....The MacDonald Clan

Celebrations

2009-05-07T22:15:00.004-04:00

May is a big month for us. Today is our 26th wedding anniversary and we are just as much in love as we were the day we married. It's been such a joy to spend my life with my best friend and lover. We're excited about what has been and looking forward to what will be.

In addition, May 1st in Trystan's birthday....his first! We were not able to be there but we have pictures. So we thought we would share them with everyone. As you will note, the boy has VERY curly hair. Just like his dad did at that age and just as his granddad did at that age. How cool is that!!!

Fun Pictures

2009-04-05T21:29:00.004-04:00

It's always fun to update the blog when pictures are involved. Unfortunately, I'm not real good with getting pictures on line but I am getting better. This post we have some fun pictures to share from both Texas and the UK.

These first three are of Trystan. He's headed toward his first birthday in just under a month so he's getting to be a real cutie. And looks just like his dad did when he was that age. The older boys, Clay and Sam are in Track right now and doing well. Both the boys are real strong in the running events.

Then we have some pictures of an Easter tradition for the Blackwells. Each year the boys and some friends get together to decorate eggs. This year, there is a contest at school for egg decorating. So we've posted Elam and Silas' creations. How creative.

Hope you enjoy the fun!

Silas' egg is one for the XGAMES for sure!

Here's Elam's entry - what a great idea for an egg!

What's Happening

2009-03-29T19:53:00.005-04:00

Right now we're being a bit thankful for the clear skies. Then, very thankful for the rain that has been a bit absent with any regularity for many months. Of course, everything is green and growing, so that means more work outdoors.

We had our friends Jon, Paula, and Norma over for dinner this past weekend and had a good dinner and fun conversation.

At my job, just after I left work last Thursday, a guy came in and stole a computer at gun point. It was a pretty bad time for everyone there, but they are recovering well.

Paul and Autumn returned from their cruise so here's a couple pics from that.

A couple weeks ago, Keith, Audrey and Kim came over for the weekend. Keith was "cashing in" his Christmas present of a ride along in a NASCAR car for three laps.
We had a great time watching him have a great time. It's pretty amazing how many activities are going on at the speedway any given day.

Here's Keith during the photo op at Lowe's Motor Speedway getting ready for his ride-along.

Some Thoughts

2009-03-15T21:08:00.002-04:00

Alice is still in WA helping my mom. As mom said tonight, "she's really been a blessing." Something I would echo over and over again!

Looks like the ladies have been shopping, cleaning and hauling carloads of items from one place to another. But they have managed to get everything over there except a couple misc. items. In the bargain, mom got a new wide screen TV and a new recliner. Guess she really has "retired!"

Paul and Autumn took off for FL today and they leave on their cruise tomorrow evening. It should be a great time for them. They really never had a "honeymoon" so I reckon this counts as one. I'm certain they'll have a great time. Even though Paul is still dealing with effects of his knee surgery, I'm sure they'll find ways to enjoy the sights of the Caribbean.

It's been raining here for almost three days straight. Poor Eli can hardly catch a break. He's not much of a rain dog, so doing his outside duty (or is that dooty) has been difficult. And of course, he misses his walks. So we're pushing for clear skies and warmer temps this coming week.

I've got a devotion that will be published the 23rd on Mustard Seed Ministries. Plus, the one I wrote for LIVE magazine has been published in their March issue. So that's good. Hoping to get work on some more soon.

We're praying for home sales to pick up and job prospects to increase in this area. I know everyone is dealing with issues, one way or the other, related to the economy, so we're praying the best for everyone.

Blessings to all.

Norm & Alice

Oh My!!!

2009-03-08T23:17:00.002-04:00

Well, yesterday we picked up our CPU from Best Buy. It was the second time we had to send it in for motherboard problems. Oh mother! Well, it's back and I'm not sure how long it will last. It managed two weeks form the last time we had it fixed, so we're keeping our fingers crossed. We have had some minor glitches since setting it up but I've managed to figure out many of them. At least up til now.

It's been a wonderful weekend her in NC. Temps in the high 70s to low 80s. Alice got some spring planting done. Things that will survive the next frost, which could be just around the corner. I had a great birthday with several greetings from friends and family, plus a special birthday phone greeting from the grand kids in Texas. It was quite fun! I hear there's a little something on the way from the UK so I'm looking forward to that.

Alice is getting ready to go visit my mom in WA. Mom has sold her house and planning to move in a couple of weeks. It's hard to imagine that she's moving. She has been almost 55 years in that house. But it will be good. She can't do all the upkeep necessary, so eliminating that worry will be best for her. She's really excited about her new apartment and the fact that Alice will be there to help her decorate the place.

Eli and I have nothing special planned. I work mostly days this week so that's good. But it should still give us time to get some walks in. I'm off Mon & Tues so I hope to get some chores done, some writing in, and perhaps a trip to the range.

Well, that's mostly it for us. I'm going to try and get some updated pictures downloaded and posted, so perhaps you'll look forward to that.

Blessings to all,

Norm & Alice

Winter is back in NC

2009-03-02T08:07:00.002-05:00

Well, we received another round of snow last night! It sure looks pretty but it sure is not what we "deserve". It needs to be sixty degrees year round in my opinion!

I posted this on Facebook, but will do it here also. Our daughter in-law, Autumn, who sells advertising for Yellow Book, won second place in the Presidents Regional awards this year. What a tremendous achievement. Part of the recognition with that award is a cruise for her and Paul to the Caribbean. It will be a "first" for each of them. CONGRATULATIONS AUTUMN! We are proud of you and your hard work.

Paul has recently had some surgery on his knee, that's following surgery again on his elbow. Thinks are looking good for his recovery. However, it does look like there may need to be additional "tests" done regarding some bone issues. It's been tough on him, especially since he is a stay-at-home dad with five boys. However, if you know Paul, he's taking it all with a grain of salt. However, it does look like he may be in some sort of brace on his knee during their cruise. That could be a good thing, since it will almost "force" some genuine relaxation!

Our UK family is well. They just returned from trip to Scotland and seemed to have a great time. Lot's of pictures on their blog so be sure to check that out.

Alice has been doing some additional interior painting. Finished the hall and the hall bath last week. Now she has her eyes set on my study area and the master bedroom and bath. It all looks great. She does such a wonderful job picking colors and coordinating everything.

Since it's tax time, Alice has been working on going through files and sorting out keep and throw away materials. Ugh....I hate that stuff. But it is always better to have things organized - truly organized instead of my organized chaos!

Well...time to get to work and be productive! :)

Hope all is well with family and friends. Blessings to all!

Norm & Alice

What's Happening Here and There

2009-02-11T23:20:00.002-05:00

Not a bad deal when you have temps close to 70 degrees in the middle of February. Of course, it may be short lived, but we're enjoying it while it lasts.

Well I hope everyone is prepared for a new socialistic America and a tax bill that will last long after I take my last breath. One can only imagine the things hidden in this so-called rescue plan that will further Obama's liberal agenda. So I suspect we'll all learn the reality of it as the weeks and months go by. Just one example...the automation of compiling of a national database for health care. Translate that as government having access to ALL your health records. They may decide that you're too not competent to drive based on that information, as interpreted by a government beuracrate. The may decide I can't own my guns as a result of counseling or medications. You get the idea. Not only that, consider the number of times the government's databases have been hacked and information stolen.

One other thing. Thousands, perhaps millions of Americans are making their feelings known to their elected officials to no avail. Apparently, government officials are determining that the people's voice is not important. They will do as they choose.

Well...

On another note...my mom has sold her house and now seeks another place to live. She had been looking for a while, but could not make a deposit or commit to anything until her house actually sold. Now she will need to be out by the middle of March and in to a new place. We have encouraged her to NOT settle for just anything. If necessary, put her stuff in storage and come visit us in NC for a month or so. We'll see how things go.

We would encourage your prayers for Alice's brother Ken. He was laid off several weeks ago and is seeking new work. It's a challenge in this economy but he has a couple of things he's considering. As it stands, he is the only one in the family that has experienced this type of work shift. But no one is out of the woods yet.

For Alice; her company finally received zoning clearance for their new community. This means activity will pick up significantly and we are hoping and praying, so will sales. On the home front, she is planning on doing some painting this weekend. Looks like the hallway and the spare bedroom will come under the brush!

Things at OfficeMax are the same; retail is and will always be retail. On the other hand, my manager is taking some comments to heart and helping her supervisors understand that it is important to treat people with respect and dignity. It's made a positive difference these past few days, so we'll see what happens as things go along.

Eli has been experiencing an earache for the past week or so. He has also been encouraged to loose some weight. So he's walking and we have reduced his food consumption. We have a Vet visit tomorrow so we'll see how he's progressed.

Not much news from the kids. So not a lot to say there. We know all are well and busy!

We hope all who share our blog are happy and enjoying the blessings the deserve.

Take care....

Norm & Alice

Snow in the Carolinas

2009-02-05T03:49:00.003-05:00

It wasn't but a day or two after my last post bragging a bit about the weather that we ended up with snow. The reason I'm thinking about that now is we have snow again and very cold temps. But alas, even though it's struggling to get above 30 in the daytime, by the weekend it will be close to 70! Go figure.

Not much to report from the last visit, although we would request your prayers for Dad. He's been having some stomach problems and not quite himself lately. They done some tests and basically it centers around some ulcer issues. I suppose he's been worrying about his kiddos lately. Everyone, in one way or another, is being impacted by the economy and I think he worries about that.

We've got two more weeks with our New Members class and then it's decision time. We are thinking of simply going to class for a while and see how that goes, then decide if we want to seek another place of worship and service.

Jobs are fine and we are really hoping this new community that's starting will bring in some new sales and begin to generate some activity. As I may have said before, it's a great location and should do well.

I've been having some real trouble sleeping lately. Most nights not til 2 or 3 AM can I find sleep. A lot of it is due to some skin rashes that seem to be getting worse, not better. No real help from my doctor, so may seek a dermatologist. May also try tanning. That has helped in the past. So we'll see.

Eli has been dealing with an ear infection so we give him drops twice a day. He doesn't seem to mind the process. In fact, it seems as though he appreciates it. It appears he's getting better.

Well....that's about it for now.

What's Going On

2009-01-30T03:15:00.002-05:00

Well, it's been a while, but Alice and her co-workers finally finished the new sales trailer and they have their CO - Certificate of Occupancy. The powers on and they are ready to begin accepting customers this weekend. Good news is, they have already had one sale and others who were interested in the project almost a year ago, can move forward with their contracts. If they all follow through, it will be a good start to this new community. It has a great location and visibility from the road is terrific.

My little job is going well. I'm trying really hard to focus on my customers and not get annoyed at all the other "stuff" that goes on. I suppose it's typical retail but it does get frustrating at times.

Nothing new to report from Texas or the UK. Everyone seems to be doing just fine.

Alice's Dad is experiencing some minor health issues, so if you think about it, you can remember him in your prayers.

Our final New Members calls at Lee Park is going well. A couple different people are in the works for taking over the class. We have thought about moving on, but have not made that final decision. We may attend an 8:30 SS class being taught by one of the folks who went through our class. It could be good. That will allow us to attend the 9:30 service which we prefer.

I'm still working on my writing course. This last lesson was on "Writing Church Drama". I've participated in many church dramas, but have not ever thought about writing one, nor am I now thinking about writing one. But monologues are interesting.

It's been cloudy here lately and it looks like we are in for another cold snap. Of course "cold" is a relative term considering what some folks experience in different parts of the country. :)

Well...that about does it for now. Hope all is well with you and yours. Thanks for stopping by.

Norm & Alice

Here's What's Happening

2009-01-19T17:30:00.002-05:00

Well, we've often bragged about the warm NC seasons. Well now we're getting a taste of the shivers. We've had a couple days were the overnight temps were pressed to reach double digits and the afternoon highs were less than 32. Naturally, it seems short lived and temps will be moving up in the low 50s so I guess we will endure the hardship for a while.

Alice has been very busy working on their new sales trailer. They are cutting costs wherever possible, so doing a lot of the work themselves has saved a ton of money. And from all accounts, the sales trailer looks great. It has high visibility and we are excited about the possibility this new community presents for the entire company.

Our desktop computer has some problems so it is in the shop. I'm thankful we have our laptop to keep things moving otherwise I'm sure we would have some sort of technical withdrawal. After all, what is life without MySpace, Facebook, Yahoo, Google and the like? What did we ever do without them?

Alice is still deciding on new paint colors for the hall, and various bedrooms. So the brushes are put away for awhile. I think she's had enough painting from her other project to last her a few months. But the colors she is looking at are nice. There is something about painting. Each house we've lived in never really seemed to be "ours" until it had the Alice-touch.

Things at my job, OfficeMax, are proving to be a lesson in life for me. I know there are times when my testimony is flawed and that bothers me. Then there are times when I wonder how people can be so rude to other people. I suspect I've been to long away from the business world. Can't say I missed it! :) But - on the plus side - I'm getting some great new material to add to my book on Customer Service!

Eli is having a great time. He litters the house with his toys and always finds ways to make us laugh. I'm truly convinced, a house is not a home without a dog.

Well, just got the "on my way home" call from my honey. So I better put an end to this and work on dinner! Maybe pork fried rice tonight. That sounds yummy!

HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!

2009-01-02T17:29:00.003-05:00

Well, here we are in 2009. Wow, does it seem like 2008 flew by! Maybe it was because once we unloaded our Lubbock house, things picked up speed and it seemed like it was all downhill.

I've not done a real good job of keeping up to date on this blog and it is certain I'll not make a resolution to do so in 2009, but I will make an effort to be a bit more consistent. It's not only a means of keeping family updated, but also a way to catalog what is happening with our grandchildren and ourselves.

Over the years, we've posted several pictures of Silas and his ability to sleep just about anywhere, anytime. Well, I think I might have a picture that tops his ability. This is Trevor and Landry, our nephews. There is not doubt this picture is a classic.

There have also been times when I've spoken about the large family gatherings at my in-laws, so I thought perhaps I'd share at least one photo from 2008 thanksgiving gathering. We were not there, along with others who did not make it, but you can tell from the photo that there was no room anyway! :)

We have several more photos we want to get posted, but it will have to wait for another time.

Just a couple of updates in regard to new information: Shad is in the process of moving to Portland, OR to continue his schooling. We don't get a great deal of information from him, but it appears he is doing well with his classes and may end up doing some counseling in a rehab center some day.

Alice's company is getting ready for a new community, so we are praying hard that sales will pick up at existing communities and the new one will break ground with some strong sales. It is imperative for many reasons.

I've started a part-time job at OfficeMax. It is a real challenge for me physically. Being on my feet for 5 or 6 hours at a time takes it toll more than I had anticipated. But I do enjoy helping my customers.

Everyone from Texas to the UK seem to be doing well and all the grand kids are very busy with school, sports, and socializing. Best of all, their parents seem to be holding up well!

Guess, I let this be enough for this post. I need to get back to mourning Texas Tech's embarrassing loss to Ole Miss. Perhaps Alabama will do better later tonight.

Happy New Year and God Bless

Norm & Alice

Christmas 2008

2008-12-26T19:47:00.002-05:00

We hope everyone had a wonderful Christmas this year. Ours was special in many ways, but most of all because of special friends and talks with family.

It was warm here in NC Christmas day. We slept late and took our time with the morning routine; warm cinnamon rolls, special holiday coffee, and sharing gifts. We had a chance to talk with our Texas kiddos but missed connecting with our UK kiddos. We did talk to our parents and enjoyed their stories of Christmas. I think my mom may have been the only one with a white Christmas, some 10 inches of snow and snowing again.

After a rather lazy and relaxing day, we had the pleasure of joining our friends, Jon and Paula, with their kids and grand kids for a special Christmas dinner. It was a treat for us and we so much appreciate their hospitality.

The photos below are just some of our holiday experiences. I hope to be able to scan more photos and get them posted soon. Heather sent us a wonderful collection of scrap book pages and we'd like to share some of them. Plus, we have some more photos of our Texas family.

We hope you enjoy a glimpse into our day.

JOY TO THE WORLD!!!

Who Said I wasn't Updating this blog?!

2008-12-11T19:14:00.011-05:00

Yes, it's been almost and month and I have very few excuses. One, I'm working on reading the Bible through in five months, and much of my free time is spent reading. Fortunately, and I mean no disrespect by that word, I'm close to finishing. Another issue has been the challenge of posting pictures. It is not my strong suit so I hesitate whenever I can, although I love posting pictures of the kiddos. Then finally, I've started a part-time job and its a convenient excuse for posting lapses.

Nevertheless...I'm ready...And since Alice is in PA for the weekend and I have my ironing done, I'll see if I can get things in order.

From an overall update. Everyone is doing fine. Alice and I have daily conversations and her job and its prospects for longevity. Things seem to be okay, and they are close to starting a new community. However, existing sales are very slow. Fortunately, their demographic is somewhat different than traditional home buyers so there is hope. My job, at OfficeMax, is traditional retail. Nothing further need be said. But it is a job and it is fine.

Oh yes, almost forgot to mention. Alice has started painting the interior of our home. She finished the living room and dining room area last week and I believe our bedroom may be next. She really did a great job!

Our UK family is doing well. They all are very busy and take advantage of every opportunity with friends and school activities. Much of what they report seems like so much fun!

Our Texas family is also doing well. Paul had a new surgery on his arm and is optimistic that this surgery will fix the problem with the nerves in that arm. All the boys are busy with school and Trystan is mobile and working on teeth and an extended vocabulary (just kidding!)

My mom is doing well. She's being impacted like many seniors on a fixed income by the recent economic situation, but still stays positive. She walks regularly on the treadmill to help her legs and that seems to be working.

Alice's folks are well. In fact, as mentioned, she is up there this weekend to help with holiday chores and decorating. Unfortunately, her older brother was laid off from Pella Windows yesterday, so that is not good news. But he is a very talented and personable man and should have little trouble finding work.

We've wrapped up a new members class at Church. This has been Alice's project and she did a great job getting the class organized and developing an outline for "training" material. Now she feels its time to pass it on to someone, or a couple, that can take the class forward in the new year. The class will actually become a requirement for membership at the church, so it will have many benefits going forward.

I've not been writing as much. For some reason, inspiration has been an issue and the discipline to simply sit down and write something has never been my strength. However, I continue with my writing course and receive positive comments from my mentor.

Well, now it's time for some pictures....I'll not put captions, since most should be self explanatory. Hope you enjoy.

Merry Christmas to everyone and blessings to all.

Oh my...I just remembered I forgot pictures from Clay's birthday! Looks like that will be another time.

Stage One Update

2008-11-10T20:29:00.002-05:00

Yes it's true, I've been more than lazy when it comes to updating things. So I thought I share some photos from the Girls Weekend Alice had with her sisters and mom in early October. Then some shots of the front landscape work. And of course a picture of our buddy Eli. We have more, but I can only handle so many downloads in one sitting.

We're doing well and the weather has been great here. We're trying to decide on our Thanksgiving plans...may end up in TN with Keith and Audrey. It's nice having some family so close.

All the kids and grand kids seem to be doing great. If I can figure it all out, I'll try to steal some posts from their blog sites. I'm not sure if I can do that, but I'll try. If not you can visit Heather and Ben's blog with a link on the right. I think you may be able to get to Paul and Autumn's site through here.

Well...I'm getting ready to move on...so I'll let you enjoy the pics and hope to see ya back here soon.

God Bless
Norm & Alice

Ramblings

2008-10-08T17:11:00.005-04:00

Well, I managed to get all the new bushes and trees in yesterday. I don't mind saying it was quite a chore. The biggest tree was my biggest challenge. But with a little ingenuity I managed to get it in the ground. Of course, I had to remove a half ton of rock to do it, but it's there! Once we get the sprinkler system set and the mulch down, I'll post some pictures. Today, we have a nice gentle rain so that's great for the new plants and will also help the new grass I recently put down in various areas of the yard.

This weekend is Alice's "Girls Weekend". She was saying the other day that this will be 22 years in a row they have had girls weekend. What a pocket full of memories they all share from those years. And I'm sure there are more to come.

For me, I was planning to take my NC Concealed Handgun class, but with all the other expenses and the fact that mulch will be delivered early Saturday, I suspect it will have to wait for another time.

We don't have any pics of Clay and Sam playing football, but I do have some photos of our nephew Jake and his sister Rylie during their football season. Pretty cute! The first is Rylie and her dad Ray. The second is the QB Jake under center.

Our brother in-law Allan returned recently from a missions trip to Africa. The church he and Shirley attend sponsors a village there and they went down to do some work, offer some assistance with school and clothing needs, and simply attempted to live the gospel.

Also, our dear friends Paul and Virginia Nurmi returned recently from another trip to Africa mentoring with new pastors and their families.

Hope this update finds you well.

Norm & Alice

October Update

2008-10-01T15:30:00.002-04:00

Well, here's the latest from the MacDonald Clan.

Mom has made it back from Hawaii. She and her friend Sharon arrived back in the Tri-Cities on Tuesday, Sept. 30th. They had a wonderful time but were very glad to be home. She says that pictures are on the way, but I'll see how that goes.

Both Clay and Sam injured their knees in football. No official word yet on the "damage" but it happened on the same day, same game. One before halftime and one after. Go figure!

As many of you know, Alice works in a very volatile business...housing. So far things are holding their own here and we hope that continues, or gets better. They are currently looking at additional financing to start some new communities, but with the financial market the way it is, she's not sure how all of that will flesh out. So we keep praying and believing in the good. If things turn south, we may be looking for a double-wide somewhere in the hills, growing our own vegetables (corn)and raising cows, pigs and chickens. What a hoot that would be!

The traditional "girls weekend" is coming up soon so she is looking forward to that. Which obviously means there's a "boys weekend" at the same time which Eli and I are looking forward to! :)

We are doing some fall yard work. Hoping to get grass were there ain't none and at the same time, we decided to redo the front bushes. Below is a picture of the "before", as it looks now. We'll let ya know when we have something green in there. That should be late this week or first part of next. The objective is to make a more gradual slope from the house to the yard and add some smaller and more colorful items to accent the front. Based on what we've selected, it should look nice.

Well, we'll keep ya posted.

Love to All

Alice and Norm

Quick Update

2008-09-15T17:45:00.002-04:00

I have not been very good about keeping up to date on this blog, so I apologize. It seems with FaceBook, MySpace, Wordpress, and the like, I get a bit blogged out.

Anyway...

Alice is in PA now and then headed to OH for a business meeting. She'll be away til the end of the week. Eli and I are on our own, so I guess you know what that means - hot dogs and bologna sandwiches! It's good that Alice has a few days with family. Allows her the chance to do some chores for her folks and get to see the rest of the family that's near by.

My mom is getting some work done around her house. My nephew Mike has come over for a few days to help her get some painting done and some yard work. After all, she needs to get her house in order so she can head to Hawaii worry-free. Mom and her friend Sharon are headed to the big Island next week so that should be a wonderful trip for them both. Then I also heard a rumor she was looking into an Alaskan cruise sometime next year. Oh my....what a traveler.

The latest news from the kiddos is that all is well. All of the boys have started school, with the exception of Hunter and Trystan. Hunter may be enrolling in a church pre-school, but we haven't heard whether a spot opened up for him or not. Clay, Sam and Dawson are all playing football and enjoying that a lot. Elam and Silas started school also, a picture is below. My what handsome English lads. We've not received any school shots from the TX boys, so perhaps we'll get some soon.

Autumn and Paul have found it necessary to get a "new" car. Autumn's trusty steed came up with a bum leg so they had to shoot it. Well, at least retire it for a time.

We're hoping to get some yard work done this week. I have someone coming over to do what they call here "pulverising". He churns up the surface much like a rota tiller, but with a less clumps. Then we'll re-seed and fertilize some spots that have been bare for a while. We'll also have some aeration done and do some over seeding there. We're keeping our fingers crossed that this will take. What we did last year did not. Of course, having some consistent rain will help.

I may have mentioned this before, but Alice is helping to lead a new members class at our church. I pitch in where I can, but she's doing a great job and it looks like they will continue the class on a regular basis. She enjoys meeting new people and sees this as a integral ministry for the church.

Eli is doing great. Gets his walk in almost every morning and several evenings. I do the morning, Alice does the evening. He enjoys the time outdoors in addition to his playing and chasing critters. Just so you know, critters for us means, lizards, snakes, deer, and of course cats. His favorite is cats!

Well, that's it for now. Hope all is well with you and yours.

Norm

YIKES

2008-09-02T10:39:00.004-04:00

It's not often my wife gets real excited about things she finds in nature. But this time was different. She came in the house rather frantic imploring me to come outside. Naturally, I get pretty squeamish about spiders so my first thought was that she had found this huge spider, and with little sensitivity, wanted me to see it! But that was not the case at all.

When I looked up in the tree, I spotted what caused her small bout of hysteria. It was this...

Over the past couple of days we have found little droppings that looked like small pieces of charcoal on our deck and along the ground beside the deck. Of course we had no idea what was causing it - but know we had a pretty good idea!

Apparently this is something called Citheronia regalis
(si-ther-OH-nee-uh mm REE-gahl-is) and it pupates in the ground after feeding on the leaves of the tree.

It can grow to 7" in length and ours was every bit of that!

I'm just thankful I was not sitting under it when it decided to drop to ground!

Alice took it over to one of our neighbors to see if they knew what it was. Their oldest daughter is into bugs and that sort of thing, so her mom looked it up in a bug book and determined it was some type of moth before it did it's moth thing. So we left it with them and they put it in a "cage" until their daughter got home. I sure hope it doesn't get loose!

A few words from NC

2008-08-29T23:44:00.002-04:00

Finally, after many months of minimal if any rain, we have had a week with plenty of precipitation. In fact, some parts of the Charlotte region had significant flooding. Where we live, no flooding, just wonderful steady (sometimes heavy) rain. The grass and flowers loved it.

I've not been feeling well these past two weeks so it was hard to enjoy my normal activities. In fact, this is the first time I've paid to have our lawn mowed since we moved here some 18 months ago. Nevertheless, with all the rain and the way I was feeling, it was good to see it trimmed up.

If haven't had a chance to see our pictures from the trip to WA, then you can scroll down and enjoy. Heather has also posted some initial pictures of their trip on the Blackwell web site. Looks like they had a great time in Oregon, before crossing over to the desert.

There are also some new pictures of Trystan that Paul has posted on his My Space site. I'm hoping to get them copied and post some here. That boy is something. He's already rolling over and can say at least five different words -- "thanks", "hello", and "what's for dinner?" Not really! Just kiddin' about the words. :)

This weekend is the big "corn roast" in PA. The Hutchison's, Ken & Kelli, put on a really big show and put their best ears forward on this event. Alice has attended often, somehow, I've managed to miss at least 25 of them since we've been married. :)
Hope everyone has a great time!

Well, that's about it. Remember to live "in the moment."

Norm & Alice

Vacation Fun and Photos

2008-08-18T23:54:00.005-04:00

I know there is nothing worse than sitting through your neighbor's "home movies." But trust me, this will be fun!

Alice and I left last Saturday, the 9th for the Pacific Northwest. Our first stop was in Portland, OR then a short drive to Albany, OR where my sister lives. We spent some time there and were even fortunate to have my niece Angie and her kids Bryson and Lindsay come down for a visit. It was a great time. Plus, I had not seen my nephew Michael in over ten years so that was a special treat. We had great laughs, terrific food, and a nice time catching up with family.

Then it was off to the Tri-Cities, WA. My mom had come out to OR so the three of us drove back along the Columbia River gorge through the Dalles and were treated to several groups of sail borders and kite borders along the river. It was something to see. We even caught a quick glimpes of about seven Big Horn Sheep - I didn't know we had any in that area. Then, when we stopped for a break, Alice thought the deer in the front yard of a person's house looked very life like. That was because it was!

The following week we caught up with Heather and the grand sons who had flown in from England to spend some time with their other grandparents. We rented a hotel rooom so we could use the pool and the boys loved it. Well - we all loved it!

Elam and Silas had taken swimming lessons in Dallas before going over to the UK. Unfortunately, there has not been much of an opportunity to keep the skills up. So the pool was a real treat for them. Naturally, Elam just walked right in and began swimming. Silas, followed his big brother and when I turned around he was thrashing in the water. I asked Heather if that was normal and she said "NO!!!" So I jumped in a pulled him up. It took a while for him to warm up to the water again, but Heather did a good job of making him "get back on the horse." And, as you will see from the pictures posted below, he did fine.

After our visit with Heather and the boys, we had a chance to spend some time with my younger sister Debbie, her husband Russ, and my niece Joanna, her husband Rich, and thier young son Brenden. We had some wonderful meals and good conversation.

When things had cleared out, Alice and I (Alice mostly) did some garden work for mom and then cleaned up around the house. I took on the task of eliminating the hornets from around the back fence area. And then we did some painting on the exterior of the fence before we headed out.

We drove up to Spokane, Wa to catch our flight home. Had a nice dinner with Debbie and Mom before they headed back. Then it was lights out for an early flight back on Sunday the 17th.

It was a wonderful time and something that we'll share more of down the road. But we hope you enjoy the pictures below. There are three slide shows so we hope you get a chuckle every now and then.

AND>>>>>>>>>

A very SPECIAL THANK YOU to Jon and Paula, our good friends who so graciously watched Eli for us while we were gone. It was so nice to know that he was in good and loving hands. They are very special people and we are so thankful to have their friendship.

God Bless

Just Hangin' Out

2008-08-18T23:54:00.001-04:00

Poolside with Heather and the boys

2008-08-18T23:53:00.001-04:00

Our Trip To Albany

2008-08-18T23:52:00.001-04:00

UK Report

2008-07-29T17:09:00.006-04:00

We get such joy out of reading and enjoying the pictures on Ben & Heather's blog. They always have such great stories to tell and wonderful pictures of the boys. It really is worth a look whenever you get the chance. Here's a few of some fairly recent photos.

Silas is known as the "sleeper." He can go to sleep anytime, anywhere, in just about any position. It's great!

Heather has started to learn face painting. These are some of her first atristic expressions, for some of her latest and greatest, check out the slide show on their blog.

Elam sharing with his mom that he has won another award for excellent behavior in school

This is the karate kids of the UK

Just a Word on Family

2008-07-24T17:48:00.005-04:00

My oldest son Paul is starting to reach out to his younger brother Shad and his step-sister (that's the last time I use step) Heather. These three have never really talked. While we were in Lubbock, Paul and Heather met for the first time, but there was not much a bond formed, for a variety of reasons. With regard to Shad, Paul has never met him and just recently took the risk to open a line of communication with him.

This will no doubt be a challenge for all the kids. I expect it will be rather awkward in the beginning and in reality, may not go very far. But I am excited that Paul has taken the initiative to reach out. He knows the risk and is willing to take it.

All our kids are wonderful people. They each have their own gifts and have struggled through their own unique journey's growing up. Credit goes to their mothers because Lord knows, I was not in the picture with much detail or frequency. Nevertheless, at this point, everyone is trying to one degree or another. That's what family is about - trying, reaching out, forgiving, and accepting.

Thanks for indulging me and God Bless!

Norm

Trip to McKinney to see the Kids

2008-07-14T00:26:00.003-04:00

We arrived home Sunday evening about 9:30...a bit tuckered out but feeling great joy about the time we spent with Paul and his family in McKinney, TX.

This was our first time meeting Autumn and the four boys. What a treat! Everyone seemed to feel right at home as soon as the door was opened.

Our first evening was rather short since our flight was delayed getting there. Nevertheless, Paul fixed a wonderful meal and we had some initial greetings and getting-to-know-you with everyone. Naturally, Trystan stole the show, but we expected that in the beginning. Dawson and I got to spend some time working on his bike, with Clay's help, so that was special.

Friday, Alice and I took the kids to the community pool and had a wet-n-wild time. Then later that evening we all went out for pizza. It was a full day of fun, laughter, and smiles.

Saturday, was spent around the house playing games and reading books with the kids. Then we had a cook out. Autumn's parents came over so we had the privilege of meeting them.

Sunday we went to church together, then came back to the house and Paul made a full brunch for everyone. It was delicious. Later, they all got ready to head to the pool and we said our goodbyes.

This is one big and high energy family. All the kids "mix" well and seem to have a genuine love for each other. Of course, mom and dad have their hands full with the different ages and the "things brothers do to brothers" but all in all it was a joy to see everyone working together. Of course, Ashlee, being the only girl, has special status but does well with all her brothers.

Alice and I were really blessed and happy to see the joy and love they all share together. It was a very special time for us.

We've got some pictures below, so we hope you enjoy our family.

Our next trip is to WA in August to see Heather, Ben and the boys. We are looking forward to that with some excitement as well.

Uhm...we may have to get a bigger house should we ever decide to have them all over at once! That would be four adults and eight grand kids! Oh my!!!

We are so very thankful for them all!

Look Out Texas Here We Come!

2008-07-09T23:23:00.001-04:00

Well, about 6 hours from the time I am writing this, we are headed to McKinney TX to visit with Paul, Autumn and the grand kids. This will be our first time meeting Autumn, Sam, Dawson , Hunter and of course Trystan. Plus, we'll get to see both Clay and Ashlee, since Ashlee is staying with them through this month.

We are excited and a bit nervous. But I am certain it will all be just fine. I'll post some pictures either while we are there or when we return.

On a side note...

* My niece's daughter - Lindsay - won their first round in the girls softball tournament and will be headed to ID for the regionals. If they do well there, they could find themselves in Williamsport, PA for the Little League championships.

* We have some wonderful friends who are taking care of Eli while we are gone. This is a new adventure for him and them, so while you say your prayers, say a short one for them. THANKS Jon and Paula!

* We have had some much needed rain here the past couple of days. I can't tell you how dry it has been, so this is a welcome sight. Last night, the storm was strong with a good deal of lightening and high winds. Fortunately for our neighborhood it looks like everyone fared well.

* I sent in an essay to AARP for a contest they are holding, plus I have two more that I am hoping to submit to different publishers when I return. In addition, I am working on a possible newspaper article about our church and have finished a semi-final draft for a discipleship booklet. Boy, my fingers are tired!!!

We hope all who read this family blog are well and happy. That God's blessings are abundant and the joy is overflowing.

*** Oh Yes....RIVEN, a new novel by Jerry Jenkins is due out July 22... be sure to pick it up. It's a great book.

Love to all.
Norm & Alice

Very Thankful

2008-07-03T16:47:00.002-04:00

At times I get impatient and frustrated with things. I am getting better, but I think God gets a kick out of pushing the envelope.

This past couple of weeks we have had problems with our AC unit. I have had a couple different companies out to check things and apparently there was a leak in the coil and we either had to replace the coil - $2250 - or replace the entire unit - over $6000. Well that was a bit frustrating and certainly an expense we were not planning on.

Over the past several days, Alice and I have debated about and prayed about what the right move should be. Then in the midst of it all, my laptop goes belly-up! Great!!!

Well this morning, in my prayer time, I felt like the right move was to replace the coil and not the unit. But there was something nagging at me about this whole thing. In my mind everything should be repairable, not JUST replaceable.

This afternoon, while praying about it again, I felt like God wanted me to call our neighbor who is in the refrigeration business. My intent, I thought, was to get his opinion on replacing the coil or the entire unit.

Once I explained my situation, he was a bit put-out that we had not called him when we were first having problems. I tried to explain he was our neighbor not our repairman. Anyway, he came over and did an extensive leak test and discovered a substantial leak in one of the fill vales. He replaced both schrader vales and filled the unit with Freon. He was not certain that was the only problem, but that was the only issue he could find. Now we have cool air and a bit of a reprieve from the major expense, at least for now.

I am so thankful to God, and of course Rick, for helping us sort through this and trust His leading. This was one COOL experience.
_______

Hope to have some new pictures soon.

God bless!

Norm and Alice

Time for some Kiddo Pics

2008-06-17T20:16:00.008-04:00

Here are just a few to get started....

First from the newest grandson. Here is one of Paul and Trystan taking a siesta.

Then we have one of Mom (Autumn) and son.

Now the youngster...

Here are some cool dudes residing in the UK - Elam and Silas

Now how about these hairdos? First the UK Mohawk

And now the Texas Mohawk..

AIN"T LIFE GRAND!!!!!

It Is OVER!!!

2008-06-03T16:38:00.003-04:00

With an early delivery from FedEx this morning, our epic journey around selling a house in Lubbock, TX finally came to an end. I suppose there should be more excitement than I feel right now, however, I am just plain worn out from the process. Yes, there are a few utility bills to clean up and some yard work yet to be billed for, other than that it is over!

What Alice and I have celebrated over the past several months, is what God has been teaching us in all of this. That will be something we will always be thankful for and attempt to honor God through lessons learned.

We thank everyone for your prayers and encouragement during these past 15 months.

Now - on another note.... we have some friends form Ohio that are in the midst of a similar experience. David and Cheryl, our former next door neighbors in Galloway, are still working on selling their home. They have already moved in to their new home, so selling the old one is very important. Perhaps you would join us as we pray for them - that God would send just the right buyer for their house.

*****
We talked to Paul the other day. Everyone is doing fine. Trystan had some infection on his toes because his toenails were not coming in properly. They were able to get that resolved and now everything seems to be good. The other boys will be out of school at the end of this week, then the FUN begins!

*****
I hope, from time to time, you drop in on Ben and Heather's blog. She has some wonderful stories and pictures to share. The boys are doing great and always seem to surprise her on a daily basis with their antics. (There's a link to their blog over on the right.)

******
I have three more devotionals that will soon be published on the web and I am working with our pastor on an article involving mega-churches. The feedback from my writing mentor has been encouraging and she keeps pushing me to do more.

Alice will be working in VBS this year and she is helping out in the nursery at least once a month during morning services. As always, she works hard and long each day - sometimes wondering about the "why" of it all. But God is using her and will continue to use her as a witness in the workplace.

Thanks to everyone who shares our life through this blog. We are grateful for each of you.

Things in NC

2008-05-26T17:35:00.002-04:00

My, only the end of May and in the high 80's a couple days in a row. I suppose I could have chosen a cooler time to stain the deck, buy hey, I don't control the Calendar and Memorial Day weekend only comes along once a year. So, while Alice was in PA, this was the weekend to get-r-done. Well almost done. I don't know who thought of those spindle thingies but I hate them! Nevertheless, I managed to get the interior and exterior sides done and two coats on the main deck surface. Just have to put a second coat on the other flat surfaces, finish the steps, cut-stain-and install the side caps and then it will be done. Maybe some pics later.

I had an article published in the Washington, PA Almanac that featured Dad Hutchison and a walk down memory lane regarding last years Memorial Day parade. He was really pleased and excited to see it in print. So that was fun. That same article took 3rd Place in the FaithWriter's weekly writing challenge in division two - "experienced writers." A nice surprise.

It may jinx it, but the house in Lubbock is scheduled to close this Friday. At least that is what they said as of last week. We'll believe it when we see the documents and pay off that mortgage!
Nevertheless, it sure will be nice to have that particular monkey off our back.

We received some pictures from Jenna's softball banquet. This one is with her "Golden Stick" award.

I've been watching he playoffs in the NCAA Girl's softball tourney...maybe one day, I'll be watching Jenna. That would be cool!

Well, I'm gonna say enough on this post. Hope all is well with everyone. We pray for each of you often.

Spring In North Carolina

2008-05-16T14:59:00.003-04:00

My wife's sister sent us a bushel basket full of pictures showing what the initial hints of spring look like in PA. They were wonderful. So, not to try and top it, naturally, I decided to offer a glimpse of spring in North Carolina.

Sorry Shirley :)

This is our flower garden on the side of the house. Yeah, for Miracle Grow!!!

25th Anniversary

2008-05-16T14:47:00.005-04:00

Here is my "good deed" for May 7th, 2008. You may notice the yellow rose in the center. This has tremendous significance for us. If you care to hear the story, it is noted below, called The Yellow Rose.

It is a true blessing to have such a wonderful wife. God was more than gracious when he sent her to me. She will always be God's message of unconditional love and I will forever be grateful.

Alice is a tremendous friend, a gracious helpmate, a wonderful encourager, a loving and thoughtful step-mother, a devoted oldest daughter, a loving older sister, a caring Aunt, and a great "boss" (of course, not of me!). Most of all, she is one who loves God and seeks to honor Him and serve Him.

For whoever I am, whatever I become, she is the force behind it all.

The Yellow Rose

He leaned the box, containing a single yellow rose, up against the door. Inside was an “offer”. One that he hoped she would accept. One that would change his life forever.

They had met over a year before. The scene in which they first shared a longing glance was at a local Holiday Inn lounge. He was their doing PR for the local radio station. She was there after work with some close friends. They danced a couple of times as he mustered the courage to ask her out – dinner, bowling, a walk in the park – it did not matter to him. He just wanted to be with her. There was something comforting about her glance. A calmness about her touch. He knew there was more to her than just an attraction. It was unlike anything he had known before.

When he wrenched up the nerve to ask her out, she simply replied, “I don't go out with men I meet in bars.” He surmised that was a good rule, but certainly she could make an exception. After all, he was harmless and a bit more than smitten with her soft eyes and gentle smile. Nevertheless, it was still “no.” So, he gave her his business card and offered, “If you ever change your mind, please call. We can do whatever you would like, no strings attached.”

It was a year later before they would see each other again. There was one time they caught a glimpse of each other at an intersection. Other than that, he waited, and she never called.

One evening, after an early night with his bowling buddies, he stopped by a local dance club to sneak in a line dance or a cotton-eyed Joe before heading over to his local stomping grounds. You see, his life was empty then - mostly filled with nights of drinking and carousing. A few years back he and God had made an agreement; if God let him alone, he would leave God alone. Shallow relationships, drinking and dancing were ways to fill the void in his life.

When he walked into the club, it echoed with its own emptiness. However, he did spot one table of almost a dozen women. From the looks of things, a party was going on and he was determined to join in. Sauntering over to the table, he politely inquired, “Would any of you ladies like to dance?” From the far side of the table he heard, “Sure Norm, I would.” His eyes, though a bit blurred, could not believe what he was seeing. It was Alice. The same woman he had met almost a year before.

They danced a few dances and talked for an hour or so. When it was time for the group to leave, he walked up to the table, and with a boldness that came from a place he knows not where, he blurted out, “I want you all to know I am going to marry this woman on Valentines Day!” I expect they were all in a bit of shock, since it was already January. In fact, they were there celebrating Alice's birthday. They all chuckled and looked at one another in disbelief, but he repeated his prediction. “Really, I am going to marry this woman on Valentines Day THIS YEAR!” Then he turned to Alice and asked, “Would you go out with me now?” Her rationale was simple; she had “known” him for a year, so the environment did not matter any more. She said, “Yes”.

On each date, he would open their conversation with, “Since we are getting married in a few weeks, we don't have a lot of time to waste...” Then he queried her on her favorite colors, where she grew up, what she thought of this or that. They had plenty of “knowing” to get done if they were getting married.

One evening she told him that she had received a job offer in a different state. Originally, she had turned it down, but now the offer was too good to refuse. She was planning to accept it. “What about MY plans,” he thought. “Surely, she cannot forget MY plans. We are supposed to get married.” Little did he know there were even bigger plans in the making than his. The master of the universe was putting together a miracle for that man.

He was confused about what to do. Certainly, he could not compete with such a lucrative offer. Then again, there was no way on earth he was going to let this woman just leave. Somehow, someway, there was more to her than he understood. Something purposeful.

That's when he decided to make his “offer.” He bought a single yellow rose, put it in a box and enclosed an invitation to join the MacD Corporation for the rest of her life. Then he leaned the box up against her door.

As the story goes, they did not wed on Valentine’s Day that year. It was actually May. They have been together twenty-five years now. The “MacD Corporation” is very much solvent and yields a substantial profit each year of love, laughter, and blessings. She still has the box that yellow rose came in and he no longer lives with that emptiness. Each day when he tells her “I love you,” it is like saying a big “thank you” to God for His demonstration of unconditional love. For little did he know, God’s plan was more substantial than his could have ever been.

Ted Wilson

2008-05-13T13:10:00.003-04:00

Recently, I came across a wonderful man we knew in Illinois, at the Village Church of Gurnee. His name is Ted Wilson.

In all my years in ministry and attending churches in states from the West Coast to the East Coast, I have never met a man that can lead you to the throne of grace through music like Ted can. God has gifted him in so many ways that it is hard to describe everything.

Anyway, Ted is in Vancouver, WA now and has his own music ministry and consulting business. I have a link to his web site over to the right. If you have an opportunity, be sure to check it out.

Heather, Ben and the Boys

2008-05-13T13:01:00.002-04:00

After Lunch together during a recent "holiday", they were planning on taking the bus to the Botanical gardens. However, since the buses were not running, and they were a bit late, they decided to take a leisurely stroll home instead. On the back roads through the fields they captured some great pictures. (Silas' picnic was from a different time.)

Catching Up on Pictures and Happenings

2008-05-07T13:47:00.001-04:00

Below are several posts and a couple slide shows. Hope y'all enjoy!!!

25th Anniversary

2008-05-07T13:37:00.006-04:00

It's hard to believe but Alice and I are celebrating our 25th Wedding Anniversary today, May 7th. Each year we always try and do something special. This year, I wrote an article on how we met and she put together a list of "25 Memories" that are special to her.

When I went to let Eli out this morning, I was greeted by this message.

When Eli and I went for a walk this morning, this sign was in our front yard.

Ain't life grand!

Here are a few pictures from recent Days

2008-05-07T13:36:00.002-04:00

Here are some pictures from our TN trip for Kim's Pinning

2008-05-07T13:34:00.002-04:00

It's Baby Trystan Paul and Family

2008-05-06T17:33:00.001-04:00

A NEW ANNOUNCEMENT!!!

2008-05-01T18:03:00.002-04:00

Trystan Paul Lawrence was born today at 1:37 p.m. CST. He weighed in at a firm 8 lbs 2.25 oz. and was 20 inches long.

Autumn is doing well as are Paul and the boys. Can't wait for some pictures!!!

My loving wife did her due diligence reminding us that we are now grandparents to eight. Whew!
I guess I better take a nap!

We will keep everyone posted as we learn more information.

Yikes....hold the Milk!!!

2008-04-29T14:51:00.002-04:00

My daughter and her husband are in England, as many of you know. Recently, she was sharing information with a friend of theirs who lives in China and one in Little Rock, AR. The idea was to compare grocery prices. It sorta puts things in perspective when you see the numbers....

Of course at the time they ran these numbers gas in the US was lower. Now it is around 3.55 in our neck of the woods. Milk is $3.98 or higher. And yes, their beef in the UK is from "Mad cows" so you can see how the price is affected! :) Hence the price for cheese too! If the cows had a better attitude, the price might be different.

	China	USA	England
Bread (loaf)	$0.68	$2.69	$1.17
Milk (gallon)	$3.68	$3.62	$5.17
Butter (stick)	$1.57	$0.86	$1.00
Eggs (dozen)	$0.62	$2.26	$2.30
Cheese (24 slices)	$3.39	$3.53	$5.73
Pampers (40pk)	$7.25	$11.29	$12.56
Chicken Breast (lb)	$1.40	$3.49	$7.99
Beef (lb)	$2.15	$5.29	$2.00
Gas (gallon)	$2.71	$3.19	$10.00

Total grocery bill (excluding gas):

$37.92…England
$33.03…USA
$20.74…China

What a Weekend and more

2008-04-29T14:40:00.002-04:00

Well, mother nature decided to give us a swift kick in the shorts this past weekend and Monday. We received buckets of rain, for which we are thankful however many of those moments were severe. On our way to Church Sunday evening it was raining so hard you literally could not see. The roads were absolutely flooded by the church.

Then Monday, we got another round of severe storms, some of which made their way to VA and caused massive damage in the Suffolk area. Several of our neighbors have one or more trees down and some of them were rather large. Fortunately, and thankfully, we had no damage or downed trees. Power did go our for about 3 hours Monday, but that was no big deal in the scheme of things.

It is barely 60 today and the wind is very strong. So it is almost like an Autumn day rather than late spring. But hey.... it's North Carolina, so who's to worry. :)

Hope all is well wherever you may live.

Some "FIRSTS"

2008-04-24T16:45:00.004-04:00

Here is the first rose of 2008 on one of our rose bushes. This poor bush is one I have written about before. It was on its last stump when we transplanted it right after we moved here. With much coaching and conversing with it, it produced wonderful roses last year. Looks like shes ready for the same this year.

This is the first picture of the year for our flower garden. And of course a shot of Eli's "blue" ball. We call it a blue ball because he knows his large ball as that and his small Kong ball as the red ball (it actually is red). Of course, dogs are colored blind, but it doesn't seem to make him any difference. He knows which one to go get when we tell him.

One more first......

WE RECEIVED OUR FIRST OFFER ON THE LUBBOCK HOUSE!!!!!

Naturally we were all over it like flies on stink! If I had the courage I would say it is less than we wanted....buy hey, it's under contract and things are looking good for a May 13th close date.
YEAH!!!!! Praise God!!!

Plant Thieves

2008-04-15T12:06:00.002-04:00

I told Alice, "I'll bet the neighbors call the cops on us." But she didn't seem worried as we pilfered the vacant lot for plants and trees. Oh, perhaps I should add that the company Alice works for owns the lot and the land developer said we could have anything we wanted prior to their clearing the land. So we took advantage of that offer.

Our harvest included Iris, Lilies, a couple of Dogwood trees, a Magnolia tree/bush, and some assorted ground cover. It was a full days work digging things up and then replanting them at the house - but hey --- can't beat free stuff!

There are also many other things that I was drooling over, but my lovely wife kept reminding me, "And what will you do with that?" When I did not have a coherent answer, I walked away thinking "Uhm, what would I do with that?" All in all it was a fun day and only encountered one unidentified critter slithering in the tall grass.

Last weekend we had our friends Paula and John over for dinner. Sunday was Paula's birthday so we had a little birthday party for her. It was fun. We always enjoy our time with them.

Regarding our house in Lubbock.....this month is Open House month all month long. So we are hoping we get some offers.

Word from Paul is, "Trystan is being ornery" and causing his mom all kinds of grief. So they are looking forward to May 1st. Paul is having some back problems and they are not sure what is causing it. He had his spine fused many years ago, and there may be some problems related to that.

Our niece Kimmy will be celebrating a milestone in her life as she gets ready for graduation from nursing school. There will be a "pinning" ceremony in May, so we'll most likely head that way and get stuck!

Ben, Heather, and the boys spent some time in Scotland a while ago. They arrived back in Durham to discover their boiler was out. So they have been invoking the kindness of friends to shower and acquire an electric heater. Word is the "boiler man" will have parts in shortly and get things back in running order. Uhm....if it's like the US could be a surprise lurking around the corner. We'll hope not!!!

Well...reckon that'll do it for now.

God Bless and have fun!!

Time to share

2008-04-09T13:49:00.002-04:00

Spring is moving quickly into NC. The grass is green, trees are leafing out and the smell of fresh flowers is everywhere. Of course, that "nasty" yellow pine pollen is everywhere as well. Guess that is the price one pays for the new growth of Spring.

Alice continues to be very busy. They have started and new building and are looking at beginning another one as well. That is good news.

We continue to wait in the shadow of God's grace for our house to sell in Lubbock. By the end of this week "we" will have painted the entire interior. I have also been talking with a landscape company to do some work along with some Spring planting. AND>>>we are exploring putting in new flooring. Heck, it'll be so nice, we may want to keep it! Yeah, right!!!! The good news in all of this is I am learning a great deal about stewardship, patience, and waiting on God. I am truly a slow learner, so as you can tell, it is taking God quite some time to teach me.

In the meantime, we are doing minimal work on this house and yard. Only doing those things that may save us in the long run, for example, cleaning and staining the deck. Not doing so would cost us far more if it were to deteriorate than the expense of preventative maintenance now.

One of the projects Alice has going is doing some land development. The contractor said we could have any trees, flowers, rocks, bricks, etc, that are on the property. So when things dry out --- yes we have had much needed rain -- we'll take the truck out and start harvesting.

My mom is doing well. Had some cancer removed from under one of her arms. They believe they got it all and there does not appear to be any problem with the glands. She continues to walk to improve her leg circulation and that is paying off.

Mom and Dad Hutchison and well. Jean's brother and his wife will be up from AZ for a few days so they are looking forward to that.

I have received word on an article publication that will come out in March of next year. Talk about patience. Nevertheless, it is a widely circulated publication and the best part is -- IT PAYS MONEY!!!! I also have two more I am working on. One for Guideposts and one for a local feature article in one of the PA papers.

Eli is doing great. He is learning some new disciplines and taking to them well. We walk almost every day and he really gets excited about that. We bought him a new "bouncy ball" today since he finally bit a hole in the other one. I'm surprised on how long that one lasted.

Well...that's about it. Guess I better get back to work.

Thanks for stopping by....

Norm, Alice, and Eli --- Clan MacDonald

PHOTOS...Yes indeed Photos!!!

2008-04-01T14:37:00.002-04:00

As remarkable as it may seem, we finally received some of those photos I've been promising. It's great to see everyone in Texas and share in their experiences. I hope y'all enjoy them. I don't have names yet for everyone in the wedding photos but the bride and groom should be apparent to all! :)

Besides the photos, Alice and I had a quick trip to PA this past weekend. It was a good time and an wonderful opportunity to share some time with family. We did not get to see everyone, but we did have an opportunity to share in Kylie's 12th birthday and catch up on the Oliver clan and the Schultz's.

Mom and Dad Hutchison are doing well, but definitely ready for Spring!

It's a blessing to say that everyone is in good health and enjoying life.

News from around the world!

2008-03-26T15:22:00.003-04:00

Well, maybe not around the world, but from different parts of the world. :)

Paul and Autumn are still in "waiting." Paul had another surgery on his arm so it is yet to be determined whether or not progress was made. Hopefully, he will be well mended and ready when the baby comes. Autumn did say he got the nursery painted and decorated so they are very excited about that.

Heather, Ben, and the boys posted some updated pictures on their blog of Easter and a trip to a seaside aquarium. All looked like great fun!

Alice's work is making some progress. They have logged some sales and have decided to go forward with a new building and the other project they have been looking at for a while. Brock, her boss, just returned from a national conference where he learned of some new plans and some opportunities that may boost sales both in Tega Cay and their Mountain Island project. So that is good news.

I have a few articles out on "query" to see if I can get them published. So we will see how that goes. The writing course is progressing nicely although I find it difficult to keep on pace at times. I suppose it is because the particular assignment that week may not push by button.

Eli is enjoying spring and the warmer weather. He LOVES being outside. Of course, so do we and Eli and I take a walk almost every day. Sometimes when Alice comes home she takes him out again which I must say just tuckers the poor guy out!

Still praying and hoping for a buyer on our Lubbock house. We keep seeking creative ways to market the house and now it is time to spruce up the outside consequently we are trying to deal with lawn and landscape people long distance. I must say our Realtor is a great help in this regard. We could not ask for anyone better than Deborah and her faithful sidekick Whitney.

Looks like we are planning a PA trip this weekend. That should be a nice break for Alice and we are hoping for good weather on the drive. Of course, nice weather there would be a bonus, but not mandatory!

Hope all is well with those who meander by this site.

Beautiful Nieces

2008-03-17T17:56:00.005-04:00

Here's some recent pictures of newly added nieces.

The first is Mallory with Grandma Osterwise.

The second is Keira Oliver and the third is the two cuties together. How fun is that!!!!

The Latest

2008-03-13T17:55:00.003-04:00

Well, it's been almost a week so I am sure there are things everyone is wanting to know.

It has been gorgeous here the past few days...(I'm trying to type this with Eli in my lap and laying his head on my right hand.) Note that that is an excuse for poor typing but it will due for now.

Eli and I have been trying to walk every day and teach him new social skills. We have also been working on his excessive barking. I think one is going better than the other. Bark Bark!!!!

I have two articles ready to submit for publication. One I think I have a "home" for, the other I am not sure yet.

Alice has been very busy at work and they have made a step forward on their new project, so that is GREAT news!

We keep talking with our Realtor in Lubbock to find new ways to market the house. We have had a great deal of activity, but of course, no buyers yet. Perhaps tomorrow!

According to Paul, Autumn has started dilating and may deliver early. That's exciting and we are praying that all goes well, especially in these last days.

See, not a lot new going on. But we keep plugging away with God's grace and in the warmth of His love.

Birthday Surprise!

2008-03-08T11:48:00.002-05:00

My...this is unusual for NC. Cold, windy and a chance of snow. Did I mention WINDY!!! Good day to hunker down with a book and some college hoops.

Yesterday was my birthday and I was wonderfully surprised to receive a great many birthday wishes. Several were on Facebook from family and that was cool. Of course I received calls from my Mom and my mom, which is always special.

Alice made the day special with some cute notes around the house and a special birthday dinner of homemade pizza! It was great.

The Blackwell "Clan" sent a nice present of this Clan MacDonald towel. They picked it up on one of their trips to Scotland. It was a wonderful gift. I still have not figured out why the towel is blue and white, I suppose it is for functional purposes, however the clan colors are green, dark blue, and red. Probably not good colors for a towel. Anyway, I am going to frame it and hang it in my study.

The towel lists the "Motto": By Land and by Sea. It also says that Clan MacDonald was "the most renowned clan of the Western Isles." Was there any doubt!! :)

Anyway it was a wonderful gift.

Well...reckon I better get after that book reading.

THANK YOU EVERYONE for the wonderful birthday celebration.

Eli and More

2008-03-04T13:45:00.003-05:00

It is hard for the groomers to understand that our little buddy is a fun-lovin' outside dog. He spends about 75% of his day outdoors and just loves it. Of course, that presents certain problems for a Miniature Schnauzer. Not the least of which is tangles, "garbage" in his face, legs and "skirt". So when we took him in for a grooming a few weeks ago, they did an okay job, but still left everything too long. This past weekend when it was so nice, we were working in the yard and I do mean "we" and Eli had mulch, dirt and other sundry sticks all over. Consequently, I took him back the other day and said, "You know what, he is an outside dog. Let's cut things shorter." Well, THEY DID!!! The haircut does not diminish his cute-ability, but it sure does make his legs look funny!

Here's the more...

I received an email the other day from Mustard Seed Ministries. They chose one of my devotionals for the weekly posting on their website. The editor said they are considering others, but they wanted to let me know about that one specifically. It's nice to see stuff in print along with the other items published in the anthology. I have a couple other articles that my mentor is encouraging me to seek publication for, I just have not found the right place to send them yet.

Well, their ya have it. At least the latest. Oh yes, I don't know if I posted this, but we had a great time with Paul Nurmi the other day in Raleigh. He was in the area on a speaking engagement so we decided to hook up and have lunch. Alice and I drove up and met him outside Raleigh near the airport. Went to lunch, then drove over to the Holiday Inn and sat in their lobby talking for an hour or so. It is wonderful to see him again. He and Virginia are some of our closest friends and have been for almost 24 years.
If you do not recall, Paul is a Director for Youth For Christ International. He helps other set up mission trips, mentors new YFC leaders and does a whole host of other things. If you ever have a question about where to use your money for the cause of Christ over and above the support of your local church, he would be the guy! Besides his YFC work, he and his wife spent over a year in New Orleans helping rebuild some of those areas and ministering to the people. A year!!!! Can you imagine? They are some kind of special people and sacrifice a great deal to further the gospel.

Here's my friend... not the greatest picture, but for a camera phone - on the sly, not too bad.

Inspired!

2008-02-27T16:32:00.002-05:00

I finished reading Heather and Ben's blog and she inspired me with all her activities. Of course, I am not shepherding 3 boys or anything the like, but I do fancy myself quite a dog sitter!

Alice's work has slowed down to the point they are making cutbacks wherever they can. That means "perks" and even insurance. So we will see how all that pans out. Were it not for having two mortgages and all that goes with it, the trimming down would be no big deal in the scheme of things. But that is not the case. If nothing else, this whole ordeal will continue to teach us to be more conscious of our spending habit and look for ways to economize. Having said all that, she is still very busy. Which is a good thing.

We are exploring new "improvements" to the Lubbock house to see if we can't get it off our backs. We had just finished having the master bedroom painted and the master bath. Now we are looking at floor covering in the kitchen, master bath, and perhaps guest bath. Although the $3,000 price tag is not inviting. It may be necessary.

Currently I am working on a couple projects. One is especially fun, it is writing a discipleship study guide. I am trying to do one chapter a week and so far, I'm only behind by one week!!! :)
I have another article that my "mentor" has encouraged me to seek publication on, but I just can't seem to pull the trigger on that one. And I am working on an article for our new pastor to see if the SBC would be interested in publishing it in their newsletter.

It seems that I have about 5 books going at the same time, from a reading standpoint, and my poor little mind is not use to that. So I get confused easily. Nothing new there, but at least I am not wandering the streets with no idea how to get home!

Eli and I are walking every day and he just loves it. Just mention the word walk, and he is at the door or jumping around waiting for me to get my walking shoes on, treats for him and the leash. Sometimes the preparation is more than that poor little puppy can stand! Or me for that matter. But he is turning into a very good walker. We have even taken to jogging a few short stints along the way. He likes that as well.

Have not heard from Paul and Autumn since there move, so we are looking forward to news and some pictures.

Well, there ya have it. Exciting isn't it?

Hope everyone is doing well.

The Birds

2008-02-21T18:04:00.004-05:00

Straight out of Alfred Hitchcock's film THE BIRDS...this afternoon I looked out my study window and the sky at the end of the street was filled with birds. It was raining so it was hard to get a good picture of them in flight, but here are a couple pictures of what they looked like in our neighbor's yard. There were hundreds of them!!!

A couple of Lunkers for Lindsay!!!

2008-02-19T15:07:00.004-05:00

Wow....imagine, your first time fishing and you catch not one, but two river trout weighing 6 pounds each!!! That was our niece Lindsay's experience just this past weekend during a fishing derby/fund-raiser, in Oregon. Here is a blip from the local Roseburg, OR paper and a picture.

Lindsay Allen, with help from guide Jerry Phelps, was the top angler during the recent 16th annual Umpqua Fishery Enhancement Derby. Beginner’s luck was in her favor.

Lindsay, 11, reeled in two 6-pound rainbow trout during the Jan. 31 Fishing Derby’s Kids Day at Cooper Creek Reservoir east of Sutherlin. She was one of 54 fifth grade students who enjoyed several hours of fishing in the drift boats of professional fishing guides.

“He was hard to get up,” she said. “He kept pulling away and going under the boat. I was worried I was going to losing it. My arms were tired.”

But finally the fish tired and Phelps netted it.

“I thought it was cool,” Lindsay said. “This was my first time fishing and I caught one that big.”

Several minutes later, the young angler caught another fish that was just a bit smaller than her first.

“They were both fat as pigs,” Phelps said of Lindsay’s catch. “She was really excited about catching them.”

WAY TO GO LINDSAY!!!!! CONGRATULATIONS!!!! What's for dinner? :)

A Quick Review

2008-02-16T08:08:00.003-05:00

Let's see....

First, as far as Alice's face-plant, it looks like there was additional bleeding in one of her front teeth. It is not something that can be repaired, so we'll see how it progresses and decide whether to do something cosmetically or not. She did get her root canal done, so that was a good thing - in theory of course.

Alice has been in Florida most of this week and returns "today". It is the annual builder's conference. So hopefully she will come back with some great ideas on how to sell houses, because they need to sell houses.

We have not had any movement on our house in Lubbock. We did have the painter in again and do the master bedroom and the master bathroom. So perhaps that might jog some folks loose. The new person next door has expressed an interest from a rental property standpoint, so that is encouraging. We may do some flooring, since many people do not seem attracted to stained concrete, or simply re-stain what is there. Not sure yet.

My mom is doing okay with her leg problem. She has restricted arteries in one leg and it causes a great deal of pain to walk for an extended period. The doctors have her on medication and a walking regimen to increase blood flow to that area. The intent is to avoid surgery. The concern her is not so much the blockage, although that is a concern, but that this could sideline mom and she does not do well on the sidelines. She is very active and wants to remain active. She has been doing the walking although it causes a great deal of pain. So I worry about her.

Paul and his family are moving this weekend to McKinney, TX. Not far, but closer to Autumns new office. They have a "new" house there and of course the kids will need to change schools mid-year. This is a challenge for everyone so please pray for the kiddos especially. A new "family", new schools, new home all within a very short period. Kids can be resilient, however, these kinds of transitions in a relatively short period must be challenging for them. Also keep Autumn in your prayers as she continues with her pregnancy of Trysten Paul due later this Spring.

From what Heather tells me, Shad and his girlfriend Elizabeth, will be making a trip to England in May. Of course, I don't hear anything from him, and it has been that way for almost three years now. I did get one email, but that was a unique communication. He is doing well in his rehab efforts and from what a saw from a picture on Heather's blog, looks very good. So we are pleased about that.

Penni is doing well and making tremendous progress on her new CD. Just a couple more songs to go and she'll have it done. She is excited about the support she is receiving from major music names in Nashville and other areas, so it all sounds very promising. The girls are doing well and of course, Jenna is headed in to her softball season.

I am hoping to get pictures from everyone soon. Of course, for Heather and the boys, you can visit their blog through a link on this site. Often, they have so much to tell and so many great pictures and video, it's beyond my technical skills to move them over here. As you have seen from previous attempts. :)

Finally, we are getting close to finding a church home. We will have a "dinner with the pastor" this evening and hopefully, that will seal the deal and we'll make the move in tomorrow's service. The church is Lee Park Baptist Church and the pastor, at least until April, is also a local news anchor for a major station in Charlotte. I must tell you, it is a bit odd seeing your pastor behind an news desk during the Six O'Clock news each evening. Nevertheless, we are excited about the prospects. :) :)

Well, I hope, if you are reading this you are well and happy. God Bless!

Some Updates

2008-02-09T15:51:00.000-05:00

First on Alice.... She finished some of the primary dental work from teeth damaged from her fall. Now she has a root canal to go through because the is some internal bleeding on one tooth. That should be finished before she heads to Florida next week for a Builder's Convention.

We have done some more work on our Lubbock house hoping to ignite a sale. We had the master bedroom and bathroom repainted. We are also considering putting tile down to cover the concrete floors. Nevertheless, the Realtor is holding another Open House this weekend so perhaps we'll get a surprise and a blessing with a buyer!

Ms. Alice

2008-01-30T16:01:00.000-05:00

Well, we are happy to report that Alice is doing just fine. She still has some extensive dental work to get done, but the swelling has dissipated and the wounds are healing great. She is just about to a point where she can eat regularly. That is with knife and fork and normal bite sizes.

I must confess that I did not handle the ordeal as well as she did. When she first walked in the house and showed me her face, I went bonkers. It bordered on the edge of panic and she was as calm as could be. Maybe I'll learn something from that. :)

Anyway, thanks again for every one's concern.

Thank You!!

2008-01-24T09:20:00.001-05:00

The expressions of love and concern for Alice as she is recovering from this fall has been wonderful. We appreciate everyone who has called and the flowers and cards have been great.

She is doing much better. The swelling is going down and she is finding it easier to talk and eat. At the dentist yesterday, we did find that the damage to her top front teeth is more extensive than we had thought. So that is going to take some work. She is scheduled to have that done next week after the swelling has gone down and the cuts have healed.

All in all...I suppose I freaked out more than she did over this whole thing. Nevertheless, we are thankful there appears to be no permanent damage.

Thank you again.

Fall down and go bang!!!

2008-01-22T10:14:00.000-05:00

Well, it looks bad and she feels bad, but fortunately, nothing major was broken.

Last night while walking Eli, the two of them had a collision after talking with some folks passing by and Alice hit the street face first. We spent some 4 hours in the emergency room to make sure there was no major damage and thankfully there was not.

This picture was last night. I am sure she'll thrash me for putting it on the blog, but it is hard to describe this kind of "yuck" to people. The other picture is much even more telling. But again, we are thankful that it was not any worse. She does have some dental work that needs to be done, she chipped and jammed her upper teeth. So we'll attend to that tomorrow when she is not in quite so much discomfort.

I know she will appreciate your thoughts and prayers.

Brrrrrrr!

2008-01-21T12:25:00.000-05:00

Hey baby it's COLD outside! A little snow and some frigid temps are harassing us folks here in NC. Of course, the snow and cold rain we have had over the past few days is very welcome with our drought conditions. But these cold temps are too reminiscent of Chicago style weather and I would rather not be reminded of that!!!

Just a few updates....my mom has headed to Yuma, AZ with a friend. It's a combination fly/drive trip for a week or so. That's great that she gets to do this. However, before leaving she was having some pain in one of her legs and the doctor said it was constricted arteries. So she is on some medication for it. Of course, I would MUCH prefer she not travel until the problem is either resolved or under control, but then you know how moms are sometimes! :)

Oh, did I mention we have a house for sale in Lubbock!!! Yikes...it will be a year come March if we can't unload that puppy.

Hope y'all are doing well and staying warm!

God bless....

Norm & Alice

New Additions to the Clan Hutchison

2008-01-15T12:23:00.001-05:00

It has been way too long since Keira was born and I promised pictures, so I'm not waiting this time.

This little one is Keira Hope Oliver, born to Lisa and Keith a few months ago.

This little girl was just born yesterday, 1/14, to Heather and Steve Rusnica. Her name is Mallory Grace.

Everyone is doing just great. Heather did have a rather long bout with labor but from what we hear, no complications.

CONGRATULATIONS TO BOTH AND GOD BLESS.

"Thank You"

2008-01-14T17:15:00.000-05:00

My loving wife is so good about birthday cards, anniversary and "thank you" cards that I often forget how important they are. I would like to think that I would do those things were she not so efficient at them. However, I suspect it would be a bit more haphazard than her ability to get them done.

This Christmas we were a bit more frugal than years past when it came to kids and grand kids. Not because we could not afford it, but mainly because they usually end up with so much stuff anyway that it seemed rather futile to simply pile things on. Nevertheless, this week and last we received very special THANK YOU cards from the kids and grand kids. It was quite nice and very meaningful. Even our son in law wrote a special note and our new daughter in law! How cool is that? :)

"Thank you" is a simple gesture, I know, but one that is often forgotten.

If you get a chance this week and the situation warrants it, say "Thank you" to some one. Not "I appreciate it", not "that's great", not "much appreciated", but THANK YOU. You might be surprised at the smile it brings.

Work in Progress

2008-01-14T10:40:00.000-05:00

It's not often we get a view from this perspective. So we thought we would share a bit of Alice's work. These are photos of the site development work at Mtn. Island. It is a new community northwest of Charlotte. We had some rain a few days ago so work is progressing slowly, but the sales trailer is on site and they have a salesperson there. It's a promising project and has a beautiful setting. These photos were taken with her phone so the quality is not the best. But you get the idea.

Sleepers Annonymous

2008-01-10T14:35:00.001-05:00

It is both funny and amazing that our grandson Silas can basically go to sleep anywhere. I guess when the "tireds" hit ya, they hit ya!

I don't want to say that one takes after the other, but apparently Eli can do the same thing!

Of course, not to be left out.....Paul and Autumn's boy Hunter, is practicing the "sleeping in the chair" routine. An expertise every man needs later in life.

After Christmas

2007-12-28T10:21:00.000-05:00

Well, we returned from Tennessee after a wonder visit with Keith, Audrey, Dann and Kimmy. It was a wonderful time with family. We were privileged to share their first Tennessee Christmas in their new home. Of course I took plenty of pictures. Hopefully that link works and you can share our good times.

Alice and I wish everyone a Happy New Year for 2008. May it be filled with everything you need and may the happiness of family be your greatest joy.

Here is a Winner!!

2007-12-18T12:48:00.001-05:00

Our nephew Bryson who lives in Oregon with his folks, Angie and Sage, along with his sister Lindsay, won first place in a wrestling competition. What a tremendous accomplishment!

Congratulations Bryson! 96 pound JV District Champion for Umpqua Valley League. He pinned both of his opponents at the District meet to win the championship.

You can rest assured there are no 96 pound weaklings in this family!!!!

Here is an update

2007-12-18T12:37:00.001-05:00

It's getting colder here, at least at night. The day time temps rebound some, so that's nice. Gets more of a "winter" feel when the temps are in the 20s at night.

We are planning to go to TN over Christmas to visit Keith and Audrey in their new home. Their kids, Dann and Kim will be there and this will give everyone a sense of "family" during the holiday. Since this will be the first Christmas for them in their new home, it will be nice to share the time with them.

As you might imagine, things have slowed down some for Alice's work. They are feeling the building crunch just like everyone else. We are hoping that it will not impact her job, but then who knows.

We got elfed from the kids in the UK. So you might want to check that out. It is really funny!

We don't hear much from Paul and Autumn, so we are not sure what the plans are their for the holidays. We do know that Clay and Ashlee will be spending Christmas with their mom in Littlefield. Not sure what Clay will do without all the other boys around. Might be a nice break for him.

We are getting a lot of nice cards and letters from folks. Hearing from those we haven't heard form in a while so that is fun.

We wish everyone a Merry Christmas and a joy filled 2008!

Here is an update

2007-12-18T12:37:00.000-05:00

Time for some Pictures

2007-12-06T18:46:00.000-05:00

Well it's time for some updated pictures. This one is of the premier tree decorator and shopper supreme.

This one is of our faithful friend, really smart and fun loving pooch Eli!

Then our living room with a bit of the Christmas spirit. Alice was indeed surprised when I put the tree up all by myself. I think it was the first time I did that and it was not as hard as I had imagined. Cutting it, hauling it down the "hill", keeping it in water until the right time, and then of course matching the color coded branches to the colors on the trunk were most challenging.

Yes, we're ready for our first Christmas in NC. It is a bit awkward with 60 degree temps, but the nights are cold so that helps keep things in perspective.

Merry Christmas Everyone!

HO HO HO!!!

2007-12-01T21:18:00.000-05:00

Here we are, decorating for Christmas. I have my "orders" to write the annual Christmas letter and we are wondering how in the world we are going to keep Eli away from all the decorations this year. Of course, having temps in the 60s, sunshine and green grass doesn't exactly get ya in the mood. But then, it's not the first time we've been in that situation.

Today was my sister's 60th birthday. Can't believe she is getting that old. I suppose it won't be long and I'll need to order her a walker and a case of Geritol! Nevertheless, I did call her for her birthday - twice as a matter of fact. That ought to hold her for a while!

We are trying to decide what to do about Christmas gifts this year. Not that we want to be "scroogy" but there are so many people who have so many needs - and we have been so blessed that it seems silly to buy "more". So we'll seek ways to help others instead of getting caught up in self. Alice's company is doing the same. Instead of giving gifts within the office, they are taking the money they would have spent on gifts and giving it to "Homes for the Troops". It's a pretty cool organization that helps Vets find homes, get existing homes remodeled, or help them build new homes.

Audrey and Keith are moving to TN this weekend so they will be within a three to four hour drive, so we may get a chance to see them more often. It will be exciting to see how plans progress for their coffee shop ministry.

We don't hear much from Paul and Autumn, but Ben, Heather, and the boys are all doing well. Ben was in the San Diego a few weeks ago for a conference. Sue, Heather's mom was over to spend time with her and the boys so that was nice. Ben got delayed in his return trip, but made it home in good shape. We hope to get over there in '08. I suppose it is going to have to happen whether we sell the Lubbock house or not!

Speaking of that house, we have a great Realtor. She has basically been "managing" the property for us. So we are hoping that things move quickly and we can reward her for her efforts.

We did make it to PA for Thanksgiving and that was fun. Plenty of folks around the Thanksgiving table. So that is always a challenge. Alice and I went up early so we had some "quiet time" with the folks and a few others before everyone started arriving.

Well, the digital camera is pooped out, so hope to get some pics posted when we get it replaced or I get some non-fuzzy ones on my phone!

Hope everyone is having a wonderful holiday season. Don't forget...say MERRY CHRISTMAS!

ain't life grand!

Gotta See This

2007-10-24T18:07:00.000-04:00

I have attempted to see if this was "faked" in any way and have not be able to determine that it was. Because the person who sent it is trusted whole heartedly, I believe this to be accurate as well.

Don't judge a book by its cover....video

It is amazing!!!

Video

2007-10-22T09:31:00.000-04:00

Sorry, the video below requires a password. I am trying to get it now. I didn't think it did, since it was working on my desktop. Apparently, it remembered the PW on my desktop. So I'll post it as soon as I have it. Sorry bout that. :)

Video Experiment - featuring Silas

2007-10-17T10:21:00.001-04:00

Okay, I'm going to try and link y'all to the video we received from Heather. It features Silas and his wonderful adaptation to the British culture.

If all goes well, you should be able to click here and then click on the video screen and off you go. At least that is the way it worked for me.

family fun

2007-10-16T16:51:00.001-04:00

Seems there is plenty of news in the Hutchison clan to report. So better get with it.

Here is the latest addition to the Oliver family. I'm only posting one picture. This beautiful baby girl has no name. So until she does, we'll wait for the slide show!

This was our little neighbor boy and his dog praying for "Aunt Shirley" and "Uncle Allan" and their new hobby

Alice's sister Shirley and her new hobby...they purchased a chunk of land in Cranberry PA and thought they would augment the cost of things. Unfortunately, Barney Fife got "wind" of things and shut their little operation down!!!

She doesn't look too upset, maybe they have something else "cookin'"! Naw, they are fine upstanding - and standing up citizens of Cranberry. Why I hear tell, they even know how to do the Cranberry shuffle!

Keith and Audrey will be moving to Johnson City, TN with aspirations of opening a Coffee House soon. They have sold their house in PA and purchased a new one in TN, so now it's just the logistics of moving "stuff". I have a feeling Alice may be involved in this some how. :)

Where Has the Time Gone

2007-10-11T00:18:00.001-04:00

My it seems like just the other day I was "discussing" the content of this blog. Now it seems it's been several weeks since the last posting. I must be getting see-Nile. Oh, that's a Freudian slip for a strong desire to see rain!!!! It's been almost three months since any measurable precipitation in this area. Goodness.....

Well, I'm started a new page on My Space, one on Facebook, and continue to keep things going on The Way of the Wolf, Wordpress, and the Web site. It's been fun and I'm starting to get some good, constructive feedback. There is a new group forming here, The Carolina Christian Writers group which has several published authors in it and many who are actively writing and seeking publication. It should be a good source of critiques and learning resources.

Alice continues to stay very busy. They are working on new properties for additional projects. The one in SC continues to chug away, although things have slowed down like everything else in the country. But they expect things to pick up shortly.

We have a new realtor for our house in Lubbock and she is working very hard. We continue to pray that God will bring a buyer our direction and get that puppy off our back.

Paul and Autumn will be getting married the 27th of this month. We will not be making the trip out, but it looks like they are going to have a beautiful wedding. I am hoping he will share some pictures.

If I can every figure out how to do it, there is a terrific video of our little "brit" Silas, that Heather made. You can see it on their blog by clicking the link over to the side. It is such a treat.

We hope everyone is doing well and that God is blessing you real good. Thank you for praying for us.

Norm and Alice

Check out the Star

2007-09-20T09:55:00.001-04:00

Yikes...I made some blunders....so I need to correct some info...

We received some updated photos from Penni. She's been working on recording a new CD and did a photo shoot for the cover. Here are some of the results. Of course, the one's they plan to use for the CD are "under wraps" - but these are pretty darn good.

Don't know if we've mentioned it before, but she received a promotion to CONTRACT ADMINISTRATOR and has been making that transition. Jenna has started a "new" job at Kalidescoops, an ice cream shop in Lubbock, and of course, Emily is loving school and will be in a TALENT SHOW coming up shortly. She and Penni will be singing a duet from the new Disney feature HIGH SCHOOL MUSICAL?

Anyway, things seem to be going well and she is very excited about the new CD.

Fall is in the Air

2007-09-17T15:47:00.000-04:00

Here it is the middle of September and feels like Fall! Cooler temps at night and fortunately, cooler daytime temps as well. Already some of the trees are beginning to drop leaves - a consequence of little rain and hot temperatures I'm sure.

Alice has had one heck of a week at work last week. They let one Supervisor go and the temporary replacement was on vacation, so she was on site all week. Early mornings and late nights. But she managed to get-r-done!!! As always. Now this week she's headed to Columbus for a conference and then she'll drive up to PA for the weekend with family and fly home from there. So yep, you guessed it, Eli and I will be batchin' it again.

I have a Writer's Conference this weekend, class on Thursday night and two different assignments due, so I have plenty to keep me busy.

No new news on our house in Lubbock although the new Realtor is working very hard to make sure everything is in order and the house is in tip top shape. She has even done some weeding and planted some flowers. How is that for going the extra mile!!!!

Alice and her sisters and mom had their girl's weekend a couple weekends ago, and they had a terrific time. I'll let her tell more about it when she has some "spare" time. I'm hoping we get some pics, but haven't seen any lately.

Anyway...that's a quick update on this site. Hope this finds everyone well and happy.

ain't life grand!!!

Well It's Finished - kinda, sorta, maybe!

2007-09-04T15:27:00.000-04:00

I put some final touches on it yesterday and hit the "publish" button and a few minutes later, the Web site for Norm MacDonald The Writer, was born. Now before you think I'm big headed with this "The Writer" stuff, I'm not. It's just over the years I've lived with "Are you Norm Mac Donald the comedian?" Now I can say, "NO, I'm Norm MacDonald, the writer!" Anyway, maybe you'll have a chance to check it out sometime. It's definitely a work in progress, but it's getting there.

If you do decide to stop by, you can find me here! I haven't gotten my email address up there yet, but it's coming soon. In the meantime, you can send email to this address nmacdonald@carolina.rr.com

Thanks to everyone who is supporting us in this endeavor with your prayers and encouragement. It's great to see God at work in our lives and leading us during these days of new discovery.

Go figure!!

2007-09-04T15:19:00.000-04:00

I know the world is "flat" and all that sort of thing, but c'mon! The US Post Office with call center reps in India!!! Give me a break! Even our own postal system is shipping jobs overseas! That's a bit over the top in my opinion. Then they have the gall to raise postal rates! Something is definitely wrong with this whole process. And to think, we don't have a really viable alternative - except what millions of people are doing now days...blogging, e-mailing, and the like. Perhaps there will be a time when we can say to the Post Office, C' Ya! That will definitely add new meaning to the phrase "going postal!"

New Blog

2007-08-29T16:36:00.000-04:00

Just a note to let you know, I've working on a couple of new projects. One is a new writing blog. It's a bit different than The Way of The Wolf, it will contain some of the same posts, but also have other essays and poems. This blog site lets me track postings by key words, topics, etc. and allows others to "link" to it using the same.
At least, that's how I understand it.

I am also working on a couple of Web sites. Once those are completed, then I'll decide which blogs will stay open and which may need to be combined.

Anyway, just thought I'd pass that along hoping you might be interested. The blog is listed to the right under Places You Might Like to Visit.

Time To Share

2007-08-28T09:51:00.002-04:00

Reckon' I better get things up to date here. I've been so consumed with trying to get things finalized on the book and keeping my journal updated that I've put this blog on the back burner. So we'll get things back on track.

First some new NEWS...
Paul and Autumn have set a date for their official wedding ceremony. It will be later this year, October 27th. They are excited and looking forward to sharing the time with friends and family.
The older boys, Clay and Sam are heavy into football right now and things seem to be going well. As with most kids, they all start school this week. So that should be fun!

Visitors
Audrey and Keith were down and spent a few days with us. We had a great time talking about their plans and dreams for opening a coffee shop, opportunities for a possible move, what's happening in their "church life" and all sorts of fun stuff. Plus we took the opportunity to visit the Billy Graham Museum.

This is a picture of Alice in the Prayer Garden

This is one of Keith and Audrey just as you enter the museum garden area.

The whole complex was just beautiful. The resting place for Ruth Graham was in the Prayer Garden and was very simple and unpretentious.

The one thing I found odd about the whole experience is that once they had you inside the actual touring area of the museum they would not let you out until you had completed the tour and heard/seen all the video clips of Billy's messages. I suppose that is one way to make sure people hear the gospel. But I found it disquieting. Nevertheless, it's worth the price of admission!

Other News
I am working on a couple different Web sites. One for the book exclusively, which by the way, I have finally sent to a publisher. Now that whole process begins. We'll see how long it takes and how many we go through before I surrender. Then another Web site for my writing projects in general. It will feature essays, poems, and short articles that I plan to, or have submitted for publication. i am also working on putting together a proposal for a book to submit to a writing contest through Christian Writers Guild. This is due by mid September so I'm scrambling on that one.

Continued NEWS
We are still trying to sell our house in Lubbock. We have contracted with a new Realtor and feel very positive about her and her commitment to selling our house. We appreciate everyone's prayers regarding this. I know God is preparing the right buyer for this house.

Alice stays very busy at work. They are making great progress on the community in South Carolina and looks like things are moving forward with the new project that's a bit closer to home. So she's pretty excited about that one.

Penni and the girls are gearing up for school. Jenna is working two jobs and playing softball. Penni is finalizing her work on the new CD and is very pleased with hot things are going with it. We are excited about this opportunity for her. She also did a "recorded ad" for our house in Lubbock. It's one of those ads where you drive by the house, tune your radio to a certain dial location and hear features of the house. So we were thankful she was willing to do that. It should add a touch of class to the process.

WELL THAT ABOUT DOES IT
We have been blessed with some rain that past couple of days so that's good news. We appreciate so much every one's prayers and support. Our next big challenge is finding a church home. But that will come soon we know.

ain't life grand

Updates

2007-08-14T15:56:00.000-04:00

Happy to report that Mom's insurance company is working diligently to get her basement dried out and back in order. They were to be in yesterday and put down new carpet pad. So they are making progress. It was quite a mess, but I suppose things could always be worse.

The heat continues to be an issue here. The yard has basically gone "dormant" and we're just watering the plants. I do water the front once a week, but nothing on the back. They keep telling us that water restrictions will be in effect for the next several years so "deal with it". :) I suppose we'll look at alternatives such as underground sprinkler system or drilling a well, or putting in artificial grass!

Here's a great article that made think of Heather and the boys.

Well, that's about it for now. Eli continues to keep us amused, chasing crickets, eating them when he can and keeping the big red ball bouncing down the drive way.

ain't life grand!

Memories from Mom's Visit

2007-08-10T16:33:00.001-04:00

Here are a variety of pictures from when Mom was here last week. We had a great time!

Unfortunately, her trip back was a nightmare. She was an hour late leaving Charlotte, nothing new there for this airport! Then she was diverted from Denver to Albuquerque because of a storm. They held them there for a while, the flew them all back to Denver, where she spent the night in the Denver airport waiting for a flight out the following morning. She finally got on a standby flight around 8:30 a.m.!

To make matters more depressing, the neighbor left mom's water on and flooded her basement! So, she had the joy of coming home to that! Guess we should have kept her here!!!! :) Besides, Eli misses her already.

Here's Some Pics of Paul, Autumn & the Kids

2007-07-28T07:43:00.001-04:00

Well, we finally got those pictures. Looks like everyone is enjoying some birthday celebrations! Autumn's boys are Sam(11), Dawson(6), and Hunter(3).

Yikes!! How Does Time Get Away

2007-07-26T09:29:00.000-04:00

It has been a while since posting here. It was just the other day I told Alice that we need to get a new picture for this site. Of course, that hasn't happened. But maybe soon! :)

HAPPY BIRTHDAY ELAM!!!!! Our grandson Elam is 7 today! Of course he is celebrating in the UK. They are getting close to being at the end of their first full year there. My how time flies.

Mom is coming down to visit us tomorrow. She'll be here for a week or so. She has been in Delaware with her sister, Helen Pat. Aunt Helen has been sick for quite some time now and died on Tuesday. It was pretty hard on mom. I believe that was the last of her direct family members.

Got word from Paul the other day. Things are going well there. He said he was sending pictures, of course, he said that once before, so .... :) When we get them, I'll be sure to post them. Ashlee will be winding up her stay there this weekend then heading back to Littlefield.

Well, guess I better get busy. Plenty to do with mom coming down.

ain't life grand!

What a Time This Is!

2007-07-19T14:42:00.000-04:00

Over the span of my adult life I've dabbled in a lot of things. But one thing that I've always kept alive in one form or another is writing. Whether it's been in a journal, articles for a company newsletter, training documentation or a Bible study lesson I've tried different styles along the way. Some have even been published in years past. Well, as many of you know, I have been putting together a book on Customer Service. That project is in its final stages. But more importantly, and the reason for this little expose', is to share my present journey.

In order to improve my skills as a writer, I've signed up for a two year course through The Christian Writers Guild. It's Jerry Jenkins' company and I believe his credentials are pretty strong. They have assigned me a mentor and I've already begun my first series of assignments. It should be a great learning experience as well as a tremendous challenge.

Now, without being too brash, as they say - "How do you get to Carnegie Hall? Practice, Practice, Practice" -- That's exactly what I'm going to require. So if you are aware of company newsletters, church newsletters, local or regional publications that you think might be a good place to submit articles, I would very much appreciate your sharing that information. Most of all, I covet your prayers that God may be glorified by every thought that's processed and every word that's written.

Thanks y'all....

Ain't life grand

New Photos of Penni & the Girls

2007-07-16T07:26:00.001-04:00

We received some new photos of Penni and the girls so thought we'd share them. Sara was down visiting from her Dad's so it was great to see updated pictures of her.

Penni's has been invited to sing at the Annual Boy's Ranch fund raiser in August. It's really a significant event in that area and they only invite high profile performers so this is a great opportunity for her. She'll be performing two songs and showcasing her talent. As mentioned previously, the recording project is still moving forward. It's a slow process, but it's making progress.

Poor Pooch! & Other News

2007-07-11T16:14:00.001-04:00

Our little buddy went in today for some dental work. Apparently one of his puppy teeth was not coming out and the Vet was concerned it would cause problems down the road, so he thought it best to take it out now. Although Eli did great, he is still really "hung over" from the anesthesia and can't get more then a few steps in. But hey, it was my kind of dental work - knock me out and take it out!!!

The Invisible Fence is working out great. He loves his freedom. We're starting to remove some of the flags now, so we'll see how that goes.

****
Alice has been rather busy these past few weeks. They brought on a new Supervisor and she's been working with him and they have a new community getting started and another just about ready.

****
We've been "chatting" with our parents on both "sides" and everyone is doing great. It's wonderful to have folks who are healthy and enjoying life in their 80s. We hope to have my mom down for a visit soon. She's most likely going to be in Delaware in August to see her sister. Then she'll fly down the coast to spend some time with us. That will be nice.

****
I've been working like crazy on the book. I've done several revisions; Alice has been doing some editing; I've added some preliminary graphics and working with a cartoonist to purchase some of his work to use; and it seems like we're getting closer. Somehow that thing is taking on a life of it's own!!!

****
The kids are doing great in the UK. Ben is back from Germany; Heather continues to provide us with wonderful "snippets" of life with three boys; and it's fun to read both their blogs.

Haven't heard much from Paul lately, so not much to report there.

There is other news that would go under that "unspoken" format which is good news which we are very thankful for.

*****
Still no word on selling the house in Lubbock - so anyone interested in moving to West Texas and getting a nice house really cheap!! Let us know!!!!

Ain't life grand....

When Ya Gotta Go, Ya Gotta Go!!!

2007-07-06T16:14:00.000-04:00

Here's a good one for ya! China now has what may be the worlds largest public restroom facility . It has both music AND television. The city officials say that when folks finish using their restroom they will be "very, very happy". Heck, who isn't very, very happy after using the bathroom!!! Music and television aside - when ya gotta go, ya gotta go, so happiness is pretty easy to come by.

The only socially redeeming value to this kind of super potty, at least that I can figure out is this... at least the women won't have to stand in line!!!! :)

Eli's New Territory

2007-07-06T11:39:00.000-04:00

As in a previous post, we installed an Invisible Fence for our buddy Eli. The thought was to give him some space to call his own and get rid of the tie-out. Well, we're in day 4 of our training and things are going very well. At least for us!!!

This picture shows a portion of the flag boundary that marks his 'limits". What Alice is showing him, is where the "warning tone" begins. When he hears that tone he should know to stop and either turn around or hold his position. Which he does very well.

Of course, if he decides to ignore the tone, than there is a little "attention getter" that says I'm not sure you want to do that Eli! We introduced that part yesterday and he learned it VERY WELL. Now - so everyone understands, the collar is on it's lowest setting. I experienced it and Alice experienced it, so it's not harmful at all to Eli, just an attention getter!!!! It startles him more than anything else. Even the "tone" does that. So that's a good thing overall.

I think this is going to work great for him. It's going to give him more room to play and chase his favorite balls and also allow him to stay with us when we are doing yard work or just sitting on the deck. All without having to have him tethered. What I'm not sure of - YET - is what he'll do when the neighbor's cat strolls by!!!! Uhm......that could be a real test!!! But it's gotta come sooner or later.

Big Day Here!! At Least for ELI

2007-07-03T06:53:00.000-04:00

You wouldn't believe how much noodlin' I've done over this fence thing! I've gone back and forth it seems like a hundred times on whether we should go with a traditional wooden fence or the "invisible fence" for Eli. The thing about the "wooden" fence that prevents me from moving forward is this: can't settle on a style that I think would compliment the house and second, it would keep dogs out, but cats, lizards, snakes, raccoons, and other critters would still find there way over or under. So nothing accomplished there. Plus, it would be a paid to mow around and maintain. So....... reckon you guessed by now...... I've decided to go with the Invisible Fence. It still has it's limitations - for example we can't decided whether to do two "zones" - front yard and back yard that includes the garage area; or just one - the whole yard. But overall, I think it will preserve the natural look of the landscape, keep Eli contained, minimize maintenance, and be less costly.

And today is the day for install...so that will give us today and the holiday to help train Eli to his new environment. Which will be good. He's a fast learner, so I don't expect it will take long for him to realize where his boundaries are. :)

Family News

2007-06-28T11:19:00.000-04:00

Let's see...we've got a few updates to share:

Autumn, Paul's new partner, was having some tests done for a cyst on her ovaries. So I haven't heard an update, but please keep them in your prayers. He also said he has some pictures from some birthday parties he's going to share...so hopefully we can post those soon.

Allan and Shirley Osterwise, Alice's sister and brother-in-law (mine too) are new grandparents!!! Their son Travis and his partner Brooke had a baby boy on Wednesday as they told it... 8 LB 3.5 OZ 20.75 in. Brown hair and blue eyes (so far). Not sure what the "so far" means. I'm sure it's referring to the hair color, I'm not certain how often babies change eye color. :)

Penni got word from a friend of her boss, a Sprint Executive, that he is going to put the money up for her to record a professional grade CD of her music. What a tremendous break this could be for her!!! You go girl!!!!

Ben, our son in law, gets home from Germany this weekend. He's been there for several weeks studying German. Then the following weekend he and Elam are going to London to watch the start of the Tour de France bike race. What a thrill that should be!!!! If you haven't checked out their blog lately, it's a must see!!! Their tour pictures and accounts are just terrific. There is a link on the right side of ours under "Places You Might Like To Visit".

Good news for me, I think. I've been working on a book about Customer Service for what seems like forever. I think I finally finished it the other day. At least the first draft. Still needs some graphics and professional editing - anyone know any good editors? But it's getting there!

Oh yes, did I mention we're getting our passports renewed?! :)

Ain't life grand.....

Here's What's Up Lately

2007-06-27T08:52:00.000-04:00

Been dealing with some serious storms here lately. We've learned that the little "creek bed" between our house and the woods does indeed overflow when it rains really hard!

We've learned that Japanese Beetles do major damage to Roses if you're not paying attention, and I wasn't!!!

We've learned that Eli really likes to eat carpet, chew up balls, and chase flying bugs! Not much new there, but it's fun to watch him chase flying bugs, especially at night!

I've been working hard on my Customer Service book and am just about finished. I think. Now we'll see if we can find an editor to help put some real structure to it.

PENNI had a great article published in the
LUBBOCK paper this past weekend. It's worth the read. It would be great if this generated some additional exposure for her and possible "open doors".

Ben comes home from Germany this week; Heather and the boys are really looking forward to that. Mo and Pappa left a couple days ago so they are trying to get back in to a regular routine again.

We have some prayer requests coming from our family in PA. God knows the need, so if you wouldn't mind adding that to your list, we'd appreciate it.

Thanks for stopping by....

Ya Gotta Go!!!

2007-06-25T09:59:00.001-04:00

It was a pretty quiet weekend here. Hot and very humid so we spent some of our time indoors. Saturday we did some running around early morning, then kinda hung out in the afternoon doing some chores around the house. That evening, we went to a "Classic Car Show" at the Monroe Mall. It was nice. Lot's of real classics at this one. Not sure which was my favorite, but I think the Malibu Super Sport topped the list.

We were planning to go to Grandfather Mountain on Sunday but when we got up it was storming here, so it was iffy on the weather in the mountains, so we opted for another day. Went to church, out to breakfast, then we took in a movie..... YA GOTTA GO!!!!

We say EVAN ALMIGHTY. It was a great family movie. Funny beyond belief and very good from a christian message point of view. Some of it was a bit "over the top" from movie stand point, but over all, it was worth the money and the time. It'll probably be a "buy this one" when it comes out on DVD, Blue-Ray, or whatever format is popular when that happens.

If you're stopping by here, but haven't visited Ben and Heather's site lately, it's a must see also. They've got some great pics of their time in Germany and some history "lessons" that are worth hearing.

Thanks for stopping....

What I've Learned These Past Few Days

2007-06-21T16:51:00.001-04:00

Since it's been a while, I thought I'd share some learning experiences. It's not that you can't teach ol' dogs new tricks. It's just that some times I'm amazed at what catches my attention like:

Don't haul sod that's been grown primarily in sandy soil in the back of a pick up truck that has a carpeted bed liner. It's virtually impossible to get that sand out. Been trying for 3 days: vacuuming, power washing, vacuuming, and it's still in there!
Even if you ask someone in a store if they have something, it's always best to look yourself, most store employees have no idea what's in the store they work at - even the "managers" some times!!
Miniature Schnauzers like to chase things that fly - just about anything; grasshoppers, Japanese Beetles, Wasps, Bees, you name it, if it flies, Eli's on it like flys on stink - oh yes, he chases flys too!!!!
A riding lawn mower doesn't always save time...at least in the beginning. By time I figure out new patterns for cutting the front, I've logged some serious mowing time! But at least I'm sitting down! :)
Entire lakes can just disappear! Yep, you heard me right. In Chile, a lake - about 10-12 acres in size, just disappeared. One day it's there, the next day nothing there but chunks of ice on the lake bottom.
When your dog eats things like string, rope, socks and tassels off pillows, be prepared to help pull some poop out when he goes potty. It ain't fun, but if ya don't he looks pretty silly running around in circles wondering what the heck it hanging from his backside!!!
New and "better" software ain't always better. Sometimes if what you have is working and hasn't given you any problems or allowed any "intruders" - stick with it. As they say, if it ain't broke, don't fix it. :)

Okay, that's enough. Learning makes me tired!

Ain't life grand!!!!

A new twist on the 10 Commandments

2007-06-19T09:57:00.000-04:00

Ya gotta love this one! And rightly so.

The Vatican has decided that road rage and other inhospitable driving behavior has gotten out of control. So they have issued The 10 Commandments for the Road.

This one is my favorite -
5. Cars shall not be for you an expression of power and domination, and an occasion of sin.

This whole thing is a great idea and something that I, for one, should take a close look at! :)

Putting History In Perspective

2007-06-18T08:40:00.000-04:00

My son-in-law Ben is visiting Berlin, studying German for the summer as part of his studies. Of course, while he's there, he has had an opportunity check out some of the museums and local history in the area. If you have a chance, take a look at some of the accounts of his experiences there. It really puts "history" in perspective, at least for me.

He has logged two chronicles; "Week 1" and "Week 2" Both have some terrific commentary and wonderful photos.

Quick Summary Of Events

2007-06-18T08:26:00.000-04:00

Well it's been quite a weekend.

Some of you got a couple of "political" emails from me one regarding illegal immigration and one about a bill that effects women with breast cancer. Hope you had a chance to at least look at them and consider their impact.

We had a busy Saturday here in NC. Alice is still working on the interior of the home, so we spent most of Saturday shopping and working on that. It is coming together nicely. It's been slow but worth it in the long run. Sunday, was a kick back day. It was very hot so we just kinda played it "cool". I washed her "car" and cleaned it up some; she did some more interior work and unpacking some boxes in the garage; and we dealt with some wasp nests in the garage. I'm learning that 1) if you leave the garage door open all the time that 2) you don't leave boxes open. :)

Of course, since it was Father's Day Sunday, I was pleased to receive greetings from some of my kiddos. Plus a nice surprise call from Penni. Earlier in the week I got a nice card from Elam and Silas - those little guys are really somethin'.

Truck Project

2007-06-14T18:02:00.000-04:00

Thought I'd just share a photo or two of the project truck. I can't believe it's taken this long, but then if you had seen the amount of over spray, and then the amount of West Texas dust left over on the inside, you'd understand. It was raining today and this picture was taken without wiping the truck down. I had just pulled it out of the garage after working on the interior and doing the wheels and step bars.

This second photo is just a reflection of the "truck slave" ... ME. It's not a good picture of the shine on the truck, but it does give you some idea based on the reflection of the "shiner". :)

Just have a few more things to do and then she'll be "show ready". Not that I'm planning on that, but I'll be back feeling good about my ride again. After all she ain't no boy toy!!!
Thanks for indulging me!

Ain't life grand!