Home, Sweet Home!

We are finally finished with moving all our things from Texas! It took just over seven weeks, but we are done!

Of course, this is only our first step in starting the next chapter of our lives... We are bound for Ohio, and step 1 was selling the house in Texas and moving our things up to Tennessee. Next, to prepare the house in Tennessee to sell... This may turn out to be more work than what we did in Texas!

Meanwhile, Dawn is actively looking for a home in Ohio that will satisfy our many requirements...

So, this has (so far) been a restful week here in Tennessee while we recuperate and prepare for the next step in this process...

Meanwhile, it is time to get back to "real life", and especially as we prepare to start the 07-08 school year here at the Gibson Academy...

Another Trip...

Tomorrow is the day... We are headed back to Texas for what we hope turns out to be a quick pack up the trailer and come home!

That is the plan, anyway... We are pretty well ready to get up and get on the road in the morning. Suitcase packed; trailer hitched; note for Dawn's Mom (as she will be getting here in the morning).

At least we only have to be concerned about packing for a few days and just about us and not the kids!

Hope all goes well here in TN while we're gone... We'll be praying for you, Mom ;)

Back to Normal?

Well, this is the first full day back to work in quite a while. We're still working to get the house back under control (since we now have a lot more stuff here -- even though most of it is in storage).

But, what is "normal" anyway? Is there such a thing?

Well, it is just nice to be back home, and to actually accomplish something for my employer!

Many things on our "To Do" list, but at least we have a list!

We've worked on getting our kids re-enrolled in home school (through Lighthouse Christian Academy), and on getting this years curriculum ordered... Later than we wanted, but it should be before September this year!

Please pray as we get ready for Dawn and I to make a second "quick trip" to Texas for the remaining things. We will be driving on Thursday, 8/16, and returning to TN on Monday, 8/20. Please pray for Dawn's Mom also as she will be staying with the kids while we're gone :)

Day of R&R...

After driving all night Tuesday night, and then having to attend a funeral on Thursday, not to mention unpacking the trailer, mowing the lawn, and trying to catch up at work, we have been very tired all week long...

So, we spent most of our Saturday either sleeping or watching movies... It was a welcome lazy day after a very stressful 6 weeks. I'm beginning to feel almost human again.

Dawn and I have continued to enjoy time together. Really, we're together most of every day, and we really only seem to have more fun goofing around and talking about who knows what.. I've had people tell me that they thought it would be a "small world" to work at home, home school the kids, and just be together so much of the time. But, I really believe that the time we've had together has been a very bonding time -- for the whole family, really. And, I would not want a marriage where we couldn't be together most all the time and still be happily married... We don't agree on everything, but we have learned to make light of our differences instead of making them a big deal. Having both lost a spouse already, these differences seem trite, and we're just glad that God has given us each other...

So, today, we were lazy together, and we enjoyed it... And, we sure needed the sleep and relaxation after all the stress and loss of sleep!

Time Flies...

August 9th! Is that really the date today!

Wow! Time has flown by this year -- especially the last 6 weeks!

We are finally back in Tennessee! We have unloaded the 16 foot trailer, and now we can scarcely get across our bedroom to the bathroom or through the kitchen to the sink... We eagerly await the next phase of "Operation: Relocate"... We plan to move to Ohio (because it is more central to our families), and we are READY!

Please pray with us that God will make selling this house and finding / buying one in Ohio as smooth and painless as selling our house in Texas!

Funny Note about my Sweet Wife (SW)

I got some new shades, and I was wearing them with my black cowboy hat. They are mirror shades... My SW informed me that I resemble a Texas Ranger with my new blue jeans, shades, and hat... Next thing you know, she is holding her arms out to me, and saying in her sweetest (fake) Tennessee accent, "Arrest me, Officer"...

Nearing Completion -- One Way or the Other

The closer we get to being done packing things up, the more work there seems to be...

Finally, I took the trailer to dump today and unloaded it -- that was a joy I shall not soon (enough) forget...

I have sprayed out the bed of the trailer, and loaded the tractor. Need to secure it to the front, and then start packing things in around it...

My SW has been working away in the kitchen going through things, washing things that needed it, and packing boxes. It has been sort of like Christmas since both Nancy like Pampered Chef as much as Dawn does, and we had a lot of Tupperware and Pyrex and Corningware, etc...

Dawn is about burned out today, and so I'm going to take her out to the Saltgrass Steak House in Rockwall for dinner. She just needs a good break.

We're almost done, but yet so far from it. Now that we have the trailer available to load, maybe things will accelerate a bit.

Is That a Light I See?

A light at the end of the tunnel, I hope? Well, maybe...

It has been 9 days since I last posted, and much progress has been made.

We have now gone through everything in the master bedroom, and almost everything in the closet. We have also brought more than half of the boxes down from the attic and are in the process of figuring out what to do with them... Many of them will go to my step-daughters, and others will just go with us into storage until we move again...

Anyway, we have started moving furniture out, and we will also move most of the packed boxes, etc, out to the garage ready to load into the trailer. We will have to try to mark them so we know what to bring with us on this first trip, and what we will leave in the garage for a few weeks until we can make another fast trip down here to get the rest of the items...

It is exciting to think that we will finally have this major "loose end" tied up!

Oh -- almost forgot the most significant news of the day (or the month)! The closing of the house took place this afternoon! It is official, and we no longer have this mortgage payment to make! So, PTL!

I may not have time to post again until after we are back in TN...

Another Week...

Can't believe it has been a whole week since I've posted... I know we've made some important progress, but it seems like we've accomplished very little compared with what is left...

The truck is now once again in good running condition -- it's legal anyway... It was very expensive.

The van is now in the shop, and it will not be as expensive, but it needs a full tune-up, and several other things. It should be done tomorrow.

The trailer is ready to use to haul trash to the dump. It doesn't yet have the top on it, but I have sealed the wood. Just needs a day or so to dry. I'll probably start loading trash tomorrow... We will try to take only one trip to the dump to minimize the cost, but it may not work out that way... We desperately need to get some of the trash bags out of here!

We have made very little new progress in packing. We ran into an unexpected problem with the well pump that had to be fixed. Always these things happen on Saturday afternoon when everyplace is closed. I thought the starter capacitor was bad, but it wasn't. I ended up having to pull the pump, and discovered that a wire had apparently been pinched between the pump and the pipe when it was last put down, and it just now corroded through. So, I ended up soldering it together, and sealing it up with a heat shrink wrap, and tape, and it is now working... It took most of the day to get that done (between running around to find a capacitor which turned out not to be the problem, and then getting the soldering iron, etc, which I didn't have here).

We truly do still have a lot to do. I will be going to work in Dallas on Wednesday, so that is one day I can't be working here...

So, we have a lot of things to get done, and our goal is to be finished in less than two weeks. Definitely a challenging goal!

Lazy Sunday Afternoon...

After church and Sunday School this morning, we went to TaMolly's to eat (favorite local Mexican restaurant).

Then, we came home and took a nice long nap (or at least I took a long one). I got up around 4:30 or so, and went out to resume work on mowing the lawn... It is going to take a while, and I'm going to have to rake up the huge bundles of grass (hay?) that come out of the mower deck periodically... This is going to be an adventure...

We have the trailer ready to load garbage into, so we'll be able to get a lot of this out of here tomorrow! We will be taking the truck in to be worked on tomorrow, so it will likely be late this week before we can get the trailer to the dump. That's just as well since it will probably take us most of the week to get all the things sorted through -- much of which will likely be trash...

So, we obviously have a busy week ahead... Hopefully, by this time next week, we'll at least have a date set for the closing on the house or maybe we will have already had the closing!

Overall, it was a good first week, and we have gotten quite a bit done. If we can just maintain steady progress, we'll be doing great...

Secret Weapon

Today, my SW worked hard on the two kids bedrooms and the dining room. See, SW could mean "Sweet Wife" or it could be "Secret Weapon"... Today, it means the latter...

She has thoroughly gone through everything in both bathrooms and both of the kids bedrooms, and has done most everything in the dining room!

If it were not for her being here and working diligently, I would never get any of this done! Thank you, Sweetheart!

And, we have some things in the kitchen, but there were many items missing...

Anyway, we don't have a lot in the living room, so that leaves the attic, the master bedroom and closet, and then the garage... Lots of stuff...

Meanwhile, I was able to get the truck out last night, and we went and took the trailer to get wood for putting sides and top on the trailer. And, today, I was able to get the sides built except for the back which will be hinged doors... It does look nice, and it will be done pretty quickly.

Then, tonight, I got my tractor out and mowed just a little bit because it was getting dark, and the lawn is still just a little too wet... I plan to mow some tomorrow if the weather holds...

Meanwhile, the kids are making progress at school... Not as much progress as we would like, but progress nonetheless.

Slowly, but Surely...

Slowly, we are making progress... Mostly, cleaning the bathrooms, and fixing little things that were neglected since I moved like bad switches on ceiling fans, etc... Those little odd jobs are getting done, so that is a nice thing even if it isn't a huge part of the job.

We went and bought moving boxes today so now we have something to pack things into... We have also been working through some of the details of what we're taking and what we're going to do with the rest... We'll see how that comes together.

And, we did get the truck and trailer registered today, so those are some important items also. I have also sketched out how I plan to put sides and a top on the trailer using 7/16 inch OSD boards, and I bought tarps to put on the trailer bed (to prevent water from splashing up through the boards) and another to put over the top of the boards once we get it all packed... We may need to use the trailer to haul some things before packing it up to leave, so I'll have to wait on doing that work for now. I could buy the lumber and put it in the garage (where the truck is currently parked), but I want to keep it out of the weather since we don't know when God wants us to send out the Dove...

The sun is shining today, so that is good. It was supposed to be heavy thunderstorms again today, but PTL, they were wrong!

Well, we plan to take the truck in for service and inspection on Monday morning, and hopefully, it won't be too bad, but I expect there will be some surprises...

We appreciate the prayers that we know are going heavenward on our behalf... Thank you very much...

Fourth of July

It was a pretty good day today. I can't really say that "we started out the day" at all because we just slept right through the start of the day...

But, when we did decide to stop being lazy, we had a very nice day... We didn't really do much work around here today (or yesterday for that matter). We have been a bit overwhelmed, and we decided to just give ourselves permission to take the day off!

I did do some weed trimming today trying to at least locate the driveway since it is being overtaken after all the rain recently! That looks a little better now, but I have a lot more work to do.

I did fix a pull switch on the light of the ceiling fan, so that is more convenient (we can use the fan at night now -- without having to unscrew the light bulbs).

We did hamburgers on the grill, and then went out for ice cream afterward, and came home and I opened birthday gifts and we went outside to set off fireworks and firecrackers that we got for the kids. It was quite a nice evening... Now, Dawn and I are laying in bed watching a movie (and I'm blogging -- sounds like a person problem, doesn't it)...

Other Notes

We are eagerly awaiting the date of the closing of our house sale to our neighbors. They will let us have as much time to get things out of here as we require, but we obviously would prefer to have the closing as soon as possible. Hopefully, that will take place within the next ten days or so.

The kids are not quite finished with home schooling this year, and that is many times more challenging than it was before we came to Texas. There are many things to do, and people to see, and it has the feel of "vacation". But, they really need to finish! Almost doesn't really count for the curriculum we are using (ACE). So, hopefully, we will be able to get through to them soon...

Meanwhile, we have many loose ends to tie up here. I need to get the truck registered (so I can take it to TN and then register it there), and then I need to have both the van and truck serviced (at the mechanic I've used for several years). I need tires on the van, and may need to have tires on the truck (it has 6 of them). I'm sure I will be paying a bunch of money to get both vehicles into the shape I want them.

Then, we need to get all the animals to the vet before taking them back to TN with us... Three dogs and three cats (we don't even want to think about the traveling part yet) need vaccines.

Then, I need to buy some lumber to put sides and a top on my flatbed trailer to avoid worrying about losing things on the trip -- not to mention the weather... We'll have a tarp over the top for the rain.

So, you can see that, aside from the tasks of cleaning, going through belongings, and packing, we have much to do! Please continue to pray as we work hard to make this all happen as soon as possible, so we can get home to our home in TN (where we will turn around and do the same thing again in the next 6 - 12 months).

We just pray that God will sell our home there in TN as quickly and easily as he did the one here in TX! And, of course, there is the minor detail of where we will move to once that does happen...

A New Project...

Well, we're going to be taking a break from "The Hill" for the next little while, but we have a new "project" (if you can call it that)...

We have come to Texas to clean up and sell the house that I lived in for several years before marrying Dawn and moving to Tennessee...

When we arrived very early morning on July 1st, we were appalled to find many things missing, and we're still not sure what happened to them.

Needless to say, we are very upset by what we found.

We have begun the long and difficult process of cleaning things up. We spent most of today shopping, cleaning, and beginning some small repairs.

We expect to be here for several weeks, so we have had to buy food and other household items to live while we're here, not to mention a lot of cleaning supplies.

Aside from scrubbing the kitchen sink and bathroom sink, shower, and toilet, I was able to fix the toilet (running constantly due to a slow leak) and also replaced a bad switch for the vanity lights. Doesn't sound like a lot, but it is at least a start.

It has been difficult to know where to begin, and I've honestly been reeling after being completely stunned by finding the state of the house and so many things missing.

Over the next days and weeks, I hope to be able to post progress on this truly daunting project...

I should add that we believe we already have a buyer for the house, and that they are not requiring any changes -- they are willing to buy "as-is". However, I would be embarrassed to leave things in the state that we found them when we arrived last night!

Last Day is a Bust...

Well, after finishing the fourth tier off, and starting to dig for the fifth and last tier, I took a break to mow the lawn...

Right after finishing the lawn, it started to rain, so Dawn and I had to put away all the tools, and get things ready for us to leave tomorrow.

So, my work here is finished -- at least until late July or early August... So, here is one before picture, and a few current pictures to show things as they are now...

One More Day -- Before Vacation

Well, I was slightly more aggressive than I was able to complete, but I did get quite a bit of work done today. I got all but one set of timbers done on the fourth tier! So, I have to complete that first thing in the morning, and then work on getting the fifth and final tier done!

I have one more day before we leave for Texas, and we're not sure how long we're going to be gone. I made quite a dent in the pile of timbers, and I'll have about 8 or 10 left after completing the fourth and fifth tiers. I have some places where I want to add another timber to the top of the three or four I already have, so it will not take long to use them up -- if I can get to it tomorrow...

I definitely am ready to be finished with this project! Of course, to truly be "finished", I have several more tasks to complete. I have to finish removing the dirt between each set of timbers, and then I have to bring in top soil or compost to put in each level. Then, we will need to cover it with a weed barrier. Of course, we'll have to plant something (quite a lot of something), and then I have miniature sprinklers to put in along with the mulch.

And, I have to finish the steps both up the center, and also on the other end behind the house.

And, after I finish removing the dirt, I need to rent a bobcat or something to move the dirt that is now in a huge heap at the bottom of the hill...

So, you can see that even after "moving the mountain", I'll still have a LOT of work before "finishing"...

I do have some pictures which I will try to load tonight or tomorrow...

Last Minute Surge

We are planning to leave for Texas on Saturday, and I would really like to have all the landscape timbers used up by then... I'm concerned that, with rain and sun between now and when we get back, we will have a bunch of warped timbers.


So, I have now completed extending the top three tiers most of the way along the back of the house. I was originally going to extend them to the end of the house, but I would end up digging half of the hill away, so I'm at least going to delay that until later -- if I do that at all.

Now, I have started work on the fourth tier down, and I have dug the trench out to put the first 4 of the 8 lengths of timbers for that tier. I have even cut half of those timbers and they are ready to put in place. I would like to get a nice early start tomorrow and maybe I'll even get the entire fourth tier completed before lunch... I may eat lunch at 3PM to accomplish that, but hey, that's still before lunch :)

Once again, I have let it get dark before taking anymore pictures, so you'll just have to wait at least another day or two...

Work Continues...

Well, work has been a bit slow, but you can now see pictures where I have extended the top two tiers most of the way behind the house. The third tier is partially extended...

I have also continued to try to move the dirt down the hill, but this project is really getting old!

Anyway, we are very pleased with how it is going to look... Just wish I was already finished!

Building Computers and Other Midnight Capers

Our family has to be one of the computer-rich families I know of! We currently own 11 computers for the 5 of us! Three of the laptops don't work right anymore, and one of them is still at my house in TX (long story for another time). And, this doesn't include the laptop that TI provides for me to use for work!

My kids have had laptops, but the power adapters (actually, where they are attached to the mother board) seem to regularly break.

So, I saw some "bare bones" PCs for a pretty good price, and decided that we would get two of them for our youngest two kids to help put together, and call it part of "home schooling". Well, I placed the order for the kits (and two flat panel LCD monitors) on Friday, and by the following Friday, we had received the components, put them together, and installed Linux (Fedora 7) successfully! Even though both kids would prefer to be running some flavor of Microsoft Windows, they seem to be pretty happy with the things they can do on Linux! It really is a pretty good operating system, provided that someone in the house can act as "system administrator".

So, all three of our kids have now put together their own computer! And, I should note that we had quite a bit of fun in the process...

Long Time -- No Post...

Well, I've continued to try to go out daily and make some sort of progress on the "Hill". Some days are better than others, but I'm pretty tired every night and every morning...

I have now continued shoveling dirt down the hill trying to get ready to build in the fourth and fifth tiers, and also to uncover the sixth (and bottom) tier. Hopefully, we'll post some more pictures this weekend.

I started on extending the top two tiers along the hill behind the house today. I have four of the six timbers in on the top one (stacked four high), and I have dug out the hill for the first two of the six timbers for the second tier. It is looking nice, but it sure is slow going!

The jury is still out on whether or not I bit off more than I could chew. All I have to say is it sure is a gritty chew!

Anyway, I think that I can visualize the end of this project, but it continues to elude reality...

Reaching the Halfway Point...

Well, it has been a good Father's Day after a very lazy Saturday... I was so wiped out Saturday that I slept most all day long! And, I still had a pretty good night of sleep, too... So, I feel much better today.

After getting home from Church (and going out to eat at Chili's), I went outside and started working... Spent most of today out there trying to uncover the third tier of timbers so that I could start work on the fourth tier... I've finally "found" the third tier, and I've got some of the next level cleared. The last picture added today is taken from the deck out back looking down on the project... It is really starting to look nice...

I've decided I'm going to put some steps and step stones (flagstone) down the center, as you can see from this picture.

My SW helped yesterday by planting 32 plants on the top tier, and we filled in red mulch (which turns out to be a dyed pine much to my frustration)... I really wanted redwood, but I didn't spend the time I should have looking around... Maybe I'll find it for the rest of the tiers (since I only bought enough for the first tier so far).

Anyway, it is moving along, but seems like a 100 miles away! Stay tuned...

Long Day on Tier Three

After several days of "slow progress", I have now completed half of the top three tiers! These tiers do not yet extend behind the house, but the hard part is done since the hill requires moving so much dirt.

After two grueling days of moving dirt (and working on the third tier), I woke this morning with the back ache of my life! I felt physically ill, and literally laid in bed until after noon! My back has cracked a few times, and is starting to feel much better now. I may not do much of any work on the hill today. I'm thinking of getting ready to extend the top three tiers behind the house. Hopefully, I can do this with less digging than has been required on the hill at the end of the driveway.

At least you can see that the project is starting to take form. You can start to see what the finished product will look like. We will have a lot of cultivating and planting to do. I'm going to have to remove a lot of the clay that is on each tier and fill it with top soil, but that can wait until the major portion of the project is finished...

My rototiller is in Texas right now, so when I bring that back here to Tennessee, I will use that to help loosen the dirt on each tier so that replacing some of that with top soil will be a bit easier.

The real fun part will be planting flowers. It is going to be beautiful when that is all done!

More Slow Steady Progress...

Well, we have been working hard on "the hill", and progress is showing... The two top tiers are done, and digging out the third tier is well under way! Two problems are becoming apparent -- each new level requires much more digging than the last level, and when I get to the bottom, I'm going to have a lot of extra dirt!

So, where are the pictures, you ask? Well, if I spend all my time blogging and posting pictures, then I won't have time to work on this project -- not to mention my "real" job... So, the pictures will be coming soon... We have taken a few pictures a few days ago, and will take some more today or tomorrow. Getting them posted is another matter :)

Slow Progress on the Big Dig

Well, we are making some progress, but it is very slow going... I have cut a path through the hill at about the grade that I need to end up with, and I am now trying to level the top off so that I can start laying the second row of timbers. Actually, I'm not quite finished with the top tier yet, but I don't have too much left on that.

We will be loading a few more pictures soon -- just watch the slide show for progress...

And, we're making plans to take a trip to Texas in a week or two so that we can get the house there ready to sell. So, this project will just have to wait until we get back.

Rain, Rain, Go Away!

Well, after getting off to a great start (the first of six tiers done in just a couple of days), work has definitely slowed down... I started to work on the second tier from the bottom, but decided that it would be easier to work from the top down (since gravity pulls the dirt down :)

So, I went up to the top, and have more than half of the top tier done (with no pictures yet). But, it has rained pretty good on and off the last few days, so that has slowed progress significantly...

And, I am coming to the conclusion that I have so much dirt to move, that I am going to have to rent some small to medium dirt moving machine -- probably a backhoe (because the grade prevents me from using a loader or dozer).

So, no I feel like I'm just complaining about my troubles... Did I bite off more than I can chew?

I guess it is a "Big Dig"...

Home School and Work from Home

Well, it is going to be nice now that my SW is home from teaching school, and our kids are here, and I work on the computer from home. I was out looking at "The Big Dig" (as my SW calls it), and overseeding some grass seed in the front yard, and just came in to see if TI has been functioning without me for the past hour, and the kids are playing a word game in the living room with my SW... They are laughing and having fun, and better yet, they are using their brains in the process...

This is what home schooling is supposed to include! Of course, academics cannot be replaced with games, but the desire to think and have fun while doing so makes true "learning" much more efficient than trying to shove knowledge into their heads like sardines back into the can... Not sure that is a very pretty word picture, but that's just about what it's like when you're trying to force them to learn!

Thank you, Dawn, for being willing to give up your career to turn to this precious chapter of our kids lives... I am glad that your God-given abilities and your training mesh perfectly for this difficult job of schooling our children at home!

"Rise of Man" -- Animated Evolution

Over the last several years, I have noticed a disturbing trend in the application of lifelike animation to demonstrate the (false) theory of evolution.

The theory of evolution certainly isn't new. The development of lifelike animation isn't an evil thing. But, putting the two together has resulted in documentaries on the Discovery Channel that I believe will make children believe they are actually seeing documented evolution right before their eyes. We know at a young age that children believe what they watch on TV is true. And, it is realistic enough that it is difficult for me to differentiate between actual real video and animated creations of dinosaurs or "missing links".

I happened upon "Rise of Man" in my nightly channel-flipping-fest (it's a man thing), and I could only watch about 15 minutes of it before having to change the channel -- I find it so outrageous that this theory can be preached as fact and even demonstrated using such advanced computer and video technology, but the existence of a designer -- the Designer -- can scarcely be mentioned in our public school classrooms today.

I find it very interesting that if a fragment of pottery is found in the earth, no one questions for a moment that a human was there. Why? Because such flat, smooth surfaces and materials with a regular consistency simply do not occur in nature. A smooth, formed piece of clay proves a designer existed, but a human brain, an intricately designed set of interconnected systems, which doctors and scientists have spent many lifetimes researching -- yet with so many unexplained details -- not to mention DNA which could be called "God's Programming Language", does not even leave room for proposing that there is a designer. Something is truly wrong here.

I am glad that, no only WAS there a designer, but He still IS and that He has gone to great extent to reveal Himself to us -- not only through the incredible Creation, but also by coming to earth as a human being to "dwell" with us! And that He gave up His own life -- and His Father turned His face away from Him when He became sin for us -- so that we can spend eternity with Him. And, that while that eternity waits to begin, He is here with us -- with me -- providing for and protecting me.

There is an answer to why evolution is so much more believable to "the world" -- Satan has blinded their eyes because they have refused to believe (see II Corinthians 4:4).

Blog Accessories

Well, I decided to do some "accessorizing" on my blog... I added a guest book (lower-right), so please feel free to sign it.

I also added a simple tracking capability to allow me to find out how many people are accessing my site. It doesn't show on the page, but it allows me to go view a daily report. I can't really tell who visits, but I'm not interested in violating anyone's privacy anyway...

When I added photos the other day, I signed up for Google Picasa Web which allows me to have web photo albums, slide shows, etc. So, while that doesn't yet, I do have a place to put such things, and future posts will likely use the slideshow rather than separate photos like I did before. In fact, I may go back and change that posting to show the pictures as a slide show...

This has been fun, and there certainly are a lot of tools out there to help newby's like me :)

No further progress on "The Hill" to show. I do have a job :)

Today is the first day my SW has not had to go to school, and it is nice to have her home. When the kids get through with this year's school work, that will be even nicer... (We home school, in case that wasn't already evident.)

Hope to see some guests sign in sometime... You should be able to make your entry private if you prefer... Thank you in advance for signing :)

The Terraced Hill... (part 3)

I have a feeling that this isn't what Jesus was referring to when he said that if we had the faith of a mustard seed that we could say to this mountain, "Be moved," and it would be moved...

In order to terrace this hill to have a reasonable slope in between the levels, we are going to have to virtually lop off the top of the hill, and it is nearly all clay. I may have bitten off more than I can chew...

Well, one wheelbarrow load at a time, we will make progress, and hopefully, we will conquer this hill!

I would include pictures today, but it just isn't pretty!

Meanwhile, my SW has completed her last day of school teaching at the public school. Now, the fun begins -- school teaching at home... Let's hope she has not bitten off more than she can chew...

The Terraced Hill... (part 2)

Well, I missed blogging yesterday as I was very tired from working on "the hill" all day, and then we went out for ice cream after dinner... To say that "I felt like a blimp" this morning would imply that I felt lighter than air -- which I assure you, I am not... The metaphor would have to be something between feeling like a beached whale and feeling like I was hit by a truck...

As I rolled from the bed, I was glad the floor was there to catch me. You get the picture.

So, I worked here at the computer for part of the day, and then went back outside to work some more. While it is true that we have completed 1 of the 6 rows of landscape timbers, it would be misleading to say that we are one sixth of the way to completion. The first row was shorter and easier than the rest will be. I'm pretty sure that I'll end up removing a good portion of the hill since it is currently far too steep.

I have now moved the pictures to a slide show on the right side of the page...

Actually, I had started laying the timbers out where I wanted them, making sure they were going to be level on the contour of the hill. You can see the progress after 1 day (or really, 1 and a half days)...

So, there is the beginning of this grand project... Tune in again later this week to see if I have time to finish the second tier (or even to start it)!

The Terraced Hill... (part 1)

It was a pretty good Sunday... After Church and lunch, we went back to Home Depot to start getting supplies for building this terraced hill (however you say that). We now have several tools and 80 landscape timbers (on our way to 200)... It is going to be some project!

Oh, and we were able to get the edging around the tree and mailbox about 50% finished. We have the old one out and the scalloped bricking down, but we're adding an border around the outside of the brick that will be covered by top soil to just secure the brick pieces since they tend to be loose on the hill around the tree...

So, we have our projects under way, and I think they will turn out nice...

My SW says she is going to go take pictures tomorrow morning before I get any real work done. I just have a leveling line set up so I can try to keep the timbers level as it contours around the hill. It is going to be a big project, but I plan to get right at it and get it done...

DIY Projects

One of the things I've learned in my vast blogging experience is that it makes most sense to type the blog before the title... What I want to say sort of evolves as I type, and so I never quite know what an appropriate title will be until I'm done :)

Today was a good day. Besides the work I was able to get done, I started planning a couple of small to medium outdoor projects for the next few weeks (as I have time).

The small projects are some new edging around the tree out front and the mailbox where Dawn has some flowers. The current edging is cedar blocks, and they have seen better days. We decided on some scalloped red brick that comes in 1 foot sections. So, we brought it home from Home Depot tonight, and it should take me a few hours tomorrow afternoon.

Then, we will get a couple big loads of landscape timbers (and re-bar to stake them into the ground), and we will try to terrace the hill behind the house so that we will have 6 levels about 2-3 feet wide each, separated by stacks of three timbers at each level. It is currently a very steep hill -- far to steep to mow or even walk up or down. So, it will be a nice area for rows of flowers instead of an impossible hill...

So, this one is probably a bigger project than I realize right now, but then most DIY projects turn out that way. Maybe I'll post before/after pictures :)

The good thing about blogging project plans is that you have someone to ask you how it went...
The bad thing about blogging project plans is that you have someone to ask you how it went...

We'll see how it goes...

Reflections on Chores and Priorities...

Well, it has turned out to be a reasonably profitable day so far... Dawn (my sweet wife ;) did a bunch of house cleaning, and I was able to unpack the suitcase and get the lawn pretty well mowed, though there is always more lawn work to do...

What I don't get done today will just have to wait until tomorrow... When I'm old and gray, and I look back over my life, I doubt I will remember whether I did the trim around the trees, etc, but I'm sure to think I should have done more things with my wife and kids. Some things can wait until tomorrow, and some things may not be here tomorrow... These are called priorities...

Lazy Saturday...so far

Well, it is Saturday on Memorial Day weekend... I feel like I should be getting many things done around the house, but Saturday is half over, and I haven't really done much of anything...

I spend more time planning than I spend doing... I suppose that isn't too uncommon, but maybe I plan to do the same things today that I neglected yesterday. If that's true, then maybe I'm just being plain lazy.

Well, it isn't time for New Year's Resolutions, but today is the first day of the rest of my life... Maybe it's time to get more done by planning less and just doing...

So, it's time to mow the lawn, unpack the suitcase (from a trip last weekend), and maybe I'll even find a few other things that need to be done along the way.

First post...

That's an original title... Guess it is going to show that I've read very few blogs, but I've simply never "blogged"...

I'm sure my blog posts will vary greatly. My thoughts and interests vary widely. So, while I may sound a bit like a philosopher one day, I may sound like a geek or scientist the next. I guess after a few months (if I'm still blogging by then), my "dominant thoughts" will show through the titles...

What is "blogging" anyway? A sort of "public diary"... Remember the days when your sister would hide her diary and it had a little key? Yet, here we are, publishing our "diaries" on the "world wide web" where anyone can peek in and read our thoughts... And, worse, they can either read silently or else comment, complain, argue, and whatever else the first amendment allows them to do! Of course, I suppose we are a bit egocentric or even narcissistic that we assume anyone else in the world would take the time to look for and read our thoughts...

And, if someone does stumble across my blog, what makes me think they're going to think it is interesting enough to read it again tomorrow or the next day? Maybe you won't (considering if you're reading this, you did stumble onto my blog somehow)...

Well, I guess tonight's post is more about blogging from a philosophical perspective... Hence, I should change the title to "Why Blog" or "What is Blogging"... But, alas, then my first paragraph would make no sense, and I would have to start again -- losing this valuable piece of human reasoning...

And, so I say, "Good Night", and ask you to check back and see where we find my mind wandering tomorrow or the next day...

Thanks,
Scott