I am remiss

It has been about five days since my last post. Of course, a lot has come to pass in the meantime. Thursday was Thanksgiving day, and we had a houseful. My brother and his wife and two of his kids were here, along with my mom, our daughter-in-law, our son's half-sister, and a couple from our Bible study group. It was a lovely day, although we were sorry that Patrick, our son, was ill and unable to attend. Although, I was instrumental in preparing the meal, I have to say that it was one of the best turkey dinners I can remember. For once, I got a perfect "do" on the Turkey. Others brought things that added immensely to the meal, but of course, the thing that added the most to the day was the presence of family and friends whom we love.

Friday was given over to working on the dining table that I have been building in the garage. Staining and varnishing were the order of the day. I have already posted about the virtues of espresso-colored stain. The varnish added an unexpected depth of character to the table. I am gradually warming to the color. I hope the kids like it as much as I do.

On Saturday, the varnishing continued, but it was interrupted by the need to sit down and listen to the Oregon/Oregon State (civil war) game on the radio. Although the game was televised, I don't have access to the station that broadcast it. The radio announcers, however, did an outstanding job with the play-by-play, and I could almost see the game in my mind's eye. I was pleased with the outcome: Oregon 65, Oregon State 38. That set a new record for points scored in a civil war game: 103.

Today we were in for a treat at church. Internationally renowned evangelist, Luis Palau, was the guest speaker. His sermon was thrilling and motivating. This man is a master communicator and has been instrumental in presenting the gospel of Christ to over 1 billion people around the world. That's billion with a "b!" Over a million people credit Luis Palau with having led them to faith in Christ.

In addition to Dr. Palau's message, we were treated to some very moving music from a rather small (by comparison with most Sunday services at our church) worship band. It all felt very intimate and satisfying. There was a preview of the Christmas play that will be performed next Thursday through Sunday, and a video drama that is to be continued next Sunday. One never knows what he will encounter at Rolling Hills on a Sunday morning, but it is a safe bet that it will be a blessing.

After church, I put the finishing touches on the table and took a few pictures of it. I won't post any photos of the finished product until after the kids receive the table. I want them to have some kind of a surprise out of this project! Tomorrow, I hope to locate a shipper for the table. My plan is to visit the UPS store. I understand they will not only ship it, but also pack it for shipping. That will be a huge relief, because I am not a good packer. I am beginning to believe that we will actually be eating Christmas dinner at this table.

Covering a multitude of sins

Today was a big day in the life of the dining room table that is under construction in the garage. After a final sanding, I applied a pre-stain conditioner to the wood. The purpose of this step is to make the stain take to the wood more evenly. In every project, there are always a few flaws. Some of them stand out to the builder to the point that he will never be able to look at the project without seeing the flaws first and then the rest of the project. After I applied the conditioner, I felt better about some of the flaws. They seemed to disappear as I flowed on what gives the appearance of an oil treated finish.

What really did the trick, however, was the espresso stain. Now, this is not a color that I would choose for my own home, but I understand it is very popular. And it is what the kids wanted for their dining room furniture. I have to say, though, that it covers a multitude of sins! Most of the flaws that concerned me have pretty much disappeared with the application of the stain. I think it is because it is such a dark color. And I admit that I believe the table will be quite attractive when it is complete. So, I am gradually being converted to being a fan of espresso stain.

I hope that I will have the table completed and ready for shipment by December 1st. There is much to do yet, and Thanksgiving looms, but I believe I am on schedule. So, we may yet be able to sit down to whatever gourmet delight Tim prepares for our Christmas feast at the new dining table. Whoo hoo!

Friends and prophecies

We just returned from worshiping at Rolling Hills Community Church. Pastor Dale has begun a new series titled "The Future is Now." He is teaching about biblical prophecies. This is a subject that always thrills me. It is so interesting to see how prophecies play out. So far, God is batting a thousand! Of the prophecies that have already been fulfilled, every one has been fulfilled completely and just as it was given in scripture. Amazing. And to think that some people question why I have faith in God and His word!

Another interesting thing that Pastor Dale shared is that fully 28% of the Bible is prophecy. So, God not only has given us a handbook for how to live life in the present; he has also given us a glimpse into the future. In fact, it is quite a big glimpse. We already know how the history of the world turns out, and we know who comes out on top in the war between good and evil. I am always amazed and saddened that so many Christians are worried about the future. No need, guys, it is in the bag.

After the worship service, we made a quick trip to Woodcraft to pick up stain for the dining room table I am making. It is difficult to find "Espresso" colored stain, but we scored at Woodcraft. Hooray.

We hurried back to the church to meet with a pre-marital counseling couple. They have had some interesting changes in circumstances in the last 6 weeks since we saw them. Their wedding date has been moved up from July, 2009 to December 20, 2008. It is not for any shady reason. They simply have had some things fall into place that make it possible to move the date up. This is a dear, sweet couple who are anticipating a second marriage. They have had logistical considerations, family considerations, and personal considerations that have kept them in turmoil for a couple of years. But now the cosmic tumblers have clicked into place (Where did that phrase come from? A movie?) and they are poised on the brink of a marriage that we believe will be a blessing to them and all who know them. We consider it an honor to have been involved in preparing them for this big step, and we now consider them to be dear friends. Thank you, Lord.

Sawing, sanding, and hearing

Been working on a unique dining room table from a plan I found on line. The leaves are on extension arms and store under the main table top. To extend the table you just lift up on one end of the table top and slide the leaf into place. This increases the length of the table from 54 inches to nearly eight feet. The purpose of this project is to provide a table and a Christmas present for middle daughter and her husband. The house they bought in the spring has a dining room that is 9 feet square, so a large table is not an option. One end of the dining room connects with the living room, so with this table, they will be able to extend the dining table into the living room if necessary.

Today I completed the construction phase of the project. Tomorrow, I will start on the sanding and finishing phase. Once that is complete, I will stain and varnish the table. God willing, I will get it shipped to San Diego in time to eat Christmas dinner on it!

After completing the table construction, I made a long overdue trip to Costco to visit the hearing aid center. I had a hearing test and a test run on a pair of Revera hearing aids. Wow! Just to think of what I have been missing. I wanted to take the demo pair home with me, but alas I will have to wait a week or two. So, I ask you, "Whatever became of instant gratification?" I do believe this will be a huge enhancement in my life. I do biblical counseling in concert with my darling wife. It has become a strain, sometimes, to hear the counselees. I am convinced that this will make listening much easier...and that should make our counseling more effective.

Hoop de doo

This was a very fun day. Jill and I started the day with a brisk walk of a couple or three miles at the mall. Then we made a morning run to Winco for the Thanksgiving day groceries. It is so much fun to shop in the morning on a weekday. There just are no crowds. We took our booty home, and after lunch we met a couple whom we are counseling at church. They are struggling in their marriage and need some support. We are so blessed by this ministry, because every time we work with a couple, whether they are in a pre-marital state or in need of marriage encouragement, our marriage is strengthened.

After the counseling session, I dropped Jill at home, filled up with gas at $1.99 per gallon (!) and headed for Independence, where son Patrick was coaching the seventh grade girls' A-team basketball squad in a game against a visiting school. I arrived a little late, and the score was 10-0 in favor of the home team. The girls played reasonably well, considering that they have more days with games scheduled than they have days to practice. So, all the teaching of skills has to be done within the context of a game. Nevertheless, they led the entire game (by as much as 17 at one point) and closed out the game at 30-20. It was a lot of fun. The most fun was to see my son being an adult and doing what he loves best: teaching...basketball.

After the game, Patrick and I grabbed some dinner at the local sushi bar, and then we went home. Patrick's lovely wife, Katie, was home and we had a pleasant evening chatting and playing with the neighbor's two year-old daughter, when she and her mom dropped by. When the Portland Trailblazer basketball game came on, I knew I had better hit the road for the 75 minute drive home. I was able to hear the game on the radio all the way home. At half time, when I arrived in the driveway, the score was 62-37. Now, with under 4 minutes to go in the fourth quarter, it is 106-64. Yes, you could say that is a satisfying win...provided Portland can hold on to the lead. :-)

When I arrived home, Jill gave me a full rundown on her time of babysitting Luke this afternoon. There is nothing she would rather do than love on little ones. And since our Josiah is 1,000 miles away, she can get her Grandma fix by babysitting the neighbor kids. All in all, it was a satisfying day for both of us.

Mothers, grandmothers and baby boys.

I took my mom to the podiatrist today for treatment of an ingrown toenail. It went well, and she did fine. We are going to arrange for a nurse to come over periodically and take care of her toenails.

When I arrived home, Jill was babysitting Luke, our neighbors' 8 week old baby boy. He is absolutely beautiful and very sweet. The problem is that he suffers from infantile acid reflux and often is very fussy. Luke has two sisters, aged 5 and 2 1/2. So, his mommy has a lot to look after, and she can't always hold him every minute. Today, Luke was very fussy, and his mommy was about fit to be tied. So, Jill brought Luke home and looked after him. Of course, he was good as gold for her, which just makes his mom feel like she is an inadequate mom. We both love babysitting Luke. Jill sometimes watches the girls, too, so mom can have a break. They absolutely adore her.

Mom finally came over and took Luke home. She was afraid she would wear out Luke's welcome, but that will never happen. There is something absolutely breathtakingly wonderful about babies. We look forward to our children having some more of them one day. We have so much fun babysitting our grandson Josiah, but he lives in San Diego, so our visits aren't as frequent as we would like.

On another topic, I found the bolts I had been looking for, and my project is coming along just fine, thank you!

Getting connected in the Age of Communication

I just had a fun "chat" with my son on Windows Live Messenger. We talked about everything from Thanksgiving to basketball, from church to blogging. This modern age of electronic marvels is fascinating. It is so nice to be able to carry on a "conversation" for free with loved ones who live in remote areas. It is really handy for staying in touch with our kids: one in San Diego, one in Denver and one in Monmouth, OR.

On the other hand, it saddens me that with all the technology that is available for connectedness, there is so much disconnectedness in our society. We can call people anywhere at any time, and yet we are afraid to open our hearts to each other, for fear that someone might actually find out who we are deep down inside. Nevertheless, we all long to have someone with whom we can connect and be totally honest.

There is One who already knows us in every detail, and yet who has said, "I will never leave you or forsake you." He is someone who will accept us just as we are, without condemning us. He is always available, even without modern technology. He will listen, and He will comfort us; teach us and challenge us; and even still love us when we mess up. I mean really mess up.

His name is Jesus. If you don't know him, you can learn more about him here. If you would like to learn about his life and how he interacts with people, get a Bible (any Bible will do, but I find the New King James version or the New International Version to be especially readable) and read the Gospel of John. You might also like to read, further on in the Bible, the First Epistle of John, which talks about the love Jesus has for each of us and how it can transform our lives.

If you have questions about Jesus, please feel free to email me. I am not a preacher; I am a man whose life was transformed by the love of Jesus. I believe there are no "dumb" questions, because I already asked all of those, so the only ones left are legitimate questions. I don't know all the answers, but I know where all the answers are. They are in the pages of God's love letter to humanity, which we call "The Holy Bible."

Raking leaves and chasing bolts

Today was a beautiful mid fall day in Clackamas. The sun was out, the temperature was near 60 degrees, and the breeze was calm. Jill and I had appointments with the optometrist this morning, and then we took a drive to Tigard, where I had inadvertently left my jacket in a restaurant yesterday after breakfast.

After retrieving the errant garment, we went on to Woodcraft, the woodworker's candy store. I am looking for 3/8"-16X5" hanger bolts for a project I am working on. So far I have failed to find them at Home Depot, Lowes, and today at Woodcraft. The folks there were kind enough to refer me to A-Boy, down the street. Alas, A-Boy didn't have them either. The young lady who waited on us there was very kind and called Oregon Bolt Company for us. She was unsuccessful in raising anyone there, and we concluded that the company must not be open on Saturday. But she gave me the contact information so I can call on Monday. Let's hear it for A-Boy!

We stopped at Costco on the way home and ordered some glasses for Jill. It was difficult for her to choose the frames, because she hasn't worn glasses for many years. She found some really cute frames with the help of the optician, who was immensely helpful. So, now she just needs to muster up the patience to wait for a couple of weeks until her new glasses are ready.

We finally arrived at home around 2:00 PM. The Oregon State Beavers were on their way to beating the Cal Bears, but at half-time, I went out and joined my lovely bride who was dead-heading the roses. I mowed the lawn and raked up the leaves, and then I got into the dead-heading, too. We stopped when we had filled the 60 gallon yard debris bin and two 30 gallon yard debris bags, in addition to the compost bin. It felt good to get some things accomplished in the yard.

Having not yet exhausted all of our energy, we decided to walk Pogo. Along the way we met up with Murphy and his master Dennis, a neighbor whom we hadn't seen for a few months. They are both doing well. Pogo felt better after her walk, as did Jill and I. All in all a satisfying day.

S.N.O.B.

We had dinner this evening with our Bible study group at Laurelwood Public House and Brewery on Sandy Boulevard in northeast Portland. The food was tolerable, the Porter was eminently potable and the company was nonpareil. I might add that the service was friendly, with just enough attention to assure that all of our needs and desires were addressed without the intrusive, hale-fellow-well-met sort of chumminess that seems to be all the rage among the younger generation of wait personnel. All things considered, I can recommend Laurelwood without reservation. (Incidentally, they don't take reservations on Thursday through Sunday evenings, although they did make an exception for our group of eight. That made a positive impression.)

Across from me, pasted on the wall was a small poster with the letters S.N.O.B. emblazened across the top. Below was a photo of a chap with a tee shirt sporting the same letters. The poster went on to explain that S.N.O.B. is an acronym for "Supporter of Native Oregon Beers." It seemed a reasonable sort of thing to be. I meant to investigate further, in hopes of adding a tee shirt to my collection, but at my age, I am easily distracted and failed to follow up.

So, there it is. My first restaurant (or in this case, public house and brewery) review. I don't eat out often, so when I do, I will try to post a review here.

Getting up and running

It took me several weeks to get started here: not because the site is difficult to use; and not because the software is cumbersome. No, the problem has been thinking of a suitable title for the blog. The final choice you will understand if you look at my profile photo and are familiar with or familiarize yourself with the term "pilgarlic." I am hopeful that I can live up to the secondary definition of the term.

We were going to take off in "Sadie," our 1988 Hawkins Motor Coach (that's Sadie in the background) for a couple of days of late season "camping." OK, I know you purists don't consider staying in a motor home to be camping. My brother, on the other hand, once defined camping as "staying in a Holiday Inn that has only black and white TV." At any rate, we decided to cancel the trip and eat the prepaid campground fee, when we read the forecast for 27" of rain and 300 mph winds during only the two days we planned to be gone. Well, actually, it was 3" and 50 mph, but in a motor home, the two scenarios are about equal.

So, we have been hanging out at home. I have been doing some pre-yule elf work, and Jill has been doing some holiday shopping. It has been a pleasant couple of days, and the forecast is for MUCH better weather starting, yep, you guessed it, tomorrow, the day we were due to return from the campground. In the meantime, we have put in a couple of intense sessions of mall walking, and played go-go Pogo with our little mutt (Pogo is in the foreground in the photo above). I'll leave it to your imagination to picture 19 pounds of bichon/fox terrier going lickety-split in a figure of eight, using the dining room table and the sofa as pylons.

My hope is to share some of my thoughts, joys, sorrows, hopes, and dreams here. Paul the Apostle said, "Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen." (Ephesians 4:29) I hope that this blog will do just that. Frequency of posts will be determined by how much useful stuff I have to do before I get around to playing on line. Come and join me from time to time.