Merry Christmas 2013
Well people, another year has gone by. A great year for me! I know some of us are still trying to climb back up and out, but I have confidence in my friends and loved ones to always find the road and keep on truckin! My year started out great, got the two new bathrooms, roof replaced, new paint in and out, new carpeting, new windows, new shuttered wooden window coverings, new ceiling in kitchen with recessed lighting, and a new wall put up between the kitchen and my office space, and all finally complete. I did have to have them back a few times to adjust this, repaint that, and ask what the he—is that. Oh, also put a small landing and stairs going to the French doors in the back. Never use them, but hey, once I get the dining room and what I call the all-purpose room done, they will come in handy. I thought I would be done last year, but I think expensive thoughts which I have to be talked out of, but I did manage to get in a couple of more things I wanted done. Well basically stuff I knew I would have to do, you see. Those last two rooms are jobs I am doing myself, so have, of course, not been done! But it was a relief to know the house will not fall over, leak, and like that. Took out a bunch of trees that were endangering my house and my neighbors, plowed up the place and made it relatively flat. I can get free construction equipment as long as I am the operator. Sooo, the grass covers it up, but the three yards are a little roly poly places. I did manage to level my back yard, which was messed up when I bought the place, and that allowed me to put a couple of sheds back there with level flooring. I did not like the way the sprinklers were set up so had that redone this spring, I now have the greenest crab grass you ever saw! Ok your bored, I will move on.
Most of you know I took an extended vacation last summer with Jim Mahon on our bikes. There is a blog about our adventures on this blog site, if you are interested. We had some good times. Travelled a lot, mostly on our bikes. We parked Jim’s motorhome in Council. If you know Jim, then you also know he decided to buy a house in Council, then buy a gym and retool and start some pretty innovative programs, starts serving on the City Counsel this January, created an arts and crafts site on the internet and started an organization for the local artists to help them display and sell their creations. Are you not glad I brought Jim with me! He will not admit it, because I have tried, but I am taking credit for at least the initial push to get him to abandon his hermit ways. Our friends threw us a great party at the park; I was overjoyed at the great turnout. Some people travelled a long way to attend, and I really, really, appreciated it, as did Jim.
I finally finished, well at least the first part of what will probably be a two book series. Or maybe a really long novel, who knows. I never even know what the next chapter is going to say until I write it. I am just as surprised at what happens as anyone! By finished I mean the rough draft. I did one editing run myself, and then sent it to a few people to get some feed back. I added some stuff during the editing run and have basically been told to take it back out. After a reread I agree, so already done. The book started out as a hobby, but I am now considering doing some more work on it and maybe publishing. Depends on what kind of feedback I get. My wife loves it, but she would love it if all I had done was spilled and ink bottle on a stack of paper! It is already over 800 pages and 32 chapters, and I have just completed half of the story. It is sci-fi, so not the next great American novel. I do have an idea for a non-fiction, but I want to finish this first, then we will see.
Lets see, what can I bore you with now? I guess the last thing I want to include is that I have been blessed with a stupendous wife of 37 years, a daughter who got her Masters and has been a teacher now for a number of years. English, teaches the advanced classes, and then she specializes in reading disorders, so has a class in that category also. Keeps her on her toes. She used to also issue report cards to the parents. She would ask them to review homework and initial it. She would ask them to schedule regular hours for homework to be done, and then ask them to come in if she thought the student was falling behind, etc. Based on their participation, she issued grades. Of course the parents (the ones with failing grades) complained and the school asked her to stop. That was when she taught grade school. She can now teach up through junior college level or sophomore at a four year, which she did for a short period, but she likes junior high. Vivian and I are both retired, of course, so life is different, but I am not bored. Still have my big iron to ride, a 4 wheeler to get me to some place in the toolies, and plenty of cameras to take pics of it when I get there. So life is good, need to lose some more weight, Vivian needs to gain some, you would think we could figure out how to meet in the middle somehow. All of you take care; have a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!
Love you all,
John & Vivian Love
The Love Chronicles 