Oh, What a Tangled World Wide Web We Weave

I apologize up front to those millions of Stumpy Faithful. However, my hands are tied. I have been unfairly maligned over on his blog and decided to reveal the truth. Yes, what you are seeing is the original photo. I had removed Stumpy to protect his reputation, but now it is clear. I HAD to pose for that praying photo. You can see I had no choice! I am not sure what his flock did to the photo after I posted it last week, but it is a forgery. He that hath ears, let him hear.

Got a Streak Going

Well, I've been posting pretty much daily. Why should today be any different? We saw Charlie Wilson's War today. Fun, but too much nudity and cursing. Yeah, it was like a weekend at Keith's place.


When we were at the zoo yesterday, I found this sign by the bathrooms. It was kinda weird, so I captured a photo to share with all of you. Don't you wish you could have known Arlene? Do you always go before you went (whatever that means)? She did.


Then, last night, Bella decided the cushions on the fireplace would make a fine bed. She was playing sleep for us, so I got some shots. Yup...add another 13 or so to her total.

Zoo During the Light, not Zoolights

Well, we went to the zoo today. It was a little cool,. but the zoo was cool, too, so it worked out. It was weird to actually WANT to sit in the sun in PHX. Nana and Bella rode the carousel. Bella chose the hummingbird to sit on. By the way, this added another 8 photos to her total. Kendall only added 1 more. Still, Kendall is ahead of Bella's pace. She has 168 pictures in 18 days. It took Bella 2 months and 10 days to get there. Just think how many their NEXT baby will get.


The tiger was catching a drink while we were there. No, wait, I was going to say this is our kitty and that we had been feeding her too much lately. Too late now, I guess.


We think maybe we saw Stumpy there. After all, he never seems to post anymore. I hope this means he has some new inspiration.

Father Knows Best (Family, too)

Man, I hate it when everybody else is right and I'm wrong. We had a discussion last night about my photo taking, specifically about how many I had taken of Isabella in the last 21 months. What do you think? Is it over 1000 or under?


Well, they were right. It is over 1000. I thought I might be in trouble when they pointed out that Bella is over 21 months. The current count is 1325. (This includes photos from Keith, Dad and Rick on vacation and some from Lyndsay throughout the past 2 years. Still, my own count exceeds 1000.)


As for Kendall, she is less than 3 weeks old. So, I don't have quite as many...yet. Her current number of photos is 167. This is the first look we got at her 20 minutes after she was born.

Zoolights

Well, a bunch of us (except Lyndsay. Get well soon!) went to Zoolights. It was Kendall's first trip.


Here is the walk of lights with the lights timed to follow the music. Cool, man. However, I thought it was not quite as good as past years.


Here are the same lights after we took Mom's Magic Medicine. Yeah hah!


And finally, an artsy shot. I knew I took the tripod for some reason.

Christmas Snaps (Not the Finger nor Ginger Type)

Well, here Bella and I are kissing Kendall. OK, this was not really today. It was yesterday, but I didn't post it yet. They came by our house for a visit.







Now this was on Christmas. And this wasn't even everything. And this is also just Isabella's gift stack. I'll get to the upstairs gifts, and the car later. Merry Christmas.

The Wedding Photographer

Well, I have finished my first wedding as the official photographer. Congratulations, Paul and Kari. May God bless you and your marriage.

By the way, way to go, Preacher Bro. Driving in and then having to return 7 hours to home after the ceremony for church is above and beyond the call of reverend duty.

Opening Presents Tonight

We are opening gifts with Kyle, Lyndsay, Bella and Kendall tonight. So, I decided we needed a tree in the blog. Here is their family in a photo tree.

No job offers this week. I did submit my resume to one company and one church.

I should be back before then, but if not, I hope each of you has a happy and Blessed Christmas.

Kendall Came By

Kendall came by today and spent some time. At first, I thought it was Minnie Mouse....


Later on, I realized it was Kendall all wrapped up to stay warm. After all, it only got up to 64 today.


Oh yeah. Kyle, Lyndsay and Bella were here, too. Bella and someone stayed outside throwing the ball to Morris all afternoon. She loves to be outdoors. Hmm, I think she may end up a Ouray lover like the rest of us.

Well, Interview Sometime

It seems holiday absences are interfering with scheduling an interview with CGI. I am waiting on them right now.

In other news, I did actually submit my resume to a church for a Music/Worship job. Wow! That is much scarier than applying in my profession of the last 30 years. And it is not even at Preacher Bro's church.

In other other news, Bella is spending the night Friday. Then, she stays with us until the wedding. What wedding? Well, I'm SURE that Paul blogged about it. No?!? Weird. Maybe he can do like Kyle and get his bride to assume the update duties.

Finally, thanks for the birthday wishes. It was a nice day.

Interview Soon

CGI will schedule an interview with me this week. I am also going to talk to Laveen Baptist Church (I think) about a Music/Worship position. What can I say? I don't know where God is leading me right now. Keep praying.

Job Search Prayers

I had a phone screen interview this evening for a company based here in PHX. She said they will have an office interview scheduled soon. Keep this opportunity in your prayers. I want to be in the position God chooses and not take one just because it is offered.

And Then There Were Three

What? I thought you said they had a second daughter so there are four of them. Yup, I did. I was talking about how many are sleeping here at my house now . Just Kathie, Alison and I. Bella was here the last 2 days and nights, but went home a little while ago with her new sister. So, there will be less diaper changing at my house for a couple of days. The other night, I told Bella it was time for bed (it was 10pm!). She started crying, so I went to straighten a bit and give her time to calm down. Instead, she got her blanket and pacifier and followed me from room to room, still crying. I laughed, but still put her down. She was gone in less than 5 minutes. Well, not gone, just asleep.


Here is another photo of Kendall Noel. This time, you can see here eyes and that she is a tiny thing. Check out those cute little scrawny legs. It is from yesterday morning when I first saw her. Isn't God amazing, creating such a perfect little baby? Welcome to the world, littlest Walker.

New Granddaughter!

Congratulations, Kyle, Lyndsay and Isabella. Kendall Noel arrived safe and healthy last night at 10:01pm. I think she weighed 6lbs and 14oz and was 20 inches long. I was not present at the time since I was at the house watching Bella. So, Kathie took the day off and she and Bella and I went up to meet Kendall. I took 94 pictures today and Kathie took some more with her camera. So, more photos will be shown soon.



They plan to come home tomorrow. I am sure Lyndsay will give us more when she gets home and has a chance to catch up. I am not sure when that will be, because they will now have two little ones around. Whew! Parenting is truly for the young.

Pearl Harbor Day Update

I must be turning old. I have been having to visit the chiropractor lately because of a back pain. It turns out I have mild scoliosis. Yup, trying to catch Rick and Lindsay. Hey, Linds, is it OK to be doing all this running with scoliosis? Do you use those foot things (I forget what they are called...I AM getting old)?

I have applied for 3 jobs. I guess my friend couldn't find anything, and I am out of money. I am also getting overly bored at home.

We are going Christmas light looking tonight with Kyle, Lyndsay and Isabella. That should be nice. I hope it does not rain too hard.

Christmas decoration update: tree up, interior knick-knacks up, tree decorations up, outside lights not up.

iTunes update: songs loaded from CD - 3575 songs, from download - 435 (I found an old stash of some of the CDs from when Kyle was downloading a lot), from LP - 1517 songs. By the way, I can only find CDs for A Few Good Men and Peace of the Rock by the Gaither Vocal Band. Does anyone have digital copies of the other early LPs? I need New Gaither Vocal Band from 1981, Passing The Faith Along from 1983, New Point of View from 1984, One X 1 from 1986, and Wings from 1988.

Job update: jobs offered - 0, jobs applied for this week - 3, listings I am reviewing - 1


Let's end with a Bella picture. Here we are reading the paper on a recent visit.

Christmas Thought

Most of my loyal readers are employed, and that's a good thing. It implies, for most of you, that when you go back after the holiday, everyone will want to catch up. The most common question will be "Hey, how was your Christmas?"

What I want you to think about is how you answer that. Against what will you measure? How many presents? The quality of those gifts? Which football teams won? How many family members were able to get together? The fact that you did not get the flu? The fact that you did not have to work for a few days?

You can guess where I am leading? How do we measure the value of the Christmas season without Christ? And how would we explain that at work? I hope it is a great time for each of you, and that we all remember the reason for the season.

OK, enough of that. How about a photo of our session yesterday with Santa and Isabella? She was not as sociable as last year. As a result, Kyle ended up in the pictures, too.

We All Need A Good Laugh Sometimes

These always tickle my funny bone. I came across this list while surfing today.

1. Recently, when I went to McDonald's I saw on the menu that you could have an order of 6, 9 or 12 Chicken McNuggets. I asked for a half dozen nuggets. "We don't have half dozen nuggets," said the teenager at the counter. "You don't?" I replied. "We only have six, nine, or twelve," was the reply. "So I can't order a half dozen nuggets, but I can order six?" "That's right." So I shook my head and ordered six McNuggets

2. I was checking out at the local Wal-Mart with just a few items and the lady behind me put her things on the belt close to mine. I picked up one of those "dividers" that they keep by the cash register and placed it between our things so they wouldn't get mixed. After the girl had scanned all of my items, she picked up the "divider", looking it all over for thebar code so she could scan it. Not finding the bar code she said to me, "Do you know how much this is?" I said to her "I've changed my mind, I don't think I'll buy that today." She said "OK," and I paid her for the things and left. She had no clue to what had just happened.

3. A lady at work was seen putting a credit card into her floppy drive and pulling it out very quickly. When I inquired as to what she was doing, she said she was shopping on the Internet and they kept asking for a credit card number, so she was using the ATM "thingy."

4. I recently saw a distraught young lady weeping beside her car." Do you need some help?" I asked. She replied, "I knew I should have replaced the battery to this remote door unlocker. Now I can't get into my car. Doyou think they (pointing to a distant convenience store) would have a battery to fit this?" "Hmmm, I dunno. Do you have an alarm, too?" I asked. "No, just this remote thingy," she answered, handing it and the car keys to me. As I took the key and manually unlocked the door, I replied, "Why don't you drive over there and check about the batteries. It's a long walk."

5. Several years ago, we had an Intern who was none too swift. One day, she was typing and turned to a secretary and said, "I'm almost out of typing paper. What do I do?" "Just use copier machine paper," the secretary told her. With that, the intern took her last remaining blank piece of paper, put it on the photocopier and proceeded to make five "blank" copies.

These do remind me of a personal crazy incident. I cannot remember where it was, but I ordered fried chicken. The waitress kindly informed me that they were out of chicken. "OK," I replied, "I'll have chicken-fried steak." Sir," she said, "I just told you we were out of chicken." True story.

What Does Tomorrow Mean?

OK, so what I actually meant when I said that I would "update tomorrow" was Thursday. Yeah, I'm a little late. And I had waited to see if there were any new news for you. Nope.

So, while my friend is helping me search, I am again actively reviewing postings. And praying for guidance, of course.


No photos from Thanksgiving, so I'll just take you back to Zion National Park during the fall colors. Nice, huh? Thanksgiving was over at Grandmom and GrandDad's place. Just the PHX folks (plus Jay down from Flagstaff). Then, we took some leftovers that I finished just yesterday at lunch.

Shrek the Halls (on ABC last night) was cute, if you like Shrek stuff. I do, so I enjoyed it.

Chorale concerts Sunday afternoon. The folks are gone, but I'll be there. Hopefully, this time, I can make it through without losing my voice (see Katie's recent post and comments).

Christmas decoration update: tree up, interior knick-knacks up, tree decorations not up, outside lights not up.

iTunes update: CD - 3409 songs, LP - 1517 songs

Job update: jobs offered - 0, jobs applied for this week - 2, listings I am reviewing - 3

Update Soon

My meeting last week was less than ideal. I'll update you tomorrow. It is not totally bad news, but a little disappointing.

Job Search News

I am meeting with Mihir on Wed night on my job search. He is allowing his admin, Sarah, to assist in my search. That is a great help. Still, I am mostly hoping to get on with his company and work with he and his brother. I sent him a proposal on how to make that happen. So, pray that I find the right job, whatever it is.


Last week, we went with Lyndsay and Bella to Gymboree. Here, she is enjoying bubble time.


And on Saturday, we went to the mall. Here is Alison riding the carousel with Bella.

Fishing

John 21 tells the story about when Peter and the disciples went out and fished all night. Of course, you remember that they caught nothing. Jesus called out to them the next morning and suggested they try the right side of the boat. They did and could not even haul them in because there were so many.

Yeah, so what? Well, this scripture came to me last night as I prayed about my frustration at not finding a job yet. Maybe I've been looking through my own eyes and needs and not through His. He know what is best for us. We just need to listen. At first, Peter and the disciples argued with Him. Ultimately, they did as He asked. I want to knwo that I am doing what He asks. Keep this search in your prayers.

Showering With Friends

Phyllis threw a shower for Lyndsay and Kendall yesterday at Carraba's Italian. Here is a group shot.



A good time was had by all. I stopped by long enough to capture a few photos and then left the ladies to their fun.

Typing time is over. Bella is spending the night and Nana is in the garage doing laundry. So, I need to go rescue the dog from Bella chasing him.

What's Wrong With My Brain?

Oh man. I totally spaced on a meeting with a 401K advisor this morning. He called and I saw the caller ID and knew I messed up. We reset for tomorrow morning. I won't forget this time. Meanwhile, here is a cool tree shadow I saw on Halloween night.




I finally bought a memory card reader so I can pull from any of our cameras without finding the correct cable. Anyway, I came across these photos taken on the way home from Ouray this summer. So, I made the family stop while I got out a caught a couple of snaps. First is this idyllic mountain scene.


Second is this idyllic deer scene. It was just south of the Alta Lakes area and he was off to the west of the road. Not that it matters, since he didn't care if he was east or west. You probably don't care either. In fact, I don't really care, either. I just was typing words as I remembered them.


And that reminds me of the time a bunch of us were 4-wheeling and we came across a lovely pastoral area. Do y'all remember? Anyway, I got on the walkie-talkie to Mom in the car ahead and asked what bucolic meant because I thought the area looked like that. I was right. 'Member now?

Finally, iTunes count is 5180 songs, 3094 ripped from CDs, 1477 from LPs, and 403 from various downloads. iPhoto count is 9361 photos. Time available to count this stuff is currently unlimited. I do have a lead for jobs that I am following, though. Keep praying.

All Hallow's Eve

Well, I can now reveal that Bella turned into Nemo for Halloween. Here is Nana and Nemo as we prepare to head out into the deep blue of the evening for candy gathering. The group consisted of nine adults and two infants. Only two of the adults dressed up. Here is one of them.


In the center of the photo is a tired little fish. On the right, you can see a man and a princess riding an ostrich. Not something you see every day, huh? This is Kyler and his daughter Alexis. His wife, Leeza (sp?), is off camera and she was the other dressed up adult. They are friends of Isabella's parents.


Oh, yeah. Elton John dropped by last night. Maybe it was Elton Jane? Unfortunately, this was the only keyboard I could find, so not much music was played. Still, another sight you do not see every day.

Weird Blogspot Issue

Hmm. If I upload the photo in small, it works. In medium or large, it never comes back. Weird. Anyway, this is what I could not show in yesterday's post. I think Preacher Bro took the original.

Can I Join Your Team?

Ladies and gentlemen, I am officially joining the team of those who do NOT have cancer. A blood test has confirmed that all the cancer was removed. I need to be tested every three months for the next year, but it means no radiation for now. YEAH!

Hmm, I've been trying to upload a photo, but I keep getting an error. So, maybe later.

Studies in Orange

Yeah, it's been too long since I posted. I have no one to blame except...well, anyone but me. I just called this post Studies in Orange because we are in the season of orange and black. So, since pumpkins are prevalent in both photos....


Kathie and Alison went to Disneyland without me earlier this month. Can you believe it? Well, in fairness, I couldn't travel yet when they went. Here is part of the entry display that Disney puts up each year around Halloween. Purty, huh?



Once they got back, we joined Kyle, Lyndsay and Bella and some of her family and friends at Schnepf Farms. Here is a photo of the happy family. I caught this shot before Isabella got tired of posing there. I also got a picture of her Halloween costume, but that will wait until closer to Halloween.

Seasonal Shifts

Since we live in PHX, you know I am not talking about the weather. The good thing there is that we should not be getting up to 100 any more this year, but 98 is forecast for Thursday.

No, I am not thinking to go work at Wal*Mart for the holidays, either. Of course, that may become an option later this month. Keep the job search in your prayers.

The title of this post actually refers to two of Isabella's shirts.


Here is a lovely skull and crossbone shirt. Notice that Daddy is acting as her catwalk. Well, I guess she has to start somewhere.


And here a scary spider shirt. Ooo. I see that Nana is just out of the shot feeding her either a popsicle or a Slim Jim. She seems to pose better when we feed her.

Too Long + Bella Sighting

It has been over a week since I last posted. True, I had little to say. However, that has never stopped me before, right? So, let's get to some updates and then some photos.

I am doing better each day, with the normal caveats of healing after major surgery. In fact, last night served as a reminder of that. We bought (and I loaded into the car) 4 cases of 24 bottles of water. I was OK putting them in the cart, and then OK loading 2 into the car. The last 2 caused some pain in my abdomen. Kathie let me know I should not have done that. She's right, but I was feeling OK until then. Anyway, I've got to start trying things sometime.

I plan to restart my job search by next week. I am ertainly not at 100%, as I already noted. However, we really need to get me working and some money flowing. Please continue to pray about the right position for me. And Jay M, I am not thinking of Pizza Hut, at least not at first.

OK, a photo before we continue.



Check out those fine sunglasses. No autographs, please. This was taken some time in the past 2 weeks, so she is around 18 months old.

Well, I heard that the folks are back from their UK trip. We'll need to stay on them until they give us a blogger update with photos.

In iTunes, I am at 4551 songs, 10.8 days, 39.31 GB. I'd better get to listening if I am going to hear them all, huh?



Here is Bella giving us a tour of her room. She is quite proud of her new bed (they need the crib for Kendall).

Nothing...Really!

I have nothing to say, but it has been a week since I updated or even checked any of y'alls pages. Sorry.

So sorry, but it seems I lied in the post heading. I DO have something to say. Morris bit Kathie earlier this week. We are investigating training options. We cannot allow Bella to have interaction with him until we understand what is wrong. He has snapped at Alison in past weeks, but this is the first bite. Maybe it is because we play with him less during my recuperation? I'll let you know.

Follow up with the surgeon in late October to see if all the cancer was removed. Continued prayers are appreciated.


Felt like playing a little today, so I turned this photo from Zion National Park into a watercolor.

Free At Last

I know it was only two weeks, but getting the catheter out makes me feel like I'll make it after all. Whew! That was a pain, in more than one way. So, now to get about the business of healing and finding a job. Thanks for your prayers.

Kathie got back this afternoon from her time in Corsicana dealing with her mother's death. She will also be dealing with the business of healing, so keep those prayers coming.

Thursday is Alison's birthday. I probably will not be up to taking her to Disneyland, or even IHOP. I think she will understand.

Oh yeah, the pathology results are a little inconclusive. There may be a spot where he did not get all the cancer. We'll find out Oct 27. We must wait a month for my numbers to normalize. No, I am not worried yet.

A Little Video of Ouray Photos

Animoto.com let me create this for free. I chose to use some photos I used in the photo book because they were already reduced in size and saved as JPG. I used one of their songs and it does the rest. I'll play some more another day. For now, this'll do.

The funeral is over. Alison, Lyndsay and Kyle are on their way back. Kathie is in Corsicana until Tuesday. Thanks for your prayers.

In Memoriam

It is the sixth anniversary of the World Trade Building terrorist attacks. It is good that the country remembers.

However, our family now has a personal loss on this day. Kathie's mother passed into God's Hands earlier today. We had known it was coming soon, but the sense of despair is not one you can get ready for. I love her as my own family, which of course, she is. She told her caretaker "Tell my kids I'll see them on the other side." Praise God for that. She is no longer in pain.

Kyle, Lyndsay, Alison and Kathie are going to Corsicana for the funeral. Unfortunately, there is no way I can travel right now. Getting from the front of the house to the back is hard enough.

Praise the Lord for your home-going, Grandma. I love you.

Setbacks and Sitting Down

On Friday, a little pain and blood caused me to worry and call the doc. He said I needed to do less and drink more water. So, I have been resting more the last 2 days. Healing comes before updating blogs. But I did update this. See below for proof.

Home!

Well, I am home, but whew, I would not say I am 100%. Still, it's better than a hospital bed. Kathie is staying home tomorrow and Monday. I am typing this standing up because I cannot sit straight yet. It sounds like the doc got it all, but he is waiting on final pathoogy. Anyway, praise God that it went well Tuesday. Thanks for the prayers, cards, and visits. Maybe next time, I post the photos. Just kidding. I'll wait till the next post.

A Sign?

Yesterday in church, we sang All Hail The Power, so I knew the surgery would go well today. How? Oh come on. What are the words in the second line?

All hail the power of Jesus' name.
Let angels prostate fall.
Bring forth the royal diaqdem
and crown Him Lord of all.

OK, maybe I dropped one little letter in that word, but it could be a sign, right? Thanks for your prayers. I'll update again when I can.

A Sermon in One Paragraph

Conventional wisdom says that we need to limit our resume to one page to get it noticed. Management training says we need to keep company mission and vision statements to just a few words so people remember them (e.g. Have It Your Way or I'm Lovin' It). This mornings sermon was about Jesus' mission as stated in Matt 9:35. "Jesus went through all the towns and villages, teaching in their synagogues, preaching the good news of the kingdom and healing every disease and sickness." Do you have a mission in life? Can you articulate it? Does it meet Jesus' needs, your needs, and the needs of those around you? If not, is it a mission statement?

On The Road Again

Bella is driving already? It appears so. Let's take a look.







Here, she is checking her speed. That's a really good idea with all the photo radars set up here in the Valley.














Now, she knows to check the road conditions ahead. She's got to pay attention to everything around her at the speeds she is traveling.








Before turning, check your mirrors and look both ways. Bella knows this and looks at the blind spot on her right. So, if you see her coming, it's OK. She's a professional.

Water Watching and Road Running

I heard through the grapevine that it has been too long since a photo of Isabella showed up here. Who am I kidding? Nobody needs to tell me it's time for some granddaughter sightings. I'll see what I can do between now and Tuesday.

So, without further ado, let's see a sweet little picture of Isabella, taken in Ouray. (Hey, how come no one wants 'further' ado? Where does the first ado come from?)

I changed it to sepia and added a torn paper border. I also cropped it to focus only around Bella. I wanted a close-up of her face, but didn't find one I liked that is within the last 3-4 months. I'll have to fix that.


Then, I was playing with inserting one photo into another and came up with this one of Lindsay and Ben running away from the family in Ouray.

Prayer for Mother-in-law

Please pray for Kathie and family as we go to see her mother this weekend. She seems to be weakening in her fight with cancer and the doctor has modified his prognosis down to weeks or days. Of course, the Great Physician may still choose to cure her. In any case, we request prayers for doctors, for wisdom, for understanding, for His will.

Mmm, Mmm...Good

One definite good thing about my upcoming surgery. Lyndsay has offered to provide some meals. Too bad I have to wait another 10 days.

Four Weeks Without Driving??

Hey, the doc tells me I cannot drive for 4 weeks following my surgery. Wow, that's a long time. I think I'd better drive several hundred miles every day until then so it can all average out.

The surgery also means that I will delay my job search until mid-Sept with a hope of starting something in early Oct. I will keep watching for opportunities to apply for, though. Keep this search in your prayers.

I have not added anything to iTunes for over a week. At this rate, I'll never catch Susan.

The photo book is nearing completion. It looks good, if I do say so myself.

When Should You Pray?

Well, we should be in prayer constantly. However, I was actually referring to my upcoming surgery. Tuesday, Sept 4, at 2:30pm PHX time. So, I welcome any and all prayers.

Otherwise, nothing new. Still, I will trust His timing.

Ouray Photo book in final review status. iTunes song count is now 4411, although I did not work on it since Monday.

Let's Just Get It Over With

I left a voice mail for the surgeon today. Let's just go ahead and get the surgery done ASAP. I know he said there is no real hurry. It is a slow moving cancer and he is fairly certain it has not spread, but now is a good time since I do not have a job. I can stay home and complete my recovery.

Hey, readers, I did have a teacher suggest I could be her paraprofessional while they search for a full-time person. Hmm, it would pay the bills, right?

While looking through my LPs, we came across an ad campaign record put out by McDonalds back in the 70s. That was pretty funny. However, we had a copy that said we did not win, so I don't know why I still have it.

DKW, I am at 4401 songs now. Nowhere near Susan's 13K, but I'll do what I can.

Have y'all ever heard Anuna? I like their music, especially Dulaman. That is really cool. I moves back and forth between 6/8 and 7/8 (I am not sure how to annotate 6 eighth notes per measure and 7 eighth notes per measure). You can hear (and see) some of it on You Tube at http://youtube.com/watch?v=odS8Xu7ZyEA. Dulaman comes in at about 1 minute into the video. This also shows some of the songs from the PBS special that I saw the other night. They will be in concert here in PHX in Nov in Mesa.I may have to go. They also show they will be at Borders here Aug 21 at 7:30. Hmm.

I also see that you can hear the entire song on their MySpace page at http://www.myspace.com/anuna. Also check out the chords they build in Song of Oisin.

What Are You Reading?

Something I had forgotten since I was unemployed 2 years ago is that I tend to do less reading for pleasure, even though I had more time. Kathie, Ali and I all enjoy reading. I think Kyle reads some, but certainly less. I don't know about Lyndsay.

Anyway, isn't it exciting as you near the climax of a story and look forward to what you will learn in the following pages? I was in the shower this morning thinking about not doing any reading when I realized I never call the Bible something I read for pleasure. How sad for me, huh? It is not that I don't want to read the Bible, and I do enjoy reading it but it does seem to come second. Right now, if not always, it should be the place where I look forward to seeing what I can learn from the Author. Some days, I let the whole day go by and the only Scripture I read is from my Verse of the Day (VOD). That is a difficult admission, even to myself. I resolve to fix that, starting today.

Today's VOD is Luke 12:6-7 Are not five sparrows sold for two pennies? Yet not one of them is forgotten by God. Indeed, the very hairs of your head are all numbered. Don't be afraid; you are worth more than many sparrows.

So, what are YOU reading?

No News Is Good News...I Hope

It's been a few days since I added a picture, so here is one of the group up on Engineer Pass south of Ouray on July 2.

No news today. No doctor appointment. No jobs. Well, I did sit in on a conference call about a network marketing job, but I cannot imagine myself doing that. I am still taking the Oracle CBT in case that direction works out.

Something Got Better, Something Got Worse

Saturday night, I got another US Airways lead from a former coworker. Reservations had openings for managers, and Karla was talking to some Res people. She would get me the contact info on Monday. Well, the positions are actually already filled, so I missed it by that much.

I had my eyes checked this morning. Somehow, I scratched the left lens of my glasses and it is always cloudy looking. So, I went to Nationwide and it turns out my eyes are a little better than 2 years ago. Weird, huh? The doc said that is not unusual, but I have never heard of it.

iTunes count - 4175. Oh yeah, I asked my firend Susan about her iTunes song count. Guess what it is? You can imagine I am leading to a higher number, but she said 13,000! I've got to get after it.

Happy 31st Anniversary, dear.

Come On Down, It's a New CAR!

That's right. Keith and crew got a new car this week. Well, it's new to them. Luckily, I caught a shot of it before they headed back to scenic NV. Ooo, and he got personalized plates, too.







Well, I wanted to move on to brighter topics, but then I saw what verse was displayed and thought I'd share it with you. However, it is obviously aimed at me. I think you'll agree when you read it. OK, Lord. I am listening.
Ps 119:130 The unfolding of your words gives light; it gives understanding to the simple.

They Said Not To Do It

Kyle, Lyndsay, let me apologize right now for not calling you immediately. To everybody else, let me explain. When I got the biopsy results, Kyle and Lyndsay had left for Las Vegas for the weekend. I did not want to ruin their trip, so I decided to tell them when they got back. Then, I decided to go ahead and blog it because people knew when my biopsy was. No worries, right? After all, they would not check the blog during their trip. They haven't before.

You can guess what happened. They went to check in for their flight and went ahead and looked at the blog. There was my announcement, and they hadn't heard yet. So, Kathie and Alison, you were right and I was wrong. Kyle said to always tell them. They would have dealt with it and then been free to relax on their weekend.

Sorry. I should have learned from 2005 when I let them go on their honeymoon and did not tell them I had been laid off two days earlier. So, next time, full disclosure to the family. I love you all and was just trying to spare you worry.

I Wanna Be Like Daddy

I am sure that, as a child, I said that more than once. And if I didn't say it, I probably thought it. Well, I must have done it once too often because I have one of his medical issues.

I found out yesterday that I do have prostate cancer. I don't know the extent yet. We meet with the specialist next Friday at 8am. Luckily, they seem to have caught it early, so we'll see.

Next Monday is our 31st anniversary. Can you imagine having put up with me for that long? Or even half that long? I am certainly a lucky man and thank God for Kathie every day.

Have I been praying for patience lately? It certainly seems that God is working a number of things in my life. I know I am seeking His will, and will trust Him in all things, even this new development. Today's verse is I Sam 16:7 The LORD does not look at the things man looks at. Man looks at the outward appearance, but the LORD looks at the heart.

You know what? Maybe when I said I wanted to be like Daddy, God didn't interpret it as my earthly father? Shouldn't we all want to be like Him?

There's no need to fear

Nice verse for the day. James 1:22 Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says. If I believe that, I cannot be depressed about the lack of replies to my job applications. And Luke 12:27-31 says Consider how the lilies grow. They do not labor or spin. Yet I tell you, not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these. If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today, and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, how much more will he clothe you, O you of little faith! And do not set your heart on what you will eat or drink; do not worry about it. For the pagan world runs after all such things, and your Father knows that you need them. But seek his kingdom, and these things will be given to you as well.

Anyway, when I started this post, all I was thinking about was that I am starting to worry about not having a job or even a prospect of one right now. Then, all those verses came to mind. My original title was going to be "What? Me worry?" Now, I'll give it another title.

I feel your prayers and support. Thanks to all of you for checking in on my blog.

Back in School

So, Kathie and Alison are back at school. Kathie has 25 first graders and Alison is an aide in a classroom of 20 kindergartners. She is trying to decide if she thinks she wants to pursue teaching certification. Actually, Leigh is back in a classroom, also, but I don't know any details.

I am back into nothing. Well, not entirely true. I am doing some things, but not getting a paycheck. I am studying Oracle 11i, creating a photo book of the Ouray vacation (Rick, where are your photos?), and ripping my old LPs into iTunes. So, my number now is 4034 songs, and I have 2 James Taylor albums that need to be finished. You rip them, reduce the noise, reduce the clicks, normalize the amplitude, then add them to the iTunes library. I am also trying to help my beloved with house straightening and laundry.

Now, I Wait

Well, I am back from my procedure. Test results should be known within a week. Still, I had been stressing about even having it, so at least it is finished.

I also added posts for the last two days that I had queued up, but not yet posted.

Hey, Keith and Kim noted that I had 3989 songs in iTunes and made it sound like that is a lot. Is it? It is only 265 CDs with an average of 15 songs each. How many do you have?

I Got A Call!!

I got a call from a company to whom I sent my resume. I am not 100% sure if it is a match yet, but at least it is positive. I would be a project manager as they transition between systems. That is a similar experience to things we did at both US Airways and ON Semiconductor. Keep the situation in your prayers.

Head for the mountain

That was the topic of Sunday's sermon. It is based on Romans 6:15-23 and 1 Corinthians 6:12. It is the final sermon in the Beating the Heat series. Anyway, what I wanted to cover were a couple of questions that I thought were personally thought-provoking.

Why are man's laws seen as protective, but God's laws are restrictive?

Is your hiding place one where God lives or one where you hide your sin?

Good questions, right? Pastor Curt said true freedom is the ability to know what you should know, the desire to want to do it, and the faith and power to live it out.

Good Verse

Today's verse. Heb 12:1 Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles, and let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us.

Isn't it sad that sin "so easily entangles?" And then, even if we overcome that, I have to "run with perseverance." Now, the positive thing here is that Christ has "the race marked out for us." So, I just need to keep moving in the direction He has laid out. I can only pray for all of my extended family that you remember that you are surrounded by loving witnesses that are urging you on in His race.

OK, Lord, Now What?

Let me start with today's news. US Airways has decided to go with an experienced HR person for the open position. So, while disappointed, I am glad to know the status. Now, Lord, guide me to Your Will.

Last night at Chorale, the director read from some devotional book. However, I did not hear the whole thing after he mentioned Martin Luther's famous quote about spending three hours in prayer because he was so busy. In searching for it, I came across the following sermon from C.H. Spurgeon. It is a little long, but it is speaking to me today.

Do what it takes to be in and enjoy God’s presence – not once a day – but all day.

Sometimes we think we are too busy to pray. That also is a great mistake, for praying is a saving of time. You remember Luther's remark, "I have so much to do today that I shall never get through it with less than three hours' prayer." He had not been accustomed to take so much time for pray on ordinary days, but since that was a busy day, he must needs have more communion with his God. But, perhaps, our occupations begin early, and we therefore say, "How can I get alone with God in prayer?" It is said of Sir Henry Havelock that every morning when the march began at six, he always rose at four, that he might not miss his time for the reading of the Scripture and communion with his God. If we have no time we must make time, for if God has given us time for secondary duties, he must have given us time for primary ones, and to draw near to him is a primary duty, and we must let nothing set it on one side. There is no real need to sacrifice any duty, we have time enough for all if we are not idle; and, indeed, the one will help the other instead of clashing with it. When Edward Payson was a student at College, he found he had so much to do to attend his classes and prepare for examinations, that he could not spend as much time as be should in private prayer; but, at last, waking up to the feeling that he was going back in divine things through his habits, he took due time for devotion and he asserts in his diary that he did more in his studies in a single week after he had spent time with God in prayer, than he had accomplished in twelve months before. God can multiply our ability to make use of time. If we give the Lord his due, we shall have enough for all necessary purposes. In this matter seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you. Your other engagements will run smoothly if you do not forget your engagement with God.
We must, dear friends, in order to pray without ceasing, strive against indolence in prayer. I believe that no man loves prayer until the Holy Spirit has taught him the sweetness and value of it. If you have ever prayed without ceasing you will pray without ceasing. The men who do not love to pray must be strangers to its secret joy. When prayer is a mechanical act, and there is no soul in it, it is a slavery and a weariness; but when it is really living prayer, and when the man prays because he is a Christian and cannot help praying, when he prays along the street, prays in his business, prays in the house, prays in the field, when his whole soul is full of prayer, then he cannot have too much of it. He will not be backward in prayer who meets Jesus in it, but he who knows not the Well-beloved will count it a drudgery.
Let us avoid, above all things, lethargy and indifference in prayer. Oh, it is a dreadful thing that ever we should insult the majesty of heaven by words from which our heart has gone. I must, my spirit, I must school thee to this, that thou must have communion with God, and if in thy prayer thou dost not talk with God, thou shalt keep on praying till thou dost. Come not away from the mercy-seat till thou hast prayed.
Beloved brother, say unto thy soul, thus—"here have I come to the throne of grace to worship God and seek his blessing, and I am not going away till I have done this; I will not rise from my knees, because I have spent my customary minutes, but here will I pray till I find the blessing." Satan will often leave off tempting when he finds you thus resolute in prayer. Brethren, we need waking up.

Note to non-Photoshopping Preacher Bro

I downloaded DoubleTake from echoone.com to see if it worked better than Photoshop for panoramas. I would say yes. This took 45 seconds. It did not line everything up at first, but a quick drag and drop and it was done. If I bought it, it would not have this watermark, but I wanted to try it out.