Key Lime Pie is a summer favorite

| August 5, 2017

Ok, so the limes I’m squeezing are not truly “Key Limes,” but the the finished product is just as good. One of the “get ready” items before having the kids home for the weekend was to squeeze the limes so Brenda could make 3 Key Lime pies. It is a big favorite in our family […]

The Kitchen Corner Cabinet is finally finished

| August 4, 2017

It has been a slow process and a while in coming, but the beveled glass and shelves finally came in last week in order to finish the kitchen cabinets. These items are part of the "improved" corner cabinet for Brenda. She wanted a more attractive beveled glass door (larger window) and glass shelves so that […]

The BlueMax blue poly pipe continues to haunt #home #repairs

| August 2, 2017

  Once again we’re dealing with BlueMax pipe (polybutylene plumbing), this time thankfully it is not on our nickel or is due to a flooded basement. I notice water bubbling from the water meter pit in our yard yesterday and after Butler County came out to look at the meter, he knew right away it […]

Beautiful Cincinnati skyline photo by my son Taylor

| August 1, 2017

Although "I" am suppose to be the photographer of the family, I think it might be time to hand over the duties to my son Taylor. He enjoys capturing beautiful photos and definitely has the eye for natural beauty – some impressive ones in Hawaii last year too! While on the subject of appreciating photos […]

Another great time with Katelyn, Drew and Annalyn

| July 31, 2017

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Sailing Brenich out of Vermilion Ohio in the 1980s #TBT

| July 20, 2017

My son Taylor posted a few photos of his weekend with friends in Vermilion, Ohio and the background canals and homes triggered a Throwback Thursday #TBT memory for me. Before kids, Brenda and I owned a beautiful sailboat we named Brenich and kept it in Vermilion for the first year (subsequent in Huron) and haul […]

Encore is out of the water for some TLC

| July 16, 2017

It has been a little while since Encore has been on the hard and the bottom paint is worse than I thought or expected. Really disappointed to see a couple blisters reappear after the "shave, skim and epoxy barrier" a few years back. Looks like I’ll need to work on grinding out, drying and patching […]

New residents have moved next door in Florida

| July 14, 2017

This past week while in Florida to do a little boat work, as well as a repair item at the Delray Beach condo, I noticed several new residents – hm?  We have always had itty-bitty chameleons, but never the big lizards (or perhaps “medium” sized ones). This was a new surprise for me as I […]

Testing new iPhone7Plus camera & telephoto

| July 9, 2017

The new iPhone7 Plus is a bit too large for my taste at the moment, especially coming from the iPhone5. I like the speed and the bigger screen, but not the bulk, especially with the new protective case. So … I ordered thinner case (maybe too thin) that should be in this week, but since […]

A quick visit to Perrysburg Ohio to see Katelyn, Drew and Annalyn

| July 6, 2017

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Our family settling into a new city with a house of their own

| July 2, 2017

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Congratulations Drew and welcome back home to Ohio

| July 1, 2017

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Good times and great family memories in Florida #TBT

| June 22, 2017

It is too easy to stumble across great memories and think, "that would make for a great Throw Back Thursday #TBT post!" If I were to do that, there would be no end to "blog fillers" on Thursdays (or really on Wednesday evenings). Here’s a favorite photo of Katelyn and Taylor on a trip to […]

Painted heirloom wicker chairs on this Father’s Day weekend

| June 18, 2017

It is good day when projects get accomplished. Saturday was a sunny and dry for the painting of my GREAT grandparents’ two wicker chairs (unsure, but think they were from my Grandmother Ruth “Walker” Bluhm side). My Grandmother and Grandfather Bluhm used them for years on their Wright Avenue front porch in Toledo Ohio, then […]

Put out some baby powder to see what is sneaking around

| June 17, 2017

The population of rodents and critters has risen in the years we’ve been living in Liberty Township, Ohio. We have either encroach on the critters … or more likely encroached on the predators of the critters. In either case, we have more and more of them in our yard and boldly closing in on the […]

FaceTime with Annalyn and Mt Rushmore photos

| June 15, 2017

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Happy Birthday to my son and memories from the past

| June 10, 2017

Happy Birthday Taylor … I don’t think I could be prouder of the man you have become. Last year was a great one and the plans you have for this year are exciting as well.  I always look forward to our time together. One of the things my son and I share is our interest […]

Sandal sun stripes, yard work and finding fingers and fist

| June 7, 2017

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Priorities: Get your chores done, then you can watch the game

| June 5, 2017

One of the more interesting photos making the social networking circles was that of a man mowing his lawn as a nasty looking tornado was churning in the background. According to the news, the man said "I was keeping my eye on it." That said, this is NOT the kind of guy you want to […]

Once upon a time, we did sail on Lake Erie #TBT

| June 1, 2017

After searching through directories of a couple older computers looking for a document unrelated to the photo above, I ran across this picture of our family on our sailboat Tulla from the miid-1990s. I may have posted something (???) in a sailing related post years ago, but don’t think so? Anyway ia #TBT (ThrowBackThursday) post […]

Panorama while taking a break from yardwork #MemorialDay17

| May 31, 2017

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How do mothers keep their babies safe in the world today?

| May 25, 2017

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Birthdays, baby Annalyn, mothers, grandmothers and LOVE

| May 17, 2017

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Happy Birthday Katelyn – Happy Mother’s Day to a new mom too

| May 14, 2017

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The ocean and whales – giants among us

| May 13, 2017

A few years ago I posted an image of a sailboat having an encounter with a whale … just imagine swimming or paddling with something this big … there are truly giants among us. (The Fin and Blue Whale)

A final update: Our kitchen project is nearly finished

| May 11, 2017

The previous later evening blog update when the contractor left was a bit of a blurry photo, so I wanted to include a better photo and opted to give the Lumix GX8 pano-mode a try (above). Since I was not sure exactly how it would turn out, opted for a normal wide angle image as […]

Music Monday: Whenever I see your smiling face

| May 8, 2017

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The kitchen construction is nearly complete with TV and all

| May 6, 2017

Our kitchen update is nearly finished and we only have a few touch up items, the correct under the counter LED lights and a freezer door replacement to go. The mounted TV is now working with everything self contained on the sliding mount and everything works off of a single power plug. I’m still having […]

Checking on the price of a new freezer door for our refrigerator

| May 4, 2017

The contractor that dented our Samsung refrigerator ask me to get a replacement freezer door so I called J & J International  at 800-627-4368 and had to log a case #149782 and give them our model and serial number before they could research and price the part. Hopefully if I order it they will continue […]

Babysitting duty and exploring where I grew up

| May 2, 2017

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Thanking God for His artwork

| April 29, 2017

Just as I was beginning to “once again” ponder the wisdom of keeping our sailboat in Florida while still working, taking care of a home and being pulled in different directions … an early morning walk back to Encore reminded me that it is healthy to slow down, de-stress and appreciate the daily paintings He makes for […]

Looking back a few years to when I started to blog

| April 28, 2017

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Mounted the large 4K TV temporarily in the new kitchen

| April 25, 2017

The granite countertops were installed last week, still putting us a couple of weeks from having a usable kitchen as the construction continues to crawl along (no plumbing, cooktop, backsplash, trim, electrical or paint). It is tough being without a functioning kitchen and washing up dishes in the laundry room is getting old … but […]

FaceTime is a Great Time for both Annalyn and her Bompa

| April 23, 2017

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Granite arrives: One step closer to having a usable kitchen again

| April 21, 2017

Here’s a quick slideshow of photos updating the granite countertops to our kitchen remodel after they were installed this past week. Thankfully every measurement was “spot on” and the install went without a hitch (the photos make them look a lot darker than they really are). A couple photos show a sample of the new […]

Learning the Lumix GX8 – Prime lens and flower pictures

| April 16, 2017

With the buds and flowers popping this Easter weekend around Cincinnati, a sunny morning was a great opportunity to put the lesser used prime lens on my new Four Thirds Lumix GX8 camera. The 14-140 stabilized zoom is usually on my camera for convenience, but today I suspect the slightly faster f1.7 prime lens might be sharper […]

Stand up for what you believe, but do it with love for one another

| April 15, 2017

Standing up for your own views is a good thing. Recognizing the views and values of others is a great thing. Coming together in respect for others is much too rare a thing … but it is likely the only way we’ll find peace while living here on this earth. Whether or not you accepted […]

Happy Anniversary Katelyn and Drew, plus drone video below

| April 13, 2017

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Our Spring landscaping could use some sprucing up

| April 12, 2017

It’s not exactly pristine landscaping this year at the Corbett abode, but seeing the rapidly growing grass and spring flowers popping out feels good. This is the first year that I recall actually missing winter.

Our Princess Annalyn is ready for the next StarWars movie

| April 11, 2017

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Testing the stabilized Lumix GX8 on a noisy woodpecker

| April 8, 2017

As happens every year, a "not so bright" woodpecker decides to wake us up by pecking on our chimney cap. The noise resonates down the flue and can be pretty loud in the house. Crazy Woody! But since I’ve been wanting to experiment with my relatively new Lumix GX8 and long lens (a 100-300mm zoom), […]

A few accessory items for our kitchen upgrade project

| April 4, 2017

Although Pinterest isn’t my thing, it is a good place for "lookers" to collect ideas. One of the items yet to order for the kitchen upgrade will be counter height stools and my daughter, who is on maternity leave, said she would do some looking on Pinterest (whew, I don’t have to look there!). The […]

Distracted by our granddaughter and the kitchen project

| March 30, 2017

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Mood enhancing photos – Sunsets and Annalyn

| March 27, 2017

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Archive: Photos after kitchen project week ONE

| March 25, 2017

Just a few photos from Thursday and Friday after the first week of kitchen demolition and construction. A few more prior to the cabinets below to archive the project.   Dent in our new refrigerator    

Sleepy Beauty and PROGRESS on the 2017 Kitchen Project

| March 23, 2017

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A beautiful sunrise, then storms – and retweeted tweets

| March 20, 2017

It was dark for a panoramic iPhone5 photo, but while doing my "last bag" garbage run this morning, I couldn’t resist a photo of the sunrise while the lightning was cracking to the west. Within an hour it was pouring rain and became a dreary, damp day. On a social networking technology note, it is […]

Annalyn makes iPad and iPhone Wallpaper updates everyday

| March 18, 2017

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It is never too early for Annalyn to start reading a GOOD book

| March 15, 2017

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We are so blessed to have such a beautiful granddaughter

| March 12, 2017

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It does not get much better than being a grandparent

| March 11, 2017

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Our first granddaughter was born on March 4 2017

| March 5, 2017

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B-E-A-U– tiful boat!

| March 3, 2017

Just a filler post from a photo from Spirit Yachts Ltd., Ipswich 50 “Roving Spirit” [adinserter block=”5″]

Photography: Close-up, low light depth of field conundrum

| February 28, 2017

While eating lunch today I was tinkering with my Lumix GX8 camera to play with depth-of-field and sandwiching images (see Photoshop technique in old post). In a low light macro situation there isn’t a way to keep items in front and back sharp enough to read … so in some cases, sandwiching two images is […]

Spoke too soon – it is back to snow and winter

| February 25, 2017

Last night while posting about the shockingly mild February 2017 and “hinting” at the front rolling in, the change came. Nothing major, but definitely not 77 degree! After the sunrise, the gray sky move from west to east brought a late morning snow shower just to remind me that it is still winter — put […]

Weather: Surprisingly warm temperatures all February long

| February 25, 2017

The weather in much of the midwest … and in particular Cincinnati … has been exceedingly mild this February 2017. The groundhog may have predicted a bit more winter, but he was way off this year. As a nasty looking weather front heads our way, the temperature Friday was downright balmy. I rolled down the […]

How-to: Early spring cleaning chores and practice run

| February 18, 2017

We have high ceilings in a couple areas of our house and one of the challenging chores is dusting or "de-webbing" the corners and edges some 20 feet up. Oh you would think it would be easy with a ladder, but you would be wrong. First, I don’t have an indoor ladder capable of reaching […]

Amazing some Darwin Award candidates make it to adulthood

| February 18, 2017

To be fair, I’m not sure if “Chipper” is clearing his machine with it running (only his Orthopedic Surgeon would know for sure) … the photo makes me cringe nevertheless.

Tech gadgets add a new wrinkle to Cat’s in the Cradle message

| February 13, 2017

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A few more photos for the Encore archive

| February 12, 2017

Posting a few leftover photos from my last trip to the boat. One is a waterproof fitting to bring the solar cable thru Encore‘s deck (eventually a new project) … and a couple more of an early morning sunrise at the dock at Harbortown Marina in Fort Pierce. Really the trip was a quick getaway […]

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