Weekend trip to Whitehouse Ohio and Christmas de-decorating


January 9, 2024

This may have been the third year in a row that I’ve “pruned” the dry Christmas tree apart in the house rather than yanking it through the back door or having another disaster. Why didn’t I do this in previous years? Brenda and I also made a trip to visit Katelyn, Drew and family in […]

Beware of dogs … when disposing of Christmas trees #humor


January 7, 2024

Just a bit of Christmas and New Year’s Day holiday cleaning up humor found on X.com.

Archiving our Corbett family Christmas get togethers for 2023


December 27, 2023

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A Music and Movie Monday Merry Christmas to ALL!


December 25, 2023

Pre-posting a Christmas day blog update as I’m expecting to be busy with our family … and for the record … I am finally getting in the spirit and correct mood to celebrate Christ’s birthday. Since this is a Music Monday, it is appropriate to include the most popular Christmas song in America … BUT […]

This year’s Christmas woodworking project: A Puppet Stage


December 24, 2023

It is becoming more and more difficult to remember what I’ve added to the blog and what I have not when it comes to woodworking projects? I had thought I might have mentioned a few of the steps back in November regarding doweling a couple of unique joints when building a Puppet Stage for my […]

Closing in on Christmas, so why am I not in the right mood?


December 20, 2023

Ok, so I’m not focused this year on “the reason for the season” (or frankly even the secular celebration of Christmas) … therefore it is really time to do something about it. We didn’t even write our Corbett Christmas Letter!  Thankfully turning to Truth For Life and Alistair Begg’s teachings and message “It is HIStory” […]

Archive: Some Christmas photos and KDAE finally moving in


December 13, 2023

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Saving family photos from our Corbett-Oostra Christmas 2022


December 29, 2022

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A lesser known tidbit for Christmas day #humor


December 25, 2022

Merry Christmas to all … and may your next year be a healthy and happy one. Here’s a little (very little) cowboy humor as a filler post for the day. 😀

Proposing our family listen to a podcast on Christmas Eve


December 24, 2022

Jane Wells has been a reporter for CNBC (“Janie” as the late Mark Haines called her)  that I’ve followed for years while watching business news channels (or should I have said, “is a ‘has-been’ reporter?” – hopefully a little humor that she would appreciate!). Anyway, I always smiled when watching her “quirky” stories and reporting […]

Archiving our early 2022 Christmas present: A New Rug


December 23, 2022

Brenda has struggled most of the year to find a replacement Oriental or Persian Rug for our Great Room after retiring our original rug to my office. In November, Katelyn connected her with “Donald,” the decorator she is using to help with their homebuilding, and after several Facetime calls finally decided on a VERY large […]

Music Monday: “White Christmas” by who else but Bing Crosby


December 19, 2022

On Saturday I mentioned a cold front arriving before next weekend and possibly having a white Christmas … and therefore couldn’t help but think of Bing Crosby singing Irving Berlin‘s “White Christmas.” It is not a song from my generation, but I definitely remember my parents playing it when I was a boy. It is […]

Keeping an eye on the weather for Christmas week travelers


December 17, 2022

We have had a relatively mild, although gloomy, couple of weeks this December 2022 so far … unlike it was in 2010. BUT … this could change by the end of next week as the forecast is for a winter snowstorm to hit much of the eastern half of the U.S. According to forecasting yesterday, […]

Archive: Merry Christmas 2022 and have a Happy New Year


December 14, 2022

As is my December tradition, I’m including a digital copy of what once was our Corbett Christmas Letter but is now a just a “card” on my blog. Our year as a family was full of too many great times to include, but highlighted by a special event: a 40th Anniversary and trip planned by […]

Archive: Christmas trees, homebuilding and Ellerie’s big bed


December 11, 2022

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Tech Friday: A big screen TV deal and Christmas light flashback


December 2, 2022

It is hard to believe that watching sports and movies on a 37" television just isn’t satisfactory enough these days? So when I saw a Walmart pre-Black Friday deal on a 65" TCL Roku TV for $228, I could not pass up the deal. It is very impressive for the money and a perfect upgrade […]

Once again, Christmas gifts we use everyday from the kids


January 18, 2022

Well done again Katelyn,Drew, Megan and Taylor. Thank you. Of all the “too many” gifts this year, you guys have managed to “once again” come up with great gifts. The automated and “generous” (inside joke) liquid hand soap dispenser is perfect for our kitchen. Brenda and I use it multiple times each day and find […]

Archive: The folding Dollhouse Christmas project for Ellerie


January 6, 2022

The scratch-built & designed (from a photo Katelyn sent) folding-case wooden Dollhouse for Ellerie was a success for Christmas this year. I was pretty sure Katelyn would like this sort-of heirloom toy, but I was unsure if a little granddaughter used to blinking gadgets and modern plastic toys would take to it, but she enjoyed […]

Archive: Our 2021 Family Christmas over New Years


January 5, 2022

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Boxing Day update and our Christmas yet-to-be family rotation


December 26, 2021

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Merry Christmas to all … and may every reindeer eat a carrot


December 25, 2021

Wishing all who read My Desultory Blog a very Merry Christmas, good health and a very Happy New Year.

Merry Christmas 2021 and Happy New Year from both of us


December 20, 2021

Perhaps the days of our yearly-update annual Corbett Christmas Letter stuffed into a Christmas card are in the past? We have succumb to the popular printed photo card and figured that those who might want to know more about our year might just read my blog (a shameless plug). This year we decided not to […]

Our family Christmas 2020 and a few too many wrap-up photos


December 29, 2020

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Merry Christmas to all who check in on My Desultory Blog


December 25, 2020

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Merry Christmas 2020 and wishing you a “Hopeful” New Year


December 15, 2020

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Santa Mouse slippers, Christmas stories and Echo messages


December 12, 2020

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Our family is getting into the 2020 Christmas decorating spirit


December 1, 2020

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Ellerie’s Christmas project and decorating before Thanksgiving


November 25, 2020

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A "cheesy" security measure and Christmas 2020 in Cincinnati


November 18, 2020

Every once in awhile, an interesting and creative, but questionable, idea crossing my eyeballs. Here’s a pretty good one when it comes to the age-old tape, thread or strand of hair method of securing a door (below). Obviously the broken, and likely telltale orange Cheetos powder, would be a sure sign of an unauthorized entry. […]

Archive: We had a great family Christmas 2019 on New Years Day


January 4, 2020

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When you must get a package delivered before Christmas


December 25, 2019

UPS for the win! (wait for it)  Fedex and USPS better step up their game! “Neither snow nor rain nor heat nor gloom of night stays these couriers from the swift completion of their appointed rounds.”

Merry Christmas Eve: Twas the night before Christmas


December 24, 2019

For some reason, the full text of this post and photo of our 2019 family Christmas tree went missing … or maybe it didn’t post to the blog? Oh well, at least here’s the archived photo of our tree:

Merry Christmas 2019 – Wishing you success and courage


December 17, 2019

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Can stamps get you in the Christmas spirit? #random


December 8, 2019

While trying my best to get in the Christmas spirit … how about something from the philately world? Although I’m not a stamp collector, back in the day my company Consolidated Printing and Publishing did some plate work for special cancels and printing for a stamp collecting organization. Besides, my father-in-law had an impressive stamp […]

Time mellows the moment – The Great Christmas Tree Disaster


January 30, 2019

In an old spinnaker (sail) from our Thistle, I finally hauled out our larger than usual Christmas tree this past week. It was then that I realized I had neglected to archive the “Great Christmas Tree Disaster of 2018” story from December. Hm, how could I have forgotten … likely for the same embarrassing reason […]

A limited Corbett-Oostra family Christmas photo recap for 2018


December 26, 2018

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Christmas Morning 2018 Time-lapse


December 25, 2018

Every tech-loving guy needs a subject for a new gizmo … my son-in-law Drew is no exception. He set up his new GoPro-like camera (gift from Katelyn) to time-lapse our Christmas morning. His effort was a little bit too fast for me to watch … so I stretched out the MP4 clip to last almost […]

Christmas 2018 project photos – a Maple Piggy Bank for Annalyn


December 24, 2018

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Merry Christmas 2018 – May you have peace, hope, joy and love.


December 21, 2018

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Music Monday: Merry Christmas from the Family


December 17, 2018

How about a classic … Merry Christmas from the Family … first recorded by the “alternative country music” artist Robert Earl Keene in 1994 (below is a live version from 2006 still on YouTube). It still makes me smile even if in today’s world it is probably not PC … nor was it appropriate to […]

Christmas prep and my iMac is still recovering from surgery


December 15, 2018

Although Brenda and I are making steady progress in getting things ready for Christmas, the iMac surgery mentioned yesterday did not go as smoothly as planned, but at least I do have backups to rebuild things from. Currently the “way too many” cloud services that I’m using are working overtime as my Time Machine archive […]

Archive: Corbetts and Oostras had a wonderful family Christmas


December 27, 2017

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Christmas Music Monday: Merry old semi-nautical carol


December 25, 2017

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Another memory with friends of our 1st Christmas together #TBT


December 21, 2017

Although my memory is a little bit foggy, Brenda and I probably saw each other a couple of Christmas’s prior our first Christmas? We were dating in 1980 and engaged in 1981 and likely celebrated with each other close to the day, but were home with our families for Christmas Day. Anyway, when scanning the […]

Our first Christmas as husband and wife #TBT


December 14, 2017

Wow … is this really the 35th Christmas? With boxes all over the basement in search for Brenda‘s "special ornaments," I ran across the old photo albums of our first year of marriage and our first Christmas. We both remember it fondly since it was a relatively minimalist Christmas. The tree came from Brenda’s dad’s […]

Merry Christmas 2017 from our family to your family


December 12, 2017

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Music Monday: Trans-Siberian Orchestra – Christmas Canon


December 11, 2017

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Christmas decorating and closing the pool in the same weekend


December 4, 2017

It is hard to believe, but I finally winterized the pool and in the same weekend brought home a Christmas tree, put the wreathes up and modified the lighting we use on the house in December. The first years we used 150 watt incandescent floods (also had halogens at some point), then I switched to […]

Forgotten and leftover from Christmas 2016


March 19, 2017

My son Taylor is geography and map kind of guy so I gave him a mag-lift spinning globe for his desk for Christmas 2016. His interests and innate sense of direction is probably why he pursued “Urban Planning and now coordinates development for Clermont County Ohio as a county planner. Anyway, I had forgotten that […]

Christmas in Minnesota as a family


December 27, 2016

After a bit of a delay in maintaining daily blog posts, Brenda, Taylor and I returned from our family Christmas with  Katelyn and Drew  in Wayzata, MN on Monday night. It was a whirlwind trip and thankfully without incident. First thing first … our growing granddaughter is definitely noticeable as a “babybump” (an overused word). […]

Out to Christmas Eve dinner in Wayzata Minnesota


December 26, 2016

Adding a couple catch-up photos to the mix after driving the BMW X5 35d (26.1 mpg) up for a busy Christmas weekend with Katelyn, Drew and Taylor in Wayzata, Minnesota. We took Drew’s Acura RX out for a nice Christmas Eve dinner and am starting to realize Brenda and I are definitely looking older (and […]

Getting in the Christmas spirit. This is so very wrong —


December 25, 2016

Christmas morning is almost here so I need to get this out of my system before getting together with Drew and my “soon to be a mom” daughter Katelyn. For the record, this is not an example of good parenting! Who doesn’t remember Rudolph the Red Nose Reindeer?

Merry Christmas and God bless all of us on the good Earth


December 24, 2016

The Apollo 8 Christmas Eve Broadcast Apollo 8, the first manned mission to the Moon, entered lunar orbit on Christmas Eve, December 24, 1968. That evening, the astronauts; Commander Frank Borman, Command Module Pilot Jim Lovell, and Lunar Module Pilot William Anders did a live television broadcast from lunar orbit, in which they showed pictures […]

Tis the season … for our annual Corbett Christmas Letter 2016


December 17, 2016

The cold weather is upon us (it is in the single digits today) and with a little snow on the ground in Cincinnati, it is beginning to look and feel a lot like Christmas. We are in the "prepare mode" and in the middle our checking the list twice festive shopping and wrapping routine, but […]

Winding down the family Christmas time together


December 27, 2015

Katelyn and Drew headed back home to Wayzata, MN this Sunday morning after monitoring the wave of nasty weather pushing north later today. It looks as if they will be in the clear by the time they get to Chicago; the ice, snow and rain should be south of Wisconsin and Minnesota … at least […]

Christmas 2015 – a family time


December 26, 2015

We had a wonderful family time on Christmas day. Taylor came after work on Christmas Eve day and Katelyn and Drew drove from Minneapolis after a half day of work (long day for them), so we were all home for Christmas morning. After our morning gift exchange, which was wonderful, although too much … we went outside and enjoyed […]

Twas the Night before Christmas … and to all a Good-Night!


December 24, 2015

   Nearly 200 years ago, Clement Clarke Moore “wrote” (still debated) a Christmas poem for his children, not realizing it would later be published and become the classic we all know and love — “Twas the Night Before Christmas” (A Visit from St. Nicholas). Many still do not realize that today’s image of Santa Claus […]

The obligatory family Christmas tree photo for 2015


December 23, 2015

It is time to post the annual Christmas tree photo on the blog. I’m trying an evening pic with the iPhone … as steady as I can? The tree is full, but not quite as tall as our usual trees. I’m sure the kids will be disappointed that it isn’t bigger,  but then Taylor always […]

Cincinnati is not going to see a White Christmas for 2015


December 20, 2015

Merry Christmas 2015 — Wow, 33 yrs of Corbett Christmas Letters


December 14, 2015

“Tis the season” that many of us are franticly shopping, decorating, cooking and finalizing all the trimmings associated with December and weeks leading up to Christmas. Perhaps we should be a little be more focused on  the reason we celebrate rather than all the trimmings — Christ’s birth!  It is easy to get lost in all the preparations than […]

Its almost Christmas and we did not decorate this year


December 24, 2014

It is shameful that Brenda and I have been too busy with “who knows what” to decorate or even put up a Christmas tree this year – the first time in our married life. We have used the excuses that our kids are not coming home, that we are not entertaining, that we have been […]

Our annual Christmas Card and Letter for 2014


December 20, 2014

Merry Christmas to those who continue to check the blog for whatever desultory thoughts I try to type daily in my computer, iPad … or occasionally my smartphone each day. It has been an enjoyable year online for me and my addiction. Although social networks have made posting text, photos, audio and video easier, I’m […]

Happy Thanksgiving – Do you have your Christmas tree yet?


November 27, 2014

I couldn’t believe it, but Katelyn and Drew have picked out and set up a real Christmas tree already. I know she is probably anxious for Christmas, but before a tree before Thanksgiving seems a little crazy … but then it is Minnesota? Christmas aside, it is time to celebrate Thanksgiving … like they did […]

Merry Christmas 2013 and a photobomb


December 25, 2013

What a wonderful time we had over Christmas Eve and Christmas Day this year. We were happy to have Taylor, Katelyn and Drew home together with us for a couple days holidays (photo above) … and thankful some in the Corbett side of our family with us for dinner. It was a great to be […]

A Christmas greeting … humor!


December 21, 2013

Corbett Christmas Letter number thirty-one — 2013


December 16, 2013

Merry Christmas to those who regularly read my “desultory” daily posts or may have just stumbled onto my blog. It has been a busy year and although my Google Analytics stats are no longer growing (they are actually down), the AdSense revenue is up? That aside, I am including more archival information “for me” than […]

Its beginning to look a lot like Christmas


December 15, 2013

We’re closing in on Christmas and it is beginning to look a little more festive around our house. I still have a few things to do, but at least the tree is up and decorated. It is a bit smaller this year but I didn’t have someone twisting my arm! This is the first year […]

Celebrating our later than usual family Christmas


December 30, 2012

It has been a busy end of the year, but spending the last couple of days with just the family was a great way to wind down 2012. We enjoyed talking, eating (too much), opening presents and watching a movie together – Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Killer. (expand photo slideshow below). Taylor has been home from […]

A subdued Christmas for 2012, but it is not over yet


December 26, 2012

We drove up to Columbus and enjoyed “catering” a Christmas dinner at Katelyn’s fiancé Drew’s house. The two of them (both in their residency) were working the night rotations … Katelyn just off a 24 hour stint at Nationwide and Drew his week of 13 hour nights at OSU.  We have postponed our family gift […]

Merry Christmas – our slightly smaller 2012 Christmas tree


December 25, 2012

Our rapidly desquamating Christmas tree (photo) is barely holding on to its needles in hope of “A visit from St. Nicholas” on Christmas eve –although even bringing up the poem now known as “‘Twas the Night Before Christmas,” is an invitation of literary debate. No thanks, I’m tired of debates after 2012! The well known […]

Merry Christmas 2012


December 13, 2012

Ah … we’re finished with this year’s Corbett Christmas Letter … they are in the mail! (click for a PDF copy) One of my favorite things about celebrating Christmas is the reminiscing — especially when putting up, or just looking at, the decorated tree in our house. We have a mish-mash Christmas tree with decorations […]

Christmas catalogs a-plenty, it must be Halloween?


October 31, 2012

The campaign mailings haven’t stopped coming, yet we’re already seeing holiday catalogs filling the mailbox each day. No less than five were in the mail yesterday … and don’t even know how many political flyers? They just head for the trash or get put in my newspaper recycling pile. If I were not in the […]

The post Christmas blues after a great family time


December 26, 2011

I’m really NOT depressed that Christmas is over … actually quite relieved … but the time with family did go fast, way too fast. We were fortunate that the Corbett side of the family was able to be together at our house on Christmas day. The weather held and gave all who drove excellent roads […]

Video: One of the better Christmas stories for 2011


December 25, 2011

Since I didn’t post anything on Christmas day this year, I’ll add this short heartwarming story from CBS a few days late (video below). It is a wonderful Christmas story and might just bring a few tears to your eyes.

Reflecting on our changing lives this Christmas 2011


December 23, 2011

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Home for Christmas and making his parent dinner


December 18, 2011

It doesn’t get much better than this … our son Taylor is home from college for Christmas break and after living off campus decided to make dinner for his parents. What a treat to know that he can cook well enough to take care of himself and enjoys making dinner for us. In appreciation I […]

Cold weather, time to get a Christmas tree and the 2012 Election


December 10, 2011

After a few flurries and cold temperatures last night, we woke to the first ice on the small lake in front of our house this morning. Brrr … I’m not ready for winter yet.   Preparing for Christmas on the other hand, is in full swing as I hauled home a tree last night finishing […]

Great to be with our families on Christmas–2010 recap


December 27, 2010

The 20th-ish annual ‘Howard Bowl’ football game – no injuries this year! Once again we put a few more miles on our cars this holiday, but thankfully we had excellent driving weather (for winter that is) for our trips; one to Brenda‘s’ parents and one to mine. We did a quick Thursday night family Christmas […]

The times we live in: Looking at Christmas — 2010


December 24, 2010

I’m a Christian and make an effort to keep “Christ in Christmas” … but I do my best to be sensitive to other religions going out of my way to send Hanukkah cards to my Jewish friends and ease off offending those that I know have strong objections to the Christian faith and our desire […]

The “closing in on Christmas” weekend got away from me


December 13, 2010

This weekend got away from me partially because there were a few too many reminders that technology, computer use, business and the Internet often overtakes family and face to face time. First, my daughter was home after one of her many interviews for her residency next year. She was upbeat and positive about almost every […]

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.
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