama says Cori is stressing out about it since so many little things need to be finished in order for the house to look like a wedding venue, but I think Aaron and Maggie will be forever grateful for the hospitality. The date is still in question so stay tuned for further developments on this life-changing exclusive story.
It has taken some time for Maggie to accept and adapt to the flux in which she must operate but I see signs of real progress. I would not have given my daughter credit for her adaptability, but love has a way of refocusing our hearts and I can appreciate the change I am seeing in Maggie – for her and Aaron’s sakes.
Mama kept the little ones last night for the second night. I think the two smallest really like the arrangement and the oldest is always willing to go along. All in all, it is not a bad deal. Although it keeps Mama and Victoria from having to get up at 5:30 a.m. it gives them responsibility for the 3 a.m. feeding – six to one, half a dozen to the other.
Mama was excited last when she got to watch the baby roll over for the very first time. For some reason that is a milestone moment for the women in my life. I am not sure if everyone feels that way but I know they do. It is tantamount to taking the first steps – which Mama may also see if we stay here long enough. She is worried about losing Victoria to the farm. The three would be a real chore without the help. Somehow I know she’ll find a way.
Chase is excited about the prospect of working forty hours a week at Chick-fil-A. That enthusiasm may be short-lived but for right now it is fun to watch him add up the dollars in his head. It is more fun to hear him spend them three or four times over as his wish list builds. He will start home schooling (with Central Baptist Academy oversight) next month. Again, he has big plans on how he is going to accomplish all this but it has yet to be proven an effective plan. He is not an early riser, often sleeping until noon on a day off, and he will have to be up early every weekday morning to get the work done. Mama has never been one to enforce a schedule so it will largely fall to Chase to make it happen.
I am a little concerned but willing to let him try.
I talked with one of our land specialists yesterday about tracking down the mineral rights to our property and it turns out to be pretty difficult. He is very familiar with the land we are buying and with the courthouse where all the deed records are kept; doing the research will be tedious and potentially fruitless. He said he spends $300k per month on people to do just that. I think I have other more pressing concerns at the moment. That kind of effort can wait until winter.
It looks like Cori and Nate will host a wedding in their new home. Mama says Cori is stressing out about it since so many little things need to be finished in order for the house to look like a wedding venue, but I think Aaron and Maggie will be forever grateful for the hospitality. The date is still in question so stay tuned for further developments on this life-changing exclusive story.
It has taken some time for Maggie to accept and adapt to the flux in which she must operate but I see signs of real progress. I would not have given my daughter credit for her adaptability, but love has a way of refocusing our hearts and I can appreciate the change I am seeing in Maggie – for her and Aaron’s sakes.
Mama kept the little ones last night for the second night. I think the two smallest really like the arrangement and the oldest is always willing to go along. All in all, it is not a bad deal. Although it keeps Mama and Victoria from having to get up at 5:30 a.m. it gives them responsibility for the 3 a.m. feeding – six to one, half a dozen to the other.
Mama was excited last when she got to watch the baby roll over for the very first time. For some reason that is a milestone moment for the women in my life. I am not sure if everyone feels that way but I know they do. It is tantamount to taking the first steps – which Mama may also see if we stay here long enough. She is worried about losing Victoria to the farm. The three would be a real chore without the help. Somehow I know she’ll find a way.
Chase is excited about the prospect of working forty hours a week at Chick-fil-A. That enthusiasm may be short-lived but for right now it is fun to watch him add up the dollars in his head. It is more fun to hear him spend them three or four times over as his wish list builds. He will start home schooling (with Central Baptist Academy oversight) next month. Again, he has big plans on how he is going to accomplish all this but it has yet to be proven an effective plan. He is not an early riser, often sleeping until noon on a day off, and he will have to be up early every weekday morning to get the work done. Mama has never been one to enforce a schedule so it will largely fall to Chase to make it happen.
I am a little concerned but willing to let him try.
Thursday, July 21, 2011
Shooting, small tasks
I did get home early yesterday. In fact, I had enough time to take a short nap before taking Chase and Victoria to the shooting range. We had been talking about it for a couple of days but my schedule does not coordinate with theirs very well. Yesterday it did.
Chase got off at 3 p.m. so I woke Victoria up and headed out to get Chase at the mall. We had to take the long way around town since some cleanup work is being done on I-40 East and two lanes were blocked off. Chase and Victoria took the test that the owner gives to all first time shooters. It is pretty easy, mostly common sense questions but a couple are specific enough that I had to help Victoria. I guess I helped too much since she scored higher than Chase; a fact she was quick to point out.
We rented a 9mm Rueger so they could fire it along with the .22 revolver I have. I watched Chase try to load the magazine for the 9mm and was not surprised at the difficulty he has in doing so. I had had a horrible time with it during my qualification shoot earlier this month. Between him and Victoria we finally got it.
We shot the .22 first and both were surprised at how loud it was. Of course, we were in an enclosed shooting range, so the sound was amplified. Both were surprised by the kick the small caliber pistol had. Then we moved on to the 9mm. Chase shot first and did amazingly well – as he had with the .22. He was shocked by both the sound and the kick. Victoria almost screamed. Even with that, he hit two shots directly on top of each other – almost on the bulls-eye. Then Victoria shot. She almost dropped the pistol after the first shot. Only after she admitted that did Chase tell me he had almost dropped it also. That would not have been good.
We ended up shooting about ten rounds each with the 9mm and about twenty rounds each with the .22. Both Chase and Victoria decided that they liked the 9mm better than the .22. They’ll have to buy their own. We took the target home to Mama to show off. She was duly impressed. Victoria cannot wait until I take Mama. She will scream.
Victoria got drafted by the pastor to decorate her Sunday School room – where he teaches the young adults. It will be a stretch for her, but a good one. He also drafted Mrs. Patrick, a retired missionary to Korea to be her partner in the effort. She was bouncing themes off of us as we were driving home from church last night. Ideas are not her problem, expression of those ideas is. It will be fun to see how it turns out.
Cori told Mama that Grant was frustrating himself trying to get the crayons back in the box. Children at that age tend to bunch things rather than putting them in orderly rows or stacks – much like Mama. He was trying without help to put things back the way he knew they were supposed to fit but the struggle proved too much for him. He finally cried out to his mommy in desperation. “Mommy, I can’t get the door closed!”
Temperatures in Bowie, TX have been between 108 and 112. It is amazing that anything will grow. In Amarillo, we have managed to stay under 105 for the most part. Mornings are in the low 70’s and evenings feel great at about 85 degrees. You know you have been hot when 85 degrees feels pleasant.
Chase got off at 3 p.m. so I woke Victoria up and headed out to get Chase at the mall. We had to take the long way around town since some cleanup work is being done on I-40 East and two lanes were blocked off. Chase and Victoria took the test that the owner gives to all first time shooters. It is pretty easy, mostly common sense questions but a couple are specific enough that I had to help Victoria. I guess I helped too much since she scored higher than Chase; a fact she was quick to point out.
We rented a 9mm Rueger so they could fire it along with the .22 revolver I have. I watched Chase try to load the magazine for the 9mm and was not surprised at the difficulty he has in doing so. I had had a horrible time with it during my qualification shoot earlier this month. Between him and Victoria we finally got it.
We shot the .22 first and both were surprised at how loud it was. Of course, we were in an enclosed shooting range, so the sound was amplified. Both were surprised by the kick the small caliber pistol had. Then we moved on to the 9mm. Chase shot first and did amazingly well – as he had with the .22. He was shocked by both the sound and the kick. Victoria almost screamed. Even with that, he hit two shots directly on top of each other – almost on the bulls-eye. Then Victoria shot. She almost dropped the pistol after the first shot. Only after she admitted that did Chase tell me he had almost dropped it also. That would not have been good.
We ended up shooting about ten rounds each with the 9mm and about twenty rounds each with the .22. Both Chase and Victoria decided that they liked the 9mm better than the .22. They’ll have to buy their own. We took the target home to Mama to show off. She was duly impressed. Victoria cannot wait until I take Mama. She will scream.
Victoria got drafted by the pastor to decorate her Sunday School room – where he teaches the young adults. It will be a stretch for her, but a good one. He also drafted Mrs. Patrick, a retired missionary to Korea to be her partner in the effort. She was bouncing themes off of us as we were driving home from church last night. Ideas are not her problem, expression of those ideas is. It will be fun to see how it turns out.
Cori told Mama that Grant was frustrating himself trying to get the crayons back in the box. Children at that age tend to bunch things rather than putting them in orderly rows or stacks – much like Mama. He was trying without help to put things back the way he knew they were supposed to fit but the struggle proved too much for him. He finally cried out to his mommy in desperation. “Mommy, I can’t get the door closed!”
Temperatures in Bowie, TX have been between 108 and 112. It is amazing that anything will grow. In Amarillo, we have managed to stay under 105 for the most part. Mornings are in the low 70’s and evenings feel great at about 85 degrees. You know you have been hot when 85 degrees feels pleasant.
Wednesday, July 20, 2011
Radio report, planning?
Early travel to Elk City, OK should put me home in Amarillo early. I hope the training I am now taking is truly the final piece of the requisite paperwork for being recognized as an Incident Commander. If I am so recognized I may have to lead the drill coming up in August. That may a stretch – but it will not be without help.
As I was on the way over here this morning I was listening to religious radio, I hesitate to call it Christian, but it is far better than most of the other channels. A preacher was rambling through his introduction when he said something that caught my attention. “The only exercise some people get is jumping to conclusions and running down other people” I thought that was pretty good.
Later, I believe I was listening to talk radio – it amazes me that that goes on 24/7 – and the host, talking about health care costs quipped, “The patient asked the pharmacist, ‘What are the side effects of this medication?’ “To which the pharmacist replied, ‘Poverty.’” I am seeing that played out before my eyes in multiple cases. So much so that many do not have money to buy the herbs – no medical insurance for those – which could accomplish more with far less harmful side effects.
I was in bed fairly early last night and I don’t know if anything significant happened in the world other than the fact that I got six hours sleep instead of five. In the next few months getting enough sleep will become tricky. Maggie and Aaron’s wedding is still in flux so we will have to cover four days of travel plus whatever time we spend there in order to attend. At some point in the next 15 20 days we will be closing on the farm which will require ten hours of travel round trip, but cover several days away from home as well.
It is all good and each event will be the beginning of life changes that are blessed and happy. My worry is that the recovery period from both may drag into Thanksgiving.
As I was on the way over here this morning I was listening to religious radio, I hesitate to call it Christian, but it is far better than most of the other channels. A preacher was rambling through his introduction when he said something that caught my attention. “The only exercise some people get is jumping to conclusions and running down other people” I thought that was pretty good.
Later, I believe I was listening to talk radio – it amazes me that that goes on 24/7 – and the host, talking about health care costs quipped, “The patient asked the pharmacist, ‘What are the side effects of this medication?’ “To which the pharmacist replied, ‘Poverty.’” I am seeing that played out before my eyes in multiple cases. So much so that many do not have money to buy the herbs – no medical insurance for those – which could accomplish more with far less harmful side effects.
I was in bed fairly early last night and I don’t know if anything significant happened in the world other than the fact that I got six hours sleep instead of five. In the next few months getting enough sleep will become tricky. Maggie and Aaron’s wedding is still in flux so we will have to cover four days of travel plus whatever time we spend there in order to attend. At some point in the next 15 20 days we will be closing on the farm which will require ten hours of travel round trip, but cover several days away from home as well.
It is all good and each event will be the beginning of life changes that are blessed and happy. My worry is that the recovery period from both may drag into Thanksgiving.
Tuesday, July 19, 2011
Paperwork, Money, Life lessons, car troubles
I got word from the lender that all the paperwork was on his desk and he would be getting an inspection of the property later this week to verify the approximate worth of the land relative to the loan we are requesting. So we ought to know very soon. We are not sure about the survey yet but hopeful the recent survey will suffice. If not, it will not take too long to get a new survey done – it will just cost us more.
At this point all of us are anxious to go back to Bowie to visit the property. In our anxiousness we all have to be careful not to waste time, money, or gas doing what it is not the proper time to do. When we were in Florida helping Nate and Cori ready the house for the anticipated closing, it was an effort well spent because the two of them had planned it well. In Arkansas, Becky and Charles have worked to get their house ready for the move they are now making. Now it is our turn. We just have longer distances to cover; a slight disadvantage to being in Texas.
We have enough money to begin the entire project. Time will tell if our planning will allow us enough money to continue through to the expected end – several years from now. Mama and I talked with Grandma and Grandpa last night about whether we should buy the log home package - providing it is still available – or use the money to buy our starter equipment. All of us are in agreement that we should get the home if possible. So I will be calling this week to see of one is still available.
The pastor has been reading us some cute thoughts he found on the internet. They are Life Lessons as expressed by children. The following are my favorites:
When your Mom is mad at your Dad, don’t let her brush your hair.
Never ask your 3-year old brother to hold a tomato.
The best place to be when you’re sad is Grandpa’s lap.
Grandpa got a call from Brittany the other day. She was panicked. It seems she and Andrew were driving down the highway when (her words) the accelerator quit working. Grandpa said he was scratching his head thinking, did the throttle body linkage break? Did the accelerator pedal fall off onto the floorboard? Maybe the transmission jumped into neutral? “We were just going down the road at seventy miles per hour and the accelerator quit working. I kept pushing on it and it wouldn’t work!” So he asked, “Brittany is the engine running?” “No” she replied “and it won’t start.”
Grandpa started to laugh – to himself. He found out the car was a BMW and asked Andrew check the oil. The level was low and in this particular car a low oil level will shut off the engine; which will make the accelerator quit working – if that’s the way you happen to look at it.
After Andrew added a quart of oil they were off and going – to Wal-mart to get an oil change. She is going to make sure the accelerator does not break again!
At this point all of us are anxious to go back to Bowie to visit the property. In our anxiousness we all have to be careful not to waste time, money, or gas doing what it is not the proper time to do. When we were in Florida helping Nate and Cori ready the house for the anticipated closing, it was an effort well spent because the two of them had planned it well. In Arkansas, Becky and Charles have worked to get their house ready for the move they are now making. Now it is our turn. We just have longer distances to cover; a slight disadvantage to being in Texas.
We have enough money to begin the entire project. Time will tell if our planning will allow us enough money to continue through to the expected end – several years from now. Mama and I talked with Grandma and Grandpa last night about whether we should buy the log home package - providing it is still available – or use the money to buy our starter equipment. All of us are in agreement that we should get the home if possible. So I will be calling this week to see of one is still available.
The pastor has been reading us some cute thoughts he found on the internet. They are Life Lessons as expressed by children. The following are my favorites:
When your Mom is mad at your Dad, don’t let her brush your hair.
Never ask your 3-year old brother to hold a tomato.
The best place to be when you’re sad is Grandpa’s lap.
Grandpa got a call from Brittany the other day. She was panicked. It seems she and Andrew were driving down the highway when (her words) the accelerator quit working. Grandpa said he was scratching his head thinking, did the throttle body linkage break? Did the accelerator pedal fall off onto the floorboard? Maybe the transmission jumped into neutral? “We were just going down the road at seventy miles per hour and the accelerator quit working. I kept pushing on it and it wouldn’t work!” So he asked, “Brittany is the engine running?” “No” she replied “and it won’t start.”
Grandpa started to laugh – to himself. He found out the car was a BMW and asked Andrew check the oil. The level was low and in this particular car a low oil level will shut off the engine; which will make the accelerator quit working – if that’s the way you happen to look at it.
After Andrew added a quart of oil they were off and going – to Wal-mart to get an oil change. She is going to make sure the accelerator does not break again!
Monday, July 18, 2011
The Couple’s Retreat, farm updates
It took me until Saturday night to really unwind from the week of training I had in Victoria. It was good to see everyone that I did get the chance to see but it was a very intense week. Getting home to Mama was a big relief. It just took me all day Saturday to figure out how to relax and begin to enjoy I again.
Mama and I went to the second of two days of a Couples Retreat on Saturday. Victoria went along also as the only single there, but she enjoyed it and I think she learned a lot of starters. It is amazing to me how clueless some people are about relationships – not that any of the people there fit that bill, but just in general. There was nothing new presented, but it is always good to be reminded to keep the focus straight; God first, Mama second, and everything else shifted as needed to keep priorities in order – because they constantly change as situations arise.
I have never feared putting Mama’s needs ahead of my own because I always knew that she put my needs ahead of hers and she is always more generous toward meeting my needs that I am. I hope my generosity extend the same way towards her.
We watched a set of twins years ago and their father asked me when I thought it was going to be “my turn” to get some of the things that I wanted – time to fish and hunt, a nicer rifle, etc. I was working hundreds of hours a month overtime just to stay ahead and meet the needs of my family and extended family. I told him I was not looking for “my turn”. This was my obligating, my duty, my calling and my first love. If I ever got a turn to have some of my more egocentric desires met, it would come from someone else’s generosity, not from my selfishness. He was divorced a year later. Mama, in speaking about the day of the couple’s retreat, said that it seems we are falling more in love every day. I’m glad for that. I wish I had started that earlier. It has great rewards.
I sent off the revised contract on the farm today; annotating the changes since our original offer. Once it reaches the bank the loan process will begin and we could be closing very soon. The official closing date has not been set but the prospective date is for the 12th of August. I told Mama that I am buying her a farm for her anniversary this year. Who knows what it will be for our thirtieth - next year?
Grandpa is so excited about the prospect of getting there he is having difficulty getting through the day-to-day routine of life, but we will all endure. We have to figure out living arrangements for those who will go to the Bowie area ahead of ma and Mama: Grandma and Grandpa especially. It will take a few weeks to get the house livable but there are campgrounds that rent campers by the month without a long term obligating. We are looking into that, but all our rental contracts go through the end of the year and the one we have for Grandma and Grandpa is pretty iron clad. It will have to be paid out in full even thought Grandpa would like to apply some of the money he spends in rent to equipment. Patience!
Mama and Grandma are wrestling with what to call our farm – something with a religious context. Grandma has always wanted to call a farm “Glory Land Way”. I am resisting the idea since to me it is a business. It is a little like putting a “Honk if you live Jesus” sticker on your car. Though in principle the idea appeals to me, it can work out poorly in practice – especially if it angers you to have people honk at you.
My files simply call the property Van Bebber farm – but that won’t last.
Mama and I went to the second of two days of a Couples Retreat on Saturday. Victoria went along also as the only single there, but she enjoyed it and I think she learned a lot of starters. It is amazing to me how clueless some people are about relationships – not that any of the people there fit that bill, but just in general. There was nothing new presented, but it is always good to be reminded to keep the focus straight; God first, Mama second, and everything else shifted as needed to keep priorities in order – because they constantly change as situations arise.
I have never feared putting Mama’s needs ahead of my own because I always knew that she put my needs ahead of hers and she is always more generous toward meeting my needs that I am. I hope my generosity extend the same way towards her.
We watched a set of twins years ago and their father asked me when I thought it was going to be “my turn” to get some of the things that I wanted – time to fish and hunt, a nicer rifle, etc. I was working hundreds of hours a month overtime just to stay ahead and meet the needs of my family and extended family. I told him I was not looking for “my turn”. This was my obligating, my duty, my calling and my first love. If I ever got a turn to have some of my more egocentric desires met, it would come from someone else’s generosity, not from my selfishness. He was divorced a year later. Mama, in speaking about the day of the couple’s retreat, said that it seems we are falling more in love every day. I’m glad for that. I wish I had started that earlier. It has great rewards.
I sent off the revised contract on the farm today; annotating the changes since our original offer. Once it reaches the bank the loan process will begin and we could be closing very soon. The official closing date has not been set but the prospective date is for the 12th of August. I told Mama that I am buying her a farm for her anniversary this year. Who knows what it will be for our thirtieth - next year?
Grandpa is so excited about the prospect of getting there he is having difficulty getting through the day-to-day routine of life, but we will all endure. We have to figure out living arrangements for those who will go to the Bowie area ahead of ma and Mama: Grandma and Grandpa especially. It will take a few weeks to get the house livable but there are campgrounds that rent campers by the month without a long term obligating. We are looking into that, but all our rental contracts go through the end of the year and the one we have for Grandma and Grandpa is pretty iron clad. It will have to be paid out in full even thought Grandpa would like to apply some of the money he spends in rent to equipment. Patience!
Mama and Grandma are wrestling with what to call our farm – something with a religious context. Grandma has always wanted to call a farm “Glory Land Way”. I am resisting the idea since to me it is a business. It is a little like putting a “Honk if you live Jesus” sticker on your car. Though in principle the idea appeals to me, it can work out poorly in practice – especially if it angers you to have people honk at you.
My files simply call the property Van Bebber farm – but that won’t last.
Wednesday, July 13, 2011
Good news, being apart, a short ride
It was hard to concentrate yesterday as Mama and our realtor made the final negotiations for us to purchase the farm. I got her call in the early morning but I was not able to take it because of class so I listened to her message as soon as I could and then called her later. Meanwhile, Steve Whiddon was sitting beside me cheering the whole process on.
I was thrilled about how things worked out. Mama did good, but she usually does when it comes to spending money. We got the farm for $136,000. Our upper target was $140,000. It is within our budget but it will still take careful budgeting to make it work – especially as we make improvements, repairs and purchase equipment. The current owners do not know if they have the mineral rights but if they do they said they will sign them over in the sale. Praise the Lord!
Now my greatest priority is working the plan we laid out without getting too far ahead of ourselves. I know Grandpa is incredibly anxious to get there, but during this time of the year it can be hazardous to your health to attempt too much physical labor without setting up the appropriate safeguards – plenty of water, a place to rest in the shade, air conditioning available if possible and good cell phone service; just in case. I looked at the weather for Bowie yesterday and the forecast is for 105 to 108 degrees on several days. The work can wait a little while.
It has not been fun being away from Mama during this process. I miss her hugs and kisses. The good news is that I will be home Friday night. The bad news is that I will not be home until Friday night. I think until I get back to Mama, Grandma, Grandpa and Victoria I will not really be able to enjoy the thought of getting the farm. I am too caught up in getting this class completed.
Steve took me to the house he has been working on for a decade now to show me the shop he built on the same property. I guess he needed the extra space since the two car garage is already filled with his two project cars. He wanted to take me for a ride in his ’65 Corvette convertible. It is baby blue and beautiful. When he started it up, it had the true Corvette roar. We got in and started down the road. As he hit second gear the rear wheel came off – literally came off – and proceeded down the road without us. He was heart sick.
We got the wheel and the locking nut and he dragged a floor jack up the road from his shop and we put the wheel back on, parked the car back in the garage and went to lunch. He talked about the incident off and on for the rest of the afternoon. He was most upset because he had just spent $6000 getting the car painted and detailed and the tire ripped a hole in the back fender when it spun loose. He offered it to me for $4500. I thanked him but reminded him I was buying a farm.
He smiled and told me his neighbor has a water well drilling rig sitting idle. He could probably pick it up for next to nothing. That’s Steve.
I was thrilled about how things worked out. Mama did good, but she usually does when it comes to spending money. We got the farm for $136,000. Our upper target was $140,000. It is within our budget but it will still take careful budgeting to make it work – especially as we make improvements, repairs and purchase equipment. The current owners do not know if they have the mineral rights but if they do they said they will sign them over in the sale. Praise the Lord!
Now my greatest priority is working the plan we laid out without getting too far ahead of ourselves. I know Grandpa is incredibly anxious to get there, but during this time of the year it can be hazardous to your health to attempt too much physical labor without setting up the appropriate safeguards – plenty of water, a place to rest in the shade, air conditioning available if possible and good cell phone service; just in case. I looked at the weather for Bowie yesterday and the forecast is for 105 to 108 degrees on several days. The work can wait a little while.
It has not been fun being away from Mama during this process. I miss her hugs and kisses. The good news is that I will be home Friday night. The bad news is that I will not be home until Friday night. I think until I get back to Mama, Grandma, Grandpa and Victoria I will not really be able to enjoy the thought of getting the farm. I am too caught up in getting this class completed.
Steve took me to the house he has been working on for a decade now to show me the shop he built on the same property. I guess he needed the extra space since the two car garage is already filled with his two project cars. He wanted to take me for a ride in his ’65 Corvette convertible. It is baby blue and beautiful. When he started it up, it had the true Corvette roar. We got in and started down the road. As he hit second gear the rear wheel came off – literally came off – and proceeded down the road without us. He was heart sick.
We got the wheel and the locking nut and he dragged a floor jack up the road from his shop and we put the wheel back on, parked the car back in the garage and went to lunch. He talked about the incident off and on for the rest of the afternoon. He was most upset because he had just spent $6000 getting the car painted and detailed and the tire ripped a hole in the back fender when it spun loose. He offered it to me for $4500. I thanked him but reminded him I was buying a farm.
He smiled and told me his neighbor has a water well drilling rig sitting idle. He could probably pick it up for next to nothing. That’s Steve.
Tuesday, July 12, 2011
Not so little Victoria, Class problems
When I got here Sunday afternoon I drove to some of our familiar haunts to see how much things have changed – and they have. At our house on 243 Goldenrod, the tree in the front yard looks like it had doubled in size and is not quite large. The hibiscus we planted by the curb has been cut back several times but is a sizable bush now. The grass looks worse than we were living there. I’ll bet it still bugs our old neighbor Otto.
I thought as I drove through the neighborhood that I would have to look up Steve Whiddon and Ray Hanks. The Lord took care of getting me in touch with Steve. I will have to look up Ray. There are others that I could try to find but those are the two that came immediately to my mind.
I stopped in at the mall yesterday to see if Niki’s Roma was still there – and it is so I got a spinach calzone to take back to the hotel room to eat. It was as good as I remembered. It was much bigger than I remembered and I could only eat half of it. Niki was not there but at least one of the workers looked very familiar to me.
This little town now has a Kohl’s and a huge Academy store. HEB is now in its huge uptown location. Most of the restaurants we used to go to are still in business as are nearly all of the stores where we regularly shopped. CiCI’s pizza is now a Mexican grill and Mr. Gatti’s is gone, but Olive Garden and Texas Roadhouse have come here and set up shop.
On the way to church I drove down Northside Road to Raab Road to see where we lived before we bought the house on Goldenrob and the doublewide we rented has been moved. The porch I built for us while we lived there is still attached to the house of the neighbor we gave it to when we moved out. Even the log home Mama and I looked at while we were home shopping here is now gone. It was in pretty poor shape at the time which is why Mama and I passed on it so I was not too surprised. (It makes me wonder about our quest for a log home.)
I passed by the house that the pastor and Wilma built and could see from the road that the rock work on the exterior of the house had been done – at least on the front and south side. Pastor told me he just finished it last week – after nine years; better late than never.
The class I am taking should carry an engineering designation. Yesterday I did over three hours of math exercises and today looks to be more of the same. Some time during the day we will work on the drilling rig platform simulator. I do not know if I am looking forward to that or not. It is certainly something I have never done before and am never likely to do, but I work with a group that earns its keep within our company from drilling and exploration so I will pick up all I can. Who knows?
It seems frustrating and unprofitable to spend so much time and effort in mastering calculations that I will never use outside of this classroom and for this test. But when I think about it, that is what much of my years of education were about; learning obscure facts, memorizing complicated calculations, mastering information of little practical value that was quickly forgotten after the final exam; all so I could prove I did it successfully.
Here I am again.
I thought as I drove through the neighborhood that I would have to look up Steve Whiddon and Ray Hanks. The Lord took care of getting me in touch with Steve. I will have to look up Ray. There are others that I could try to find but those are the two that came immediately to my mind.
I stopped in at the mall yesterday to see if Niki’s Roma was still there – and it is so I got a spinach calzone to take back to the hotel room to eat. It was as good as I remembered. It was much bigger than I remembered and I could only eat half of it. Niki was not there but at least one of the workers looked very familiar to me.
This little town now has a Kohl’s and a huge Academy store. HEB is now in its huge uptown location. Most of the restaurants we used to go to are still in business as are nearly all of the stores where we regularly shopped. CiCI’s pizza is now a Mexican grill and Mr. Gatti’s is gone, but Olive Garden and Texas Roadhouse have come here and set up shop.
On the way to church I drove down Northside Road to Raab Road to see where we lived before we bought the house on Goldenrob and the doublewide we rented has been moved. The porch I built for us while we lived there is still attached to the house of the neighbor we gave it to when we moved out. Even the log home Mama and I looked at while we were home shopping here is now gone. It was in pretty poor shape at the time which is why Mama and I passed on it so I was not too surprised. (It makes me wonder about our quest for a log home.)
I passed by the house that the pastor and Wilma built and could see from the road that the rock work on the exterior of the house had been done – at least on the front and south side. Pastor told me he just finished it last week – after nine years; better late than never.
The class I am taking should carry an engineering designation. Yesterday I did over three hours of math exercises and today looks to be more of the same. Some time during the day we will work on the drilling rig platform simulator. I do not know if I am looking forward to that or not. It is certainly something I have never done before and am never likely to do, but I work with a group that earns its keep within our company from drilling and exploration so I will pick up all I can. Who knows?
It seems frustrating and unprofitable to spend so much time and effort in mastering calculations that I will never use outside of this classroom and for this test. But when I think about it, that is what much of my years of education were about; learning obscure facts, memorizing complicated calculations, mastering information of little practical value that was quickly forgotten after the final exam; all so I could prove I did it successfully.
Here I am again.
Monday, July 11, 2011
Western Hills, Old Friends, Math class
I got to go to church at Western Hill Baptist Church in Victoria last night. I did not get there in time for the morning service but I got to make it for the prayer time and the evening service. It is good to see old friends still serving the Lord. Ray Robinson was the first to se me and he did not recognize me right away. Then Wilma Parish came up behind me and called me by name. As I talked with Ray she went to get the pastor. As he came around the corner I said, “That’s no fair. I didn’t get to surprise you.” “Oh yes you did.” He just stared at me and said, Tim Kline. What are you doing here? Are there any more out in the van?”
Some were taken aback by my new hairstyle but on the whole everyone recognized me. Randy Magaro still leads the singing. Earnie and Maryanne are back in church; Arianna is ten years old. Bro Wayne is still strong and clear thinking. He told me he recognized me before Pastor announced who I was. Alice Corbin was there but John was away visiting his son. I think there were three or four families I did not recognize. We had a great time after church sharing the pictures Mama had sent with me. Pastor, Wilma, Cindy Smith and Martha Robinson had so many questions that I wished Mama was there as much as they did. It was good. I am glad I got to go.
As I showed up for class this morning I saw a person who looked familiar but I was not sure. As we stared at each other he asked my name. I responded with, “Are you Steve Whiddon?” Yes I am and you are Tim Kline.” My hair threw him off. His weight threw me off. I told him he is half the man I once knew. And he told me he was exactly half; he has lost 162# since a stomach bypass surgery last year. He looks very different but he is the same Steve Whiddon we all knew almost a decade ago. He told me he has three canoes in his back yard gathering dust waiting on us to come back and put them to use.
He sat with me in the class today. It consisted largely of calculations on mud flow and density to operate a well. He has been through the class seven times and it is thoroughly confusing. So, true to his character, I had a private tutor. The instructors pretty much left him alone to keep me up to speed. It was almost enjoyable.
I have to take the pictures for him tomorrow.
Some were taken aback by my new hairstyle but on the whole everyone recognized me. Randy Magaro still leads the singing. Earnie and Maryanne are back in church; Arianna is ten years old. Bro Wayne is still strong and clear thinking. He told me he recognized me before Pastor announced who I was. Alice Corbin was there but John was away visiting his son. I think there were three or four families I did not recognize. We had a great time after church sharing the pictures Mama had sent with me. Pastor, Wilma, Cindy Smith and Martha Robinson had so many questions that I wished Mama was there as much as they did. It was good. I am glad I got to go.
As I showed up for class this morning I saw a person who looked familiar but I was not sure. As we stared at each other he asked my name. I responded with, “Are you Steve Whiddon?” Yes I am and you are Tim Kline.” My hair threw him off. His weight threw me off. I told him he is half the man I once knew. And he told me he was exactly half; he has lost 162# since a stomach bypass surgery last year. He looks very different but he is the same Steve Whiddon we all knew almost a decade ago. He told me he has three canoes in his back yard gathering dust waiting on us to come back and put them to use.
He sat with me in the class today. It consisted largely of calculations on mud flow and density to operate a well. He has been through the class seven times and it is thoroughly confusing. So, true to his character, I had a private tutor. The instructors pretty much left him alone to keep me up to speed. It was almost enjoyable.
I have to take the pictures for him tomorrow.
Friday, July 8, 2011
News
I contacted the bank officer we have been in contact with concerning the farm to let him know of the changes in our credit report and he suggested that we run the numbers after some minor updates. He and I spoke about 10 a.m. with one question and he said he would get back to me in the afternoon. I did not mention to Mama that he would call me back the same day – just in case. She was ecstatic that he was willing to push the loan application through again.
True to his word he called me back as I was heading from Guymon, Ok back to Borger. He said the loan was approved and we could contact our realtor to make the offer. Mama was even more excited about that. Grandpa and Grandma were floored by how quickly the answer came back. I was more surprised by how pleased the bank officer (Kody King) was when he had positive news for us. We both felt like it was a major accomplishment.
So the paperwork is in the realtor’s inbox as of 05:45 a.m. this morning. Now we pray for the negotiation process to go quickly. I am praying they accept our offer as is, but I am willing to negotiate – up to a point. The farm is being sold out of an estate, so there are multiple persons involved. We are hoping since this is the only offer they have had in almost two years that they will be willing to take it. That might give us some indication where God is on this. We’ll see.
Cori and Nate are deep into the moving process. The house smells of fresh paint – so I am told. I am excited for them. So the low down on moves is, Brittany is moving, Cori and Nate are moving, Becky and Charles will be moving, Grandma, Grandpa and Victoria will be moving. Hopefully Mama and I will be moving also. Lastly, Chase will be moving to New Jersey in January of next year – temporarily; a family on the move.
I will be in Victoria, TX all next week so I am pressed for the time to do all the required spreadsheets and project updated that this job requires before the middle of the month, but I think I will make it. Nothing will be late, but it may not be as early as some are used to. Due to the size and required access of some of the files I maintain, I have to be on the company intranet to manipulate and update them, so I have to be in a COP office to work them; part of the challenges of the job.
I am headed to Elk City, OK today to do my last mid-year review within my group. That will take five to six hours out of the day so I may have to be here late in the evening to finalize all the updates, but it should all work out. Mama is forewarned.
Grandma made beans and fried cabbage for us for dinner last night so it may be better for me to be out of the office today anyway.
True to his word he called me back as I was heading from Guymon, Ok back to Borger. He said the loan was approved and we could contact our realtor to make the offer. Mama was even more excited about that. Grandpa and Grandma were floored by how quickly the answer came back. I was more surprised by how pleased the bank officer (Kody King) was when he had positive news for us. We both felt like it was a major accomplishment.
So the paperwork is in the realtor’s inbox as of 05:45 a.m. this morning. Now we pray for the negotiation process to go quickly. I am praying they accept our offer as is, but I am willing to negotiate – up to a point. The farm is being sold out of an estate, so there are multiple persons involved. We are hoping since this is the only offer they have had in almost two years that they will be willing to take it. That might give us some indication where God is on this. We’ll see.
Cori and Nate are deep into the moving process. The house smells of fresh paint – so I am told. I am excited for them. So the low down on moves is, Brittany is moving, Cori and Nate are moving, Becky and Charles will be moving, Grandma, Grandpa and Victoria will be moving. Hopefully Mama and I will be moving also. Lastly, Chase will be moving to New Jersey in January of next year – temporarily; a family on the move.
I will be in Victoria, TX all next week so I am pressed for the time to do all the required spreadsheets and project updated that this job requires before the middle of the month, but I think I will make it. Nothing will be late, but it may not be as early as some are used to. Due to the size and required access of some of the files I maintain, I have to be on the company intranet to manipulate and update them, so I have to be in a COP office to work them; part of the challenges of the job.
I am headed to Elk City, OK today to do my last mid-year review within my group. That will take five to six hours out of the day so I may have to be here late in the evening to finalize all the updates, but it should all work out. Mama is forewarned.
Grandma made beans and fried cabbage for us for dinner last night so it may be better for me to be out of the office today anyway.
Thursday, July 7, 2011
Back to work, big changes. Is it God or not?
It was not as hard as I thought to get up at 4 a.m. What was hard was staying awake on the drive to the office. I have not made the commute in almost three weeks and it was more of a struggle this morning than I remember it being in a long time, but I made it. I have some catch-up items to take care of then I will be on my way to Guymon to visit with the ladies there.
It is time for mid-year reviews and the paperwork has to be completed before the 15th of the month. With me out of the office next week it compresses my schedule significantly which is why all three working days of this week are travel days also. It is much more fun when Mama is with me but on these four hour round trips to my offices in Oklahoma it is difficult to include her. She will enjoy a full day with the boys today.
Stopping by the farm yesterday helped to reaffirm our desire to buy it. Grandpa found another property in the area for a really good price so Mama and I went to look at it yesterday – maybe as a Plan B. It was overgrown with mesquite trees with very little open ground. Not what we are looking for at this time; another affirmation that the farm on Van Bebber Road is worth pursuing. Also, as Mama and I looked yesterday she saw some elderberry plants growing next to the house, something I have been researching to grow in the area. It’s fun to pursue a dream.
There are some major changes on the horizon, personally as well as corporately. Mama and I are trying to prepare for them as best we are able. The new leadership I will have to adapt to at work and the renewed hope of relocation to Decatur are two of the changes we are preparing for. Buying the farm and relocating Grandma, Grandpa and Victoria is another biggie. Chase moving to New Jersey to finish his senior year is another one. He is trying to get the paperwork together for getting his driver’s license prior to the move so he can get himself around once he is there; an idea I am struggling with - insurance and experience wise. Finding a good church in the Bowie area is another major change we are working on. Sometimes it seems a little much, but it will be worth the effort to do all the preparation work even if it is some time before we get to implement our plans.
As I was talking to Grandma and Grandpa Kline about the farm I said that even if we are able to buy this farm it may be several years before we really know that it was the Lord who orchestrated the plan. So many times we convince ourselves that God is doing things we are greatly in favor of only to later find out it may not have been Him after all. Only in hindsight, licking our wounds do we realize how many warnings we ignored in our rush to do what we wanted.
I realize that getting approved for a loan is not necessarily God’s approval of our plan; although in our present circumstances, it could certainly lead us to that conclusion. We will only be certain it is God through careful, earnest prayer and, if we get the farm, through thoughtful application of the plan we feel has been given to us as we prepare. God’s blessings are without sorrows – the deep sorrows that come when we realize we have made a serious financial mistake by being led by our own desires. Things can look so right when in fact we have missed God completely.
Time will tell. For now, we press prayerfully, carefully forward.
It is time for mid-year reviews and the paperwork has to be completed before the 15th of the month. With me out of the office next week it compresses my schedule significantly which is why all three working days of this week are travel days also. It is much more fun when Mama is with me but on these four hour round trips to my offices in Oklahoma it is difficult to include her. She will enjoy a full day with the boys today.
Stopping by the farm yesterday helped to reaffirm our desire to buy it. Grandpa found another property in the area for a really good price so Mama and I went to look at it yesterday – maybe as a Plan B. It was overgrown with mesquite trees with very little open ground. Not what we are looking for at this time; another affirmation that the farm on Van Bebber Road is worth pursuing. Also, as Mama and I looked yesterday she saw some elderberry plants growing next to the house, something I have been researching to grow in the area. It’s fun to pursue a dream.
There are some major changes on the horizon, personally as well as corporately. Mama and I are trying to prepare for them as best we are able. The new leadership I will have to adapt to at work and the renewed hope of relocation to Decatur are two of the changes we are preparing for. Buying the farm and relocating Grandma, Grandpa and Victoria is another biggie. Chase moving to New Jersey to finish his senior year is another one. He is trying to get the paperwork together for getting his driver’s license prior to the move so he can get himself around once he is there; an idea I am struggling with - insurance and experience wise. Finding a good church in the Bowie area is another major change we are working on. Sometimes it seems a little much, but it will be worth the effort to do all the preparation work even if it is some time before we get to implement our plans.
As I was talking to Grandma and Grandpa Kline about the farm I said that even if we are able to buy this farm it may be several years before we really know that it was the Lord who orchestrated the plan. So many times we convince ourselves that God is doing things we are greatly in favor of only to later find out it may not have been Him after all. Only in hindsight, licking our wounds do we realize how many warnings we ignored in our rush to do what we wanted.
I realize that getting approved for a loan is not necessarily God’s approval of our plan; although in our present circumstances, it could certainly lead us to that conclusion. We will only be certain it is God through careful, earnest prayer and, if we get the farm, through thoughtful application of the plan we feel has been given to us as we prepare. God’s blessings are without sorrows – the deep sorrows that come when we realize we have made a serious financial mistake by being led by our own desires. Things can look so right when in fact we have missed God completely.
Time will tell. For now, we press prayerfully, carefully forward.
Wednesday, July 6, 2011
Decatur, the boys, Becky’s house
It is always pleasant to be in Decatur and now that the tension is gone between me and my peer here who is in charge of this office it is even more enjoyable. Mama and I had a leisurely drive over. It seems to be a quick trip even though it is almost five hours each way. As we drove over yesterday the temperature went as high as 110 degrees. I would say “in the shade” but there is almost no shade available until you get close to Wichita Falls.
Mama is a little displaced today since there is not enough time to do any of the big things she would like to do; visit banks and see what they are like, look at other properties in the area, shop in Denton, etc. She will have to pick me up around 2 p.m. and it is already almost 10 a.m. So she is taking the morning off, reading her Bible and napping – at least that is what she is trying to do.
We had a slow and enjoyable evening last night. We ate dinner and went to Wal-Mart for some necessities. After that we went to tractor Supply and started looking at the book rack. We were there a while looking at some books we will need to study when we start raising animals on the farm. One book was specific to miniature animals – goats, pigs, cattle, horses, donkeys, lamas and dogs to name a few. It was interesting to read and even glancing through it gave us some good ideas. It made me feel good knowing how to show a woman a good time.
Becky called last night to tell us she and Charles were buying a house. I do not know the details but she is excited at the prospect. It sounds like a good move for them and I hope it works out well. At least it will fit their budget well.
Victoria is with the boys today. Chase is in the house but I do not think he will be much help. She is really good with the three of them. I think they will miss the extra cuddles and kisses without Mama there but for the day they should be good. Yesterday was the first time the boys had been with Mama since we went on vacation and Mama was a little worried about losing the routine.
She worried in vain. The boys were all delighted to see her and Victoria. Trace walked sleepily out of Victoria’s room (where he had been sleeping since being dropped off at 5:30 a.m.), hugged Mama and said, “I missed you Mama Kim.” It made her day.
The contents of the toy box were scattered around the room in short order and the letters on the fridge were rearranged as soon as breakfast was over. It was business as usual. The baby slept for four hours after his morning feeding. He loves our bed! It was a little hard for Mama to leave yesterday afternoon so we could come over here.
We will probably only see the farm in passing as we head home. Bummer!
Mama is a little displaced today since there is not enough time to do any of the big things she would like to do; visit banks and see what they are like, look at other properties in the area, shop in Denton, etc. She will have to pick me up around 2 p.m. and it is already almost 10 a.m. So she is taking the morning off, reading her Bible and napping – at least that is what she is trying to do.
We had a slow and enjoyable evening last night. We ate dinner and went to Wal-Mart for some necessities. After that we went to tractor Supply and started looking at the book rack. We were there a while looking at some books we will need to study when we start raising animals on the farm. One book was specific to miniature animals – goats, pigs, cattle, horses, donkeys, lamas and dogs to name a few. It was interesting to read and even glancing through it gave us some good ideas. It made me feel good knowing how to show a woman a good time.
Becky called last night to tell us she and Charles were buying a house. I do not know the details but she is excited at the prospect. It sounds like a good move for them and I hope it works out well. At least it will fit their budget well.
Victoria is with the boys today. Chase is in the house but I do not think he will be much help. She is really good with the three of them. I think they will miss the extra cuddles and kisses without Mama there but for the day they should be good. Yesterday was the first time the boys had been with Mama since we went on vacation and Mama was a little worried about losing the routine.
She worried in vain. The boys were all delighted to see her and Victoria. Trace walked sleepily out of Victoria’s room (where he had been sleeping since being dropped off at 5:30 a.m.), hugged Mama and said, “I missed you Mama Kim.” It made her day.
The contents of the toy box were scattered around the room in short order and the letters on the fridge were rearranged as soon as breakfast was over. It was business as usual. The baby slept for four hours after his morning feeding. He loves our bed! It was a little hard for Mama to leave yesterday afternoon so we could come over here.
We will probably only see the farm in passing as we head home. Bummer!
Tuesday, July 5, 2011
Travel again, celebration activities
Mama and I will be traveling again today. I have business in Decatur on Wednesday and will have to be there early in the morning to make things work out. I am technically off today since it is the second of the two holiday days we get off for Independence Day, so we can travel at our leisure. It will give us some time together before I have to go back to work for real and before I am gone for a week next week.
We got the boys for the first time since we got back from vacation and Mama was up feeding the baby when I rolled lazily out of bed. He has grown so much it is almost hard to believe. At his current rate of growth Mama will have a hard time carrying him around very soon; good thing Victoria is here to help. By the way, Victoria got up at a little after 5 a.m. to get the boys from their father who has to be at work at 5:45 a.m. This ought to be an interesting babysitting job for Mama and her.
Since all fireworks were cancelled in the county, the City of Amarillo scheduled a laser light show coordinated to the live music of the Amarillo Symphony Orchestra. It was a good show. I’m glad of that because we got to the park at about 7:30 and waited until about 9:45 for the show to begin. The orchestra played a short concert of theme songs and patriotic numbers prior to the light show so we had some entertainment, but it was a long wait.
Grandma liked the orchestra. She pronounced her blessing on them; having heard” lots and lots” of orchestras perform, she felt like they were one of the best she had ever heard. I am sure they will appreciate her recommendation and praise. At least we all enjoyed it. Grandpa said this adventure counted as his once a year outing, so Grandma had better enjoy it. I was happy we were able to get out of the crowd so quickly – and it was a big crowd. The police in Amarillo did a great job of traffic control.
Yesterday I cooked ribs, burgers, hotdogs, chicken and turkey burgers. Mama made baked beans, macaroni salad and slaw. Grandma made chili for the hotdogs. I am discovering that I can’t eat like that anymore. Bummer!
We got the boys for the first time since we got back from vacation and Mama was up feeding the baby when I rolled lazily out of bed. He has grown so much it is almost hard to believe. At his current rate of growth Mama will have a hard time carrying him around very soon; good thing Victoria is here to help. By the way, Victoria got up at a little after 5 a.m. to get the boys from their father who has to be at work at 5:45 a.m. This ought to be an interesting babysitting job for Mama and her.
Since all fireworks were cancelled in the county, the City of Amarillo scheduled a laser light show coordinated to the live music of the Amarillo Symphony Orchestra. It was a good show. I’m glad of that because we got to the park at about 7:30 and waited until about 9:45 for the show to begin. The orchestra played a short concert of theme songs and patriotic numbers prior to the light show so we had some entertainment, but it was a long wait.
Grandma liked the orchestra. She pronounced her blessing on them; having heard” lots and lots” of orchestras perform, she felt like they were one of the best she had ever heard. I am sure they will appreciate her recommendation and praise. At least we all enjoyed it. Grandpa said this adventure counted as his once a year outing, so Grandma had better enjoy it. I was happy we were able to get out of the crowd so quickly – and it was a big crowd. The police in Amarillo did a great job of traffic control.
Yesterday I cooked ribs, burgers, hotdogs, chicken and turkey burgers. Mama made baked beans, macaroni salad and slaw. Grandma made chili for the hotdogs. I am discovering that I can’t eat like that anymore. Bummer!
Monday, July 4, 2011
Independence Day
Our pastor has been very careful to not refer to today as the 4th of July but rather as Independence Day. Like Easter, Christmas and Thanksgiving, the memory represented in the day has been lost. It has become another day off with picnics and celebrations rather than a day in which we think about what we have been given in the country we live in. God bless the United States of America!
Don’t get me wrong, I have the day off and we will have a barbeque over at Grandma and Grandpa’s house – complete with multiple lectures on varied and unrelated topics – but I hope in the distractions not to forget what the day should be; a remembrance of the cost of the freedoms we have in America and that if we are not constantly vigilant both without and within, how quickly we will lose those freedoms.
Yesterday we told the story of Jonah to the little ones in our Primary Church. When the prophet Jonas was unceremoniously vomited up by a large fish on the shore of Nineveh, it seemed the people of that great city nation were ready to hear what he had to say. I do not believe God has any such miracle in store for us today in America. We are more like the story told of the man who sat on the roof of his flooded house as the waters rose ever higher praying for God to rescue him. Having rejected the help of a man in a canoe, a rescue boat, and a helicopter, expecting something more miraculous to happen, he eventually drowned. When he questioned God about not answering his prayer and letting him drown, God pointed out that He had sent help three times while he had wanted something more Heavenly.
We have been warned. If we do not speak up, no one will. If we lose what we have it will not be the fault of God. He has given us ample opportunity to reverse the course of self-destruction our country has been on. One voice, one home, one church, one city, one county, one state at a time we can initiate the required changes, but it all starts with you and me and our proper relationship with God. I think he is interested in helping, but He is waiting for us to begin the process in earnest.
Enjoy the day. Enjoy the freedom. Then ask God where you need to begin to get involved protecting the freedoms we all enjoy.
Don’t get me wrong, I have the day off and we will have a barbeque over at Grandma and Grandpa’s house – complete with multiple lectures on varied and unrelated topics – but I hope in the distractions not to forget what the day should be; a remembrance of the cost of the freedoms we have in America and that if we are not constantly vigilant both without and within, how quickly we will lose those freedoms.
Yesterday we told the story of Jonah to the little ones in our Primary Church. When the prophet Jonas was unceremoniously vomited up by a large fish on the shore of Nineveh, it seemed the people of that great city nation were ready to hear what he had to say. I do not believe God has any such miracle in store for us today in America. We are more like the story told of the man who sat on the roof of his flooded house as the waters rose ever higher praying for God to rescue him. Having rejected the help of a man in a canoe, a rescue boat, and a helicopter, expecting something more miraculous to happen, he eventually drowned. When he questioned God about not answering his prayer and letting him drown, God pointed out that He had sent help three times while he had wanted something more Heavenly.
We have been warned. If we do not speak up, no one will. If we lose what we have it will not be the fault of God. He has given us ample opportunity to reverse the course of self-destruction our country has been on. One voice, one home, one church, one city, one county, one state at a time we can initiate the required changes, but it all starts with you and me and our proper relationship with God. I think he is interested in helping, but He is waiting for us to begin the process in earnest.
Enjoy the day. Enjoy the freedom. Then ask God where you need to begin to get involved protecting the freedoms we all enjoy.
Friday, July 1, 2011
Grandma and Grandpa Kline
We finished early yesterday so I was on my way to see Grandma and Grandpa Kline by 9:30 a.m. I had to stop several times to take phone calls so I got there about 11 a.m. We spent a lot of time talking and I showed them the farm on Google maps so they could see what I was talking about when I described it to them.
Grandma is doing very well even thought the doctors say she has a slight heart murmur. Grandpa is doing okay I suppose although he looks like he is loosing muscle mass pretty quickly. They are driving to Indiana next week to attend a series of conferences they go to every year. The conference is sponsored by the Church of God – mostly the Black Evangelical arm of the ministries. My parents have become a patriarch of the ministries and will be missed when they are no longer able to travel.
They are talking about going to visit “elderly” friends in central Florida late in the summer. Raymond and Elnamay Hastings are both heading toward their ninety fourth birthday. I remember the Hastings when they traveled with us in our month long drive through Central America. At that time they were retired missionaries who had established numerous works in central Mexico. All my memories of them are humorous and pleasant.
We shared hotel rooms with them when we were between mission stations or missionary homes. I remember on the first night that Bro. Hastings lay on the bed with his arms crossed behind his head and Sister Hastings snuggled against him practically laying her head in his arm pit. She sweetly explained, “This is how I always go to sleep.” I was thoroughly disgusted. I have since changed my mind on that.
I took Grandma and Grandpa out to lunch, which was their dinner, about 3 p.m. We went to a Mexican restaurant that they know well and the waiter did not even need to write down their order. It is nearly the same every time they come. The last time I visited with them I took them out to breakfast and the waitress brought out their orders as she brought the coffee, then asked me for my selection. So much for variety being the spice of life.
The problem is that I can see Mama and I doing the same thing – especially if we move to Bowie where the selection of restaurants is limited. We are thirty plus years behind them but I know that when we go to a familiar eatery, though Mama may take a long time to study the menu, there is little variation in her selection. If the menus are limited in our later years, our choices may be fairly set also. We can just wave and say “the usual” to whoever may welcome us. I could actually be good.
The bottom line is Grandma and Grandpa are getting along well doing what they are doing. Mentally and spiritually they are in great shape, physically their years are beginning to tattle on them. It was a fun visit.
I am not sure how much longer my dad will be with us – neither is my mom. I am happy to be closer right now.
Grandma is doing very well even thought the doctors say she has a slight heart murmur. Grandpa is doing okay I suppose although he looks like he is loosing muscle mass pretty quickly. They are driving to Indiana next week to attend a series of conferences they go to every year. The conference is sponsored by the Church of God – mostly the Black Evangelical arm of the ministries. My parents have become a patriarch of the ministries and will be missed when they are no longer able to travel.
They are talking about going to visit “elderly” friends in central Florida late in the summer. Raymond and Elnamay Hastings are both heading toward their ninety fourth birthday. I remember the Hastings when they traveled with us in our month long drive through Central America. At that time they were retired missionaries who had established numerous works in central Mexico. All my memories of them are humorous and pleasant.
We shared hotel rooms with them when we were between mission stations or missionary homes. I remember on the first night that Bro. Hastings lay on the bed with his arms crossed behind his head and Sister Hastings snuggled against him practically laying her head in his arm pit. She sweetly explained, “This is how I always go to sleep.” I was thoroughly disgusted. I have since changed my mind on that.
I took Grandma and Grandpa out to lunch, which was their dinner, about 3 p.m. We went to a Mexican restaurant that they know well and the waiter did not even need to write down their order. It is nearly the same every time they come. The last time I visited with them I took them out to breakfast and the waitress brought out their orders as she brought the coffee, then asked me for my selection. So much for variety being the spice of life.
The problem is that I can see Mama and I doing the same thing – especially if we move to Bowie where the selection of restaurants is limited. We are thirty plus years behind them but I know that when we go to a familiar eatery, though Mama may take a long time to study the menu, there is little variation in her selection. If the menus are limited in our later years, our choices may be fairly set also. We can just wave and say “the usual” to whoever may welcome us. I could actually be good.
The bottom line is Grandma and Grandpa are getting along well doing what they are doing. Mentally and spiritually they are in great shape, physically their years are beginning to tattle on them. It was a fun visit.
I am not sure how much longer my dad will be with us – neither is my mom. I am happy to be closer right now.
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