Road trip Thursday

Well - last night I learned I won't ever teach kids again - wow, they never stopped talking!!

Off today to Ft. Campbell and multiple stops each way to and from - can you say 'Road Trip'!

A chance of rain today & super high winds - schools already scheduled to close early(??).

Well, hang on - we're off ...

Back in the 70's today

Greetings - Cindy made it to Ohio safe and sound yesterday. Probably spoiling kids already.
Mostly meetings for me today - this day will fly - and church tonight - I'm teaching Cindy's 5th-6th grade class - should prove interesting.
How's God been working on you this week - anything new? Have you been listening? Have you asked?

Psalm 17:6 (NIV)

⁶ I call on you, my God, for you will answer me; turn your ear to me and hear my prayer.

Faster than a speeding bullet ...

Another fine day here in Cookeville - a bit of fog out there that should burn off in the next few hours - warm weather ahead ...

Cindy is off to Ohio today for most of this week. She is staying with that Adams bunch - gotta spoil those babies.

Same ole' here - another day of work - let's see where today heads!

Don't be puzzled!

Good morning - another fine day ahead - we're warming back up this week - fall has returned - woohoo!
Fall has been so cold and so dry the leaves are falling off and many have not turned colors yet - it sure isn't as purty as past years.
Cindy is off to Ohio later this week - it's going to be might quiet here! I pray you all have a great week.

November 1983

Rachel loaned me her scanner and it can scan negatives (not slides - too bad) - anyway, I scanned a few strips yesterday of negatives - hope you enjoy these oldies but goodies!

Have a great Sunday!

(Reed and Rachel with Grandma and Grandpa Parker; Galen and Charlotte and kids)

Good morning

Whew - slept in a bit and starting to feel normal again - must have been a harder week than I thought!

A few errands today, mow the lawn (last time?) and some paperwork to catch up at work and for SS class tomorrow.

What are your plans today?

Freezin' Friday

It was hard crawling out of bed this morning - these dark mornings are hard! Plus we were down in the 20's last night - where did that come from? Hey, it's fall yet!

Paperwork, paperwork, paperwork today .... life is good. Lunch is the annual "Cooking on the Square" event for Habitat. Yes, it will be cold, yes it is for a good cause, it is it lots of gumbo, yes I'll be freezing.

Well, that's it for now - get up and get going!

Another fine morning ...

Other than cold and dark, it's a might fine morning ... Another night below freezing - bring on those flannel sheets and 'lectric blankets!

Well, having a good week? I know it has sure enough been a busy one. I guess we'll rest in heaven!

Gotta go - have a blessed day!

Half way there ... once more.

Greetings - Wednesday already - another fast week.

I came home a bit early and CAD drew on a house until a 6 pm city meeting to see what/when our subdivision is getting sewer service. Hey - it's only more money ...

So, how's your week going? How has God been blessing you? Are you even watching for it? It's not over yet ...

Yawn ...

Didn't get home until around 7:30 last night after working on a hard quote for a client. Today should be easier. I did have the house client come by and signed them up to start a $721k+ home - woohoo! They are great folks and have been fun to work with so far.
Gotta go - work calls - a vicious cycle ...

A chilly Monday ... where are my long johns ...

Salutations - starting off with "Pray the Clouds Away" in bluegrass - a mighty good way to start yer day off.
Mostly paperwork today - a client I've worked with about 8 months is to sign a contract for us to build them a $700,000+ house this afternoon - woohoo! That means shoes for the children again!
No big news - just not ready for the fast jump from hot to cold weather - we're about 10 to 15 degrees below normal for this time of year. I hope that doesn't mean a colder than normal winter ...
Have a blessed week - let's go!

10 years ...

It's hard to believe that Kairou passed away 10 years ago. The pain of his loss lessens each year and the joy of heaven increases each year. Some things we may never know the reason for in this life except maybe the fact that we need to hold onto Christ tighter each day. The following quote from C.S. Lewis' "A Grief Observed" has always been a comfort to me ... He is reflecting on the loss of his wife who he loved and the pain it has caused him ...

“Getting over it so soon? But the words are ambiguous. To say the patient is getting over it after an operation for appendicitis is one thing; after he’s had his leg off is quite another. After that operation either the wounded stump heals or the man dies. If it heals, the fierce, continuous pain will stop. Presently he’ll get back his strength and be able to stump about on his wooden leg. He has ‘got over it.’ But he will probably have recurrent pains in the stump all his life, and perhaps pretty bad ones; and he will always be a one-legged man. There will be hardly any moment when he forgets it. Bathing, dressing, sitting down and getting up again, even lying in bed, will all be different. His whole way of life will be changed. All sorts of pleasures and activities that he once took for granted will have to be simply written off. Duties too. At present I am learning to get about on crutches. Perhaps I shall presently be given a wooden leg. But I shall never be a biped again.”

Below freezing outside!

Brrr - waking up to a chilly morning - summer has gone! about 30 degrees out ...

We went over to Cindy's brother and sister-in-laws house last night for supper and ended up spending the evening with them - what a great visit.

As you can see, we spent some time with William Grant yesterday - my niece is doing fine and I got to see Sandra and three of her 4 children - lots of fun!

Well, need to wrap up and get finalized for church - have a blessed day - remember ... God is good!

Off to see William Grant today

We're heading out to Knoxville area to see Will and his folks today - I understand there is a TU game so watch out traffic!
It's Saturday - what a beautiful day - we've a frost warning this weekend - I bet many of the folks reading this are still heat bound. What an amazing world we live in.
May God bless you this weekend.

Foggy chilly Friday

Greetings - listening to a bit of Bluegrass music as we roll into another Friday morning. A long hard but good week is wrapping up - I pray yours went well.
Can't believe we're already having weather where our highs are just the mid 60's - leaves are continuing to turn and fall is everywhere - Walmart was putting out Christmas stuff on Wednesday?!
Well, hang in there - 1 day to go and we're home free!

January 2004 retro photo

Good morning - it's the icky time of year - dark when I get up and dark when I leave work - how did that happen so fast? And it's rainy today too? Yuk.
Meetings and paperwork today - woohoo! What's God got planned for us today? I'm ready to find out - let's go!

William Grant Kwiecien

 William was born yesterday at 2:25 pm, 6 pounds, 12 and a half ounces, 19 inches long. His parents are Matt and Katie and my sister Sandra is his grandma.

Yesterday was Kaireia and Kairou's birthdays too! Must be a mighty good day for babies.

Off to Nashville today and church tonight - rain and cooler weather forecast today - be safe!

PS We got another red head?

Cough ... cough ... cough

Good morning - I'm tired of fighting this allergy cough - please just push the yucky weather past and move on! Maybe the projected rain tomorrow will help.
I've a huge bid due today - I pray the subs turn in their bids on time and accurately - we'll see - ha!
Do you have a big day ahead? Praying this morning God reminded me of Abraham and Sarah where they rushed God's promises. Let's listen to God's plan today - it's always better.

Weather alert

Greetings - foggy out this morning - I can barely see the neighbors house. We're supposed to heat freezing in the evening by the end of the week - that's down right cold!
Lots of paperwork this week - no travel plans yet but I'm sure that will change.
Have a blessed week!

Summer is walking out on us

Salutations! A great weekend and fall is in the air - this week we get some rain and colder weather with some highs near 60 - brrrr.
Folks are cleaning their pools for the summer and looking toward fall -lots of leaves, punkins' and hay bales showing up everywhere.
A nice Sunday - lunch with Cindy's brother and wife - we also enjoyed seeing folks at church - a new week - we're off!

Feeling Shakesperean

Greetings - I got home from work last night and we mowed the lawn, ate supper and rushed downtown to Shakespeare in the Park - a fun and chilly evening. A great way to end the work week.
I pray your week went well - onto the weekend!

Friday is a winner!

Good morning friends and neighbors ...

Another day in paradise as we move into a Friday. I don't know about you, but this has been a long week for me - can we have a do over?

I think we have Shakespeare in the Park tonight and a great weekend ahead - hang on, 8 hours to go!

Running on empty

Good morning - for some reason I'm just running on empty this morning. You ever feel just worn out? I'm so thankful for God's energy at times like these.
Isaiah 40:28-31:
Do you not know?
    Have you not heard?
The Lord is the everlasting God,
    the Creator of the ends of the earth.
He will not grow tired or weary,
    and his understanding no one can fathom.
He gives strength to the weary
    and increases the power of the weak.
Even youths grow tired and weary,
    and young men stumble and fall;
but those who hope in the Lord
    will renew their strength.
They will soar on wings like eagles;
    they will run and not grow weary,
    they will walk and not be faint.

Arggg my matey ...

A picture of my little pirates - watch your wallets ... watch your hearts!
Another great day ahead - God is so amazingly good!
Got home late after a church meeting last night and still wired up - think Cindy and I talked forever - ha! I just want to say how much I love my church and my ministers.
Gotta go - you all have a blessed day - let's see what's in store for us!

Snugglie weather

Greetings - another fine day ahead!
A great day in Lebanon and Nashville yesterday - on to Murfreesboro this morning and back to a bit of paperwork this afternoon.
Are you having a good week so far?
(PS The Sunday blog picture was Lincoln and me - thanks for all of the corrections)

52 degrees and foggy

Starting off a bit chilly this morning - I'm on so much allergy medicine I'm sleeping pretty hard so if a storm rolled though after I went to bed I missed it.
We did get a lot of rain yesterday and some thunder - around 9 pm or so it dropped about 15 to 20 degrees within minutes as a storm rolled though.

Nashville and Lebanon today - meeting a few folks and just getting the week kicked off - let's roll!

Ready to crash

We just got home - church, Sunday school, church, lunch, reception for minister candidate and now home again- whew! Would someone hold me so I can nap? Please?

A front is coming through with rain and the temperature is dropping - coming home from church we saw all the leaves were dropping like crazy off the trees and it looked 20 degrees colder than it really was. This week is to start with highs only near 70 - woohoo!

Have a blessed week!

Beautiful Saturday!

Good afternoon! Cindy and I had breakfast with some friends and then we went to look at their proposed home lot south of town - a great visit and trip!

Rain projected tomorrow and cooler weather to roll in - fall is here!

Hope your day is going well - our minister candidate has been visiting this week - what a great man and wonderful family - we're excited!

Another week gone

It's Friday - lots of stuff to do to wrap up this old week. I've a new prospect to see this afternoon, a large project to upload today for subs to quote and lots of calls and emails to write in between - in other words a lazy Friday - ha!

Got our lawn mowed last night and have a class SS class party tonight - weekends are great.

Have a wonderful Friday and weekend!

Back off Jack

Rhiza is a momma's girl - everybody else needs to approach with care! She looks like Sandra's baby pictures to me - wow!

Another fine day ahead - hey, I get to enjoy my business luncheon today, I'm no longer the Prez - woohoo!

I'm fighting allergies big time - hope you are all doing okay - more than fall is in the air ...

Mid-week once more

Well, our lawn needs mowing but we keep having stuff in the evenings - tomorrow is the night so get ready lawn. The evenings are cold enough it's really slowed down.
We're having beautiful fall weather now - high 70's to low 80's in the day and high 40's to mid 50's at night. Trees are beginning to turn, punkins' coming out, mums and fall plants are out - might nice.
Have a great day!

Getting darker in the mornings ...

Salutations ... enjoyed supper with Galen and Charlotte last night (Cindy's brother and sister-in-law) - we are sure blessed to have them living nearby now.

The week is off to a fine start - I pray yours is going well too. God is good.

This photo is months old - Asher is actually beginning to take steps - when you don't live next door, they really seem to grow up quickly.