New Years Eve 2025. We’ve almost tucked away another year to history.  I just realized a few minutes ago that I “officially” retired from Pastoral Ministry. It seems so long ago and I do miss it. Although with all of the issues we have had with Ms. Kate’s health these last two years, I’m convinced that my retirement was a “God thing”. There is no way I could have stepped up and cared for her like I needed to if I was still pastoring two churches. But, I do miss it and am thrilled that I get the opportunity to fill in for their pastor when he goes on vacation. I’ll be doing so on February 1st. 

Have you taken the time to look back over you 2025? Was it a good year, a bad year that you are glad to see gone? Did you have any unfulfilled plans? Do you have any “memorable moments or experiences” from the year 2025? As I look back over 2025 much of it is a blur and I guess it was therefore a good year. I remember that Kate went through Cardiac Rehab the first part of the year and enjoyed that to the extent that we joined Planet Fitness to keep her and my exercising going. But health wise, Kate had a good year up until right before Thanksgiving and it has been not so good since then. We have her in Pain Management and it has helped some but I’m still chief cook and bottle washer and laundryman around here. She’s only been out twice now for anything other than a doctor’s appointment. We went to her sister’s for dinner this past Saturday and today I took her with me to Dewig’s meat market. Unfortunately, for some unknown reason she got sick on the way home from that and started throwing up. 

2025 did allow us a family vacations with the girls and their husbands for a week at Kentucky Lake. That was a fun trip. 2026 promises a full family vacation in Sevierville, TN with all the girls, the grandchildren, and the great grandchildren. I’ve rented a large house with acreage and an indoor pool for a week the second week of June. I really hope they all make it because I fully realize that having all of them at one time is going to be harder and harder. And frankly, who knows how much longer Kate and I are going to be around. Kate just turned 78 and her health sucks. I am 81 and in fairly good health but unable to do so many things that I used to do regularly. I’m much weaker and I have a hard time getting up and down. I’m not sure what is going to happen with garden this year.  I truly hope that they will keep up the tradition once we have passed. It’s very important. 

Do you have any big plans for 2026? Other than the aforementioned trip, we certainly don’t. On February 26th Kate and I will celebrate our 60th wedding anniversary. She and I have vastly different thoughts about celebrating that. I’d love to “have a shindig” and invite a bunch of friends to celebrate with us. She wants none of that. I suppose it is because her health is so “iffy” that she doesn’t want to make any plans.  We’ll have to see. I guess I just consider it such an honor that God would give us this much time together that we should celebrate it. 

That’s a wrap for 2025 my friends. Thanks for following along on my day to day uneventful life. Give God thanks for another year of living and giving. Peace. 

 Thursday holidays on top of weekends and company etc; —- it wears you out. This week won’t be a lot better, but I’m not expecting any company this week at least. But —- it was great company. Julie came over as I told you and we had a nice quiet visit. She cooked Christmas Eve dinner for us and she and I cooked Christmas Day lunch/supper (Lupper???) Christmas was quiet although we did not see Jim. He came down with the cold crud and sounded like a dying calf. We told him to stay home and not infect us!!!!!

The weekend was uneventful. Julie went home on Saturday and Kate and I sat around and did little to nothing. I did some reading and played my IPad games. Kate watched a lot of her cooking and “stamping” shows. And she watches a lot of “crime television”. I don’t like to watch much of any of that. I told her all I see about her shows is a lot of gunfire, and women either being beaten or kidnapped and trying to escape and a lot of screaming with it. I go into the kitchen and watch something or just turn off the tv in there and read. I could go downstairs to “my area” but getting up and down the steps is not as easy as it used to be. I guess I don’t know which is worse; going up and down the stairs or sitting on a kitchen chair  for two or three hours and getting stiff and sore.  These “Golden years” are heavy. LOL

It was 58 when I got up yesterday morning and 18 when I got up this morning. We had a major wind storm come through the country last night. There were tornadoes around and lots of other wind damage. Luckily we had no damage that I know of but the bottom dropped out of the temperature gauge. We’ve had several days of “springlike” weather and then a 40 degree temperature drop in a couple of hours. But, at least we didn’t have any of the terrible blizzards that are still messing with the northern part of the country. 

Saturday evening we went to Karen’s house for dinner. It was Kate’s first “social outing” since before Thanksgiving. We had dinner and visited with her family for a bit and then headed home because Kate was starting to be in pain again. I think it did her good to know she was well enough to say least go even if we did kind of “eat and run”. 

I think I’m going to do some writing today. Have yourself a wonderful Monday. Peace. 

 Merry Christmas 2025. This doesn’t feel much like Christmas today. It is almost 70 degrees outside, yet also gloomy and cloudy all day. As I told you, we did very little decorations this year nor did we put up the “regular” Christmas tree. We sent out a limited amount of Christmas cards and frankly received less than normal, which fine by me. Julies came over to spend Christmas with us yesterday and Jim was going to join us today for lunch but leave their dogs at home which meant he would turn around and go ack home after lunch. But, he has come down with a cold so he didn’t make it over either. So, nothing was “normal” but it was okay at the same time. 

Julie made us an excellent dinner last evening of scrimp scampi. Today she helped me with fixing lunch. We had pork tenderloin, Brussels sprouts, Mac & cheese, and jello, and then I had baked Ms. Kate a birthday cake yesterday and we had that for our dessert.

So how was your Christmas? Did you get to a Christmas Eve service? I watched our church service on my IPad and I watched the Children’s program and worship service at the parish in Ft. Branch. I love the Christmas Eve service at my home church. It always closes with a candlelight service. The Bell Choir played “Silent Night”, and they had Holy Communion. I remember the Christmas Eve services from my childhood at that church. At least part of the service was always done in German and we would always sing “Silent Night” in German and English. It is a very fond memory. Back in those days churches were always packed on the Holy days. At Christmas Eve we were elbow to elbow. Last night we could easily have had another 70or 80 people added to the congregation. That’s sad. I would love to see that turned around. 

Christmas is over now and we have just one week left in the year 2025. I look back over the year and Kate and I had a good year up until the last six weeks or so when she started having all of these back pains etc. She went to her Pain Management doctor. He has put her on a regimen that we hope is going to lead to better days. I would love to see her become pain free and be able to get around without using a rollator. It is miserable for her. 

That’s it for today. Have a blessed rest of your day. I wish you Christmas peace. 

 Tuesday the 23rd of December and it is 66 degrees outside. That is very hard to believe especially since we started December in the deep freezer. But we are on tap to have the second warmest Christmas on record. I remember the Christmas of 2004 when it snowed 24 inches. I hope I never see another one of those. 

Ms. Kate had her MRI yesterday and her Pain Management appointment today. The bottom line is that she does have arthritis in several spots in her spine. And she has some bulging discs and nerve pinches. The doctor has put together a plan that is not overly aggressive but will take some time. We both felt good about the visit.

I think it is “Trades Day” around here. I just had the plumber leave the house from fixing all three toilets. The fill valve was not working on two of them and had to be replaced. So, while he was here I had him just replace the valve on the third toilet. It was cheaper to get the third one done now than to have it go bad and pay for another service call. 

Later today, I have the Heating and AC guy coming to check my furnace and see what I have a condensation leak coming out of my furnace. I was wondering where I might spend any Christmas bonus that I might have coming. 

Tomorrow my lady turns 78 years of age. I will bake her a cake. Julie is coming over and will fix her /us a nice birthday meal. 

Okay, here comes the HVAC guy. Have a great day. 

 Happy Friday, December 19th. We have a beautiful but chilly day today. Yesterday was gloomy and rainy on and off all day. But today the sun has come out and the temperature will probably get up to 38 degrees. I can live with that.  

Well, I did make a pie yesterday. I was thinking about making two since I have eight apples left yet. That would make a full pie for sure. I used seven yesterday to make this one and it was plenty although another small apple would not have overfilled it. Bout, Kate and I talked about it and decided that we did not really need to have two pies sitting here. We have so many sweets sitting here between candy and cookies that we don’t need to put ourselves in a sweets coma. So, I put the remaining apples back in the refrigerator and they will hold up for a few more weeks I think. After New Years I will make another one. 

Kate and I both had hair appointments this morning with the same person 30 minutes apart. So we loaded her and her rollator up and went down to the beauty shop. We had to really watch ourselves this morning or at least Kate did. She fell twice this morning or maybe it was one continual fall. She was getting dressed and lost her balance and fell. She didn’t call for me to help but tried to get herself up. She managed to get herself half way up but then fell back down. She didn’t hurt herself anymore than she already was and she did manage to get herself all the way up.  

So we are back home now and I think it is time for a brunch time peace of pie. That will build our energy back up. That will leave two pieces for supper dessert. How long does a pie last in your house? 

I think I’m going to need to make a Walmart or Sam’s pick-up order before Christmas. I don’t need a bunch of stuff but I don’t want to wait until Christmas Eve and try to fight that traffic or those crowds. I think I told you that we are going minimal for our Christmas meal. But there is always something that needs to be picked up. 

That’s it for today. Have a blessed Friday. Peace. 

 Here we are in the middle of yet another week. The time is seemingly going faster. However, if I were a kid waiting on Christmas Eve, I’m quite sure the time would be dragging along. 

I don’t have a lot for today. Kari is here cleaning for us and making the place all spiffy. One of the better life choices we made was giving in and hiring someone to help with the house cleaning. She comes every other Wednesday and we really don’t need her more than that. It’s just Kate and me and we aren’t that messy nor are we “dirty” people. But it always looks so much better when she is done. 

I decided to fill the bird feeders today, well most of them anyway. I have one that I didn’t want to chance  filling because I have to get on a ladder to do it. I got on the ladder for one of them and it gave my knee some real problems. So, it will have to wait. I was not going to take the chance of off falling off of a ladder and breaking something. But — I got most of them filled and the birds and squirrels will be happy. I also threw out several handful of the pecans that I had gathered at Karen’s place. The squirrels will have those all buried before the day is out. I’m glad that when they bury them they usually don’t sprout. I don’t need a pecan grove in my flowerbeds or flower pots. 

I need to go to Walgreens and pickup a prescription for Ms. Kate and then I need to go to the post office and put two packages in the mail. I have boxed up small boxes of Springerlies cookies to send to Heather and Lisa. ( I wonder if drug dogs will hit on those???) Wouldn’t that be something. I think I told you the cookies have a liquorish odor to them and that might set the dogs off. 

Okay, Kari is gone and I’m going to see if Kate wants a ride-along for a change to something other than a doctor’s office. Have yourself a blessed day. Peace. 

 It’s a good morning. It’s not raining or snowing and the temperature is well above freezing, and —- I just got the last and final batch of cookies out of the oven and they are delicious. I call that a successful morning. Now I can put away all of the baking stuff. Although —- I do have some apples out in

 the sunporch that I need to take a look at and see if they are still usable. If so, I could make an apple pie with them. I still have a package of Pillsbury pie crusts in the refrigerator. I guess I need to check that out. If they are soft, well, the raccoons and possums will eat them. 

I was talking to my buddy Brenda via text this morning and she said her husband Andy is having an issue with kidney stones again. He just went through this a month ago. I have never had kidney stones but I understand that they are incredibly painful. I knew a fella once that had a kidney stone “attack” while he was driving and crashed his car into a light pole.  Fortunately he wasn’t hurt too badly. So, lift Andy up in your prayers please. 

Ms. Kate is still holding her own. Not doing too bad unless she moves around too much. I’ll be so glad when she finally has the MRI and then goes to Pain Management to see what she needs to do. She can’t just sit there in her chair for the rest of her life. 

I heard an interesting weather forecast last night from my favorite guy. I think he said it looks like for Christmas Day we may have as high as 60 degrees. Maybe it was 50, I’m not sure because I was crunching on popcorn as he was talking. But regardless, that means no white Christmas around here and I’m just fine with that. I know there are a lot of snow lovers and sentimental folks that think we have to have a White Christmas and I’m sorry for them but not sorry either. 

Have you started planning your Christmas meal yet? I asked Kate about that last night and I think that we will go an extremely simple route. Unless Kate is much better I’ll be doing the cooking again like I did at Thanksgiving. I don’t want to fix another big meal and have all of the leftovers etc. I think that maybe I’ll just go with Brats and mashed potatoes and some veggies. It will just be the four of us, Kate, me Julie and Jim. The only disappointment with that is that it really finishes off reducing Christmas Day to just another day. We haven’t put up a tree, don’t buy presents for each other anymore because we have everything we need, haven’t decorated, sent very few Christmas cards out and have been doing “recliner church”. But —- we haven’t put not forgotten the reason we celebrate this time of year and maybe o year of no “commercial trimmings” isn’t such a bad thing. We’ll have a house full of family love and joy in our faith. Santa can just go on next door. 

That’s it for this Tuesday morning. Have a great day, Peace. 

 Did you realize that there are only 16 days left in the year 2025? The 21st Century will be one fourth gone! I find that fascinating, maybe because I never thought I’d live this long. Of course as kids we think we’re going to live forever but we have no concept of the definition of forever. I saw that Dick Van Dyke turned 100 yesterday and he looks fit for his age. Certainly didn’t look like a 100 year old. And I see the “Captain Kirk”, i.e William Shatner has turned 94 and he still has a television show. I’m in good shape, certainly better than Ms. Kate but I don’t know that I want to live to be 100 years old. 

I told you Friday that I had been making cookies and was going to be making more. Well, my weekend was partly spent doing just that. I got the Snickerdoodles made and I got the White Chocolate Macadamia Nuts cookies made. Today I decided to make another batch of Springerlies. I want to send some to Lisa and to Heather. They are the only two of the girls that like them. And I have a lovely niece that likes them too and we try to make sure she gets some. So, I made another four and a half dozen today. They are on the table now to rest overnight before baking them. The house smells great with the odor of anise wafting through the air. Springerlies cookies are an anise based cookie. If you don’t recognize that ingredient, it has a liquorish flavor and odor.  I have said for years that we couldn’t have Christmas until the Springerlies were done. LOL.

Last night was the second night of dangerously cold temperatures but today it has climbed up from 5 degrees to 36 at the moment. And we’ll have 57 by mid week which will then drop back down to the thirties. Roller coaster temps will probably be the flavor for this winter. Our “average” temperature for today should be in the mid-forties. 

Ms. Kate addressed that Christmas cards yesterday and they are in the mailbox for pick up today. As I told you, she didn’t get near as many made as we usually send. For the past few years we’ve usually sent out 100 cards but this year we sent less than half of that. I hope folks will understand.  And —- if they don’t — well they didn’t deserve a card anyway. LOL

That’s it for today my friends. Have a blessed remainder of your day. Just for a thought —- call someone you haven’t talked to in a while like maybe an elderly relative or friend. It will do you both good. Peace. 

 Wow, it’s Friday and only 13 days until Christmas. The weeks are suddenly flying by. It seems like I have a bunch of stuff to get done and am running out of time to do them. Although I suspect most of it is self imposed rush. 

Ms. Kate is holding her own. I did get her out to the beauty shop today for a hair appointment. We’re still doing everything with a walker so it becomes a hassle sometimes. But at least she’s up and around some. While she was “in the chair” I ran down to Walgreeens and picked up another prescription for her. Her doctor has changed her thyroid medications because her number were coming in all out of whack. Bad thyroid numbers can contribute to the problems she is having just getting around. 

I think today is going to be another cookie making day. I’m finally getting around to making the snickerdoodles. I’m hoping I have everything I need to do the job. I don’t want to get started and have to stop and go to the grocery store. I don’t know how many cookies a “batch” makes. But, I’d like to make maybe six dozen cookies. That’s what I made with the Springerlies, although if we don’t slow down on them, I’ll have to make more. LOL If I can get six dozen made today of the snickerdoodles and then maybe tomorrow or so I’ll make six dozed of the White Chocolate Macadamian nut cookies. That should do me for the season. I’m a Cookie Monster but I do have my limits. I remember the years and years that Kate would make so many different varieties of cookies and we would share them with the family and with friends. One of the favorite things she made for grandson Joshua was her fudge. It was made with Velveeta Cheese which sounds so weird but tastes so very good. She always sent him a couple of pounds. 

We had a snow event last evening. I think we got maybe an inch and most of it is already gone. My daughter Julie over by Louisville got five inches. Better her than me. I don’t have the snow blade on the John Deere yet and won’t get it on until Jim comes over for Christmas. So, we don’t need to be getting a bunch of snow. 

I got the Christmas cards out that Kate has finished and will try to get them addressed this weekend. I think she has maybe three dozen finished and that will have to do. 

It’s lunch time and I think I will be making Mac and cheese for lunch. That sounds good. I really need to check the pantry and freezer to see if I have all the making for a pot of vegetable soup. It’s going to be a high of 17 degrees on Sunday and I think it is a good time to have soup. 

That’s it for today. If I don’t get to you this weekend, have a blessed weekend and take time to soak in what this season is all about. Once again we celebrate God coming to earth to physically experience us in the flesh. The awesomeness of that overwhelms my simple mind. Peace my friends. 

 Good morning and welcome to “hump day”.  Yesterday was a busy day for me. I had to make a minor grocery and drug store run and then come home and fix our lunch. Then I decided that I was going to start on my cookie making. I decided to start with Springerlies. I have never made them before but Kate has a couple of recipes for making them, one from her mom and one from her Aunt Katie. The recipes are almost identical. The thing is that you have to make them one cut them out and then let them sit overnight. So today I will put them in the oven and bake them. My Grandma Heumann used to make Springerlies and I loved them. I don’t imagine her recipe was much different from what I used. I want to make two more kinds of cookies. I’m thinking Snickerdoodles and Kate wants White Chocolate Chip Macadamia nut cookies. I can live with that. But those will wait until at least tomorrow. 

This morning I had my skin cancer removal surgery. The surgeon took out a Basal Cell Carcinoma on my left shoulder. So, I’m on “light duty” for a bit. But then, my life revolves around light duty. But, I’m not supposed to do a lot of lifting or stretching or reaching for about ten days. He doesn’t want the stitches to rip out. So, I think I’m about done with activities for today and it’s only 1030 in the morning. 

Today is a gloomy day but not too cold, 41 degrees. The bad news is that it is all going to go down hill from here. By Sunday we are looking at a high of 28 degrees; and it still isn’t officially winter. Crapola! But I still can’t complain. The weather is a whole lot worse in many other parts of the country. 

So that’s it. Time to get my in recliner and maybe take a nap. I didn’t sleep much last night because of anticipation of my surgery this morning. 

Have a blessed day. 

 A new week, new opportunities to do something for someone. I give God thanks for those opportunities even though I don’t always take advantage of them. 

How was your weekend? Ours was “quasi-productive” I reckon. Kate is still down for the count. I told you that the Tramadol was helping with the pain and it continues to provide relief but no elimination. Again, we’re waiting for her MRI. 

I did get the garage cleared up enough to bring Bambi in and she is “happy” to be in her winter spot in the garage. It does make it a bit tighter having both of them in there but I don’t want it to sit out in the snow and winter weather. I plan to call my JD dealer and have it picked up and serviced and cleaned up. It’s criminal what they charge to do all of that but I can’t do it and I want the mower in good shape. So, pay the piper. There is no reason that little mower couldn’t last for years. 

This morning I had to go to the bank and “roll-over” two of my CDs that had matured. And Kate wanted me to take some money out of the checking account and purchase a new CD. Checking accounts don’t make you any money and CD’s at least pay something. Today’s best rate was for 8 months at 3.7%. Back when I got these the going rate was 4.25%. But who knows, maybe in 8 months the rates will climb back up some. Our money market account is only getting .025%. So, we get what we get. It’s not like we are playing with “big money” but one has to take care of what they have and manage it. 

Wednesday I have to go to my dermatologist and have a Basal Cell skin cancer place removed. It isn’t huge but it’s also not a pet that I want to keep. So, I’ll go in and get it done. I had several “places” on my face, ear, and hands that he froze and they have all now fallen off and I at least look a little better. 

I have not pulled out the Christmas cards that Kate has made yet and I need to do that. There aren’t very many. Most of our friends won’t be receiving one if they are on Facebook. I will just send our wishes them everyone there. It’s a terrible way to do it but I refuse to go buy Christmas cards that in my opinion don’t hold a candle to the ones that Kate makes. I have told her that I do not want her to make any more cards this year because she does injury to her back sitting there making the cards. We’re hoping her back clears up fairly soon. She said she is going to start on her Christmas cards for 2026 in March so she has plenty of time to do them. If you don’t get a card from us this year —- We love ya’ and have nothing but wishes got good thing in your life. 

With that, I’m out of here. Peace. 

 It is still the 5th of December although all but the last hour and a half of it has already been spent. It is 10:30 pm and I’m doing what I often do, just sitting here listening to music on You Tube for an hour plus before I go to bed. I have a “favorites” list created that I often listen to that are Gaithersburg Homecoming Videos, but I also bring up The Collingsworth Family or The Baltimore Tabernacle Choir. A couple of weeks ago I stumbled across The Dallas First Baptist Choir and Orchestra. They have an amazing choir and orchestra. They perform like they were the standard “Praise and Worship” group starting the service except there are probably 150 members to the choir and maybe 65 members to the orchestra. My friend Art tells me that First Baptist Dallas was the largest Baptist church in Texas. I don’t know if that is still true but the sanctuary is large and filled. And I sometimes listen to the Pastor’s messages. He’s does excellent sermons. Of course, they probably have ten pastors; mega-churches generally do. Anyway, if you like to listen to Gospel music and choir music, I would highly recommend any of these groups to you. I find listening to my music before I head off to bed serves as my evening devotional and relaxes me. 

Had a busy day today. I had to take Kate for an appointment this morning and we got home around noon. Yesterday afternoon I picked up some donuts from the Windmill Bakery so when we got home from her appointment we had  some coffee and donuts. Then I gathered the laundry together so I could do it yet today. Then we decided that the weather was nice enough that we would go decorate the family graves. Kate had bought the stuff earlier in the fall so we went out and decorated her folks, her grandparents, my brother-in-laws graves at one cemetery and went out to our church and decorated my parents graves. That done, we came home and I did the laundry. 

Kate is doing some better and getting around a little better. The Tramadol is really helping to manage the pain and she is getting some sleep. She still needs the walker to get around. I hope when she has the MRI they can determine the cause for all of that and we can get a fix. It may just become something that she will have to adjust to and learn to live with. I would hate that for her. 

That’s it for tonight. I pray you will have a blessed weekend. Walk with Christ my friends. Peace. 

 Thursday evening on another cold, cold day. If you are sitting where is warm outside —- I’m sending you raspberries!!! It would be hard to find a warm spot anywhere in the country this week. I have the evening weather news on right now and the forecaster is predicting some “warmer weather” but I would break out the swim suits just yet. I know it is the 4th of December and it is supposed to be cold but dang, let’s give it a rest okay????

Today was “an outing day” for Ms. Kate. We both had dental appointments and then she had to go to the clinic for bloodwork for two different doctors. So while we were out being wild, we went to Wendy’s drive through for lunch. We old people are just a riot aren’t we. 

Kate’s dental appointments went very well and she was really glad to be able to keep it. She had missed her last one because of illness so she was determined to make this one. She said the dental chair certainly wasn’t comfortable for her but Ashlyn, her hygienist was very patient with her and allowed her to sit up and move around when she needed to. Ashlyn has been my technician in the past and she is very good. 

My visit, on the other hand did not go as well. The hygienist had to do “the pointer test”. That’s where they take this little gauge thing and poke along your gums to determine the condition of your gums and jaw bones. Unfortunately mine have deteriorated over the years and I have to go in for a series of “deep cleanings. They will numb me up to do the process. They divide the mouth into four areas and will do one area at a time. It gives me something to look forward to in February. LOL 

Are you doing anything to celebrate Advent? It’s appropriate to remind ourselves that Christmas is far more than tinsel and presents and trees. We’re celebrating the coming of God to earth and walking among us. Please take time to reach out and offer your gratitude to our Lord and God. 

That’s it for Thursday. Have a blessed evening. Peace. 

 Happy Wednesday from the winter wonderland. The snow has not and will not be melting probably for several more days. Today is our “warm day” for the next week to maybe two weeks according to the weather forecaster, and the high today might reach 35 degrees. But, no grousing aloud here. Some parts of the country have as much as a foot or more of snow or ice mix dumped on them. Other parts are having flooding. And we often forget that we aren’t the only country in the world that has some horrible weather. Last week there were hurricanes in the Philippines, volcano eruptions in some places and earthquakes in some other countries. So, I will raise my hands in praise to our Lord that we have noting more than some bitterly cold and a little inconvenient snow. 

I don’t know if I told you that we picked up some different pain medicine for Ms. Kate or not. The combination that she was using wasn’t doing anything much to help her. So yesterday they started on Tramadol. This morning she said she felt a tiny bit better. We both have dental appointments tomorrow at noon. I’m hoping she can handle it. I don’t know how comfortable she is going to be in the dental chair leaning back. She doesn’t do very well laying down in the bed. She will start out in the bed and with in  sometimes only a half an hour she has to get up and move back to her recliner or maybe the couch. She grabs short naps during the day. I really feel sorry for her but there is nothing I can do make her feel better. Kari, our cleaning help is here today and of course offers to do anything to help. We love having her.  

I got my turkey noodle soup made yesterday and it was pretty good even if I have to say it my self. If time I make make soup I remember the first time I made chicken noodle soup. It was horrible. In fact, I’m not even sure I added noodles, I might have just made chicken soup. We were stationed in the Philippines at the time so this would have been maybe 1980, 45 years ago. I knew nothing about cooking but decided I was going to make the soup for the girls. I think the only thing I made it from was left over chicken and water, maybe salty and pepper. I knew nothing about using broth or anything like that. 

I have to get my self out of Kari’s way so I guess I will sign off. Have a wonderful blessed day. May God bring you peace. 

 My Facebook “One year ago” photo is an exact copy of what it would be today if I took a picture outside. Last night we got maybe an inch of snow and obviously one year ago last night we got an inch of snow. Thankfully we didn’t the stuff like they did just 75 mile up the road. Our streets are clear and the snow is mainly just on the grass surfaces. I can handle that kind of snow. But, it is cold, 27 right now. Luckily there is no real wind blowing. 

We have nothing on our calendar today which is good because Kate is still down in her back and hardly getting around. She still can’t find a comfortable way to sit or lay and is getting very little sleep. She has an MRI coming upon the 21st but that doesn’t help her pain right now. She sent a message in to her NP explaining her situation. Hopefully they can do something to help her. She’s taking her Tylenol every eight hours on the dot and has a muscle relaxant that she takes at night but nothing seems to help her. We have dental appointments on Thursday for teeth cleaning but I seriously doubt she will make it because she won’t be able to sit in the chair for that long. We’ll see. 

I cleared a spot in the garage last night so I can bring “Bambi” in for the winter. Unfortunately I didn’t it brought in before the snow. But maybe I can do that tomorrow if the snow melts off of it. There are so many things that I did not get done that I should have but I have been tied up taking care of Ms. Kate which is more important. But I do want to bring that mower in. When the kids come down for Christmas I need Jim to put the snow blade on the big John Deere. Maybe if he gets it put on, we won’t have snow that needs to be cleared. LOL That’s my sneaky plan anyway. 

I may make some turkey noodle soup today. That sounds good to me. I want to use the turkey up and I’m tired of turkey sandwiches . I think I told you that Minh, my neighbor Dan’s wife had brought us a bunch of ham th day before Thanksgiving. I sent a bunch of that home with Julie but I have enough of a few more ham sandwiches. But, sometimes I get tired of sandwiches. When I was stationed at Erhac Turkey we had some marvelous cooks for the unit.They made really good hot meals three times a day for the guys and we had a baker that was superior. I was the Detachment Commander and one day a few of my Airmen came to me and asked; “Sir, could we just have sandwiches once in a while”?  So I asked my civilian site manager if he could arrange that. He did and the guys were thrilled to just have bologna or other cold cut sandwiches a couple of times a month. 

That’s it for today. Stay warm and or stay safe if you just go outside. Peace. 

 December 1st, and oh boy does it feel like it; we might reach thirty two degrees today. Later this evening we are supposed to get snow, maybe as much as two inches which by some standards really isn’t that much. Much of the country got as much as 12 inches yesterday. I’m glad I don’t live in those places. We get just enough snow here to be both beautiful and aggravating. 

How was your expending holiday weekend? I pray you weren’t one of the thousands caught up in delayed flights or an of the hundreds of highway pile ups. North of us they had a 46 car accident. I haven’t heard how many people got hurt or seriously injured. But there were pile ups across the nation in the northern tiers. I just got a news flash that there is a dangerous ice storm coming in some part of the country. Snow is bad enough, I really don’t want to del with ice. 

Julie and Jim both made it home just fine. Julies stayed until about 3:00pm on Saturday. I’m so glad they decided to move to Indiana some years ago. They are only an hour and a half from us. I think I reported that her son Josh and his family just moved from New Hampshire to Raleigh North Carolina and live only forty five minutes from middle daughter Lisa and her families. So Josh’s family was able to spend Thanksgiving with his Aunt Lisa for the first time ever. Lisa said they had a wonderful time and a really good visit. The two families are all getting to know one another all over again. Up until now, the family only got to see Josh’s family once every two of four years. I hate having my kids spread all over the country. That is why Ms. Kate and I started having family reunions. We wanted the cousins to get to know one another. I don’t think that folks who live with all of their family surrounding them often really appreciate that blessing. My kids grew up as a military family and away from any of their cousins so none of them are close. I grew up here in Evansville and my closest relatives were apt least 120 miles away and in those days traveling that distance was just not done very much. Unfortunately the grandkids are now all adults with jobs and work schedules of their own so trying to put together our reunions is getting harder and harder. Our next one is planned for middle of June 2026 in Sevierville, TN. I have a 12 bedroom place that I have rented for a week. I will be shocked if everybody can make it. Ms. Kate and I are getting up the in years and the odds of many more of these reunions happening is getting smaller. I was just thinking this morning that one of the “things” about being 81 years old is that you realize that every time you see someone, it odds of seeing them again begins to decrease exponentially. Of course, that could be the same for everyone. That’s why we really need to appreciate our times together. 

Well! Now that I have bummed you out, I guess I will sign off and fix myself a ham sandwich for lunch and see if my lady would like one too. Have a blessed day. Peace