It's a plane, no it's a bird, wow it IS a bat!

Dave, Janet, Helen and me

I need to get a program so that I can touch up photos.  Not sure where Joan is in this picture.

As Terry and I sat in the living room watching a movie last night there seemed to be a something in the room.  It floated in front of the TV as if there was a giant moth or butterfly in the room.  We turned on the lights and THERE in front of us zoomed a BAT.  How it got into the house we have not idea.  We turned the lights off and opened the front and back doors.  In about 10 minutes it disappeared into the night through the open front door.  I guess we just live an exciting life!  I think the last time we had a bat in the house was 20+ years ago and that was before we had a glass on the fireplace.  I am assuming that it left because there were no bugs in the house and Terry and I did not look very inviting.  We have plans today to finish the walls in the basement and then move the washer and dryer back into place.  The basement, when we are finished, will look 500% better BUT it is an old house so it will still look that way. 
That darn FP, it disappeared faster than a flying bat.

A busy day for ROYALTY and the old and new look!!!

There are some good things that come out of the wood shop.  I have wanted to cover these for many years but never got around to it.  There are now two complete and 7 left.  Perhaps those will have to wait for another summer.
Yesterday was busy, that is for me at my age!  There was a time when I got out at 3:30 AM, went to school at 7:00 AM, stayed late at school to coach the soccer team and then had one or more meetings in the evening.  Thankfully those days are only a memory and I am not sure the memory is much any more.  BUT yesterday was busy, really.  I arrived at 8:40 AM for my doctor appt which was at 8:45.  I did not have to wait long and the meeting with the doctor was great.  We talked about my back and hand issue, went over blood work that was done in Florida and then she extended my two prescriptions so I do not have to get her permission for refills while in Naples.  When I got home Terry was ready to leave as both of us had dental appt.  That was when I became royalty, I got a crown.  Well really the truth is I had to buy it for a LOT of money!!!  Terry had a filling and I also had a small one.  On the way home we stopped to have a bit to eat with numb lips and mouths but it was good anyway.  I started to work on the basement walls in the afternoon as we are cleaning, scrapping and painting the block walls. Terry said she thought she noticed a faint oder of gas.   She called Xcel and they came about 3:00.  They worked in the house until 7:00.  There was a tiny gas leak above the dryer, an old pipe sticking out of the wall about 12 inches which the guy sawed off and plugged, the hot water heater was not venting out in a good way so we fixed that and then he installed a new outside intake valve and meter.  About the time he left I hopped in the car to go to a meeting so really I was honest, it was a busy day.
No, I need to get one more gallon of paint from Menards this morning before we begin our day project.  With all the projects we have going now I am thinking of having my retirement check sent to Menards so I don't have to pay each time.  On second thought not a good idea as several years ago I lost my wallet there and it was in the lost and found BUT it had been gone through and the money was missing.  I think I will stick to plastic payment form at Menards as plastic is easier than real  money.  Maybe I have that wrong but then I think my quota for a day is one wrong so no worry.
FP is GONE.

Time marches on

Terry's daughter Kim and family spent the weekend in the cities as they came for a cousin wedding.  It was picture time after breakfast at the Egg and I.  For some reason my phone did not take a great picture but from left to right they are Dave, Josh, Tori, Terry, Zach and Kim.  One grandson, Sam, stayed back for a church commitment.
We are deep into several projects.  They are:
1. basement walls need to be sprayed, scrapped and painted.  I think the last time anything was done with them was with Grandpa Saunders perhaps in the early 80's.
2. one more radiator cover will be completed tomorrow
3. the sun room walls and ceiling need to be repaired and painted
4. the sun room floor has to be scrapped of glue and then sanded.
5. the front lawn needs to be reseeded in parts
6. Christmas presents need to be finished
7.  Need I add more???

I am thinking of renaming my blog, This Old House, but perhaps that is not necessary.
As the sun peeks over the horizon this morning my phone shows the temp at a steady 52!  According to the weather people that is normal for the first part of October!  No problems, the state fair is coming this week and the weather is always warm for that.
I continue to get bodily reminders each day that I am no longer a teenager.  Not sure that is good but then as the day's title goes, time marches on. 
No, that darn FP is history and that means that it is time to hit the wood shop.

Happy 12th Birthday Henry

That goal was not a big deal, I score often and in spectacular fashion!

Happy birthday Henry, have a great day.  We love you. 

Remember Why

Aunt Bertie, Uncle Obert and their daughter Arlene

Aunt Bertie and Uncle Obert lived about a mile from us.  Their house was modern and their farm seemed to be very nice.  They even had CARPET in their living room!  Arlene, one of our few living "Sampson" cousins was able to come to our reunion in the Black Hills.  We so enjoyed having her and I know she enjoyed it too.
I have to remind myself at least once a day why I wrote the book.  Of course it was mainly for the grand children.  Why, well I have sent many books to people and have heard nothing from most of them.  I did not expect an A+ review but I guess I did expect at least a note saying they received it.  For me, it is another lesson in doing what you think you should do but not having expectations of others.  I guess with this note I am admitting failure but what is life about if it is not about trying to do your best and accepting your own failures---then trying to eliminate them as life goes on.
Terry and I took some time yesterday to write down things we should do this fall.  After looking at the list we may be here all winter.  We will not but I doubt the list will have everything erased before we leave.  Leaving may come sooner than later as we would like to take in Acadia National Park on our way.  We will see as the weeks go by.
We did get some outside work done yesterday and I need to finish up some of it this morning so it is gulp the remainder of the FP and get the dirty clothes on.

Happy birthday Jude

Jude is 6 today!

Terry and I stopped over to 1023 Highland Ave to sing happy birthday to Jude.  He will start K soon and I think he is ready.
We have a rainy day in St. Paul.  I checked the rain gauge and it shows an inch of rain which we really needed.  Perhaps the farmers are not excited about it in August but for us "town folks" it is great for lawns and gardens.
I took the pickup in for some repairs yesterday as the brake line had a leak.  As I left the garage today, after picking it up, I almost went through the windshield it stopped so fast!!!  Anyway it is good to get the old things fixed up.  I am thankful for being able to keep things in good order.
I purchased some grass/weed killer as parts of our lawn have a healthy growth of crab and quack grass.  Not good!
I am being lazy today.  I should be out in the wood shop but my energy is low.  But tomorrow will be another day and maybe I can get those engines going.
Enough, just wanted to say happy birthday to Jude.

From the North country

One project for the summer.  I put this 2" slab of maple on some ash legs that I cut and we have a new computer table!  The maple is from central MN and the legs are from north of Grand Rapids, MN.
We are looking at a warm (hot) humid day here.  By Monday it is supposed to be in the high 70's but for the next 3 days maybe in the 90's with the dp above 70.  Florida maybe?
I am in trouble.  As Terry looked at the table she came up with another project idea, yikes.  It may not come to be so will not mention what it is.  I have lumber in the pickup for two Christmas presents so I really should get busy.
I need to get that bike out and work off my breakfast now that the FP is gone.

Shocked---in a good sense

The writing says this is Ronald and Dave but I disagree.  I think it is Dad and Janet? or Joan? For the life of me I can not picture this picture.  It is south of our barn as you can see the south end of the barn on the left and our house on the right but a hay stack there???  I don't know why.  Regardless the stack must be hay that was hauled in from the field because our beloved Jayhawk stacker would have made a better stack than that!
In our house we have an add on dormer on the south.  I call it the sun room.  It has red linoleum on the floor.  I have always wanted to know what was beneath the linoleum.  My guess was just boards as the entire house has hardwood floors but this was an add on and then covered.  Yesterday Terry and I ripped off some of the red stuff and WOW--there is hardwood under it.  Yes, way to go Tom Ruth (the former owner).

When Terry and I are here in the summer I get together with a group of men each week in the context of People of Praise.  Last night 5 of us drove to St. Michaels (maybe 30 miles) to spend time with a cousin of one of the men.  John's cousin, Dave, had a terrible accident while cutting down a tree about 5 months ago.  Dave and his wife, Marie, have a small farm and another business on the side.  After the accident Dave spent about 3 weeks in the hospital and then another 10 weeks in a rehab home.  Dave is an A+ personality and I think is in his early 50's.  At this time he is dealing with a broken right ankle which is healing, a broken left femur which has a rod in it, a broken clavicle which was broken but the worst is severe nerve damage in his left side.  Of course he is on meds but the constant pain is still there.  He described it as having a 100 bees stinging you and he said his palm, which is the worst, feels like it is on fire!  We talked for a while, with him and his wife, and then prayed with them.  It was a very good time and I know that God was there in a powerful way.  Terry and I will put Dave on our prayer list and I am sure he and Marie would appreciate any prayers offered their way.  At this time Dave is skeptical of his farming future but of course God can do anything.  To prove my point that Dave is a great guy he has an International M tractor and last fall he and his buddies make 500 pounds of venison sausage!  How great is that?
Our car has a 9:30 doctor appt so must go.  Also, that FP is down to the very last drop.

Happy Birthday Aaron!!!

Aaron is 42 as of today!

Happy birthday Aaron.  We love you.  We think you are a great father, a super handy man and a VERY skilled woodworker.  Sometimes I look at your work and wish I could do that.  Terry and I wish you a very blessed day, week and year.  May this year bring you happiness, peace and joy in all you do.  We hope that in the year ahead God continues to show you who he is, continues to bless you and your family and we hope that the year ahead is the best year of your life! 
Love, Dad and Terry

Not much

This went the way of the horse and buggy a couple of days ago

Dad is on the left, I find it interesting in these old pictures that he always has a hat on--on the right, Russell?

Often we would have a Sampson summer gathering in Glenwood, MN--the dress up, not sure why.  Mom is in the first row on the right, Dad is kind of in the middle on the left.  The Lee kids are in there some place. Actually I think I am in the middle front with those stupid bib overalls

Not much today.  Life has evolved into kind of a routine, if that is possible with Terry and I.  We did take in the Uptown Art Fair yesterday in Minneapolis.  I think there were close to 400 booths.  We saw a table we liked, it cost $6300!  We purchased nothing but it was fun looking.  Actually that is not correct.  We signed up for 30 days of free bike rides on the ""Nice Ride" program.  There are bike stations in several locations near our house.  You unlock a bike, take it for a ride and then leave it at another station. For 30 days it was $6 and with that you got a bike helmet!  Now we will have to try it.
I am getting closer to seeing how the first radiator cover looks.  I am not sure I will like it but will see.  
Not much to say this morning.  I am kind of in one of those moods where I could write for a long time but I am guessing whatever I wrote would not be worth writing or reading! 
I am going to take my Fp and finish it as I read the sports.

Grandpa is losing it!!!

Elspeth turned 2 July 31

I totally forgot to post Elspeth on her birthday.  We called so I get a point for that as I did not forget but no excuse for not posting it on the 31st.

Helen in her prime!

Actually a big birthday for baby sister Helen today.  She was born in 1950, need I say more?  Helen has not changed a bit, she is still a great looking gal with a super personality and a fun spirit.  Also, she has many friends who think she is the super lady!  I am going to go out on a limb and say that all of her siblings, Joan, Dave and I think she is lovely, smart, fun, witty and we love her dearly.  Happy Birthday Helen

Enough of the birthday stuff.  I woke up to a rain gauge that showed an inch of rain last night.  We needed it.  There was a stormy night predicted so don't know if the rain soaked in or ran off down the street.  Regardless, it will help the garden and lawn.  Our garden is now keeping us with fresh tomatoes and squash.  It is fun to walk out to the wood shop and stop to enjoy a grape tomato.  In the wood shop there are some things happening.  I am not sure how much but as I stopped to survey the shop yesterday and there was sawdust all over and things were kind of messy!  That means I have been in it.  Does it mean I have done much? 
As I sit here and type my FP is down to within an inch of the bottom and the sun just peeked into the window.  That means it is time to journey to Home Depot and Menards to get some material!

The first week in August

The Sampson clan (Mom's) but Dad is there too.  Never saw him with a hat--1st on the left and back row.  Grandpa S is in the middle.

Dave in the same kind of picture as on my book cover.  Not sure if he let me play with his puppy or if I let him play with my puppy.  Of course all the dogs were FAMILY dogs!

The pictures have nothing to do with my thoughts this morning.  For 33 years this morning would be the first full day of Servant Camp. Today is the 5th years I am not there.  Servant Camp holds many many memories, almost all of which are good.  To be involved in something for so long and to be a part of thousands of young people experiencing God and touching their lives, that is the best.  Some thoughts/memories:

• One year I was bitten by a spider and spent the better part of camp in bed, not one of the best memories.
• I still can see Norine's eyes at about midnight as she hurried to tell me that the frozen dough in the cooler had thawed and it was rising almost off the shelves!  The kitchen workers had to cut and bake goodies much of the night!
• For sure the most indelible memory is the year George S became ill the first afternoon of camp and died in the hospital during camp.  He was a counselor for the 4th grade boys.  After the news of his death I walked down to his unit of boys to tell them.  They happened to be doing something where they were all lined up.  As I shared the news they all took off their caps and bowed their heads.  
• The canoe trip that the girls took down the river where one girl almost drowned.  As I stood in the dining room that night after their rescue I had to decide when to call the parents.  I dialed Gail, who was at home, but no answer.  That was a long lonely night as it seemed it was only I and God there.  That was when I promised that I would never go to camp without Gail again.  That was true until 2009.
• One closing ceremony we all lit candles and stood in the dark to worship God by candlelight, it was awesome.
• I had to deal with hundreds of campers over the years and once, only once, did I have to send a camper home for bad behavior.  Not a good memory.
• A person can not think about camp without memories of the years that we had 400+ campers and another 100 staff.  Borrowed tents, rented portable toilets and perhaps borrowed grace as well! The men, who did the running, picked up the toilets and I would give money to have a picture of 5 pickups with toilets behind going down the road in a caravan!
• One of the years the temp was near 100 every day and the heat index hovered near 110.  People had ice under their hats among other ways to try to cope with the heat.  We only had one person who had to go home because of the heat.
• The Cub Scout camp that has been used for many years now has a swimming pool.  The second day of camp the head pool guy made a mistake and in the morning the pool was drained!  No pool for the rest of the camp.
• There was the evening program when the weather was threatening.  We decided to stay in the outdoor theater and go through with the program.  I knew it was safe.  The next day one of the scout staff showed me where there was a tornado that was coming at camp but made a horseshoe journey around it!
• There could be hundreds of other memories but will stop with these.

Camp came to a close for me after 2010.  It was 33 years of effort that produced much fruit but it was time.  No more announcements, no more fund raisers, just memories.  It was a good run and I am honored to have done it.  Are there some scars, for sure. Where there is much love, much activities, many decisions and many people there will always be disappointments, disagreements and hurts.  I THINK I have left most of those behind.  I would say the last few years is the first time that I could think "free" of camp.  During most of those years I am guessing that there was hardly a day went by that I did not think something about camp.  It could have been about scripture, or shirts or speakers or food or whatever but camp was never far from my mind.  If I could go back to the beginning and start over but know what was going to happen, I would do it all over again BUT it is nice to move on.  For most of those years we had a camp shirt.  I had hopes that I would continue to get a shirt for "old  times sake" but sometimes our worldly desires do not fit into reality!  Perhaps I will need to organize more family reunions to get meaningful T-shirts!
I accomplished the "cards" for August.  Terry and I send cards for family birthdays and anniversaries.  I finished all of the 6 for August.  That was nice.  
I put some chalk in the north bedroom during the weekend and now that room is pretty well finished.  I think Terry is going to do a few tiny touch ups.  I am making a cover for the radiators.  It is fun to design and make things.  I have high hopes that it will look nice.
No more FP--time to hit the road as I have a breakfast get together with a friend this morning.