Internet issues, Chappell Hill, work

With the internet down at the house, it is at least good to be able to through emails at work; although, there is little time during the typical workday to really go through emails with any attention to detail. I hope to get the situation at home resolved this week and if not to get out of the service we now have and explore other options. To date there have been precious few good options available to us. I consider the internet like cell phones. We used to do quite well without either but it seems almost impossible to do without either now. I am not sure how that happened, but it is the reality of our current state. I wonder what life would be like without the conveniences of being connected by the World Wide Web, but it is difficult to imagine going back to that. I just wish it was not such a struggle to stay connected – or so costly. For now, being disconnected is problematic - for me, at least; not so much for Mama or Victoria. They do most of their internet work by cell phone. I will spend a few minutes after church tonight to catch up on the items I need to take care of – hopefully. If not, we will have to come up with more creative solutions to get my internet work done; maybe Wendy’s – Mama does not like McDonalds.

Martha will be closing on the house in Chappell Hill Thursday. It will be a tremendous relief to her to have that responsibility placed on someone else. She has had the full responsibility of keeping up with the maintenance, lawncare and bill paying for a couple years now and I know she is worn out. It is certain that Dad will not be returning to the house and it is also certain that none of the siblings have any desire to purchase the house, so getting it into the hands of some other interested party is the best outcome for all parties. I do not know the buyers, nor do I care to. However, I do hope they appreciate the care and work that was put into the house. It was a labor of love for Mom and Dad and it has been a destination for all the kids and grandkids for many years. It will be missed, but it is no longer the home it was without it’s principle residents. It is a sad chapter in the life of my parents; necessary, but sad. Like the parents we have lost or are in the process of losing, we will no longer have access to the house that was their home for many years. It has been a long, emotional goodbye. 

I was told this morning that my move to the Education Department will happen January 2^nd. I knew there was something happening in the background but I did not know the move was that eminent. I am pleased – and a bit overwhelmed. There are some projects that will overlap from my current role into my new role but I am looking forward to the change. I do have the expectation that there will not be as steep a learning curve for me in the new role, but I am not setting that as an expectation. We will take it as it comes. There is, according to my new boss, some paperwork to get finished to establish my new role but that too will come in proper time. Also, per my new boss, my plate is already full. 

So, I had better prepared to hit the ground running.

Visiting Dad - a long day, frustrations

Cori, Mama and I drove to Brenham yesterday to see my Dad. It was an emotional trip for Cori and Mama. We left about 8 am and drove pretty much straight through. We did have to stop at Shipley’s in Waco for us to get some kolaches and doughnuts. It had been a very long time since Cori had their kolaches - which do not compare with any others I have had. We got to the nursing home just as Dad was eating lunch. It was almost more than the two women could take to see Dad struggling to chew and swallow the small bites of pureed food he was being fed. I took over for the nurse and finished feeding him until he signaled he had had enough. He could still get the cup of juice up to is mouth to drink by himself but he had to use his left hand to hold the cup and his right hand - drawn tightly into a fist - to tip the cup forward enough to drink. Both Cori and Mama tried their best not to cry but did not make it. I was glad it was just three of us. It was not a memory I would have wanted my grandchildren to have of their great-grandfather. The nurse explained that the food is now being pureed because Dad is having a lot of trouble swallowing. He was getting choked on solid food and some of the things he was eating were making him sick. Hence the change. From where he was only a month ago to where he is now, the change is overwhelming - for the worse. We prayed with him and headed out after about an hour.

When we left Dad in the care of the home we headed to meet Martha in Chappell Hill. She needed us to pick up a grandfather clock from the house that is up for sale. It is among the last of any items yet remaining in the house. So just for nostalgia sake, I walked thought the house. When I got to the front room where Mama and I usually stayed I was surprised to have a squirrel run past me. It continued to the back of the house where Mama screamed so loudly that the squirrel decided he was better off taking his chances with me. I have never heard a squirrel scream before but I was pretty sure that was what I heard after Mama’s bellowing scream. Martha tried to get it out of the house but finally settled on trapping the squirrel in the fireplace behind the glass doors. Mama felt bad for the poor dear thing because it was sort of crying behind the glass. Martha, on the other hand, would be happy if it did not survive.

We headed out from Chappell Hill after we had loaded the grandfather clock. It is not mine to keep. Mama and I are keeping it for our nephew who is in the army right now and may be for the next four to eight years. If and when he gets out the clock will be with us for him to collect. We are not planning to move but only the Lord knows how set we are for that timeframe. At any rate, we may be more stable than our nephew. We made several stops on the way home and finally got to the farm about 8 pm. It was a long, emotionally taxing day.

Today I tried to do a diagnostic on the internet service at the house but I was met with one frustration after another. I bought a USB to Ethernet adapter so I could hook the computer directly to the modem. It did not work immediately but it did come with a program CD. So to use the CD, I plugged in an external DVD/CD player I had recently bought so I could run the program to install the Ethernet connection but the computer did recognize the DVD player and the disk is still stuck in the player because I cannot find any controls to tell it to spit it out. I will have to take it to work to see if one of the IT guys can get the player to eject the disk. When I get it back I can return the ethernet adapter and get my money back. So in summary, the internet is still broken, my computer will not even recognize the DVD player I bought to use with it, the DVD player still will not eject the disk, and I want to return the ethernet adapter but cannot do that until I have the disk back.

And it only took me about four to get that far behind.

Day off activities

After a leisurely morning and an equally leisurely breakfast we headed to the FortWorth Stockyards.; that is, after a brief stop at Walmart to cash a check and another stop at Starbucks to fortify those in the entourage who were having a hard time staying awake. The weather was nearly perfect. It was cool enough to need a jacket but not so much so that it was uncomfortable. For having the grandchildren out on a winter day in north Texas it was about as perfect as it gets. For my first day off, it was great.

We got to the Stockyards just before the morning cattle drive. We would not have known we were about to miss the event if we had not been in one of the curio shops and a couple men in character dress told us that they were rounding up the cattle at that very minute. We hurried out and found a crowd ready for the photo op. The kids enjoyed being that close to the longhorns as the very tame, very large, very  elderly herd slowly ambled past. One of the rovers with the parade of longhorns stopped near me as I was holding Savanna so she could feel the horses soft nose. The horse must have known his part in the encounter because he stretched out his neck to nuzzle my arm as I held Savanna. The baby loved it. The horse loved it. The cowboy loved it. It was a special moment.

After the cattle drive we frequented a few stores and made our way down to the virtual shooting range in the very back of the plaza. We have not tried the virtual shooting but we have talked about it. I thought Nate and Chase would be interested and I was right. After Nate talked at length with the guy at the register he and Chase had heard enough to get us on the schedule. We had Chase, Makaila, Nate, Cori, Grant, Blake and me. We did not want to do anything too graphic for the boys so I took them and we did a Balloon Safari Hunt for several rounds and then the Bottle Shooting for several rounds. We only paid for ten minutes but I know we were in there for over twenty minutes. It was a slow day for the guy at the counter. The boys and I had a lot of fun. The other four shooters had a ball even though they complained about the sights being off on the Ar’s they were using.  Mostly Chase and Nate were a little put out because Makaila won ever competition round; their lasers were off, you know. 

After eating lunch we headed back home by way of a nearby mall so we could go to Build a Bear to get a gift for Victoria. Of course, when you have Mama in charge of the buying you cannot leave the store with only one item. So, in light of that truth, we ended up buying each of the grandkids a stuffed animal as well as the one we bought for Victoria. It was quite a production stuffing, bathing, naming and adopting the four new additions to our collection as though we needed any more stuffed animals. Everyone was very happy with the purchases.

When we got home, we let the kids open the presents from Chase and Makaila because they are not going to be able to stay through Christmas and Chase really wanted to see the kids reaction to the gifts. For each Mykenzie, Grand and Blake, Chase and Makaila had bought a Kindle Fire tablet. Each tablet had been loaded with games, movies and books for the kids to play, to watch and to read as they travel. For the sanity of the parents each child was also supplied with a very nice pair of earphones. With mommy and daddy’s permission, they went right into the tablets to explore what was there. For the baby, they bought a four foot stuffed bear. Savanna loved it. We could tell because she spent the next half hour flopping the huge bear around as she collapsed into it.

By the way, Brittany had us call her last night so we could video chat while Mama and I opened her gift to us. It was  small ornament that was inscribed with the words, “Baby Kim will be arriving soon.” A fun way to announce her pregnancy. Now that’s a Christmas present.

Full house, little mishaps, time off

Chase and Makaila came in last night. They got to the house before Mama and I got home. She had to make a trip to Decatur to take our little Chinese children to the church for a play practice for the Master’s Club Program tonight. Since Mama does not like to drive at night and since we have not gotten to spend a lot of time together, I drove her to and from. The girls were very excited about the play. The older one is going to be the angel Gabriel, the little one is going to be a shepherdess. Both were very clear about the fact that that they could not talk during the play. It made me wonder how much that had been reinforced during the practice. However many times it was communicated, they were both adamant about their silence being a part of the performance; they jabbered about it non-stop all the way home. I cannot wait to see how it turns out tonight. By the way, we have invited the parents to the performance. Hopefully they can make arrangements to come. We have been praying for them and any little open door is a gift. 

Our canine count increased by two when Chase and Makaila arrived. They have two of the puppies from Kira’s first litter – and Prince, one of the two, is huge. The two dogs seemed to know where they were as soon as they were loosed in the back yard. The real surprise is that Kobe did not have the slightest problem with them arriving, in fact she seemed overjoyed to have the company. The four larger dogs played with each other like they were all old friends; which was a surprise to Mama. A good surprise, but a surprise none-the-less. She had anticipated a stronger, more protective reaction from Kobe, who is our least socialized dog. The whole Amarillo Kline clan will be staying until Friday afternoon or evening; maybe Saturday. Kobe should be worn out by then.

Last time Cori and Nate stayed with us Blake was the recipient of a couple little mishaps – a cut to his face and something else minor that I cannot remember. This time the mishaps seem to be focused on Savana. Last week she fell while she was out in the yard with Victoria – helping her attend to the chickens. Victoria saw her get up and begin dusting her hands off and thought nothing of it. When she began crying like she was hurt Victoria went to attend to her and discovered she had fallen into a little bed of fire ants – her hands were covered with ants. Now we are doctoring the bites they left behind. Well, last night, while Nate was feeding her the tray on the booster seat we are using as a highchair broke loose and she slipped between the chair and the table ending up with a large bruise on her right cheek. She was unhurt otherwise. It was just alarming to see her fall and not be able to do anything to help until it was over. Since they will be here for another week we will need to be extremely vigilant. The challenge is that she is so busy it takes all the adults in the house to direct her away from the dangers we can see. We all laugh about it as we race to catch her moment by moment.

When I get off this afternoon, I will be off for the next six days. I am looking forward to it.

Cori and Nate, life changes

I forgot to mention that Cori and Nate jumped in to help us on the cantata. The choir was very encouraged by that. Cori and Nate have been in a church for several years that has a great choir, a choir director that is a very accomplished director and a great choir program. It is one of the things they miss most as they travel for deputation. I am fortunate to have the opportunity to have dedicated choir members; so few churches do. We are small and there is little musical training within the group but there is a heart for that ministry and there is a willingness to learn anything I can teach them; which is precious little, but I am learning as I go. I remember when Mama and I left New Jersey and the choir we had there, I missed that more than anything else. The church we attended in Amarillo had a choir but it was a challenge to sing with that choir – made more disheartening by the memories of the choir in New Jersey. They too had heart, but it was nothing like what we had left behind. But they loved the Lord and they loved to sing. We adapted then and we are have adapted now, but still feel the loss. Isn’t Heaven going to be great – especially when it comes to being in a choir. Until then God has promised to bless every effort we make to praise Him.

With the cantata done there is a little lighter load as far as church duties are concerned but with Christmas now upon us Mama and I still have a lot on our plate. Chase and Makaila are supposed to be here tonight so they can spend some holiday time with us before that make their requisite Christmas appearance at Makaila’s parents’ house. It troubles Mama a little (a mothering issue) but it is really a small matter. Things have a way of changing over the years as we all navigate the issues of life and sooner or later life will take Chase and Makaila away from Amarillo as they both grow. My larger issue is their casual faith, but that too is a matter that life will bring to bear as God continues to work in their hearts. It may be that they will have to be away from Amarillo for that to happen, but only the Lord knows. I am glad they find some time for us. They, too, have busy lives. 

I remember years ago, when Mama and I lived in Texas it was hard to get to West Virginia. When we lived in West Virginia it was hard to get to Texas. But through it all both sets of grandparents helped us work things out the best we could and we all found ways to make the best of it. Life has changed since those early years; a lot – and it will change for our children also. Cori and Nate and the kids will be in Honduras. Maggie and Aaron could be anywhere in the US. Brittany and Andrew could be stationed anywhere in the world. No telling where Becky, Joshua or Victoria will end up. That will largely depend on who they marry; when they marry. I intend to make the best of every change so we can enjoy it with them.

Nate and Cori have continued to take care of a lot of little things around the house; hanging coat racks, moving and consolidating stored items, clearing my tropical plants out of the house and garage into the heated well house, changing the seating at the bar in our kitchen, etc. Mama has been very pleased with all the updates. They have been timely and tasteful – and they have taken care of a lot of little honey dos for me. I will still have to make a few changes when they are on the road again, but I am enjoying the help – and the company. Some of the items were things Mama had suggested but until we rearranged the furniture and eliminated several pieces there was no need for the updates. 

Now that they are done – and extra items removed from the home – I am ready to do even more…someday.

The cantata, hurting, Dad

Cantata practice on Saturday afternoon went well enough for us to understand and practice how we were to be positioned for each song during the play. It was pretty rough on the singing side of the practice because we had a fill-in pianist who was pretty much sight reading the music. It was a generous act on her part to do the best she could and it was deeply appreciated but it left everyone with a bit of apprehension. We made it through the entire dress rehearsal and it did give us an additional chance to sing the songs so it worked out well enough. It was the practice on Sunday afternoon that pulled it all together. The pianist who was to play for the performance, who is not from our church and a last-minute option, is very an accomplished musician. She is the daughter of a one of the members of the church who happened to be coming to her parents’ home for Christmas. The family has been in contact with her for several days prepping her to play for us; however, Sunday afternoon was the first time she had actually played through the music. With her help, we went through the songs several times, practiced getting to and from our positions on the stage and nailed down all the passages that had given us trouble. It was an enormous relief to me – and to the choir members. The performance that night was perhaps the best our choir has ever done. It was a great encouragement to all of them and it was fun to pull something off so well considering the setbacks we had ploughed through leading up to the performance.

Very few knew I was hurting so badly that it was difficult for me to focus. My diverticulitis had kicked in Friday night and by Sunday morning I was in a lot of pain. I hoped it did not show too much through the morning service but by the time we dismissed I was ready to lay down. So, when we got home I went straight to bed. Mama asked me to help her start dinner but I begged off and went to bed. With that she knew how badly I was hurting. The rest helped enough to get me through the afternoon and evening. That afternoon and into the evening I struggled through both the practice and the performance – then through a late-night snack at Wendy’s. By the time we got home again, I was ready for bed. I have found that if I get enough Ibuprofen, Aleve or Bayer Back and Body in me I can deal with the residual pain but it can still be intense. It seems to be abating, but I still will not eat anything solid for the next several days to give my aching colon a proper rest. Hopefully, this will pass without a doctor’s visit. I had warning that this was coming because I told Mama several weeks ago, I felt like my body was telling me to quit eating but I failed to follow through on that insight. Maybe I will be more prone to follow that unction next time. 

Martha called Sunday morning to tell me that the Nursing Home called her to ask permission to take Dad to the hospital because his blood sugar was high. She had discussed it with Danny earlier and the three of us agreed that that was not a good choice based on his medical directives. Later, on Sunday, she texted the siblings to let us all know that Dad was being moved to Hospice care. That should be happening today. For those who do not know, Hospice is called in to serve patients who will soon die. In the several times I have seen Hospice in action I have been thoroughly impressed with both the level of care they provide and the tremendous respect they give to their patients – none of whom survive. That field of service must be a calling rather than a vocation. Dad will soon be home.

It was an emotional weekend.

Calls, play practice, gift exchange

When someone told me yesterday that the fifty phone calls I would be making today was not too bad a load of calls, I did not believe them. However, having made the majority of those calls this morning, I found out that they were right. I did realize they were speaking from experience but I did not know if theirs was a jaundiced view based on the fact that they were not making any of the calls themselves. I will have to give them more credit next time they speak from experience. But I will still reserve judgement on a case by case basis. Ronald Reagan said to trust but verify. That is a good approach to life in general as we share it with those who we do not necessarily know well. After all, the majority of those calls went to voicemail; typical. The good part was that someone had taken the time to write a script for us to use for those calls, going to the trouble to write a separate script for a voicemail or a conversation should a real, live person answer the call. I will have to find out who to thank for that.

Choir and play practice went very well last night. We managed to nail down a couple passages in a song that were troubling us and we learned how we are being positioned during the portions of the play. It was the first time we have been through all the songs we are going to sing in the same practice, so we needed the time together with a pianist accomplished enough to help us through. The only unfortunate part of the whole process is that the lady that played the piano for the practice will not be available for practice on Saturday or to play for the performance on Sunday evening. Our far-out expectation is that the women we are hoping to play for the actual performance will be arriving by plane Sunday afternoon, hurrying from the airport to the church and sitting down for the first time that afternoon to run through the program with us. I am confident that it will all work out, but I am just a teeny bit concerned. When the Lord is involved, things seem to work out, just maybe a little differently than planned. 

Tonight is our Sunday School party at church. It is one of the church functions that I do not get excited about because we always do a “Chinese Christmas” gift exchange. At work, they called it a “Grinch Christmas”. I feel like that is a bit more appropriately named. It is too much of a competition at times – even at church. After all, we are only people; save people, but still just people. Fortunately, I have only seen hurt feelings expressed one time and considering the source, I did not weight it too heavily. We do have some participants that are brought in from a nursing home who are regulars at church and their presents are very simple, very inexpensive. But they are the best they can afford. Those gifts do not get traded out in the “exchange” of gifts. Last year the person in question got stuck with the six pack of grape soda one of our nursing home participants had brought. The gift they brought had been much better and they were somewhat offended but we kept it between us – I think. Cori, Nate and Mama are all looking forward to it; along with the Mexican themed potluck dinner that goes along with the gathering. Mama is always more interested in the dessert table than the food table; but what’s new.

The weather is expected to turn very cold on Saturday night – temperatures in the mid-teens. The cold snap is expected to last through Tuesday. That should be fun.

Rest in the rush, Santa, work, weather

As the days go by it is good to see Cori and Nate get the rest they were missing in the past few months as they started deputation; even in the rush of the Christmas season. I have to keep in mind that there is a lot going on in the background as Nate schedules meetings for deputation, as they have their house on the market in Pace, Florida, and as they try to maintain a home schooling routine amid all the turmoil of rearranging their lives completely. As we approach Christmas the kids have been opening little compartments in a present that has a little door hiding a small present for each day leading up to Christmas. I do not know how far back the count has gone but I have gotten to see the past several days’ worth of little presents being uncovered. The kids have thoroughly enjoyed the ongoing gift. Since none of us are overloaded with capital this year there will not be a lot of presents under the tree Christmas morning, so this daily giving is a nice touch. We drew names this year so there will be only one gift per person – children excluded – but what a joy to share the season with family who can be there with us.

One of the employees at my new job has a side job as Santa. He looks the part and he enjoys the celebrity status so this is a great time of year for him. This morning the company took all the toys that employees have donated and loaded them in the back of “Santa’s” red Mustang convertible and Santa, dressed in full regalia, headed off to the assigned drop-off for the exchange. I don’t know if the kids who will receive the toys are going to be there but I am sure there were pictures and videos taken there along with the sendoff pictures taken here at the office. After he got back to work he went from department to department to see if anyone wanted to take their picture with Santa. There were quite a few takers. I passed. 

I spoke this morning to the new CEO of the company and he reassured me that there was a move afoot to move me out of the department I am now working in to one of two other departments within the company. The decision as to which of those departments I will join is yet to be made but it is a bit of news I have been waiting to hear. The company is experiencing some rapid growth at this time so there are going to be several positions opening up after the first of the year. My new one and my current one will be among those. It was good to have all that verbalized.

We are looking at a three-day cold snap coming this week. Overnight temperatures will in the mid to high teens. Thus far, we have only had those temperatures for a few hours in the deep of night so this will be a real test of our winterization and our abilities to heat the out-buildings for more than a few hours at a time. I will have to bring all the tropical plants into the house because I do not see the need to heat the sunroom just for a few plants. Victoria is especially worried about Kira in the Birthing Center, but I think she will be okay – as long as we can keep power to the building and I do not foresee a problem there. But those are the problems that are not easy to foresee.

As if the weather cannot make up its mind, the afternoon before the cold weather arrives the temperature will be in the high seventies. Go figure!

Reinstated, God’s training method, schedule

Apparently, Cori felt that I had been displaced when the second recliner was removed so it got inserted back into the floor-plan. She was perhaps more correct than I was willing to admit, but the layout still works as intended. Fortunately, we have a very large room to work with. We even got a chance to test the arrangement last night when we all sat down together to watch something on the repositioned television. It worked out well – even with Seth added to the mix. As I understand it, Seth will be staying in Texas while Norman goes back for the last load from West Virginia. Maybe the success of the layout last night is a portent of how well the new layout will work out when everyone is here at Christmas. I am not sure where we stand on how many of our kids will make it but it should at least include Chase and Makaila in addition to Cori and Nate and the grandkids, Victoria, Seth and Norman, Grandma and Grandpa and anyone else who might show up. I have some time off over Christmas that I plan to thoroughly enjoy; even though I will still have to monitor the company emails.

Over the years, I have learned to trust the Lord when things are not going as I had expected or anticipated. He has an unusual way of getting us trained. When I take time to look back at those circumstances that have given me the most trouble emotionally, spiritually or financially I find that each of those times were preparation for some future need. None of them were experiences I would have volunteered for but having endured (sometimes with a less than thankful attitude) the experience and seeing God work through it, there is always a sense of awe in the intimacy with which God makes all things work together for our good and His Glory; not just for me, but for so many who benefited through the testing/trials – the proving of our faith. It has often been said that what gets measured gets managed and what gets exercised gets stronger. So, it would not be a stretch to assume that our faith will be measured and exercised. I feel like I am in one of those testing periods now, but time will tell. If I am in one of the periods of testing it will be interesting to see what the outcome is; what I am learning, why I am learning it and who will be affected by it. The Bible says that the trying of our faith brings patience and patience brings experience and experience brings hope. More than that, because in that hope we will not be ashamed. (Rom 5:3-5 loosely translated) Individual, intimate, life changing training. Only God can provide that kind of training.

Starting tomorrow we will be busy every evening for the rest of the week – until Monday evening to be exact. Most of those activities are related to Christmas; cantata practice, Sunday School Class party, work Christmas Party, then church – during which we will be doing the Christmas play with the choir accompaniment. We have been working on the choir numbers for several weeks and I feel fairly confident that we will do well but Thursday night’s practice will begin to tell. That combined with additional practices on Saturday afternoon and Sunday afternoon should give us the full confidence to get through the program. It is not that we did not start early enough. The issue has been getting a pianist. Hopefully, we have worked that out and in the short time left to us we will get everything ready. 

That has been a bit of a trial also, but not one I am going through alone. 

Rearranging furniture, power woes

Cori, Mama and Victoria have taken on rearranging furniture in the house and eliminating unused pieces in order to open the space, eliminate clutter and increase functionality. For the most part I have been pleased with the changes, but in such an effort we all make sacrifices and mine was one of the two recliners we have had for many years; since we first moved to New Jersey. It was still functional and did not look bad but Mama had wanted to get rid of it for some time. I was not opposed to getting rid of the chair, but I was holding out for a replacement. So, when I came home from work Friday evening and saw the chair dumped onto the porch, it was a little bit of a shock. Not terrible, but unexpected. When I saw the arrangement of the furniture in the living room I immediately understood the reasoning behind eliminating the chair from the floor plan but I am not certain it is a good overall plan – especially for two rapidly aging, pre-geriatric parents. It is certainly more suited to our current situation with four grandchildren in the house. To me, to discard the chair in the process seemed a little rash, but it is only a piece of furniture; one that did need to be replaced. Much of what we tend to accumulate has little value outside of our narrow application so I have to ask if there is a real need to have those items – antiques especially? I am very much in favor of getting rid of clutter, putting items to the most functional use possible, and opening up floor space. I just want to make sure we are planning for the long-term use of space – especially if we are permanently eliminating furniture items from the space. Maybe the chair will find a good home soon.

Meanwhile, outside the house, Kira successfully delivered ten puppies. I think the count was seven girls and three boys. That is a good mix and should be easy for Victoria to sell. They are doing fine in the birthing center; however, Victoria went out this morning and found there was no power to the building. It turned out to be a bad connection between the extension cord and the plug in the well house. The cord is a very heavy cord and the weight of what was near the wall had pulled the plug end partially out of the outlet. I plugged it in and moved the cord so that there is not as much weight at the outlet. It turned out to be a good thing I had to check in that cord because the heater I had in the well house had been unplugged to open the outlet for the new extension cord. I moved my little heater to another location and restarted it. Now I will not have to worry about keeping the well house from freezing – or find the water frozen off in the well house because I did not check the heater. Such is the challenge of getting power to all the places we need it during the winter months. 

Things should be easier once I get the well house in the barn lot completed. I can have lights and plugs in the goat barn and the cattle barn as well as having proper power run to the coop. That will at least give me more places to pull power from during the months we struggle to warm animal habitats as the outside temperatures drops. Fortunately, we have had only a few days of what would be considered very cold temperatures. Mostly we are hovering around freezing every night with the days warming into the high forties and low fifties; sometimes into the sixties. So, we can recover each afternoon before going to freezing each night. It will get easier at some point in the future.

The sad news is that there is not much chance of those projects being completed before this winter is over.

A woman’s look, full house, Kira

In one of our meetings yesterday one of the attendants – a male – was constantly clicking the pen he had in his hand. It was very annoying. In my humble opinion, that was the goal. Eventually, one of the women in the class who had been glaring at him for over half an hour blurted out, “Why can you not hear what my face is saying?!” I thought that was one of the best one liners I have heard in a long time. It is also indicative of one of the most favored types of communication women use; somewhere in this order body language, facial expressions and feral sounds. I have adapted to Mama in this area but I have had it easier than most men because Mama is generally very open about what she feels I need to know about what she is thinking or feeling. Even when I may not understand what she needs from me in a given situation I get to hear the verbalization of the idea. For that I am thankful because, like most men, I am not gifted in guessing an offense I have committed or interpreting an offense from another towards her. She just tells me – as best she can. But I am pretty adept at hearing what her face is saying in most circumstances.

It was a busy morning this morning. The grandkids begin stirring every morning about the same time Mama and I normally get up so breakfast and Bible reading and coffee preparation and getting ready for work and petting the dogs and passing around Savana and everything else got jumbled up in a mix this morning. It was fun but it was very different. I suppose we will get used to it. I can start doing my Bible reading in the bathroom (so I can concentrate) and mornings will become a routine for all of us. It is, in all ways, a fun challenge. As is true in almost every home the youngest gets the most attention – whether they need it or not. In truth, she is “so stinkin’ cute” it is hard to refrain from picking her up or getting her passed to you from the person currently holding her, that getting anything routine done takes more time than usual. And she wants to be with the person who is doing something vs sitting on a lap, eating her oatmeal or playing happily on her own. We will enjoy it as long as the opportunity presents itself.

Meanwhile, back at the ranch, Kira has delivered five pups as of 6:30 pm. She has had a few worried moments but Victoria has been nurse-mating her for the entirety of the process. I began to realize the magnitude of the whelping when the family trip to get our Christmas tree was postponed due to the pups coming. Of course the grandkids are thrilled to be here for the delivery although Mykenzie has not been interested in the birthing. Something about it being gross. Grant, on the other hand, has been fascinated by the process. The dog building Grandpa built has worked out very well. He rigged up the lights and outlets to work off of a extension cord which we have run from the well house. So as Victoria keeps vigil over Kira it is being done in a warm, cozy little building sealed against the elements. 

I am pleased that the birth was begun in the Birthing Center and not in the house.

Busy Mama, good reports for Victoria, weary travelers, my Dad

I believe Mama has now come to the conclusion that she is far more rested when she spends her day at work. Taking time off has not been very restful for her. The plan for today had started with her taking Victoria to the doctor in Denton and then the two of them doing some shopping before returning home. What got changed is that Victoria also signed up for a performance test for the Post Office and had to rush from the doctor’s office to the testing center. Fortunately, the geography was in their favor for the short commute and she was able to make both appointments on time. Unfortunately, the testing area was not as productive a shopping area for Mama as was the area around the doctor’s office. That, combined with the fact that Victoria was able to complete the testing in about half an hour – it was scheduled for an hour and one half. Mama was a little disappointed with the little she got done for Christmas but somehow, I expect we will be able to make it up in the very near future.

On Victoria’s side of the morning, things went very well for her. Her tests at the doctor would normally have taken two hours but since Mama asked for things to be expedited the staff at the office got the routine finished in forty-five minutes.  The report she got from the doctor was a good report. So, that was a relief to all of us. I am assuming the test either went really well or really badly and she was not acting like it went badly. Anyway, Mama’s days off have a way of ending up being more tiring and less productive that when she has only a couple house free after work. Go figure. Victoria found out this evening that she did well enough on her assessment that she will progress to the next phase; whatever that is.

Keeping with the testing theme, we all got our grades back from the second test in this semester of FBI and Victoria took top prize. I came in last by one point; Victoria 105; Mama 100; Daddy 99. I can barely hold my head up after that humiliating setback. We should have the results for the last test sometime next week. Maybe I can redeem myself from my humbling 99% score. Mama was thrilled to have bested me.

Cori, Nate and the kids arrived at the farm just before I got home. They are worn out but happy to be settled for a spell. I am not sure if the final details have been worked out on just how long they will be staying with us but it will at least be through Christmas and New Years. I hope as they really do get settled in they will finally get the rest they need. They have a lot of catching up to do to refill their “sleep bank”. Unfortunately, the house was not designed for this many sleepers to have their own room but we can at least bed down the kids individually and still give Cori and Nate their privacy - even though they will have the baby in the room with them. Mama and I get to keep all the kids in our bedroom with us - each in a separate bed. It is a big master bedroom.

Martha sent a report on my Dad today. It was not a good report. He is being moved to a full time care facility (translate that, Nursing Home) because he is not able to meet any of his own daily needs by himself. He is weakening rapidly. I remember the same thing happening with Grandpa Hilficker. 

I do not believe he will be with us much longer.

Christmas setup, miniature headaches, Victoria’s testing, cold weather

The house is quickly taking on the feel of Christmas. Lighted miniature trees, festive placemats on the dining room table, Christmas Snow Globes on the side tables and wreaths on doors and mantles. Garland is out and a place has been designated for the Christmas tree, which we will probably purchase on Friday. Mama is still disappointed that we do not have a lot of lights – especially outdoor lights. I am not nearly as alarmed as she is but stringing lights and extension cords is not on my list of highly enjoyable tasks. Also, since we are the only house on the road and at the very end of that road, it is far less important to have a visible Christmas presence. I have always and only done it for Mama and her love of decorating for this season. When our children were younger it was a more pleasant chore but as they have gotten older, so have I, and my desire to have the house adorned with lights has faded even further. This year we will be applying the lighting inside the house where we can all enjoy it in warm, dry surroundings regardless of the weather conditions outdoors.

Yesterday one of my coworkers mentioned that when he failed to get a sneeze out he would get a “miniature headache”. That set the other two to laughing. “Either you have a headache or you don’t”, one said. “There has never been anything miniature about any of my headaches”, the other added. I can sympathize with all three views but I can relate to the “miniature headache” concept since I have had a minor – or miniature, if you prefer – headache for several weeks now. It is not a huge issue and is more likely related to the fact that I cannot wear a hat at work, so my head gets cold through the day. I do not think it will amount to anything but it can be uncomfortable. At least the Lord has protected me from getting the bronchitis I can get when my head gets cold. 

Pray for Victoria. She is taking a Post Office exam tomorrow. It will be an actual written exam at a designated testing site. The open post she is trying for is in Chico. If she could get that it would be a huge step up in pay, insurance and benefits, etc. We have no idea if there is a real opportunity there or not but she will still need our prayers as she completes the test tomorrow. Fortunately, she and Mama were planning the day in Denton. This just lengthens Mama’s time away from the house on her only day off before Nate, Cori and the kids arrive. (Yes. She is still stressing about that – but mostly in a good way.)

The weather will turn sharply colder this evening we have been told. It makes me wonder what happened in days gone by when there was no forecasting ability. I am happy for the warning. We will definitely heed it and get the plants in, cover the outside faucets, prep the coop, pig building and the goat areas for adequate shelter and heaters if needed. The waterers will freeze and we will deal with that as needed. They will also thaw as the day warms up. 

I am sure it will bother the animals less than it will bother Mama.

FBI, greedy cattle, rearranging

Last night, Mama, Victoria and I took our final test for this semester of FBI. I felt pretty good about the test but both Mama and Victoria were pretty sure they missed a few. It was interesting the way the test was structured. There were the normal multiple choice and true/false sections but there were three sections that were “put the following in the correct order”; the Ten Commandments, the Temple Furniture, and the Outline of the Bible. For some reason, it bothered me for #1 to be “f” and #2 to be “d”. I stared at it for a brief moment trying to get it to line up in my head and even when I started I was unsure if I was getting it right. After studying them in order – those were the instructions – it threw me off to see them so far out of order. After I finished the test I found out everyone struggled with the same thing. Victoria even asked our director if she was doing it right. With class finished for now we are glad to have the time off for a few weeks – especially since Christmas is almost upon us – but we always look forward to getting back into the class the next semester starts.

Mama told me as we were about to leave for class that the cattle had busted into the equipment shed where I had put the reserve bales of hay. I did not build the shed to withstand the jockeying of cattle as they fight over the best spot to attack a bale of hay so I was anxious to see if any damage had been done and get the fences back up again. But we were out of time to do it before class so I had to wait until we were through with our celebratory dinner after the test was complete. The young people in the class were not enthused about going to I-Hop so we went to Brahms. It was a fun, relaxed get together with some extras; the spouses of several classmates met us for the dinner. Even with the time we took there we were home two hours earlier than normal.

When we got home Mama and I changed into some farm clothes and headed to the shed. I told Mama I was not upset at the cows. I suppose I was more upset with myself for not getting the barriers more securely placed. I was impressed by the damage the cows had done to part of the fencing I had put around the shed but we were able to stretch it out and reuse it temporarily. I need to replace all the fencing with proper gates but I ran out of funds before I could purchase the gates I really wanted at the time. We wired in the temporary gates and fencing in the hope of keeping them out for a few more days – until upgraded repairs can be made. I have a bale of hay set out for the cows and will put another out no later than Thursday. So, they are not that hungry. They are just greedy. (Nature imitating life?)

Mama is in the process of getting some pieces of furniture moved to Grandma and Grandpa’s so we can make more space for the Mortenson crew. All the items in question needed to be relocated anyway so it is a good thing overall. Nothing like waiting until the need is pressing before addressing it, but such is our life. Along the same lines, I have yet to winterize the house and buildings and temperatures will be in the low twenties by Thursday night. Better late than never.

 Lunch was catered at work today in celebration of the Christmas season. It may seem a little early but the rest of the month is a packed schedule – especially as people who are more senior in the company try to use their vacation before the year ends. (They have a “use it or lose it” personal time off system.) I was able to get a plate for Mama and take it to her at the school before they cleared the tables. It was pretty good food and since Mama was not expecting me to show up for lunch, all she had was a peanut butter and jelly sandwich. 

The plate I loaded up for her was a pleasant surprise – but I was too late. She has already eaten so we will split the plate for dinner tonight.

Another busy weekend

Mama and I had a busy weekend. We spent most of the day Saturday cooking. I went bus calling with the Pastor in the morning but when I got back home we started in on the two turkeys Mama and I needed to get done for the dinner with the National Guard unit it Wichita Falls Sunday morning. Mama had already made two crockpots of chili for the gospel concert and chili dinner Saturday evening and both of those were simmering on the counter. I had left the turkeys out overnight so they would be completely thawed because I wanted to do one in the rotisserie. I put that one on as soon as I got home and set the timer for three hours. It did not take that long – only about two hours and fifteen minutes – but it came out very well. Mama and I are going to repeat the process at Christmas. The rotisserie does not heat up the kitchen as much as the ovens do and it keeps the meat tender and moist. I do not know why we have not been using it more.

We did the other turkey in the oven – the more conventional way. It was a sixteen pounder that I had been given at work. I put it in the oven just before we left for the concert at church. The Marksmen were there and they put on a really good concert for us. Everyone ate chili afterwards. I think there were fourteen crockpots of chili there. Some of the chili looked hot enough to scald you just by toughing it – but that was the chili that had the least left at the end of the night. Mama got a little of that one and I took one bite - that was far more than enough for me. Of the two crockpots we took there was very little eaten but I did not feel badly. There was so much there and most people put the chili over corn chips or Fritos to lessen the bite. We gave one crockpot to a missionary couple to take home and I packaged the other to put in the freezer.

The turkey we had left in the over was not quite done when we got home. I had hoped for that because I did not want to get it overdone. I was able to get it out of the oven just minutes after the little probe inserted into the breast indicated it to be at the properly cooked temperature. It was the juiciest turkey Mama and I have ever done in the oven. When I carved both of the birds Sunday morning they filled the roaster pan we were taking with us to the dinner. I was pleased with that because we did not want to run out of food. As it turned out, we did not need to worry. There were two roasters full of carved turkey in addition to ours and a couple of the unit members were cooking a turkey in an oil-less fryer. Mama and I ended up taking home about half a turkey – mostly dark meat, which was great for me but not so much for Mama. That too will go into the freezer for me to make soup out of in the near future; even though Mama told me that she does not like dark meat even when it is in soup. I guess most of the other diners at the Guard felt like she does.

Cori, Nate and the kids will be here Thursday evening so some meals in the freezer will not be a bad thing.

The picture is of a little warrior Princess who was at the dinner with her family. In case you cannot make it out, she has a sword tucked down the back of her dress.

Dad, busy weekend, hay deliveries

I got some bad news on my Dad last night from my sister Martha. Dad needed help getting from the chair he frequents in the common area of the home back to his room. It took both Martha and another person to get him that distance – and, according to Martha, they almost did not make it. She then had to help him get his legs into the bed. Not a good thing, but not totally unexpected. Dad is having some other problems. None serious, but cumulatively, they do not present a good prognosis. He told me the last time we actually had a good visit that he was tired and ready to go home. I believe him. Mom has been gone since February and he has been in the mental care unit since July. 

For a man of his past intellectual prowess and determined independence the exclusion from the life he knew with Mom (60+ years’ worth of life) have taken a toll on his psyche and ego – fragmented though those memories are to him now. If he makes it to the end of the month he will be 92 years old. I would be tired too. I wrestled with the idea of going down to see Dad after the news but refrained. Mama is expecting Cori, Nate and the kids to be here next week and I think Cori would like the chance to see her Grandpa Kline one more time – providing he is still with us. Victoria is also wanting to make the trip if she can get free on a Saturday. So, I will wait to go. I have already said my goodbyes to Dad but I will take every opportunity I get to see him. 

This weekend is going to be a cooking marathon for Mama and me. One of the reasons for not going to Brenham. Tomorrow we have a Christian Quartet at the church and to get more participation our pastor invited several area churches to come for the concert. And, since so many people would be there about supper time we are going to have a chili cookoff – complete with all the extras. It will be a Rolaids weekend for me. In addition to that, we are going to Wichita Falls Sunday morning to have a belated Thanksgiving dinner for the National Guard Troop there. For that event, we have to prepare two turkeys. I am not sure what else we have to fix but just that will be a challenge to get done – and not get overdone – along with a pot of chili and a pot potato soup. Mama is fixing the potato soup for those who cannot eat the chili – regardless of how spicy it is.

Last night Mama and Grandpa went to a local farmer and got six round bales of hay. It was last year’s hay but it was still very good quality; and it was only $20 per bale. They were just pulling into the barn paddock when I got the tractor started. It has been sitting in the equipment shed I built behind the barn. It was good, although unexpected, timing. Mama was quite pleased that I was there but it took some of the exuberance out of the moment when I told her I was there to get a pallet so I could get the bales of hay out of the bed of the truck – not in anticipation of her being there. Regardless, I unloaded the round bales and put one out so the cows would not feel obliged to start eating them from the trailer. I knew they would be hungry because there is not much to eat on our little ten-acre farm. I had originally wanted to get the hay no later than Monday or Tuesday so I was already several days behind what I knew they needed. They have been back on the farm since Friday evening. They think we had them on a diet so I was happy to prove to them that I intend to feed them – and fill them up.

(My dad always said when we were still hungry after dinner, “My contract was to feed you, not to fill you up.”)

I expect them to eat the first bale entirely by Sunday evening.

Animals in the cold, FBI, family coming

Mama and I got to sit this morning for a few minutes and watch the squirrels play in one of the trees in the front yard -actually, in the circle at the entrance to the property. I have counted as many as four but even to arrive at that count is normally a challenge. This morning I think there were four but we never got a good count. They play a complicated and almost dangerous game of either tag or follow the leader. (I am a little rusty on my squeak-squeaker-squeakum or I would ask.) They run through the branches at breakneck speeds, reversing, jumping from limb to limb, narrowly keeping themselves from falling to the ground. They do fall from time to time, just not all the way to the ground. Now that the leaves have fallen and the branches are bare it is more fun to watch – as long as you don’t try to follow every movement. That can give you a case of vertigo.

The frost this morning only seemed to energize the animals on the farm – squirrels included. Our Pyrenees seem especially happy when the temperature is between 30 and 50 degrees. They tolerate all the other days of the year but this is their time. Mama worries about the chickens when the temperature gets uncomfortable for her but they do not seem to mind too much. I fear getting the coop too warm and not allowing them to adapt to the ambient temperatures. My goal is to keep the coop above freezing and not much more, but I think she has other ambitions. Time will tell.  At any rate, the rain over the weekend will test the temporary power I have run to the coop. It should be fine. (I hope.) If it is we will figure out how to run a couple of heaters for our pampered birds. My challenge is to devise a way to keep the poop off the heaters. (Can you imagine what that would smell like?) I believe Mama’s goal is to get them to lay more. Maybe it will work, maybe not. Next I will be installing a swing for each side of the coop. She read about it on some chicken social network – run by humans who love chickens.

Mama, Victoria and I are in the final stretch of this semester with FBI. Our last test is Monday evening. Right now, we are studying for that exam. It should not be too difficult but it still merits a fair amount of study. Like I used to tell my children when it was time to test, numbers closer to 100 are preferred. We have not gotten the grades from our last test so we are not exactly sure how that turned out but the expectation is that we did well enough to not be embarrassed by the score. It will be nice to have some time off on Monday nights for a month. It will give Mama and I just a little extra time to get a few more little things done as Christmas approaches.

Nate, Cori and the kids may be here at the end of next week so Mama is starting to stress out about getting the house ready – or readier – for them. I told Mama, if they showed up tonight we would make due. 

Sadly, that did not ease her concerns.