Red

It was Palm Sunday last weekend. Liturgically, the beginning of Holy Week in the Catholic Church. And traditionally, Catholics wear red on Palm Sunday.

Red is definitely not the best color on me. I’m more of a “spring” color person – light yellows, blues and lavender seem to complement my skin tone best. Or at least that’s what a color consultant told me years ago. But Palm Sunday I wore a very bright red shirt to Mass. I have two – the one I wore a couple of days ago is going away. It doesn’t fit anymore, in both size and color. It seems that I’m shrinking.

Why red on Palm Sunday?

It’s an observance. A remembrance. Christ was dressed in a crimson robe as a mockery – we dress in red to remember.

And Palm Sunday, technically in the Catholic Church, Palm Sunday of the Lord’s Passion, is also a Mass celebrated with incense. A ritual cleansing, as it were. Problem – I’m allergic. And we know a priest who is allergic as well. Incense is used three times during Palm Sunday Mass, and within a minute my eyes were swollen and I was coughing. But my take on it was that I could endure that for 90 minutes. Our Lord endured much worse. Even unto death.

I read a devotional earlier today, and will quote this one part that really hit home with me:

“It is not easy to live a Christian life. People who remain faithful to the Lord are often tried and tested. However, no matter how difficult life may be, we must never give up for we know we have a God who walks with us and who has already walked the way of the cross for our salvation. As we meditate on the passion of Christ, let us keep in mind that glory awaits those who will be humble and meek like the Lord Jesus.”

We would rather not be traveling during Holy Week, but we must. But it will give us the opportunity to be with family and friends during the Easter weekend. For this we are thankful.

A blessed Easter to all!

Home Ownership

Ya gotta love it, especially at tax time when you see your gross adjusted income go down by a few thousand dollars. And then other realities set in.

I arrived back in Happy Valley after 5 days in Sioux Falls to spend 14 hours in our home before having to be on the road to Denver and back for 3 days. Thermostat didn’t seem to be working on my return from Sioux Falls, since we couldn’t get heat going in the house. OK, we’ll deal with that when we get back from Denver. Still couldn’t get heat going. So I make a call to my buddy Dewey who comes and takes a look at our boiler (we have hot water baseboard heat – very efficient when it’s working). The 17 year old boiler has gone belly up and needs to be replaced. That is happening today. We’ve been using many Grandma Quilts for the past 5 nights!

As Lawrence Welk would say, “Wunnerful, wunnerful!”

And Dewey reminds me that our evaporative cooler needs to be replaced this spring as well. Which is going to require a crane parked in our front yard for a day. Insert more Lawrence Welk here.

And that will be the perfect time to also re-shingle the roof. I’m amazed that it’s actually lasted 17 years, but it is time. Insert Lawrence Welk here again.

So about tax time, we’ll have upgraded the heating system,and will be upgrading the cooling system and the roof.

Wunnerful, wunnerful, and hello Home Equity Line of Credit!

Anybody have a condo to sell me?

Stupid Things

They have a tendency to show up around Christmas. Though some of them exhibit their stupid tendencies year ‘round. Ponder if you will…

1. Keurig Single Serve Coffee Makers. A year ‘round stupid. Spend $120 for a machine that can only brew 8 ounces of coffee at a time, using special “brew pots” about the size of a diner coffee creamer container which cost upwards of $6 apeice. Walmart – 12 cup Mr. Coffee; $14. 250 coffee filters; $1.19. 1 lb. of Boyer’s Denver Blend Coffee; $7. In combination, about 48 pots or 576 cups of coffee for less than 20% of the price of a single cup from Keurig. I don’t get it. “But you can get all kinds of flavored coffees!” Yeah, and you can still buy a pound of flavored coffee for a buck more than Folgers.

2. Chia Pets. In all of its various annual mutations (this year it’s an Oprah or an Obama Chia pet), one must wonder – Have you ever gone to someone’s home and have them rather excitedly tell you that they can’t wait for you to see their newest Chia Pet? I thought not.

3. The latest all-in-one tool that can remove any bolt no matter how badly rounded the head is, cut ham slices so thin that your in-laws will never come back, and restore that luster to your car’s finish while you’re wrapped in its fleecy softness. With sleeves. How have I lived without it for lo these many moons? I guess by acquiring tools meant to do one job well over the years, as needed. Mantra: never sell tools or kitchen ware (also tools), or firearms. Until you’re dead, of course.

4. The Sears Hammerhead ™ Auto Hammer. OK – a cool tool for a very specific use. The Tim Taylors of the world are drooling and can’t wait to check their stocking on Christmas morning. But I can’t remember the last time I needed a tool that was “ideal for hammering in tight places”. And even pros would be using a nail gun – have you ever seen a carpenter on a DIY network show use one of these things? I fail to see the demand for this one. I’d buy the nail gun – after buying an overkill air compressor first (thanks Dad!)
.
Well there’s a start. In contrast, Hot Wheels cars and Yo-Yos are always cool. And men’s handkerchiefs and ball park peanuts. And large plasma TV’s and muscle cars.

See? Buying for guys is easy.

The Best White Christmas Ever!

Not much else to say!

End of an Era

I posted a while back about tea. And specifically mentioned The Republic of Tea's Big Bold. It was a collaboration between that company and Whole Foods and small plantations in Africa to promote fair trade. A fair price, a fair profit, and a fair wage for workers. How can one not support this?

Anyway, it was a limited edition tea. I only got one tin. And now I have only enough tea in that tin to make one more pot. I brew it double strength for iced tea, and this is about the best I've ever had.

Will post a soliloquy when it's gone.

Jay

And then you just...

lean forward, you go. Lean back, you stop. But not much in either direction. Lean the lever left or right and that's the direction you're going to go.

Congratulations - you've just been given the basic instructions on how to operate a Segway. Which TLMK and I did for about 2-1/2 hours in Boston this past weekend.

I found a coupon online which was basically a two for one deal - a 2 hour tour of Boston's Harbor District on a Segway. Have to admit - finding a balance point was a lot different than being horseback. Horseback, the balance is heels, hips and shoulders. On a Segway it's knees and shoulders - just like skiing. Or so I'm told - never have strapped a pair of those suicide sticks on my feet and don't plan to anytime in the future.

Found my balance point within 10 minutes (yes, I can stop on your yellow painted X and not move!)

Bottom line: it was a blast! Highly recommended for lots of cities - just do a Google search! Whole lot more fun that walking!

Yeah, It's A Western Thing

Nearly 4 weeks and I haven't said much about the branding.

I think Grace described it pretty well in her blog. Up at 5:30, work work work work work until (well for her anyway) 10 PM. Chuck, Kadie & me around 11:30 pm.

Branded 26 calves. After gathering the herd, sorting the mommas and calves, and then just sorting calves. Had a good crew, and also had a good time. Yeah, it's work, but that doesn't mean it can't be fun!

Grace earned top hand status that day. Chuck & Kadie & Grace & I ran a rather efficient operation. Me - lost one head catch (that still bugs me) but overall I've still got a good record (3 misses out of 46 calves that came through the chute in the past 2 years).

Chuck has posted some pictures on Facebook - including one where Grace is applying a brand to #74 - "Jersey Boy" while Chuck and I look on. Check it out - look up Cwm Ceffyl Ranch" on FB to see the pics.

There is more cowboy in my blood that perhaps I even know.