Is there a high quality, maintenance-free garage door and opener?

| February 23, 2021

One of the most unappreciated attributes often overlooked when dating and looking for a life partner is that of a handyman, or to be a little more politically correct, a “handyperson.” I do know that having the Mister Fix-it gene, or is it a learned skill (???), has been one of my strong traits, but […]

Sad, but still enjoying the final season of Last Man Standing

| January 6, 2021

Now that the final season of Last Man Standing has started (Jan 3, 2021), Brenda and I are finally catching up on the previous season that I recorded on the DVR. We had forgotten just how much we enjoyed this sitcom. It is hard to remember the last time both of us laughed at the […]

How does marriage impact the taxes you pay?

| September 18, 2019

Does Your State Have a Marriage Tax Penalty? It isn’t always easy to decipher the tax impact of marriage on taxes, but the Tax Foundation summarized the tax code “marriage penalty” and offers an overview map. YMMV. Under a progressive, graduated-rate income tax system, tax rates increase as a taxpayer’s marginal income increases. A marriage […]

Wishing Katelyn and Drew a very Happy 5th Anniversary

| April 13, 2018

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The pressure of saying the right thing or old person #advice

| February 21, 2018

There are a few things in life that can really make someone feel good … one of them is in receiving a respectful complement. Really it started as a question, but a younger father of teenagers asked me how Brenda and I "balanced our lives" when our kids were growing up.  I’m not sure if […]

Interesting: How much would you spend on an engagement ring?

| November 11, 2017

In a financial discussion regarding saving money and cost of living for millennials, someone mentioned that in today’s world of equality, men are still expected to give an engagement ring. We’ve come a long way from the cigar band ring or spending the cliché "three months of salary." In 2016, the average being spent for […]

History repeats-Part 2: This is how we know we are getting old

| June 28, 2015

Read ONLY if you don’t’ mind getting lost in the weeds. I felt bit lost in my own country after the Supreme Court decisions this week and am concerned for the future. As a Christian, I’m trying to looking past my own traditional value and faith-based Biblical beliefs which have long been part of our […]

History repeats – Part 1: This is how we know we are getting old

| June 27, 2015

Read ONLY if you don’t’ mind getting lost in the weeds. I felt bit lost in my own country after the Supreme Court decisions this week and am concerned for the future. As a Christian, I’m trying to looking past my own traditional value and faith-based Biblical beliefs which have long been part of our […]

Social networking, a show of support and our changing values

| April 3, 2015

No matter which side of the political tug-of-war you are on when debating “marriage,” there is something distasteful about using ordinary people as political fodder. Crystal O’Connor was one such naive pawn used for divisive purposes as Indiana’s Governor Mike Pence tiptoed around modifying the Religious Freedom Restoration Act know as Senate Bill 568. The national media and LGBT activists highlighted O’Connor’s Christian opinions regarding “providing […]

Rob Portman commentary: Columbus Dispatch

| March 15, 2013

Thoughts: Will the GOP take the position of Senator Rob Portman? Should they? I have come to believe that if two people are prepared to make a lifetime commitment to love and care for each other in good times and in bad, the government shouldn’t deny them the opportunity to get married. That isn’t how […]

A one knee proposal + a beautiful ring + yes = ENGAGED

| April 15, 2012

Well maybe the above math may not be as simple as it looks … but it computes in the case of Katelyn and Drew. Ready or not, it is time for this dad to let go of his daughter. Drew Oostra has asked my daughter Katelyn to marry him and she replied “yes” … although […]

Congratulations to Madison and Nathan

| December 31, 2006

It has been a busy holiday week which included Christmas, New Year’s Eve, football and my niece’s wedding. I also wanted to ‘archive‘ at least one photo from from the wedding. (and what a wedding it was!) Here’s wishing both Madison and Nathan congratulations as they begin married life together. Oh … and thank you […]

Desultory - des-uhl-tawr-ee, -tohr-ee

  1. lacking in consistency, constancy, or visible order, disconnected; fitful: desultory conversation.
  2. digressing from or unconnected with the main subject; random: a desultory remark.
My Desultory Blog