Good afternoon, all my faithful readers! I continue to be amazed when I hear about someone reading my blog. I guess I've never really considered that I might have anything very important to talk about!
First of all, I hope that each one of you had a very happy! We did, although it was probably the smallest gathering that we've ever had in our home! Just my mom, Sara, and her boyfriend, Erich! That's it! But, we had a great time!
We watched, "Christmas with the Kranks"last night. What a very funny movie! Have you ever seen it? I think it's the epitome of the hype before Christmas...
We received a very early morning phone call from our son, Crispin, this morning. Their base in Mosul, Iraq had been attacked early Christmas morning and one doctor was killed and several others wounded. We were supposed to talk to him via the internet that afternoon, but he was never online...so my mom, Travis, and I paused in the afternoon to lift him up in prayer.
He explained to us that the internet gets shut down when there is a death, as the govt doesn't want the family back home hearing of a death through unofficial channels. Makes sense!
So, how are we feeling? Very, very sad for the families that will receive this sad, sad news! Very thankful that God has kept His hand on Crispin, and feeling much more earnest in our times of praying for his safety and well-being....emotionally and mentally!
We listened to Rick Warren's Christmas message on Fox News the other night. One thing really touched my heart. He said that when we're feeling overwhelmed, or guilty, or fearful, etc...we need to see God. Not seek God about our problems or sins....but to seek HIM! That He is worthy of our seeking and as we turn our hearts to HIM...longing for that close relationship, these other things will be taken care of in their time. Might not be exactly like we would hope, but God works ALL things for good in our lives!
Gotta go make lunch! Love you guys!
Friday, December 26, 2008
Wednesday, December 10, 2008
Up and Down
Good morning, dear readers and family: Oh, life, life, life! One minute up and then next minute down!
We had a great Thanksgiving...missed my daughter-in-law, Erica and ended up with only one dish of corn! (Read previous blog)
Remember that we sold one of our planes to the Brazilian guy? Well, he made it back safe and sound and loves the plane...so that's an "up"!
This past Friday afternoon, a pilot came to rent our other plane...a little yellow Cessna 150. It was pretty cold outside, but he said that he was just going up and staying in the "pattern"...working on his landings and take-offs. So, that was cool....however, he got tired of doing that and decided to fly north to the practice area.
To make a long story short, something happened while he was practicing his maneuvers and he had to set the plane down in a bean field. It was about a mile long, all the beans had been harvested and Travis said that you could have set a jet down in it with no problems! But, this man forgot all of his previous training on what to do in case of an emergency and the plane ended up with the front wheel smashed and one of the wings damaged.
All I can say is that we're so thankful that he walked out without a scratch! Travis and 2 other guys (one is our mechanic) went to rescue him and ended up calling the FAA. Whoever Travis talked to told him that he couldn't touch the plane...had to leave it exactly as he found it until it had been inspected by either themselves or someone that they designated.
So, Travis had to leave the plane right where it landed. The next morning, he drove back up to this field, along with the designated person and crew to retrieve the plane and his heart fell into his shoes. A strong wind had come up the night before and the plane had been flipped on it's back and was completely totalled!
To say that we were "down" is an understatement! Punched in the stomache is more like it! Life, life, life! You never know what's coming around the corner. Sometimes good, sometimes bad!
Now, I can't possibly leave you there...because good things are all around us. We are surrounded with kind and caring people who have taken us out to dinner, dropped by to console us, called us to console us, and prayed for us. And it's that wonderful time of year when Christmas cards start arriving in the mail.
To conclude this "down" side of things, the insurance adjuster came out yesterday and said that he would do all in his power to get a check into our hands asap. He also felt very badly about the whole deal and the pilot that caused all of this? He's devastated! We feel so sorry for him! But, things happen and he wasn't hurt!
You might wonder...where is God in all of this? Oh, He's right here! Walking with us, consoling us, lifting our hearts...working behind the scenes to take awful things and bring good out of them. Will He hand us another airplane? I think not! But, good things are worked into our souls when we suffer! All kinds of things...patience, endurance, a softened heart, more compassion for those around us who also have "down" days!
I leave you here...I can't wait to go and check the mailbox later on this morning and see what lovely cards are waiting!
We had a great Thanksgiving...missed my daughter-in-law, Erica and ended up with only one dish of corn! (Read previous blog)
Remember that we sold one of our planes to the Brazilian guy? Well, he made it back safe and sound and loves the plane...so that's an "up"!
This past Friday afternoon, a pilot came to rent our other plane...a little yellow Cessna 150. It was pretty cold outside, but he said that he was just going up and staying in the "pattern"...working on his landings and take-offs. So, that was cool....however, he got tired of doing that and decided to fly north to the practice area.
To make a long story short, something happened while he was practicing his maneuvers and he had to set the plane down in a bean field. It was about a mile long, all the beans had been harvested and Travis said that you could have set a jet down in it with no problems! But, this man forgot all of his previous training on what to do in case of an emergency and the plane ended up with the front wheel smashed and one of the wings damaged.
All I can say is that we're so thankful that he walked out without a scratch! Travis and 2 other guys (one is our mechanic) went to rescue him and ended up calling the FAA. Whoever Travis talked to told him that he couldn't touch the plane...had to leave it exactly as he found it until it had been inspected by either themselves or someone that they designated.
So, Travis had to leave the plane right where it landed. The next morning, he drove back up to this field, along with the designated person and crew to retrieve the plane and his heart fell into his shoes. A strong wind had come up the night before and the plane had been flipped on it's back and was completely totalled!
To say that we were "down" is an understatement! Punched in the stomache is more like it! Life, life, life! You never know what's coming around the corner. Sometimes good, sometimes bad!
Now, I can't possibly leave you there...because good things are all around us. We are surrounded with kind and caring people who have taken us out to dinner, dropped by to console us, called us to console us, and prayed for us. And it's that wonderful time of year when Christmas cards start arriving in the mail.
To conclude this "down" side of things, the insurance adjuster came out yesterday and said that he would do all in his power to get a check into our hands asap. He also felt very badly about the whole deal and the pilot that caused all of this? He's devastated! We feel so sorry for him! But, things happen and he wasn't hurt!
You might wonder...where is God in all of this? Oh, He's right here! Walking with us, consoling us, lifting our hearts...working behind the scenes to take awful things and bring good out of them. Will He hand us another airplane? I think not! But, good things are worked into our souls when we suffer! All kinds of things...patience, endurance, a softened heart, more compassion for those around us who also have "down" days!
I leave you here...I can't wait to go and check the mailbox later on this morning and see what lovely cards are waiting!
Tuesday, November 25, 2008
Trivial Pursuit
Good morning! I have a little snippet of time, so will sit down and give you a couple of updates! Nothing really big! Just some St John trivia to pass on....
We sold our 4-place airplane to a guy from Brazil, Abrao Eliasquevici. He left a week ago, but is dawdling around somewhere in the Caribbean! Now, the plot thickens!
Joah, who flies inner-island planes in Puerto Rico for a company located down there, called Travis yesterday and said, "Hey dad, guess what happened? I just landed this morning at the town of Fajardo and as I was getting out of my plane, I glanced over on the ramp and there was your plane that you just sold!"
Joah received a special award when he was a little boy in the Christian school for being the "Most Observant". I guess some things never change!
So, Travis called Abrao on his cell phone and left him a message telling him to call Joah as they were right there in the same place. I guess they're going out to dinner or lunch today in San Juan! Small world, huh?
Travis, Denny (my brother-in-law) and I are driving over to Kansas City to have Thanksgiving at Sara's new apartment. Allen lives only about 15 minutes from her, so will also be coming to dinner, along with his son, Drew. Unfortunately, his wife, Erica, has to work. Of course, Sara's boyfriend, Erich, will be there too. So, should be lots of fun!
Now, the funny thing is this...before we decided to move the dinner from our house to KC, I asked Sara what she wanted to bring. She immediately said, "Corn!" Now, how hard is it to cook corn? Hmmmmm....we've been chatting on Face Book and giggling about her big contribution for the past couple of days.
I told her that since the dinner was moved to her house, I was bringing the corn and she could do the the rest of the dinner. But, that didn't fly! She's still providing corn, although she is going to make mashed potates now too.
I called my brother-in-law last night and asked what he would like to bring....Yep! Baked corn! Looks like the meal will be real yellow!!!!
Oh, life is so much fun, isn't it? I love all these little diverse pieces of trivia that pop up all over the place...just to make things interesting!
So, if I don't talk to you before Thursday...have a very happy Thanksgiving and for heaven's sake, don't eat too much corn!
We sold our 4-place airplane to a guy from Brazil, Abrao Eliasquevici. He left a week ago, but is dawdling around somewhere in the Caribbean! Now, the plot thickens!
Joah, who flies inner-island planes in Puerto Rico for a company located down there, called Travis yesterday and said, "Hey dad, guess what happened? I just landed this morning at the town of Fajardo and as I was getting out of my plane, I glanced over on the ramp and there was your plane that you just sold!"
Joah received a special award when he was a little boy in the Christian school for being the "Most Observant". I guess some things never change!
So, Travis called Abrao on his cell phone and left him a message telling him to call Joah as they were right there in the same place. I guess they're going out to dinner or lunch today in San Juan! Small world, huh?
Travis, Denny (my brother-in-law) and I are driving over to Kansas City to have Thanksgiving at Sara's new apartment. Allen lives only about 15 minutes from her, so will also be coming to dinner, along with his son, Drew. Unfortunately, his wife, Erica, has to work. Of course, Sara's boyfriend, Erich, will be there too. So, should be lots of fun!
Now, the funny thing is this...before we decided to move the dinner from our house to KC, I asked Sara what she wanted to bring. She immediately said, "Corn!" Now, how hard is it to cook corn? Hmmmmm....we've been chatting on Face Book and giggling about her big contribution for the past couple of days.
I told her that since the dinner was moved to her house, I was bringing the corn and she could do the the rest of the dinner. But, that didn't fly! She's still providing corn, although she is going to make mashed potates now too.
I called my brother-in-law last night and asked what he would like to bring....Yep! Baked corn! Looks like the meal will be real yellow!!!!
Oh, life is so much fun, isn't it? I love all these little diverse pieces of trivia that pop up all over the place...just to make things interesting!
So, if I don't talk to you before Thursday...have a very happy Thanksgiving and for heaven's sake, don't eat too much corn!
Tuesday, November 18, 2008
Who am I, REALLY?
I'm sure you really want to hear about this, right? Well, once again, I have to write about something else that has been stirring in my heart! :-)
I tried to answer some questions in my "Recovery" class last night, but found it almost impossible until we all sat and talked it out. Questions like: If you could live anywhere in the whole wide world, where would that be? If you had unlimited funds, where would you go on vacation? What do you really like to do? What really bothers you?
Sounds easy, doesn't it? But, for me...it wasn't. I've spent the greater part of my life deferring to everyone around me. Guess what!? That means I'm a people pleaser! My daughter will force me to give my opinion about things. "Mom, what do YOU want to do?" And my standard answer has been, "Whatever everyone else wants is fine with me..."
So, even in a workbook with imaginary scenarios, I couldn't just say..."I want to go to Egypt to see the pyramids!" Yep, that's something I've always (down deep inside) wanted to do! Will it happen? Only God knows, but the important thing is that I learn to express it! It's ok to have opinions, wants, and desires. In fact, God delights that I come away from trying to please everyone around me! I've come to realize that you absolutely CAN NOT please people enough. Someone will always be bummed!
I will try to express those inside desires more as I blog! Perhaps I'll find out who I really am after all! And if you don't like it? Oh, please don't be mad at me! :-)
I tried to answer some questions in my "Recovery" class last night, but found it almost impossible until we all sat and talked it out. Questions like: If you could live anywhere in the whole wide world, where would that be? If you had unlimited funds, where would you go on vacation? What do you really like to do? What really bothers you?
Sounds easy, doesn't it? But, for me...it wasn't. I've spent the greater part of my life deferring to everyone around me. Guess what!? That means I'm a people pleaser! My daughter will force me to give my opinion about things. "Mom, what do YOU want to do?" And my standard answer has been, "Whatever everyone else wants is fine with me..."
So, even in a workbook with imaginary scenarios, I couldn't just say..."I want to go to Egypt to see the pyramids!" Yep, that's something I've always (down deep inside) wanted to do! Will it happen? Only God knows, but the important thing is that I learn to express it! It's ok to have opinions, wants, and desires. In fact, God delights that I come away from trying to please everyone around me! I've come to realize that you absolutely CAN NOT please people enough. Someone will always be bummed!
I will try to express those inside desires more as I blog! Perhaps I'll find out who I really am after all! And if you don't like it? Oh, please don't be mad at me! :-)
Friday, November 14, 2008
Procrastination
Blogging is so much fun! Why do I wait to do it? I've been seriously working on not procrastinating so much. Did you know that this goes along with trying to be perfect? Yep! I've learned all about it (AGAIN) as I've been working through one of my "Recovery" classes that I facilitate on Monday nights.
When you have a "perfectionist" mindset--you tend to procrastinate. After all, it's really hard to do something perfectly! So, the thought of even getting started or finishing a project can be mentally and emotionally overwhelming! No one is perfect, except God, so why do we strive for that? We need to do things with excellence--which is a whole lot easier than "perfect".
OK...so what have I finished? Well, Christmas presents that needed to be in the mail no later than earlier this week to arrive overseas in time. I had to force myself to finish! I would almost get something complete, then would think, "Oh well, I'll just put this down for now and come back to it later!" I can't believe how hard and stressful it was to just finish, pack up the boxes, take them to the Post Office and get them mailed!
I'm sure this sounds silly, but we all have our "issues", right? Right! This just happens to be one of mine.
I'm starting in on another project and am thinking about the prospect of writing out Christmas cards. Seems a bit daunting, but I really love this time of year and anticipate hearing from family and friends all over the world. I just received my first Christmas letter from South Africa!
So, I'll close for now--am proud of myself that I didn't procrastinate any longer in writing to all of you, and will go pick up my next project--to complete with excellence! :-)
When you have a "perfectionist" mindset--you tend to procrastinate. After all, it's really hard to do something perfectly! So, the thought of even getting started or finishing a project can be mentally and emotionally overwhelming! No one is perfect, except God, so why do we strive for that? We need to do things with excellence--which is a whole lot easier than "perfect".
OK...so what have I finished? Well, Christmas presents that needed to be in the mail no later than earlier this week to arrive overseas in time. I had to force myself to finish! I would almost get something complete, then would think, "Oh well, I'll just put this down for now and come back to it later!" I can't believe how hard and stressful it was to just finish, pack up the boxes, take them to the Post Office and get them mailed!
I'm sure this sounds silly, but we all have our "issues", right? Right! This just happens to be one of mine.
I'm starting in on another project and am thinking about the prospect of writing out Christmas cards. Seems a bit daunting, but I really love this time of year and anticipate hearing from family and friends all over the world. I just received my first Christmas letter from South Africa!
So, I'll close for now--am proud of myself that I didn't procrastinate any longer in writing to all of you, and will go pick up my next project--to complete with excellence! :-)
Monday, October 27, 2008
October News
Good afternoon, my dear friends and family! I read back through my last post and must confess that we didn't end up doing a complete 10-day fast. We had an invitation to a special birthday dinner on Saturday, so we broke our fast on Friday so that we wouldn't be in dire straights after a big meal on Saturday!
We have an interesting twist happening right now. A man from Brazil, Abrao Eliasquevici, came to the mid-Missouri area to purchase a plane and take it back to Brazil. He ended up out here at the Fulton Airport because one of the mechanics on the field has the credentials through the FAA to process a "Certification of Airworthiness" that's needed to export an airplane out of the country.
His deal fell through, so now, we're in the process of selling him our Cessna 172 (4-place plane). It's still in the mechanic shop out in Oklahoma, but is supposed to be finished by the end of this week. (we hope!) After that...it's a matter of doing some inspections, getting paperwork finished to send into the FAA, and wait for money to be transferred into an account here stateside. Of course, you know perfectly well that all of this takes time, time, and more time. So, we'll see how it all comes together.
We also have a mobile home up for sale--that we've used as a classroom for teaching, rooms that we rent out for pilots passing through, etc. We had a guy come look at it the other day and really wanted it for a rental property that he owns. However, he has an old trailer on that space with some renters that he can't boot out easily. So, if someone doesn't come along...he may be purchasing it after the first of the year.
We'll be down to one plane (2-seater) and our contract for managing the airport is up in December. Hmmmmm.....what's coming in the future? We don't know. It's so odd to be in this position. We were so full of enthusiasm and up for change when we were young! But, now we find ourselves much more reserved and trying to do everything from a more mature point of view. Honestly? I'd rather have my youth view back again and not be so worried about things! It was a whole lot more fun!!!
Oh, I have to tell you! I painted my laundry room! I LOVE to paint! Yes, it's a lot of work...especially the prep part of it, but the results are so worth it! It's a light periwinkle blue and it turned out beautiful! Now, I must admit that I'm not a "blue" person anymore, but this color really seemed to fit the room--so to speak! It hadn't been painted since the house was built and needless to say, the walls were very scuffed! Also, the original paint was "flat" and I went with a satin finish, so that I could wash it down, if needed.
I think the best part of all, was hanging up a number of "tole-painted" pieces that my mom and dad had made over the years. Since my dad passed away this spring...I've found that I need to have some of his "touches" to look at and help me to remember him. I have a couple of old "goats" that he welded together out of junk and painted black. (I used to milk goats years ago in Alaska).
I'm enjoying working on Christmas presents for my grandchildren. I found several projects in the bottom drawer of my "craft dresser" that just need some finishing touches and will be used as gifts this year. It's really like being on an adventure! Trying to come up with unique, yet inexpensive, gifts for our growing family!
One last thing--Joah is coming home for about 5 days from Puerto Rico. He'll be here the 8th of November and is bringing his girlfriend, Ingrid, for us to meet. She's Puerto Rican and it seems like they may be a bit more serious about their relationship then we thought. Travis and I are both excited for their visit, so that's also prompting me to get some cleaning/painting/decorating done.
I realized that the whole "I've got to lose weight" deal is out the window. Instead, I found myself thinking, "Oh my gosh! I've got to get the laundry room painted". Ha! My areas of vanity have shifted!
Talk to you later!
We have an interesting twist happening right now. A man from Brazil, Abrao Eliasquevici, came to the mid-Missouri area to purchase a plane and take it back to Brazil. He ended up out here at the Fulton Airport because one of the mechanics on the field has the credentials through the FAA to process a "Certification of Airworthiness" that's needed to export an airplane out of the country.
His deal fell through, so now, we're in the process of selling him our Cessna 172 (4-place plane). It's still in the mechanic shop out in Oklahoma, but is supposed to be finished by the end of this week. (we hope!) After that...it's a matter of doing some inspections, getting paperwork finished to send into the FAA, and wait for money to be transferred into an account here stateside. Of course, you know perfectly well that all of this takes time, time, and more time. So, we'll see how it all comes together.
We also have a mobile home up for sale--that we've used as a classroom for teaching, rooms that we rent out for pilots passing through, etc. We had a guy come look at it the other day and really wanted it for a rental property that he owns. However, he has an old trailer on that space with some renters that he can't boot out easily. So, if someone doesn't come along...he may be purchasing it after the first of the year.
We'll be down to one plane (2-seater) and our contract for managing the airport is up in December. Hmmmmm.....what's coming in the future? We don't know. It's so odd to be in this position. We were so full of enthusiasm and up for change when we were young! But, now we find ourselves much more reserved and trying to do everything from a more mature point of view. Honestly? I'd rather have my youth view back again and not be so worried about things! It was a whole lot more fun!!!
Oh, I have to tell you! I painted my laundry room! I LOVE to paint! Yes, it's a lot of work...especially the prep part of it, but the results are so worth it! It's a light periwinkle blue and it turned out beautiful! Now, I must admit that I'm not a "blue" person anymore, but this color really seemed to fit the room--so to speak! It hadn't been painted since the house was built and needless to say, the walls were very scuffed! Also, the original paint was "flat" and I went with a satin finish, so that I could wash it down, if needed.
I think the best part of all, was hanging up a number of "tole-painted" pieces that my mom and dad had made over the years. Since my dad passed away this spring...I've found that I need to have some of his "touches" to look at and help me to remember him. I have a couple of old "goats" that he welded together out of junk and painted black. (I used to milk goats years ago in Alaska).
I'm enjoying working on Christmas presents for my grandchildren. I found several projects in the bottom drawer of my "craft dresser" that just need some finishing touches and will be used as gifts this year. It's really like being on an adventure! Trying to come up with unique, yet inexpensive, gifts for our growing family!
One last thing--Joah is coming home for about 5 days from Puerto Rico. He'll be here the 8th of November and is bringing his girlfriend, Ingrid, for us to meet. She's Puerto Rican and it seems like they may be a bit more serious about their relationship then we thought. Travis and I are both excited for their visit, so that's also prompting me to get some cleaning/painting/decorating done.
I realized that the whole "I've got to lose weight" deal is out the window. Instead, I found myself thinking, "Oh my gosh! I've got to get the laundry room painted". Ha! My areas of vanity have shifted!
Talk to you later!
Thursday, October 9, 2008
How long is too long?
Good afternoon. So, how long is too long to start blogging again? Gosh! It feels like forever. My problem is that I want to blog something of importance, but that's all relative to the reader, isn't it? What I think of as important may be completely boring to someone else.
Because our airplanes have been in the shops for repairs...Travis hasn't needed my help much here at the airport. So, I've been focusing in on starting up on Christmas projects, as well as working on my front yard. I've had plenty of help this summer, as my cousins came from Wisconsin twice, and basically put a flower bed together for me. I've been out weeding and putting mulch down for the winter. It's now full of irises and various kinds of daylilies that really don't require much attention. I should have a glorious bed this coming spring!
Travis and I are reading a book called, "The Shack". Have you read it? Marvelous, wonderful book! I'm also reading, "Three Cups of Tea" about a mountaineer who was climbing in the mountains of Pakistan, ended up in one of the villages, and came back later to open up schools for the little girls in the area. Very interesting reading, as well.
I have been very concerned about the coming election for the President of the US. Our country is facing such dire needs on all fronts and we really need someone that can step up to the helm and "take the tiller", as McCain so aptly said in the recent debate. What a great phrase! "Take the tiller". It will be quite a job for whoever is elected!
Oh, and one last thing. Travis and I are doing a cleansing fast for 10 days. (we're on day 4). We're drinking an interesting concoction of lemon juice, a tad bit of real maple syrup, and cayenne pepper mixed with hot or cold water. It actually doesn't taste bad, but the first 3 days were quite hard for me. My joints ached, and I had severe headaches (coming off caffeine). But, the purpose is to get the toxins out of our bodies and my hope is to get back to eating healthier again.
We were still eating lots of grains, beans (legumes), vegies, etc., but some of our old habits had crept back in..especially eating out so much of the time. Too tired after working all day at the airport to cook, but that's no excuse!
OK...I've done my "diary" thing...hope you've been able to stay with me and I'll try to write more important things in the days ahead!
Because our airplanes have been in the shops for repairs...Travis hasn't needed my help much here at the airport. So, I've been focusing in on starting up on Christmas projects, as well as working on my front yard. I've had plenty of help this summer, as my cousins came from Wisconsin twice, and basically put a flower bed together for me. I've been out weeding and putting mulch down for the winter. It's now full of irises and various kinds of daylilies that really don't require much attention. I should have a glorious bed this coming spring!
Travis and I are reading a book called, "The Shack". Have you read it? Marvelous, wonderful book! I'm also reading, "Three Cups of Tea" about a mountaineer who was climbing in the mountains of Pakistan, ended up in one of the villages, and came back later to open up schools for the little girls in the area. Very interesting reading, as well.
I have been very concerned about the coming election for the President of the US. Our country is facing such dire needs on all fronts and we really need someone that can step up to the helm and "take the tiller", as McCain so aptly said in the recent debate. What a great phrase! "Take the tiller". It will be quite a job for whoever is elected!
Oh, and one last thing. Travis and I are doing a cleansing fast for 10 days. (we're on day 4). We're drinking an interesting concoction of lemon juice, a tad bit of real maple syrup, and cayenne pepper mixed with hot or cold water. It actually doesn't taste bad, but the first 3 days were quite hard for me. My joints ached, and I had severe headaches (coming off caffeine). But, the purpose is to get the toxins out of our bodies and my hope is to get back to eating healthier again.
We were still eating lots of grains, beans (legumes), vegies, etc., but some of our old habits had crept back in..especially eating out so much of the time. Too tired after working all day at the airport to cook, but that's no excuse!
OK...I've done my "diary" thing...hope you've been able to stay with me and I'll try to write more important things in the days ahead!
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