April 1 is no joke this year, yet I am counting our many blessings

| April 1, 2020

This content is restricted.

The “Stay-at-Home” plan for COVID19 will continue for a while

| March 22, 2020

We are definitely not the only ones praying a little bit more that usual nowadays while listening to those who are trying to help the country and world manage and get through the Coronavirus threat. I reluctantly worry about the elderly and less capable of fending for themselves especially if they have underlying health issue […]

Annalyn’s artwork and Ellerie is already 4 weeks old!

| March 20, 2020

This content is restricted.

Just home projects while ignoring work and financial markets

| March 17, 2020

This content is restricted.

Granddaughter Annalyn celebrated birthday number 3 yesterday

| March 5, 2020

This content is restricted.

A great time visiting our NEW and almost 3-year old granddaughter

| March 1, 2020

This content is restricted.

As My Desultory Blog grows, it is becoming increasingly difficult to search and find archived information #TBT

| February 27, 2020

This content is restricted.

Our second granddaughter was born on February 20 2020

| February 22, 2020

This content is restricted.

While waiting for our 2nd granddaughter, here’s #1 for #TBT

| February 20, 2020

This content is restricted.

We’re anxiously waiting for BO#2 (Baby Oostra Number 2)

| February 19, 2020

Although I have not sought Katelyn’s approval to include her rounded “personal coffee table” or her pregnancy photo (cough, cough – one in the same) to MyDesultoryBlog, but I’m boldly going out on a limb by posting it. The longer I post daily, the more I find myself wanting to archive family milestones … as […]

When is it time to say goodbye to family pets? #PumpyUmpy

| February 15, 2020

While emailing my daughter this week about taking her “long living” bunny, Pumpy Umpy to the vet (injury and can’t move his leg), I mentioned that I eventually had to take Tootsie to the Butler County Humane Society as a way to prep for her eventual decision. I ended up seeing this “Keep in touch” […]

A personal family photo (and video) from 30 years ago #TBT

| February 13, 2020

Last week, a Jasper, Alberta family photo near a glacier for a ThrowBack Thursday #TBT post, had me sharing a few of my thoughts on climate change. I should have included another photo that had a few more from our family (especially since my sister-in-law, Lynda,  just returned home from the Cleveland Clinic). The trip […]

Winter weather, driving and fun babysitting Annalyn

| February 8, 2020

This content is restricted.

Prayers for medical issues have been on my mind this week

| February 7, 2020

The week started with heartache. A  funeral for our neighbors son. That was followed by my friend Jeff heading to be with his dad’s wife Thelma in Orlando after a fall. (his dad is 93 and she is 90). It looks as if Jeff with be soon trying to figure out their care and living […]

A 1989 family glacier photo and thoughts on climate change #TBT

| February 6, 2020

It has been a shockingly mild winter, at least in Cincinnati this year. Generally I don’t put the snow blower on the John Deere 330 tractor until it is needed, yet this year I prepared early … and may have frightened the snow away? Having a winter without much snow is not totally unheard of, […]

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

| January 4, 2020

This content is restricted.

Music Monday: We don’t see family often enough as time passes in “the wink of an eye” – Jackson Browne and The Pretender

| December 23, 2019

This content is restricted.

Merry Christmas 2019 – Wishing you success and courage

| December 17, 2019

This content is restricted.

Wishing my son-in-law Drew a Happy Birthday #TBT

| December 12, 2019

This content is restricted.

Wonderful news – Emory is here and has a name

| December 12, 2019

My nephew Aaron and long time blog reader/commenter and his wife Lauren had a baby on December 8th and all are healthy (shower in September). Brenda and I are so happy for them, and although he nameless at birth, we were excited in finally hearing his name and couple family “names” too … both last […]

Archiving: Our Corbett Family Thanksgiving photo for 2019

| December 2, 2019

Thanksgiving dinner with the Corbett, Oostra and Ankrom familes (click for high res) It is nice to have a few holiday rituals and for us, it is a Thanksgiving family feast with my brother and his family. Brenda, in particular, has now fully taken over the setting of a nice decorative table with all the […]

Archive: A couple great Ohio State Buckeye filler photos

| November 30, 2019

This content is restricted.

A Thanksgiving Poem by Paul Laurence Dunbar 1872-1906

| November 28, 2019

If African American poet Paul Laurence Dunbar in the late 1800’s could express his “thankfulness” so eloquently on Thanksgiving, those of us living in the United States today should have little problem appreciating the freedom and abundance that we all too often take for granted. It is great to have our family coming to our […]

Archive: Why this antique Ogontz Jack Plane is special to me

| November 19, 2019

I spent the weekend wasting time reorganizing, sorting and cleaning up my woodworking workshop this past weekend and realizing I have a few older “semi-collectable” tools that I really should comment on … or as Brenda says, write my notes down in a book while I can still remember things. Now as I mentioned to […]

My one and a half armed brother heads for surgery #TBT

| November 14, 2019

I probably shouldn’t make a joke about my brother Ron going in for a surgical repair to his shoulder on Friday, but since he was the one joking with me about how he has felt like a “one and a half armed man” since summer, I continue the joke. Hopefully, he will “slice” (ouch!) right […]

Baby Reveal: GrandDAUGHTER #2 is three months away! [video]

| November 10, 2019

This content is restricted.

Archiving a few Halloween photos and Tree-TeaHouse plan

| November 3, 2019

This content is restricted.

Vacation Part 3: A few left over photos and video from the beach

| October 27, 2019

There were a few extra photos and some video of Brenda swimming on my iPhone from our Delray Beach, Florida vacation last week, so I’ll archive them and make a Vacation Part 3 post (Part 1 and Part 2). Nothing spectacular … but viewing the video and listening to the water and wave below is […]

Vacation Part 2: Beach time with family after Legoland

| October 26, 2019

This content is restricted.

Vacation Part 1: Finished upholstery, master bath and cleaning

| October 23, 2019

This content is restricted.

Phase of life: Enjoying life and watching family doing the same

| October 14, 2019

This content is restricted.

Archive: Photos of Annalyn sure brings a smile to this grandpa

| October 8, 2019

This content is restricted.

Do you participate in Us vs Them with life and political issues?

| October 5, 2019

Most people recognize how polarized our country has become … thanks in part to politicians and the media fanning the divisive flames. I’m not sure why we fall prey to their tactics, but generating hate and dislike for each other does seem to work when it comes to building campaign war-chests and rabid supporters. I […]

Surprise ‘Friends’ Big Screen 30th Birthday Party for Megan

| October 1, 2019

My son Taylor was in hot water most of Saturday afternoon trying to delay Megan from arriving early to the TV sitcom ‘Friends’ 25th anniversary birthday surprise hosted by her parents. He used the “watching college football” excuse and did everything he could to keep Megan from arriving early. Denni and Dave did a fantastic […]

So much fun babysitting Annalyn in NW Ohio this past week

| September 28, 2019

This content is restricted.

Quiet no more – Katelyn and Drew are having a second baby

| September 24, 2019

This content is restricted.

Finally … a first baby shower for Lauren and Aaron Howard

| September 23, 2019

  Carolyn (Aaron’s forever babysitter and family friend), Brenda, Delores (DadH‘s office manager) and my sister-in-law Chris. Hm … the word "finally" is a sensitive one for those wanting a baby verses those delaying having a family? Thankfully for my nephew Aaron (loyal Music Monday blog commenter) and his wife Lauren, the wait is over, […]

Archive: Thankful to have my family within driving distance

| September 16, 2019

This content is restricted.

A final 3-day Labor Day 2019 weekend photos update

| September 4, 2019

This content is restricted.

Archive: Photo wrap-up of our 2019 summer week with Annalyn

| August 20, 2019

This content is restricted.

Another Volkswagen in the family – Taylor’s 2019 VW Alltrack

| August 18, 2019

Taylor’s new 2019 Volkswagen Alltrack – 8/15/2019 After a fantastic week with Annalyn here in Cincinnati, Brenda and I are in recovery mode.  I’ll need to spend a little time getting back to my emails and piled up work but I plan on archiving a few photos from the week (in a day or so). […]

Happy Birthday Brenda, with a couple photos from the archives

| August 12, 2019

As hinted at last week, today is the day I want to wish my wonderful wife Brenda a Happy Birthday. We are looking forward to our slowly closing the chapter of “career” (no hurry yet) … and are starting to plan the new chapter called “retirement. Anxious? Who me? Although we may have changed a […]

Where have the years gone? 11 years ago and now in 2019. #TBT

| August 8, 2019

This content is restricted.

Catch up post after our 2019 Fourth of July Family weekend

| July 9, 2019

This content is restricted.

Technology, communication, parenting and The Lord’s Prayer

| July 7, 2019

This content is restricted.

A big thanks to Taylor for planning a Reds-Indians family day

| July 6, 2019

This content is restricted.

One week late, but finally archiving our Put In Bay family weekend

| June 29, 2019

This content is restricted.

Finally joining the smartwatch and Fitbit wearer club

| June 26, 2019

This content is restricted.

Remembering the Lake Erie Islands with our family #TBT

| June 20, 2019

Although the Throwback Thursday #TBT memory of celebrating my late parent’s 50th wedding anniversary in 2007 leaves me bittersweet, I’m so thankful we had our time together (photo above and below the break is with them on Kelley’s Island in 2007). I’m not sure where the time disappeared … but I honestly thought that both […]

Lost track of the weekend – Happy Father’s Day

| June 16, 2019

This content is restricted.

Archiving Taylor’s 30th birthday party with photos and video

| June 11, 2019

We had a great 30th birthday party for Taylor and his friends on Saturday in the backyard … just as we have many times before. As a parent it is nice to know he has always enjoyed bringing friends to our house rather than going someplace else … and seemingly his friends are okay with […]

For those who pray, would you pray for my niece Sarah Gerber

| June 1, 2019

For Christians, who pray for wisdom, for the health and safety of our families and the stressful issues we face daily, prayer is something most of us have been taught to do from an early age. I’d like to think that this daily “practice” of prayer prepares us to be great “prayer warriors” for others […]

A wide swath of Western Ohio was hit by storms and tornadoes

| May 28, 2019

Thankfully the tornado(es) and severe storms that blasted through Indiana and Ohio last night were all to our north. I checked in with my brother Ron in Tipp City and he was fine, although his home and my nephew Jaben’s (Huber Heights) were in the path of this nighttime storm. The photo of a massive […]

Catch up photos from Mother’s Day with the kids

| May 18, 2019

This content is restricted.

Very funny – Annalyn thinks Taylor looks like Rutledge Wood

| May 8, 2019

This content is restricted.

Busy, busy. So just posting a leftover granddaughter photo.

| April 30, 2019

This content is restricted.

EVs are making inroads – Drew is now a Tesla Model 3 owner

| April 28, 2019

This content is restricted.

Look who has been visiting our house for a few days

| April 27, 2019

This content is restricted.

Archive: Photos from Katelyn, Drew & Annalyn’s trip to Yosemite

| April 20, 2019

This content is restricted.

Remembering Easter break with a couple #TBT photos from 1997

| April 18, 2019

It is Thursday before Easter  and besides thinking about a Throwback Thursday post, it is also Maundy Thursday – the day in which Christian’s commemorate the Last Supper. It also reminds me of the times we would get together with our families on or around Easter. Sometimes it was with my parents and other times […]

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