Archives | OUR LIFE IN 3D

Archive for the category “Archives”

03 Sep 2018

Happy Labor Day

I hope you had a relaxing and enjoyable Labor Day weekend!

First, my thoughts and prayers go out to those in South Florida and on the Gulf Coast with Gordon making things wet. But I know you have all seen this drill before. Best of luck!

Can you believe its the end of the summer already? It won’t be long until we are carving turkeys and trimming trees it seems.

But I digress…

Well we finally got caught up on everything life had to throw at us this weekend and with the 3 day weekend we finally..FINALLY, made it out to the beach.

I say Finally because I do not think I even made it out to our own beach last year. And this was our first trip to the beach, here at the end of the summer, this year.

We made it out to my school’s Beach House again.

If you remember, once upon a time, we used to frequent this beach house A LOT!

Do any of you remember all those blog posts?

We played, we swam,

Or a little of both…

we burned, er, tanned, marinated a little. We sautéed in the sun listening to Jimmy Buffet’s Tin Cup Chalice.

Or took my greyhound for a walk and let him chase seagulls.

But then things changed a bit and child number one, and then number two made going to the beach a little more challenging..

And then the pool…

And trips to the beach just seemed more like work than an escape.

What I have been missing is the spiritual essence of the coast however.

Sometimes we just need that escape. And this week has been one of those weeks.

This week, and actually the last few months, have been tough for me though, with a lot going on at home and at work and personally. It has taken its toll. And so this day I thought I might take another long walk on the beach, talking with God and hoping for answers.

Have you ever felt a need for that?

It was a good walk. Not too hot or sunny.

I spied the usual suspects along my beach that had been there before.

Sea vultures

…Pelicans looking for food.

The waves were nice size since we are in September.

and the surfers were out.

Touristy fishermen…

even more pelicans

Everyone was with me it seemed… but the One I was hoping for.

….

At the end of my walk it was just me; along with other flotsam and jetsam.

Alone. By our self.

No answers found. Not even a greeting. Or a reply.

Maybe that is an answer also.

Back at the Beach House young Skylar found a friend and was loving the sea.

She gets that from me!

She cracked her collarbone this week on our bike ride to school.

She’s tough.

She gets that from me as well.

We both love the sea!

Oh, to grow old on the beach!

Just give me oysters and beer
For dinner every day of the year
And I’ll feel fine……I’ll feel fine

I want to be there
Want to go back down and lie beside the sea there
With a Tin Cup for a Chalice,

fill it up with good red wine
And we’ll be chewin’ on a honeysuckle vine

Yeah now the sun goes sliding across the water
Sail boats they go searching for the breeze
Salt air it ain’t thin
It can stick right to your skin, and make you feel fine
Makes you feel fine

I wanna be there
Wanna go back down and get high by the sea there
With a Tin Cup for a Chalice,

fill it up with good red wine
And I’m a chewin’ on a honeysuckle vine

Yes and now you heard my strange proposal
So get that Truck up and let’s move
I wanna be there before the day
Tries to steal away and leave us behind
I’ve made up my mind..

That’s it for now knuckleheads!

I will try to do a better job next time!

Thanks for dropping by!

Posted in Archives and tagged adrift, beach, beach house, Cloudy, empty, God, Jimmy Buffett, lost, prayers, robbed, thanks Jimmy

23 Aug 2018

6 Comments

I rode my bike to school today!

All the grandmothers here keep asking, what did you wear on the first day of school?

I had to tell them, “Work clothes”. I went to work after I dropped the girls off!

Yes it was the first day of school this past Monday. But not just any school. This year our girls are going to a new school, never-been-opened, no-one-has-ever-sat-at-this-desk-before school. It smelled like a new car!

Our area is growing such that the previous school was getting overcrowded and need a new one to be built. We actually moved into the neighborhood, 5 years ago, where the school was supposed to be built.

Well it’s finally here!

I don’t know if the girls can appreciate a new school or not. Maybe when they are older and the school starts to look weathered and worn. In fact they barely got the school finished on time. The ribbon cutting was moved back two weeks until last Saturday. Plans for the school include an interactive park neighboring the school, and new town rec center and a playground.

That’s right they didn’t get to build the playground yet.

It’s really to hot anyway.

But the first day of school wasn’t too bad…

It was an organized chaos. But easily half the cars or traffic then we were used to.

….cause half of the old school is coming here now.

Day 1 Organized Chaos

Oh…. you were wondering what our kids wore?

First Day Smiles!

Well, it looks like they wore clothes to play for the playground!

But Dylan wore something else!

Skye is in trance the first day

She wore her bedroom in her 40lb back pack!

I don’t know how she does not fall over backwards!

Skye still looks stunned that her summer vacation has come to and brake-screeching halt.

And then…

AND THEN…

They did not open the doors on time the first day!

The doors were easily 10 minutes late opening on opening day.

Maybe somebody did not gt the memo

….and went to the old school?

Storing Eagles

Overall it was an easy transition on Day 1 and the girls had a good experience.

~Did I tell you it was brand new?~

Day 2

Was a bit less hectic although the doors, again, did not open until 10 minutes later

Day 2 Eazy Peezy

I was wondering if maybe I did not get the memo at this point?

Day 3

Felt almost routine and even though we got there when they opened the doors.

This is what the main corridor looked like after I dropped off the girls off in their class and headed back out to my car…

Crickets!

Day 3 Crickets!!

I am getting up and to school Waaaaaaayyy to early!

Day 4

So on day 4 we decided to switch things up a bit and we all rode our bikes to school!!

Ladies and Gentlemen, can you all remember that?

Pulling up to school in your own cool bike and silently smirking while other kids got out of cars and buses?

I got the girls some way-cool bike locks that light up and actually mount on your bike….

….uh wait.

What do you mean they have been around forever?

Back in the day when I rode my bike to school, up hill all the way, in rain and snow, and we only used a stinkin’ key!

….in the dark.

I, I mean THEY, had a lot of fun riding to school and I am happy to say none of my girls rode over any new kindergartners or mommies with strollers.

I mentioned the ribbon cutting ceremony, that was actually last Saturday. And while they let the School Board introduce and thank each other they did let any returning chorus members from the previous school lead the room in the Star Spangled Banner..

Sorry, the lens got a little Teary

..and then we found our self in the middle of the first PTA meeting!

This mega event actually lulled the girl’s grandmother and Aunt Sue in town for the cutting of ribbons.

So Dylan got all dressed up

Maybe something more of what the grandmothers had in mind for a new school pic

And with Aunt Sue in town you know we had to take advantage of any and all Photo Ops..

Don’t Just Fly, Soar!

Sorry I kinda missed the school slogan above there with my pic.

I should have just relied on Aunt Sue

The next day, a Sunday, I actually worked and handed out some free samples of the snacks I peddle for a living… for kids and back to school lunches. But I still took the opportunity to bond with my child as she graciously agreed to come with me and keep me company.

And why not?

She got to meet a dinosaur!

In other news…

After 4 long months we finally got our construction team to complete a new gazebo in our back yard…at the end of the summer

I don’t know if you remember or not but the old metal one took a beating from last year’s hurricane and then last winter’s freakish snow storm.

It couldn’t bare the weight, so we had to find a new one..

Yes, wood piers, buried 6 feet deep into concrete.

I may get a little more sleep during this year’s hurricane.

The view is changing from this side too as someone is sneaking in from the side and ruining any ideas of ‘private memories’ in the pool again. This may be the last summer to use it before neighbors start watching us from behind.

I wish I could stop them.

But I can’t.

That’s it from my zip code this week knuckleheads. Be sure to keep an eye on your young ones.

One of our kids just had a predator ask her to do things on her YouTube channel. You can never be too safe! The other is having misgivings about going back to school and is throwing tantrums. I may need to hire a good child therapist! They won’t be young forever. Si Dieu le veut!

Have a great weekend!

Posted in Archives and tagged back to school, bike riding, BoCo, DOMINO COLLEGE, first day of school, I can ride faster than you!, new school, out with the old and in with the new, school clothes

27 May 2018

4 Comments

My First Picture Blog

So today my oldest and I set out on a 600 mile journey on a family matter.

For the first hour of our trip her favorite subject was her favorite YouTubers, as she calls them. She follows them, is impressed with how many followers they have (so many more than moi), and tries to emulate them in her new YouTube site (she is creative and off to a good start).

She was telling me about her one favorite YouTuber and how she has a Video Blog on YouTube or V Blog for short.

Hmmmm….

It gave me an idea.

If she is impressed with these V Blogs maybe her old man could impress her by doing his own Picture Blog of our trip. I am not really set up for taking and editing a lot of videos but I can sure take some pictures I thought. Why not impress her with a P Blog of our trip?

So I hurriedly started taking some pictures of our trip for the P Blog and start a P Stream of the adventure.

Here is the first pic, as we sped up US 95.

As you can see we were all smiles…..

Next in the P Stream was more fun and a little foolishness…

My next P came at lunch as we made a quick stop for some sustenance….

And trying to keep the P Stream going, she got me as I checked my teeth after lunch.

I tried to hold the P’s back a little as we approached DC. It is always tricky there and I needed to focus and keep both hands on the wheel.

We eventually made it to our destination some 4 hours later.

Exhausted, we picked my Mom up and took her to her favorite restaurant in her home town.

And so after we ordered I had time to take another overdue P for the blog…..

But I wasn’t done yet!

I took another P after dinner with my mother in the car….

Somewhat tired after dinner and the long 11 hour trip I did find the energy to take one more P in the car as I parked in front of our destination…..

You can see on my face how satisfying it felt; to get this long day and the P thing behind me.

So that is it!

Some of the highlights captured of our 11 hour car ride back to my hometown .

And….

My very first Picture Blog. It was actually fun (as you can see).

I think it came out OK.

What do you think?

I wanted to do one more shout out to a long time Follower/ Followee, Anna Lee West.

I often try to be funny in my blogs or write for effect. Anna IS funny!

Really funny I think.

And while her posts are getting fewer and fewer these days, like some of us, her latest post does show you that she hasn’t lost a stitch of her sense of humor.

So at the risk of losing even more followers (after this last post) I would like to invite you to check out her latest post, I Am Not Fit For Calamity, as she struggles to keep it together during a power outage…in the middle of the day.

I hope everyone enjoys the best week.

Thanks for dropping by.

I will try to do better next time…

Posted in Archives and tagged better go before we leave, do you have to go?, Finally, Hold your p in the car, long car rides, P blog

22 May 2018

What Not to Say to a Cancer Survivor

I could write a blog post on my thoughts on Susie and her Wild Ride. She is the illustration and the definition of the word LIFE.

Yet the gods seemed to strike us both down with Cancer (the c word) about the same time. My readers often applauded my optimistic view on my journey with the c word, and how I even could joke about it.. Well, I took my cues from Susie (not to be confused with Susie Q). She was as serious as Purple Pansies.

My cancer, while serious enough, amounted to a Pop Quiz while Suzie had closer to a real full mid-term exam. (sorry, I just broke rule #3) We both are alive and well now, some 5 or so years later. And one of us is (still) traveling the globe and the other still wishes he was.

Live Life folks!

Make this day and every day awesome!

Thanks to Susie for educating us all about what to say and not to say as well as the life of a cancer patient and survivor….

Susie Lindau's Wild Ride

susie lindau boob report picture with plants in front of her boobs before double mastectomies breast cancer

I’m almost five years cancer-free and have survived all kinds of off-hand comments. Everyone wants to say the right thing to a cancer survivor, but sometimes not saying anything would have been better. Some were well-intentioned while others seemed like heat-seeking missiles. When that would happen, I would go to a very dark place. A place filled with fear. A place without hope. A place I called The Hole. Dread and worry would swallow me. Sometimes for days. All because of some stupid remark.

It seems silly and yet there were times when I felt as if a giant C for Cancer appeared on my shirt. Some people avoided the topic altogether. Some avoided me like I was contagious. Others only wanted to talk about it.

Here’s the delio. Most survivors are cancer-free after surgery with or without chemo and/or radiation. We want to keep it that way. It’s funny…

View original post 1,183 more words

Posted in Archives and tagged cancer sucks, life, make today awesome!, please dont tell me you just said that, prostate cancer is a pain in the ass, Susan's Wild Ride | Leave a comment

19 May 2018

8 Comments

What’s up?

I received an email from WordPress saying if I do not post something very soon they will consider 3D dead or abandoned

and shut me down since I have not posted in a while.

I told them I was busy.

~ actually my kids have just been hogging the computer….its been hard to get on.

They replied: see my WordPress contract, Article 19, section 5, paragraph 8, where it mentions the consequences of an existing blog without a pulse.

So here I am, (remember me?) with a few pictures so I don’t lose my 3D blog.

The last time I left you we were midway through birthday season.

Last month was youngest daughter’s birthday. She enjoys helping her mom in the kitchen so she decided to have a cooking birthday party.

Ever heard of that?

Her and her friends produce a three course meal, over two hours, that they get to make and then eat.

Yummy!!

First, was a really yummy and refreshing cranberry/grape fizzy drink.

Then they made their own pizzas, cutting up fresh vegetables.

And then they got to decide on what ingredients they wanted to put on their flat cookie-type cake.

Being some hungry creative youngsters you know it was delicious!

Her Skye-pie. it was AWEEEESOME!!

It was an innovative and different kind of b-day party and we think Skye had a lot of fun with her buds.

Along the lines of other blogs never gotten around to, I was considering doing another consumer advocate post on the company installed our solar panels (Vivant). But they stepped up and ended up making the situation right.

My gym also closed so I found a new one. But they altered the details of their contract within a week, which was making me want to do post on that outfit, if only to vent.

But they made it right too.

My oldest enjoys following me to the gym now

Another pretty girl getting buffed up for the summer.

Speaking of…. she just got her braces off after 14 months of restructuring her mouth and smile (and getting her to stop sucking her fingers). She was a bit apprehensive and nervous, not only about the routine but the outcome.