DIET DIET

Where do you go to get anorexia? ~Shelley Winters

I've been on a constant diet for the last two decades. I've lost a total of 789 pounds. By all accounts, I should be hanging from a charm bracelet. ~Erma Bombeck

It’s no secret that I could lose a few pounds. I along with too many people have become a society out of control. I’d read that more people die now of eating too much than eating too little. Excess weight has become a prevailing health issue among many people, including me. Whether a person is a few pounds overweight or truly obese, excess weight can detrimentally affect mental and physical health. Weight control is a misnomer by any definition.

Our attempts to control our weight are due to many motivations, some good and others not so good. We want to look better for a date, or reunion, or wedding. We fear heart attacks, personal rejections, and career frustration. We view any excess weight as a personal failure to control an important part of our life, our body.

We look for answers to conquer this failure. We struggle through unhealthy diets, expensive health plans, risky operations, and supplemental drugs in an effort to rid our bodies of undesirable pounds. Billions of dollars are spent, and millions of dreams are dashed as we struggle to resolve our dilemma.

There is hope for all of us. But first we must understand our body and mind. We need to understand how we make mistakes and how we allow others to make mistakes for us. This is your body, your choice, and your life. I’m not sure you should take diet advice from a guy that loves Krispy Cremes, but hopefully the concept makes a little sense. I call my wellness program the DIET/DIET.

DIET/DIET is a simple concept. However, the application will take a lifetime, hopefully a long lifetime.

DIET/DIET is a question you must ask yourself everyday.

DIET/DIET is a dual acronym designed to balance healthy food choices and exercise.


Do I Eat This?

Did I Exercise Today?

Our food choices are the primary culprit in weight gain, and preventing loss. You should see a nutritionist or find a few good books to insure you are eating the right foods. It’s difficult to eat right with our busy lives and the availability of poor food choices. Essentially, you should be able to answer the question “Do I Eat This?” every time you take a bite. Find out if you don’t know. Here is a GREAT website that can help with food choices: http://mypyramid.gov/

Exercise can be as simple as taking and extra walk or joining a gym. (AND GOING!) You need to exercise at least 3 times per week. I often hear there isn’t enough time. My theory is any time spent exercising doesn’t count against the time you live. Here is the proof to my theory.

Research has indicated that your life expectancy will decrease by 3 years if you are 50 pounds overweight. So I figure each pound lost will add 22 days to your life. You should lose 1 pound with 7 hours of exercise. That’s right – work out for 7 hours – live another 22 days. And you don’t have enough time – give me a break.

I understand that’s a bit simplistic – so let’s look at a long term exercise investment. Let’s exercise 4 hours per week for 60 years. (15 to 75). Assuming you work out every week for 4 hours, you would invest 10,400 hours over 60 years. In return for these 10,400 hours of exercise, you live another 3 years or 26,280 hours. That means you add 2.5 hours to your life for every hour you exercise. So, ask yourself everyday “Did I Exercise Today?”

I’ve always joked that I’d rather be happy for 65 years than miserable for 70 years. However, you don’t have to be miserable. It’s just a matter of balancing your food choices and your exercise. Easier said than done – maybe I’ll have to write more about motivation later – but that’ll need more research.

I'm not including too many pictures this week - you don't need to see it.

The biggest seller is cookbooks and the second is diet books - how not to eat what you've just learned how to cook. ~Andy Rooney

Stressed spelled backwards is desserts. Coincidence? I think not! ~Author Unknown

the Sheriff wants to talk to you

The guys who fear becoming fathers don't understand that fathering is not something perfect men do, but something that perfects the man. The end product of child raising is not the child but the parent. ~Frank Pittman, Man Enough

Parenthood is the passing of a baton, followed by a lifelong disagreement as to who dropped it. ~Robert Brault

I’ve been drafting blogs about “perfection” and “volunteering”, but just can’t complete my thoughts ~ still may focus on those subjects later. Instead, I’ve settled my mind today on a few Scout stories that are related to perfection and volunteering.

I’ve had a lot of fun with Boy Scouts over the years. I didn’t get into Scouting until my kids were old enough – what a great learning experience for all of us. I learned that seldom was it perfect, and we always needed more volunteers.

I’ve been a Unit Commissioner for 2 troops the past few years. The Commissioner advises the troops when needed. For the most part I’ve helped resolve a few problems. The fun part has been attending Eagle Scout ceremonies. I’m not a really good Commissioner. Frankly, my interest has always been working with boys rather than leaders. When I was a Scoutmaster, parents would complain that we needed more volunteers ~ or that we needed certain parents to be more involved. I usually responded that my mission in life was to raise kids – not their parents, and that I’d met some of “those” parents and doubted they should really be involved with the troop.

I am convinced that participation in Scouting, sports, music, or any other youth group should not be considered a volunteer activity by Mom’s and Dad’s ~ it’s a parental responsibility! It’s also a joy and opportunity for personal growth ~ for both kids and parents.

Many of my close friends are former Scouts or parents of those Scouts. I am proud of their accomplishments – Doctors, lawyers, teachers, programmers, soldiers, ect. You really get to know people well when you’ve had hundreds of meetings together, scores of nights camping, and completed projects and events. I usually see somebody daily that was associated with past Scouting activities. It’s a real joy to recall old stories – and catch up on what the grown Scouts are now working on.

Several years ago, we took an ambitious trip to the San Juan Islands. The San Juans are an archipelago located off the coast off Northern Washington. There are 4 main islands with unlimited activities. There were 24 boys, and 8 parents. We camped the first and last night of the trip in Issaquah. This made transportation reasonable. We camped 6 nights on the Islands, 3 nights on San Juan Island and 3 nights on Orcas Island. What a great trip. Here are just a few of the activities:

1. Attended Seattle Mariners game.
2. The older boys completed a 50 mile bike ride.
3. Toured an oyster farm.
4. Group 10 mile bike ride.
5. Swimming
6. Hiked to the top of Mt. Constitution – 10 miles.
7. Toured the Whale museum.
8. Toured the Air Museum in Seattle.
9. Completed several merit badges. (Cooking was GREAT!!!!)
10. Observed a “replica” Pig Wars battle.
11. ++++

Our last night of camping was back at Issaquah, at a campground outside of Seattle. We’d travelled from Orcas Island, visited the air museum, and were getting ready to call it a night. It had been a long week – and everyone was certainly tired.

As we were settling down for bed, Cody came to my tent to advise that another man in camp was harassing a lady who needed help. I was tired – told him “have her call 911”. After a few minutes, and a little prodding from Connie, I got up to see what was going on. I walk through the campground – found some older scouts working on a craft project – and everyone else seemed to be in bed. Whew – time to get back to bed. About a half hour later, Cody comes to my tent again, “Mr. Hachquet, the Sheriff wants to talk to you”.

So – I get dressed – again - and walk down to the campground office. Apparently a couple in the campground was having an argument. (After several drinks). The man disrobed himself and was chasing the lady. Four of the younger Scouts, Bob, Cody, Cody, and Aaron were by the phone checking with their Mom’s. They jumped into action when the man was chasing the lady. The Scouts assigned each other tasks – 1 followed the guy, 1 followed the girl (to make sure she was OK), one was looking for the campground host, and the 4th called the Sherriff. They believed the man was going to attack the lady – but knew better than confront him. So far the story is scary – hmmm – it get's better.

Once the Sherriff arrived, the fighting couple settled down and apologized to each other. Then he wanted to talk to me. Apparently the man had disrobed to show his girlfriend that he would give up everything for her. The Sherriff explained the situation to me, and asked me to determine if the Scouts had been offended. If so, the Sheriff would arrest the man involved. Once I explained the situation to the Scouts, Aaron immediately responded “how poetic” ~ the others laughed. They were more amused than offended. There were no charges.

We are not done yet ~ remember that I’d mentioned a battlefield replica during the trip. Once we got back to our camp area, two of the boys decided they should do their own replica for the Scouts that missed the show – including one Scout representing the stripped man. His Mom, who was in camp, was less than impressed.

We finally got to sleep about an hour later. What a memory!!!!


In "If I Had My Child To Raise Over Again" Diane Loomans writes:

If I had my child to raise all over again,
I'd build self-esteem first, and the house later.
I'd finger-paint more, and point the finger less.
I would do less correcting and more connecting.
I'd take my eyes off my watch, and watch with my eyes.
I'd take more hikes and fly more kites.
I'd stop playing serious, and seriously play.
I would run through more fields and gaze at more stars.
I'd do more hugging and less tugging.~



As a child my family's menu consisted of two choices: take it, or leave it. ~Buddy Hackett

The child supplies the power but the parents have to do the steering. ~Benjamin Spock, Dr. Spock's Baby and Child Care

Here are a few Scout pictures - sorry I don't have digital copies of the San Juan trip - I need to work on that.

Heaven has a new Angel and King

"When I stand before God at the end of my life, I would hope that I would not have a single bit of talent left, and could say, "I used everything you gave me." ~Erma Bombeck

"I arise in the morning torn between a desire to improve the world and a desire to enjoy the world. This makes it hard to plan the day." ~Elwyn Brooks White

WHEW – it’s been a sobering month – time to reflect on what’s really important in life. There have been several – too many – events that have caused me to reflect – even more than usual.

Nickelback has a current song on the charts entitled “If today was you last day”. The lyrics are toward the end of this blog ~ enjoy. This is a perfect song. This is the song I’d write ~ if I could write a song. I enjoy much of the music that is currently played. Frankly, I did not enjoy much during the 80’s and 90’s, mostly preferring music from the 60’s and 70’s. But – it’s sounding better the past 10 years – thanks!!!

We’ve had tragedy and success at work the past month. The great news is Kelly, my boss, is doing well after a triple bypass last week. Kelly is a relatively healthy and active guy – but discovered heart problems after riding his bike 50 miles. He went home from the hospital on Fathers Day – and has a very positive and inspirational attitude.

However, we lost 2 great friends this past month. Mike succumbed to cancer on June 2 after a long fight. He was a great guy – always had a smile. Mike worked with our growers to make sure we had product. He also has a small farm, which he was able to have cows. We really enjoyed the hamburger meat we bought every year from Mike. I’ll miss his positive attitude and great spirit.

Ted lost his life on June 11 to a sudden heart attack. Ted worked on our Maintenance crew, and had been a part of our business for 34 years. He had several family members that also work here. Ted was an active outdoorsman. He was always willing to do the extra things at work – I’m wondering who will use the tractor next winter to remove the snow.

June 25th was another tough day – as we all lost Farrah Fawcett and Michael Jackson. WOW – how sad. There is a new Angel and King in heaven.

Farrah was 62, and had fought a long public battle with cancer. I hope that she brought even more public awareness to this dreaded disease. She proved to be stronger than anyone imagined! I have to admit that I’ve been a Farrah fan for a long time. She became an Angel on our TV screens – and I’m sure she is an Angel today. I wasn’t really into pin ups when I was a youngster. I only had 2 when I was in college – one was Farrah – do you blame me?

Michael was only 50 when he died yesterday of a cardiac arrest. WOW. There is probably nothing I can write that hasn’t been written a million times already. He was the King of Pop ….and he was Wacko Jacko. I believe Michael was a genuinely kind and benevolent person. I am convinced he had no conceptions of limits or boundaries – not that he was a villain – but he just didn’t understand why there were limits. That’s why he was so great on the stage – and so odd off stage. I believe he was certainly an odd character off stage – whether inappropriate or not, we’ll never really know, but I leave that for God to decide. I do know that he was great on stage. He was the best entertainer – EVER. I didn’t like all his music – but most of it stretched well beyond previous limits. He was a great singer. He was a great dancer. He was a great humanitarian. And there is no denying together he was a great entertainer on stage. He sold more records than anyone - ANYONE! I’d mentioned there was not a lot of music I enjoyed in the 80’s and 90’s ~ Michael was a clear exception. I can’t help but wonder if he could have extended his creativity. Maybe, as Erma Bombeck quoted "I used everything you gave me."

Hmmm~

Farrah was 62
Mike was 58
Ted was 55
Michael was 50

I’m 54, Kelly too – ouch – better make each day count!!!! Kelly and I have had bucket list conversations in the past. One of the items in our collective bucket is to ski when we are 70. I sure hope we achieve that goal.

If Today was Your Last Day (Nickelback)

My best friend gave me the best advice,

he said each day's a gift and not a given right.

Leave no stone unturned, leave your fears behind,

and try to take the path less traveled by
that first step you take is the longest ride.

Chorus:

If today was your last day,

and tomorrow was too late, could say goodbye to yesterday?

Would you, would you?

Would you live each moment like your last?

And leave old pictures in the past?

And don't hate any night you had?

Would you, would you?

If today was your last day?

Against the grain should be your way of life.

What’s worth the price is always worth the fight.

Every second counts, cuz there’s no second try.

So live like you'll never live it twice.

Don’t take the free ride in your own life.

Chorus

Would you call those friends you never see?

Reminisce on memories,

Would you forgive your enemies?

Would you find that one you're dreaming of?

Swear up and down to god above,

that you'll fight only for the love?

Chorus

Would you, would you?

Make up it up like mending a broken heart?

You know, it's never too late.To shoot for the stars,regardless of who you are?

So, do whatever it takes,

cuz you can't rewind a moment in this life.

Let nothing stand in your way,

cause when your hands are tied,

I’m always there, I'm on your side.

Life is simple, it’s just not easy. ~Author Unknown

Life's not always fair. Sometimes you can get a splinter even sliding down a rainbow. ~Cherralea Morgen

Life is like a coin. You can spend it any way you wish, but you only spend it once. ~Lillian Dickson

I'm a pretty lucky golfer!!!

I'm about five inches from being an outstanding golfer. That's the distance my left ear is from my right. ~Ben Crenshaw

The only time my prayers are never answered is on the golf course. ~Billy Graham


I could write a book about golf – so reasonable blogging will take serious editing ~ but it probably means that I’ll have to write more in later blogs ~ we’ll see where the writing spirits take me. It’s not that I’m a good golfer ~ or even addicted ~ just that I have a great respect for the game.

Golf is an opportunity to get in a nice walk, and focus on something else. More often than not I am relaxed on the course. I like walking – you have time to reflect on your game, or the day, or whatever you want. While I play some rounds in a cart – it’s just not the same game. You don’t get the exercise, and you spend most of your time between shots chatting. When walking, I get a little more needed exercise, but you also have a lot of time to just mentally wind down. I believe a person enjoys the game if they take it serious enough to want to get better, but understand you will never truly conquer a golf course.

Golf is just like any other game or sport ~ they more you play, the better you get. You can take lessons, buy the best clubs, and the newest balls ~ but you are not going to get better until you play – a lot. While physical strength can help, a lot of the game is played between the ears. The more you play, the better you get ~ both physically and mentally!

I’m a pretty lucky golfer. My boss loves to play golf. My wife loves to play golf. There is no problem getting out. I had to institute a 40 degree rule at home. We play year round, whenever we can get away for a few hours ~ which is most weekends. This includes the winter which can get a little chilly. Connie is worse than me; she’d play in any weather. Thus the 40 degree rule – we don’t go out until the thermometer hits 40 degrees. There are a lot of days during the winter when Connie will be checking the thermometer every 20 minutes. The only complaint she has is when the wind is blowing. She’ll play in rain ~ or even snow, but hates the wind.

I had the chance to visit my boss today - after his triple bypass surgery last week. WOW - he's doing great thanks to everyone's prayers. Our conversation quickly turned to golf. Kelly indicated since he couldn't play again until August - he wanted me to hit a few for him. He added that anytime I hit a bad shot - that could be his shot - I could drop another ball for "my" shot.

While I seldom talk business during golf, I’ve had many work related golf days. You get to know people a lot better when golfing. That may be true of other social activities – but golf exposes how the player reacts to events on the course – both good and bad. Some people definitely take it a little too serious – or at least more serious than me. I don’t mind a little smack talk – it reminds me that we should just be a having fun.

I’ve had the good luck to play on some great courses, and play with GREAT golfers. I’ve played with a lot of golfers that think they are good – but probably only 3 that are really good. One friend actually played on the Senior golf tour. You realize what a really good player is when you play with him. The rest of us better just be having fun – ‘cuz the guys that are good are having fun.

Here are a few golf pics:





Leavenworth, WA

Bandon, OR #18

Lake at Bandon

Bandon, OR

Bandon, OR

Bandon, OR

Bandon, OR

Mike in a little trouble at Pumpkin Ridge - Portland ~ yes, I did get through the trees!

Golf is so popular simply because it is the best game in the world at which to be bad. ~A.A. Milne

It's easy to see golf not as a game at all but as some whey-faced, nineteenth-century Presbyterian minister's fever dream of exorcism achieved through ritual and self-mortification. ~Bruce McCall

Hockey is a sport for white men. Basketball is a sport for black men. Golf is a sport for white men dressed like black pimps. ~Tiger Woods

101 dog hints

I think dogs are the most amazing creatures; they give unconditional love. For me they are the role model for being alive. ~Gilda Radner

If you think dogs can't count, try putting three dog biscuits in your pocket and then giving Fido only two of them. ~Phil Pastoret

We love our dog - most of the time. We have a relatively large Shih-tzu named Bowie. Bowie is more of a mammas boy. We'll both be sitting in the living room, I'll call him to sit on my lap. He will look at me, look at Connie ~ and promptly walk over and sit on her lap. I have to have treats to get his attention. Oh well - gotta love dogs. We've had a lot of great dogs - and dog stories.

I've heard that you can always trust dog people. I don't know if all people that have dogs are good ~ probably not ~ but I do believe that all people that have dogs are better for it. The dogs teach us how to have a good day - no matter what is going on around them.

We had a dog that learned how to jump in the back window of the car to go for a ride. One day, while we were working in the front yard, a car was driving by the house slowly. Our dog ran and jumped in the back window that was open. It was especially embarrassing because the car was a police car. Hmmm - fortunately, he had a sense of humor!

I'd be remiss if I didn't point out that pet ownership is also a tremendous responsibility. Here is a link to the American Kennel Clubs 101 suggestions to become a responsible dog owner:

http://www.akc.org/public_education/responsible_dog_owner.cfm

Wow - it takes a lot of hard work to be a good pet owner - but it's the best investment you'll ever make!!

I have pictures below of our dogs and others in the family - gotta luv 'em! Roscoe was a great dog - learned lotza tricks - and was always great with kids. Blackie was Dad's dog. And the two in the baby carriage were Pam's dogs.

My goal in life is to be as good of a person my dog already thinks I am. ~Author Unknown

A cat, after being scolded, goes about its business. A dog slinks off into a corner and pretends to be doing a serious self-reappraisal. ~Robert Brault

Welcome to Pendleton – gothcha

The taxpayer - that's someone who works for the federal government but doesn't have to take the civil service examination. ~Ronald Reagan

Taxation with representation ain't so hot either. ~Gerald Barzan

Bridge to nowhere, lofty dream, or great project?

Pendleton recently held an election to increase the local gas tax by 4 cents per gallon. The purpose of the tax is to pay for a road project that will make land available for business development. There has been a fair amount of controversy. For the record, I support the road project, but oppose paying for it with gas taxes.

I am concerned about the decision process to start the road project and the source of funding. However, I’m certain we need to have industrial ready land for potential businesses.

Let’s get real. Before I list my concerns, I want to address the cost of the gas tax because there are a lot of local citizens that are angry. Those that voted “no” need to settle down a little. Let’s look at the math for those, like me, that opposed the tax. We are only talking about $20 per year. Give me a break!!!! Most folks that commute to work drive about 50 miles per day. This equates to 12,500 miles per year. This would require 500 gallons of gas for a typical car that gets 25 miles per gallon. Your incremental tax is $20 if you add 4 cents to 500 gallons of gas. Some a little more – some a little less.

Here is a list of my concerns:

The purpose of the road project was to promote local business. However, the 4 cent gas tax creates a situation where a few current local businesses have a disadvantage with other similar businesses in the region. The gas stations in the city limits will have a 4 cent disadvantage against stations within just a few miles. It is too easy for people to opt out of the tax by buying gas outside of city limits.

The gas tax will disproportionately affect people that consume more gas. This includes many that have to commute for work. Nothing could be less fair than paying for this project through gas taxes.

The supporters explained that taxing gas was a great idea because 40-45% of the gas sold in town was to people that lived out of town. This concerns me for 2 reasons. The first is we should be trying to find more reasons for visitors to come to our town – not fewer reasons. It’s a “Welcome to Pendleton – gothcha” mentality. The second reason is that I feel it is not responsible to spend other people’s money. The local residents that will theoretically prosper should be the ones that pay. I believe that politicians in general make bad decisions when they insure that “somebody else" pays for it.

The other option to a gas tax would be for property taxes to pay for the project. I was in the minority that feels this is the best option. It’s a little self centered because my property holdings are less than others, but again this is a fairer method of taxing for this type of project. Theoretically those that benefit the most should pay for the project. IF the road project brings industrial business to Pendleton, then the property values go up – or at least stabilize – and property owners benefit.

I am also concerned that some supporters of the project have been misleading and arrogant. (NOT ALL SUPPORTERS) They had argued that the election was to support the community. That is not true. The project has already been approved and started: the only issue was how the project would be financed. They also expressed appreciation to the community for supporting the project. While the tax passed by a 54% yes to 46% no, our community leaders need to understand there are still 46% of local citizens that may not financially support the project. I would be more comfortable if they at least recognized the legitimate concerns rather than demonize opponents.

I’d rather have a gas tax to repair current roads in town – geez. Pendleton now has the second highest gas tax in Oregon. Only Eugene surpasses at 5 cents. You gotta know that Eugene is a tax and spend haven! Most other cities in Oregon that have a gas tax – there’s about 20, have limited the tax to 1-2 cents. Most of these taxes are directed only for current road repair. There are a few that have taxed for development projects – but not many.

There are private land owners along the new road that will realize significant improvements in their property value due to this project. It’s a mixed bag issue – they will realize a gain at public expense if the land is developed, or they may be taxed at a higher property value even if there is no real benefit.

OK – so why am I ranting? Folks, I think it makes a difference what our public projects are – AND how we pay for them. The whole concept of letting somebody else pay for it bothers me. That’s why my great-great-great grandchildren will be paying for my stimulus check. Oh well ~ it’s just a part of my political frustration. I know that Republicans blame Democrats for getting us into a mess, and Democrats blame the Republicans for the same. My theory is they are both right. ~ more on that another day .

I think I’ll go buy a bike!

Here are a few photos that fit my opinion – enjoy:


















If you make any money, the government shoves you in the creek once a year with it in your pockets, and all that don't get wet you can keep. ~Will Rogers

When there's a single thief, its robbery. When there are a thousand thieves, its taxation. ~Vanya Cohen

It's a green thing

I conceive that the land belongs to a vast family of which many are dead, few are living, and countless numbers are still unborn. ~A Chieftain from Nigeria

We do not inherit the earth from our ancestors; we borrow it from our children. ~Native American Proverb


Any good Scout knows to leave their campsite better than when they arrived. This goes for all of us. It’s hard to know how much impact we really have on the earth – and even more difficult to identify everything you can do to help. Many of us get hung up on not believing it’s a problem – or somebody else did it. So – start with the simple things.


Here are a few websites that have good information:



http://planetgreen.discovery.com/



http://www.greenplanet.com/index.html



http://www.greenplanet.org/

Here are a few facts about land pollution:

• Every year one American produces over 3285 pounds of hazardous waste


• Land pollution causes us to lose 24 billion tons of top soil every year
  
• Americans generate 30 billion foam cups, 220 million tires and 1.8 billion disposable diapers every year


• We throw away enough trash every day to fill 63,000 garbage trucks
  
• Every day Americans throw away 1 million bushels of litter out their car window
• Over 80% of items in landfills can be recycled, but they’re not

How to Prevent Land Pollution~ The best way to prevent land pollution is to recycle.

Here are a few other ways you can reduce land pollution:

• Reuse any items that you can


• Buy biodegradable products


• Store all liquid chemicals and waste in spill-proof containers


• Eat organic foods that are grown without pesticides


• Don’t use pesticides


• Use a drip tray to collect engine oil


• Buy products that have little packaging


• Don’t dump motor oil on the ground

We had a great work project this week. The management at our plant, including the President of the company, took an hour away from the day to clean litter from a mile of road leading into town. AND we skipped a meeting to clean up the road – a win/win :-) !!

In less than an hour, we were able to fill a pick up with litter, bottles and tires - good job!!!! Here are a few pictures:

There are no passengers on Spaceship Earth. We are all crew. ~Marshall McLuhan, 1964

How wonderful it is that nobody need wait a single moment before starting to improve the world. ~Anne Frank

Four Angels

God could not be everywhere, so he created mothers. ~Jewish Proverb

Some mothers are kissing mothers and some are scolding mothers, but it is love just the same, and most mothers kiss and scold together. ~Pearl S. Buck


There is an old saying, “If momma ain’t happy, ain’t nobody happy”. That’s always been true in my house – whether my Mom, Grandma, or wife. So, I want to wish all the Mothers, especially mine, a HAPPY Mother’s Day.


My Mom raised four of us, all four angels. Hmmm ~ I’m not sure we were always angels. Maybe sometimes? Now that I think about it, the only time she really called me an angel was when she found out which little league baseball team I’d play on – the Angels. Oh well, at least I was an Angel during baseball season. She raised us to be independent (stubborn). At times, “we’ve” been accused of being a little too stubborn – well at least my sisters. ;-) Thanks Mom for all you did!!!!!


I have an award to give, the Mother of the Year award. Due to tight budgets, the only prize for this award is eternal admiration and a big hug the next time I see you. So – ta da – here it is: My First Annual Mother’s Day award goes to my niece, Rayna. Rayna had a beautiful baby girl, Aubrie, in March. But, it was quite a challenge. Rayna was having health problems, so Aubrie was born early – real early. Aubrie was less than 3 pounds when she was born – what a tiny tiny girl! However, with great medical care and all our prayers, both Rayna and Aubrie are doing fantastic. Rayna, you sure did it the hard way. Congratulations – you are a great Mom!!!

Here is a picture of Rayna and Aubrie – how cute!!!


See what I mean:






No one in the world can take the place of your mother. Right or wrong, from her viewpoint you are always right. She may scold you for little things, but never for the big ones. ~Harry Truman



The phrase "working mother" is redundant. ~Jane Sellman

Leave No Child Inside

"All television is educational television. The question is: what is it teaching?" ~Nicholas Johnson

"I wish there were a knob on the TV to turn up the intelligence. There's a knob called 'brightness,' but that doesn't work." ~Author Unknown

TV? Cell Phones? Computers? We have limited ourselves to a 2 dimension life in a 3 dimension world. Not to be a hypocrite, I plead guilty to watching too much TV. I was watching some (crap) TV a few nights ago – and was just frustrated with myself – would have got more out of cleaning the garage. So – you have my permission to constantly remind me there is something better to do.

I’ve learned through Scouting that outdoor activities and interactive activities can lead to tremendous individual growth. This works for both youth and adults ~ we are all kids. There are several similar programs that can help. Another that has peeked my interest is Leave no child inside. ( http://leavenochildinside.org/ or http://kidsoutside.info/).

Here are a few notes from the Kaiser Family Foundation (KFF):

The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) recommends that kids under 2 years old not watch any TV and that those older than 2 watch no more than 1 to 2 hours a day of quality programming.

The first 2 years of life are considered a critical time for brain development. TV and other electronic media can get in the way of exploring, playing, and interacting with parents and others, which encourages learning and healthy physical and social development.

As kids get older, too much screen time can interfere with activities such as being physically active, reading, doing homework, playing with friends, and spending time with family.

Of course, television, in moderation, can be a good thing:
Preschoolers can get help learning the alphabet on public television, grade schoolers can learn about wildlife on nature shows, and parents can keep up with current events on the evening news. No doubt about it — TV can be an excellent educator and entertainer.

But despite its advantages, too much television can be detrimental:
Children who consistently spend more than 4 hours per day watching TV are more likely to be overweight.
Kids who view violent acts are more likely to show aggressive behavior but also fear that the world is scary and that something bad will happen to them.
TV characters often depict risky behaviors, such as smoking and drinking, and also reinforce gender-role and racial stereotypes.

So - get outside!! Hike. Fish. Play golf, tennis, or horseshoes. Take the dog for a walk. Better yet - take somebody with you!!

"TV. If kids are entertained by two letters, imagine the fun they'll have with twenty-six. Open your child's imagination. Open a book. " ~Author Unknown

"The smallest bookstore still contains more ideas of worth than have been presented in the entire history of television." ~Andrew Ross

Jewelry class

~ Not on one strand are all life's jewels strung. ~ William Morris

~ All art is autobiographical; the pearl is the oyster's autobiography. ~ Federico Fellini

OK - so our jewelry class is over. We've got mixed feelings. The weather is getting nicer - so the Saturday afternoon class was a time buster - would rather have a winter class. BUT - we learned a lot in just 4 sessions - and realized how much more we'd really need to learn. At first glance, we were advised maybe we should keep our day jobs. We certainly are more appreciative of the work of real artisans.

We will probably try this again - although we will be better prepared next time. There is another teacher that may offer a Bronze class - that'd be fun too!

Here are a few pictures of our class projects - and the process:

~ I think men who have a pierced ear are better prepared for marriage. They've experienced pain and bought jewelry. ~ Rita Rudner

Happiness

“No one can pass through life, any more than he can pass through a bit of country, without leaving tracks behind, and those tracks may often be helpful to those coming after him in finding their way.” Lord Baden Powell

Troop 777 had an Eagle Court of honor for Trevor this past Sunday. (Please note that I avoid last names in most of my blogs for security reasons.) I’m not as involved with Scouts as much as the past, but attend meetings and ceremonies occasionally. Eagle Ceremonies are quite an endeavor – as Trevor’s Dad said to me, “I can’t imagine there is any more work in a wedding”.

Trevor had an ambitious Eagle Project, building racks for the drum room at Pendleton High School. He is very involved in music – and will be studying music at Oregon State University this fall – Go Beavs. Congratulations to Trevor!!!!



















I’d read a letter at the ceremony from Lord Baden Powell – which caused me to think a little more about happiness. I found the following notes from another source about Happiness:

HAPPINESS
Step 1 - We are our own creator for our own happiness. Happiness is the soul's joy and the possession of that which you cannot see but feel. Happiness is neither of the body nor the mind.

Step 2 - Happiness has a number of relatives such as gratification, satisfaction, contentment and pleasure. All of these are temporary. Gratitude is thankfulness within the heart.

Step 3 - Happiness is continuous. Happiness is like an orchestra where every instrument is part of the whole. It is true living. It is calm and peaceful. It never lives in an atmosphere of worry or struggle.

Step 4 - The basis of happiness is the love of something outside of self. The constant thing here is love. Love of parent, love for child, love of man and woman for each other, love of humanity in some form or a great passion for one's life's work. Happiness is the voice of optimism, of faith and of steadfast love.

Step 5 - No cynical person can be happy is evidenced by Prince Bismarck, one of the greatest statesmen of the 19th century. Eighty-three years of wealth, fame, honors, power, influence, prosperity and he has said, he has never known a 24-hour period where he has ever been happy in eighty-three years. He had a serious distrust of people.

Step 6 - Happiness comes from within and radiates out to others. Dedicate your life to some noble service to others and consecrate your life as such. An unselfish, kind and helpful person forgets himself sometimes to help others. When you consecrate yourself, it dignifies a humble life. It's a short cut to simplicity. It brings calmness and serenity to us. A step toward happiness is success. You rise above jealously, worry, pettiness and reside in a place of love.

Step 7 - The cure for unhappiness is to stay conscious. Stay alone with your consciousness then you can hear your Inner Voice's guidance and feel your steps. You will begin to know what real happiness is then. True happiness, outlives sorrow, and transmutes it to love. Give happiness not to yourself but to others. New strength each day should be your goal. Simple acts of kindness. Seek to radiate kindness and happiness to others. It nourishes your soul and cures your unhappiness.

Have a good Day!!!!!

A special Easter

"Easter is the demonstration of God that life is essentially spiritual and timeless."-- Charles M. Crowe

"Let the resurrection joy lift us from loneliness and weakness and despair to strength and beauty and happiness."-- Floyd W. Tomkins

It's a special Easter this year.

We volunteered to be mentors for a 8th grader, Caleb, at church during his confirmation process. The class is designed around workbooks called Making Disciples. There were about 10-12 work sessions where we discussed everything from Jesus to God to church membership. I met with Caleb after school one day each week. Connie was involved with after school programs - so she mostly went to church with us. The hardest part of the program was meeting with all the Elders of Session. The kids were VERY quiet - hard to do for 7th graders.


Caleb is a great kid. He had great questions - and we worked well through the lessons. Our scripture readings included all of the book of Luke. I am grateful for the experience. I was able to see faith through new eyes, and hopefully showed Caleb that we all have a faith journey that is filled with surprises, but must start somewhere. I got along well with Caleb because we share a joy of the outdoors. It will be a joy to see Caleb's activities over the next 4 years.

The culmination of the confirmation process was Caleb joining the church on Easter morning along with 2 other great kids; Morgan and Jake. What a great Easter!!!!

"He is risen; he is not here."-- Mark 16:6

"He takes men out of time and makes them feel eternity."-- Ralph Waldo Emerson

Spring has Sprung at last!!!!

"If we had no winter, the spring would not be so pleasant; if we did not sometimes taste of adversity, prosperity would not be so welcome." - Anne Bradstreet

Anne - it's going to be a glorious spring because winter was hellacious!

It's been a loooooooong winter. Tooooooo long!!!!!!!


We finally have a few days of Spring in Eastern Oregon. This past weekend was a break from sitting around the fireplace reading books. The lawn was mowed - yeah, the mower started - flower seeds were planted - and yes, we played golf. I still need to wash the cars - ah, if there only was a little more time. Oh well.


The golf game is a little rusty - but we sure enjoyed getting out for a nice walk. The pace of play on Saturday was a little slow - lotza other golfers - but I didn't mind - at least we were outside. Sunday was much better.


Connie and I started a new class at the Pendleton Art Center. The Art Center offers several art classes each quarter - very relaxed atmosphere. It's interesting how life makes a full circle. While in college, I'd worked in a jewelry store for a few years. Much of the work was in the back room - engraving and minor watch and jewelry repair. Sooooo, I was excited about the class Connie wanted us to take - jewelry making.


Our first project is a relatively simple piece of jewelry - I'm making a broach for a necklace. We plan to make rings in a few weeks. It's just a four week class. I'll probably make a neckerchief slide for Scouts. ?? There was an elderly gentleman, Lee, that was sitting in our class. Lee was just observing the class, he'd apparently made a lot of jewelry in the past. Lee had a centrifugal casting devise used to make rings. We weren't too sure why he was in the class - just observing. So after about 20 minutes the teacher asked if he wanted to do anything. He indicated the reason he was there was to give the centrifugal devise (I'm sure there is a formal name) to somebody in the class that had a lot of interest. He apparently like what Connie and I were doing - so he gave it to us. WOW. The teacher said this is worth a lot of $$$. So, I'm planning to make Lee a Bolo tie with a western theme.


I'm also planning to help Scouts make a neckerchief slides for themselves. It'd be great to have individualized slides. Who knows - maybe we'll really get into this. I'm not sure there is room in the garage for another hobby. Good thing they don't have a garage cleaning class - I'd fail!!!


We'll post pictures of our ~fine~ projects in a few weeks - hope for the best.

"The music that really turns me on is either running toward God or away from God. Both recognize the pivot, that God is at the center of the jaunt." Bono

Grain elevator deconstruction

Here are photos of a deconstruction project in Weston, OR. This is a grain elevator that has not been used for several years. It was amazing to watch the activity over the last several weeks. There were thousands of 2"x6" boards that were nailed in several locations. The building was constructed at least 70 years ago. There was apparently no way to save the boards - so all was chipped except a few major beams. It was sad to see the boards converted to chip - but the building had become a safety hazard.

Hola from Playa Del Carmen

Hola,

Mexico was great - and appeared safe in the tourist areas. We spent 8+ days in Playa del Carmen - whew - lotza fun.

Playa del Carmen is a tourist area that is much more relaxed than Cancun. Playa is about 40 miles South of Cancun. (ASK Connie if you need any travel tips - she has searched everything about the area.) The town is spread along the beach - with the main street lined with bricks and closed to car traffic. There are 20+ blocks of walkway with restaurants and shops - just a fun place to go. And there are plenty of activities within a short bus ride.

Highlights:

4 favorite activities:
The beach - can't beat it.
Scuba diving - saw several large turtles!
Climbing the ruins at Coba Mayan Ruins.
Hidden Worlds was fun - zip lines and cenotes. A little spendy. (Save $10 buying tickets on line!)

3 favorite Restaurants:
Yaxche Mayan Cuisine- mmmmm
La Cueva del Chango
Babes Noodle Bar (Cervesa is 30 pesos, water 32 pesos - gotta save $$ when you can)

$1 US = 14.5 pesos

3 disappointments:
Too windy a few days.
Had to come home.
Connie was pretty sick for a few days - bummer!

Another Favorite activity - we met so many people from all over the world!! France, Germany, the States, and Mexico and more. We enjoyed getting to know so many people. The hotel we stayed at had a really fun feature - a continental breakfast which was served. Everybody showed up at 8am - and got to know each other over coffee, juice and rolls - talking about the planned activities for the day and sharing tips about the area.

Language faux pas:
I went to an Internet cafe one evening to catch up on the news. I was at a desk that was outside, right of 5th street - the street for only foot traffic - chatting with one of the vendors at an adjacent store. The vendor had limited English - and I had limited Spanish - but we were chatting.

Another tourist wanted to play a practical joke on his wife. She was very pale - which is hard to do on the Mexican Riviera. The husband wanted the vendor to ask the wife "Where is your tan?". This is apparently a family joke for the fair skinned wife. The wife was a few shops away with a friend and her parents. So the vendor walks up to her and asks "where is your tan?" - everyone breaks out laughing - including the wife.

So they family works their way down the street. About 5 minutes later, the vendor is asking how good my Spanish is - I said so-so. He wanted to know what it meant to say "where is your tan?" He had no idea what he was saying and why everyone was laughing. He finally understood the joke once I explained what was going on. (I think he was originally offended that everyone was laughing at him because he didn't really understand it was a practical joke.)

Sooo - the next evening I was walking past the store - same vendor outside. He didn't recognize me at first. I leaned over and said "where is your tan?" - he laughed.

The other fun language story was trying to figure out when the time was going to change. The time had already changed to Day Light Savings at home, but not in Mexico yet. We had been advised by fellow tourists that it may be the day we were traveling home. We had to ask a lot of people over several days before we found out it would be next weekend. One of the themes in Mexico is that no one really cares what time it is - let alone tomorrow. We fit in well with the concept - except we wanted to catch our flight home.

Connie had asked a shop vendor if the time was changing tomorrow. He replied "Oh no - it's going to be nice - no rain - no wind."

Oh well.

Here are a few favorite photos:

Climbing the temple at Coba:


















Our hotel:





















Fishing boats along Playa
















5th street in Playa - no cars!!!

Mike and Connie at Coba

"A vacation is having nothing to do and all day to do it in." Robert Orben

"oz"ome Portland trip

OK – so the dog tricks are a little boring. Sorrrry!

We took a little break this weekend to make memories. (cuz that’s what we do!) It’s been a long winter – the weather has been crappy – and Spring Break is still 2 weeks away. So we took off to Portland for a couple of days. Last December, I’d bought Connie tickets to a play for her birthday.

Fate threw a few challenges at us. Connie was sick on Friday – real sick. Thankfully she was feeling a little better on Saturday – so we took off Sat. AM. The wicked winds from the East blew like I’ve never seen before. The water from the Columbia River was actually blowing a mist onto the truck. It was a three hour fight driving into the wind the entire trip. YUK!!!

Oh well – so we arrived in Portland – and stayed at the Residence Inn. It’s OK. The story I want to share about the hotel is how we pick them. Most people that know me understand I don’t mind shopping for a bargain. Some critics may even argue I’m cheap. So, either way, I’m a big fan of Priceline! Try it if you haven’t yet. They have 2 methods of selecting a room – you can either pick your hotel at the “rack” rate – or bid on a hotel. You don’t get to select the hotel if you bid – but I’ve never been disappointed. We regularly find 3-star hotels for $50-$60. For this trip, we bid $50 for a $139 room. There are always a few extras – but it’s still a nice deal. We had to pay a little extra for parking, but included was a decent breakfast. You can select the location in the city – and the star level. We’ve stayed at 4 star hotels, but find their restaurants can be too spendy. Ok – so enough about travel trips.

For those that haven’t been to Portland – it’s a great city. It’s easy to get around, plenty to do, and great food. Not that I need a lot of great food. So, after a yummy seafood dinner, we had to get ready for the play. While waiting for the elevator, Connie made quite an impression on one of the other hotel guests. This probably isn’t the best forum to describe the meeting – but just ask her the next time you talk to her – it was definitely a “memory” – if not a little embarrassing!!!! (Probably one of the highlights of the trip).

We also had to take Bowie – jeez. Oh well, momma was happy. This hotel is VERY dog friendly. I’m sure the people in the room before us had a dog – because we found a new dog toy under the bed. Of course, Bowie had the stuffing tore out of it in about 5 minutes.

So we are off to see the play- ah – to see Wicked. It was an “oz”ome play. The comedic-musical play was about the lives of the witches in the Wizard of Oz. The play was very funny – music was so-so. (Not as good as an Andrew Lloyd Weber play). The moral of the Wicked story is - not all is at it seems. There is good in what is perceived as bad, and bad in what is perceived as good. There is humor, certainly a few twists, and the cast was great. GO SEE IT!!!!!

I indulged a little a few weeks ago – purchased a GPS for our car. While I know my way around Portland, and would have found my way into and out of town, it was really nice to have the GPS. I’d just bought a basic model on BUY.com (shopping for bargains). This darned thing paid for itself the first trip!! Most of you know I’m addicted to coffee. Not just regular coffee! I like a good cup of coffee. So, I just had to push a few buttons on the GPS and it directed me to a really good coffee place in Gresham. We grabbed a couple of Lattes and a bag of fresh roasted beans – mmmmmm. I’d have never found this place – and would have settled for just another Starbucks.

So –it’s Sunday morning. On the way home to Pendleton, we took a break at Wahkeena Falls. What a beautiful place. (See pictures below) The nice thing about driving to Portland is the drive through the Columbia River Gorge. There is about 100 miles of forest and waterfalls. We try to stop at new locations and take a small hike – about a mile this trip.




I’m “trying” to change the flavor of this blog. We are just starting – so It’ll take a little while. So, with that in mind:

In his final letter to the Scouts, Baden-Powell wrote:

"...I have had a most happy life and I want each one of you to have a happy life too. I believe that God put us in this jolly world to be happy and enjoy life. Happiness does not come from being rich, nor merely being successful in your career, nor by self-indulgence. One step towards happiness is to make yourself healthy and strong while you are a boy, so that you can be useful and so you can enjoy life when you are a man. Nature study will show you how full of beautiful and wonderful things God has made the world for you to enjoy. Be contented with what you have got and make the best of it. Look on the bright side of things instead of the gloomy one. But the real way to get happiness is by giving out happiness to other people. Try and leave this world a little better than you found it and when your turn comes to die, you can die happy in feeling that at any rate you have not wasted your time but have done your best. 'Be Prepared' in this way, to live happy and to die happy - stick to your Scout Promise always - even after you have ceased to be a boy - and God help you to do it."

Bowies tricks

Trip to Andies prarie

A few shots while snowshoeing.