A Day of Rest

I am so glad today is Sunday. I had a very long week this week. The trip for work to Guatemala was excellent. I will be finishing the reports as I travel to New Jersey tomorrow for some meetings. I don't know if I mentioned this earlier (if I did, chock it up to old age and Alzheimer's), anyway, we stayed in the City of Antigua in Guatemala, just one night. We stayed at this old (like almost 200 years old) convent that had been rescued and turned into a hotel/resort like location. The walls were super thick rock/bricks and that kept the temperature pretty stable.

When I got to my room, passing about 100 thousand centuries old statues of saints (one our hosts said the place gave her the spooks), I entered my room which was "warm" and set about to find the air conditioner...WHAT, no a/c?! I then looked up, and no ceiling fan! I about died. I opened the french doors to the patio (did I mention a common patio that all the other guest could just walk right up to the french doors of my room?) for some fresh air. When we left for dinner, I found that the doors had these metal things hanging on them by two of the panes of glass. I picked one up and could push it through this little hole and lift the pane of glass to an angle and get fresh air. So I did, and when I got back to my room (at 11:00 PM - those Latins take way too long for dinner), my room was re-freshed and the temperature had dropped about 5 degrees. I slept with those windows open and at some time during the night, I actually pulled the blanket onto me as I slept.

Anyhow, each day was up at 5:00 AM, and to bed at 11:00 PM. It just about killed me. So I am glad that today, I got to sleep in until 7:30, came and finished preparing my Primary lesson for Church, and now have caught all of you up on my whining.

Okay, switching topics, Princess and I have been doing more gardening here in the last two months than the entire time we have lived here in Texas. We have the front bed cut out of the grass (waiting for the landscaping guys to come and prepare the bed, then plant the bed with bushes, crepe myrtles, and two trees out front. We have bought shade plants for the bed under our bathroom window, and we some sun loving plants for the side by the garage. (side note, Princess did do all of the planting of the shade bed and garage bed, I just did my normal, edge mow, blow down the patios thing...not wanting to take credit away from her hard work.)

Our next big feat will be to remove all the Christmas light screws from the fascia boards, fill in the holes and paint the trim. Boy, I'm looking forward to that! NOT!!! But it has to be done, so it is our/my task.

Here it the Sabbath, the day of rest, and I am thinking about my honey-do list...as Jenna would say "Jim, you're crazy!" And today I would say to her "You're right, I am crazy!"

Jim

Home Sweet...

Home!

I just got home from a wonderful trip to central America for work. The weather was not too warm, and the countryside was just beautiful. Now I'm going out to do some mowing, weeding, and touching up.

Princess and I finalized on a simple plan for the front planter area that we carved out, and have accepted the bid to do the work. Now we just have to wait a couple of weeks for the workers to get here to do it. I'm tired of digging in hard clay-type soil, so I'm letting some one else do it. Bye-Bye bonus money! Oh well, at least when Sarah comes for a visit with Sterling and the kids, she won't know which house is ours.

BTW Sarah - Happy 36th Birthday!! We love ya!

Jim

Where's Spring

I’m in Chi-land and experiencing some of the most bizarre springtime weather. I woke up to snow this morning and it snowed for about 6 or 7 hours, then has turned to rain. We’re in SPRING people! And it snowed! We’re supposed to get more snow tonight! I was smart for the trip to Chicago; I checked the weather online and packed long sleeve shirts, an overcoat, gloves, but no umbrella or hat. Maybe I’ll be smarter next time.

After last weekend in San Antonio, where we had a cold snap, the weather hovering around 36 F with a northern wind driving a wind chill and making me wish I had more than t-shirts and shorts. We did have fun with Jen, Dan, and the kids. Colored eggs, stuffed eggs, made deviled eggs, jiggler eggs, jiggler jelly beans, get the picture, pure Easter fun.

It snowed in Waco, enough to build snowmen, and we missed it, but got so see the remnants of them when we got home.

When I talked to Princess today, it was 80 F today in Waco. I can’t wait to get home and mow my grass and plant some flowers.

Be good and safe.

Parents

Just got a call from my Mom. Her CA 125 number is up after only three months without Chemo! She starts another round in a couple of weeks. She sounded so down. I love her so much. She is so strong and exhibits so much faith. I can only walk in her footprints, and hope one day my size 12 fills her size 8.

I Love YA Mom! Hang in there cause we need you here with us.

Love, Jimmy (Only she is allowed to call me that)

San Antone

This weekend, Princess and I are heading to San Antonio (San Antone for born and bred Texans) to visit with dear friends who moved there from Vegas. We will be having Easter at their house, going to Church on Saturday Night with them instead of Sunday (Group decision due to our having to travel home on Sunday afternoon), and having an Easter Brunch on Sunday Morning along with the egg hunt.

Ben and Molly, Dan and Jen's kids are super excited. We're taking the girls with us, and they just love them soooo much. Sadie is even excited, knowing something was up last night when Princess started ironing clothes, other than her dental assisting uniforms.

We're going to color eggs, stuff plastic eggs, shop (Princesses favorite past time), and just have a great time. Both Princess and I need the break and the relaxation...well for me anyway. Ben and Molly are dying to have Aunt Melanie cook for them. They just love her food and have informed their Mom that she is not to help Aunt Melanie in any way shape or form. We rolled on the floor on that one.

Remember, Easter isn't about eggs, isn't about frilly new dresses, or brunch, but about our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. His atoning sacrifice for us, taking on our sins, death on the cross, and His resurrection make it possible for us to return to live with Him and Our Heavenly Father. So dye the eggs, pack the plastic ones, and as you do so, talk about Christ with your families, teach them His story, and I promise you, that your home, your weekend, everything we do at this time of year, will feel warmer, more loving, more beautiful (sorry to be so preachy, but I just felt inspired)

Happy Easter.

Surviving

...Tornadoes, Princesses desires for a beautiful yard, out of control weeds, you name it and I have been doing it. So lets start with the first one.

Last Friday, March 30, 2007, we had another Tornado warning. Princess, Sadie, Sasha, and myself, gathered cushions, water, medicine and ourselves into the guest/hall bathroom following all the weatherman's warnings. We huddled together while waiting out the storm, winds, rain - lots of rain, and hail came, flooding the back yard, and delivering about 5 to 7 inches of badly needed rain. Then it left, and overnight we had just a little bit of rain, to keep us from being in a drought.

For the past two weeks we have been buying plants and putting them in all over the house (really, around the house). We rented a sod cutter, removed a bunch of grass to create a planting bed in the front, got a landscaper out for a quote on trees and preparing the bed - not planting it, just preparing it, Princess is making me plant the bushes and flowers the landscaper recommends (no rest for the wicked...or in my case the fat and ornery).

Killing weeds has become my favorite past time. Pulling them out by their tap roots, applying herbicide etc. Man if I could grow grass and plants like I grow weeds, I would have the best lawn in all my neighborhood.

Been working lots and lots of hours still - hoping that it will calm down and I will be able to get back on the road and get some audits done.

Easter weekend we're going to San Antonio to visit the Martinsen's (friends from Vegas - yeah baby).

Be safe and Happy