The Month of Thanksgiving – Sixteenth

Today I am thankful for our fifth born child, third born son James. James was born in November of 1982 in Aurora, MO.

James is married to the lovely Amber. They live in Mount Vernon, MO. and they are happy pet owners to a couple of big dogs.

James and Amber for for a business in Aurora taking care of other people, and their needs. James is a loving, kind, tender, and caring man; as is Amber.

James knows the Lord as does Amber.  I thank the Lord for James everyday; and I am very thankful that the good Lord gave him to us.

Thankful from the banks of Flat Creek,

`tim

First Accumulating Snowfall this Winter

I was really hoping for no snow accumulation this Winter; especially during the work, school week.  I was looking forward to getting out of school on May 16, but now that is not going to happen; it could be a day or two later now.  A day or two will not hurt.

It is best when that snow fall starts accumulating that the buses stay off the road.  It is safer for the students on the bus, the drivers, and for the schools.  I was thankful that they called me plenty early this morning to inform me by their automated School Reach system.  It is a system which notifies all the drivers, students and teachers at the same time; or near it anyway.  I received my call at 4:35 a.m.  I usually leave around 5:25 when I am riding with another driver into the bus garage.

This is our first measurable snowfall for 2012 Winter.  It is the first school day cancelled due to weather; and I  hope the last.  But who knows about tomorrow.

The snow sure is pretty, covering all the ugly of the  yard, and putting some niceties to the forms of trees.  I still do not like Winter, cold or snow, but I can enjoy it; and be thankful and appreciative of it.

Just sit back, if you can, stay warm and praise the Lord for His beauty.

-Tim

Electric Fence

I am in the process of putting an electric fence around our yard.  For some time now we have had problems with my brother’s cattle coming in our yard; afterall it has not been that long and our yard was their pasture; so they need a little education.

It rained all day yesterday, and yesterday morning with the help and aid of a friend we went to the local MFA, and I purchased the fence charger, some insulator clips, ground rods, one half mile of wire, clamps for holding the ground wire effectively to the ground rods.  I already had a few steel t-posts and a designed fence most of the way around the yard so I am using that is the place for the insulators.

Just for information.  This electric fencing is not designed to injure, maim or kill; only to turn them away.  It will only deliver an electric shock.

Looking forward to watching it at work.

-Tim

It’s Spring Now Two thousand eleven

This Spring is wracking up the numbers.  Numbers of mysterious events in our lives. My family and I that  is.  We enjoy Spring.  I know I do.

It is amazing how you can plan to do things, get things done around the house, yard, garden and such, and there are inconveniences and mysterious events taking place which work at odds to prevent it – what you have planned that is.

I have plowed and worked a bit of a garden.  I have an acre and a half of yard to mow, and now things have been slowed for now.

Last Fall my wife had heart surgery, and we moved into a new home by the end of October.  We have been slowly laboring to improve things around the house and such. Build a fence around it so cattle don’t get near the house and tear things up, as well as mess up the yard, spread ticks and such.  Moving dirt has been a chore we were doing as well.

Now I have had to go into the hospital for an angiogram, and it was discovered that I had a lot of blockage in the vessels of my heart.  They put in 3-4 stints; one of them doubled to make it long enough for one blockage; and on Monday I will return to the hospital for more stints, I think a couple more.  I am off of work for at least two weeks, and who really knows.

I don’t mean to sound as if I am complaining, but rather I laugh as I think of what I have written.  I laugh because our plans often fall far short of what God has planned for our lives.  His plan always out weighs our own; and is the one plan that is far better than our own.

I don’t know what the Creator has in His plan, but I can trust and know that it is for my good, your good and for His own glory.

I still love Spring.  I will always love Spring.  The grass returns to greening, the leaves bud and sprout on the trees, flowers bloom, gardens grow; and so much more.  It is a time for growing; and that’s how I looking at what is happening in life right now.

-Tim A. Blankenship