Hunting Season

Recently I ran across an old album featuring some of the “cowboy music” my father enjoyed in the early 1960s. Because of the wonder of modern technology, now it is possible to find recordings of many of these old songs online.

One song still makes me nostalgic for those days, a novelty song called “I Won’t Go Huntin' With You, Jake (But I’ll Go Chasin' Women).” Yes, country titles are sometimes more entertaining than the songs themselves. But I have fond memories of this particular song because of a story relating to it.

This version was recorded by Jimmy Dean in 1962 when I was 7 or 8 years old. I used to listen over and over again trying to learn the words so I could sing along. But there was one phrase I didn’t understand. “… them gals wear clothes that we ain’t seen beneath them gingham gowns!” When I asked my Mom to explain what those words meant she was embarrassed and initially refused to tell me. Finally I think she mentioned something about women’s underwear – that was all I cared to know. (Remember, these were the days when my Grandmother Oviatt would not utter the word “pregnant.” The proper language was to say that someone was expecting or was “PG.”)

It is funny how this song – and the memory of that story – has remained with me all these years. I’m including a link to an audio recording of the version I listened to as a child and hope you enjoy it.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J6Uq5VHGuPA&feature=related

Vandalism

Saturday afternoon I received a phone call informing me that someone had vandalized our church building and asking for help cleaning up. I was very surprised ... things like this just don't happen in our town. Initially I was concerned that this might have been done by someone with an axe to grind against the church for a real or perceived slight, or as a reaction to church involvement in sensitive political/social/moral issues. I even felt somewhat unsafe as I thought about how easy it would be to gain entry into the building and cause extensive damage. (Apparently our building was unlocked following an activity earlier in the day.)

When I reached the church I learned that the vandalism was carried out by a young man who apparently struggles with some psychological or emotional issues. The damage included broken glass, damaged artwork, an overturned piano, splotches of blood, and some smoke and fire residue (the fires were small paper fires and not very significant). The man also apparently drank some cleaning fluid from a custodial closet and vomited in the building. A member of our bishopric actually caught the man inside the building. Fortunately, no one was hurt (except for some cuts the man sustained) and we were able to clean up enough to hold church services the next day.

Vandalism is never okay. I am sorry this happened. And I am even more sorry that this young man (not a member of the church and with no apparent agenda directed against us) reached a point in his life where this occurred. I offered up a prayer of thanks that our building was not heavily damaged and also a prayer in behalf of this young man.

Eat, drink, and be merry ...

Mom and I started something we’ve never before done together when we began a weight loss program today. No, we weren’t selected to appear on The Biggest Loser! We joined a program offered through my employer. Not surprisingly, the very common sense approach is based on eating more nutritious and filling foods, managing portion sizes, exercising (which might not be possible for Mom, given her poor health), and ensuring that calorie intake is less than what is expended. Hopefully, by joining forces and doing this together we can help each other succeed.

There really is no magic bullet to fitness and maintaining a healthy weight. I am amazed at how high “average weight” has climbed in my lifetime. I read recently that one of the reasons for the government starting school lunch programs following World War II was because there were too many military recruits who did not meet the minimum weight requirements to serve in the armed forces. I don’t know if that story is true; if so, it is a sad commentary on our physical fitness today. I’m quite confident that our problem as a nation is not thyroid problems or slow metabolisms as much as it is poor nutrition and lack of exercise.

When I was a boy I thought that when you grew up you stopped liking candy. The reason for this is that my mother seldom ate candy and didn’t seem to like it. So I believed that when you reached adulthood some hideous transformation took place and you started liking vegetables and hating candy. When I asked my Mom about this, she said that as a child she rarely had candy … except for horehound candy, which doesn’t taste all that great. And no wonder – horehound was used to soothe sore throats. What kind of candy is also a medicine? Horehound even looks like a cough drop! http://www.ehow.com/about_5042766_horehound-candy.html

Today we are literally surrounded by unhealthy, prepared, sugar-laden food and treats. Our children were allowed candy once during the week, our “Saturday treat” tradition. This was started out of self-defense because the older children asked for candy every time we went to the store. Fortunately, we were able to convince them that Saturday treat was the eleventh commandment and they did not challenge us (until they were older).

On our new nutrition program, perhaps Mom and I will go back to Saturday treats ... but not to hourhound!

It's a dirty job, but somebody has to do it

The siding is installed on the house, but the work is not completed. I am fighting a race against rain, trying to replace the dirt I removed along the foundation so the painting could be done. I dug down several inches to make sure the paint would extend below the soil line. This left a trench several inches deep all around the house ... a perfect place for water to collect and run down the foundation looking for any little crack to seep into the basement.

When I removed the soil I placed it in the garden plot, where it has been sitting for three weeks. Because we have enjoyed such dry weather, the soil has hardened. Before replacing it, I have tilled the pile of dirt several times to break down all the large clots.

I hoped the dry weather would last, but the forecast calls for rain tomorrow and perhaps again on Tuesday. Last night I provided day care for the Relief Society get together and tomorrow Brenda and I are going to Omaha, so tonight I worked until it was too dark to see. I did get the soil replaced around all three sides of the house with basement windows, which is where water has found its way into the basement previously. Hopefully this will be sufficient protection against the rain.

We've been very fortunate to enjoy such mild weather this late in the season. Last year we already had experienced snow by this time. I'm keeping my fingers crossed that when it rains the next few days the precipitation won't turn into the white stuff!

Judging a house by its cover

Yes, as a matter of fact I think we WERE overdue for new siding! In some places our old siding was as soft as a wet sponge and would literally crumble away in our hands. Clearly, we were beyong the point of repainting this siding as we did twice previously.

The old siding was VERY stained in many places. Also, you may be able to tell where the downspout was removed just above the steps the difference in the color of the paint behind the downspout and how much the rest of the house has faded over the years.

I didn't make it easy for our installers by removing the deck boards! But I wanted to be sure that the siding was installed properly and that I would not have any problems replacing deck boards once the siding is in place. Here Mike is making do with what I left him. You can see the old deck boards sitting atop the deck supports. This is NOT an OSHA approved workplace, I'm sure!

It's a wrap!

Before the new siding goes on, the house is wrapped in a reflective material that is a moisture barrier. It also provides a minimal amount of insulating factor. On the back of the siding is a thick foam layer, which provides most of the insulation and a cushion to protect the siding against damage.

After a summer with much higher than normal precipitation, we enjoyed very nice weather (except for one day when Mike and Dustin got drenched). So the reflection of the sunlight actually made wrapping the house a hot, sweaty job.

And I helped!

As you can see, Tara and I are an indispensable part of this project in that we supervise, inspect, and approve the work. My job is to stand in the back yard and tell the installers what a good job they are doing and how great the new siding looks. (And I guess my other job is to write a gigantic check when they are finished.) Tara's job is to safeguard equipment and supplies, protect against intruders, and lick to death the installers every day when they arrive and again before they depart.


















Here is a half-and-half view contrasting the new and old siding. Guess which looks better?

Not a tornado, just a home improvement project.

This is not a photo of our house (though our old siding didn't look much better than this)! Half our driveway is taken up with a dumpster that is filled to the top with debris from our house ... all the old siding, gutters and downspouts, deck boards, and various odds and ends. The sides of this medium-sized dumpster (the large one apparently wasn't available) are six feet tall.



As you can see, the back yard is the staging center for all the equipment and supplies. What you see here is only a small portion of what is actually there.

Extreme Home Makeover

For the last week and a half our house has been undergoing a transformation as new siding is installed. Brenda has been taking lots of photos. I will share a few for a sense of just how great a change this is for us.

Here is a photo of the rear view of our house. The deck boards have been removed for convenience in replacing the siding. The old narrow step has been replaced with a new step that runs the length of the deck, making it much easier for Brenda to get up and down. Also you can see that the lower foundation is painted to match the new siding.

This photo shows Mike and Dustin, our installers, putting up the new siding. They have wrapped the lower part of the house and the new siding is going on. They started on the south side of the house and then moved to the back, the north side, and will finish with the front.

And now, Move That Bus!

Here is the finished view of the west side of the house. What a transformation!

One year later ...

One year ago we lost Laura. It is hard to believe it has been a year. And it is still very difficult to believe she is gone.

I miss Laura a great deal. And I am sorry that she suffered so and reached the point where she felt she had no other option than to end her life.

The last year has been full of pain and second guessing. I still feel very vulnerable and fragile. And I don't think I will ever feel normal again.

But I am glad, even with all the pain.

I'm glad I had the opportunity to know Laura. I feel very privileged to have been her father. I'm thankful for Laura's wonderful sense of humor and how she could one-up me with jokes better than mine. I'm very glad to have had Laura's music in my life. I'm grateful for precious memories of having Laura accompany me on the piano while I sang. I'm thankful for daddy-daughter dates we enjoyed, particularly the times we would succumb to the temptation of decadent chocolate desserts even though we promised ourselves we wouldn't. I have very fond memories of "wing and rings" lunches at the North End Diner. I am very grateful for many good memories.

Most of all, I am glad that Laura is no longer suffering like she did here. I love you, Laura. I'm sorry I couldn't help you overcome your fears and depression. I hope things are better now. And I pray for you continually. ~Poopa

How firm a foundation ...

Tomorrow the contractor will arrive to begin installing our new siding. Because we are changing colors, the concrete foundation of our house will be painted to match the color of the siding. You may remember that the concrete in our foundation is shaped to look like bricks, complete with a rough texture or finish.

I spent the last couple of days removing several inches of soil next to the foundation to make sure the new paint will be applied below the soil line. And I used a stiff brush to wash away as much of the soil as possible so the concrete is clean and ready for painting.

This was too much like work to suit me. I felt like Tom Sawyer facing his tall board fence with a whitewash brush in hand. While washing the concrete wasn't punishment for me as was Tom's whitewashing chore, I dreaded my work as much as Tom did his. But no friends wandered by to jeer, only to trade various treasures for the opportunity to be one of the few Tom would trust to help whitewash the fence facing the street where everyone could see the results.

Tom learned a great truth, "that Work consists of whatever a body is obliged to do, and that Play consists of whatever a body is not obliged to do." In gospel terms, we have the choice to act or to be acted upon. I could have left the foundation dirty and hoped the contractor would do a good job of preparation. However, now I know the foundation is ready to go. And if the foundation is firmly clean, whatever is put on it should stick and last.

General Conference tradition

In the Internet age I can watch General Conference on my computer in the comfort of my own home. More accurately, I can watch most of the conference sessions. The Saturday evening Priesthood session cannot be seen online, but only at the chapel.

I don't mind going to the chapel for this session. This is part of the tradition I established with Ben and Brian. But the best part of the tradition was stopping at Baskin-Robbins on the way home for ice cream.

Once I tried yogurt at TCBY, but it just wasn't the same. And even though the boys are gone, I carry on the tradition of ice cream following the priesthood session of conference ... a single scoop hot fudge sundae with nutty coconut ice cream, chopped nuts, and whipped cream -- but no cherry!

Monday, Monday ... so good to me

Today I received a call from our contractor informing us that they want to drop off tools at our house tomorrow and start our siding replacement project on Monday! This is much sooner than we expected, so I have a LOT of work to do Saturday to get ready.

I will be very glad to get this work done. The siding on our house now has been painted twice and is beyond painting again because it is literally spongy and crumbling. I am looking forward to having a (nearly) maintenance free exterior.

The second time we had our house exterior painted we hired our neighbor Ron Trobaugh to do the work. I still remember that the day he started painting he called me at work to ask if I was really sure I wanted to go ahead with such a bright yellow color. When I drove home to look I confess I was startled at just how bright the yellow paint looked on the house; it didn't appear to be that bright on the color chip. I told him to go ahead because I knew that over time the yellow would fade to a less bright shade. Sure enough, in a couple of years the color was much closer to what we wanted.

While I like the current color of our house, unfortunately yellow really shows dirt. The siding we have now is permanently stained from water that has run off the dark roof shingles. The new siding that has a color fast guarantee and will be replaced at no charge if the color fades. And the Cypress color should do a much better job of hiding dirt and grime.

It will be strange to change house colors after nearly twenty years. I wonder how many times I will drive past the house because my brain is looking for yellow.

Parting is such sweet sorrow ...

Brian came by tonight for what may be the last time before he and Laura move to California on October 1. I have mixed feelings … sorry to see them go and at the same time excited for them to have this opportunity. This has come together very quickly for them. But they are pretty much ready to go and already found a place to live in Santa Monica. I do not envy them the drive from Des Moines to California.

As a missionary, I served for a short time in Orange County, California. One of the refugee families I helped resettle lived in Santa Monica. I remember being overwhelmed by the crowded area and congested roads. But I also remember great weather and fabulous people. I think anywhere you live has advantages and disadvantages. And, as always, what you experience is more about what is inside you than what is around you.

I am reading a wonderful book written by Harold Kushner, “When All You’ve Wanted Isn’t Enough.” He gives an example of a man who was so concerned about “moving up” and “winning” in his profession that he became dissatisfied, jealous, and lonely. But a significant change took place, resulting in the man becoming happy, loving, and caring. And what was the change? Kushner writes, “Nothing around him has changed but something inside him has changed, and he can look forward to his remaining years … as being productive and satisfying ones.”

The inside change is, I’m convinced, the biggest factor in how we experience life. I’m not so naïve as to think that there aren’t selfish, bad people in the world. And I am certainly aware that terrible things happen. But we are here to act and not to be acted upon by our circumstances or surroundings. When we have no choice or control about the things that happen to us, we always have a choice about how we view those things and respond to them.

Good luck, Brian and Laura. May you travel safely and enjoy the next stage of your life in a new place.

The Rain in Spain falls Mainly in Des Moines

It is raining today – again. This is certainly in keeping with the wetter-than-normal summer we have experienced this year. Remember 1993, the year of the terrible flooding, when it rained practically every day all spring and summer? This year isn’t quite that bad, but it certainly has that feel. According to the official state records, 2010 “ranks as the 19th warmest and 2nd wettest summer among 138 years of records.” http://www.iowaagriculture.gov/climatology/weatherSummary.asp

Last year we replaced two basement window wells with an improved design to eliminate the problem we had of the drain pipe backing up and leaking water through the window into the basement. Now there is no longer a drain pipe in the window wells and we have a much better seal around the windows. This week we replaced the third and final window well. So we shouldn’t see that problem again.

Fall is a funny time for weather in Iowa. Yesterday we ran the air conditioner as the house heated up in the afternoon. Today we are running the furnace because it is quite chilly today. Summer is definitely waning and it won’t be long before we are shoveling snow. I hope we get the siding installed and the deck boards put back on before the snow starts to fall!

Calling and Selection ... Are You Sure?

Recently Bishop Helton pulled me aside in the hall at church. With Jay, you can never tell if he is going to talk basketball, ask about the family, or extend a church calling. In this case, it was door number three. He informed me that he planned to extend a particular calling in the near future.

I waited for several weeks without hearing any more, but wasn’t concerned because I know that sometimes these things take time. Then a couple of weeks ago the bishop’s secretary called to ask me to meet with Bishop Helton. I thought this was to make things official for the call Jay had mentioned, but was surprised to learn that the bishop had something else in mind for me. He explained that some changes in the stake and ward caused him to rethink the original assignment and instead extend a call to teach the Gospel Doctrine class in Sunday School.

I was substitute teacher for this class recently and did not suspect at the time that the lesson I taught that day was a warm-up for teaching each week. This year the course of study is the Old Testament. I am taking over as we begin to study the record of Isaiah.

I have read the Old Testament several times and know what a challenge it can be to digest and understand the writings of the prophets. I am looking forward to the challenge and hope Bishop Helton’s confidence in me is not misplaced.

All hands on ... deck?

When stepping out our back door, one must be very careful. Why? Because the deck boards are off waiting for new siding to be installed.

Here is the view of what used to be our deck. I have the new top boards in the garage, but won't install them until the new siding is in place.

Just a trim, please

This is why Brenda doesn't like me to trim trees ... and why I wait until she is gone to do so!

Madame Butterfly

Brenda and I have been feeding two caterpillars for a few weeks. They grew from tiny spots to large specimens a couple of inches long. The day before we left for Utah, I told Brenda I would have to let the caterpillars loose because we wouldn't be home to feed them. But the next morning I was surprised to find they both were spinning coccoons.

I hoped they would keep until Brenda returned this weekend. But this morning I noticed the chrysalises turned a dark color. And when I came home for lunch today I found two butterflies in the container.

I put them outside so they could dry their wings in the slight breeze and managed to get some photos before they flew away. Brenda, here are your Monarch butterflies!

Especially for Emily

At my advanced age I still play basketball. It is one of the few forms of exercise I enjoy and I find that it is good not only for my body, but also for clearing my mind and reducing stress.

But sometimes it isn't good for my toes. Recently a player who jumped high for a rebound landed hard on my toe. As soon as I got home I was quite certain I would lose my nail. Sure enough, my nail detached from the base and filled with fluid. I drained my toe several time over the next few days until finally I got some relief when the nail came off.

My daughter in law, Emily, is rather squeamish about toe trauma. So I dedicate these photos to her! :)