Mrs. Dornblaser

For all of us who went to Sheckler Elementary School, we will never forget our school nurse, Mrs. Dornblaser. It is with sadness that I write that she has passed away. She always took good care of us if we were sick or injured. You can go to http://www.legacy.com/MCall/Obituaries.asp?Page=LifeStory&PersonId=114421685 and view her obituary for those who haven't seen it.

Controversial Subject

In the interest of seeing what happens I think Steve would like to have a lively discusion so I would like to know your thoughts on the upcoming election and why.

Another Year, Another Vacation....Over :(

Here I sit again, bumming that it went so fast, but also glad to get back to my home. The weather was awesome, hot...kids had fun on the beach. Trisha is fearless when it comes to trekking out in the ocean. I had to stop her several times from venturing too far. We made friends with the lifeguard (Lisa) the umbrella boy (Dixon) and a family from Jersey who owns a condo in the building where we stayed. The have 2 labs that love to play in the ocean. The kids had fun throwing their toy and watching them swim back in with it. We ate well: crabs, clams, lobster, steak...and spent most days just relaxing on the beach. The ocean temp was 85+ and mostly calm. We had some rip tide warnings due to Hurricane "B" (was it Bertha, cant remember) and tropical storm Cristabal. Thanks Tracy for the free passes to MayDay Golf, the kids always enjoy a good game of mini-golf (even though it was so stinkin' hot!)

Lighter side

One evening, a family brings their frail, elderly mother to a nursing home and leaves her, hoping she will be well cared for. The next morning, the nurses bathe her, feed her a tasty breakfast, and set her in a chair at a window overlooking a lovely flower garden.

She seems okay but after a while she slowly starts to lean over sideways in her chair. Two attentive nurses immediately rush up to catch her and straighten her up.

Again, she seems okay but after a while she starts to tilt to the other side. The nurses rush back and once more bring her back upright. This goes on all morning.

Later, the family arrives to see how the old woman is adjusting to her new home. "So Ma, how is it here? Are they treating you all right?" they ask.

"It's pretty nice," she replies. "Except they won't let you fart."

This weeks questions

1. What is the worst vacation you ever took?

2. If the statement, 'You are what you eat' was true, I would be a _______.

3. What is the most important thing in any relationship?

4. What do you believe is the greatest unsolved mystery of all?

5. Which of the seven dwarfs personifies you best – Dopey, Sneezy, Sleepy, Bashful, Grumpy, Happy, or Doc?

A Daughter's Note

My daughter wrote me this letter.

Dad

We have been through a lot these past months but we have managed our way through it. We will always be there for each other no matter what happens and what obstacle comes our way. We will fight through. A new year is on the way, which means a new beginning. I love you to infinity. No matter where we live will be much better than here. To start new colors, new designs, new thoughts, and open minds. You are half way through this rough journey, we can see the light at the end of the tunnel. Let God bless us in our lifetime as he has been. Again, I love you BUNCHES!. xoxoxo. All of our animals will be in our lives to make us laugh and to put a great big smile on our faces.

Love Ya Daddio

She has kept me strong!

...

86class.blogspot.com

What's going on in the Valley?

Coming back into town Wednesday to Saturday. Our new baby's baptism is on Sunday in Wilkes Barre. So what's going on? I know I'd like to get to the Blue Monkey and the Beef Baron at some point. Any other events?
Dave

The crazy things we do when we turn 40

My daughter does Taekwondo and has for around 18 months. She really enjoys it and she is now a blue belt, so she is only 3 grades away from black belt. She's been asking me for months to do Taekwondo with her, but I always said no. Well, last month I caved and started going to classes with her. I wasn't the only adult there (there are four of us) but we did look pretty silly in a sea of 7 year olds. I discovered I can't do a push-up.
Three weeks after I started training, my instructor - a lady called Kathy who was on the 1992 British Olympic Team and is the highest graded woman in Great Britain - informed me that I was ready for my first grading. I passed, skipped a grade, and went straight to a yellow belt! I am really, really enjoying Taekwondo and I can feel myself getting stronger. Plus, there's a benefit in kicking the hell out of something (or sometimes someone!) to de-stress.
Georgia also spars competitively (see picture). Last weekend she lost for the first time, to a girl who happens to be British Junior Champion, and on the drive home she told me that she was scared of sparring again. I told her that there are lots of reasons to stop doing stuff, but fear isn't one of them, and if she quit because she was scared she'd probably regret it later. So she said, "You do it then, Mum! You start sparring because I know you're scared!" She's right. The thought of standing in a ring with someone, in full protective pads, trying to kick them before they can kick me, scares the crap out of me. I spar in class - in fact last night I was learning how to do defensive kicks - but I really am scared to do it competitively. But I can't say to my kid "Don't quit just because you're scared," and then not face that fear myself.
So on my 40th birthday, I'm going to get in the ring for the first time. Kathy and I talked about it at last night's class, and she said she can find someone "around my age" (because I'm not going up against some 18 year old who can kick my butt) and of a similar weight and grading between now and October. I've asked John for a full set of protective pads - head, body, arms, shins, hands and feet - for my 40th birthday. He's relieved I'm not asking for jewellery again!

Plans for the Summer

Are you going on vacation or staycation? We're planning on doing some camping in the UK (if the weather ever gets better!) and a week in southern Spain (where the weather is great!).

Great Joke

The owner of a drug store walks in to find a guy leaning heavily against a wall. The owner asks the clerk, "What's with that guy over there by the wall?"

The clerk says, "Well, he came in here this morning to get something for his cough. I couldn't find the cough syrup, so I gave him an entire bottle of laxative."

The owner says, "You idiot! You can't treat a cough with laxatives!"

The clerk says, "Oh yeah? Look at him, he's afraid to cough!"

Art Update

I've had a few art-related developments.

My art is the subject of an article in today's Courier Post.

I have added my resume and artist statement to my website.

Here is the flyer for my upcoming Chelsea show.