Maintenance

Home ownership is a project-in-the-works (never-ending maintenance). I am hoping to start a habit of putting a certain amount of money into the maintenance or improvement of our house every month. For awhile it will not be very much, and will all be for maintenance. There is a leak under the kitchen sink that has been a problem for a long time. I have fixed it over and over again, which means it has never actually been fixed. Now the board under the leak has rotted and has to be replaced. I bought a board to fix it, but got frustrated because I couldn't get it under the pipes. That has been awhile, I wonder where the board is; I sort of remember giving it away. Maybe I should go look for it...................

Am I coming or going?

I have been told that I travel a lot, so I started counting the trips that I have made this year. It amazed me how much I have been gone since January. I am the one person in the family that prefers to stay at home, yet I have traveled more than anyone else. I am getting way too familiar with airports and the various airlines. I got home at 3am Tuesday and will be leaving Saturday morning(weather permitting--Hurricane Ike is supposed to have a severe effect on DFW weather Saturday afternoon) for one week. I am hoping to stay home for awhile after that (until March).
Dad has gone to Denver for a month to be with Grandma. She seems to be doing better than what we thought possible. I have always thought that she was one of the strongest people I have ever met. It is evident that she is still stronger than we estimated possible. She reminds me of my Grandmother, who lived to be one day short of 93. Go, Grandma, go!
I will be glad when Dad gets home. We all miss him.

Dust bunnies

I got this from Marlene Marshall: My house is dusty--you may sign your name in the dust, but don't date it!

Musings

This is a photograph of a garden in Vancouver. It is one of 7 or 8. Lanni Graf sent them to me.
If I can do this, I should be able to figure out how to do some others.

William, I have tried to leave comments on your blog, but alas, there is a notice that it won't accept my comments. Take your kids to do something fun before you all go back to school. They haven't been swimming, hiking, played soccer, gone to a real park all summer. That would be fun for all of you. Free lunch in the park does not qualify as a family event unless all of you go! It just barely qualifies as a lunch, depending on what they get that day. Sometimes it is just chocolate milk in the park.

Ben has a blog now! Check it out. Grassclippings in the shoes.

Michael is going to be baptized on September 6; Ammon will be blessed on the 7th in Utah.

Home Sweet Home

It is good to be back home after a couple of weeks. It was fun to get to be with the Cassidy family; but I think by the time I leave, everyone is glad to see me go. Grandpa and I are planning to go back the first weekend in September for Michael's baptism. He is going to see if he can get Great Grandma to go, also. It would be a short flight and she could see some of her relatives that can't travel any more.

Everything at home is pretty much the same. Busy, busy, busy. I am thinking of not going back to work this week, just to rest. My original schedule was to come home on Friday, so no one really expects to see me. Then, again, I could use some income. Choices, choices. I am so fortunate to have choices!!

Ammon Kenneth Cassidy

Welcome to the world Ammon Kenneth Cassidy! Ammon was born Friday, July 25. His parents can fill you in on the details. I know he was born about 10:30 pm, and weighs 6# 9oz? William called me when I was asleep and he seems to be kind of busy today. Sariah just got a new phone, and I am not sure it is charged yet.

I will be going to Utah on Monday and staying for about 2 weeks to help care for the big kids.

Happy Birthday, Michael James Cassidy! Michael is 8 years old today. I guess he sort of got a little brother for his birthday. How cool is that? Only Michael can say.

Yours, Mine and Ours

There is a strange phenomena in this world about ownership and stealing. If I put something out in front of my house, there is a chance that it will be stolen. The closer to the sidewalk or curb, the more likely it will be taken quickly. Even if it is up close to the house, it seems ownership is up for grabs, except for hoses. No one has ever stolen one of our hoses. Are they of no value, or are they on the list of "leave it alone, it's not yours!"? The most interesting part of this phenomena is picnicking or camping. You can leave stuff alone for hours on end in the middle of a public park with all sorts of people around and come back to all the stuff untouched, except by wildlife and insects. People tend not to steal too much from public parks. Why is that? Pick pockets will steal from your person at any opportunity, but won't take your fried chicken, cooler or cake off a picnic table. Our world is really strange. I am glad there is an unwritten code of honesty or fear of stealing at the park.