PAINTING JOB THANK YOU CAKE

When Rich finished painting our house in April (click here and here), I told him we would definitely need to have his family over for a barbecue once summer came. Well, summer came and Rich and his family came over today for a thank-you-for-painting-our-house barbecue along with a thank-you-for-painting-our-house cake.

We all sat in the shade, fellowshipping as the marinated chicken breasts and the corn-on-the-cob cooked on the grill. Debra had prepared a great meal including coconut rice, raspberry iced tea, and the aforementioned chicken and corn.

After we ate and before we presented Rich with his cake, we all competed in a friendly game of washers. When the outside heat got too hot, we sat around the dining table in air conditioned comfort and laughed and yelled our way through an intense game of Mad Gab.

Then Rich and his family went home, taking the remainder of his cake with them.

Rich and Matthew teamed up, and Rich took his turn at tossing washers as Hannah, Debra and Kim looked on and as Ashley didn't look on. Can you find the flying washers in all these washer toss photos? (Enlarging by clicking photo may help).

Kim and Hannah teamed up and Kim took her turn.

Then she took another turn.

Rich tosses again as teammate, Matthew, awaits his turn.

Debra tosses as Matthew, Ashley and Rich observe.

Ashley's turn.

Hannah tosses a washer, which is a bit challenging to see in this photo. But it is visible.

Matthew, Rich, Kim, Hannah and one painting job thank you cake.

BEING APPRECIATED AT WORK

Last night I did something I almost never do. I dozed off in front of the TV. I was exhausted and decided to crawl into bed. Just before I turned off the bedroom light, I looked at the clock. It was only 7:47 p.m. The sun was still out and I was already within five minutes of passing out with my head on my pillow!

Here's why:

We are in a transition period at work. One staff radiation therapist quit about two months ago and the new one arrives next week. So, Cindy and I have been putting in long, tiring hours as we wait for help to arrive.

Monday of this week I worked nearly twelve hours. Tuesday I worked exactly twelve hours with no break for lunch. I scarfed down a salad on the run. Wednesday I was able to leave after eight hours. Thursday, yesterday, I clocked in and out with over nine hours in between. I was exhausted.

Earlier in the week our department director, Harley, stopped by the department with two envelopes. He gave one to Cindy and one to me. Inside mine was a note of appreciation and a gift card to a restaurant.

Tonight I am taking my wife out on a dinner date to the Roadhouse Grill.

.

Thank you, Harley.

FATHER'S DAY IN THE PARK

This morning I arose early to help set up for an outdoor Father's Day service and barbecue at church. Arriving at the Bear Creek Park amphitheater at 8:30 a.m. to prepare for an 11:00 a.m. service, much of the work had already been done. Some of the guys arrived at 5:30 a.m. to fill the portable baptistry and start heating the water. The tents were in place and the grill was already set up.

So, the 8:30 a.m. crew moved several dozen large, potted plants around the stage, roped off walkways, unloaded ice and bottled water and hamburger buns, ate doughnuts and drank coffee.

Then we posted ourselves at different entrances to the amphitheater, greeted folks as they arrived, and passed out programs and song sheets.

At 8:30 a.m., the tents for the food line (right) and the tents for the shade worshippers (left) were already in place.

Looking downhill from the shade tents toward the stage, a large trailer containing sound equipment and potted landscaping plants is being unloaded. The black box to the right of the stage is the baptistry.

The sound guy in the control booth checks his equipment. From this view, the baptistry is seen to the far left.

From the top of the amphitheater looking downhill toward the stage, the equipment truck and trailer (left) and the baptistry (right) are visible.

The baptistry up close.

From the baptistry (corner of baptistry shown in lower right corner), the sound guy is seen approaching the sound booth with the shade tents in the background.

Two women tell thirty men where to put the plants.

Plant placement crew at work as seen through a shade tent.

Eventually, we needed a coffee break.

The multitudes begin to arrive.

Debra and Ashley arrive and chat with friends.

A small group gathers and prays.

The multitudes continue to arrive.

An eyeball view of a Bible.

A Bible-eye view of an aging Christian.



A between-Debra-and-Ashley view of the preacher.

With the pastor shown preaching in the background (click photo to enlarge), not everyone was totally into his sermon.

After several baptisms, the multitudes were fed burgers and hot dogs. Then they departed unto the uttermost parts of the Rogue Valley.

THREE GIRLS, TWO FACEBOOK COMMENTS, ONE BLOG, ONE CARD, AND A WHOLE BUNCH OF CAFFEINE

This morning I arose early to help set up for an outdoor Father's Day service and barbecue at church. As I stumbled toward the computer, I noticed an envelope leaning against the keyboard. On the outside of the envelope was the word "Dad".
I opened the envelope and savored the contents. Then I turned on my computer and savored the comments.

I am one lucky dad!

This card was in an envelope, leaning against the computer keyboard when I got up this morning.

This is the inside of the card. Ashley's personal note can be more easily read by clicking the image and enlarging it.

After reading the card, I booted up the computer and, as part of my daily routine, checked out some very important blogs. To see what I found in the blogosphere, click here.

Then I opened facebook and found a couple of items.

Belinda wrote on my facebook wall.

Bethany wrote on my facebook wall. (Again, these little images can be enlarged simply by clicking them).

And, oh yeah, also tucked inside the envelope at the computer was the means to get a drug fix.

ICE CREAM SOCIAL

This evening Debra and I attended the Ice Cream Social that I was so nervous about earlier in the day. The entertainment that I was asked to provide went well. The audience was very gracious and supportive even when I played the wrong guitar chords, obviously got lost in one of the songs, and eventually found my way back to the correct chords.

I interspersed my guitar and harmonica gig with stories about how my dad gave me my first Marine Band Hohner harmonica with a price tag on the box of 75 cents. The one I bought three months ago was $29.99. I also shared how my brother, Dean, gave me a harmonica neck holder for my 21st birthday. That holder is now over 38 years old, a bit rusty, and it was used during my performance today. The audience clapped and sang along while I plucked chords and played the harmonica.

After the show, Debra and I introduced the crowd to one of our favorite games, Mad Gab. The game was noisy and full of laughter. One lady insisted that she was going to go out and buy that game.

The event turned out to be a bunch of fun and I am not nervous anymore.

Gayle shows Debra her fancy camera with her fancy lens.

Debra and Joanie pause for a picture.

Ice cream, toppings, whipped cream, cookies, berries and other tasty treats were the tie that bound us together on this particular day.

The entertainment included guitar, harmonica and some really bad vocals.

The evening ended with a wild game of Mad Gab, which Debra helped lead.

ENTERTAINMENT PROVIDED

About a month ago, the lady who leads our church group asked if I would provide entertainment for our Ice Cream Social in June. Provide entertainment?

"What do you mean?", I asked her.

"You know," she replied, "That stuff you did on YouTube."

What I did on YouTube was that I clowned around. Hardly professional quality entertainment. I just clowned around in front of my $29 web camera which was attached to my computer. After I clowned around and made a video of me clowning around, I posted that video on YouTube.

So, I answered the lady who leads our church group, "Okay."

This small group of people were friends, so I felt that I could comfortably clown around in front of them. Certainly not professional quality entertainment. Just clowning around.

Then, about three weeks ago, I was browsing through the literature rack at church. While browsing through the literature, my eyes fell upon a flyer which was printed on card stock--high quality paper suitable for framing. The flyer was promoting an event for the "Mountain Seniors -- 50-ish and over" That's my church group!

As I read through the flyer, I noticed information about the upcoming Ice Cream Social. That's the event in which I agreed to clown around.

Then fear struck my heart as I read these words: "entertainment by our own Bruce Perkins". Yikes! I was being billed as someone who could really entertain! I thought I was just going to be clowning around among friends.

I've been a bit nervous and I've been practicing like crazy ever since I picked up that flyer. The event starts in less than two hours from now. I'm still nervous.

This flyer was discovered about three weeks ago in the literature rack of the church I attend.

The flyer gives specific information about the scheduled Ice Cream Social.

I am feeling nervous.

KEEPING GRANDKIDS SAFE

Next month we will be having a couple of our youngest grandchildren visit us. In order to avoid an incident like last summer's drowning in our pool, I drove to the store this morning and bought a couple of life jackets. They are specifically for Naomi and for Hunter and for any other little non-swimmers who happen to play in our backyard.

Naomi will visit first, joining us to celebrate my brother's birthday.

The following weekend, Hunter will visit us.

When they get here, they will be able to wear these really cool, bright colored blue and red life jackets. One of them fits big kids like Hunter and one of them fits little kids like Naomi.

When Naomi arrives, she will be accompanied by family members Tim, Bethany, Silas and Devon. All four of them know how to swim and do not need life jackets.

When Hunter arrives, he will be accompanied by family members Tracy, Cody and Emily. All three of them know how to swim and do not need life jackets.

One of these life jackets also fits Neo, who is welcome to wear it in our back yard any time he wishes, especially if he brings his parents and his sisters along with him.