A most useful houseguest

Patt and I have a most useful houseguest this week.  As we are generally on the lookout for such addition to our house, we are delighted.  This is especially true when we have outdoor tasks that need doing and now that Patt thinks I have lots of free time, she has found a bunch of outdoor tasks that all of a sudden need doing.   So houseguest and I were cleaning up the side yard.  Houseguest can also unload the dishwasher -- who knew ?  

In our work --- you can see we loaded leaves, sticks and fall winter debris into a moderate sized trash receptacle. 

And it is hoisted onto the shoulders of a strong worker who then hauls container

around house across back and into the "natural area" in the back.  It is quite a trek.  And I am so delighted to report that of the umpteen loads we hauled ( the royal "we" ), yours truly hauled exactly zero, goose egg, nada, zip, zero, none, not a single load, --- so we are talking useful house quest for sure.

(check out green grass, periwinkle, and flowering shrubs, and daffodils. )

She also learned how to shovel--- correctly too I might add -- after tutorials --   efficiently, and effectively.--  got the wheelbarrow loaded too.  She can enlighten you if you are in need of learning how to shovel properly.  I kinda thought it was time she had a skill beyond dishwasher unloading ( now don't get me wrong, nothing wrong with dishwasher unloading )

The real benefit though was that this young person was able to absorb some words of wisdom, become more aware of wise old sayings, pick up some cultural norms, gain new skills, learn to be aware of nature things, and in general gain a deeper appreciation for just how crazy her uncle may be.

cause that would be me.  Here I am cutting off the escape route to the east.

not my vehicles in my driveway

But if I play my cards right -- who knows, I just may get one.

But which one ?

We are in the midst of several small renovation projects around the house.  We are talking several with a capital S.  This also includes cleaning our of closets, attic, corners in the garage and so on.  You would think my wife discovered that I was available for to do lists.  She printed out four pages on an excel worksheet with a capital W for work.

Anyway on Monday of this past week I had a guy working in the yard with me, and three contractors in the house on two separate projects.  Who calls, Patt that' who "How's it going?  she queries cheerily.  I "splain" there ain't no joy in Mudville this morning - as all three work units were asking me questions.

anyway we now have a painter in the house.-- see how nice and comfortable the house looks.  We are paying by the hour, so I am a helper -- gosh I love retirement.

That is the room I want to watch a little NCAA basketball in,-- "yah surh", as Laura's in-laws would say --only if you sorta sing it -- (you ought to hear Julianna and Lydia say it.  Luther and Jan taught them )  -- but I digress.

anyway back to the vehicles in the driveway.

we have two to chose from

Vehicle number one-- and unfancy pick up -- Chevy tricked out with ladder carrier and contractors tool box

vehicle number two.


oh and which one belongs to the painter, -- oh and number two--- it is a hoot.  Very large muffler, low to the ground and starts with a growl.   of the two if I had to, man it would be a tough choice.  which would YOU chose?

where did those flowers come from

We have lots of flowers this year and an early spring to enjoy them in.  They yard has been green for a while too and Patt thinks it is time to mow already.

sure the grass is green, periwinkle growing and daffodils up and oh so pretty.  Those we know came from my Dad's yard as we have brought many of the descendants of those to our yard.

The question is where did these beautiful pansies come from .  We have never had so many so beautiful in so many places in our yard before.

A look at the two pansies in the picture above from the rear and observing the mailbox post may provide a clue.

Yes, late last fall in November, I had two very good yard workers help me plant pansies.  You may even recognize them.  I remember them well.

They worked so hard.  Digging holes, adjusting hats, moving tools around, and

pushing dirt back around roots of the pansies.    Julianna and Lydia were joys to work with that day

We got so much done that day.  The flowers were planted and they survived the winter's cold and snow and now that spring is here, they look so beautiful.

And every time I see  pansies I remember that day and Julianna and Lydia, planting the flowers.

It was a very good day.

just a few more days - the 28th is coming

See that helpful looking state employee sitting there, eager to help a citizen or corporate entity or local government in our fair state.  Yes-sir-ree-bob, you can bet your sweet you know what he is -- just as ready as he used to be.

Now somedays this employee was able to get out and around some of the more scenic and interesting sites and locals in the state.  We are talking from mountains to the sea, from Virginia to South Carolina, and in many of our eastern counties, the highest peak in the county

This state employee, helpful as he is will soon be leaving behind lot of opportunities for the next generation of environmental workers.  The problems are not yet solved.  We gave it a good run, but the problems are still there.  Some not as big as they were, but they have not gone away.

See that chair it does not have the employee or more specifically me, Paul, in it no sir, Paul is not there, he has gone,  see you later alligator, in a while crocodile, that is an empty chair.  you betcha -- Paul is leaving -- someone else can be of assistance to those who are in need, and want information shared and laws enforced.

  To the lower right of the world map is a Chinese scroll with two verses from the sixth chapter in Matthew -- verse 33 and 34.  The last phrases of 34 were the clincher for me to buy this when in China some years ago.  It is perfect for my office.    (Matthew 6:34  "Therefore do not be anxious for tomorrow; for tomorrow will care for itself. [Each] day has enough trouble of its own.)   -- appropriate huh ? 

 There were times when this job was not easy.  I have liked the job a lot, but it has not been easy, and I am happy to be seeing that chair without me in it. -- and that starts real real soon !!

You see, he has thought of something he would rather do.

Went to Winston twice this past week to see the Deacons, get my popcorn and pepsi, tease the the counter help, and am on my way. -- looking for a good time -- an am still looking --

we had excellant seats, note the camera angle and view.  We were close, in this particular game, but of course no cigar

This was despite the halftime entertainment --  above of the juggling piano player,  yes you saw it here.  This guy bounces balls on an over sized piano keyboard (as you can see he as four going here) and plays some catchy tune which I can no longer remember, but which you would easily recognize.  we are talking good times !! !!  This is why I went to the game.

this is the second game -- notice the change in uniforms.  the visitors now wear red -- the wolfpack -- the home team Deacs are trying out gold home uniforms for a change of fortune -- they should change back to the white, check out the trajectory of that ball -- both photos the one above and below.

I was changing seats trying to change luck -- I did it and luck went from very bad luck to much much worse.  Check out the Deacon player on the floor in the photo below.  That is our season.  Just like the rebounding position in the photo above -- (i.e. not in any)

one last post on the All Star hockey game

last weekend for the AllStar Hockey  game, Raleigh went all out -- the downtown area was turned into party central and showtime as people from all over came to enjoy food, drink, entertainment, meet the stars, participation stuff, and so on.

the crowd in front here was carefully watched by the plain clothes police but was not asked to leave as they cleaned up their act and toned down the argumentative nature of the younger set.

The RBC center was appropriately decorated with hockey like figures.

the place was packed as in really really full of people right up to the rafters.

and the mascots or whatever you call those guys who dress up like what ever were all over the arena, here the Buffalo Saber and the Florida Panther were in our section.

and the hockey was suburb.  even Mark and I recognized that we were watching really good hockey and that it was being played at a very high level.  The speed of the all stars without having the less skilled  rough guys trying to knock them down like in normal games made this one very very fast and the passing was incredible.  We had a very good time.

NHL Allstar weekend

Outside the RBC Center Saturday afternoon, Mark and I were enjoying the celebratory activities as Raleigh hosted the Hockey AllStar game.  

We were there with several thousand of my closest friends who were welcoming the players to the arena and as can be seen from the photo below, many wore team "sweaters" most of course of the Hurricanes, but some from all over the US and Canada.

As you can see, Mark forgot to wear his jersey as these Philadelphia Flyers fans obviously did not.

once inside the introductions to the first days skill competitions were dramatic and a big show.  We were glad we had our ear plugs too.

The AllStar skill competitions were speed skating, hockey puck shooting accuracy, obstacle course skating and more.  They did not have a Jack and coke competition , or Mark and I would have done well.

Tomorrow is the All Star game, we will be there.

now times they are a fixin to change

Today, yes today, this day, January 17th, this boy filed for Social Security.  yes sirree.  You all best keep on paying those taxes, keep me in groceries and so I can pay the light bill.  Now that I am on a fixed income youall need to keep that in mind when we go out.  I will be the one drinking water and asking for the Senior special.

State retirement is filed, time is getting short, and people at work are starting to ignore me already.  And yes it is nice.  I will keep you posted.

Florence

On December 22, 2010, just before Christmas, my mother-in-law, Florence Hodges, died.  Florence, as I called her, lived 91 years and put up with me for over 40 of those years.  She attended the church below, where her funeral service  was held on Sunday - the day after Christmas - the Christmas it snowed in NC.

Prior to attending the "new church"  Florence and Buck (my father-in-law) attended the "old church", built in 1874, the sanctuary where Patt and I were married and where Laura was baptized.

The Hodges family grave site is behind the church and the cemetery has graves that go back to the early 1800s.

It was a very cold and snowy day.  The snow started late Christmas night and did not stop until mid morning on the 26th.

That Sunday morning, I went for a walk in the woods in the pasture behind Florence's house during the 11 o'clock hour when Florence would have typically been watching  a TV church service, though on this Sunday it would have probably been just the preacher speaking to an empty sanctuary for the TV audience as most churches were closed as the snow was still falling that morning.

The world was gray, cold and very very quiet.  The cows were in the barn lot eating hay.

Florence welcomed me every time I came into her home - and I knew she would.  She put up with my teasing her - and I did, I even gave her a bottle of Famous Grouse - probably the first bottle that was entirely hers in her life. She appreciated the joke, or at least acted like she did. And she allowed me to stow it in the cabinet - "where no one would see it"  and to partake of "her scotch".  We occasionally discussed politics, she was very well read, and she would send me news articles on politics and on Wake Forest and Appalachian sports. Florence was the most loyal reader of this blog that I knew of and I often wrote just for her.           I will miss Florence very much.