Good Morning From Pleasant Chapel

I love the morning view from here on Pleasant Chapel. A very similiar sky greeted the girls when they came this morning. As I stood on the front porch with them looking at the scene, with arms raised to the sky I exclaimed, "Look what God is greeting us with this morning"! The way I see it God could have done this all in black and white....but instead...he painted this from his pallette and then installed these receptors in eyes called rod and cone cells to give our brains a more vivid look at his handiwork.

A Big 61st Birthday Hug

The girls made grandma's day with a birthday cake with 61 candles (one "6" and one "1" lit candle) and a dozen red roses. Cards and calls made it a great occasion.

Morning Routine

I love the time I get to spend with the girls in the mornings. Here we are looking at scrapbook pictures of family vacations.

The Most Wonderful Person I Know!

44 Years ago by God's providence, I looked across room 101 D Of Junior Building at Newark High School and saw Pat Williams. She was wearing a plaid kilt skirt, white blouse and wore blue and white framed glasses. I asked her out and we started dating. 44 years, 4 children, 6 grandchildren and a lot of life experiences later, she continues to be my very best friend and life companion. On the eve of her 61st birthday I have chosen to share about her on this blog to all who might see it. I chose this combination of pictures because they represent two moments in time that paint a small picture of who she is. The first picture was taken this morning as she was combing Addy's hair before feeding her breakfast and hugging her out the door to catch the school bus. It is one of the most endearing qualities about her. She is so selfless. She is constantly thinking and serving the needs of her family and others. This is obvious to me on a very daily....almost hourly basis. Take today for instance. She got up and had coffee for me when I came to the kitchen, greeted and hugged the girls when they arrived, prepared breakfast for all of us, made calls to arrange for her Father and the whole family to get together when Meg and David arrive for a stay, prepared lunch for a visiting old friend of mine from Longaberger etc etc. She is the queen of Hospitality! She has been my close companion as over the years we have taken some very hurting people into our home, sometimes for months at a time to help them heal from very deep wounds. She has given thousands of hours to the needs of others through church, Heartbeats and anonymously doing things that if I spelled them out in this blog she would shoot me! She is The Good Samaritan. She "goes to where they are", "gives first aide", and "brings them to the Inn and makes them comfortable". She makes all who are around her....comfortable!
I chose the second picture because it shows another side of Pat that I dearly love! She so knows how to make those of us close around her feel her love. She communicates her joy of life in 10,000 ways. The picture says it all. I love her with all my heart.

The View From On Top

The girls enjoyed this view looking west from on top of the Newark Courthouse.

A Rare View

Our life adventure took us to the top of the Newark Courthouse during the Christmas season. Here are Zoe and Addy getting ready to pop out the top of the courhouse for a spectacular view of Newark not many people get to see!

Spinning

Bob's advice to me before climbing on this "steed" was simple. "It's your workout!" So sure enough like a lot of things on this planet you get out of it what you put into it. Here I am putting my body on the line.

Spinning

As you know if you've tuned into this blog .....I'm commited to losing weight. So I asked friends and members of the Advantage Club for tips on the subject. One answer...get into a "spinning class". Soooooo...., expecting a spinning class was going to be filled with little old ladies....you know....SPINNING..... and certainly manageable.......Instead I got BOB....the spinning Drill Seargent. In the 45 minute class he takes us up hills and down, sprints and has us crank this little knob down which doubles the difficulty! and.......you sweat and think your going to die! But...I've got this train turned around and have dopped 4 pounds. That may not seem like much but at least I'm headed in the right direction!....thanks to BOB!

Reflections on Our Children

Tonight Wes and Cheryl invited us over for supper. As I began to pray for the meal...... I was overwhelmed by a "WOW" factor. As I began to mouth the words, "Our father....."
I had an overpowering sense of how much I love my kids. ......ALL....OUR KIDS!

They share a lot in common. The same Mother and Father.....OK....that is pretty obvious....but there is more. All 4 are good cooks; have picked wonderful companions; would do anything for each other; do a lot for their parents including communicating their love on a regular basis; enjoy life; get along; have great smiles (as evidenced in this picture) and have made their Father and Mother very proud. For as many attributes as they have in common there are many more qualities that are unique to each one individually. They have transitioned from being our children to dearest and forever friends. Pat and I love them dearly and unconditionally!

Sunday Summation

This is the first post I have made without a picture but I want to remain consistent in getting my thoughts out there in cyberspace for the world to see...and as part of my legacy. I've thought through my motive for doing this bloging thing and there are a number of factors including but not limited to the following:
- It's a way of staying in touch with my family and those interested in my life as I am interested in theirs
- I enjoy reading the blog sites of others in my realm especially my children so I feel the need to "contribute" to the celestial dialog
- It helps me process the "stuff that really matters" in my life
I have had a very good day today.

SPIRITUALLY - I thorougly enjoyed this morning's church service on the importance of connection....to God...to others. It's all about relationships down here on the planet!

MENTALLY - This concludes about the 10th email or posting I have made to contribute to projects I am involved with that I think are important.

PHYSICALLY - After church I went to the Advantage Club where I multi tasked by working out all during the time I watched the Pittsburg/Indianopolis NFL game. I have lost 4 pounds on the week and our team has lost 26.3 pounds! I am feeling noticeably better and look forward to the prep work I must do this week to ready myself for the presentation of a 7 Habits class for the Clow water Company on Friday, a Church Leadership meeting and Marriage retreat coming up soon. And so as the ol clock prepares to strike 12 and I retire to our quarters....I bid you all a fond good night.

"Good night Mrs. Calabash....wherever you are..... "

(You win a prize if you can tell me who used to say that at the end of his television show!)

Gym Rats

Saturday at the gym finds Zoe (foreground right) going for a rebound in a titanic struggle! Addy and Cheryl had just come from Karate class.

Early Adventure Injury!

Funny thing happened on the way to the destination of better health! In an effort to trim 20 pounds I joined a weight loss challenge with a team of 5 others and weighed in this past Sunday. I joined the Advantage Club to work out and play racketball. I had played David while in Virginia Beach and lets just say .....well .......modestly.....cleaned his clock! (Of course he had only been playing for a week!) So I looked up one of my old opponents from my racketball glory days and scheduled a match. Just 3 points into it he hit a shot over my head and when I reached for it I felt this singeing, burning pain in my shoulder followed by forhead sweat inducing PAIN. A visit to the Doctors this morning confirmed a strained rotator cuff tendon. Good news....it was not torn.....but....a real athletic injury! Only real athletes have real athletic injuries!
So it's on with my MODIFIED adventure. A proverbial detour in the road of life! I will press on with moist heat and antiinflamatory medication and return to the court as soon as the doctor gives the OK. The saga continues!

So...where shall we go....???

So.....where does a guy on adventure go......?? Pat and I are fastinated by ligthouses. We created this composit picture in Porland Maine this past fall. What's next in our journeys?? Perhaps a lighthouse on the coast of Normandy. We hope to go to France in the spring to visit Sam, Mel and our grandturtles. Lighthouses guide ships around dangers and into harbors. They remind me of Christ's protection of us and the way he guides us. "He is the light."

Into the New Year

This is me leaning into the New Year with the attitude and the resources for the coming adventure. I am trying to address the key aspects of life in the following ways:

Mentally - I intend to read more. I have been preparing for three deliveries I will be making in the coming month. 7 Habits of Highly Effective People to be delivered first to leaders at the Clow Water Company in Coshocton, Ohio; a church leadership work session with Pastor Steve Rauch and the staff and board of a church in Lancaster, and Pat and I are delivering a Marriage Enrichment Seminar for the Community Wesylan Church in February.

Physically - I am involved in a weight loss challenge on a team of 5 and started today losing (instead of gaining!) weight. I joined the Advantage Club and will be playing racketball on a regular basis.

Spiritually - My relationship with Christ continues to be the center of my life. Pat and I are actively involved in our church and in counseling which can be difficult but very rewarding. Our lives are full of purpose and happiness.

...and so I enter into this new year with a lot of hope and hopefully well equipped to take on the challenges ahead. CARPE DIEM!!!

Grandaughter # 1

Here's Chelsey and her main squeeze, Nate, when they were home recently before Thanksgiving. It was our first time to meet him and he survived the first battery of psychological testing! Wish she was right here instead of so far away in Iowa.

Pleasant Chapel Extension

Although they don't "live" on Pleasant Chapel, they contribute heavily to the life and happpiness of the inhabitants thereof! It is very obvious that Hailey is pleased with her little sister, Alyssa and is a help to her Mommy.

What Winter Brings In Ohio

OPPORTUNITY! Opportunity for Grandpa and the girls to take advantage of a two hour delay to go to Dawes. We have fun in the snow, enjoy the scenic beauty and hear stories of how this is the place that Grandpa proposed to Grandma!

Pleasant Pleasant Chapel??

Yes, it is the Chapel of Pleasant Chapel! I can see this view from our house and enjoy going up on our back hill and looking at this scene and out over the Valley beyond. The Chapel to me is a symbol. It's a symbol of:
-God's love
-The inner peace that really makes Pleasant Chapel.....well....Pleasant!
Pat and I love it here.

Off To Madison

And so begins the new year.....

Breakfast Together

The girls bring special delight as they enjoy the birds and good food at the breakfast table.

New Year - New Procedures

The girls started today being brought to Gma and Gpa's house by Cheryl on her way to Hebron School. They found time to exercise (Addy) and write (Zoe) while waiting for breakfast and the bus.

Celebration Time

The Buckeyes prevail 34 to 20 to the thunderous roar of the crowd!

Buckeye Bash

Pleasant Chapel residents made their way to the new Hilltop Pad to watch the titanic struggle between the Buckeyes and the Irish on the new LARGE SCREEN TV. Fondu and fun were the fare.

The holidays have given way to the reality that we each want to be healthier and lose weight this new year. The New Years resolution has already degenerated into hard work as you see here. I am entering a County weight loss challenge and will be joining the Advantage Club for 8 weeks and hope to get back to top racketball form. Going to France in the spring will require the best of us. As some weight loss guru once said, "you grew it, you lift it!"

New Live From pleasant Chapel Site Begins Today

Since half of the blogging team of Weaver and Weaver have moved to the Hanover Ohio Hilltop, this new site is being refreshed to continue to reflect life on Pleasant Chapel Rd. Pat and I will use this site as a medium through which to journal and share "highlights in the twilights" of our lives. 2006 brings new opportunities for adventure and we are equiped with exploring gear and a Guide.