Walking

Oh yes, we definintely love walking during this time of the year.  The air is crisp and clear, the trails are dry, and there aren't any bugs that chase you down and suck your blood!  Not only did we get to go on a motorcycle ride on Saturday afternoon, but have been able to get out for three different evening walks!

This coming Saturday will mark another first for the year - we plan to go cut some firewood!  Time to fire up the old Stihl and fill the wood sheds back up for next winter.  [In case you couldn't tell, Dawn and I have become planners.]

Easter weekend is going to be very nice so a couple more bike rides are definitely in order!  Keep your eyes open 'cause there will be a ton of bikes out this weekend!  vroom! vroom!!!

Happily Ever After

Once upon a time there was a young princess who loved to explore the kingdom through countless portals in her castle that we know as books.  She was quite content to travel through time and places while relaxing comfortably, curled up under a blanket, twisting her hair and simply reading away.

Then, one day, she met this nutty young pauper with all kinds of crazy ideas.  The princess was intrigued by the way that he could simply ramble on about nothing at all and she would listen to him for hours while gazing dreamily into his bright blue eyes!

It wasn't long before the two fell deeply in love.  They married, had children, struck out on countless adventures, served the Lord their God, and were richly blessed by their time together!  They became fantastic companions while sharing in the joys of the journey's mountaintop experiences!  Truly, a more perfect couple could not be found in all the earth.

Then one day, a few adventures later, they found their hair graying, faces wrinkling, eyes blurring, children grown, and loved ones facing many difficult and perilous days.  But what they surprisingly discovered was that through the darker journeys they had taken, a miraculous transformation had taken place.  For they had been shaped, not only into the best of friends, but also into unwavering pillars of strength for each other so each one could help the other through dark and difficult passages along the journey. 

Through each life adventure, the two fell more deeply in love and became more spiritually interwoven to the point that no man could ever begin to seperate them! 

And they lived happily ever after.

Happy Anniversary, Sweetheart!!!!!  I love you more!!!!!

Happy Birthday, Dear Dawn... happy birthday to you!

Once upon a time a beautiful young princess was born in a land not so far away.  She grew to be a beautiful woman, wise and true. 

Filled with love for her family she continually demonstrates that she will gladly do whatever it takes to care for them.  Giving.  Loving.  Protecting.  They all come to mind when I think of her.

And there is this one thing that happens each year on this date - she catches up to me in age so she can no longer call me an old man! [grin]  So now, for another nine months, we can be young together again. 

Perhaps it is her youthfulness that makes her so easy to talk into doing crazy things.  Things like hiking across the snow-pack in Glacier Park, Montana, or getting into a snowball fight in Lassen Volcanic NP, California, or riding four hours out of our way to see the largest ball of twine in the world located in Cawker City, Kansas. 

And yet, she still loves to curl up on the couch with her book, twist her hair, and get lost in another place for a brief moment in time... She is so cute when she does that. 

Her favorite activity?  She absolutely loves taking a leisurely stroll through the woods, holding hands and chatting along the way.  Well, we happen to be in two different places today, but we are never totally apart from each other, so Dawn, I just wanted you to know that (at the risk of being too "corny") you are on my mind and in my heart today just as you always are!  I can't wait to take that stroll through the woods with you soon... like maybe tomorrow?!  What do you say?

Happy Birthday, Sweetheart!!!!  See you soon!

A Visit With Emily

We had the opportunity to see Emily again on Saturday and it was really nice to be able to see her smiling face!  That is really something considering this giant robot looking, light emitting, annoying beeping, hissing, incredible invention thing that measures out her medications in exacting amounts.  

She was awake for a couple hours while we were with her and chatted up a storm, although she wore out quickly.  She hasn't had anything to eat or drink for over a month, since her transplant.  She will take a sip of water now and again and while we were with her she ate one or two gushers (which is some of the first food items she has had) but that is about it!  The nurse said that some patients don't regain an appetite until they are ready to be released because of a combination of the medications and terrible mouth/throat sores that are extremely painful.

Emily is feeling a bit stronger now - not much, but a little.  She still pretty much sleeps all the time with not desire to watch tv or read.  She is a teenager though, as evidenced by her occasional texting!  Some things simply cannot be stopped no matter how bad she feels!

One great element of her recovery is that she told us she most definitely senses God's presence throughout this series of treatments continuing to surround her and most especially, in her recovery.  She has told us that there is a reason why she has to go through this, so it is going to be okay.  She is one tough young lady!

We love ya, Em, and will continue praying for you!

If you would like to follow her recovery more closely, you can go to her "Care Page" at www.carepages.com.  After creating an account, you can go to her page under Emily Mineweaser.

Don't Tell

This picture is from the internet, but this is what it looked like!

Today was another fantastic mid-March day.  It was warm and dry.  Most of the day, I was working on school work (a scheduled day off of school for us) but this afternoon I simply had to step away from the computer and get some "outside" time!  The driveway needed some attention from the freeze/thaw cycle and when I finished that, it was time to give the bike some attention. 

After cleaning the bike up and checking it over, it was close to 5pm... and... well, you can probably guess what I was thinking...   = )

I asked Jackie if she wanted to go for a little ride, but she was in the middle of cooking us a fantastic dinner from her "Pioneer Woman Cooks" cookbook.  [She is hooked on the Pioneer Woman's blog!]  Well, since Jackie couldn't go, she was quick to offer Bear but I couldn't see him liking it very much - and besides, he needs a bath and I just cleaned the bike!

Dawn came home shortly thereafter but she and Jackie were going to look at "Mom Wedding Dresses" right after dinner, so she was out of the running.

Jackie's dinner for us turned out very good. Mmmm... Thanks Jackie.

Well, surprise, surprise... guess what?  They had to run out as soon as we finished eating... soooo...    = )

"Greg, amidst all your other stuff you have planned for tonight, would you mind doing up the dishes for us while we are gone?" Dawn asked.  Now you have probably never seen our kitchen after Jackie cooks!  Let me tell you something!

"Of course I can do that."  Right after I sneak in a little ride that is!   [grin]

I must say, today was the first time I have ever riden my motorcycle past ice fishermen.  It was really cool!  [No pun intended]  Most of Pymatuning is still frozen over but ohhhh, was it ever a nice, refreshing ride - and not too cold either, I might add.  I went over the spillway and across the causeway, then back around the north side of the lake and was not cold at all.  In fact, I only had a sweatshirt and riding jacket on and, of course, my new cuffed-gloves Dawn got me for Christmas.

What can I say?  I had to try-out the gloves, didn't I?!  At least it seemed like the polite thing to do!

PS  I just finished the dishes before writing this.  One more paper to write and I am done for the night (and it is only 8pm).  Not bad.  Tomorrow morning, Bikers' Breakfast... wonder if I can ride my bike over?  [he-he]  Then down to Pittsburgh to see Emily - looking forward to that!

Just Couldn't Believe It

Nope, you're not seeing things.  Actually, my wife is a fanatic.  She waits all winter for the day that she can once again, hang the clothes out on the line!  I came home yesterday and this was my greeting.  Dawn was gone; Jackie was gone; Adam was leaving; which left me home alone (well, Bear was here and more than willing to accost me, but that doesn't count!).  It was supposed to be a night of completing homework before attending a school board meeting and just before I left for the meeting, I saw the clothes hanging out there on the line calling to me and reminding me that if Dawn came home and found them still on the line, there would most certainly be trouble - you know, they would have picked up "damp!"

I do love that girl - even with her obsession of hanging "clothes on the line."

Emily is finally feeling a bit better.  After nearly two months, she is able to eat a bit and her lips are finally healing.  She has developed some bed sores that are pretty bad and also has a rash spreading on her feet.  The hospital staff said that the rash on her feet can be a good sign that the marrow transplant is grafting but they don't want the rash to spread too far.  We keep praying for her.  On Saturday, Dawn and I are planning to go down and visit her again.  It has been too long since seeing her, so we are really looking forward to it (even if she is kind of grumpy =).

Last Friday my Jazz Band performed in a small jazz festival and they were simply ON FIRE!  Way to go guys!  I love taking them out to perform.  On another note, a representative from the Erie Otters (our semi-pro hockey team) invited my Pep Band to play at the Otters' first playoff match.  We are psyched!  I will let you know when/if we can schedule it in.  It looks like it will be somewhere around March 20th.

Bikes are starting to come out of the woodwork!  I'm not gonna lie - the weather has been so nice that I almost got the bike out tonight for a little ride.  If I had gotten home just an hour earlier...  well, maybe tomorrow.

The Springtime seems to be evidence of God's mercy, don't you think?

When All Is Said And Done

What really matters in the end?  Will it be how much you have accumulated?  Where you have been?  What you have seen?  Will it be how many movies you have watched or how many games you have played?  In the end, what will you count as most important?

When all is said and done, most people measure their quality of life in how much time they have spent with family and how much time they have spent giving to others, actually helping other people.  They find value in giving.  There is nothing quite like it, giving that is.  To look beyond oneself and reach out to another always ends in great blessing.

A good friend, Matt, told me tonight that every Wednesday, he is tired and weary, hardly ready to go to church and lead an Awana meeting.  But yet, every week after going in and working with the children - who are generally little balls of high energy - Matt goes home re-energized and really glad that he invested that time.  In reality, he is offering his time as an investment in the future and in some cases, helping to build an eternity - do you think it is worth the effort?  Matt does.

Where do you invest your time?  Will it have any eternal consequence whatsoever?