Tom and Jewel's Reception

Monday night was the long-awaited wedding reception for my brother Tom and Jewel, his bride of six months, in Brownsville. They got married in Indiana (where they live) in June. Jewel's family all came to share this momentous occasion. It's not every day that a confirmed old bachelor like Tom finds a wife, so a lot of celebration is in order! Tom and Jewel are both very cute, but none of the pictures I took of them can compare to the cuteness of the children in attendance that evening. Like my nieces in new dresses made by their mother that are almost as beautiful as they are. Ladies, do you remember the excitement of a beautiful new dress when you were a little girl?

And what is more wonderful than a little boy who loves to help? My nephew Cody was having a great time putting away chairs.


And then of course, there are always a few goof-offs in every crowd!

A Letter from Tyler

Last night we received an incredible, unexpected gift. Terri and Brittany came over with a very special delivery after going through a box of Tyler's belongings from Iraq. They brought me some Moto-mail letters I had sent him and a letter in an envelope addressed to the McAnulty Family. It had been sealed and ready to send, dated November 19, so he didn't get to come back and mail it. It made me laugh, it made me cry. I so appreciate Terri giving it to me. I offered it back to her but she said she really wanted me to have it. It is so precious I want to share it with all of you. Here it is, one and a half pages hand-written on a piece of lined notebook paper, typed it just as he wrote it, mis-spellings and all!

"November 19, 05
The McAnulty Family,
Well, first I would like to say sorry for not writting sooner. The time to write is minimal (sorry I can't spell) so I will just use the word small. We don't even get to much time to sleep or just rest. Right now I feel 100 years old. We are always doing something and its hard. Every day my legs feel like there going to give out and my back feels like its going to break. But we all keep going. Other than that I'm doing great.
The people here for the most part are nice, except for the ones that are trying to kill us. There happy to see us and are glad we're here. The way of living here is very different from ours. There is so much they do thats different I can't even write it all down in this letter. I'll tell you when I get home.
The weather here has changed a lot since July. It went from 130 degrees during the day to now a freezing 60-70. At night it gets really cold. I think around 40 or less. All I know is you can see your breath. I never thought it could get that cold here.
Oh yeah. I wanted to thank you for writing. I love getting those newsletters. I like hearing about what goes on back home. Please keep them coming.
Well I have a lot of stories to tell when I get home. I would write them but there isn't enough time. Thank you again for the letters.
I miss you all and can't wait to see you."














My keyboard doesn't do Iraqi so I couldn't type his signature line! Don't we all wish that we could sit down with him and he could tell us his stories?

Merry Christmas to all of you. Sharing this letter is my gift to you. I hope you enjoyed it. Hold your families close, listen to their stories, and keep praying for all the families who are missing loved ones this year.

Sturdy Chairs Needed

Tonight we had another incident that illustrates why the man of the house insists that all seating purchases must be heavy, sturdy items. Many years ago, 13 or so, we needed extra chairs for guests. Most people would have picked up some folding chairs, but Will thought these stacking chairs would be more durable and comfortable. (Comfort ranks right up there next to durable.) So we purchased at least five of them. The last remaining one was being used in the computer room at the boys' computer. You can see that the back had already been skillfully repaired by the indispensible, all-purpose one-inch plywood. Tonight when Eric plopped down on it, the front legs just gave out. Apparently he shouldn't have had that carrot cake for dessert!

We have wooden kitchen chairs, upholstered dining room chairs, and ancient folding chairs that Will used to sit on at his grandparent's home during holiday meals. The only chairs that have stood the test of time and never broken down are those old folding chairs. They aren't handsome, and Will had to recover them years ago, but they were built to last!

Just Sittin' Around Waitin'

Friday afternoon I received one of the most exciting phone calls ever from my husband. "What are you doing tonight?" he asked. "I don't know, what do you want to do?" was my reply. I thought my heart would soar through the roof when I heard his answer. "How about we go furniture shopping?"

To understand the thrill this brought me, you need to know that we have had our current couch and loveseat since our youngest child was born - 14 years. And it wasn'texactly heirloom quality priced furniture. So for the past several years I have been hinting, suggesting, and finally begging and pleading for new furniture. When the springs on the sleeper sofa gave out, he fixed that with a sheet of plywood under the cushions. When that eventually broke in half, he replaced it with a very thick sheet of plywood - maybe two inches? I had to not only complain about the discomfort, though it was certainly very durable, but insist on a change, so he put in a thinner sheet. After I got him to cut it down a bit more so it didn't stick out beyond the cushions, I just gave up. The cushions sink right down to the wood, so we don't use the couch. The kids get that one. The loveseat has held up a little better, although it too is quite saggy, so that's the one Will and I sit on. The couch developed some springs that poked out the back and occasionally reached out and grab a person as you walk by. No problem, get a wire cutter. The cushions have become extremely frayed, to the point that there are obvious holes. But NO! We are not getting new furniture until all these big lumoxes are out of the house. As long as they're here rolling over the back of the couch, eating, drinking, wrestling, it would be a waste of money.

So when I heard those magic words, I wasted no time. We arranged to meet the moment I got off work. We searched Friday evening and a good portion of Saturday. So what if I didn't have a Christmas tree, my house wasn't decorated, my shopping is barely started and my Christmas cards weren't addressed? Will wanted to go furniture shopping! I asked him, "Sweetheart, what finally made you ready?" His answer made perfect sense. "I finally got tired of only having one place that's comfortable enough to sit, and whenever anyone else sits there you both lean toward the middle." So we found a very basic, sturdy, durable, practical couch and loveseat. It will be delivered sometime very soon we hope. We also got a coffee table and end table.

So in the meantime, we are just sittin' around here, waitin' for the new stuff. You'll notice how our spoiled baby of the family gets as much room as he wants on the couch. The middle child is used to making do with what's left over. We really appreciate his easy going personality.

We just had to share our "Before" pictures. Watch for the "After" pictures coming soon!

People Magazine Tribute

Today there were no teachers or students where I work, just one secretary and a few custodians. "Winter Break", you know. When I sorted the mail, I noticed the library had received the "Best and Worst of 2005" edition of People magazine. So when it was time for lunch, there was no lunch available, but I got myself a cup of tea and sat at my desk to peruse the People magazine. It soon became apparent that I am still not a part of the "in" crowd, something I first realized about fourth grade and has constantly been confirmed ever since. Now that I'm the ripe old age that I am, it doesn't bother me anymore! I learned that I've heard none of the year's top selling CDs, read one of the Top 10 Bestselling books, watched two of the top 10 movies, and watched none of the 10 most watched TV shows. The magazine was full of movie stars I've never heard of and and I'm just not that interested in the ones I am familiar with.

So I was feeling pretty out of touch with today's culture when I got to the end of the magazine to the Tributes section. At the very end of it, I turned the page and there was the headline "Fallen Heroes". Suddenly it became intensely personal. There were pictures and short stories about three of them, and a list of the 903 men and women who gave their lives in Iraq and Afghanistan this past year, in chronological order. When saw the name "Tyler J. Troyer" near the top of the last column, I was really glad I was alone in that office. Through my tears, I looked over that long list of names. It is unbelieveable to me that there are 50 names after Tyler, 50 soldiers who have died in Iraq in the past month.

I don't want Tyler's name to be in People magazine. I don't want any of those 903 soldiers names to be on that list. I want an end to pain and death and war and suffering. How's that for a Christmas wish. Some day it will happen, but while we still live on this earth we just have to keep praying, crying out to God daily for help, comfort, strength, peace and everything else we need. He is the only true and lasting Giver of all those things.

I stopped at the store to get some magazines on my way home to give to both sets of Tyler's parents. As I was walking through the store, I saw some teenage boys I know but I just kept walking hoping they wouldn't notice me because I cried most of the way to the store and didn't really feel like talking to anyone. But sure enough they spot me and yell, "Hi, Mrs. McAnulty." So I talked with them a bit and I walked away realizing how wrong it was for me to try to isolate myself because I was feeling pain. These kids need to be encouraged and cared for every chance I have to do so.

When I got home, I went next door and took a magazine and a prayer shawl that someone had made and left for Terri at our church. Today is the one month anniversary of his death, and it was good to share some time with his family. I still don't want Tyler's name to be in that magazine.

Today's Theology Lesson

Last night Will and I were out driving around looking at Christmas lights with Eric and Molly. Somehow we got to talking about how God works in our lives, and I said something about how when we get off track, God may not have us swallowed by a whale like Jonah, but he will definitely nudge us to get back on the right path. Will said, "But you have to remember, he's a really big God, and a nudge from him could knock you halfway to the moon!" How's that for an incentive to obey God!

Birthday Gifts

So who really cares about birthday gifts? I'm not much of a gift person, sure they're fun, but it's no big deal to me one way or the other. My husband and boys were gone quite awhile shopping on Saturday. My birthday was Monday. After school Nick asked me for a dollar to buy a soda. I asked him how his allowance could be gone already. "I can't tell you Mom." Why not? He told me to think about what day it was. So of course I gave him a dollar. We stopped by Will's office on our way home and I gave him a little greenery arrangement in a mug to bring some Christmas cheer to his office. He had a piece of birthday cake waiting for me and tried to convince me that they had a cake there just for me. Yep, I believed that one. Their volunteer coordinator was there and she decided it was time to give Nick an official volunteer shirt. (He helps out as a techie.) She told him she would have his name embroidered on it - "Lil Will". Nick was a bit concerned about that. The next day he was talking to his dad about it and Will told him not to worry, he fixed it. He ordered it to say "Turd." (Please excused the offensive language. It's just that Will is sometimes a bit jealous of Nick's knowledge and abilities with computers and reacts a bit immaturely!)

We had kind of a busy evening, and a little after 9:00, Nick decided to go to bed. He's really good about saying good night, and after I got my hug and he started to go up the stairs, I said reluctantly, "I really hate to bring this up, but did you maybe have something you wanted to give me before you go to bed?" Oh, no! Consternation ensued as all the males in this house realized that although they had recognized and "celebrated" my birthday, they had all completely forgotten about presenting their gifts to me. In fact, their gifts were still out in the Durango or the garage, unwrapped. So they scurried about, arguing about whether or not it was necessary to wrap them since they would immediately get unwrapped. They managed to find my stash of gift bags and made the gifts quite presentable. If you want any chocolate truffles or gourmet coffee drinks, stop by. Since they shopped at Costco, I'm set for awhile! I got some jewelry from Will, so I will keep that for myself. Also when we went to my parents house last night, Mom presented me with my completed quilt and I got to bring it home! Ain't birthdays great! This was definitely one to remember!

The Dominant Male

Last night we were enjoying some quality family time, quietly watching a movie, when suddenly a wrestling match erupted between the oldest and youngest males in the house. I was able to capture a bit of this event on camera. For some reason Nicholas refuses to give up ((big strong guy that he is) long after it is evident that he is not yet capable of overpowering his much larger father. Notice my shoe as I continue to sit quietly on the couch watching the movie. This particular match was over when Will gave Nick the worst wedgie I’ve ever seen, ending with the waistband of his underwear being tied in a knot, proving once again that Will is still the dominant male in this household!

I completely understand why God did not bless us with any girls.

Christmas Lights

Yesterday we got our Christmas lights up. I was too scared to stay out there and watch. I would just dart out occasionally to take a picture because if I would stand around and observe I would soon be screaming at Nick to come down right this instant! Nick claims to be afraid of heights but he seems to get a bit of a thrill from being up there. Will does a good job of standing in just the right spot and supervising. He was a bit envious of the way Michael and Terri’s lights look next door. I think we’ll be buying some of the bigger lights for next year.

While Nick was on the roof, it seemed only wise to go ahead and pound down some loose shingles.

Eric helped out (with his feet firmly on the ground) once he was done with his mocha. We got out our espresso maker after Galen made us lattes at his house last week.

Now if only my Christmas tree was up and decorated! I was too busy going out to lunch with my December birthday girlfriends today to take care of that.

Nieces and nephews

Aunt LeAnn wants to share a few pictures of some of the precious nieces and nephews who visited during the past couple of weeks.

Tavin was visiting from the Hermiston area. She enjoyed a trip with Eric and Molly to Grandpa Troyer's house one evening to return Faith's forgotten jacket.

Niece Jewel's daughter EmmeLee was quite excited about pulling her Uncle Steven's hair!



On Thanksgiving day, nephew Duane enjoyed his cousin's children, Lucy and Simon!


My niece Brittany thinks her cousin Dawn's little girl Lucy is pretty special!

Family

Two weeks ago on an ordinary Saturday morning, I went down to my parent’s house to put a few stitches on my sister-in-law Carol’s quilt. We had a good time together, and I made sure to have a picture taken of me wearing my beautiful black glasses, since all my blog fans were clamoring to see them. I returned home, picked up Nick and went to Albany to do a little shopping. We were at Ross’s looking for a jacket for Nick, laughing and having a good time, when my cell phone rang. I saw it was my brother Dave calling. I answered cheerfully, and thought I was hearing wrong when he told me his son Tyler had been killed that day in Iraq. I guess I was blindly optimistic, but I truly believed that with all the prayers going up for Tyler, he just had to coming home safely. Nick looked at me in concern as my legs gave out and I sank to my knees on the floor. I still can hardly believe it’s true.

Two weeks later, all the relatives have flown back home and it’s time to go back to work and get back in the routine of life. We have celebrated Tyler’s life and will continue to honor his memory as we miss his presence. I have been amazed at the strength and courage shown by both sets of Tyler’s parents, and the love and caring through all the layers of family.

All of Dave’s brothers and sisters were together for the first time in several years. John came from the Yukon, meeting his son Steven in Vancouver and traveling down together. His daughter Jewel and her baby from Alaska came, as did his daughter Faith and her family from California. Brother Mark flew in from Alabama, and Brother Tom and his wife Jewel from Indiana. Our mother’s brother Ves and his wife Jan came from Missouri (and got to stay with us), and Dad’s sister Lela and her daughter Tammy came from Nebraska. My parents had a house full and we had some wonderful family time together, with aunts, uncles, cousins etc. playing ping pong, Dutch Blitz, dominoes, looking at scrapbooks and pictures and of course, talking. Eric came up with a new game to play with 4 -year-old Simon, the "Old People taking a Sunday Drive" game. Whoever drives their car the slowest wins!



I fast forwarded through more than 60 hours of video for a couple of days to find some of Tyler’s stunts so I could get them on a DVD. We came up with some excellent footage of Tyler on his blades jumping over the four mailboxes, jumping over one and then two garbage carts and doing a 180 or 360 turn before landing, then measuring them for the camera so we knew he was jumping off a one-foot ramp over nearly four-foot garbage carts. He also jumped over his friend Danny who was sitting on a box, and with great determination attempted some skateboard stunts while wearing his Uncle Will’s flippers. Craig said he remembers when Tyler was skateboarding with the flippers, kids were lined up sitting in the front yard watching. He and Craig also had a wonderful "fake wrestling" match, with Tyler the victorious "Giant". Lots of other good stuff as well, including a commercial for what all the good roller bladers drink (apple cider) and an impromptu version of "I’m a little teapot". My niece Jody’s husband Kevin made the DVD for me and did a great job. Thank you Kevin. We will enjoy the great memories of Tyler forever.

I have nine siblings, 25 nieces and nephews, and 20 great-nieces and nephews. (Hopefully I counted right.) With those numbers, you can’t be equally close to everyone, especially when they live so far away. I’ve always loved them all, but after the past two weeks, I value them and the relationships we have even more than I did before.

Tyler Troyer - American Hero, Beloved Nephew

This morning at 7:30 I was privileged to be with all of Tyler’s parents, brothers and sisters, along with many aunts, uncles, cousins, other relatives, school personnel, and friends gathered around the flag pole at West Albany High for a flag-lowering ceremony in his honor. Afterward we went to Memorial Middle School office (where I work). A teacher there had made cross wreaths, one for Dave & Sandi, one for Terri & Michael, and one for my family. They presented them to us, as well as a patriotic wreath to take to the funeral home. Tyler didn’t attend Memorial but Brittany and Michael did and are well-loved by all of us there. The staff at West Albany High School and Memorial Middle School have been so wonderful in caring for all of us in Tyler’s family, especially Michael and Brittany. Times like this bring out the best in people.

Obviously Tyler has been constantly in my thoughts since that horrible phone call I received from Dave on Saturday telling me that he had lost his life in Iraq. So many memories of the busy little boy Tyler. He started walking well before his first birthday, and soon no door knob was too high for him to reach up and open! He needed to explore everything around him at an amazing speed!

After Tyler’s parents divorced and his dad moved to Portland, we didn’t get to see Tyler and Brittany as often as we used to. We were delighted when they moved in next door to us with their mom and step-dad about a year after we came to live in Tangent, probably in 1998. Soon there was a pack of boys skating in the neighborhood, with Tyler and his cousin Craig in the middle of it. Tyler was the lone roller blader among the skateboarders. His skills were greatly admired by all and videotaped often by his cousin Eric, the non-skater. Many times I stepped out my front door and gasped in terror as I watched Tyler on his blades take a flying leap off a homemade ramp and sail over the four mailboxes across the street, or worse yet, fly over a row of prone boys lined up in the street. Talk about trust! He would land safely and circle around with a big grin, to the cheers of his buddies. He could even do flips in mid-air. The boy knew no fear.

At a Thanksgiving service at church when Craig was in sixth grade, we were given an opportunity to share what we were thankful for. Craig was sitting with friends in the second row, and he stood up and began to talk about his cousin Tyler. We began to grow restless as he talked on and on about Tyler, but finally he got to the point. He was happy that Tyler had come on a middle school youth trip to Seattle. They got to see a Mariners game and a Passion Play. After the Passion Play, Tyler asked Jesus to be his Savior, and that was what Craig was most thankful for that year.

We always had a house rule that no friends could be here if parents weren’t home. The boys got off the bus around 3:00, and I got off work at 4:00. They frequently tried to convince me that Tyler should be an exception to that rule. I held firm that even Tyler shouldn’t be over until I got there. One day I came home to a very large hole in the wall at the bottom of the stairs, about three feet tall and probably two feet wide. Craig said he had been running full speed down the steps with his backpack on, tripped and felled about halfway down and crashed into the wall. Will didn’t think the story rang very true, but Craig stuck with it. Will patched the hole with about one-inch thick plywood, declaring that no one would ever break through it again. He did a good job, but the texturing never quite blended in, so I have an enormous framed poster covering it up. Recently, Craig must have decided the statute of limitations had expired and it was safe to tell us the true story. Tyler was visiting after school that day and both boys were jumping from the top of the stairway to the bottom, where they had a pile of pillows. They jumped successfully several times before Tyler leaped a little too far and crashed through the wall! Knowing Tyler, he probably tried to do a flip on the way down! Nobody wanted to get in trouble for breaking the "no visiting" rule, so they concocted the phony story. Boys, boys, boys.....

When Tyler and his fiance Megan visited last March, I was working on a family history scrapbook for Brittany’s graduation and had become aware of how special were the few pictures I had of myself with my aunts and uncles. So I made sure I had a picture taken of Will and I with Tyler and Megan when they came for dinner. I was so impressed with the way Tyler made an effort to see so many family members when he was home, even family who hadn’t stayed close. Over the past few years when I spent time with Tyler, I thought and commented so often what a wonderful young man he grew up to be. I have been sending my blog postings to him and hope he got a few smiles out of them.

Tyler was a child of God, and I have no doubt he did a lot of praying the last days of his life as he was on a battlefield. We will never understand why he had to leave us so soon, and the pain of our loss is almost unbearable. I can imagine him now in the Extreme Thrills section of heaven, with his grandmothers (who both went to heaven before his birth) watching and gasping with delight at the amazing heights he can reach and the mid-air flips he can do on his new heavenly roller blades.

Tyler, I am honored to be your aunt. It is also an honor to be called Aunt LeAnn by your sister Brittany, your brothers Michael and Jeremy, your sister McKenna, and your brother Jeremiah. I have always loved all of you and always will. Thank you for making this world a better place for all of us.

Teenagers

Sometimes parenting teenagers can be pretty grim and dreary when you're dealing with the fall out from bad decisions they make. The past couple of weeks have been hard, but we are determined not to let it get us down. I will find joy in every small step toward maturity and moments of levity that come along.

Eric was telling us that some girls at McDonalds were talking about how they have their closets organized by clothing's color. He proudly shared with them that he has just started actually hanging up clothes in his closet instead of cramming them all into drawers. Wonderful growth.

I always have confidence that Nick knows what he is talking about. He wanted to visit Batteries Plus on the way home from school yesterday to check out a battery for his laptop. After we clarified that he could not beg or borrow any money from me if he was short, I agreed to stop by. He said it was over by the skatepark in a yellow building. Well, the Battery Exchange is in a yellow building there but after driving around a bit there was no sign of Batteries Plus. He called his father who checked on line for a location. Will asked how much gas we had in the car. He informed Nick there was one in Atlanta. Today Nick asked around and learned that they are in Salem or Eugene, not Albany. He was just sure he had seen a commercial for it in Albany. Oh well.

On our way home as we reached the top of the overpass the sky was gorgeous with glowing clouds as the sun began to set. I exclaimed, "Look at the sky!" Nick looked around and asked, "What guy?" "Huh?" I say. "You said look at this guy," he said. Communication is not easy.

Nick often gets to see and hear more than he wants in the office after school. Yesterday a staff member surreptiously dropped off a bra at my desk after finding it on the hall floor. I put it in the safe, next to a backpack containing Nick's laptop. After school a bunch of teachers are in the office and Helen tells them, "Guess what fell out of Nick's backpack in the safe." She opens the safe and shows them. Nick protested, "I already told you, it's not even my size!" I said, "Someone must have booby trapped his backpack!" Very sophisticated humor in school offices. No one has come to the office yet to ask if we've found a lost bra. We don't think it would be appropriate to put it out on the lost and found table so we may be stuck with it and it's way too tiny for any adult.

Dawn and Faith, thanks for all your comments. It is really fun hearing from you. Faith, I'm waiting for a new posting on your blog!

Aunt Susie Visits

Our children have one aunt on their father’s side. She loaded her two Australian Shepherds in her motor home and drove over from Boise to visit us last week. We enjoyed hearing her version of some of the family legends. When she tells the story of how she broke her arm when she was a mere toddler as a result of her big brother Will (also a toddler because they’re less than a year apart) pushing her down the stairs, she says he gave her a big kiss and then a shove. When Will tells it, he says she gave him a big kiss so he shoved her. Of course, neither of them actually remember the event, they only know it happened because their mother told them. This time the boys were a bit disappointed with a new detail - it was actually only one stair!

We were sitting at the table looking at the back yard when she innocently questioned, "How did you get that boat in your back yard?" (It’s discreetly stored along the fence at the side of the yard and it was not easy to get it there. Some of us are not real pleased with its’ location.) She immediately received unhappy reactions from three family members and decided it was a subject best not discussed. (Does anyone want to take an old drift boat off our hands and out of our yard?) A bit later she asked why we didn’t park any of our cars in the garage. Another sore subject. Let’s not even talk about the junk in the garage. We decided perhaps we should make and post a list of topics that a guest should not mention in order to avoid these awkward conversation killers that are sure to make at least one person in the family grumpy. Speaking of grumpy, please don’t ever mention to a certain person in the house that he appears grumpy. He’s not grumpy; none of us are ever grumpy in this house. It is just not allowed. Cute and fun to be with is our mantra!

We took a drive on Saturday hoping to see a herd of elk that Will had spotted earlier in the week. We didn’t see any elk but Waterloo park was a lovely site for group photo. We also stopped by Radio Shack in Lebanon so that Will and Nick could prove a point to Sue that Radio Shack guys never know what they are talking about. We were not disappointed, the first guy tried to sell me the wrong cable. We purchased an inexpensive DVD player so that we would no longer need to be at the mercy of the kid who knows how to hook up and operate the Playstation 2. Sue talks about working in a cubicle so Eric thought we needed to watch Office Space with her. The cheap DVD player worked just fine.

A Treasured Quilt

I have very few prized possessions, but this quilt is destined to become one. It was sewed together by my dad a couple of years ago and it had a long rest on my closet shelf. About a month ago Mom offered to get it quilted for me. I hastened down there! She put the quilt in on a Thursday, and by Saturday just two weeks later, it was ready for me to come down and put the last three inches of stitches in! She is an amazing quilter, as is my Aunt Grace, who came to visit from Nebraska just in time to help with this project. It is hard to believe that Aunt Grace recently celebrated her 80th birthday. I can only hope to be that cute-and-fun-to-be-with when I am her age! I thank them as well as my sisters-in-law, sisters and nieces who came with and without me to do some stitching. It is truly a thing of beauty and I will treasure it always. The picture doesn't do justice to the vibrant colors and quilted designs. I'll be happy to show it to you in person when you come to visit after it's all done!

The first time I went down, I remembered to bring my reading glasses. The second Saturday, I forgot them. I am challenged enough already at stitching, and if I couldn’t see what I was doing – yikes. So I called my loving husband and son, who were shopping in Albany and soon to come to Brownsville, requesting that they bring me some glasses from the Dollar Store. They did, and boy, what a beautiful pair of specks. I’ve had some ugly glasses in my 40-some years of wearing them, but I think these ranked right there at the top of extreme dorkiness! For some reason I felt obligated to explain to everyone who stopped by during quilting that the unbecoming black glasses perched on my nose weren’t really my normal glasses. But if you’re ever quilting down there and you need some glasses, I have them hidden behind a framed picture on a bookshelf in the sewing room. Help yourself, they work great!

W's turn at the Blog

Ok it is time I voiced my concern and opinion. Quick before she comes and won’t let me articulate the fondness I have for all that is WLEN in this humble abode. What does all that mean? It means I got into trouble this evening for not writing in this thing can you imagine?

That seems very much to me like Doctor Frankenstein being chewed out by the monster for not inviting it to the movies. Ok that might not be quite right. But after all why should I be compelled to write in this thing. * Don’t get your shorts all bunched up, I am not trying to say LeAnn is a monster. It is the blog I am talking about.

I feel the best course of action for any husband to take is, be quiet, don’t make any sudden moves, and always answer yes. Yes dear, I would be glad to, yes dear how soon do you want that done?

The other day I didn’t take my own advice and believe me it was a mistake. I was about to go to town, in preparation I went on line to check the bank account. You guessed it, late in the month, there were a few things that needed to be done. Remember, no quick moves, just say yes dear, that sort of thing. Oh no, I’ve got to voice an opinion, and as you might expect she starts to move. She is not moving toward me, she is not really moving away from me she is, oh my, she is going to the front door to greet company. Yes as I was just beginning to hit my stride in, ‘the we should pay more attention with the money’ speech I notice once again I am speaking to an audience.

Would it have been better if at that moment she had 12 Girl Scouts in the living room? I think it might have been better. At least the Girl Scouts would not have known me, and might with a little luck thought I was visiting from some other culture where it is ok to make a loud noise and no sense. Such is my fate.
Why can’t I make a loud noise, and be caught doing something good? Never make a loud noise, that is my policy. I didn’t used to have a policy now I have that one. I hope that when I violate that policy, I am alone.

Speaking about being alone. I love my wife and I love most of my children. Ok, I love all my children but sometimes I don’t appreciate them like I should. I even love that one with the lip ring thing. The one that plays all those instruments and the one that leaves all the computer parts on the floor for me to step on. But we can always tell when it is time for me to go into my hermit phase. I have trouble with my policy, I sometimes, don’t leave people with the impression I like people. Well those that know me understand. Those that don’t cant get far enough away from me fast enough. Yes it is time for me to go off alone.

Last week at work was one of those weeks that drove the point home. Every thing was less than it should have been. I was less able to be right. I was less able to be cheerful. I was less able to be right. I was less able to understand why I wasn’t right. This week has a good start, I am not right any more often, but people aren’t noticing as much. I think the sooner the Sheriff gets back into town the better. I never wanted to be the top guy, and that hasn’t changed. This Undersheriff job is something they dream up to get a guy to think more about retirement. Every time I turn around it is time to go off to another meeting.

Well enough from me, it is time to get another Sudoku puzzle and zone out. Just between you and I, LeAnn is excited by my cognitive prowess. She won’t admit it, but I think she wants to do one of the puzzles with me sometime. If you don’t know what Sudoku is all about, check out this URL. http://www.dailysudoku.co.uk/sudoku/index.shtml remember, if you are married and feel the need to voice an opinion about anything, my policy is ******, well I think it is best you get your own policy.

Next time I sit down to write in this thing I should talk about the night all the boys were gone and we didn’t spend any time talking about the boys. Very nice.

The Perfect Saturday Evening

Eric and Molly planned, shopped and cooked dinner for us. The menu: Baked Parmesan Salmon, green bean casserole, mixed veggies (broc/caul/zucc), and a boxed wild rice mix. The salmon was dipped in egg, then rolled in grated parmesan. They bought a little block and grated it here so it was a coarser size and it baked up deliciously crunchy. They had to roll Will's in cracker crumbs because he hates Parmesan. He grumbled a bit that he could smell it in the living room. It was a wonderful meal, even more delightful because Craig was here to share it.

Then we thought it would be fun to get a movie. By the time we drove to town, rented a movie, bought snacks, it was getting late. We are finally ready to put the movie in when the trouble begins. Our dvd player quit working awhile back, so we've been using the Playstation 2. But where is it? In Nick's room. Nick, of course, is not at home. Eric had to go find it and hook it up. He can't find the right connector. He finally finds it. It still doesn't work. After much muttering about how much he loves Nick and why does Nick always have to mess with things, he finally has to call the boy and ask what's going on. Nick tells him what to do and we get comfortable and start the movie. But the screen keeps turning completely blue for a few seconds at a time. We clean the disc and try again. Still problems. We turn it over to watch the wide screen side. Still problems. Through it all, Will is unfazed because he is focused on his Sudoku puzzle. That's his latest hobby. We finally give up and find a movie on TV. Within 15 minutes, everyone who isn't working on Sudoku is sound asleep. I woke up at 11:30, awakened Eric and Molly and told him to take her home! We were so lucky to turn our clocks back that night!

So Sunday, Will gets Nick to work on the PS2 problem. He discovers that the wrong connector is hooking it up. The dvd works just fine. The problem is, the movie (Melinda-Melinda) was so boring it was a total waste of time! But the point was, life is either a tragedy or a comedy, depending on your point of view. It showed basically the same story from those two perspectives. It was a promising premise, just not very well done. I didn't laugh until the final moment and didn't cry at all so obviously it wasn't successful as either a comedy or a tragedy!

If you don't know what Sudoku is, you'll have to request Will to get his nose out of it and do a write-up on this latest fascination!

Funkle Ted

It is with great relief I can announce that Funkle Ted's first concert actually happened on Thursday night at the Riverside Community Hall with all band members participating and no major malfunctions. Funkle Ted consists of Eric and three friends. They perform many original songs, mostly rock, but there's one rap, a waltz, a death metal (that one actually is mocking a popular song but wow Eric is good at that screaming "singing") and cover their favorite old and current songs. My favorite was their guitar duet waltz which Eric and Tyler composed while camping at the Metolius and first performed for us around the campfire. My favorite cover song was "Mellow Yellow". I especially enjoyed it when Eric played the trumpet on one verse. Eric played the oboe on one song, but skipped the song with the violin part. It's challenging to sing, play the guitar, and then switch back and forth with other instruments as well.

One band member's father had concerns about liability...if someone got hurt, they could sue the parents (since the boys are all under 18)and we would all end up in the poor house. So the day before the concert, he decided his son (guitar player) couldn't play. Eric was determined that the show would go on and spent a half hour talking to him that night. He can be pretty convincing (although he failed to convince me just now that he and Molly should go to a movie after he gets off work at 8:00 tonight). The next day the dad talked to his insurance agent and 4 hours before the concert, gave his son permission. Rather stressful for all.

So at the beginning of the show, Eric says, "I have some important things to tell you. The most important thing is, whatever you do, don't sue us. No matter what happens, please don't sue us or we'll never be able to do this again..." and so on. I looked at the kid's dad and he was sitting there shaking his head which was buried in his hands. I laughed so hard!

They are going to perform next Friday after the "Civil War" (South-West Albany) football game in our youth center.

The Prodigal Visits

The eldest son stopped by yesterday. If he was hoping for shocked outrage when his parents got their first look at the ring on his lip, too bad. Both parents reacted with mild revulsion and curious questions. Nick wanted to know if he would be able to "gleek" out the hole if he took it out. It could be much worse. A few years back, Craig announced his plan to grow his hair into long dreadlocks as soon as he moved out. Back then his mother still reacted in disgusted horror and proclaimed, "God never intended for hair to look like that." His quick reply was, "And God never intended for your hair to be that color!"

Craig was so happy to see the new Reader's Digest with the cover story about the Beatles. He remarked that he had noticed it in the store and was looking forward to coming home and reading it in the bathroom!

A friend shared this verse with me this week, from Hosea 14:4, "I will heal their waywardness and love them freely..." I hadn't read Hosea for a long time, so I read it the next day and will be re-reading it. Wow. Chapter 11 - "When Israel was a child, I loved him....It was I who taught Ephraim to walk...I lifted the yoke from their neck..." Such a beautiful description of God's love for his children and then the call for repentance. My prayer for Craig is that he will realize the greatness of God's love and find the joy that true repentance will bring.

Petty Irritations

Some days I'm easily irritated by the people I love. I'm irritated with Will because he set up this blog but hasn't written in it since that weekend. I was irritated with Eric this morning. I went to church early for worship team and when I saw Eric after church he had greasy hair and was wearing a "Foo Fighters" t-shirt. He overslept and had no time to shower. Nick really irritated me because I interupted what I was doing to pick him up at 4:00 and discovered plans had changed and I was supposed to pick him up at 5:00 but he had failed to notify me. But nothing was as bad as last weekend's problem. A bright teal crayon in a pocket, undiscovered until the load of pants finished drying. Do I expect crayons in the wash with teenage boys clothing? Apparently when Eric spotted this crayon it brought happy memories so he stuck it in his pocket. Of course, the pants that were the worst were brand new khaki pants belonging to Nick. The dryer was a mess also. Eric was on a late shift at McDonalds so I couldn't make him clean it up. Will flung open all the doors and windows while accusing me of trying to kill everyone in the house with the fumes of the first cleaner I tried to use. I tried boiling water, an iron with a paper bag, baking soda, vinegar, Oxy Magic spray, Spray and Wash Solid. After the third treatment with Spray and Wash it was acceptably faded.

But flowers always soothe my troubled soul! I was cleaning out flower beds today and had to save all the good ones so I made a few bouquets with dahlias, cosmos and roses when I came in. I'll take a bunch to work tomorrow.

A Sweet Laptop

Nick talked me into going to Goodwill after school/work today. He hadn't checked out the computers for awhile and was going through withdrawal. As I was browsing through some ugly sweaters, he called my cell phone and said, "Come back here quick!" When I reached computer land in the back of the store, I saw why he couldn't leave. For the first time ever since he's been haunting Goodwill, there was a LAPTOP! An IBM Think Pad. People were hovering everywhere waiting for a chance to snatch it away from him! He was a little short of the funds needed to purchase it. Conscientious parent that I am, I had been pondering how to affirm him for the honor he received this week at school as one of the "Students of the Term". So as a reward for his diligent efforts and good character at school, I agreed to supply the needed funds. As we pulled into our driveway he remarked, "This will be flippin' sweet if it works!" More than three hours later, he is still working on trying to install whatever on it and things are not going well. But his attitude is good; he says you have to have patience with computers. I just asked if he still has hope for it. "Yes, I always have hope." However, he did make sure we put the receipt in a safe place in my purse and left the tags on it so we can return it if he has to admit bitter defeat.

Next Time I'll Bring my Camera

It was a beautiful evening. Will called and said he was delayed at work soI took a walk at my favorite time just before sunset. As I walked along the road with fields of sheep on both sides, in the west a flurry of clouds radiating golden light and the eastern sky glowing pale pink, I wished for my camera to preserve the sights forever. On my way back, the beauty of nature was rudely interupted by an old car turning the corner and coming my way. Dijon-mustard colored with a splotch of white primer on one door,the ancient tiny Mazda hatchback was crammed with two young men in the front, both well over 6 feet and 200 pounds. Is that my son Eric and his friend Tyler, with poor Molly scrunched in the back with Eric's guitar? Sure enough, they wave and smile as they head for Tyler's house. I looked at the high locked gate at the front entrance to the Lake Creek Estates into which they are heading through the back entrance. I'm not very graceful at climbing and it was very high (and very red as well), but I managed to climb over it without falling and met them at Tyler's house. I learned it's Molly's dad's car. He seems to have a small collection of old relics from the past. I didn't ask why they were driving it, I just assumed because it contained free gas. Once again, I wished for my camera. A picture of the three of them at age 17 smiling happily as they sat packed in that unique little car would have been priceless!

A Blustery Rainy Saturday

It's time for the wife and mother to express some views about the perfect family life. Perfectly normal. Doesn't every 14 year old set up a tent on one of the windiest nights so far this fall and spend the night out there with a friend, loving the sound of the rain pounding down. And like all perfect kids, they both leave their shoes out in the rain. Today those kids removed all the junk from the storage area under the eaves in Nick's room, changing mom's plans for her day because now she has to sort and decide what to toss, give away or keep. It was finally time to give away those tiny clothes she could wear after the Prism phase and stored away just in case they ever fit again. Obviously they shrank during storage.
So Nick is making the storage area into a computer storage/workroom. He has already tacked up some peg board and attached containers for all the little pieces and hooks for tools. Since word is out about his computer hobby, he is the recipient of people's unwanted computers along with several he has bought at Goodwill. Seven computers have been taken apart and are in various stages of re-assembly. One is up and running at his desk. So he a storage area has become a necessity. After his no-school day yesterday when he spent hours with the computer parts, I came home to find that yes he had cleaned up after himself, there were three boxes of computer parts and various housing units in my living room. Before his father left on his shopping trip this morning, he left firm orders that they must find a new home out of sight somewhere.
Will had to go to Salem to find some Docker-type pants of a size suitable for him. He just called in a modified panic because the Big and Tall store wasn't open so I did a web search and found another store to try. Then someone came to open the store so hopefully he will find success. Just stay out of the Men's Warehouse, those guys are too good at selling things.
Eric is cleaning his room, actually under the bed which is not a part of his normal chore routine. He brought me a fascinating petrified brown apple that he discovered and informed me that the carpet under the apple was actually cleaner than the rest of the carpet. Then he tells me that he located a missing dvd that we paid for at the video store a month ago. Now he came into the computer room and discovers the monitor to their computer is missing and everthing is unplugged and disconnected. Why does Nick always have to mess with things? Where is he? Back out in the tent. Now the fighting and cross words would start in a normal family, but in this perfect family I can't imagine that scenario.
Well I have put off tackling all the messes that are waiting for me long enough. Can't have this house looking anything less than perfect when the husband returns home with the new pants.

It is time for a walk

I have done enough this weekend to feel the time was not lost. I learned about blogs, made one, and cleaned the computer of all unwanted dust. Some dust is always wanted in this house. I might even have discovered why the keyboard was sticking, every so often. Might have had something to do with a paper clip I found in the plastic housing. I don't even know how that might have gotten in there. Well it is time to go for a walk. See you after a while.

This is home

This is home, the picture is just out of focus enough to allow the reader some feeling that the front yard is acceptable. Most of us in the house know it is a little substandard but we are all striving for a well manacured look. It will come some day.

Welcome to the Wlen Posting and Blog Place

With some help from Eric just before he left to go see his Girlfriend, this Blog is here by conceved. It will be a place for you to review my misspelling and amuse your self at the odd family that is here. L tells me that her brother often times entertains her with his blog. I hope never to compete with that master but if it were to become a place to share information and ideas between persons of interest and those less interesting then perhaps it might be okey dokie. Good luck to use one and all.