SEASONS

A few weeks ago my sister gave me a cross/fish to hang on the mirror in my truck.  It's pretty cool.  When you look at it one way it's a cross, another way and it's a fish.

the fish

I may want to go find a cross/fish in necklace form.  I don't wear jewelry very often (except for my wedding ring) but this would look neat hanging on a chain around my neck.  And it would be a great conversation starter.

Monday at work we had a full compliment of workers so we poured that huge fiber optic bar for Paton Iowa.  By that afternoon we were able to demold and flip a couple of the pieces onto carts for processing.

poured and capped

the hardest part is done

Demolded, cleaned up and ready to go

Monday night we wanted to put up the Christmas tree.  However, since arriving home I had been feeling a little under the weather.  After digging out all the decoration boxes from storage I only had enough energy to help get the tree together then we called it quits.

a deCAToration

Tuesday morning I was feeling miserable...

somebody give that guy a vapor-rub

But I went into work anyway(because I'm a company guy..and I need the money).  We began processing the big bar tops.

this project is taking shape

I also added some lights to the showroom so prospective clients could better see in there.

I can see clearly now

I had to tend bar Tuesday night and luckily it was not real busy.  I don't know if I could have worked very hard.  I have never been so glad when closing time came.

Wednesday we got the cap for the man cave job finished and we also completed running the fiber optics.  This job is on hold until the client comes in and decides on some inlays.

...waiting...

After work I got a call from Robyn.  She told me the new Jethro's BBQ resturant was open in Waukee.  She wanted to go get some dinner.  I was still feeling listless but agreed to go out to dinner.

These two are WAY to happy about BBQ

The parking lot was packed, the place was all lit up like the fourth of July.  As we approached the door, excitedly discussing what bar-b-que dish we would each have, I noticed a young lady trying to get out but the door seemed to be locked.  She tried the other door and it opened.  As she came out I said something about being locked out.  Then a scene from National Lampoons Vacation happened.  She said, "Oh, we're not open yet.  We open tomorrow."   Really?  Wally World isn't open?  I looked through the glass.  I'm not sure how I didn't notice it before but there were no people in there.  All the chairs and tables were missing.  A step ladder was the only thing I saw setting in the middle of the place.  Of course we hadn't driven across the country, going through horrible experiences to get here, but still, why was it all lit up, drawing us in like moths to a fire?  With no rubber moose to punch in the nose, we just turned back to the car.  Because we are Griswalds, things like this happen to us and we have learned to laugh when it does.  McDonalds it was.

When we got home Robyn and I decided to drown our sorrows in one of my other favorite things about the winter season.  The first being fires in the fire place, the second being rum and eggnog.

this will ease the pain

We also decided to finish trimming the Christmas tree.  Our tree is kind of like a Charlie brown tree, but our ornaments are so special they make the tree beautiful.  We have some Canyon made when he was in kindergarten.  We have several we have picked up on family vacations.  There are many we recieved as gifts and a few that were left to us by a friend who passed.  We try to get a new one every year.  It is quite an ecclectic collection.

Robyn hangs the last ornament

Linus would be proud

Thursday we had to clean out the pit.  When you work on as many projects as we do this can be a quartly event.

digging for gold

Then it was back to processing the big bar.

looking good

Thursday night I was feeling better, and it's a good thing because Robyn and I were baking cookies for the Cookie Walk at Point of grace.  The church gets all the people it can to donate cookies, then sells them at an annual event by the pound.  You walk through all the cookies and fill a box with what ever you want and pay at the end.  All the proceeds go to Africa, Haiti and the food pantry.

you can tell who's doing most (all) of the work

We made a dozen dozen cookies, and we only ate a few along the way.  Unfortunately, Robyn had been to the doctor that morning for a procedure (I am told it is lady stuff) and she wasn't feeling too good so we packed up the cookies and went to bed.

Friday morning My boss and I went to Famous Daves to measure out the bar.  This will be the second one in Des Moines to get concrete bar tops.  Then We returned to the shop and I began the forming.

these pieces will be managable

When I got home Robyn asked if I would run the cookies up to the church because she was still not feeling good.  I noticed that she was eating the last piece of my mom's bananna bread that we brought back from Sioux City.  She must have seen me salivating because she offered it to me.  I greedily snatched it up and chomped down on it.  I almost broke a tooth.  There was something rock hard in there.  I spat it out and cleaned it up.  See if you can figure it out...

a bananna bone?

After a quick jaw massage I loaded up the cookies and took them to the church.  There were a bunch of cookies already there.

looks like Willy Wonka was here

Saturday morning I found Robyn on the couch.  She said she had a headache so she took some headache pills, but she took the wrong ones and now she was feeling dizzy.  She stayed that way all day.  Canyon asked if she would ever be normal again.  I said you mean will she be a dizzy blonde forever?  Canyon and I laughed, dizzy did not find it so humorous.

planted for the day

Our dishwasher is on the fritz so I decided to tackle the mountain of dishes left over from the betty crocker episode and dinner the night before.   My way of cleaning dosen't usually meet Robyn's standards but she was happy to have me do it.

not my wheel house

I had to drain the water and refill a couple of times but I finally accomplished the task at hand.  Then I went to pick up a friend I hadn't seen in a while.  My friend Steve has been struggling through some very tough times but so far he is holding his own.  He helped me grab a secret present from my niece's house and take it to my shop where it will stay until Christmas.  I have intentionally blurred out any thing that could give this away, just in case the intended reciepiant reads this blog.

mystery gift

Then Steve and I talked about what has been going on in our lives.  His struggles have been going on ever since I met him almost 5 years ago.  We have prayed together many times and I was even with him when he said a prayer of salvation.  I always try to get him the newest daily devotional (although this time he wasn't that excited about it).  I know that God sets the time for the plans He makes but it hurts me to see him struggle.  I hope that one day I can see Steve come out on top and be a better man for it.

These struggles Steve walks through are just seasons in his life.  We all have them.  Just like the seasons here on Earth, winter, spring, summer and fall.  They always change.  If we think things are tough (and they can be) it is just like the coldest winter.  Eventually, spring will come.  And just as bare and ugly the tree is in winter, when spring comes the branches bud to life.  Spring too is a season in our lives.  Our relationship may be in turmoil but one day, with care and prayer, the relationship could be in full bloom, like a rosebush in summer.  And when the fall season rolls around, that's when the tree bears it's fruit.  Just like us when we are belivers in Christ.  Jesus said...

  JOHN 15:5-12
5"I am the vine; you are the branches. If a man remains in me and I in him, he will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing. 6If anyone does not remain in me, he is like a branch that is thrown away and withers; such branches are picked up, thrown into the fire and burned. 7If you remain in me and my words remain in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be given you. 8This is to my Father’s glory, that you bear much fruit, showing yourselves to be my disciples. 
9"As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Now remain in my love. 10If you obey my commands, you will remain in my love, just as I have obeyed my Father’s commands and remain in his love. 11I have told you this so that my joy may be in you and that your joy may be complete. 12My command is this: Love each other as I have loved you. 

We all struggle, some more than others, but if you truely believe in Jesus as your savior than let Him walk through your struggle with you and you will see the season change.  Maybe not when you want but remember, God sets the time for the plans He makes, and he has great plans for you.

the cross 

Peace

Dan