Common Ground Coffee House #114

Wow Brother Barnabas, did we finally wake you up?......lol..Gina made that announcement some time ago. I was surprised to as I followed her moves to the northern states, including Alaska and then to Colorado.......A huge change all around.

Cheers, mate, always good to see you,

Jim

 

Good Afternoon Everybody,

It's been awhile since I've been in here. We've been a bit busy lately.

Brenda fell over the 4th of July and fractured her fight foot. She is now hobbling around with her foot in an airboot.

Our Son get's married this friday, and Brenda's ex and his girlfriend are in town from Columbia, SC for the wedding. They've been over here every day since they arrived, and last night and tonight I'm cooking for the entire family. Never had any complaints about what I made last night so Brenda asked me to cook again tonight[I think she's showing me off].

Other than preperations for the wedding and entertaining and cooking for the family not much going on...but then that's enough isn't it?

I'll try to get back in here when I can.

 

Good Afternoon Everyone!

Summer is rolling along at a brisk pace here at the menagerie. Cade is still recovering. Chris has to get a haircut cause his current "homeschool" style is too long in front for public school. :laugh: He has to lose the "flip". He also says he is not sure public school is worth losing his hair over. :laugh: Cass has had a viral infection that has kept her feeling badly for a week already and Jenna has started homeschooling without complaint that she is begininng before the rest of the kids.

On the adult side of things: the lawnmower is broken, the dryer is too, but the weedeater loves ME. I am currently the only person in the house who can start the thing! It is nice to be appreciated but I'm not sure this is a compliment.

Ann, I sent you a pm about the homeschool stuff.

Ya'll have good day!

 

Rain is a Temptress

We did not get a single drop of rain the entire month of June and we have only had 3/4 of an inch one evening a few weeks back. Three times now, the winds blew, the temperature dropped, and the smell of rain was in the air; however, not a drop fell. All three times I rushed out and took the dust cover off the rain gauge hoping to be able and at least log a "T" (trace) on the CoCoRaHS site. For three straight weeks the temperature has risen over 105 with several days topping 110. Needless to say, we could use some relief, and it ain't spelled R-O-L-A-I-D-S!

 

Let me tell you how to fix that.

Kill your dryer (well not so dead that there is no hope, but dead enough that you can't be tempted to use it)

String up a brand new clothes line ($4 at Walmart)

Hang clothes.

I brought the rain into Alabama a WHOLE day early by doing this. We weren't supposed to get a drop until tomorrow. :laugh:

 

That may be Bro. Jim, but since Lenke had her total right knee replacement I did not have the time to browse on the Net as much - including the BB. But it was great to hear about Gina, as we also followed her sojourning and we are very happy for her to be able to find her other soulmate.

It is good to see you also around Bro. Jim. Hope your health is holding up and the Lord is gracious to you. We just had our older daughter, Elizabeth, with us for a week from NYC and we spent a wonderful time together as a family. :type:

 

My dear Brother Barnabas, it is always a delight for me to see you post. We are getting a little older and the fingers a little slower. I pray that Lenke's knee will fully heal and give her new freedom. Always good to have daughters and children visit. Our daughter from Georgia was also with us recently for two weeks and two granddaughters.

We have the other daughter's son (he is 2 now) with us two or three days a week. How much fun is that! I have to trip him now and then to keep up. His little legs move fast.

Yes, I always like Gina and tried to keep up with her. It is good to see her grow and progess in life.

Cheers, mate, and bless,

Jim

 

Awww, you guys are so sweet! Barnabas, I hope Lenke is healing well! I've seen people do the knee replacement thing and after the initial first week of "ouch!", they're usually VERY happy with the progress and then even happier when they realize how much better they can move about!

Yep Jim and Barnabaas...got married to someone from....right on this board. :thumbs: He posted here under the handle "luckyman." His wife was Gayla, and she posted a lot in the PWF, but passed away last year. That's how I ended up talking to my now-husband...he had been blogging about the situation and afterwards, we began talking.

Ok, now for the mesquite tree...I feel SOOOOO stupid! I thought mesquite might be some kind of fruit or something...I swear you said you were making tea out of it! Now that I think about it I have seen the word "mesquite flavored" all over the place, all in reference to smoked/bbq stuff. *sigh* Remind me to think before I ask questions again...

Love ya all! Talk again soon...like probably in a few minutes. HA!

 

OK Gina, now I am really pleased that you married a good man, and I feel well for him too.

I remember Gayla. I talked often with her and sent her little gifts from England about the Royals. I was so glad she got to see them before she passed over. I didn't talk with her husband, except when he made the odd post on here.

Keep your chin up and keep moving on in your spiritual life, and keep us old guys informed. We are nosy you know!

Cheers,

Jim

 

I did, I did

Well sort of, I actually roasted and ground the mesquite beans and made a coffee. My wife rendered the juice from the beans and is making syrup and jelly. I have read that a tea can be made from the leaves, but I have not tried that yet.

The coffee was very tasty by itself, but I have been mixing it with regular coffee and have my own gourmet blend.:wavey:

 

That is wonderful! I remember Gayla. We prayed for her recovery, followed the many treatments she had to go through and endure. Have seen the family photo, so I kind of remember the faces.... I have to share this with Bro. Barnabas, the original Webmaster of this site. He will be happy to know that beside spiritual edification his site has also served as a matchmaker. Our love to you folks!!!

As far as Lenke is concerned, she prolonged her surgery much too long. She could hardly walk without pain. The doctor is a very famous surgeon, and we were fortunate to get him do the procedure when he did. Lenke is now walking without the cane. A bit hard for her to get up from a seated position. She did not walk the mile yet, but she soon will. And the pain is gone.... only occasionally comes on but it is a different kind of pain. On August 7th she will be in her third month. And I understand that before she gets perfect, it could take a year. We trust, hope and pray. :type:

 

ARRGHHHH!!!! There I've got it out of my system.


Our Son's future MIL confided to him and his fiance last night that she doesn't have the money to pay off the things she has ordered for the wedding, which is Saturday.


To make things worse she told her Daughter [in a fit of gin-induced remorse most likely] that she and her new "boyfriend"[whom she has known less than a week] are going away for the weekend...THIS weekend. She won't be at the wedding.


I've been scrambling since sunup finding out what she hasn't paid and what she still owes for the wedding.

Guess it's up to Brenda and I now, oh well guess we didn't want to take a vacation this year.

Never have I seen a woman sob so hard as I did when talking to my Son's fiance. She is crushed.

Guess I'll be giving the Bride away [her Mother and Father are divorced, and now neither will be at the wedding.]


* SIGH * just when I think nothing else can go wrong...

 

Since I am at a loss for words, I'll just say we are praying for you, your son and future daughter-in-law and for the wedding. May God give you wisdom and direction.
raying:

 

Thanks for the prayers RD.

I sent the Bridal Party off to get their nails done [and hopefully their minds off what happened.]

I meet with the florist at 4pm today, and the caterer at 5:30 today. I'm not going to let this woman ruin her Daughter's day.

 

Her family deeply appreciated all the prayers that wnt out, Barnabas. raying:

Let me know what Barnabas says! I hope he is doing well. We miss him as Webmaster! Is he now posting under a top secret name, or did he run away?

BTW, here's a link to my new church...well, new to me anyhow! http://www.southwestbaptistchurch.com/
It's HUGE! Definitely not what I'm accustomed to as far as size, and not what I'm accustomed to anymore as far as strictness, but hubby is very kind and patient with me.

Let us know when Lenke makes that miracle mile! You should celebrate that day...preferably with chocolate cake. hehehe

FoG, that is a MESS! Yuck! Sounds like that poor girl is marrying into better family though, and I'm sure that will be a MAJOR blessing for her! Nothing hurts more than your own flesh and blood acting that way. The more I see of alcohol (and trust me, saw a LOT of it in interior Alaska!) the more I think it should be outlawed. Free country or not, addictive things that make people hurt others while under the influence of them should NOT be legal! It's a safety issue for a country.

Oh, another cool thing! With the economy as nasty as it is, I thought that moving to the lower 48 would pose a major problem in finding a job. (the economy out there isn't NEARLY as bad as down here) Fortunately, I got one within a week of getting here. Whoo-hoo! I start in late August, and am working on the freelance thing in the meantime. Yay!

 

So sorry to hear this! You're a gem for taking over this mess. The wedding is tomorrow then? :1_grouphug:

 

WhooHoo!!!!!!! That's wonderful! :thumbs:

Speaking of your living now in the lower 48 states, I have totally missed which state? And how are things meshing otherwise ... ?

 

You missed interior Alaska! Wonderful place, apart from the mass alcoholism. But the animals and the weather are beautiful imo!

Things are meshing as well as can be expected. Everyone has to adjust, and we're working on pounding that into...I mean, gently and lovingly incorporating that concept into their little minds. :laugh:

 

Awww Cuz! What an awful thing for a mother to do. It sure is awful sweet of you to step in a fix things. :thumbs:

Good Afternoon Everyone!

A major transformation is about to happen at the menagerie! Chris is getting his hair cut. :laugh: Okay, well HE doesn't think it is funny, but I am sure enjoying it. If ya'll thought girls were fussy about their hair, ya'll haven't seen ANYTHING! I have to say he does have some nice, thick, curly red hair. If he were a girl it would be okay, but the public high school has decided that long bangs on boys in unacceptable (no FLIPS! LOL) so all that hair that has been covering his face has to go. His appointment is at 3 o'clock.

Other than that, not much is happening here today. We may make a trip to the library and get something to eat out so I don't have to cook the groceries I bought, but that'll be about it.

Ya'll have good afternoon.