Frigid For Sure

This marks the fourteenth day of my newest job. I haven't had a "clock in" job for several years so I'm very happy to have gotten hired considering my advanced years and numerous infirmities. LOL....One would surmise by this that I'm ancient! Not really, although mornings such as we are experiencing on the Great American Desert can certainly make one feel that way. According to the reports on my 'puter the current temperature is -29 degrees! Whoosh! I get up around 2 in the morning to get ready for work. The task of preparing donuts, pastries, and breakfast sandwiches begins at 3:20 or so. Yes, I am now the "King of the Kitchen" at our local Casey's General Store. It's a pop shop not unlike any one of the franchises that have opened across our nation the past few decades. Talk in and around the coffee machine was about the cold. Go Figure!! One retired farmer left his wife waiting in the pickup(only until she honked)to come in and get coffee and donuts. Old farmers love to chat about the weather no matter what it is doing. He reported a reading of -35 out at his place. I don't suppose this is a record for South Dakota but I've got a hunch it is approaching several of them. The pics above were taken from my southern most porch very quickly with the door open just enough to allow the tripod & me to get the pics and avoid freezing. When I did the trash takeout at work my nose drizzled a little and I noticed that it did not drip. It just formed a little bead and froze on the end! I doubt if Snickers will desire to go out and do his business this morning. He doesn't really care for anything below freezing and it is twice that this morning. I'm very thankful this day to have "broken in" to the new position as quickly as I have. It has been years since I cooked commercially. God is really good when it comes to answering our prayers. During the current economic crisis my wife's position has been limited as all of our expenses have escalated. I first applied in October to half a dozen places with no success until the morning four days after Christmas when I was out searching our city(1500 strong)for the garbage truck. The entire back end of the van was filled with Christmas refuse. After finding the truck and emptying the van I decided to stop at Casey's and get some coffee and a donut or two(in another life I think I was a policeman). While talking to the manager I learned that he was looking for someone to work the bakery. Wow, I thought to myself, I can do that. The next thing I knew we had talked for many minutes and he hired me on the spot. I filled out the initial paperwork on the 30th and my first official day was January 1, 2009. I'm soooo blessed, and without a doubt I realize that God always has a plan even when we are unaware of just what it may be. One of these days I'll post some pics of the kitchen I now haunt from the wee hours of the morning until sunrise. I'm praying for our country, and for the president elect. Most of the prayers are geared at helping our leaders find solutions before we plunge headlong into a depression such as we had when my folks were growing up here in South Dakota.
I pray that everyone is staying warm where you are and that God will continue to reveal Himself in new exciting ways throughout this new year. In Christ's Love, Preacher.

Anyone For Pancakes?

It seems we are still celebrating Christmas at our house. Another "open house" is coming before we can start the tear down and "pack away" stage. Next year we shall begin the decorating on Christ The King Sunday and continue the celebration throughout the season of Epiphany. That way we may have enough time to fully enjoy the holidays. Not that we have not enjoyed the past few months but it is always difficult to find just the right place for decorations in a new home environment.
Today the furnace went out for 6-8 hours before being discovered. My first clue was the basement dropping to a temp of 53 degrees(brrrr). This is the second time that has happened and I now believe it has something to do with the direction of the wind. we will have to sort that out before we go away for a winter retreat. There is nothing more straining on a relationship than a cold home and frozen pipes. Not to mention the problems between Cheryl and I. I've had homes I enjoyed in the past, some more than others, but this one is the best! Not because of my designing and building on it, but more as a result of the "character" of this home. The fashion in which our visitors have enjoyed this place has opened my eyes to what it is we have created with God's direction. It will probably be another year before everything is really ready to accomplish the goals for which it is intended. That's alright, I can wait and I can complete the project with just a lot of money and time(not to mention the sweat, blood, and tears shed). In the meantime I have a recipe to share with you. Pancakes are a favorite of my honey! I did Sunday brunch for the two of us and found out after stuff got into the bowl that some of the called for ingredients were not to be found anywhere. I did substitution and here it is: Bacon & Cheddar Dollars
Lightly Beat two large eggs
WHISK IN 1 cup bacon & cheddar sour cream chip dip
1\3 cup all purpose flour
2 tablespoons of sugar
1 teaspoon of salt
1\2 teaspoon of baking soda
1 tablespoon of vegetable oil
Once it is all mixed up spoon onto griddle in
3 inch circles and cook up the way one usually
does pancakes.
We topped them with butter and maple syrup but there are a lot of possibilities. My favorite was the link sausages rolled up in 'em(pigs in a blanket)! Easy to make, fun to eat, and as different as pancakes might be. Enjoy each day. Share something with those you love. Find the peace that is part and parcel of faith. Pray for those in need and for our country. I do believe that this is all of the stuff on my heart this day. In Christ's Love, Preacher.

When To Celebrate

My library filled with books on theology, history, and christianity offer very little concerning the origins of "Christmas" in terms of celebration. Yes, I know the dates have been changed and the order altered to the point where people really don't know what day it is in history(whose)but we know what time it is. Personally I enjoy the manner in which things have been organized. Thank God the world truly is round ie(spherical)as opposed to being flat. Flat is not where it's at!
My thoughts run in the direction of time rather than date. It is the time and events that Christmas embodies that we celebrate. Hence it can be a single moment or it can be a series of moments continuing throughout the year. That is how my thinking has turned this year and will more than likely continue to expand for the remainder of my life.
Our Christmas celebrations have been numerous this year. People's lives are hectic and everyone has schedules. The thing is we don't have to comply with schedules if we are willing to accept that the essence of Christmas enjoyment is in the heart rather than the time table imposed by religiosity, retail, and rigamarole(old term I first heard as a child)surrounding Christ's birth. In our new home we are still celebrating with carols, gifts, laughter, love and warmth. There are portions of the 100 year old house that are very reminiscent of the early years in her history(I have no clue why I refer to the old part of our home in the feminine, that is just how my mind works). One of our artist friends shared that to her it appears we have even made the 1500 square foot new addition appear to be ancient. Not in the architecture, but in the design appearance. That's just Cheryl and I sharing our passion for that which has gone before us. I don't know how one hides a 21st century high tech home media center, but it seems we have done just that! In the Bible one can learn that everything that is old becomes "new" again. So why not have it turn around and enjoy everything that is new becoming old?
The one thing that has not changed throughout all the years of celebration is the wonder of the children. We've all been there(or at least I pray you have), experiencing that Christmas morning. The wonder of the lights and sounds. The gifts that bring such joy, and the laughter that is never forgotten. We are continuing to celebrate Christmas in our home and invite you to do the same. All year through there should be a part of every christian home that is devoted to the ecclesiastical calender.....Advent-Christmas-Epiphany-Lent-Easter-Resurrection-A Pentecost Event. That's a whole little poem thing I learned as a child and it holds true today. We celebrate Christmas every day of every year. In how we converse, the manner in which we treat others, and the love we share for family, friends, and loved ones.
My lineage extends back to America's beginnings, perhaps before, as I am considered by many to be part Native American. WHAT EVER!!! Now if we could just celebrate Thanksgiving a little more often I would be greatly pleased! Our lives are what we make of them. Pray for your country, the leaders, and the people. In Christ's Love, Preacher.

New Year & New Beginnings

A dramatic change has taken place in our lives these past 15 months. The home we are now residing in has gone from the top pic to the bottom with a few changes. The old saying was "getting there is half the fun!" I'm not sure, but I believe that "half" hardly covers where we have been. It took a while to get this blog off the ground for the year. First I had to locate the pics I wanted to use. Four computers hold the various stages of construction with backup in a fifth.
Holidays were wonderful as always! Last evening was the final holiday gathering. We held an open house for folks. People seem to enjoy the new digs. The food was wonderful and the fellowship much needed. God has a wonderful way of bringing all things around to a point where we can actually see the light. The light, of course, true light of the world, is the One whose birthday we just celebrated. After that all else falls into place according to God's plan. As I've stated before "God's schedule is far better than mine." this has been a night of looking back at how things were and then enjoying how they are. We are happy, healthy, and like everyone else(90%)of the country, suffering from the economic downturn. Personally I think if it were not for the government's intervention we would reliving be reliving the crash of '29 and ensuing years of depression.
So, here we are in the season of Epiphany and preparing for the best of future's possibilities. Thankfulness is evident in every prayer we share, and the blessings are so abundant that Cheryl and I can only look in amazement at times on the home God has provided for us and those we love. I pray your New Year is off to a great start and that this year will be a good one for our nation. In Christ's Love, Preacher.

Birthday Blog

The final days prior to winter on the Great American Desert were filled with a flurry of activity. Today is the 59th birthday I have celebrated, although there were many I do not truly recall with any accuracy. Our project has progressed to the point where all work must now focus on the interior of our new home. We(my wife Cheryl & I)began a year ago on a new journey! I can now admit to my wife and myself that I am weary. I love the old house and the addition I designed. My problem is that I have lost touch with many people that I love as a result of doing the necessary tasks to bring this new location to fruition. Not to mention that the election season had me working the 'puter as often as I was able to assist the party whenever I took a break from the physical endeavors on our home. At the present time on this 'puter I am suffering from frequent "crashes" that take quite a bit of time to get back to where I need to be. I suppose that is the result of building a personal computer from the parts and pieces of the last half dozen shells that crossed the workbench. This one is all "junk" from the bottom up. It was fun to put together, and offered a perfect opportunity to test Vista before using it on my main home computer. Would you believe that many of the pieces were gifts and old stuff that I hacksawed(literally)to fit a Gateway 2000 case that was gifted me by the last church I was preaching in. The whole thing was vintage 1997 so I gutted it to rebuild. It sat in the old cave until March 25th of this year, at which time I built this and the one that is operating in the addition to the home. What a year! Pondering the past 12 months I can only say that God is soooo gooood to us. We have had many ups and downs, cost over runs, and financing difficulties(hasn't everyone with the mini crash of the housing industry)and they have only served to strengthen my personal belief in the power of prayer. I have an inkling now of God's plan for our lives but it is too early on to share. We will go out with our friends this evening and celebrate once again the beauty of another year of life. Where God leads we will follow(wish it were easier at times)and come through to the light of a new dawn in this garden we have been planted. In Christ's Love, Preacher.

Project Update

Today it has rained, again, so I don't have to be out riding the Bobcat moving earth! This is a blessing, I'm not certain my bones could take another full day of bouncing around on that particular machine. Night before last I began taking pictures(again)of the work in process. Sunset on our Great American Desert was spectacular. Snickers was done for the day. He was inside, outside, and everywhere he could get to. His job, of course, is very tiring so a nap was in order. Cheryl arrived home to a totally new look on the property. I believe she is pleased and that is a "good" thing. We only have use of the skid loader for a few more days. Originally when this was planned we were to have it on site for two weeks. That would have been plenty of time to accomplish our goals of landscaping and driveways. Unfortunately the weather did not cooperate! We had a full week of rain and it is back once again. I think God knew I was in need of a "Snickers" break. I can just see the afternoon snooze now.....Me propped up on our new four-poster queen size bed with my legs up in the air and my paws stretched out in total repose. That just may happen. This fall has been really good, although the distant sounds of shotguns in their attempt to bring down the elusive ringneck pheasant are a bit grating on my nerves. I would much rather be hunting ducks, geese, and other game than riding around in circles on a machine that is quite a bit less than forgiving. As always, I must trust in God's timing. He has never been wrong and I am quite often too busy with my own "stuff" to truly listen to what I am being told. That's one of the difficulties we are each challenged with, knowing when to shut up and listen with our minds, hearts, and the whole of oneself! I pray all of your sunsets are beautifully breathtaking. In Christ's Love, Preacher.

Taking Time And Sharing Time

Hey! This was another day out here on the Great American Desert. It began with a "not so spectacular" sunrise and ended with a sunset that was very ordinary. What did strike me as important was the time I spent shooting pics and the people with whom I can share them. The greater part of my day was spent working on the variety of projects I have happening here at the new digs. Construction stuff for the most part. Measuring, cutting, screwing in place and then checking constantly with the levels to see if I'm getting close to right. Right now doors have become very important. I have to get them out of the way so I can begin the process of insulating every nook and cranny of this new basement. It's getting colder with each passing day. The sun reminds me that winter is fast approaching(that and hunting season)and I had better be ready!
Right now I have a daughter that I can't find. Her phone is disconnected. She and one of our nieces were sharing living space in Soo Foo(better known as Sioux Falls, South Dakota)and now both of their phones are disconnected. Usually if things are not good in my daughter's life she calls to talk about stuff. Sometimes money is a problem, other times it has something to do with relationships and the guys with whom she hangs. This time it makes little if any sense, that is, of course, unless she has decided to return to Colorado and work at one of the ski resorts for the winter season. That would be understandable. I guess deep down inside I truly wish she would come to the new house(I want her to think of it as "home")and share a bit of time. I've been praying for and about her, but have not had any revelations as yet.
So, tonight I write about taking time and sharing it because that is where my heart has chosen to take me. I know my wife is concerned, as well. Perhaps tomorrow we will get a message letting us know that she and her cousin and the baby(cousins)are all just fine and just experiencing a little financial setback. God has a way of letting us know when anything is drastically wrong. As near as I could tell from this day between dawn and sunset everything was normal. Right now it is 49 degrees out side and that is probably normal also. I pray your day has been good and that the night provides us all with much needed rest. In Christ's Love, Preacher.