"Ketchup" ...and an official announcement

I'm so behind on blogging and sharing my life these days that I thought it was time to "ketchup" and let you know what's going on. This is gonna be long, but keep reading to get the official announcement, please.

I have been so blessed! I'm enjoying keeping the grandkids. They keep me active and entertained. They are always saying and doing cute and funny things. I wonder what I ever did without them!

The weather has been good and bad. Today it got to 76* by lunch and then began to get cold... like to 28*! Keeps us on a weather roller coaster. In a weeks time I have gone from bundling up head to toe to wearing shorts and sweating then back to the heavy coat tonight.

I love the beautiful warm weather. We have been working in the yard pulling weeds and cleaning out the fishpond and pool. Hugsum took the ugly tarp cover off and put a pretty blue thermal cover on. The blue one fits inside the pool and floats on the water to warm it up. That way, when we have sun shining and weather warm enough to wear a bathing suit, we can swim. YIPPEE!!!

We have also been working on the house. We have a painter lined up to paint the outside. We have been riding around looking at houses and deciding what we like and don't like. There was one house that we kept driving by that we liked and then one day we realized that their brick was painted!!!! So, we talked to the people to find out about the color and paint. Inspite of some advice not to paint the brick, we are going to paint it a nice warm color. The "no color" of our brick now is one of the things that we really disliked about the house.... along with the green Tudor stripes.

AND... we have been taking down the green Tudor stripes and fixing that area with some stucco. Even though the new stucco doesn't match the old (until we paint) it still looks so much better without the green.

So, keep checking back for the updates and pictures of the progress. I promise to post pictures...

Our trips to our weekend parsonage seem to be more of a challenge to me lately. I hate to confess that. I do love those people up there and enjoy seeing them. Maybe it is the depressing winter with everything so drab and dreary. The little town is depressed. Not anything going on there except a stock yard. They have sales every Friday night. When we are there for our long weekend we can hear the cows all night long. The sale is about 2 blocks from the house and if the wind is right., well... there is more than the mooing that lets us know they are close!

Plus the house is so dated and dingy. I feel bad because I really do appreciate them providing it for us, I don't want to complain. They bless us so much with the utilities and even some furniture. They don't require much of us and really not anything of me. (that's a REAL change from most pastorates where the wife is considered slave to the church) I don't want to redo both houses at once. The wonderful thing about going up there is that I don't have any responsibilities of cleaning, cooking, laundry... I can just relax and enjoy peace and quiet.... have I mentioned that there is no phone there... or internet or TV reception? Take away all that and you have gone back to the dark ages only with running water and central heat! Really... I mean, REALLY... that is exactly how it feels! When I come back to town I feel like I have stepped back into civilization and get so excited to see stores and restaurants and nice houses.

Okay... on with my "ketchup" list... (I say "ketchup" because that is how we say "catch up" and I wanted my family to understand what I was meaning)

Studies... not so much. I have slowed down with my courses and doing research for my dissertation. It isn't that I don't enjoy it... well, maybe it IS that I don't enjoy it. I have not been able to concentrate when reading lately. My style of learning is NOT by reading - well, it is the last on the list. I learn more by DOING... so just reading for research is boring! I keep wanting to go outside and do things and reading is not on that list!

Our little dog, Andy has been so "clingy". He gets right next to me where ever I am. When I sit, he is either on my lap, next to me or on the back of the chair. I don't know what is going on with him! I've been having trouble keeping the fleas off him. Even the golden expensive flea stuff from the vet (where you have to leave an arm or leg to pay for it) doesn't work. In fact, it seems to feed them and he has more than ever. Any tips or advice?

I have been doing horribly with my eating... I'm not sure what it is about spring - when I'm trying to get my flab into shape so I can be comfortable with shorts and bathing suits... well... I have been craving cookies, and Easter candy. I love robin eggs and almond M&M's and the new Life Savor jelly beans... and sweetarts ... and well... it is not a good thing. Maybe this is why I've not been so interested in my studies... like when you sin you run away from God.... well, I've been "sinning" against my naturopathy...

Speaking of... things I know... eating sugar is deadly. Sugar feeds cancer. Sugar lowers your immune system so that you are game for any and every virus that runs around. Being overweight opens the door for you to 35 different diseases and also 12 different types of cancer! So.... WHY am I falling prey to this sugar bondage?

Yes, I'm condemned and convicted... uh, excuse me while I go spit out this almond M&M... be right back...

Okay... Now to my really big announcement! I sure hope that you have been hanging around and reading long enough to get this... it is good... After three tries our new little fellow finally "exposed" himself and confirmed that he is a hot dog! Yippeeeeee.... another grandson is on the way! We are so excited. We have 4 granddaughters and one grandson already. In fact, our grandson is the oldest (all of 3 years old!) This will be the first grandson to carry the family name.

We feel so blessed. We feel so satisfied with this stage of our life. We enjoy our lives now. God is good...