Archive: Professional Brenda and the Hawk Migration #TBT

| January 28, 2021

When searching for a photo of my 1996 Toyota 4Runner (never found one), I stumbled across a couple personal photos from 1997 and will archive them for today’s Throwback Thursday #TBT. One of “professional Brenda” dressed for the office in 1990’s style (ha!) and the other of our family on an October Hawk Migration birding […]

Do all grandparents love their grandchildren as much as I do?

| January 27, 2021

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Question: Can I get the COVID-19 vaccine in Ohio yet?

| January 20, 2021

While talking with a customer on the phone today and talking about when I’ll be traveling to NE Ohio again, they asked me when they could get the Covid-19 vaccine? See Covid-19 Vaccination Program – LINK. So I figured it would be appropriate to include a screenshot from an Ohio-based health care provider in our […]

A Toyota 4Runner window sticker and missing a photo #TBT

| January 14, 2021

While shuffling through a bunch of old scans and photos and uploading stuff to my Miami University .EDU Google Drive account for free cloud storage after downgrading my subscription to OneDrive (they refused to renew the 1TB of space at my previous 4-years of discounted service), I ran across the window sticker from my black […]

Archive: On January 6, 2021, my nephew Ben, Emily, Liev and Ellis welcomed beautiful baby Lyra Eileen Skinner into the world

| January 13, 2021

We don’t see my nephew and his family nearly enough, but a week ago, my nephew Ben, his wife Emily, and their two boys, Liev and Ellis welcomed a beautiful baby girl into the world. The boys baby sister, and Ben and Emily’s first daughter, Lyra Eileen Skinner was born in the morning, weighing a […]

Thankful to have a long time friend like Jeff – #TBT photo

| December 31, 2020

I had lunch “out” this week with my good friend Jeff, although this routine has become very infrequent compared to previous years. Still, we had a chance to catch up, talk about politics (Ugh), the old-days backpacking in North Carolina (an old scanned photo for Throwback Thursday #TBT) … and I opened his cool gift […]

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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Old handsaws, rusting jack posts and a deck of cards #TBT

| December 24, 2020

Since I expect to be busy with our family on Christmas Eve Day, I’ll prepare a post for Throwback Thursday #TBT with a few old handsaws from my families past and asked the rhetorical question to myself: “Why do you keep old handsaws that you never use?” Actually I don’t recall really needing to use […]

Our granddaughters are coming and new Great Room windows

| December 23, 2020

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

| December 15, 2020

It has been a challenging year to say the least with the Coronavirus still raging in the US and around the world. So many lives, businesses and plans have been forever changed. Brenda and I just feel blessed to be surviving the pandemic and able to function in a day to day matter. We hear […]

Happy Birthday “daddy” Drew … and very good one he is!

| December 13, 2020

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Remembering Pearl Harbor and a few personal family thoughts

| December 7, 2020

Recognition and remembrance for those of the Greatest Generation who were killed on December 7, 1941 are compelling reasons why Pearl Harbor Remembrance Day rings loud with me … but my remembering is also partially due out of respect for my parents. For them (and my late mother and father-in-law), the attack by Japan and […]

Archiving pre-sale Zillow photos of Mom and DadC’s house #TBT

| December 3, 2020

As a ‘still listed’ page owner according to my Zillow update emails of my parents house listing in Sidney, Ohio, I realized that it will not be long before those pages and photos disappear. I likely still have the original photos on a compact flash drive card (who can still read those), but probably won’t […]

Our family is getting into the 2020 Christmas decorating spirit

| December 1, 2020

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Memories of Grandmothers and Aprons plus photos #TBT

| November 26, 2020

Since I’m pre-writing this by a few days for Throwback Thursday #TBT, I realized just before post it that  it will also be Thanksgiving on Thursday. Our family won’t be getting together as usual (same for a lot of families for a COVID19 resurgence), but ours was planned that way since we rotate holidays; Katelyn, […]

Apple Mac announcement event this past week along with some fun babysitting Annalyn and Ellerie in Perrysburg, Ohio

| November 14, 2020

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Family Filler: A couple of great leftover weekend photos

| November 4, 2020

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Waiting for a Halloween updates from my granddaughters

| November 1, 2020

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Ellerie was dedicated at Waterville Community Church

| October 27, 2020

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Archive: A couple family photos from this past week

| October 17, 2020

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Archive: Some books to bookshelves and granddaughter photos

| October 6, 2020

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Great night sky viewing of the moon, Saturn and Jupiter

| September 28, 2020

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A couple granddaughter photos from Brenda’s babysitting

| September 22, 2020

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Our granddaughter Ellerie has her first tooth … and big eyes!

| September 17, 2020

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Assembling a simple (cough, cough) swing set for grandkids

| September 6, 2020

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Music Monday: The Box Tops – The Letter (1967)

| August 31, 2020

Brenda started to sing along to a song that was on in the intro or background of a movie or TV show were were watching a couple weeks ago (don’t recall the show). I looked over and asked, “How do you remember this song … it was before our time?”  She replied that she thought […]

A memory from 2010! What happened to my children? #TBT

| August 27, 2020

Love this photo, although Katelyn and Taylor do look the same to me … well, add 10 years. I saw this photo from our Bermuda cruise in 2010 and thought, “I’m so glad we took as many trips as we did each year as a family!” The early years of traveling may have been on […]

Sent the Packardbaker out for some transmission work

| August 21, 2020

My dad’s 1958 Packard Hawk, mine for the last 5 years, has hardly been touched since it was flatbed delivered from Sidney, Ohio. I moved it once … and then covered it up with a battery tender after I noticed a pool of transmission fluid all over the floor. So on the 5th anniversary of […]

A weekend Brenda birthday photo and Jimmy Buffett video

| August 18, 2020

We are really enjoying the time we have to stay around home this summer amidst Coronavirus concerns … although Brenda has never stopped going to work … she works in an “essential business” – pharmacy. We certainly enjoyed having Katelyn, Drew, Annalyn and Ellerie to our house for a mini-vacation for several days earlier this […]

Happy Birthday to my wonderful wife and a few leftover photos

| August 12, 2020

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Archive: Stay around home 2020 mini-vacation family photos

| August 11, 2020

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Someone’s Tesla is plugged into my 220VAC welding circuit?

| August 9, 2020

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Music Monday: Time Passages -Al Stewart (1978)

| July 27, 2020

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Archive: Ellerie our 2nd granddaughter is 5 months old!

| July 26, 2020

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Social networking with like-minded friends about cars and remembering camping with my family when growing up #TBT

| July 23, 2020

Having the comradery of social media friends who enjoy similar interests doesn’t necessarily replace face to face friendships, but at least during the Coronavirus pandemic it is a way to stay connected. There are a few of us like-minded car guys who sort of have an appreciation for the mundane cars and share stories, photos and […]

Planning ahead for a stay-at-home visit with our granddaughter

| July 22, 2020

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Paintings and memories: Do you own any priceless art?

| July 11, 2020

Since I recently completed the bookshelves project this past spring and repainted our Library/Music room, Brenda and I have been discussing what artwork to put back on the walls. We’ve collected or have been given quite a few painting and likely will rotate them … but probably won’t include my favorites – the ones with […]

Wouldn’t it be nice to cool off in the pool on hot summer days?

| July 10, 2020

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A happy Taylor after updating his apartment’s kitchen #TBT

| July 9, 2020

While smiling and thinking about my “now domesticated son ” (HA!) after seeing a couple photos Taylor proudly sent me after updated his kitchen apartment, I realized he is now closer to middle age than living in “just out of college” bachelor pad. The pre-COVID19 days of “always going out” have adjusted to “being comfortable […]

Archive: Just a couple family photos from the 4th of July

| July 7, 2020

Archiving a few leftover 4th of July weekend family photos, but really, my phone/camera was not all that handy since I spent most of the weekend in swim trunks. Still we had a great couple of days relaxing with Taylor and Megan … and Brenda did not have to work! Katelyn, Drew, Annalyn and Ellerie […]

Winding down June 2020 with a couple granddaughter photos

| June 30, 2020

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Forgot to archive my 2020 Father’s Day conversation #TBT

| June 25, 2020

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Happy Father’s Day 2020 to a great dad and son-in-law, Drew

| June 21, 2020

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Currently my favorite podcast: Streetwise by Jack Hough

| June 17, 2020

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Obituary: Dorothy Jean Gerber passed away on May 30, 2020

| June 11, 2020

Dorothy Jean Gerber passed away peacefully at her home on May 30, 2020, in Twinsburg at the age of 93. Jean, as the name she went by, was born August 2, 1926 in Moran, Kansas to Reverend Roy and Bessie Truesdale. After graduating from McPherson High School in Kansas, she went on to attend Kansas […]

We had a great time with the family last weekend

| June 9, 2020

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Tech Friday: i-Device Wallpapers .. the Bompa edition

| May 29, 2020

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Happy Birthday Ron! Did you know you had a doppelgänger?

| May 21, 2020

Happy Birthday to my brother today. Although it is not every year I mentioned birthdays, particularly for those of us who prefer the year count be ignored, but this year with social distancing and lack of a physically connecting, I’ll post a birthday wish to Ron. Happy Birthday! While I’m thinking about it, I came […]

Archive: The birth announcement for Ellerie Frances Oostra

| May 17, 2020

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Book: “Fortitude” by Dan Crenshaw (thanks, Taylor)

| May 16, 2020

I commented to Brenda, “We must have done something right?” It was both a statement .. and a half question .. when reflecting on the book our son Taylor read, liked and then bought to give me for my birthday. It was definitely a very thoughtful and appreciated gift. Representative Dan Crenshaw’s book Fortitude slightly […]

Happy Birthday to a great mom and best daughter in the world

| May 14, 2020

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A second post today to say Thank You

| May 8, 2020

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The COVID19 worldwide slowdown is devastating oil companies

| April 22, 2020

The Coronavirus is doing what environmentalists and anti-fossil fuel advocates have only dreamed of doing … killing the petroleum industry. There is so little demand for crude oil that “Producers must pay buyers $37.63 a barrel” to refine their product. There is no place to store it as companies who explore and drill are dead […]

Photos to keep us up-to-date with our growing granddaughters

| April 19, 2020

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Having fun with a “left brain – right brain” teaser photo

| April 17, 2020

We all must be looking for things to share or to occupy our thoughts after about a month stuck at home (like the Engine Parts word search post early this week)? Perhaps we are not alone since my brother Ron sent one of those viral images that makes its way around the Internet last year. […]

Sanding – my favorite part of woodworking #sarcasm

| April 15, 2020

Instead of spending time this past Easter weekend dressing,going to church and getting together with family, I spent a few more hours sanding … and sanding … and sanding. My goal is to get this old exterior black walnut door (super thick veneer over oak – see above photo) ready to take a traditional oil […]

We’ve come a long way from “Reach Out and Touch Someone”

| April 14, 2020

Once upon a time, families who only snail-mailed cards and letters would on special occasions, like Easter, dial their corded rotary phones and pay for an expensive long distance call in order to “Reach Out and Touch Someone” as the marketing jingle would advertise (a 1970s commercial below the break). I remembered many phone calls […]

The Good News – “He is not here; for He is risen..”

| April 12, 2020

Although Brenda and I have been regularly listening to pastors share audio messages on their podcasts or watching church services online during these trying Coronavirus days, we like many Christians, are finding it challenging to be thinking and planning for Easter? Nevertheless, the calendar indicates it is Easter Sunday 2020, so a proper “He is […]

Annalyn and Ellerie photos are keeping a smile on my face

| April 8, 2020

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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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