The Aiello Adventure

Life before facebook

2010-01-25T14:11:00.002-05:00

I've noticed that I seldom update this blog now because I've joined faceboook. Just doesn't seem to be enough time for both. So many of the photos I sued to upload here, I now upload there.

More pics of our awesome cruise!

2009-10-28T11:04:00.008-04:00

These photos are of the outside pool area at the top deck of the cruise ship. Amazing!

These are of the enclosed glass-ceiling Solarium (pool area at the top deck of the boat.) We spent a lot of our relaxing time here reading. I read the entire "Tipping Point" book by Gladwell. Good stuff.

Some Pics from our trip

2009-10-26T09:11:00.006-04:00

The top two photos are of the formal dining room where we had our evening meals served by our own waiters Manny (Philipines) and Lawrence (Romania). You could have as many entrees as you wanted and desserts etc. We ordered from the menus which were different each night. (Our other meals were held buffet style in another area. Again with an abundance of options.) The bottom three photos are of the Centrum in the center of the boat. It was circular and went up 11 decks. The elevators were glass and so you could see out all the time. Everything shined and glistened. There was a band or duo or trio always there to entertain, play music and people danced as they felt like it. A really cool spot. More pics later

Our Cruise

2009-10-23T06:31:00.005-04:00

Here are some of photos from our cruise. One of the ship we were on, one of Dee and me during the cruise, and one of our World Ventures Group who were on this awesome trip to Nova Scotia for 6 days.

Virtual Tour of our Cruise Ship

2009-10-10T19:39:00.004-04:00

We're beginning to look forward to our upcoming cruise in just one week. We've never been on a cruise before. I thought I'd look up the ship we'll be on and I was blown away! It's one of the Royal Caribbean Cruise Lines newest ships - Jewel of the Seas. Here's a virtual tour if you'd care to check it out. Little did I realize what a great deal we got! You may have to select, copy and paste this link, but it's well worth it!http://www.royalcaribbean.com/multimedia/virtualTour/ship.do;jsessionid=0000OC7H0bJ3LEnzQNzSvlXlEU6:12hbioan0?shipClassCode=RD

Mission Vison "Cranberry Days of Caring" Project

2009-10-04T19:37:00.008-04:00

This weekend was a busy one. On Friday I went with some of the Bogmeisters in support of ht eCranberry Days of Caring. Our community service project was the repair of used eyeglasses for use by an eye doctor who is going to Ghana to help people there with vision problems. He'll do surgeries, and also test people's eyes to see if they need glasses. If they do, he'll give them prescription glasses that are appropriate for their vision needs. We repaired (aligned and cleaned and recorded the lens powers of hundreds of glasses during our brief four hour "service time."

Here are some photos of our time there.

I've also been learning more about Facebook and trying to learn how to get the most out of it. I'm continuing to work my online travel business as a "Leisure Travel Consultant" and look forward to being a "product of the product" as we get ready for our Dream Trip Cruise to Nova Scotia later this month. Can't wait!

Penn's Colony Festival

2009-09-22T17:50:00.009-04:00

Well the last two weeks of September find the Bogmeister chorus setting up shop at the Penn's Colony Festival in Saxonburg, PA. Evidently it's been happening for a very long time. It's like a village of shoppes where people have colonial items and all the vendors (including us) dress in colonial garb for two weekends.

We were fortunate to be asked to take over a "booth, which is really a small permanent hut" called the "Turkey Foot Inn". We sell turkey drumsticks for $5. They are smoked and cooked and then frozen. We heat them up to a hot temperature for serving. We serve them with a square of tin foil and people hot the turkey leg in one hand and gnaw at it. Also on our menu was beef sticks (cheesy, hot and regular beef), we sold three varieties of cheese (smoked swiss, smoked cheddar, and a Kojak. We had root beer, mulled and cold cider and bottled water.

This was all done to raise $ so we can purchase music, bow ties, other uniforms and accessories, and pay the music royalties to the music arrangers for arranging our music, as well as for advertising. We're all volunteer and we have expenses. This will go a long way to help us stay solvent as we share our gift of music with the community. Plus it is lots of fun.

My costume for colonial days was that of a padre. It seems I had a cassock (like a monks robe with hood etc.) that was given to me when I entered the Air Force. Even though I wasn't Catholic, they still gave them to all the chaplains. It's beige linen weave and looks great. I wore a cross with it. (I looked for a hat to match, but no luck yet this year.) Here are some photos (I'm not in these)of our time there the first weekend.

While in Phoenix AZ

2009-09-16T09:32:00.016-04:00

I can't believe it's been a month since adding to this blog. Especially when I used to do it everyday. Hummm. Where does the time go?

Over the weekend I flew to Phoenix AZ for some training as a "leisure travel consultant". It was a dynamic event with lots of energy and wonderful stories of ways people's lives have been changed as they've been able to help others take the dream trips they've only thought about before.

I'd never been to AZ before and so it was an eye opening trip. The terrain is so different from anything here in PA. Here are some photos of where we stayed - the Carefree Resort and Spa, a view from our room and a 180 year old cactus outside the place. Lots of cacti all over. A rally rugged terrian.

The weekend went by very fast but we did get to see some of the area because we stayed 15 miles from the Marriott where the seminars and training were held. Here are some photos of that site...

Life back here in PA is going well. My mom has a new friend who stops by a couple of days a week to visit and she also gets to go to the senior center three days a week via Washington Rides. She seems to be getting more alert and more connected. A gal from the church calls her and has picked her up for worship the last two Sundays which is great.

This weekend our Bogmeisters will have a concession stand (turkey drumsticks) at the Penn's Colony Festival Sept 19-20 and 26-27. I work at the golf course on Sat. and am preaching in Penn Hills on Sunday, so my involvement this weekend will be limited. But it'll be fun.

Two Weeks Later

2009-08-15T15:36:00.003-04:00

Whew! it's been awhile. Life has been busy this summer and gotten in the way of adding to this blog. Here's what's happenin'...

Since my mom had her license taken away, I've been going to her place once a week and taking care of the bills as well as other stuff to get her taking her meds in a timely way, doing some grocery shopping and meeting with her social workers and nurses who come to the house to do an assessment of her condition and needs. (Of course mom can't figure why these people come to her place because "she doesn't need anything.")

Anyway as we get our ducks lined up for her to be able to stay in her home, I've been preoccupied with that. Along with calling people and introducing them to our new "Leisure Travel Consultant" business and encouraging them to see the kinds of trips we'll be going on for wholesale prices. See - http://www.aiello.worldventuresdreamtrips.com/ (click third icon down on left labeled "what") Also, to learn about the business side of World Ventures, they watch http://www.aiello.worldventures.biz/ (click button #2) time has been fleeting.

Those two things, plus singing with the Bogmeisters at two events since my last entry along with weekly practices and preaching two of the last three Sundays has kept me going.

Then there is conversations with Kerri and ogling our new granddaughter, Kate. Sending photos back and forth and hearing about how she's growing all round out our lives very nicely.

I just finished reading The Dream Manager, by Matthew Kelly. It should be a must read for all "managers" and people who want to grow both personally as well as in your professional life. It's a fast read and a profound one as well. GET IT, you'll be glad you did.

Dee and I ordered a new laptop computer from QVC and it should finally arrive this week. It's an HP - 17" screen with 4 gig of ram, and 500 gig of memory. Also comes with a blue Ray DVD player and other perks. should be nice.

We're also considering changing our finished basement around some. We've been using it as it was originally set up using the TV cords and speaker cords where we found them. However, we think we'd like to turn things 90 degree angle and use a different wall for the TV. At the far end of the room. It would allow us to have a larger space for television viewing and allow more people to watch it comfortably at the same time. We had two guys come out from "Control Freaks" to give us an estimate and see if it could even be done without bashing through wall or ceiling. They were very helpful and reasonably priced. We'll likely do it as they've suggested. Then we'll have to get come new furniture to go with the new arrangement. (We've been using stuff that we brought with us from NJ and was more suited to the set up there.) We stopped at Room Concepts on route 19 and found some items we thought we could live with, but want to measure and see how the TV looks gains a different wall.

Lots happening but tomorrow Dee and I get to finally go to our own church together and sit in a pew after several weeks of missing our place due to various scheduling conflicts.

An update on life, family and stuff

2009-08-04T07:57:00.005-04:00

Our Greater Cranberry Men's Chorus (bogmeisters) sang the National Anthem (barbershop style) on Saturday in Cranberry.( Click photo to enlarge.)

I picked up a couple of more books on Network Marketing - Question Based Selling is actually pretty good, and Your First Year in Network Marketing. They both given me a wider perspective of the ways our business has been run over the years.

What I like about being a Leisure Travel Consultant with World Ventures is that it offers a system of how to invite people to the various presentations. And that someone else actually makes the presentation. My job is just to invite them to either an evening event where a business overview is given in 30 minutes and testimonies are shared by people who've gone on the trips and are making good money in this part-time business, or to a luncheon where the overview is given (as well as testimonies), or to invite them to look at the online overview at http://www.aiello.worldventures.biz/ . The travel industry is exploding right now and 43% of all online ecommerce is travel related. It's a 8 Trillion dollar industry! And there are 10,000 baby boomers turning 60 every day. Many of whom want to travel more for less money. That's what we offer. It's the right industry at the right time (and I don't have to store anything in my garage (vitamins, candles, baskets, juice, cosmetics etc.)) Just point people to my web site and interest other people on this great opportunity to make some significant $ from home part-time. And of course go on these dream trips from time to time ourselves. at ridiculously low prices.

The company has a tremendous training and support system in place. Conference calls a couple of times a week if you choose to listen in and even offer questions when you have them; training sessions locally every other week, video training online, a great manual and workshops every month in a different city around the country. The acceleration workshops are where the action is and Dee and I look forward to going to one soon. The last one was in Las Vegas and there were 1500 people there learning how to grow the business. The one this month is in Denver. Good stuff.

Our Bogmeisters sang on Saturday at the Cranberry Cup Ceremonies. There were a couple of thousand people there. It's a fund raiser for a needy family in the area. They brought the family in on a fire truck with sirens blaring and lights flashing. Afterward we went to some of the businesses in the area to get ads for our concert program. While doing that we sang at some of the stores to customers. Fun.

On the home front my mom is back home. She'll see the visiting nurse today. And on Thursday the social worker will be there with us. We'll begin learning what services she qualifies for and how she's doing. She is no longer allowed to drive her car. I plan to be with her more often as we work through these changes. And the fact that Faye and Jan have experience in this area (navigating insurances and the social work maze) is very helpful as we proceed week by week.

Our granddaughter Kate is doing well and turns 16 weeks old tomorrow. Although we only saw her for a day last week before heading home, it was worth the trip down to spend time with her and to allow Kerri and pat to go out on a date knowing Kate was in good hands.

Helping People Help Themselves

2009-07-21T20:42:00.004-04:00

Wow it's been a week since my last entry. Living sure gets in the way of making entries. I managed to play about 27 holes of golf last week, and hope to go out tomorrow with Russ and some other guys at Aubry's. I've not played there, but I've read about it.

We did sing the National Anthem for the Pirate game on Sunday. That was an awesome experience. We did well. It seems the crowd held of cheering until we sang the very last note and chord before they cheered. (It seems they often start to yell and cheer before groups finish the song - but not on Sunday.) Several people said "That's the way the National Anthem should be sung." Cool.

We're getting ready to host an open house for our new business venture at the Sheraton Four Points on Thursday night. (Several of us are part of a team.) It's going to be quite an event as we give away a dozen or so "free cruises" to the people who come and like what they see and hear.

Today I went to the Cranberry Networking event sponsored by the Chamber and lined up two more people to attend. It's a win/win event as people learn about the great trips at wholesale prices and also about the great business opportunities for people to do on a part-time basis. They can create a supplemental source of income with a little effort on their own time schedule. And there are lots of training materials to help a person get started. We're loving it. check out www.aiello.worldventures.biz if you want to see and hear more.

I've been reading two new books: Never Eat Alone is one on relationships; Thank God It's Monday! is about having fun in the workplace and how to create a culture of fun where you work. So much fun, in fact, that people look forward to going to work on Monday! HA! Good stuff.

Another Beautiful Day

2009-07-14T06:18:00.005-04:00

Here are some photos of Kate that Kerri sent yesterday. I thought you might enjoy them - we sure have.

Last night was our final practice before singing the National Anthem at PNC Park on Sunday for the Pirates vs. San Francisco Giants game. We'll have about 30 guys singing. A once in a life time experience for sure.

My sister Jan and her husband Mark have stopped by en route to Chicago for the evening. It's always good to see them. They have their new beagle, Dixie, with them. She's a sweet natured gal with lots of personality. Bonz is trying to befriend her. They'll head on out this morning for home.

Catching Up

2009-07-11T23:13:00.003-04:00

Here is a recent photo of Kate.

Saturday was a good day as we recouped after having company for three days. It was great seeing old friends again. Today Dee and I both worked. My work at the golf course was cut short as the rains came in the early afternoon. However, I got in about 7 hours.

I've been listening to the training CDs called Drive Time University by World Ventures. Good stuff with an abundance of insights and good ideas. Also the book "Nave Eat Alone" by Keith Ferrazzi has been enjoyable. The subtitle is "and other secrets to success, one relationship at a time." Good stuff about listening and connecting with people so that you can help them get what they want in life.

Visiting with Friends from Out of Town

2009-07-10T07:49:00.006-04:00

It has a been a busy week. Our friends Jim and Susan Merel are here from NJ. They were active members of our church there in Linwood. We went white water rafting with them on Wednesday. Just a perfect day weather wise, and we had an awesome time. I never thought I'd go and do such a thing since I'm not a great swimmer. However, the guide we had in our raft was an awesome guy. He helped us navigate the rapids in fine fashion. Susan fell out once, and the rest of us managed to stay in the raft. There were about 50 people on the trip. About 8 rafts (with 4 people in them) and lots of two-seater kayaks called "duckies."

At first it was a bit intimidating, but as we got into it, we were more relaxed and had a better sense of what to do. I actually found myself looking forward to the next set of rapids and rocks. They guide would serve as the rudder of the raft and we'd paddle as he instructed. There were only two rafts with guides, the rest of the people chose to do it without a guide. Upon looking at the video afterward, I saw that our decision was a good one. Just about every raft capsized at least once.

Afterward we headed home and fund a place to eat in Uniontown. and headed home. the Laurel Highlands White water company did well by us. We rafted the lower riber there at Ohiopyle. It's a category 2-3 in difficulty. That means it descends about 17 feet every mile. Our trip was about 8 miles long and lasted about 4 hours. They had lunch for us midway. It was deli sandwiches and lemonade or iced tea. Adequate. And though Dee was very apprehensive at first, she was heard to say - "Yes, I'd go again."

On Thursday we took our friends to the Strip District in Pittsburgh and visited many of the shops there. We had lunch an a small Italian restaurant called "On the Strip". Very authentic. And then rode the Monongahela Incline to the top of Mt. Washington to see the panoramic view of the city's skyline. Crystal clear day. We walked in to some of the restaurants like Buca and the one in the old train station just to see the decor.

Susan was so take with the old train station, that she suggested we come back there for dinner. We did and it was superb. We sat facing the city at night. The Smithfield Street Bridge was all lighted up as was the city in general. It was a delightful evening of wonderful food and time to relax and visit with old friends.

Today they head back to NJ. Dee goes back to work, and I will be meeting with some friends for lunch. We both work tomorrow (Saturday).

Our 38th Anniversary Day

2009-07-03T06:18:00.003-04:00

On Tuesday Dee and I celebrated our 38th wedding anniversary. We began the day with a lunch at Sesame Inn in Station Square followed by lessons' on the Segway (a 1 person electric powered personal transportation vehicle). If you've seen the movie Mall Cop, then you know what I'm talking about. Here's Dee just prior to getting on her yellow Segway. Our lesson was about 25 minutes long riding around in the Station square indoor mall. That was to prepare us for the "tour of Pittsburgh" on our personal vehicles as a group. However, rain prevented that from happening, so we didn't get to go outside. But what we did was fun and we learned we could do it. (The guy gave us our money back.) We walked around the mall, and I discovered that I could use the free wi-fi there to check my email. I had a message from a Bogmeister asking for the phone number of a new guy. I didn't have it, but I called my new Concierge service and they sent it via text message to my cell phone. Then I send that to the Guy who asked for the number. So Cool.

Then we went outside and the rain had stopped, but threatened throughout the next hour with nar a drop. We walked across the Smithfield Street Bridge and went into Macy's and then Saks. Afterward we walked to Market Square and had a coffee at Starbucks. That was followed by a walk to Point State Park where we sat and watched the boats in the rivers and the water fountain spray into the air.

While sitting there, I got out my new Itouch, and discovered that Pittsburgh has an free wi-fi internet service. I signed on. Then I called our new Concierge service and asked for the phone number of the Georgetown in, the address and asked them to send me the menu via email, which I can receive on the itouch. Almost instantly, It was there in my hand for the reading.

We decided to not go there, but rather, we took the subway back to Station Square and then drove to The Church Brew Works for a nice dinner and then headed home. A lot of walking, but a lot of fun. Nice Day.

This is my sister Faye in our kitchen working with her Itouch.

On Thursday my sister flew in from Philadelphia to spend a few days with my mom. I picked her up at the airport and brought her to our place. It was the first time she's been here. We had a great visit chatting, checking out Dee's place of work, and touring our new home. Then we took her to Monongahela for a couple of days with mom. Faye heads back on Sunday morning.

We're Now "World Ventures" Leisure Travel Consultants!

2009-06-26T11:02:00.008-04:00

When I mentioned to my sister that Dee and I have become "Leisure Travel Consultants" and that we have our own web pages and an "Online Travel Business", she said "I didn't read about it on your blog." True, we've been busy for the last 5+ days. So here's the scoop.

We went to a luncheon and learned that most people now plan vacations or travel arrangements online (click and order) rather than going to a building call a "travel agency" (brick and mortar). And that the travel industry is one of the largest industries in the world and it's growing as baby boomers (guess who that is) start traveling more.

We would like to start doing some traveling (We even went to get our passports the other day. And World Ventures makes it very affordable. As they say "5 star dream trip vacations at 2 star discount prices." Anyway, we signed on to be Reps. That means we direct people to our websites and World Ventures does the rest.

We actually have several websites with different features.http://www.aiello.worldventures.biz/ will let you know what Dee and I signed on for. (a couple of short videos give you the scoop). If you'd like to learn more let me know and I'll happily point you in the right direction.

http://www.aiello.worldventuresdreamtrips.com/ talks about the dream trips the company has set up for this year (200 of them). Click on the world globe and a world map comes up, then select the part of the world you want to go to and see what is planned. you'll note they give a "best online price" number and then say that "dream trips members will save $x per couple." A dream trips membership is a one time fee of $199 and you save more than that in just one trip. Many people take the dream trips (there may be 50 - 100 people taking it) and rovia will often have a person on board that will coordinate activities or "extras" like parties, champagne in your suite etc they throw in for free.

If there are no trips that interest you, you can go to my page http://www.aiello.rovia.com/ and click on "vacations" or "villas and condos" and check those out. Same price structure there too. See what's out there. This company makes arrangements with all the "timeshares" and brokers them for unused weeks and makes them available at discount rates so you benefit, and the "owners' have someone in their places. It's a good deal.

Go to our www.aiello.rovia.com site and sign in as a PREFERRED MEMBER (it's free).(There's a list of benefits for preferred members.) Check out the site. And, if there is no trip scheduled that you like, or want to go somewhere else in particular, you can click on the "quote request" button at the top of our page and then, fill out the "vacation package request." And send it to them, and they'll get back to you with some suggest details for a great vacation tailored to your requests AND at a much discounted price.

They have a concierge service too that you can use while on the vacation to get directions, get a recipe, find local attractions, locate a restaurant, check the weather, phone numbers, etc. (It's like OnStar and Google only it's on the phone.) (Because Dee and I signed on to be Leisure Travel Consultants, and Reps, we get the concierge service thrown in as a benefit and can use it anytime anywhere.) Cool.

So planning a vacation? Want it to be a "dream trip?" Want it to be affordable? Visit our site and sign in as a "preferred member" and you're on your way to a great trip.

Father's Day

2009-06-22T07:12:00.007-04:00

Here's a picture of Kerri at breakfast (Father's Day treat on Friday.) And of course Kate was there to celebrate too. She even got me a "grandfather's card for Father's Day! You'll note Kerri had her hair cut by her Pittsburgh friend "Sergio".

Sunday I went to church and Dee had to work. But we got together for a nice Father's Day dinner at Smokey Bones. Their buy one get one free dinner coupon is great! We've never had a bad meal there.

Later we sat on the deck and enjoyed the nice weather and did some reading. Dee's reading a Grisham book "The Appeal," and I'm reading the training info for the tutorial about being a Leisure Travel Consultant to better understand how our new website works. www.Aiello.rovia.com

World Ventures Reps

2009-06-20T05:56:00.003-04:00

Yesterday after Kerri and Kate left for VA, Dee and I went to a luncheon presentation at a local restaurant. One of my "Chamber of Commerce" contacts talked about "How to Travel for a Fraction of the Normal Costs." We liked what he said and signed up with "World Ventures". It's a kind of Sams Club for travel. We especially liked the "Dream Vacations" features. Our new website as "Leisure Travel Consultants" is http://www.aiello.worldventures.com/ or http://www.aiello.rovia.com/ Check it out.

I also thought I'd try "Twitter" and see what that's all about. Should be fun with my new "I touch" gadget.

Kate and Kerri head Home Today

2009-06-19T07:59:00.003-04:00

Here we are having a serious talk abut boys. And we practiced "cooing" to each other. Each time she does it she smiles and seems surprised that she did it. LOL

I was able to get in a round of golf yesterday just as the rain was stopping. I golfed with two other rangers. Jim is 81 (the best golfer of the three) and Dick is 69. They've been rangering a long time. We had a nice time.

Kerri and Kate leave this morning after breakfast at First Watch. Dee and I both work on Saturday so it'll be a busy weekend.

Yesterday I bought a Time Magazine and read an article about Twitter and decided to sign up to give it a try. We'll see how it works. I continue to enjoy my new Itouch. It seems to be able to connect to the web just about everywhere. And I picked up a car adapter at CVS (for $10) that will allow me to recharge it without having to plug it into the computer all the time.

Our visit with Kerri and Kate went well. Kate actually slept through the night each night. And that was something new for her and Kerri.

Kate's In Town

2009-06-18T08:42:00.002-04:00

It's Thursday morning already - been a busy week with Kerri and Kate here. We got a new storm door for the front door. Now we can keep the house door open and still see outside through the window of the storm door. It has a screen in the top half that rolls up and down when needed. Nice for some airflow doing summer days.

Kerri's friend Maureen and her boyfriend came over last night for dinner and a visit to see Kate and Kerri. We ha a nice meal but ran out of propane while cooking the chicken. duh? Dee saved the day by finishing it on the stove. We've been watching the various parts of the John Adams HBO series. Fascinating stuff - we're enjoying it. However, last night the power went off for about 20 minutes. Had to scurry around and find candles light the way. The whole area was blacked out from the storm.

Here's another photo of Kate. She sure is adorable. And becoming quite the coo-er. Coos back and smiles when she does it. Great stuff.

Home from Barbershop Music Camp

2009-06-15T09:17:00.006-04:00

My trip to Kenyon College in Ohio went well. There were about 250 barbershoppers from PA,OH and KY there to take classes and sing. Here's a photo of the dining hall (It's the one with people in it) and of the student dining hall. Impressive.

The classes I took were of a more technical nature this year. Two were on using the computer to create learning CDs with programs called "Audacity' and "Finale". And the third class that I took all day Sat. was on "How to Arrange Sheet Music in the Barbershop Style". I was curious about what the key principles are for doing that. The instructor, Don Gray, has been doing that for 25 years and so he boiled it all down to the basics. There were about 12 of us in the class and we took "You Belong To Me" and worked on making it singable for barbershoppers. It was fascinating to watch the creative process unfold and to consider the hundreds of questions you had to be asking yourself regarding what you wanted to do. Good Stuff.

Here's a photo of Don Gray.

Kerri and Kate are coming to town today. Patrick has work out of town, so she decided to come back to Pittsburgh for 5 days. Can't wait to see them.

Home from NJ

2009-06-08T08:22:00.002-04:00

Here's the most recent picture of Kate at 7 1/2 weeks.

Well our trip went well. We drove home yesterday from Linwood NJ. It took 7 hours and 10 minutes and was 383 miles from door to door. We were able to visit with my sister, Faye en route and she got to see Kate via "skype" video cam conferencing.We went with her to a restaurant that had wi-fi and she, Rich and Lauren got to see and talk with Kerri. Isn't technology great!

From there we headed to Absecon to stay with Paula for two nights. It started to rain when we got on the AC Expressway and didn't stop raining until about10 a.m. on Thursday. That was just in time to allow me to go golfing with Bob Morris and the afternoon group at Greate Bay Country Club. I was really hitting the ball well and was pleased with my game. Then, Dee came over for dinner with the group. It was nice seeing all those old friends again. Dee had been visiting with her friends from work from 1 p.m. till about 5:15 p.m. They were thrilled to see her again and had lots to talk about.

The rains started up again and continued all through Friday until early afternoon. The wedding rehearsal was at 6 and then we had a lovely rehearsal dinner at 7:30 at the Inlet Restaurant. The meal was awesome. A great place to go and celebrate. Afterward, we got together with some Andy and Paula, Marie and Tony at the Crab Trap and talked for a while before everyone went their separate ways.

We did get a chance to visit with our friend Sara Green on Friday and with Marie at the church. Rev. Reeder and I got to visit while Marie and Dee chatted. Since I'd taken my white robe, we decided to use robes for the wedding. That turned out very nice. Then, Dee and I had a late lunch at the Cheeseboard deli and then went to visit the Morris' at their nome.

Then on Saturday the wedding took place at 11 a.m. Heather look stunning. It was a beautiful white dress with red trim with a beaded design The deep red trim also went through the train. Very nice. Heather's father, Bob was able to be at the wedding and rallied from his hospital visit earlier in the week. It all went well. The reception was at Boogie Nights, in the Resorts Casino. It turned out to be a nice venue for the young people in our party. We enjoyed it too.

Later we went and walked on the Ocean City Boardwalk and enjoyed watching the waves and the people. Andy had a picnic cookout and invited us over to share burgers and hotdogs. We watched the end of the Phillies game and the first period of the Penguins game. (ouch) Then finished out the evening in our motel room.

Sunday morning we had breakfast with Mae and Kat at Fitzpatrick's Deli and then went to church. Pastor Reeder had been very gracious throughout the weekend. It was nice to see the church people again. And when Frank announced that we were there, people applauded. That was nice. There were some new faces there and we were glad for that. But it was really nice to see our old friends and spend some time with them in worship and communion. We left the church at 1 p.m. and got home (nice sunny drive) at 8:10 p.m.

Heading to NJ

2009-06-03T08:05:00.004-04:00

We're leaving for NJ this morning, but I thought I'd post the photo of the new window treatment we got yesterday for the front windows of the house in the living room.

Our trip to NJ will include a stop at my sister, Faye's home for a brief visit en route to the wedding I'll be officiating at my former church, Seaview Baptist on Saturday.

What a Happy Baby!!!

2009-05-30T16:23:00.004-04:00

Here's a brief video Kerri sent of Kate's "responsive smile". Something she's just started doing in the last week.

Dee and I were able to use the hot tub the other night after the rains subsided. It was nice out and we enjoyed getting to use it again. On Friday we went out for breakfast and used a certificate they'd sent us in the mail. I love the omelets at Freedom Diner.

Afterward we picked up a couple of items we needed and headed home. We enjoyed sitting on the porch and having a cookout on the grill (chicken) and I made risotto. I really tasted good. I stirred and stirred and stirred. We learned about it at the "gourmet getaway" back in January. In the evening I read some more of my WWII book "An Army At Dawn". Fascinating stuff.

Today, Saturday, we both worked (I finished rangering at Treesdale at 3 and she finishes at 6:30 PM.) So we decided to use the "birthday gift card" Red Robin emailed us for her birthday. That'll be nice because we like their food there. I'm working a golf outing on Monday which should be interesting. It's supposed to be big and involve about 6 of us rangers. As it stands now, it looks like the schedules we wrote for ourselves will continue and I'll be working most Saturdays of the summer. (except for the 6th and 13th when I'll be gone.)

Golf and the movie ANGELS AND DEMONS

2009-05-29T09:05:00.004-04:00

Kate and family are doing well. Here's another picture of her.

It's Friday morning and raining. Fortunately I got in 9 holes of golf after Rotary on Wednesday, and then 18 holes yesterday. Yesterday I golfed with two other rangers at Treesdale. I was very pleased with my round. I actually got 2 birdies (both on par 3 holes)! I haven't had a birdie in over a year, and yesterday I had two! Amazing, and in front of witnesses to boot. God is Good.

Today I'm returning some "woods" to a company called Warrior. They had a deal for a free hybrid golf club if you'd try their 1,3,5 woods. And have a money back guarantee. Today they go back. I had to get a "return authorization number" before I could return them. Getting that number was a trip. They offered to let me keep the clubs and return half my money, then they offered to send me a "free" set of irons if I kept them. I was insistent that I wanted my full refund. (I did all this on the phone, just as the movie was starting at Showcase Cinemas.)

I had stepped out of the theater to go to the bathroom and my cell phone rang. It was the customer service department of Warrior. They'd left a message. I returned the call right then because I wanted to get that authorization number and had only been dealing with phone operators. So, for the next 20 minutes I talked with the guy about my refund. (Dee thought I'd gotten sick from the popcorn and came looking for me. I assured her I was okay and that I was trying to get the authorization now that I was actually talking with a person.) Although I missed the first 20 minutes of ANGELS AND DEMONS I did get the refund code #.

Since I'd read the book, I knew the plot of the movie, and enjoyed the rest of the movie. It's a MUST SEE flick. Good stuff. Great mystery. Dee and I hadn't been to a movie theater in a long time. We decided to go, and then discovered that our Cranberry theater closed! So we went to the Showcase Cinemas on McKnight Road. As it turns out Wednesday is seniors day. All people over 60 get in for $4.50 all day! Cool. We even used the coupon they gave us for a discount on drink and popcorn. Very nice.

On Sunday I read an article in the Post-Gazette entitled "They Died for You" by Rick Atkinson. It was about WWII. The things every American should know about WWII. It was a great article and I was motivated to buy his book "An Army At Dawn" (the first of three books about WWII).

I'm clueless about that war and this writer is a good story teller and packs in loads of facts. I'm 100 pages into it and am enjoying it very much. I didn't realize WWII had been going on for 27 months before the United States got into it. Nor did a realize that 1,150 men died every hour in it - for 7 years! Atkinson is working on the third book in the series. This first book is about our invasion of Africa; the second book is about Italy and the third is about France and Germany I think. Good rainy day reading.

Nice Picnic!

2009-05-27T08:11:00.007-04:00

Well the "coming out picnic" for Kate is now history. The weather cooperated and we had a blast. There was plenty of food and 26 people in all (three of whom were children). Thanks to John and BJ for cooking the burgers and dogs and to everyone else who brought delicious side dishes and desserts. Dee's pulled pork went over very well. (We decided not to have chicken.) We even had halushki and cheese cake! Our friends from our very first church, Mooncrest Community Baptist Church, Chuck and Betty Werme, were able to come and meet Kate. (Betty had saved a newspaper photo of 34 years ago when it published a photo of me, Dee and a brand new baby named, Kerri. She recently sent it to Kerri and we thought it would be nice for Kerri to meet the Wermes.) Here is a picture of Kate in her debut dress. Also one of Kerri holding her in a "wrap", and of Grandma Dee with Kate.

Our visit with the Julians went very well. Kate slept well doing her regular feedings on time. We never even heard her during the night. And when we went to church and out to eat, she just snoozed away. Folks at Church were happy to see her.

I started back to work at Treesdale and worked a few hours on Saturday and on Memorial Day (after the Julians left for VA.) The weather was sunny buy not real hot, which made of a nice afternoon of riding in the golf cart and watching people golf, and picking up a few lost golf balls.

Getting Ready for the Picnic

2009-05-23T07:00:00.003-04:00

Here's a recent photo of Kate.

Since my last entry, I went to visit with my mom. We went to lunch at a place called "The Speers Street Grill" in Speers, PA. It's owned by the same people who own "The Back Porch Restaurant " across the street. It sits along the Monongahela River and you can see a marina and boats going up and down the river. There seems to be a little "village" there with a couple of shops. We had a nice view. Mom said she thought she'd been there before. I took my computer so she could see a video of Kate with Kerri. I also tried to use the Skype program so she could see them live, but they didn't have wi-fi, nor did Eat'n Park nor did the local McDonalds. (They were out of cards that had the wi-fi code on them.) Maybe next time. We had a nice visit. I tried to put her bills in order and make sure things were paid up. I couldn't find the new check's she'd gotten that had the duplicate check system. Not sure where they ended up. However, we did find checks that were relatively new and so used them.

I'd stopped along the way to her place and golfed 9 holes with my friend John Curdie. We golfed at Rolling Green Golf Course along Route 136. I've driven by that place for 45 years and never golfed there. (of course most of that time I was not a golfer) but I've always wanted to do that, so John was available and it wasn't far from his home, so it worked out nicely.

On Friday, Kerri and Pat and Kate arrived just in time to celebrate Dee's birthday. They said their trip went well, and Kate got hungary at the right time (when they got to Breezewood) so it worked out well. Once here, they got to see the changes we'd made in the house, and we got to see and hold and sing to Kate again. They'll be here through Memorial Day. We're having a picnic on Sunday afternoon and invited some of the people who were at her baby shower to come and visit. Hopefully the weather will cooperate.

Today, Kerri and Pat and Kate will see some of their Pittsburgh friends in the afternoon, and I'll start my first day back at the Treesdale Golf and Country Club as a "starter/ranger". I'll work the afternoon shift and we'll all reconnect later in the early evening. It good to have them back in PA.

Making Plans for Memorial Day

2009-05-20T07:31:00.006-04:00

Yesterday before and after the Chamber Networking meeting I re stained the deck and steps to the patio. I did it once before during one of our trips to the house from NJ. That was two summers ago now. The weather had taken it's toll on the stain job I did then, and I wanted to get it done before the really hot weather came. It looks great again and was a lot easier and less time consuming this time around. Now we can put the table and umbrella on it Yeah!

Today after Rotary the new pub table and chairs for the kitchenette will be delivered. We're looking forward to getting them. It's nice they'll be here for the picnic we're having on Sunday afternoon. Kerri and Pat and Kate will be here for the weekend (Yipee!)and we've invited some people over for a potluck cookout. Should be fun. It'll be a chance to let people see Kate and also see the new paint job and reconnect. It'll be interesting to see how Bonz deals with having Kate around. Here are a couple of new pictures of Kate.

During the last couple of days I've been downloading and trying to figure out a new program called Skype. It allows you to make phone calls through your computer and if you have a web cam, you can see the person you are talking to and they can see you. Kerri has one too, and so we worked out the bugs on Monday and got it working! It was so cool to see her and Kate (and even be able to take pictures of them) from our house here in Mars! I'm planning on taking my laptop and the webcam and also the headphones with me when I go to see my mom tomorrow. I'll look for a hotspot where I can connect to the internet and then hopefully we'll be able to see and hear Kerri and Kate so that my mom can see and talk with them. I think there is a hotspot at McDonalds or the local Eat'n Park. Should be a hoot for mom, if I can get it working. Since we have about 20 people coming for Sunday afternoon, we decided not to bring my mom up for the day this time. Hosting the event, and having Kate here and keeping an eye on Bonz will keep us busy as it is.

Kate in the Movies

2009-05-17T09:11:00.007-04:00

This is a little video Kerri made of Kate at 4 weeks of age. We thought we'd try putting it on this blog to see if it's uploadable and the right format. I thought you might enjoy seeing and hearing her wiggle and coo as we have. Now I know what people who don't have to preach do on Sunday mornings. HA!

Click on the picture frame and the video will launch.

To VA and Back

2009-05-17T08:42:00.009-04:00

Well we're back from our trip to see Kate and Kerri and Patrick in VA. It was a great trip and we're getting use to the idea of being grandparents. We took a baby's swing with us (got it at the yard sale) for Kate. It has 6 different speeds and plays 15 different songs. Kerri said Kate likes it.

We stayed for three days and helped around the house and took Kate for several walks in the neighborhood and to the mall. We had lunch out twice and Kate didn't make a peep. She just gurgled every once in awhile.

I went to the local Chapter of the Barbershop Harmony Society and sang with them at their practice. It was great. I know about half of their songs and so could join right in. The other half, (One of them was "When I'm 64" by the Beatles. Hummmm. Wow, that's this year!)I sang reading the music, but not so loud as to mess up their harmony if I made a mistake. There were only 9 guys, but they rang a few chords and we laughed a lot. They seem like a nice bunch of guys. They invited me back when I'm in town. Here's a photo I took of the group.

Since getting home, I've been learning how to put photos on a new "Digital Photo Album" that Kerri and Pat gave us. It's about the size of a wallet, but you can keep digital photos in it (up to 7,000) and then show the photos to people that way. It even has a slide show feature that automatically progresses the pictures and you can watch it. It's compact, fits in a purse or pocket easily. Nice idea. However, I think we'll have it filled up before too long. LOL

Mother's Day

2009-05-11T08:11:00.003-04:00

Our men's chorus flower sale deadline is today. Here's a pic of the sign we put up in Zelienople to recruit men singers for the Pirate Game on July 19.

Mother's Day went well here in Mars. We had my mom over for a sleep over on Saturday night so she could see our newly painted home and spend time with us. And then we went to Church on Sunday and had a nice lunch (with many options) at Quaker Steak and Lube Restaurant near the church. we also played with the Wii with her (bowling) for a bit and demonstrated other games and the Wii Fit for her. It was fun and before we knew it, it was 11 PM. She and the dog, Bonz, got along very well. It was good to hear mom laughing really hard a couple of times.

Kerri called and talked with Dee and her grandmother for awhile. Kerri and Patrick were going for a walk with the baby. We told my mom they were going for a walk, she asked, "Are they taking the baby?" We laughed.

Later in the evening I watched "Slumdog Millionaire". The beginning was enough to send Dee walking, but I watched it all. Then later we saw "The Unit" together before going to bed.

Visiting with friends

2009-05-09T07:28:00.004-04:00

Here's another photo of Kate from week 3.

Thursday I went to the dentist and had two crowns put on. It still amazes me that they make them right there while you wait. They use a CEREC machine (computer like) that the technical uses to draw a 3-D picture of your new crown to fit your mouth. Unfortunately, one of them didn't fit and she had to do it three times to get it to fit right. I was in the dentist chair 3 1/2 hours. (although they did have a nice window for me to look out and the let me walk around a couple of times while the "milling machine" created the crown. I was really sore after it was all over. Since Dee was working, I golfed with that Russ and Bob that afternoon. On Friday Kathy (russ's sife) had to drive to Moon Twp. to get her daughter who flew into town, and Dee went with her to pick up Marrissa and baby Conrad who flew in from Boston. I was finally able to reach my mother to confirm my picking her up later today for a sleep over here at the house and then church and lunch on Mother's Day.

Dee and I have been talking with a mortgage guy about refinancing our mortgage to get a lower rate. I see him every Tuesday at the Cranberry Chamber networking meetings. We'll meet with him today to finalize our plans. We think it's a good step toward lowering our payments. I ran his numbers by my good friend Steve in NJ who knows that stuff inside and out, and he thought it was a step in the right direction.

The Music Man movie

2009-05-07T08:10:00.002-04:00

Here's another recent photo of Kaitlin that I thought you'd enjoy.

I was able to golf yesterday morning at Treesdale before Rotary began at noon. It was a little cool out but warmed up some during the morning. The rains came in mid afternoon, so it was good I went when I did. Dee worked until 3 PM and then came home. Bonz and I went around the block for some exercise. It was a quiet afternoon and evening. We watched "Music Man" in the evening with Robert Preston and Shirley Jones. I've been wanting to watch it for some time now. The Buffalo Bills quartet was in it and I wanted to see and hear them sing. People often refer to them when they talk about the start of barbershop singing's popularity. Good movie.

We used the hot tub even though it was raining. That was different as occasionally a drop of cool rain water would land on your back from the deck above. It is always so restful and relaxing in the hot tub. Nice.

We're anticipating going to see Kerri and Kate and Pat next week. Pat has gone back to work and Kerri seems to be getting along at home on her own now. So, we'll go down and keep her company and see the baby again. She'll be one month old next Wednesday and that's when we're going. We'll come back on Friday. (We were going to go to a benefit dinner Sherron and John Curdie are having, but this trip will change that.)

Bogmeisters' Open House

2009-05-05T08:55:00.006-04:00

New Photos of Kate arrived last night. Enjoy!

Yesterday Dee worked at McGinnis and I checked out storm doors at Home Depot and also picked up some items at Target. Bonz had a nice walk and we enjoyed the cooler weather. Cooking dinner on the grill is always fun - turkey burgers. Then later I went to the Bogmeister Open House for new men singers as we prepare for singing the National Anthem at PNC Park. Seven new guys showed up and we had a good time introducing them to barbershop singing. Here's a photo from last night's Open House.

Remember we're singing on Sunday July 19 when the Pirates play the SF Giants. And if You want to go and sit in our section and get the discounted ticket price and a free ball cap, use our group code #722466 when you order your tickets. we're sitting in the Left Field Box. Tickets are $20 each.

Congratulations Danielle!

2009-05-03T08:55:00.005-04:00

Conrgatulations to Dee's great niece Danielle! She gave birth this morning at 5:07 a.m. to twin boys. Cameron Kennedy and Noah Paul weighed 4 pounds 15 oz. and 5 pounds 11 oz. Danielle had a C-section at West Penn Hospital and all are doing well. PTL

Yesterday was a cool day. While Dee went to work at McGinnis, I completed my chores around the house (she gave me a "to do" list) and then went off to play golf at Treesdale. I'd decided I needed to go to the driving range first to work on my swing. I discovered that maybe I've been putting the ball to far forward causing mis-hits. So I moved the ball back in my stance and that seemed to help a lot. Afterward I played 9 holes and did better than earlier in the week.

Afterward I took Bonz for a walk and Dee and I had steaks on the grill. We were going to go to Butler to hear a Barbershop concert at Succop Theater but Dee was tired so I went by myself. Only to learn that they'd sold out and there were no tickets left. (I remember seeing the ad in the paper saying to call a certain phone number but had no idea it was a requirement if you wanted tickets.) Oh well, I gathered a few programs to show our guys and then headed home. Dee and I used the hot tub and enjoyed some bubbly in the bubbles.

Celebrating with Earl and Marilyn

2009-05-02T08:56:00.002-04:00

Yesterday we were blessed with about 5 hours of dry weather sandwiched between drizzle in the morning and drenching down pours in the evening. We picked up a few things at the store and then had lunch at the Jade Garden in Cranberry. They have good lunches at a reasonable price.

In the evening we took the Campbells out to Red Lobster in Butler as a thank you for Earl's help in installing and creating the chair rail for our kitchen. Their 60th wedding anniversary was last week too. Marilyn really likes Red Lobster, so that's why we went there. A short stop afterward at Ollie's gave them both a "never been there before" experience. On the way home I play the XM radio channel for music of the 40s. They knew most of the songs and artists who performed them. Then we stopped at Bruster's for an ice cream dessert. Just as we finished it started to sprinkle rain, however, we got home before the clouds let loose. It was a nice time.

We watched "Yes Man" with Jim Carey. It was a cute story with a funny twist at the very end. Netflix seems to be working out for us. We got the lowest rate plan. That allows us to see some movies without overdosing on them. As we went to bed we heard the sound of the rain falling on the deck.

Golfed in the morning

2009-05-01T11:40:00.003-04:00

Yesterday I went golfing in the morning while Dee went grocery shopping. We met for lunch at McGinnis'. They have a $3.99 hot sandwich special. Afterward, it started to rain and so we went home. I worked on typing the words to our new songs so I can memorize them and then I figured out how to put Kate's photos on my Ipod. They look great! Here's a recent one.

In the evening I put some of our songs on my laptop and then burned 8 Cd's for the bass section of the chorus. These learning Cd's are very helpful for learning the new songs. It's time consuming, but will pay of in the long run.

Dee talked with Kerri this morning and Kerri said that last night was the best so far. She managed to get lots of sleep between feedings. PTL!

It's Off To Work We Go

2009-04-30T08:06:00.004-04:00

Here's Kate checking you over.

Yesterday my mother had her car inspected and it passed with flying colors! Good. Also Rotary had a speaker from PNC talk about their mergers and the economy in western PA. Good stuff. Dee went back to work at McGinnis and received lots of "welcome back" hugs. They were really glad to see her because she's a good worker and has a good attitude.

I did some reading during the day and then in the evening we watched part of President Obama's speech and then Dee and I used the hot tub and relaxed with a pinot grigio. It's like a little vacation. Some of the shows we like to watch were recorded and so we got to see them on our schedule.

Kerri had called during the day and let us know Kaitlin did well on her 2 week check-up. She's back to her birth weight and then some more. She's up to 8 pounds 6 oz. now. Kerri said they also actually got some good sleep too. PTL.

A Good Day

2009-04-28T21:49:00.004-04:00

Kaitlin at just 13 days!

Yesterday we just did some catching up and I was able to go to Bogmeister Chorus practice in the evening. We've started working on our Irving Berlin Show for the fall. And I learned that we're selling flowers as a fund raiser. They come from a local nursery that has a good reputation in the area. I'll be sending the flier and price list out to people I think may be interested in getting some flowers. The order will have to be turned in by May 11th.

Today, I went to the Men's Bible Study group with Earl and then came home. Dee and I transplanted an rhododendron plant that didn't do well out back. We think the deer may have had it for dinner one night. We'll see how it fares in the new location. Shortly after we finished it started to rain and the temps dropped from 75 to 57 over a couple of hours. It's cool now and damp. So we decided to go to Barnes and Noble to peruse the books and magazines. We talked with Kerri briefly - she's doing well and so is the baby. They take her for the two week check up tomorrow.

Tonight we're going to watch "Scoop". A movie we got from Netflix. I'll call my mom to remind her of her appointment to have her car inspected tomorrow morning at 9.

Enjoyable Weekend

2009-04-27T08:06:00.004-04:00

Here are a couple of pics I thought you'd enjoy. Mother and daughter and daughter and granddaughter.

Saturday we were going to take it easy until we realized that the whole neighborhood was having a giant Yard Sale. So we went to breakfast at Freedom Diner and then headed home to see what we had that we didn't want anymore. En route to breakfast we found a fantastic stroller and swing set for Kate to use when she comes to our place.

We carted stuff up from the basement and carted most of it back, but did end up making a few bucks more than we'd spent. I recall saying, "I've gotten more exercise lugging this stationary bike up and down the steps than I ever did riding it.;) It was a beautiful day and we were in the shade all day, so it was a nice afternoon.

Sunday we went to church. Dee went to her Sunday School class and I attended the class that I think I'll be teaching in the fall. It was good to talk with the current teachers about their process and see their attendance sheet of names and participants. It'll be a survey of the New Testament class.

After ward we went to Eat 'N Park for lunch and then as soon as we got home, friends from Butler stopped by. Rich and Monica are thinking of moving and they wanted to see some of the homes in our area that were having open house. We went with them to five houses within walking distance of our place. Three of them were sorta like our place and the other two were town houses that we were just curious to see. We had a nice time with them.

After they left we sat on the deck and read for awhile, and then I cooked chicken on the grill. While we ate in the kitchenette area we watched "Last Cake Standing". A contest between wedding cake decorators for a big prize. We got hooked and watched two episodes before we just set up the record mode to record the final episode. Then went back to the deck. There was a nice breeze and so we continued to enjoy being outside.

During the evening we watched the episode we'd recorded and then next leg of "The Amazing Race." A nice day - full but nice.

Enjoying the Nice Weather

2009-04-25T07:18:00.005-04:00

Little did we realize that Kate likes to do Yoga stretches and positions. Here's one from yesterday.

On Thursday I got to play golf with Steppy at Sun Crest Golf Course. Steppy is one of the foursome that I often play with. This is the first time just he and I played alone. The other guys are away. It was a nice afternoon and I hit a few straight.

Yesterday I went to visit with my mother in Monongahela. We were able to take care of a couple of bills and spend some time together. She had plans for the afternoon with the Senior Center she attends. They were having a "volunteer recognition" gathering at 3:00 p.m. So I took care of what I needed to do and headed home.

Then Dee and I went to Zelienople and picked out a new kitchen table. It's a pub height table with a found out leaf. It'll measure 36x54 when folded and that'll work fine for us. While we were at Kerri's we sat at her pub height table and liked it. That confirmed our decision to get this one. It's off white with a light brown top. Earlier in the week Dee met with a gal from Penny's who came to the house with ideas for window treatments that Dee liked. So the front windows will also get a make over. should be nice when it's done.

We spent the evening on the deck reading and enjoying being outdoors. It had been 85 degrees during the day and so the evening was pleasantly warm. The news people said it has not been that warm in Pittsburgh since last October. We also signed up with Netflix and received our first movie. We watched "Get Smart" in the evening and enjoyed the story. I laughed a lot.

Back at Home Again

2009-04-23T07:35:00.005-04:00

Here's a photo of Kaitlin taken by Kerri with her Blackberry phone. I'm currently using it as my cell phone wallpaper. I also put some of our photos on my Facebook page and got instant responses from friends there who saw the photos and loved them. That was nice.

Yesterday we settled in to our old routine. First I went to the post office to pick up our mail. There was a pile of stuff to sort through. I was glad I didn't have them keep delivering it. (All that is now done on the computer.)

Then, I went to Rotary where we heard a speaker from the "Butler Blue Sox" a new baseball team that will play at the new Pullman Stadium". this summer. The players will be college kids from around the country who play for their colleges during the school year. Their hope is to eventually play professional baseball. The speaker was the Owner/Manager of the team. He started a similar team in Washington PA that now gets about 3,400 people per game in their 3,200 seat stadium. The tickets are $6.00 per game and sounds like it will be a lot of fun for the whole family as they have various activities between innings to keep the kids engaged. Sounds like fun. The start playing on June 4 and play for 9 weeks. Their home games will be in Butler.

During the meeting I was asked to make an announcement. I told them about Kaitlin's birth as our first grandchild. Everyone applauded! Nice.

From there I went to pick up Bonz from the kennel. He was groomed on the last morning there so he'd be ready for the summer. He was in good shape and quite excited to be with us again and back home. We walked him later in the day after the rains stopped.

Dee stopped in a McGinnis. They were happy to see her and they said they'd put her back on the schedule starting next week. I stopped in at Giant Eagle where I could print out some photos of our trip to be with Kerri Pat and Kaitlin. Now we'll have some photos to show folks. I also printed some to mail to people and to give to my mother.

Dee heard from Kerri during the day and they're doing fine. Had a good night with Kate as they regulate her day/night clock. Every time I look at the picture above I realize how blessed we are.

Our First Walk with Kaitlin

2009-04-22T08:06:00.005-04:00

Today marks Kaitlin's first week out in the world. Her visit to the doctor's office went well. She'd gained back the 6 oz. and so her mom doesn't have to use the formula every other feeding now. Yipee!

Kerri and Pat are doing well at trying to figure out how to respond to the baby's various signals when she cries. (Is it a bubble?, Is she hungry?, Does she need changed? etc.) It seems they have a good night and then a long one alternately. Tuesday the weather was good in the afternoon and so we all took a walk with the baby in the stroller. It was a nice time together out in the sunshine Kaitlin did just fine. Here are a couple of photos from that walk.

On our way back to PA we stopped in Bedford to try a restaurant we'd seen from the turnpike for years. We had dinner at the Jean Bennet Tavern on Route 30. It was a 200 year old establishment with a restaurant on the ground floor, a tavern on the second floor and a bed and breakfast (American Colonial style) on the third floor. Very Nice. We got home about 9:30 p.m. after a wonderful trip to be with Kerri Pat and now Kaitlin. PTL!

A Busy Time

2009-04-20T10:53:00.006-04:00

well Kaitlin (Kate) has been home for three nights now and seems to be adjusting just fine. We're getting used to her sounds and enjoying her immensely! Kerri and Pat took her to the pediatrician this morning for a check-up. Here are some recent photos you might enjoy.

Dee and I have been busy doing odds and ends while Kerri and Pat tend to Kate's needs. I painted a patio table they had that was weathered and now more serviceable on their deck, but the stroller together and tried to figure out (still unsure) how the car seat attaches to the stroller for walks around the neighborhood. I went to the local Episcopal Church on Sunday morning and attended their "family service". It was amazing, I'd never been to a service like that. The children did everything - scripture readings, ushering, a drama of the scripture, the various responsive readings, special music. there were lots and lots of children with their parents. For communion, everyone went forward to get the wafer and dip it into the juice. Parents took their children up with them. It was all done "decently and in order". A real family and children's emphasis. There was no sermon as such for the adults during the service. But there was a "homily" time after the worship service for adults who wanted to stay the extra 20 minutes. About 30 adults did in a classroom where the pastor shared the message informally in a seated position on the theme for the day.

Sunday afternoon I was able to do some golfing at a local course and they paired me up with three other people. It ws a nice afternoon. I played 18 holes and it was good to get out and hit a few straight. We're going to bring Kerri's clubs back to PA for Dee to use as she tries to take some lessons and get acquainted with the game of golf.

Topday's task is to build the hibachi we got the other day for them to cook out on the deck from time to time. Raining here today after 3 beautiful days in the high 60s and 70s.

Kaitlin's First Car Ride Home!

2009-04-18T00:04:00.008-04:00

Well, (Friday) was the day for coming home. Pat and Kerri took class with the lactation specialist, and today they celebrated because Kaitlin "got Milk!" (I understand that they way they could tell this was so was because when they looked at her she had the "milk mustache";)

About 3 this afternoon they got the okay to go home. Below are some photos of the preparations for the first ride in the car seat. It took Pat and I a while to figure out how to adjust the harness to fit Kate securely without squashing her. but we figured it out.

After getting home the learning curve began in earnest. Kerri and Pat did well and we can tell they'll be good parents as they learn how to do what they need to do for their new daughter. Keep them in your prayers as they begin this journey together with Kaitlin.(Remember you can click on any photo and have it enlarged for better viewing.)

Dee and I hung out at the local Prime Outlet mall for part of the day and then drove to Leesburg to see the historic section while we were waiting for Kerri and Pat to take their classes and get discharged from the hospital. They were in the Reston Hospital in Reston, VA.

Kaitlin after 24 hours

2009-04-16T22:02:00.010-04:00

So here are some more photos of Kaitlin. She's due home from the hospital tomorrow. She's been doing very well and has passed the various tests they've given her to be sure she is healthy and all parts are working as they should. Kerri is doing well and adapting to the aspects of motherhood (changing diapers, learning the breastfeed, letting others hold Kaitlin, wrapping and unwrapping her between diapers).

We thank all of you for your prayers and support during these days of preparation.

Kaitlin Has Arrived !!

2009-04-16T10:21:00.007-04:00

Here are a couple of pictures from the eventful day! Happy birthday Kaitlin Kennedy Julian, 8 pounds and 2 ounces, 21 1/4 inches!

Mother and baby and dad are doing well! As are the happy grandparents Paul and Dee Aiello!

Ring Ring Ring!

2009-04-15T08:53:00.003-04:00

Patrick called at 8:50 a.m. this morning to let us know that Kerri is at 5 centimeters and that they are at the hospital. We'll be heading down there this morning. I'll keep you readers up to date and include some photos when I can.

Mild Weather Is Here but Rain on the Way... so they say

2009-04-14T14:47:00.004-04:00

Sunday's trip to be with my mother went well. We took her out to the Ponderosa Restaurant in Belle Vernon. They had an Easter buffet that was quite good and reasonably priced. Mom seemed to like it with all the options to choose from. She tanked up on lots of food. It was good to see her eating so well.

Back at the house, we checked on things to make sure she is taking her meds and that all the bills were paid. We were with her about 4 hours in all. It was a nice visit.

Yesterday I went to the Bogmeister Men's Chorus to practice. It was good to see all the guys trying to sing without the sheet music, but we still have a long way to go. The practice was a good workout. The group is singing this Saturday at for a group at the Big Knob Grange in Rochester. (Actually close to Cranberry Twp.)

Today's Chamber Networking luncheon featured the interior design decorator we had over to help us. She did a nice job. I was able to connect with the Chairperson of the Chamber as he was at our meeting. We chatted and he wanted our Bogmeister Card. As we spoke I told him I was a retired Baptist Minister, and he indicated his father-in-law was a retired Lutheran Minister. Turns out that this guy is a Methodist at an area church. We had a nice chat and it was a good connection.

Dee talked with Kerri today - still no movement toward a birthing. Kerri sees the Dr. this afternoon to get an update on how things are going.

The weather here is very mild today and in the 50s. It's supposed to go to the 60s for the next several days. maybe I'll get some golf in. And Dee has indicated she'd like to take lessons, so we may get to that before too long as well.

HAPPY EASTER!

2009-04-12T07:17:00.004-04:00

Happy Easter! This year I decided to NOT go to the sunrise service. Last year I went and froze, so I chose not to go this year. (Last year I was newly retired and still had wanting to "attend everything" in my blood. This year I feel differently.) However, the sun is shining and it looks to be a beautiful, though chilly, day.

As I look out my window at the raccoon trap I see that Davey Crockett will get another hat. We moved the trap yesterday after catching two more birds, and that did the trick. I'll call "Davey" later this morning and let him know the news.

Yesterday Dee had a gal from Penney's Store come by the house to give her some ideas for window treatments for the front windows. After that we drove down to the Historic Strip District to have lunch and then go to the Heinz History Museum

We had some coupons for lunch but found that one place had rap music that just wasn't suitable for lunch time. And another one had only take out. We did find a place that we had not been to before called "Care On the Strip" that was very nice. They played Italian music and had free glasses of wine. Dee like the eggplant dish and I enjoyed the grilled chicken salad. After ward we walked back to the History Museum.

The Museum was very nice. It has five floors. We saw the old streetcars, the history of slavery in Pennsylvania, the clothes and costumes of the people of earlier days, the Lewis and Clark expedition story, and a whole floor devoted to sports in Western Pennsylvania from high school through professional. Just about every sport you could imagine was represented with memorabilia. We wee there about 2 hours and enjoyed it very much.On the way home we stopped at Brusters and used another coupon for an iced coffee latte.

Our neighbor stopped by with an Easter egg filled with chocolate for us. That was nice. That's also when we discussed moving the raccoon trap to a new location. He released the two captured birds and reset the trap for what was a successful night of waiting.

Dee and I watched the movie "Madagascar" and then went to bed. Today after church we're going down to Monongahela to be with my mother for the afternoon and to have dinner out with her.

A Trip to Zelienople

2009-04-10T07:46:00.005-04:00

If you havent seen the photos of Kerri's pregnancy, click here and check them out. No baby yet, though. http://kerri.julian.googlepages.com/shower

Yesterday we went to Zelienople to check out a store run by someone from the "chamber networking" group I'm in on Tuesdays. We found a nice kitchen table there but we're not sure about the size. It may be a bit too large. What we have now is 36x36 and is expandable. It was 36x54 and expandable to 54x54. That may be just a bit too big even in the closed position. We like it's sturdiness and color and have been thinking of a change in that area.

We also had lunch at the Log Cabin Inn. We've been there before and enjoyed it the last time we were there for lunch. We thought of going to two other places in our coupon book, but it turns out one had burned down and the other was closed. Tra-la.

In the afternoon, I went golfing (60 degrees) at Treesdale. It was good to hit a few good shots although I lost several balls to the lakes and the woods. I played by myself, but it was a nice day out and I had a good time.

In the evening Dee and I went to church for the pot luck dinner (she took a 4 bean salad that got good reviews). We ate with the Campbells and the Pastor and his wife at our table. During the service I sang with a quartet an a cappella version of "Were You There". It seemed to go well. The whole service was nice and we did communion by intinction. The Pastor did a first person sermon as the Biblical person Thomas. He did a nice job.

While we were there the Sunday school Superintendent asked me to consider teaching the "New Testament 101" class. The people currently teaching it wanted a break since they've taught it the last couple of years. The class would start in September and go through May. It's something to think about. I enjoy teaching and they already have the course handouts from the curriculum used in the past. I could just build on it and tweak it to fit my style. The guy who asked me said that if I had preaching engagements, he's get someone to fill in for me teaching the class on the Sunday's I'd be away. Likely then, that would mean I'd not do any kind of local interim work, but supply preaching as I have been doing this past year. The class is designed for grade 12 students and any adults interested in taking it. It would force me to be more intentional once again about doing weekly preparations. That would be good.

Back at home we watched a little television. Dee had recorded the movie "The Mummy". We watched it for a while, and then finished it in fast forward to see the end. Weird stuff.

Today was also the day they buried the 3 police officers who were shot on April 4 in Pittsburgh. A sad day for the police department, those families and the City.

Bird in the Raccoon Trap

2009-04-08T17:58:00.003-04:00

Wednesday was a quiet day. I noticed that we caught a blue jay in our raccoon trap. LOL It seems the neighbor put some of the food he was feeding the birds (peanuts with shells and suet) in the trap, and of course the birds got interersted too. Later in the day I saw the bird had been freed so it must have been the neighbor who let him go.

Rotary today at noon was enjoyable There was no program but several new members stood and introduced themselves and talked about their work, families, hobbies and educational backgrounds. There was a guest at our table who seemed interested in joining. She'd visited another club, but found there were very few women and from what I gathered, she thought our group was much friendlier as well.

During the afternoon I did some reading in the loft. I've been wanting to read J.I. Packer's book "Prayer" but haven't gotten around to it, so I read a chapter in it in the loft. Nice spot.

Tonight I go to quartet practice at the church. Wee'll be singing tomorrow night at the Maundy Thursday service. We'll be singing "Were You There." It was nice to see the sunshine out today, although the high only reached 51 and it was breezy. I did cook our dinner on the hibachi. We'd gotten a coupon for Omaha Steaks and decided to use it. I guess it's a good deal. Lots of cuts of meats and potatoe dishes. Anyway, we had two of the steaks tonight and found them to be very good.

The Snow is On the Ground (Again)

2009-04-07T07:57:00.004-04:00

Yesterday we finished putting the china back in the china cabinet (after the painters left) and I hung a vertical mirror in the living room between the two front windows. Then we returned a couple of items to stores because we changed our mind about the window treatments on the front windows for the time being. We put the red valances up and they looked nice against the soft green walls. So we'll stay with that for now.

I've started using the treadmill again. The Dr. says if I walk 2-3 miles a day it'll do wonders for my triglicerides, so I'll have a go at it. I've been listening to my ipod when I do it (Bogmeister music). And it helps the time go faster.

It's gotten cold during the last 12 hours and there is about an inch of snow on the grass and cars this morning and flurries are still in the air. (Where's Spring?)I finished reading my book on "Body Language". Fascinating stuff. I've begun being more attentive to "body language" so I'll see what I can observe. The book goes into great detail about everything from which seat you select at a table for a meeting, to how you sit, look, lean, point your toes, hold your hands, if you smoke whether you blow the smoke up or down, which are all part of "clusters" that supposedly have indications of your inner mood and thoughts. As I say, I'll try to be more observant and see what I can tell what people are saying non-verbally.

I had Bogmeister practice and turned in the money for our tickets for the Pirate game. People can still get tickets to the game but they'll have to order their own hopefully using our code # 722466 to get the discount. Our seats are in section #125. The tickets cost $20 and we get a Pirate Hat as well. WOW!

Last night we heard that our Fall Show will be on October 3,2009 and that it will be an Irving Berlin Show featuring his music. Songs like "Always" "Blue Skies" "Cheek to Cheek" "Walkin' My Baby Back Home" "I've Got My Love To Keep Me Warm" and "White Christmas" among others. It should be fun learning the words and notes for show.

Our Day for Worship and Dog Walking

2009-04-06T07:54:00.005-04:00

Sunday morning saw Dee and I heading in separate directions. She went to our church and Sunday school class and I headed to Crafton to preach there. The Crafton church is a small Baptist Church in downtown Crafton. I remember being there several times when we lived here before. In fact their previous pastor, Bill Morford, did our taxes for several years.

When I arrived I was greeted by Charlie Brown (yes that's his name) the husband of the pastor Marie Brown. Marie was sick and I was filling in for her. As it turns out, the organist had surgery during the week and was having reactions to the pain medications, and so she wasn't there either. Thus, everything was done a cappella and a boom box was connected to the sound system for nice prelude and postlude music being played. The congregation was lively and went with the flow. I'd taken my Q Chord along for the children's chat. The kids like the instrument and asked to play it after the service was over. My part in the service went well. I did the "Biblical Storytelling" method of the scripture reading. (memorized the text, and then told it to the congregation in the hopes that they would "experience" the text rather than just "hear it being read.") The sermon seemed to go well.

Pat Stetz was the worship leader for the day and she did the communion part of the service. All was done with an informality about it, but it was worshipful and meaningful to those who were there. They are a friendly congregation. Pat introduced me to each parishioner as they exited the sanctuary.

When I got home, Dee and I had lunch. We're been having deli sandwiches lately for lunch (flat bread with smoked turkey and ham with a little Beemster cheese, tomatoes etc.) The meats come from McGinnis' and is very tasty. Later we went out for dinner at Longhorn (with a gift card and coupon).

One of our new friends at our church has a father who died on Thursday. We went to the funeral home to pay our respects, and visit with them for a bit before heading home. The gentleman who died was 91 years old and was called "Pap" by his family. His son-in-law is one of the men in our Tuesday morning men's Bible Study group.

When we got home, we walked the dog around the block (62 degrees), read the paper, watched some TV, talked with Kerri on the phone, and then used the hot tub to relax with a glass of White Zinfandel at dusk. We finished off the evening watching "American Graffiti" (great music) with Ronnie Howard and Richard Dryfus. I was surprised to see Harrison Ford in it too. All in all it was a nice day.

A Quiet Day

2009-04-04T23:01:00.003-04:00

Saturday was a quiet day. We picked up a few things at a few stores. I waited in Panera and read my book on "The Definitive Guide to Body Language" while Dee did what she had to do. I also was able to call my mother to chat for a few minutes to connect with her and let her know I'm thinking of her. I also got to chat with Kerri and she and Pat are going to have a nice dinner out at one of their favorite places to celebrate his completion of the course work he did for work.

Dee and I stopped at Kohls for her to pick up some items and used the 30% off coupons for some K Cups for our coffee maker. Later we got Bonz' nails clipped at Pet Smart and looked at some storm doors at Home Depot to see what they had in stock. Our hope is to get one and have it installed once the Spring sales kick in.

Although it was cold out today, the sun did shine and I liked the way it lit up the living and dining rooms. The color popped real nice. The more I see it the more I like it.

I also went over my material for preaching tomorrow at Crafton. Dee will go to her Sunday school class at our church. She enjoys it and is getting to know the women there better each week. We'll connect sometime early in the afternoon when I'm done at Crafton. It should be an interesting day.

We finished off the evening at Barnes and Noble perusing the books and magazines for an hour or so. It's always fun and we usually have a specialty coffee drink of some sort to top it off before heading home.

On the Go!

2009-04-03T21:52:00.007-04:00

Here are some photos of the living room and master bedroom and bath that were recently painted. Color is so much nicer than plain white walls!

Well we visited with my mom. It turned out to be a much needed visit. We helped her with her paperwork. She needed to get caught up on her bills and especially her health insurance. It's a long story but the ending is good as far as what we accomplished in the 5 hours we were there. Then the next day (Thursday) she followed through on what I asked her to do, with a little reminding and it all came together.

On Thursday I went golfing in the morning at Treesdale Golf Club and then filled out the paperwork to work there again his summer as a "rehire." In the afternoon I went to the dentist and after 3 hours, I had two new crowns and a new filling. The technology now is awesome. They fashion and shape the porcelain crowns while you wait in the chair and then install them on the spot. Amazing. In the evening one of the Bogmeisters came over to the house and I helped him stork on a couple of songs he's having trouble with. He wants to audition to be a member, but is having trouble learning a song by heart. He'll do a try out again this next week.

Today I went to the Dr. for a follow up of my blood work. My triglycerides are up a little even though my LDL is low. Anyway, in addition to taking Chromium and Cinnamon and Fish Oil I need to cut back some on dairy products and exercise more. The Dr. indicated that exercise would help a lot. She wants me to get another glucose test to see if I'm insulin resistant. All my other readings are okay. (Look out treadmill here I come.) After the Dr. I took Dee's car to be serviced for the next 3,000 mile oil change and had the fluids topped off.

After that I went home picked up Dee and we went to Butler to have lunch with Donnie Forcht her nephew. We ate at a Mexican place he really liked. Good food. Then Dee and I went to SAMS, Ollie's and Big Lots. We're looking for a nice table about 24x17 to put the stereo stuff on (right now it's on a snack table behind the sofa in the living room). We're also looking for a nice home desk for in the loft. Nothing larger, but about 4 feet wide. We stopped at Lowe's too to check out storm doors. We'd like to get one this spring and we hear that Lowe's has them on sale usually in the Spring (but not yet) and with installation at a discount.

In the evening I hear from Faye that she'd talked with our mother and that she was doing well and had found some items she thought were lost. (PTL). I also got a phone call from the pastor at the First Baptist Church of Crafton, Marie Brown. It seems she has a throat infection and won't be able to preach on Sunday. She asked me to fill in for her, which I'm glad to do. It'll be nice to meet her congregation and help her out even on short notice.

Finishing Touches - Hanging Curtains

2009-04-01T08:09:00.003-04:00

Yesterday we installed the curtain rods and hung the curtains in our bedroom. Dee used the blue ones she had for the time being. But rather than have them tied off to the side they hand straight down. The curtain rod had a double rod design. Whereas when we put the curtains up before we used a spring loaded tension rod with nice finials on it (I dreaded making holes in the wall of our new house), this time I used my trusty power drill and it worked out fine. The room now seems to have some definition and you can imagine other appointments (pictures, a small bureau etc.)for the room. It's nice.

Speaking of the the "new house" it's hard to believe on April 10 it will be two years since we purchased the place. Amazing! Granted we didn't move in for eight months after that, but we will have owned it for two years. We are surprise at how different the fresh paint makes everything feel. Warmer and more inviting I think.

I went to the "networking" luncheon and invited the group there to tell their friends about our invitation to sing the National Anthem at PNC Park this summer. And I called attention to the magazine photo and story of our group in this month's "IN Seneca Valley" community magazine. (included in yesterday's blog).

AS it turned out, yeterday saw 70 degrees here. That made it mild for the evening and so Dee and I used the hot tub at dusk. Dee is a little leary about being out there in the dark with Rocky Raccoon still on the loose. A glass of Merlot and a nice hot tub was nice. God is good.

Today we're heading to my mother's place. We're hoping to help her find some documents she can't seem to locate and likely have dinner with her. It's raining here this morning but is supposed to clear up and get into the 60s later in the day.

It (the painting) is Finished!

2009-03-31T08:29:00.005-04:00

Here's an article that appeared in a local magazine about our Bogmeisters. (Remember you can always click on any photo to enlarge it for better viewing.)

The painters have gone and Dee and I are suffering withdrawal from having them in our home the last 8 days. But we'll get over it as we see the difference they've made in our living environment. Here's a photo of the stairs and loft in the new color.

Last night's Bogmeister practice went well and we're going to be ordering tickets for the July 19 Pittsburgh Pirates game when we'll be singing the National Anthem. If you'd like to go with us and sit with us, let me know asap because we'll be ordering tickets in the next week or so. Make the check out to me and I'll write one check to five to the guy ordering the tickets for us. They are $20 per person and you get a Pirate Cap with the seat. Kids also get a Pirate Pillow that day. (Speaking of caps etc. I need some Pirate clothing items for our open house on May 4. Anyone out there have a shirt or hat or banner or anything with a Pittsburgh Pirate logo I could borrow for the open house? I'd get it back to you as soon as the open house is over.)

The great raccoon hunter brought this trap back and we're in the hunt again to capture Rocky Raccoon's sister Rachel. She's been seen sniffing around in areas where she's not welcome.(Like near our hot tub!) Hopefully we'll catch the critter in the next day or so as the temperatures get milder. The snow on the ground (yesterday (fleeting as it was) is a reminder that Spring has not quite yet sprung. However, the weather guy said that March this year had only a "trace" of snow for the month in Pittsburgh, and that that ties a record set only two other times in the last 200 years or so.

A Quiet Sunday

2009-03-30T08:30:00.003-04:00

Sunday Dee and I went to church. She likes the women's Sunday school class and I went to the Old Testament class. Listened for awhile, and then went out to the fellowship area. The morning worship service went well. Jim had a good sermon and the music for the service was well done.

Afterward we grabbed a quick lunch at Freedom Square Diner, and then I took Dee home and went to the Presbytery Leadership Training sessions being held at our church. I went to the classes on multi-media in the church. The leader knew his stuff and it was a good presentation in each of the two sessions. Interestingly he noted that it's not wise to advertise in the "church" section of the newspaper because the only people who read that page are "church" people. He suggested putting church ads in other areas such as the want ads or on the movie page with a eye catching phrase.

The weather has turned cold, so we didn't do anything the rest of the afternoon and evening except have dinner and watch television. (We saw Tiger with the Arnold Palmer Classic.)Now that Pitt is out of the NCAA games, we don't watch the other teams. The painters are here now (Monday morning) and will finish up today. Then we'll get our living room back because they'll clear out all their gear. They've done a superb job and I'd recommend them to anyone.

Another day for the painters and preaching

2009-03-29T08:28:00.005-04:00

Well, on Saturday one painter returned to do the first coat on the doors and to touch up the kitchen where the chair rail meets the colored walls. We thought he'd be here from 8 till noon. He stayed until 4 p.m. doing his thing! Wow what attention to detail these guys have! They'll finish on Monday with the mater bathroom and the second coat on the doors. I'm glad we had the doors done, they look soooo good. .

In the early evening I drove to Beaver Falls to preach for a worship service in support of our military. Here is a photo one of the people took with my camera. Kind of fuzzy because they weren't close enough for the flash, but you get the idea

It was a nice service and gave people an opportunity to write the names of service personnel they knew and then walk up to the microphone and say the name and location and relationship of the persons they'd written on the cards. My message of "the importance and power of intercessory prayer" was right on target. Little did I know when I wrote it that it would fit for that service. I used a microphone that clipped over my ear and was flesh colored so that it was almost invisible to the audience (who sat around round tables). That was a first for me. That microphone was more effective than the ones you clip on your tie under your chin and more true to the voice (a lot less fading in and out of volume).

I spoke with Brad Neel, the pastor, about how he found me. An interesting story. He googled my name, clicked on a link that took him to Vic Jochen's church website, where he had a church bulletin posted that had my name on it for preaching there last summer. He called Vic and Vic gave him my phone number. I noticed that when they introduced me, they used a paragraph I'd written about my background for Vic's Church. Amazing!

The ride to Beaver Falls was 18 miles over mostly farm country roads. They gave me directions, but I was glad I had the gps to help on my way back as it was dusk, and I wasn't sure of a couple of the turns. The GPS was useless getting there though because it took my via the turnpike (which I chose not to do. I was almost 3/4s of the way there before it decided to direct me the way I was headed.

We watched the movie "Leagelly Blond" and then switched back and forth with the Pitt basketball game. It was a white knuckle game. Pitt lost by two points in the final 10 seconds of the game. Go Pitt!

More Painting and a Phone Call

2009-03-27T21:11:00.005-04:00

The painters are making great progress and Earl and I installed the chair rail. He brought his son's power brad-nail gun and it was pow pow pow and we were done. The painters filled in the nail holes and repainted the chair rail and it looks GREAT! They also started and finished the master bedroom. It looks awesome. The color we picked is perfect. (Pictures once we get some curtain up.) It's cheerful without being overwhelming. All that's left is the doors on the first floor and the master bath. The painter is coming tomorrow (Saturday) for a while to do the doors. I expect they'll be done on Monday.

Later today I received a call fro an old pastor friend who was in Wilkinsburg when I was there. His church is having service to honor and support the military families during this time of War. It's their 6th annual service of prayer and support. It seems the person (Military Chaplain) they'd scheduled to preach became sick. And my friend was told I am back in the area by a mutual friend. So he called me. I'll be preaching tomorrow (Saturday) at the Concord United Methodist Church in Beaver Falls at 6 p.m. The sermon I preached last Sunday in Cranberry will fit perfectly with a little tweaking. At first I thought I might wear my uniform, but upon further reflection, I don't think I can fit into it LOL. I'm looking forward to seeing my old friend and sharing with them in the worship service. God is Good.

Go Pitt!

2009-03-27T08:41:00.003-04:00

The painters are back. The laundry room and small powder room are done as are the loft, living room, dining room and the kitchen is done except for the chair rail (which Earl and I will install this morning.)We're pleased with the colors and the way it's turning out. Looks sharp and fresh and clean. (I'll put more pictures up once the chair rail is installed.)

We went to lunch yesterday with the two retired clergy couples we've known for decades. We had lunch at the Olive Garden in Robinson Town Center. It's always a good time when we connect with them. Lots of laughs and stories to tell. Afterward, Dee and I shopped for some new window treatments for the house now that the walls are painted. We're following through on the ideas the designers gave us. We think we found some things we like. Also, we returned a picture that no longer matches the kitchen. We'd picked it up a couple of weeks ago and they took it back as a return. Later we stopped at McGinnis Sisters to get some cheese and pears. Dee's co-workers were all happy to see her and gave her hugs all around.

When we got home we watched Pitt beat Xavier to advance to the Elite Eight in the March Madness NCAA series. And then, watched a 2006 remake of the Shaggy Dog with Tim Allen. Cute story and fun to watch.

A "red letter" Day

2009-03-26T08:23:00.006-04:00

Things are moving along as the color appears more and more on the walls. Here are a couple of pictures of the Kitchen in process. Rich and Paul were joined by John pictured below.

Today they do the bottom of the kitchen walls and the second coat on the loft. As well as the laundry room and small power room (I think).

Yesterday I went to Rotary and heard a good program on "Girls Hope" an organization that helps "at risk" girls who have promise for a future if they were out of the toxic environments of their home lives. They really do wonderful work. I imagine they have a website that shows their residences and mission with the girls. They really do give "hope" to girls. A very deserving organization.

Afterward, Dee and I went out for some coffee and a we stopped at Tuesday Morning shop to browse at their stuff. It's always an interesting place to look around in and see what they have we might enjoy. Whjen we got back home, the painters were departing for the day. We spent the evening watching television and putting some of the pictures and blinds back oup where the painting is done.

Color Glorious Color

2009-03-25T09:12:00.008-04:00

Well, this is the week of the painters. Today is their third day here painting all the walls on the first floor. They've finished the BIG room that includes the living room and dining room and hallway and stairs to the loft. Today they do the loft and the kitchen. Here are a couple pictures of the work so far and one of the Kollinger Brothers doing the work.

Kerri had her doctor's appointment this morning and everything is going well. The Dr. said she'd gained about 30# and that that was good considering she's been on bed rest for several weeks. She continues to pray that baby Julian won't come until after Patrick is done with his course on April 4. Baby Julian is due on the April 17, 2009 so we're getting into the "anything can happen" territory.

Bogmeister practice went well. I invited them to the "Bar Louie Party" I'd won, and then found out that Bar Louie has pushed back their "open mic" starting date. It's now after Ester. So we'll postpone going until then. I also found out it is a "martini party" not a margarita party that I won, and that it's for up to 30 of my friends and not 20. So I'll keep you posted as to when we'll do that. Bogmeisters plan to sing that night in the open mic contest. Should be fun.

The raccoon trap was removed by the guy that owns it for another site where his grand son wanted it set up. He'll bring it back in a couple of days. And we'll have another go at it.

Last night we watched a movie with Queen Latifa in it. It was fun to watch. It's called "Last Holiday". We laughed a lot and it's a good story line. We'd recorded it from one of the channels earlier in the week.

Earl and I went to the Men's Bible Study yesterday morning. I led the study and discussion since the pastor was taking his wife to the airport. It went well. Then Earl came over to the house and we worked on measuring and cutting the chair rail for the kitchen. He had a large power saw that did mitre cuts for angled edges. He brought it from his son Ron's house. We set it up on the deck (in the sun) and got things ready for installing the rail at the right time (kitchen will be two colors with the rail as an accent color).

Finally, I'm reading a book called "The Definitive Book of Body Language" by Alan and Barbara Pease. It makes for fascinating reading. The authors point out that more of our communication is non-verbal, rather than verbal. They analyse hand shakes, sitting, standing, smiling and other facial expressions and on and on and on. They say that gestures are in groups and that when you "read" the groups of non-verbal signals you can tell what the person is really about. Hummmm. I'm only about 50 pages into it, so I'm anxious to see what else they say.

A Busy Day - Dancing, Singing and March Madness

2009-03-22T17:28:00.004-04:00

Yesterday, Saturday, I went to the Church to practice with the a cappella quartet for our Maundy Thursday song. Dee went to WW. We met up afterward for lunch at Bar Louie's. We had two coupons for lunch and decided to use them. It was a good lunch. she had the Hong Kong Salad and I have the Turkey Burger in a Bowl. The latter had lots of salad with it. We both liked our lunches. During the afternoon we just hung out and started putting china and pictures away in preparation for the painters coming on Monday. I also worked on my sermon for today (Sunday). In the evening we went to a Band Booster's Dance at Seneca Valley Intermediate School. We'd never been there before. There was a Big Band dance band and two of the school jazz bands that played. The latter played when the "Big Band" took their break. The music was excellent. We got there early for a lesson. It was review, but always nice to see how they teach what the do. The Millers from church told us about it. Their son plays in one of the high school jazz bands. It was a nice evening. We left about 8:30 p.m. so I could finalize my sermon for today.

Today, I left home early so I could lead both services at church. Both the pastor and the assistant were gone, so I had to do the whole thing - announcements and all. It's different than I'm used to and so was a little stressful in that I didn't want to forget anything and didn't want to appear clueless. It went well. I taught the little kids a song and a dance step to go with it. And of course everyone in the congregation had to learn it too. It was a fun song, easy to learn and everyone joined in in a good hearted fashion. Lots of fun. I felt the total worship experience of the whole service was both varied and worshipful. Very satisfying after it was all said and done.

The Campbells were there and so we went to lunch with them afterward at First Watch. Earl is going to make the chair rail for us for the kitchen. The painters come tomorrow and start their handiwork. I'm looking forward to seeing the color on the walls.

Our neighbor came by this afternoon, and indicated that there is another raccoon that came up on his deck about 4 a.m. this morning. It was eating his suet that he puts out for the birds. I called the my friend the "great raccoon hunter" and he's bringing his trap over this afternoon so we can get rid of the critter.

We were happy to watch Pitt win over Oklahoma State and advance to the Sweet Sixteen in Boston. Good game. We're not really basketball fans, but this March Madness stuff is fun.

Quartet sings on the road

2009-03-21T08:01:00.003-04:00

We've used the hot tub a couple of times this week. The weather was just right for it and there was no breeze. On Wednesday we had a speaker from the "Blind Vision Rehabilitation, Inc." organization. A young man spoke to us about how he suddenly went blind over a two week period about a year ago. He must be in his 40s. He shared how the organization has helped him learn to communicate and to navigate and do everyday things. What he said gave everyone pause. He is a courageous young man dealing with a very tragic circumstance.

Yesterday Dee had breakfast with two friends from Butler at First Watch then she joined me at the Friday lenten luncheon at the Mars UP Church. I was able to put together a barbershop quartet to sing there - just one song - Irish Blessing - for the close of the service after lunch. It went well.

Afterward, we went and sang some songs to a woman for her anniversary. Her husband had hired a Singing Valentine back in February for his grandmother, and now wanted a quartet to sing to his wife. We'd only found out about the request earlier yesterday morning, but since we ha a quartet already together, the group decided we could do it. As it turns out, the woman was a clerk at the Shopper's Choice grocery store in the North Hills. We sang three songs to her from her husband. She loved it, and the customers stopped what they were doing to watch and listen. It went well. I spoke with the husband later in the day and he was very pleased with what we did.

Earlier in the week went to see the painting work of a person that was recommended. The interior decorator who came to the house to suggest colors, used a guy she was pleased with. We went to her house to see the results. Then, we made our decision on the paint colors and the painter we wanted to use. Of the five estimates we received, his was the most reasonable. He came by the house and finalized things, and said he'd be able to start on Monday! So, it won't be long we'll have a little more color in our lives.

I've been working on my sermon for tomorrow. I'll use the text from Exodus 17:8-16. I need to finalize it today. I've given it the title "The Secret Weapon." Today I practice with a quartet from the church at the church. We'll be singing on Maundy Thursday at the church we attend regularly.

A Day of Golf and Shopping

2009-03-18T07:50:00.007-04:00

Here are a couple of photos from last Thursday's performance at the Presbyterian Church luncheon. The photo on the left is of a "pick-up" quartet that sang that day. (I notice one of them needs to exercise more.) The photo on the right is of the group of 12 that were able to make it that afternoon. We did put on an entertaining show. The lower photo shows the poster they had created to advertise us to their congregation for the day. Nice.

Well, the Bogmeisters practiced on Monday night as usual. Our director was late because she sold her home in Monroeville. But the guys practiced faithfully under the guidance of the assistant director (He's just one of the guys.) I was pleased to see people didn't just goof off, but came to learn and to get better.

Yesterday we went to the dentist to get our teeth cleaned and to make some appointments for additional work (fillings and crowns). Then I went to the "networking" session at the Chamber and Dee went to get her hair cut and colored. (It looks real nice.) Afterward, we drove to Butler and Dee went shopping with Kathy G. and I went golfing for the first time this year at Lake Vue North. (It went well.) Then, we met up for dinner with another couple. The six of us ate at Garfields at the Clearview Mall. We had a nice time. A beautiful day to be with friends out in the sunshine. I told them about our singing the National Anthem at the Pirates game on the 19 of July. They all wanted tickets, and Russ wanted two more for their grandchildren. Great! We'll sit in the $20 section and everyone will get a Pirate hat to boot. Anybody else interested?

However, a little achy after the first day of golf. We walked the 9 holes - up and down the hilly course. Reminded me of the first time I did it there last year. Whew!

A Little of This and That

2009-03-15T04:34:00.002-04:00

Yesterday was a quiet day for me. Dee had to work so I hung around the house. The window guy came and washed the outside of the windows. I did some reading of stuff on selling and wrote an article for the local Chamber of Commerce newsletter. I also decided on a text and title for the sermon I have to preach next Sunday at our church.

I talked with my mother for a while. She seemed to be okay. I keep trying to encourage her to participate in the "bell ringing" at her church. She said she used to like doing that and that she knows she needs to get out more. But when Tuesday comes, she's not very motivate. She does go to the senior center but I don't think she teaches much line dancing any more. She said her group of interested women is down to about 4 people. And often they bring their own music. She says they'll get there before her and have it playing when she arrives. Therefore, they don't need her.

We did talk about the "Irish Jig." She said she'd like to learn it. I went online while talking with her and saw some people doing it on You Tube. I read her the directions for the steps. She was familiar with what I was reading, but just didn't have the sequence of steps down. We talked about 25 minutes. She didn't repeat herself and this was anew topic for her so that was good.

Dee's sister Ruthie called and said she'd been to see the headstone that was installed at the cemetery for their mom. She said it looked very nice. We'd just gotten word that the work was done.

Dee commented the other day that in two days she'd talked on the phone with about 5 friends and couldn't recall having done that while in NJ during the whole 12 years we were there. It's like we were cut off from our past and just didn't connect with folks back here while out there. Each day we both find confirmation that our decision to retire was the right one at the right time.

When Dee got home, she was tired. It was a long and busy day at the store. She has just one more day before she takes a leave of absence. She's looking forward to that. I told her Kerri had called earlier in the day and was doing fine. Though her due date is April 17, she's hoping to make it to at least April 4. That's Patrick's last day for the intense classes he's taking. Kerri said the last week will be very busy and important to him work wise, so she really hopes to make it till then before giving birth.

Rocky Raccoon is gone!, and about Margaritas and the Pirates

2009-03-14T10:34:00.003-04:00

Yesterday we were able to get some grocery shopping done. Before the day ended we'd been to three grocery stores! But we found everything we were looking for. Later we stopped at Starbucks for drink of coffee. Speaking of coffee, I just finished making my 7th batch of "cold brewed coffee" at home. We bought a little "frother" that you put in milk (we sue soy) and it whips it into a nice foam to add to the brewed coffee. Yummm.

By the way, we did catch the raccoon. Seems he was lured into the trap and we found him trying to get out on the morning we were leaving for the trip to Kerri's (Friday a week ago). I called the guy who owned the trap, and he came over and took the raccoon away. He brought the trap back to see if there were anymore around. After three days, he took the trap home.

That being said, we concluded we could use the hot tub again, so we used it last night about dusk. It had been quite a while since we used it. We were in maybe about 25 minutes - very relaxing. Afterward we watched a movie we'd rented. The movie was called "Nim's Island." It was a nice tale with pretty scenery and a good story line. Very imaginative.

We're starting to get the bids of the people who came to give us estimates on painting the interior of our place. The bids are all over the place. Quite a wide range of prices. We'll likely make a decision this week and then get on with it.

A couple of weeks ago we went to lunch after church at a place called "Bar Louie". They'd advertised a Sunday Brunch and we had coupons so we gave it a try. It ws good and we noticed that had live music. I filled out survey while we were there. Well, yesterday I received a phone call saying I'd won a free "Margarita party" for 8-20 people. It included 2 Margarita's for each person and a choice of two appetisers for everyone. And I can use it anytime I like between 5-7 p.m. through April 30, 2009. They're going to start an "open mic" night on Mondays starting on March 30. I'm thinking that the Bogmeisters could go there after practice some Monday night, have the Margarita's and also enter the open mic contest.

Speaking of the Bogmeisters... We now starting to promote the " Day at PNC Park" when we'll be singing the National Anthem. Part of the deal is we have to promote our being there in hopes of other people ordering tickets. The important thing is that they use our account code #722466 and they'll get a discount of a buck or so. We're singing on Sunday, July 19 at the 1:35 p.m. game with the SF Giants.

People can order their own tickets (and if you want to use it as a fund raiser for your group, the Pirates organization will give you an even better discount). And you can order them for anywhere in the Park.

Another option is if you want to sit with us (either (section 325) $11 tickets or (section 125)$20 tickets (with ball cap)) I can order the tickets for you, but I'd need to know by April 13, 2009 because our chorus is placing one order for us and our friends and families.)

Also, we're inviting other men to sing the National Anthem with us barbershop style. The requirement is they have to attend 5 rehearsals for about 30 minutes each time so they know their notes and part. We rehearse on Monday nights starting at 7 p.m. at the Richland Elementary School on the Red Belt in Gibsonia. (They wouldn't have to stay for the whole rehearsal, just the first part when we'll be practicing the National Anthem.)These practices begin on May 4 when we're having an "Open House" to launch this "once in a lifetime experience."

Let me know as soon as possible that you want to either attend the game or sing with the men's chorus that day. It should be fun!

Visit with Kerri and Patrick

2009-03-13T10:48:00.007-04:00

It's been a week since I last dropped a note on this blog. We went to visit our daughter Kerri. She's now in her 35th week and doing well. The baby is due April 17 but "low". So the Dr. has put her on "bed rest" for two more weeks. That means being in a horizontal position most of the day. She works out of the house right now and so has her laptop, and phones and water by her side.

Patrick had to work some over the weekend and so we decided to go down and keep her company and take care of some errands for her and deliver the many gifts people brought to the shower for her. It worked out well. It was great seeing her and being with them for a bit. Patrick is taking some course work for work and so has to put in extra hours on the course projects. The course will end on April 4. So Kerri doesn't want to do anything that would cause the little girl to come earlier than that if possible.

Since getting home, Dee has been working at McGinnis'. Although she's given them notice regarding the anticipated birth. They asked if she'd take a "leave of absence" and then return when it's convenient after the baby arrives. Her last day is Sunday afternoon.

We've had some painters in to give us estimates on painting our dining room and living room and kitchen (for sure) and then estimates on the master bedroom and bathroom as well. It's interesting how wide ranging the estimates are.

Our Bogmeisters had a performance yesterday at a Presbyterian Church in the North Hills. There were about 80 people there for a senior citizens' luncheon. We had about 12 singers and it turned out well. Some of our guys couldn't get off work, but we did a good job. I got to sing in a quartet -"My Wild Irish Rose." Fun.

I also attended a training seminar put on by "Sandler Training Institute". One of the people in the Chamber told me about it. It was for "sales people". So I thought it might give me insights for doing PR for the Chorus. Really good stuff. They have a whole curriculum but I didn't sign up for that. Although I'm sure it would be helpful for sales people who have to make a living selling. They gave us a free book called "Five Minutes with VITO (Very Important Top Officer)". Really Good Stuff.

When we were at Kerri's I went to a worship service at a church nearby. The service I went to was a "contemporary" one. First class all the way, but not something I'd want a weekly diet of. They have a traditional service earlier, but I didn't know about it when I went... That's all for now.

About Networking and Community Service

2009-03-04T16:52:00.004-05:00

On Tuesday Dee and I had a "home decorator" come to our place to help us pick paint colors for the walls, and to suggest other things that would dress up the place a little now that we've been here 14 months. (I met this gal at the Chamber networking" sessions.) She and Dee hit it off well, and the gal even offered to go shopping with Dee for some of the ideas suggested.

Then, I went to the "networking" lunch time meeting with the Chamber. It's always fun. I used my 60 seconds to talk about "hobbies" and that my hobby is singing. And that the great thing about my hobby is that we can use it to bring pleasure to other people. "We lift spirits and put smiles on people's faces." During the second half-hour we brainstormed together ways that have worked for us to make connections and to engage others so that they'll be interested in whatever service you have to offer them. A lot of good stuff was shared. A theme running through was "you have to listen to others in understand them before you they'll want to listen to you." That is, "encourage others to talk while you practice focused listening."

In the late afternoon we went to the Pittsburgh Home and Garden Show with the Campbells. It was fun walking around looking at the stuff and the demonstrations. Especially since we don't really need anything for the house. We did meet a guy Dee knew from high school who now owns Furniture Galleries on Route 8. He had some really nice chairs (very comfortable) for a mere $2,300! And we found a guy who installs window shades and blinds (remote control) which we are considering for the dormer windows at the front of the house. Those two windows let in the afternoon sun and they are so high up that we can't get to them even if they had regular blinds on them.

Afterward, we went to the Bettis Restaurant for dinner. I like that place because of their unique men's room. HA HA! I've never been in a place that has a one way window that looks out onto the restaurant area from the inside the men's room In fact, you have to be standing at a urinal in order to see through the window into the restaurant. (Of course from the restaurant side it looks like a large mirror). Amazing!

Rotary today was good - the people who went to the Hondorus medical trip for 8 days had returned and shared what they'd done there. (Water filtration, stove assistance as well as giving out meds, pulling teeth and checking eyes and giving out eye-glasses.) After the meeting we delivered Apple Dumpling Gang Coloring/ Activity books to the second graders of the Pine and Mars School districts. They have a teacher's storybook that tells a story that emphasises the "Four-Way Test" of Rotary. (Is it the Truth? Is it fair to all concerned? Does it build good will and better friendships? Is it benificial to all concerned?) The children can color the pictures, solve the puzzles and figure out the "word search" answers. It was fun. The teachers seemed to enjoy getting the books and the kids were thrilled. It seems the WORD SEARCH pages were a favorite. It was a nice afternoon.

After the Shower Was Over

2009-03-02T08:23:00.006-05:00

Whew! The weekend was a busy one, but at the end of the day it was a good kind of tired. The baby shower went off without a hitch except that the baby's mom, Kerri, couldn't make it in person. The speakerphone idea work as a good back up though. Everyone who was planning to come came. We took lots of pictures and even some video footage. Here's a short clip from the Barbershop quartet (Sharp Edge) that came and sang to the gals and to Kerri via phone.

Earlier in the day I'd gone to pick my mom and to bring her to the shower. Since Kerri wasn't going to be spending the night, I invited my mom to pack for a sleepover. She did. It was nice that she could go to church with us on Sunday as I was singing with an a cappella quartet at church (2 guys 2 gals). From what people tell me it went well. She even went in to Dee's Sunday school class session. Since I had to be there at 7:45 a.m. because we were doing two services, it made a long day for me. We had lunch after worship and then drove mom home, turned around and drove back to Mars.

Sometime after the shower and before Sunday morning I started sneezing, watery eyes etc. I made it through the worship service okay. But it just got worse as the day progressed. So when I got back from dropping mom off, I went to be and slept for about 3 hours before joining with Dee for the evening. We'd stopped at Walgreens and the pharmacist recommended Claritin D. One pill every 24 hours. So I took that before the nap. It seemed to help and this morning I'm feeling somewhat better (75%) and am confident I'll improve during the day.

We're planning on going the Home and Garden Show in Pittsburgh later this morning and part of the afternoon. Here are some more pictures from the baby shower...

Anticipating the Baby Shower

2009-02-27T10:18:00.003-05:00

Wow here it is Friday already! It's been a busy week and the weather has turned warm for a few days. That's great!. We're getting ready for the "baby shower" tomorrow. We're anticipating about 14 people coming to celebrate the anticipated birth of Baby Julian.

We've been talking with Kerri through the week about her trip home from Ashburn, VA - a four hour drive. During the last few days she's been having some cramping and contractions. Her doctor has put her on complete bed rest. So for the time being she's working from home. She was planning on leaving VA on Saturday morning but when the Dr. suggested she take her medical records with her, she's reconsidered. After much conversation with Patrick they've decided the best decision would be to not return for the shower. Most likely a wise decision.

Nonetheless, she's sending photos of her current state of "prego" and will be calling to talk with the gals on speakerphone during the shower. A great afternoon is still planned, (maybe even a surprise or two) but we'll all miss being with her and Patrick. We love you Kerri and Patrick. Stay safe, get well you are in our prayers.

A Good Day

2009-02-23T09:31:00.002-05:00

On Sunday we went to church and enjoyed watching the Campbells and 17 other persons being welcomed into the membership. Afterward, I practiced with the church quartet. We'll be singing at both services next Sunday. We're doing "When I Survey the Wondrous Cross" a ccapella and with a flute descant on the last verse. Should be nice.

We went home and had some chilli that Dee had lined up for us, because we had to go to the Tax Preparer guy in the afternoon. I dropped Dee off at Marshalls while I went and saw him. This is the first time in decades where I had someone do my taxes other than a friend. This guy knows the rules and idiosyncrasies of Clergy taxes and he's worked with some of my retired clergy friends. I'm glad I did. It worked out well.

Then Dee and I stopped at J. Clark's restaurant and used a coupon for dinner. Even though it snowed all day, most of it was just blowing around and so there was no accumulation. We spent the evening reading (I finished the book on "salesmanship" and started Dale Carnegie's book "How to Win Friends and Influence People". I've heard a lot about it over the years, but never read it.) and watching television. During the night we got about 4 inches of the light fluffy kind of snow.

Time at Dave and Buster's

2009-02-22T08:25:00.003-05:00

We've been kind of busy lately with having the car inspected, Dee working and me doing research on Barbershop Harmony topics and going to the Mars Library Used Book Sale. It's been very cold and it snowed again last night although the temp got up to 44 during the day.

Last night we went to a Pittsburgh Baptist social function at Dave and Busters. It was a chance for pastors and their families to relax, enjoy a nice meal and then chat or if they wanted to join the kids playing the various video games and skeeball. It was very nice. I sat next to Bonnie Kirby from the Monongahela church. I knew her and her husband when I was growing up. We chatted about our work, our families and church experiences. I told her about my mom and how we're keeping in touch with her more often now. I asked her to possibly have someone look in on her, or be more intentional (from the church) about contacting her. She said she'd talk with some of the ladies in mom's Sunday school class. That would be great.

Dee sat next to the pastor's wife from the Coraopolis church. They really seemed to hit it off and conversed all night long. There were about 25 people there (three of whom were children). As I looked around the tables at the people there I realized how much the PBA had changed and became ever more aware that I'm glad I'm retired.

I bought several books at the Book Sale. One is about "How to Be a Star Salesman." Now that I'm in the Marketing side of the Barbershop Chorus, I want to learn the best ways to approach people, tell them what we have to offer, and then "close the sale" as they say. It's forced me to try to verbalize the benefits of using the "Bogmeisters" and thinking through what "needs" we'd be meeting for a local company or business. This particular author, Brian Tracy, says we should refer to ourselves as "consusltants" rather than sales people. Consultants listen more than talk, and they awk questions to better understand the needs of the person they are trying to "help". We'll see.

I've even been working on various "topics" to address during my 60 second "talks" at the Chamber Networking sessions. It's a challenge to think through what to say and how to connect with business people in creative ways. It's going to be fun to see what I can come up with for my "60 second spots".

Dee in the Newspaper

2009-02-20T08:35:00.004-05:00

Well we got a couple of inches of snow during the last two days and the temps have been in the teens and low 20s - burrr. I think I'm ready for spring. Yesterday's Cranberry Eagle printed a picture of one of our quartets. Dee is in the photo as the recipient of the singing valentine (see photo from Feb. 11 on this blog) I had sent several pictures to the paper with an article, but they just printed one photo and it was that one. Still, Dee became the hero at her workplace because the photo description identified them as being at her store. Nice.

We had another visit by the GIANT raccoon on Tuesday night. So on Wednesday at Rotary I asked if anyone know what to do with a raccoon. One of the people at my table said, "My husband loves to trap them and remove them." I couldn't believe it, but there was the answer I wanted to hear. She said he'd be willing to come over and set a trap with an apple and peanut butter. So, on Thursday he came over with his cage trap that has a trap door that closes behind the critter when he goes for the apple. We set it out last night. But the cold and snow likely deterred the raccoon from wandering much last night. So it'll be interesting to see how this develops. I can see the trap outside my basement window as I look over the computer monitor.

I've been doing some reading about the Barbershop Harmony Society, it's history, it's offerings and ways to promote it within our community. I'm learning it's a process and that there is a cumulative effect as you stay with it and get your group's name before the public.

A Nice Day of Connecting

2009-02-18T08:13:00.008-05:00

Yesterday I attended the Mars ministerium meeting at Glade Run Presbyterian Church on route #8. We planned the Friday Lenten luncheons series that will take place at the Mars UP church. We also talked about the Easter Sunrise service scheduled for 6:30 AM at the Mars Home for Youth. It's a good group of pastors who , encourage one another when feeling low and support one another in prayer. A couple of them are feeling exhausted and ready for a break. (Note: we clergy do tend to be workaholics.) It's interesting for me to sit back and realize what some of them are going through and how they feel about what the do. There were times I felt the same way. It was good way back when to be reminded to do some "self-care" if I wanted to be more effective in the long run.

From there I had some photos printed at Giant Eagle, and then went to the Chamber of Commerce networking luncheon. They are fun. It's interesting to hear how business people represent themselves to the public and to one another as they have 60 seconds to get their message across. I thanked them for their support of singing valentines and circulated two photo albums of pictures of the people we delivered the singing valentines to. (Here are a couple of more photos. Click photo to enlarge.)

Later Dee and I went to Barnes and Nobel and hung out, did some reading and had a coffee. I looked at some books recommended at the luncheon earlier in the day by Jeff Gitomer. He writes about how to sell and present your best foot forward. Good stuff. I have decided I'm going to work on a series of 60 spots for the Bogmeisters to use at the luncheons when I have my turn to represent the group and say what we do. Some of the people there are creative in their approach, and I like that. I'll see what I can come up with rather then the way I've been doing it. On the other hand, some of the people there say the exact thing every week (since there are new people in attendance each week too) and it's good to be reminded, BUT why not be creative and say something that hooks them, scratches where they itch, or makes them want to hear more or even tell someone else about "the Bogmeisters."

By the way, I don't know if I mentioned this before, but our Greater Cranberry Men's Barbershop Chorus is going top sing the National Anthem at a Pirates' game at PNC park on July 19 (a Sunday) at the 1:35 game with the SF Giants. Cool huh? We have a special code number for people who want to get a discount on tickets for the game. (We'll have to sell 350 tickets but all people have to do is call the Pirates, use our special code, and we'll get the credit. Also, we're hoping to make it a "Cranberry Day" event and have organizations purchase tickets through our code number.) More later

Singing Valentines

2009-02-15T08:39:00.009-05:00

Saturday and Sunday were spent delivering Singing Valentines to about30 people in all kinds of situations. Some were delivered in restaurants to employees, and others to restaurants to customers we knew were dining out. Other venues included rehab centers, physical therapy offices, surgical center lobbies, nursing homes and retirement communities and first grade classrooms and elementary school cafeterias as well as private parties in homes and to a mom and her kids in her apartment. We sang in a bowling alley for a birthday party and at a church for a wedding shower! Anywhere and everywhere. We even sang to a lady who felt bad because she missed us - in an elevator! What fun! Here are some photos from the school Valentine...

We even delivered a valentine to a guy. So we had to change the words to one song to make the song appropriate...

We ended up delivering about 30 valentines. The quartet I was in delivered 16 in the two days and we sang a couple of times to groups that were not a part of that number just because the time and place was right for us to sing. On one occasion we sang in a nursing home and one of our guys noticed that as we sang a dementia patient who had been non responsive to most interactions seemed to come alive as we sang much to the astonishment of the nursing staff. Hummm. It seems our music is not only a joy to listen to, but has healing properties as well. I saw it first hand as it has the power to make grown men weep, ladies feel faint and everyone to smile.

Well, except for one little 3 year old boy at The Hardwood Cafe where we'd stopped for lunch. A birthday party for his 90 year old grandmother was in process and they asked us to sing to her after our lunch. The little boy(just after we'd sung to his great grandmother) on his way to the bathroom said en route - "You guys were boring." Tra-la - keeps you humble.

Then, just this morning I learned that the Sharp Edge quartet sang a valentine for a party Saturday night. A woman at the party is in charge of the up coming "Glass Slipper Ball" ($100/plate) next Saturday in Cranberry's Sheraton Hotel. She asked Chorus' Sharp Edge quartet (they really are good) to sing for the event. Awesome! (Needless to say, as the VP of PR I'm thrilled for them, and for our Chorus!) God is Good! Have a great day... more photos to come this week.

Recouping Day

2009-02-12T08:43:00.002-05:00

Yesterday I laid low. We went out to breakfast at Freedom Square Diner, and then headed home. My sneezing and sniffling has hung on. I stayed home from Rotary and Dee went back out to pick up some things we needed. Later in the day we took down the little Christmas village from on top of the fireplace and packed it away for another season. Then we watched a little television and did some reading as we listened to the wind howl outside. Quient eveing for us.

I'm feeling better this morning so we're planning to go to Monongahela and take my mother out for lunch for her birthday. should be fun.

Shucking Oysters and Singing Love Songs

2009-02-11T07:42:00.004-05:00

Yesterday was filled with connecting with people. Dee went to work a McGinnis' and I went to the Chamber of Commerce "Power Hour" to network with various business leaders at lunch time. My friend Bruce went form the Bogmeisters because he's starting his own business and he thought it might be good to network there. Afterward we had lunch together at Freedom Square Diner.

I'm still sniffling and sneezing and so stayed low for the afternoon. Dee came home early from work because she had an idea. Ya, she had an idea about an appetizer for the special Men's Happy Hour at the grocery store, so they sent her home early because they wanted her to come back and make it and be there for the "Happy Hour." She was thrilled! Later I went to the happy hour because our main quartet was singing a couple of love songs for one of the cooks in the Cafe. (see photos)

The quartet was a big hit. The employees and the customers really seemed to enjoy it. Unfortunately for the store, there were not many men that showed up for the "men's happy hour." Still if gave our group great exposure and of course they're going back on Friday for the "Friday Chocolate Fondue night" for the women. At that occasion the women will be seated in the cafe area learning about fondue. (Whereas, last night the quartet roamed the store and sang is several key spots where people were gathered. They did more than the two songs requested and as I said the customers really like it.)

There was lots of food to sample, along with wines from the wine store a few doors down, Volant Winery. I even shucked an oyster! Afterward, the quartet plus two came back to our house for the Bogmeister Board meeting. It went well, then we broke out the snacks. One of the guys had purchased three kinds of cheese and oysters. Then I added my cheeses to the list and we had a veritable feast of really great cheeses and sauces. It was a great time around the table, trying the various cheese from all over the world. Dutch, French, Spanish, Italian. Yummm. They left about 10:20 p.m. It was a nice evening. Whew! Long day though especially with my allergies acting up.

The Home Show

2009-02-10T09:15:00.002-05:00

On Sunday we went to church and Sunday school. I sat in on the 9-10th grade class. I just wanted to see what they do and how they go about it. It was a good class. The teacher tries for interaction with the kids as he teaches. They're doing the parable. They also have practice of encouraging daily devotions by giving the kids copies of the Upper Room devotional. Then they ask them which was their favorite from the prior week's readings and why. Usually they read that day's devotional aloud and then comment. Finally they close with prayer by one of the kids. All in 45 minutes.

After worship we got to talk with the Campbells and then went to have lunch with Kathy and Russ. We met them at the Walnut Grove Restaurant. They ha coupons for $5 off each meal. The food was excellent at the buffet. Afterward we went to the Home and Garden Show right up the road at the Four Points Sheraton and walked around looking at the various products and services offered.

I spoke with a fellow who does kitchens and explained I could feel a cold draft coming from the microwave in our kitchen. They said maybe a vent was stuck open to the outside. That I should play a radio near the microwave while it's open and then go outside and see if I could find the vent by using sound as my guide. I did that and found the vent. Everything looked good there. However, I decided to shelter the vent from the wind and see if that helped prevent cold air from going in and out of the vent when the microwave is not being used. I checked this morning and the microwave was not nearly as cold as it had been, but since the weather has gotten warmer too I don't know if that made a difference or not. But I think it will be a good fix.

On Monday Dee went to work, and I did some things around the house. Later when she got home we made some risotto for dinner with salmon. I'd seen the chef make risotto at the "Gourmet Getaway" and wanted to try it myself. It was good. Afterward, I went to Barbershop Chorus practice to get ready for our final week before Singing Valentines. It was a good practice. Since my new "free" business cards for the Chorus came in, I showed them what I selected for my design. It's black and gold with black and gold checkered pattern on one end. They look nice and I like them. GO STEELERS !

Later during the evening I started getting a tickle in my throat and ended up awakening several times sneezing and wheezing. I took some meds and they helped some, but still sniffling this morning.

The Barking Dog Alert

2009-02-08T08:48:00.002-05:00

Yesterday while Dee worked a few hours, I did some re-arranging of the furniture in the basement. Later we did a little shopping at Costco and she wanted to see some baby items at Baby's R Us. We had lunch at the Jade Garden (Chinese) where she likes the scallops. It is a nice quiet place that we've been to before.

Later we went out again to Barnes and Nobel to look at some of their books and magazines. On the way home we decided to use the hot tub since it was still 50 degrees out. As we went onto the deck, Bonz thought he'd smelled the neighbor's cat and started looking for him in the corner by the deck trunk. We left him on the deck and went down to the hot tub. We'd just taken the cover off of it and settled into a nice hot bubbly when Bonz started barking loudly up on the deck. He wouldn't stop, so I got out of the hot tub and proceeded up the steps to the deck.

Lo and behold, there was a large raccoon perched on the top of the deck divider wall about 8 feet above Bonz looking down at him. He was positioned so that I couldn't walk by him with out the possibility that he would jump toward me, so I stayed on the steps and reached through the railing and called Bonz over to me. When he came, I took hold of his collar and he calmed down. Then Dee took hold of him while I went around to the front of the house and used the car garage opener to get back into the house. When I opened the house door to the deck, Bonz ran to me in the house. I then proceeded back around the house to the deck and Dee and I put the cover back on the hot tub and walked around the house to the front door together. Whew! So much for a restful night in the hot tub. LOL

Later, I check with my flash light and saw that the raccoon was still out there and he'd settled in for the night (so it appeared) still on top of the wall divider, but up against the house with his chin resting on the divider.

this morning I saw he was gone, so I let Bonz out, and he ran onto the deck sniffing around and looking for the critter, but to no avail.

Of Barista and Fondu Friday

2009-02-07T07:45:00.010-05:00

Since Dee had yesterday off we decided to take advantage of it and go down town to the Strip District where we had lunch at Senseri's Pizza place although we didn't have pizza. Afterward we went to the Steeler Outlet stores and found a a nice wind breaker and sweater for future demonstrations of Steeler price.

I was able to get some specialty cheese (Malvarosa from Spain, sheep milk) at "Right By Nature." Also, the Holy Land of Cheeses, "The PA Macaroni Co." had a list of cheeses cthat overed the whole wall! I picked up some Morbier (FR) and Talleggio (IT). Yummm.

We headed home because we were to meet Kathy and Monica (she'd not seen our place and wanted to check it out) and then go to the Barista Competition. (Click photos to enlarge). We stayed there a while and I talked to a gal in the dessert area from Bar Louie. She was interested in our Barbershop Chorus for entertainment some Monday night or Sunday afternoon, a well as a Singing Valentine quartet for her husband while she's outa town.

We left there and went to the Friday Fondu at McGinnis Sisters. http://www.mcginnis-sisters.com/events.aspx It was a lot of fun. There were about 25 people there ceated around small tables with fondu pots on them and lots of veggies and bread chunks. Candace (see photos) told us the history of fondu and helped us make our own right there on the spot. The wine maker from Volant was also there with free wine. Yummm.

Happy Birthday Bonz - 6 Years Old!

2009-02-06T09:09:00.002-05:00

Well the trip to the CPA with our tax info turned out very well. We'd decided to go to breakfast en route. We ended up at "Kelly'Os Diner on route 19. We'd seen a segment on the Food Network about the diners of Pittsburgh last year and it was one of the ones featured. We'd been wanting to go there and never got around to it. It was good. I had breakfast of a ham and provolone omelet and Dee had a lunch of chicken salad wrap with a cup of "pot pie" soup. Yummmm! We bought a cool looking mug from the place as well. Definitely a place to go back to from time to time.

Then after seeing the tax guy we went to Ross park Mall. Walked around and had a mocha smoothie. (One of our favorite things to do there.) Dee found some stuff she just couldn't live without and I just hung out and people watched. Back home we just hibernated and watched some of the new episodes of things we'd recorded. However, today our plan is to go to the Strip District - visit the Macaroni Company (and check out their 500kinds of cheeses) and then later go to the Barista Contest at the Marriott here in Cranberry and then the "Fondue Friday demo at McGinnis Sisters. (Dee's friends Kathy and Monica are coming down for the Barista Contest and Found outings.)

I'm still getting people to sign up for the "singing valentines". If you'd like to have one for your special someone give me a call or write me asap. The schedule is filling up. We'll send a quartet to serenade them, print a personalized card you compose, take their photo with the quartet and hand them a lovely Valentine balloon to top it all off. All for only $40. The dates are Friday and Saturday the 13th and 14th.

Dee has been getting things together for a baby shower for Kerri on Saturday February 28 here at our house. She's been busy picking up items for the party and sending out invitations. Should be fun. I'm looking forward to seeing Kerri and her big belly.

Lunch Here and There

2009-02-05T08:07:00.003-05:00

On Tuesday I went to the Chamber of Commerce networking luncheon again. This time, for my 60 second spiel I played a 30 radio spot about Singing Valentines using my ipod and speaker attached to it. This gave them a feel for the music and the product. It's a nice venue to meet business people in the community and learn what people to for a living. It's nice to hear when one of them has used a product or service of another and they give a testimonial about it. Everyone is upbeat and interested in getting to know each other. Fun! and Useful.

Yesterday I went to the Rotary luncheon at Treesdale. It was a "club assembly" and so we talked about what the club is doing to help other groups or people. Several Rotarians are planning on going on a mission trip to Hondorus this summer with medical supplies and to work at a clinic there for a week. That should be interesting. They've gathered over $2,000 in vitamins and other medicines to take with them.

During the afternoon I put the finishing touches on gathering the info for the tax guy. We go to see him today. This is by far the earliest we've ever had our taxes info ready to give to the preparer. Before I guy in our church helped us. Now, I'm using someone recommended by a retired clergy friend because clergy taxes have some idiosyncrasies that others don't have. It'll be interesting to see how it all comes out. Things are different now with pension income and social security in place of a salary.

In the evening we just watched some of our favorite television shows and Dee worked some on the puzzle Kerri gave us. (all pieces have the same general shape - hummm.

Hot Tub Time Again !

2009-02-03T15:12:00.002-05:00

Dee went to Contours in the morning and took advantage of her membershiip there and used the spa wrap feature. Her membership is up at the end of the month. She decided not to renew it because of her work schedule. While Dee was gone, Bonz and I had a nice walk around the block. The street was clear of snow and dry. Otherwise, we relaxed during the day because we had to wait for the cable guy. The Cable guy came in the afternoon to replace our cable box. The one we had became defective.

In the evening I went to Bogmeister practice and picked up some more of the Singing Valentines cards to distribute to the Cranberry Chamber of commerce members at their luncheon today. While I was there Dee went to work for "cross training" in the cheese department. She's going to be a "cheese monger" in waiting. She said she like working in that department which is right across from the deli section where she works now.

After we both got home from our night out, we took advantage of the hot tub. It had been a warm weekend (48 degrees) and the snow on our deck melted. Although it was only 25 degrees out last night, there was no breeze, so the hot tub was perfect. We both found it relaxing.

Headline "Lord of the Rings!"

2009-02-02T08:34:00.003-05:00

LORD OF THE RINGS is the front page headline in today's Post-Gazette newspaper. What a game! We enjoyed watching it with our long time friends in Cannonsburg John and Sherron. The game along with real ham barbecue (made with Isaly's chipped ham) and a variety of snacks and dips (and even a yummy pizza dip) made of an enjoyable evening. Although we left just before the end of the third quarter, we made it home in time to see the last three minutes on our TV. (The roads were empty. Not a car in sight.)We'd been gone most of the day and so let Bonz out as soon as we got home. He seemed "relieved" to see us.;)

Yesterday morning I left for church early because I preached at both the early and the 11:00 services. That was my first time to preach there and really the first introduction to most of the congregation. I was surprised when I saw some friends come in for the 11:00 service that I didn't know were coming. Our great deice Ryanne, and Margorie Grady (from the Wilkinsburg church) and her friend Olive Tuller (wife of an American Baptist pastor who was once the President of our denomination.) And since my bio was in the bulletin, several people spoke to me after worship about places our paths may have crossed. The "it's a small world" thing again and again. The "souperbowl" soup selections after worship were myriad. I counted at least two crock pots of homemade soups to choose from. It was a nice (and exhausting) morning.

Saturday night Dee and I went to the Deck House restaurant in Cranberry. We'd never been there before and we had a coupon for one free meal. The food was good and the atmosphere was pleasant. Everyone seemed to be wearing their Steelers shirts. We'd picked up a couple of new ones earlier in the day and were right in step with everyone else. We each had the ribeye steaks - very good.

Let it Snow, Let it Snow...

2009-01-30T10:37:00.006-05:00

Well, the snow and ice continue to do their thing. Here are a couple of photos out our kitchen windows.

Yesterday I connected with Dena at church and we talked about the worship service where I'll be preaching on Sunday (both services)and she will be assisting me. Then I went back to the school where I left my music and notes to pick them up. I needed the notes to finish my Barbershop Newsletter. It call it "Berries from the Bog" since we call ourselves the Cranberry "BOGmeisters." ;) Anyway, it's an attempt to strengthen the relationships among the guys as well as increase the Chorus' awareness of what our Chapter is doing. My philosophy is that "you can't expect people to be responsible for doing what you ask them to do, if they don't have the information in the first place. BUT if you let them know what's expected and give them the resources to carry out their part, then the outcome has a better chance of being what you hope it will be."

We went grocery shopping in the afternoon and picked up some things we needed. I got some more cheese at Costco too. There were cheese demos going on so we got to try 5 different ones from Yancy Fancy Farms in NY. The were pretty gooda so we bought some "Champagne" cheese there, and I selected some Cheverai Goat cheese as well. I've been wanting to try the Cheverai since I read about it in one of my new Cheese books.

In the evening we decided to just stay inside, keep warm and watch some television. An evening snack of sliced apples, pears and champagne cheese was pretty good. We watched a couple of episodes of Burn Notice and then lights out.

A Snowy Day

2009-01-29T14:23:00.002-05:00

Yesterday I took my neighbor John to the Rotary luncheon. The program was about RYLA - a Rotary Youth Leadership conference held at Westminster College each summer. Three of the junior from Mars Area Schools who went last summer were on hand to talk about this life changing experience they had in becoming aware of their potential as future leaders. It was nice to see Madeline (the Campbell's granddaughter) as one of those who went.

Afterward I drove to our rehearsal place to retrieve my music from Monday night only to find that the school was closed because of the snow storm. Agh! It was a little dicey driving there too. But we made it back just fine.

Dee had gone out to do some shopping and have lunch at her favorite Asian Restaurant. She also found some great material to change the feel and look of our computer table. Good selection. We spoke with Sherron Curdie about getting together for the Steeler's win in the Super Bowl. We'll be going to their place for the game on Sunday afternoon. (However, I'm preaching at both services on Sunday while our pastor is away, so I'll be focusing on that in the early part of the day.)

Even though I shoveled the snow and cleared out the driveway and sidewalk, they were covered again by evening. This snow was a little heavier and so more difficult to move around. Good exercise though. We spent the rest of the evening watching television and completing the fringe on the new tablecloth.

Beaver, PA is a Quaint Town

2009-01-28T09:21:00.004-05:00

On Monday we drove to the little town of Beaver. we'd been through there once a couple of months ago and it looked like a nice little town with lots of stores and a quaint main street. We had lunch at Cafe Kolache http://www.cafekolache.com/

It was great - Our sandwiches were made of "slightly sweetened yeast dough" filled with ham and cheese (mine) and tuna (Dee's). The tortilla soup was hot and filled with goodies as well. I bought a pound of their Cuban coffee (Prestogeorgeos) to make my next batch of cold brewed coffee. (brewing now as I write) The owner, Hugh, mentioned they have entertainment every Saturday night in a coffee house atmosphere. You can find what's happening on their website too.

We walked the town going in and out of the stores. A nice leisurely afternoon. The GPS worked great and made the trip that much easier. In the evening I had Barbershop Chorus practice. We're learning the love songs for "Singing Valentines."

Tuesday Dee had to work, so I did some PR for the Singing Valentines by going to the local Cranberry Chamber of Commerce "networking" luncheon at the municipal center. It was a "first" for me as I experienced business people networking. We were each given 60 seconds to "pitch" our product. We also were able to pass around brochures if we wanted to. I had a nice "card" that explained what goes with the singing valentine and a phone number. Then time afterward and prior actually, we could connect with people we wanted to further talk with. My product is "entertainment" by the Bogmeisters Chorus, and the "singing valentine" emphasis. It was fun (although there was not actual lunch this time). They meet weekly on Tuesdays at 11:45. I'll likely go again.

In the evening Dee and I began working on our info for the taxes. It went well since she'd kept things organized each month, identifying things that we'd need to refer to now. We watched a couple of recorded programs and hit the sack, knowing snow and ice were on the way.

This morning my driveway is an ice skating rink, and my car outside is encrusted with ice. Looks like an igloo.

First Anniversary !

2009-01-26T11:53:00.003-05:00

Yesterday was Sunday and with it came a morning of worship followed by a stop to see Dee at her workplace. Still checking out their cheese section and learning all I can.

In the evening I took part in a "Week of Christian Unity" service at a local church in Mars. There were 13 pastors involved and a guest preacher. Members from area churches formed a "massed choir" and the quartet from our Cranberry Barbershop Chorus sang two selections. "Hush," and "The Irish Blessing" at the close of the service. Here's a picture someone took of them singing. It was a great evening of praise, singing and hearing from The Word.

Today is the First Anniversary of Kerri and Patrick. Whew! so much has happened since this time last year. Great memories of that special night too. Congratulations Kerri and Patrick !

Wedding Day for Danielle and Brett

2009-01-25T08:21:00.007-05:00

Yesterday we went to the wedding of Dee's grand niece, Danielle. It was in Worthington, PA. We weren't sure of how to get there so we decided to go via 95 to 422. That worked well because we were on all major roads. We returned home a different route and found that the way home was 20 miles shorter. The wedding was very nice with about 40 people in attendance. The reception was in the church fellowship hall. Here are a couple of photos from the wedding.

All the food was prepared at the church by the families of the bride and groom. The bride's grandmother, Donna, made the cake in NC and then iced it just before the wedding. Yummm. It was good to see the family again as the nephews and niece came in from NC, and OH and the their families tagged along for the ride. It was good to be able to go to such an event and be a spectator with no responsibilities for the festivities. Usually I'm in the middle of it all as a "host pastor", so this was great!

Later when we got home, we decided to stay inside and keep warm. We watched a 2 part movie La Femme Musketeer then went to bed.

Visiting with Fellow Clergy and PR

2009-01-23T08:14:00.004-05:00

Yesterday I went to the Pittsburgh Clergy meeting for Baptists at Mt. Lebanon and learned about what's happening in the churches of my denomination. While there I sat next to the minister from the Monongahela church where my mother attends. After the meeting we talked briefly about her. I asked him if he knew who she was. He said, 'You mean Toots Aiello." I said yes. He said he's talked with her on several occasions and she always seems to have a look on her face of "Wonder why you're talking with me." Any way, I'd mentioned a couple of things about her and described where she lives and encouraged him to connect with her again. I mentioned that her Sunday School class is the main connection point. He noted that no one in her Sunday school class attends worship. That they pretty much stay to themselves.

Here's a photo of the Bogmeisters from Monday night.

During the afternoon I began to do some PR for the Singing Valentines following up leads and calling people at the various media outlets - newspaper, magazines and TV. I also began a log of what I'm doing in that regard so I can follow up where I'm waiting for a call back or looking for an email in response to a request.

I received an email from Pastor Jim asking me if I'd preach for him on March 22 while he's away. I said "sure." That'll be different from when I preach on the February 1 date. In March both he and the Assistant will be away, so I'll be doing the whole thing. Shouldn't be a problem though, just a little more to do. We have two services so I'll lead and preach at both.

In the evening Dee and I went to a local mega church "open house" as they completed the construction of an addition and were having appetizers, tours etc. I'd been wanting to see the inside of that church anyway, so this was a good excuse to go. They seem to have it all. Special areas for little kids; teen area with multiple TV screens (like about 10) for gaming (I noticed 4 Wii set ups) a small stage for events. There were dozens of huge TV screens on the walls throughout the gathering areas. The main building has a 1,400 seat auditorium and a 300 seat one as well. The new addition has 500 seat auditorium for overflow worship seating, or for a second service going on simultaneously. Their PR even indicates a "Cafe worship" service at the same time for those who want a more intimate small group worship experience. Quite the place.

Back home, we watched a couple of shows we recorded of "Burn Notice." Then turned out the lights.

The Jersey Boys

2009-01-21T08:18:00.004-05:00

Yesterday I went to the local Clergy meeting at St. John's Lutheran Senior Life Center. We planned the "Week of Prayer for Christian Unity" service for this Sunday night. During the meeting I suggested the quartet from our chorus could sing and the clergy thought that would be a good idea. So they're now in the program. There was also a senior care person (Janice Rodgers) there from the local PACE program for elder care. She talked about the services they offer in Butler County. She also mentioned some new "talking pill boxes" that help people with their pills. Later I called her and talked with someone in her office. The lady in the office said she had heard about them, but wasn't sure they were actually on the market yet. However, she did mention some "pill dispensing systems" currently in use that involved the client filling the "machine" and then it would dispense the pills as needed. Sounded interesting. They were in the price range of $50 for set up, and then $40/month range. I thought it was interesting. Then, I went home and while Dee was at work I finished the window "file" project in the living room windows. And I watched the inauguration on television.

Later in the evening Russ and Kathy G. came by for dinner (Dee made lasagna, a nice crisp salad, and then a fancy dessert with blueberry ice cream.) Yummm. Afterward, we went to the Benedum Center in Pittsburgh and saw the show "Jersey Boys". It was a musical about the lives of Frankie Valli and the Four Seasons. The singing was awesome. The story line was actually a sad one. And the language was pretty bad. Despite the language, we really enjoyed the music as it was the music of our era growing up.

Music and Learning

2009-01-19T08:53:00.007-05:00

It's Monday morning and a lot has happened since my last entry, not the least of which the STEELERS WON and are headed to the Super Bowl!

On the home front, I traveled to Columbus Ohio to attend the Leadership Academy for officers in the Barbershop Male Choruses of our district. There were about 170 men there. Being new to the hobby, I realized that there is much to learn and many ways to get our name out before the public. I spent a total of 5 hours over three sessions with P-R experts and tried to soak up their wisdom and insights. In some ways it was overwhelming because there are so many options to explore.

I also attended seminars on leadership and how to navigate the http://www.barbershop.org/ web site. But my favorite seminar was titled, "How to Keep the Bar in Barbershop ;)"

We also heard some great singing and participated in ringing some awesome chords. Here is a photo of the group watching the Singing Buckeye's an award winning chorus. And a couple of amazing quartets.

My daughter Kerri started a blog about her preparations for giving birth in April. She calls it "The Adventures of Baby J." and you can read her entrys at http://theadventuresofbabyj.blogspot.com/

It's been bitter cold out in the single digits until yesterday. We also got about 4 more inches of snow. But the roads are clear and I'm learning that they can handle snow better around here than in NJ where we used to live. Attendance at church seemed a little off, but it was good to be there to hear the choir, talk with a few friends and hear the sermon on John 1:35-51. I saw both of the men I'd invited to chorus practice and was able to reconnect with them briefly.

Windows and Staying Warm

2009-01-16T08:03:00.004-05:00

View from our deck this morning.

Yesterday Dee went to work while I stayed home and continued the window "film" project on the front windows. I completed all but one pane before running out of film again. It looks good and I'm satisfied it'll make a difference. The temp is to go to -2 degrees this morning and stay in the low single digits all day. Wind chill is supposed to be in the -15 to -25 range. Burrrr.

Later I went back to Home Depot for another roll of the stuff, renewed a book at the library on Excel 2002 that I'm using to teach myself Excel (slowly). And I bought some more coffee for my next batch of "cold brewed coffee" that finished brewing just this morning.

In the evening I went to the Bogmeister Board meeting now that I'm VP of PR and Marketing. Lots to do in that job, but the Board was very helpful as I begin establishing a budget of sorts and discovering ways to network and get the word out about our singing group. The meeting was at Bill S. home around the fireplace. Nice atmosphere. The sharing of ideas, and concerns as we move toward getting our charter and non-profit status was good. And it was nice of Jim S. to pick me up en route to the meeting.

Today I head out to Columbus for the "leadership academy" for officers of the Barbershop Society Chapters of our District. I'll be back Sat. evening sometime.

Of Bowling and Valentines

2009-01-15T08:12:00.004-05:00

Yesterday was a cold one for sure. I shoveled a while just to get the snow off the deck and to stay ahead of any accumulation. It was only a couple of inches deep, but it can add up. Dee went to Contours to workout. I then went to Rotary for the luncheon and program. At rotary I announced and explained the "Singing Valentines" project of my barbershop group. Several of the men seemed interested and took some of the "tear off" phone numbers for future use.

Two of the guys at my table were into bowling and so we talked about that. I learned a lot about "sanctioned league" playing. One guy bowled left handed but hurt his hand during the year and tried to bowl right handed. He found he could do it pretty well, so started bowling right handed for his league. Someone took him aside and said it was an infraction against the rules. If you start bowling left handed you have to do so the entire season. WOW ! Who would've thought.

This conversation started when he mentioned he'd purchased a new bowling ball for $200. I asked him how many bowling balls he had. He said after thinking about it, "eight." He said that he usually takes two balls with him to the bowling alley when he plays, and that some guys take more. There's another rule that says, "If you don't take all your bowling balls out of the bag when the play starts, you can't use one you left in the bag later." He also indicated that often getting the "7 pin" is hard for him, so he has a favorite ball for that shot. He noted that different bowling alleys play differently with certain balls. So it can make a difference which ball he uses depending on where he's playing. AMAZING!

The other guys at the table were just as surprised as I was regarding the many "rules." We were "bowled over" by all this new information ;)

Back home Dee and I continued to install the window "film" in an effort to make our place just a little more energy efficient. We finished the kitchen area and now will do the two front windows. The films seems to keep some of the cold out, and cuts down on the UV glare as well.

I worked at the computer surfing the www.barbershop.org site to learn more about my new hobby. I leave on Friday for a quick trip to Columbus for a training event for new chorus officers. I'm the VP for Public Relations (P-R). It'll be my job to send announcements to the radio stations, and newspapers about the singing Valentines.

Here's the deal: We'll send a quartet to sing 2 love songs to your "special someone" on your behalf. Also included is a personalized card with words from you to her/him; and a photo of her/him with the quartet to capture the moment; and a Valentine balloon. All for the low low price of $40. We're hoping to do more than fifty of these singing valentines on February 13 and 14. We'll sing at homes, offices, hospitals and even restaurants and stores. Wherever you want. If you're interested give me a call and I'll make it happen. (Note: Our quartets are good. Remember one of them sang the National Anthem for the Yankees/Pirates game last summer.) Have a great day!

A Little This and That

2009-01-14T08:18:00.004-05:00

In the morning Earl C. picked me up for the men's Bible Study group at the church. We saw a brief video on the book of Isaiah, and then had discussion. It was nice of Earl to pick me up. We enjoy the guys who show up for it.

Back home we continued our window "film" project on the kitchen windows. It's coming along well, but we ran out of film and had to stop for the day. We think it's making a difference already regarding retaining heat. And we're getting better at applying the stuff as well. Everything went well except for the dog eating the squeegee handle ;)

We stopped at Giant Eagle for some groceries and I checked out the cheese selections. I didn't get anything, but it was good to see what they have. I received word too, that my cheese books have been shipped. Can't wait!

We got more snow so I did some shoveling. The weather reports indicate it's going to get colder and colder through the week. Friday is to be a high of 9 degrees - burrr. We stayed inside and watched some of the shows we'd recorded. I continue to make and drink my "cold brewed" coffee. I've made two batches and am about to make a third batch. It makes about 7 cups of concentrate that then can make about 30 cups of coffee. The concentrate can last up to 14 days or longer in the fridge, but we drink it before that. I like to make the lattes with it. Yummm.

Cheese Glorious Cheese

2009-01-13T10:54:00.005-05:00

This is the view from our room at Seven Springs as we sat in our room and looked out the window. Cool.

Yesterday we decided to work on the windows at home by putting a thin film on them that keeps out UV rays and cold air while allowing a person to look out the windows. We did the basement window first and we already have noticed that there is a difference. We also did the door window to the deck. A lot of heat must escape through the window pane because by just adding the "film" it's made a difference. We're going to do the rest of the windows today - at least until the product runs out.

We also went to Barnes and Noble and perused some of the books I discovered online about cheese. I got so turned on at the "getaway weekend" that I want to learn more about cheese. Afterward, we went to Costco, and I examined their cheese department to see what kind they had on hand. I bought some Pecorino Romano from Italy. It's made from sheep's milk and came highly recommended by the cheese expert at the "getaway". Later we had some as a snack with a nice white wine, pinot grigio, that we bought in Virginia. Yummm. Then, I ordered three books on cheese from Amazon.com so I can read about how cheese is made, eaten, served and paired with wines. And to learn about some of the cheeses I'll be trying and looking for. Fun stuff. Can't wait!

Last night I went to Barbershop Harmony Chorus practice. We're getting ready for the "singing valentines" emphasis by learning the two songs we'll sing for people as a gift to their "special someone." We also began practicing in earnest the two songs we're going to do for competition. I was glad to see that Alan was back and that Bob, whom I invited last week, also returned. It was a good practice. I'm beginning to see that the guys who learn the song by ear, and can't read music, are at a disadvantage when it comes to learning new songs. They still learn the song, but it's a different process for them.

Afterward, Dee and I watched some television, tried our new cheese

The "Gourmet Getaway" at Seven Springs

2009-01-12T07:59:00.007-05:00

Well we're back from the "Gourmet Getaway" at Seven Springs Ski Resort. What an awesome weekend. It's one of the best times Dee and I have had on a "getaway" trip experience. The accommodations at the Resort are first rate. And the food was phenomenal. Every meal was like a banquet and the chef's banquet was like a formal wedding reception with chair seat covers, cloth tablecloths and napkins and each course of the meal announced as it was being served.

The process was that we'd have a class where the chef would prepare a meal for a few people and explain every step of the preparation process and why he used the various ingredients he did. Then later we'd have a full meal (all 240 of us) with food made from the recipes just demonstrated.

There were about 8 chefs there for the weekend. You could chat with them on a one to one during the weekend and ask all the questions you could think of. They even sat at our tables so we could gt to know them better.

Dress was casual all weekend, however, some people dressed up for the "Chef's Banquet" on Saturday night. Among my favorite dishes was the crab cakes. I also like the risotto. The packets we were given had the bios of all the chefs and the printed recipes of the meals they were making.

This was the "first annual" such event. They're planning on doing it again this same weekend in January next year and we already have our name on the list to be notified as the date rolls around again.

We learned about the weekend by an ad in the newspaper. But it seems most of the people there either received a postcard or an email inviting them to it. The guy in charge indicated that they used the mailing list from "Bon Appetite" subscribers who had indicated on a survey card that they were interested in "cooking."

The people attending seemed to be from all walks of life and were in our age range give or take 10-15 years. But most were about our age. We met some really nice people. Two gals we hung out with and ate with a lot were Linda and Susie. Two ladies who were best friends for many years. Linda lives at the resort and has worked there for 23 years. Susie has a "primitive American" gift shop off Route #19 near Washington, PA called "Heart's in the Attic".

The "blind wine tasting" and the seminar on cheeses, oils and salad presentation were eye opening to me. They especially whet my appetite for learning more about cheeses. They had some cheese there was just outa this world. One bite just exploded in your mouth with flavor. We also learned how to "eat" cheese, swirl our wine and what to look for as wince sits in your glass. Lots of fun.

The last seminar (Sunday morning after a cordon blue and lamb breakfast) was called "Deja Brew" and was taught by a "brew master" from Starbucks. She told us with the use of PowerPoint about the history of coffee; the processes used to pick and prepare the beans; and how coffee is made. She also talked about the various nuances of coffee's aromas and how to store coffee properly. I didn't know there were citrus, smokey, floral, chocolate, and earthy notes in what makes coffee smell so good. We actually "tasted" some coffee there and then paired it with chocolate truffles.

Some people took advantage of the sleigh rides each night and the "grooming machine rides" as well. Some spouses were there and went skiing while the other one attended the classes. At the end the management of Seven Springs invited us to stay another day at 50% off. Everything was first rate!

Of course while we were inside, weather was happening outside. Our car was encased in ice. It took a good 20 minutes to clear with windows of the 1/2 inch thick ice to get the doors and trunk open. However, we stayed with it and despite breaking our ice scraper we were successful. The roads home were clear all the way. However, we did note that our area had received about 5" of snow while we were gone.

Our dog, Bonz, was well cared for by neighbors who fell in love with him while we were gone. And of course we finished off the evening watching the Steelers beat the Chargers! Here's is a photo of one of the chefs - Robin Cook, of the Steeler's Super Bowl winning team. His sweet potato pic was truly delicious.