As my time draws closer to retirement, I am finding myself doing a lot more research than I had anticipated. With multiple sources of income, I had to make sure that some did not offset others. Some forms of income offset Social Security, some do not. Had to do some research. Some of the calculations are not explained well for Civil Service retirement. Gotta research. Then there is the whole issue of Healthcare. I qualify for VA, but Deb does not, so we will probably stick with TRICARE, which has been very good for us. But TRICARE FOR LIFE has a different set of rules and deductibles. More research. Then there is the Thrift Savings Plan, or TSP – which is sizable, but has significant restrictions on how you can use that money. More research. Add to these things the actual process of a Civil Service Retirement, which is the ultimate example of government bureaucracy with dozens of forms to wade through and decisions to be made. Lots more research. It’s a wonder anyone in federal service actually gets retired! No wonder there is a significant number of deaths shortly after retirement! By the time you retire, you are exhausted from the process. So please forgive me if I don’t want to go anywhere or do anything for a week after retirement, whenever that is. I’ll be in recovery.

Oh, and I wrote a new poem going through the process of retirement….

According to the calendar, we are in the Fall season. According to the weather at our house, it’s still summer! It is still dry and hot (supposed to get above 90 degrees today). I’m waiting for that first blast of cold air out of the north, heralding the beginning of winter.

I hate being cold.

Being cold hurts and makes me tense.

Being cold is depressing.

Being cold makes you a prisoner inside buildings.

Being cold makes your electric bill higher.

It’s harder to be warm when it’s freezing outside. I love being warm and  during winter season it’s important to compensate:

To get warm I like to drink more coffee and tea. Hot chocolate is nice, so is a good brandy.

To get warm I can use the oven to bake cookies, cakes, pies, casseroles, and it’s okay to heat up the kitchen!

To get warm means I can wear all my Baylor University sweatshirts.

To get warm I can crochet the afghan project that I didn’t finish last winter.

To get warm the terriers and cat can snuggle on my lap, usually all three at the same time!

To get warm I can seek the comfort of Frank’s embrace (yes, indeed).

For Frank, it means he can fire up his chainsaw and do the heavy work outside. We have a lot of trees and brush to cut up and burn, since Chad is putting in a brand-new stock fence all around the ranch. Last year Frank bought new windows for the house which makes it warmer.  It feels good to go to the barn and snuggle Holly, especially when she has her blanket on!  Wintertime means we will be taking a cruise to the beautiful warm waters of the Caribbean! So, I see that Winter is not so bad after all. It’s a different approach to everyday life, which is as good or as bad as I want to make it. Look always to the bright side and be thankful to God for all of your blessings.

Deb

Yes, another long dry spell, too darn busy and distracted to “blog” and I just plain-old forget. For some reason, I looked at the blog and saw that it has been 9 months since the last post, so I better make this a quality catch-up tome.

2013 was good for Frank and me, full of the usual bumps, highs and lows. Here’s a few highlights in no particular order.

1. Smokey the cat has thrived! Frank nurtured and loved him and “Smokes” has grown up to be a beautiful and affectionate cat-boy. Last month at the vet’s he weighed in at 10 pounds! A big thank you goes to Susan and David Maurice for their instruction, encouragement and friendship; couldn’t have done it without good friends!

2. The “girls cruise” in April, aboard Carnival Magic was interesting, to say the least. Started off fine but the tension grew and peaked when Peggy shook her fist in my face, yelling and screaming at me like a crazy demented person, all for something she did to herself. Paula just sat there silent. All I can say is that it true that you never know someone until you live with them, their true nature comes out. We have not spoken since the cruise ended and that’s the way I like it. Life is to short to waste my time on a person like this. Good riddance! (call me if you want the sordid details).

3. Dad had back surgery (spinal fusion) in June, a very serious operation. The surgery went well and Dad was up and walking soon after. The rehab place wasn’t like I expected it to be. Very little time was spent in rehab. More thoughts on this later.

4. We love our church, Faith Lutheran in Lampasas. Pastor Tim is the best (hate using a 4-letter word), again, more on this later.

5. Frank had all new windows installed in the house. It has made a big difference! The electric bill has been much lower and the old house feels snug.

6. After the furloughs by the Federal government, Frank has been beyond stressed at work. Everyone is forced to do more with less. So it was good that we had a Royal Caribbean cruise scheduled the first of December. Went with the Maurices and enjoyed relaxing, eating, drinking, laughing and getting warm in the Caribbean sunshine.

Now we have a whole new year to look forward to. Here’s what we have planned that I can remember:

* Season tickets to Baylor Lady Bears basketball

* Navigator of the Seas cruise, 9 Feb 14 (our Diamond Plus)

* OES installation in June (Worthy Matron/Patron)

* Grand Chapter in July or August

* Long weekend in Galveston in July (for my Number One).

I am making a resolution to continue this blog and my goal is to post weekly and hopefully I’ll learn to attach photos.

dmk

I was talking to a friend about our church situation (see my post of 30 July), complaining to him that our pastor’s only goal is to bring people in to the church, but that he then refuses to instruct them in Christian education and spiritual disciplines. My friend said, “Oh come on Frank, that’s just the Southern Baptist way!”  He was emphatic and insistent on this point, acting as if I should have known this all along.

When I listen to the likes of Adrian Rogers, Voddie Baucham, Dr. Criswell and others – I don’t think these men would agree with my friend. What I believe is that the Southern Baptist process of giving a man a pulpit just because he says he’s been called to preach – floods our churches with spiritually immature loudmouths who are incapable of feeding their congregations the meat of the Word.

It may be time for me to find another demonization – I mean denomination, that holds to the unerring truth of Scripture from the very first verse; that teaches discipleship and spiritual discipline; that holds to a formal confession of faith; and that follows the New Testament instruction of believers.

I think it would surprise most of the Southern Baptist preachers I’ve known, to find out that almost the entirety of the New Testament is written to instruct BELIEVERS in godly living.  These preachers speak as if their only audience is UNBELIEVERS!  What is wrong with this picture?  Sorry for the rant.  I’ll update y’all on Flash tomorrow.

Frank

It’s nice to have warmer weather for a change and see everything coming to life, including me! Time to dust off the walking shoes and take the dogs for a mile or two!

Being in a good area to walk, most mornings are a pleasure: lots of wildlife, a few hills, not too many vehicles. Flash is always the lead dog and Sammie likes to pause and smell the “roses.”

It’s really a challenge when a deer has been killed for several weeks–it just about takes a truck to drag the dogs away from the aroma.

I am behind in planning the plants and flowers. We plan to be home for the summer and I don’t have to worry about everything drying up in the heat.

Spring also means birthdays! Jen & Jer were born in the spring along with a cute Foxie girl we know…..

“TOO HOT TO HOOT”  What an understatement! Yesterday, our little outdoor thermometer on the north (shady) side of the house registered a record high of 111.9!!!  OMG! I was speechless when Frank told me how hot it got. I have to water the potted plants every single morning now. And speaking of mornings, that is the best time for being outside. I love to sit on the back patio and enjoy the cool breeze and watch the birds and dogs.

Frank’s got me going to the gym again. I’m glad. It’s a new facility and very nice. Most of the equipment is new and the treadmills have televisions built in so I can watch “Food Network” while I burn fat!

Janice did something monumental today, SHE TOOK THE DAY OFF!  She’s worked at RABC for almost 8 years and I believe this is the first time she’s taken a day off to enjoy being with her family. Heidi came in from NC with grandson Ben and they are going to Cameron Park Zoo today! Way to go Janice!

Grandson James will be turning 4 on Sunday and he’s growing so fast that it won’t been too long and he’ll be 14!! (just kidding, Jen). I hope James and his brothers (and parents too) have a fun-filled time at Great Wolf Lodge.  I know David has been working hard at Cedar Park Middle School and we thought this mini-vacation would be a good thing for James and the whole family! Take lots of photos Jen!

Rhapsody in Juneau

Radiance of the Seas in Hoonah, AK, July 2008

I’m so excited for Michele & Jay and Grant, going to Seattle on Thursday to embark on their first Alaska Cruise onboard Rhapsody of the Seas! I know you will love it!!!  I pray your packing and travels are smooth. Frank and I loved Alaska and yes, WE HAVE CRUISE ENVY!!

That’s all the ramblings for today.  Debbie