Where Has The Time Gone!

Holy Mackerel! Has it already been a week since my last post? Time is a funny thing. If you're waiting for water to boil, a couple of minutes takes an eternity. On the other hand, when one stays relatively busy time slips by like a thief in the night and all of a sudden you're out of time and you're in some kind of panic, or you've missed a dead line, or your life is nearly over, or...whoa! Take a breath! Try walking around the block! Ok, whew! I'm going to be alright! I still have time. So do you. Don't take it for granted though. You just never know when that last breath will be so if it needs to get done, get started on it.

Well, God spoke to Moses and said he had six days to do his work. On the seventh, he was supposed to rest. Good policy I'm sure. For me, there are five days that include pretty arduous work. On the sixth day we start to wind down. We still get a lot of work done but it is a different kind of work. A wise man once said, a change is as good as a vacation. That has a lot of truth to it! On Saturdays, we normally go out working the estate sale circuit and collect a variety of items that we think we can turn around for a profit over at Monticello or on line. It accomplishes a couple of important goals. We have developed another source of income which is rather valuable especially in todays economically challenged environment. It also gives my wife, Debbie and I a number of hours together working in tandem for a common goal. I believe that over the last several years, it has been good for us.

Here are a couple of items that I picked up this week.We got some others as well but you'll have to check out My Shabby Roses Blog in a day or so to see the other stuff. Actually, a few items are already at Monticello.Above is an Ocean City Automatic 90 and a Tahoe 201. Neither company is in business currently.
Above is pictured a couple of books that I thought Debbie would appreciate. One is an old French dictionary and the other is an old German book of poetry. Neither of us can read either language but the graphics in each of them is interesting and we each can appreciate that.
Uh Oh! This picture is of a couple of items that like the reels above will likely find their way into my personal collection. I love old lures and especially the wooden ones or even plastic if they come with their original boxes. Can you agree with me that the graphics on this old box are just outstanding? Ok, I admit it, I have the collector's disease and have a rather neurotic affection for old fishing items. I don't even know where to seek help for this ailment and even if I did, I might be hesitant to get help because I actually really like this stuff.lNext month I planned a fishing trip with some family and friends and even though Jonathan doesn't appreciate fishing the same as I do I thought that I'd bring him along just for the company. I needed another float tube, however, so I started checking out Craig's List for some possibitlities. I found a great deal for a Caddis Navigator II float tube. It retails for at least $170.00-$$190.00 and I got it for $30.00 plus a nice set of fins for an additional $10.00. Sorry Jon, you'll be using the old tube while I sit in ultimate comfort in the Navigator II!

Oh man! Mother's Day! Well, it's finally over and done. As you read in an earlier post, it was my responsibility to prepare the dinner. Fortunately, everything turned out well, even great if I do say so myself. We had the spaghetti that I talked about. I prepared two tomato sauses that were nearly identical except one had mushrooms in it. It was just great. I also prepared a chicken alfredo which also turned out ok but I had to double the recipe and though it was ok, I felt that it wasn't as good as normal. I'm not sure what was different, but I tasted a subtle variance and I think that my alfredo normally tastes a bit better. Maybe I should have added more pepper. The garlic bread was outstanding just as it always is.Uh oh! In the panic this afternoon, I forgot to take pictures of the dinner, the guests, or anything until after the affair was over. This plate is all that was left of the garlic bread.This is the pile of pots and pans that I dirtied up. I'm not sure who, probably one of the mothers, cleaned them up.

You're probably wondering what a cad like myself would buy their wife for Mother's Day. Here is a picture. There are more like this one but I hate to fill this blog with pictures of flowers. Look I need to be honest, my dear wife took the responsibity off my shoulders and purchased the flowers she wanted for herself in my name. She is such a doll! I'm not a total cad though. I did the cooking today after all. I also took yesterday's small window to mow the lawn even though I think we've delegated that responsibity to a certain 16 year old. I also contributed significant effort in cleaning the deck to the point where it was an acceptable place to place to enjoy today's spaghetti feast. Don't you think that sometimes what you do is a better gift then what you can buy?

Uh Oh. It's Starting to Look Like a Collecton!

You know something? I had a pretty good day today. After work, we had to go to Monticello to check out our space and spruce it up if needed. What am I saying? It always needs sprucing. Let me interject a paranthetical statement.

People always pick things up to look at them and then just plop them back down with no consideration for where they put them. The other day they called from Monticello to say that they were sorry but a strange, disaggreable smell had been floating around the store for a number of hours and they finally discovered the source was coming from our space. Someone had picked up a nice mink stole which we were selling and when they put it down, they placed it on a lamp bulb and the fur had burnt where it was touching the lit bulb. What were they thinking?

Ok, I'm back. Now let's get back to my previous thought. We finished sprucing up the space and then wandered around the store as we are often inclined to do. It is not completely unusual for Debbie to find something that she doesn't think she can live without and, in fact, this was one of those times. It was an unusual floral frog for her collection. A little more unusual, though not completely unheard of, is for me to find something that I need to have. This happened to be one of those days. I found an old framed print that just said take me home. I love hunting and fishing and since I don't get to go nearly as often as I'd like, I like to surround myself with things that remind me of the outdoors and the animals that I love. It's kind of a vicarious hunting experience. Oh well, it really didn't cost much and we even found a place in living room to hang it. Hey! Let me show you some of my other favorite prints.

Yikes! Is It My Turn Already!

Apparently I blinked and for a nanosecond wasn't paying attention and there was some sort of behind the back election and all of a sudden I find out that it is my responsibility to do the Mother's Day dinner.

Whoa! Panic!

Wait a minute. Deep breath. Exhale.

Ok. No worries! I'll make the one thing that always makes them want to be able to stuff just a little more in. Anthony's Spaghetti Sauce. That is certainly "To Die For". Perhaps to mix it up a bit I'll make a batch of Chicken Alfredo as well. That way nobody will have anything to complain about unless they choose, of their own accord, to overindulge. To temp the overindulgers, there will be a bunch of Anthony's Garlic Bread as well.

To quote the Borg, "Resistance is futile!" Come with an extreme, gnawing hunger or don't come at all! Relax Ma, I'm just joking!

Prepare yourselves to be pleasantly satiated with Jonathan's contribution in the salad and hors d'oeuvres departments.

Hey! Congratulations to Aaron, my seventeen year old nephew! I hear that he successfully completed the Eugene marathon on Sunday. If you've never run or even walked a marathon then you probably don't know what kind of remarkable feat this is but take it from me, it is very cool and even if he never does it again, it will remain an event that he will be proud of, with good cause, forever. Good job Aaron. This memory will remain with you for your whole life.

Thanks for coming by,

So Much To Blog And So Little Time!

Remember to click the posted images to enlarge them to see with more clarity.

Do you see that bench in this picture? I spent last Saturday afternoon building it and Friday (the first day of the sale!)the silly thing sold. So yesterday the first thing I had to do was get back down to the Rebuilding Center and get more material to build another one. The Rebuilding Center is a building materials recycling center of sorts. You kind of have to watch out for old nails but the wood is a lot cheaper and often still usuable. Here is what I chose for starters. Anyway, in what my wife (whip in hand) tells me was about 5 hours, I had another bench ready for Monticello Antique Marketplace.

Today after church, we brought it down to the store and set it up in all of the glory that you can see here.

Yesterday, while I'm out in the rain struggling with recycled wood, some guy from the neighborhood came by with his lawn mower and asked to do our lawn. I told him that I had a kid who was supposed to mow last week but somehow it never got done. Weather permitting, it will be mowed tomorrow. I had two requests to mow yesterday and one was a kid on a bicycle. If the neighborhood kids can see that the lawn needs mowing then it probably really needs it.

After restocking Monticello, I went to the store with Jon and bought some ingredients for the grill. I decided to do some chicken and a lovely assortment of vegetables. Man, either we were really hungry, or it was really good.Would you look at that!

Now to end this post, I caught Riley checking his facebook yesterday. Fortunately, I've got him beat by about 190 lbs and got my computer back. I changed the password so this won't happen again!

What Is That Sound In My Head?

Do you want to know what lyrics were running through my head as I loaded and unloaded my oxygen racks today? It is funny but sometimes I work to a cadence played in my head. And sometimes, I sing and create my own cadence. The room has a high ceiling and is concrete and cinder blocks on all four walls. It has the best "hall" sound. I love to whistle and sing in that kind of room. Ok, you're dying to know the song. No more waiting. Here it is.

O That Will Be Glory

When all my labors and trials are over,
And I am safe on that beautiful shore,
Just to be near the dear Lord I adore,
Will through the ages be glory for me.

Refrain

O that will be glory for me,
Glory for me, glory for me,
When by His grace I shall look on His face,
That will be glory, be glory for me.

Refrain

When, by the gift of His infinite grace,
I am accorded in heaven a place,
Just to be there and to look on His face,
Will through the ages be glory for me.

Refrain

Friends will be there I have loved long ago;
Joy like a river around me will flow;
Yet just a smile from my Savior, I know,
Will through the ages be glory for me.

Now granted, I didn't remember all of the verses but the first verse and the chorus were running through my head all day long long...literally. You know, it provided a great cadence to work to. Try it sometime!

You are probably aware that I have taken up cooking as some kind of therapy. Tonight the recipe came from Rachel Ray. Have you ever heard of her? Check out http://www.rachaelraymag.com/recipes/chicken-turkey-recipes/marsala-chicken-and-mushroom-casserole/article.html

I tried this recipe out of the magazine which was purchased by Jonathan because he wanted to try the perfect popcorn recipe. Wow! It turned out great! It was consumed by Debbie and myself since mushrooms are on Jon's black list but did he miss out. This is certainly a dish you'll enjoy.

I Loved This Video!

Let me just tell you something about myself that is kind of embarrassing. I can be brought to tears for some of the weirdest things. For instance, when a physically challenged person crosses the finish line in a difficult race or sporting event. Or when a blind person reaches the peak of a mountain or perhaps when someone with a mental challenge accomplishes some sort of feat with their brain that you or I might find simple but was an extreme challenge for them. A "tear jerker" movie is always going to get my sleeves wet. Well, I heard something on the radio tonight that peaked my interest and heard that this could be watched on YouTube. I am also a sucker for the "little guy".

Now you've heard of American Idol and Simon Cowell and if you've ever watched him at work, you know how awful he can be to some contestants. This actually happened on a show called Britains Got Talent. Perhaps you have already heard about this or seen this video but just in case click the link below. Make sure you see it! You absolutely will enjoy it even if you don't get overwhelmed emotionally.

YouTube Link