Floor Project out of Matertial

I have many many projects that need getting back to around the house. Here is my latest and most personally inspirational. Inspirational because it looks so good after what we have lived on for the last 15(?) years. Especially the last 2 or three years after we begin the monumental task of remodeling the kitchen.

Here you see the color difference in what was to what will be.
The edge of the new also represents our "current problem due to procrastination" , oh, and lack of funding.
We started the kitchen remodel the year Jenny was a senior. Every senior at Orcas Is. High School has a Senior Project. Jenny's project was related to our remodel. This old picture was taken in the demo stage. It was taken from outside the building into an area that became Theresa's sewing area. 

Any way we did not get around to finishing things like trim and that "finished" look.  So I decided to work on the floor this winter.  We used Harmionics Laminate Flooring from Costco and it is really a good looker.  However, they are phasing out the color we used and are going to new stuff.  Yikes! Now we are searching the state for 6 or 7 more boxes of the stuff to complete the dining room floor.

Here is a look from the kitchen.  

Family Home for the Holidays

It has been a bit of time since my last post. So I need to get after it.

It is great having a bustle of activity at home these days with Jenny and Angie back from school. I think Joe really misses them and I know Theresa and I do. Though I have to admit that, at times, I can't wait for school to start again.

I am really proud of the girls and how they are tackling life’s questions and answers. They are both involved in their respective communities (Angie with Campus Christian Fellowship (CCF) and Jenny with a Street Ministry to teens in Spokane.) Jenny is learning about cars(ouch) and Army ROTC is crafting her leadership skills. She is almost done with basic schooling (not pre-med, but pre-nursing) and will soon begin at the Intercollegiate School of Nursing. Angie is working to complete her senior year at Western and her major in Human Resources and Accounting will serve her well.

Joe is holding up well with his leg broken. We are as of today 2 months post break. Theresa has a photo at her blog. He complained about showing others his x-ray but I told him I had to have something to show for $29,000. Actually, the insurance paid for much of the cost but the total for a leg break is astounding. And though this took a rod and 2 screws I get the feeling that this was a fairly simple repair. No complications. Praise the Lord.



Well, gotta go. I update you on my reading sometime and start getting some pictures up.

To Die or Live

Wow, what a contrast.

Just yesterday I had stumbled on the story of Lovelle Svart. Lovelle had a terrible cancer and, in Oregon where it is legal, chose to end her life with help from the doctor assisted suicide system. I wondered how we as "Christians in the Culture" can speak to our brothers and encourage them to choose Life though they are dying.

Now, I just read of Blandina and her martyrdom at The Point. I was reminded of the tough road of dignity that Bill M., and Carolyn Y. chose. I chose to join them, to Live.

What a contrast between the two lives. I am not insensitive to Lovelle and I'm not in her shoes, but I would choose to live for Christ even if that means dying like Blandina did. I doubt I have her faith. Yet. God willing, I'm at least headed in that direction. I struggle with disciplined commitment, tenaciously hanging on to comfort and old habits. I hope that the Lord continues to "work with in me to will and to act according to His good purpose".

In my men's group we just started studying the book of James. Doers of the word and not hearers only. Would that I was.

I will.

Work in me Lord.

Whirlwind September

Wow, its been busy round here. Lots of things which I have thought to blog about, but alas it came to nothing.

So I'm updating about my adventures......

Reading: "The Rebirth of Orthodoxy" by Oden is panning out now. I enjoyed the distraction in reading the Athanasian Creed which I had not heard before. Actually now that I have read it and continue to ponder it and its form, I am reminded of some scenes from a couple shows that parody it.

Podcasting: I've been working on pod casts from the church since July 8. I have every sermon since on video on the church website orcaschurch.org. It has been a good intellectual learning curve on how to get a podcast going. Hooked into iTunes and all. I stripped out the audio and created audio casts after some had trouble (windows users) with the movie format (quicktime). I decided to go to MP3 format to have wider compatibility.

Well family is calling me to breakfast. Will add more later.

Current Reading

I've decided to pick up reading and develop a personal library. I set a goal to become familiar with the books I pick out, but not force myself to finish them.  This may not be a good thing but I know me and if I said I'm not gonna read another till one is done then I'd only read two or three a year.

So I'm developing a grazing style of reading. I'm notorious for reading 2 or 3 paragraphs and dropping off to slumber land.  So I'm working on that and working on learning to scan after I get a couple of chapters in. I will try to find interesting things that stretch my thought, etc.

My first book in this endeavour is TA DA - "The Rebirth of Orthodoxy" by Thomas Oden.  I heard about it through my new pastor's PodCast The Kindlings Muse.  It is a philosophical study of the resurgence of Orthodoxy in a post-modern world that is seeing the failure of Freudianism, Darwinism, Marxism and others in bringing any meaning to life and that they in-adequately answer life questions. Apparently post-modern Jews and Christians, which share a common historical reference in Old Testament literature, are returning to that foundation of truth.

Making progress....I'm on chapter two already......

Got my eye on Salsa!

Well now I've done it.

So.. we make home made salsa every year. Good stuff. No. Great stuff!!! We like to give it away as presents, but most of all we just love it on whatever. It is sometimes hot, sometimes mild. Really grand as it ages. I like it hot, fresh brewed out of the kettle on the stove. Mmmmmmmm!

Tonite we chopped up garlic and peppers - bells, cerano , jalapeno chilies. Theresa did most of the work, but I did help. Yep, just after finishing the jalpenos I rub my eye.

OUCH, boy did that sting. For the next 45 minutes I could not take a look out of that eye. And of course, while holding a hot towel to the eye some chilies decided to migrate towards the other eye. Just a tingle mind you.

My daughter Angela remembered at some point that we had some eyewash. I could not open the eye without pain, but decided to at least wash the outside. Well lucky me that eased things up a bit and then I could just open a bit and finally was able wash the eye. Thanks Bosh and Lomb for the help. Its now gonna be required in the cabinet during salsa season.

Don't these jars look luscious!

DNS Servers

Whoa 1st Post is a Tech Post!

I have been working with Wes at Desticam.com in maintaining his webcams on Orcas Island. He is using some nice cams from stardot-tech.com. So I have been adjusting and configuring them out over the last few days. The goal of course to be familiar with the system, but for the system never to need me. So.... I need to get it working well and documented well so I can remember how to access and resolve issues quickly and efficiently for him.

Anyway, I found a camera with ClearWire DNS 64.13.16.5 and 64.13.48.12 on a CenturyTel DSL setup. Wow ClearWire allows outside DNS lookups!

CenturyTel DNS is 209.142.136.142 and 207.230.192.252