Burnt Bisquits

February 26, 2010

(This just came on my e-mail. I generally don't send things on, but this is one I wanted to keep, so what better place to keep it than here.)

BURNED BISCUITS.............

When I was a kid, my mom made breakfast food for dinner every now and then. And I remember one night in particular when she had made breakfast after a long, hard day at work. On that evening so long ago, my mom placed a plate of eggs, sausage and extremely burned biscuits in front of my dad. I remember waiting to see if anyone noticed! Yet all my dad did was reach for his biscuit, smile at my mom and ask me how my day was at school. I don't remember what I told him that night, but I do remember watching him smear butter and jelly on that biscuit and eat every bite!

When I got up from the table that evening, I remember hearing my mom apologize to my dad for burning the biscuits. And I'll never forget what he said: "Honey, I love burned biscuits."

Later that night, I went to kiss Daddy good night and I asked him if he really liked his biscuits burned. He wrapped me in his arms and said, "Your Momma put in a hard day at work today and she's real tired. And besides - a little burnt biscuit never hurt anyone!"

You know, life is full of imperfect things.....and imperfect people. I'm not the best at hardly anything, and I forget birthdays and anniversaries just like everyone else.

What I've learned over the years is that learning to accept each others faults - and choosing to celebrate each is one of the most important keys to creating a healthy, growing, and lasting relationship.

And that's my prayer for you today. That you will learn to take the good, the bad, and the ugly parts of your life and lay them at the feet of God. Because in the end, He's the only One who will be able to give you a relationship where a burnt biscuit isn't a deal-breaker!

We could extend this to any relationship. In fact, understanding is the base of any relationship, be it a husband-wife or parent-child or friendship!" Don't put the key to your happiness in someone else's pocket - keep it in your own."

God Bless You..... Now, and Always....

So Please pass me a biscuit, and yes, the burnt one will do just fine.!.!.!.!

Snow

February 21, 2010

This will not come as a big surprise to most of the readers of my blog - it is a snowy winter. We have had more snow in February than normal. And it just isn't melting. Well, that is not true. In the back yard, facing south, it melts just fine with the sun exposure. But our house is facing north and it just isn't going away. It has not only been snowier than normal, it has been colder. All of this adds up to a weekly wonderland. The stuff that starts looking dirty, gets covered on a very regular basis, and things just look winter pretty again.

The roads are not too bad. For us, the sun comes out and melts them off, even when it doesn't get above freezing. We have learned over 20 winters that we need to keep our gutters clear so they don't turn into solid blocks of ice. It is easy to dress for this kind of weather, so this is not a complaint. However, I do hear more and more in the stores and on the streets - "I am so done with all of this." I say, relax, by June it will all be gone - then we can start worrying about the Summer heat.

Reading List

February 20, 2010

Big Stones Gap by Adriana Trigiani

First - why did I read this? It is a selection for March for Mar's Book Club. Mar wasn't ready to start it, so I took it with me on a trip. Book Club generally does suggest pretty good reading.

They didn't do too bad this time. I feel that a really good novel requires more than just action. To be really good, a character needs to really discover and change - to illustrate something that will also move the reader. Well - maybe this wasn't a really good book - but it was good. The main character, a spinster pharmacist in the small town of Big Stone Gap (if you can call a 30 something woman a spinster), discovers some very important things about herself - and effectively changes herself for a better and happier life. It is pretty well written, even if it is a little predictable. Yes, I liked the book, but I read it while I was in a funk. The light hearted parts lifted me from the funk - a little - but the self inspection it cased put me right back in.

I won't say you have to read it, but I won't try to dissuade you either.

WARNING: For all of you he-men, this could definitely be considered a chick-flick book, so beware.

Travels with Lar

Warren, New Jersey

February 15 - 19, 2010

Just in case anyone is keeping track - this is the fourth trip to New Jersey since late November.

Just in case anyone is keeping track - so far this year I have done four trips - 3 of them have been to New Jersey (the other was to Santa Ana, California - and I am going back there next week.)

Breanne mentioned after my last blog entry about Warren - that it must not be too exciting. She was very correct. But this was a better trip because it was only 5 days (4 nights) where they others have been 7 days.

The class went well - a very enjoyable bunch of people. The weather sort of cooperated - I was there between whooping big storms. And I got a free 4 lb bag of peanuts from one of those steakhouse restaurants that give you peanuts to eat while you're waiting.

So goes the trip.

I may not be back to Warren for some time. Maybe never. But with 4 pounds of peanuts, I'll remember it fondly - for at least a while.

Reading List

February 15, 2010

Fine Old High Priests by Donald S. Smurthwaite

Melanie sent me this book. It is really a delightfully written book. It is easy to read, especially if you don’t think about it too much. Most of the time, I think I would have enjoyed it. It is well written and has some very endearing scenes.

For me I, well it depressed me, probably because of my age and my state in life.

Not book club. Not 501.

Reading List

February 13, 2010


The Secrets of Masonic Washington by James Wasserman


After I read The Lost Symbol by Dan Brown, my co-worker Grant brought me this book. He is a Mason and a friend had presented this book to him with the instruction that he had to read it before he read The Lost Symbol. So Grant gave it to me to help enlighten me on some of the locations in Dan Brown’s book.

It starts out giving a basic understanding of the history and principals that are practiced by the masons. It discusses how they are intertwined with the early history of our country. I then turns into a tour guide book of building an art around downtown Washington DC and the Capitol Mall. It was informative and pleasant to read.

By the was, the author is not a Mason. And there are not a lot of "secrets" to reveal.

No – it is not a book club selection. No it is not on the 501 list. And no I would not necessarily recommend it to someone that they have to read it – even if you do read The Lost Symbol.

Travels with Lar

February 7-13, 2010

Santa Ana, California

This was a business trip. I flew out on Sunday evening. It had been trying to snow all day, but the roads were clear and the trip to the airport was pretty easy. In fact, the trip to Santa Ana was pretty easy, too. We did have to stop and get de-iced in Denver, but otherwise it was totally uneventful. I stayed at a Holiday Inn just 1.2 miles from the site. It was a nice motel. And I got a GOOD car. It was a 2010 Mustang with less than 2000 miles. Can you say sweet.

(This is the right car, but not the right color - mine was golden-gray.)

This class was at a customer site – Powerwave. It was not far from the Orange County airport.

The class went okay – after it got started. I got there and they had setup one way but then didn’t tell anyone, so it appeared to all of us in the class that there was no software, so I loaded it on 10 systems while I lectured. It was not a pretty start to the class, but after that if went better. The class was a custom DxDesigner schematic capture class and a CES constraint entry class.

On Tuesday night I went to the temple in Newport Beach. This is the first time I have been to this temple. It is beautiful on both the outside and the inside. It is a smaller temple, but as always, the Church got an outstanding site and built a wonderful edifice on it. I enjoyed the evening very much.

On Thursday and Friday I got to go visit Andrea and Ben and the kids. They were nice visits. Alas, the two younger ones, Spencer and Emma, prevailed in their pleas and talked Grandpa into taking them to Chuck-e-Cheese on Friday night. It was a "joyous experience".

Spencer Art

And then, of course there was the flight home. Uneventful - do the laundry and get ready to go again - so there are more travels to follow.