grandchildren | My Desultory Blog

Most parents and grandparents have room for improvement

RichC | October 11, 2020

I’m the first to admit, “I have plenty of shortcomings as a parent and grandparent,” … and I don’t think that I’m alone. That said, focusing on our past mistakes and regret will do little to correct the past, not to mention won’t help our own psyche. Instead, we can look forward, learn from the […]

Category: Advice, Archive, Books, Faith, Personal, Photos | No Comments »
Tags: advice, annalyn, book, christian, ellerie, examples, Faith, grandchildren, grandparenting, grandparents, katelyn, life, norms

Archive: Some books to bookshelves and granddaughter photos

RichC | October 6, 2020

The summer has slipped away and we are finally getting around to getting our boxes and bags of books back in the library/music room. Earlier this year I built some new bookshelves for the back wall that will house a lot of our books. I’ve been tossing and slowly organizing them, but Brenda has just […]

Category: Archive, Books, Memories, Personal, Photos | No Comments »
Tags: annalyn, Books, bookshelves, brenda, collage, dentist, ellerie, family, grandchildren, granddaughters, katelyn, library, music room, preschool, school

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

RichC | September 6, 2020

I was planning to hold off posting the progress from last weekend and a few evenings putting together a swing set for Annalyn … and eventually Ellerie who is now 6 months old (the playset is sized for 3-10 year olds). I had thought Drew and Katelyn might be coming down over Labor Day, but […]

Category: Archive, Misc, Personal, Photos | No Comments »
Tags: annalyn, assembly, backyard, ellerie, family, fort, grandchildren, granddaughters, grandkids, grass seed, home, project, richc, swings, swingset, treehouse

Annalyn and Ellerie photos are keeping a smile on my face

RichC | April 8, 2020

Grandparents who receive regular photos, video, FaceTime and Alexa Echo messages from their grandchildren (and children) are fortunate to live in today’s technology rich world. Just a couple decades ago, families who moved apart for careers or whatever reason were lucky to get a few snapshots in the US mail or maybe talk on the […]

Category: Archive, Personal, Photos, Travel | No Comments »
Tags: annalyn, drew, ellerie, family, grandchildren, katelyn, oostra, Photos, Travel, trips, vacation

My sailing friends know how to be thankful

RichC | May 4, 2012

I received a needed lesson in blessings and being thankful today. My sailing friends Mark and Judy Handley have been sharing their daily lives online for many years while cruising around the world. Their circumnavigation ended over a year ago, but Judy continues to document their return to a “somewhat” more normal life. Unfortunately this […]

Category: Blogs, Health, Misc, Photos, Sailing | No Comments »
Tags: chemotherapy, grandchildren, handley

Most Recent Posts

10/19/20: Music Monday: “Upside Down” and “Broken” with Jack Johnson
While I was only going to mention the album recording of “Upside Down,” I happend to see the official .mp4 video online and figured it was even better than just listening, so here it is for Music Monday!… »
10/18/20: Tidbits: Just a simple Band-Aid bandaging tip for a finger joint
About half the time I need to cover a cut with a Band-Aid, it is on a finger. Often right where the joint flexes and then even the better stretchy bandages bunch, unstick and come off. Here’s a tip for covering the… »
10/17/20: Archive: A couple family photos from this past week
While Brenda and I zipped to Florida for a couple planned vacation get-away days, our family enjoyed the autumn weather change in Ohio. Taylor treated Megan to a birthday evening with a romantic evening and a fire in… »
10/16/20: Friday Filler: Probably the cutest thing you will see this week
Watch what happens when this “magic hat” is put on a baby duckling …… »
10/14/20: Books: Finished Operation Vengeance, starting Pacific Crucible
This past week I finally finished Dan Hampton’s excellent historical World War II book titled “Operation Vengeance” about the operation to kill Isoroku Yamamoto and can finally move on to the book I mentioned in… »
10/13/20: Workshop dust control for a basement woodworking shop
Thrifty or maybe frugal is the word choice that I use, but occasionally “cheapskate” might be a better fit? I’ve used a 3-speed Jet Tools Air Filtration System to clean the air in my basement woodworking… »
10/12/20: Music Monday: Are you "feeling groovy" this morning?
Some of the best songs of a generation or music decade are the ones that make you feel good … or “groovy.” The 59th Street Bridge Song by folk music duo Simon and Garfunkel from the 1960s was one of those. To be… »
10/11/20: Most parents and grandparents have room for improvement
I’m the first to admit, “I have plenty of shortcomings as a parent and grandparent,” … and I don’t think that I’m alone. That said, focusing on our past mistakes and regret will do little to correct… »
10/10/20: My son Taylor has been busy professionally and personally
As a dad who has always kept up and archived the “goings-on” with Taylor and Katelyn on MyDesultoryBlog, I realized that grandchildren steal the limelight most of the time … that is just the way it is. But …… »
10/09/20: Nothing to see here, it’s just politics as usual for the political left
A Hollywood style TRUMP sign goes up in California “on private property” … then it is promptly taken down by California Department of Transportation citing “a life and safety issue.” Hm … I’m sure… »
10/08/20: The Old Wooden Ladder: Shag carpet and "The Pig" #TBT
While doing some the pool house garage cleaning and reorganizing over the past couple of weeks, a piece of the old shag carpeting I duct taped onto the old wooden ladder I acquired in the 1980s fell off. As usual, it… »
10/07/20: An inexpensive Sailrite LSZ-1 sewing machine cart is finished
The Sailrite LSZ-1 sewing machine cart is complete and turned out great. Everything worked as planned (a rarity for me) and didn’t have to purchase anything new. The wider oak material was sitting in my stock shelf,… »
10/06/20: Archive: Some books to bookshelves and granddaughter photos
The summer has slipped away and we are finally getting around to getting our boxes and bags of books back in the library/music room. Earlier this year I built some new bookshelves for the back wall that will house a lot… »
10/05/20: Music Monday: Stories We Could Tell sung by Jimmy Buffett
While reminiscing this past weekend while cleaning and reorganizing (more Thursday for #TBT) … our old wooden ladder made me think of Jimmy Buffett’s 1974 album A1A and the John Sebastian song “Stories We Could… »
10/04/20: Cleaning, reorganizing, some sanding and new ZipGuard finsih
In my goal to gain space in the poolhouse garage (a failure) and clearing out and cleaning the east-side wall, I shifted my attention to the beat-up bench top. Part of this was just clearing the workbench of junk, then… »
10/03/20: After cleaning, tossing junk and the re-organizing a couple walls, the pool house garage is still way too cluttered
As much as I love working in an organized space, for the life of me I have trouble keeping it that way. Also, I can’t get rid of things I use, might use or that are too good to sell or toss. The truth is that I have… »
10/02/20: Sold my Twitter $TWTR stock as the election nears
With Twitter $TWTR stock rising this week and the election around the corner, I debated buying a PUT option, but instead decided I would feel more comfortable in a cash position than wondering what direction the stock… »
10/01/20: What to do with my antique letterpress type galley trays #TBT
While clearing out a little more garage clutter this past weekend in order to gain some space as the weather changes (things are getting too crowded), I finally ripped apart an old type galley cabinets that I hauled… »
09/30/20: Biden and Trump debate as the 2020 Presidential Election nears
“INCOMING!” (reference to the diving falcon photo) With best intentions, I had hoped to post on Tuesday night’s first of 3 presidential debates for Wednesday morning – nope … maybe over lunch? I am with… »
09/29/20: Remembering my mom’s birthday with an Oldsmobile photo
My mother’s birthday isn’t one that I mark with a blog post every year, but since I ran across this old photo of my mom in East Tawas Michigan, I set it aside (along with one from me in my new suede coat back in… »
09/28/20: Great night sky viewing of the moon, Saturn and Jupiter
As usual, my night celestial bodies viewing in person is SO MUCH BETTER than trying to capture the beautiful night sky with an iPhone (and older 7 model to boot) … but that doesn’t stop me from trying. Here’s a… »
09/28/20: Music Monday: Social unrest and the 1970s song Chevy Van
It’s likely the politics and social unrest from a decade of racial tension, the Vietnam quagmire and the impeachment, then resignation, of disgraced President over his involvement and cover-up in Watergate was as… »
09/27/20: A semi-portable thickness planer for my woodworking shop
When bragging that my latest sewing cart project had zero cost in it, I held off until the end of the post to mention that I was spending money and would post about that on Sunday. Well here it is: I bought my first… »
09/26/20: Started the weekend with a Sailrite LSZ-1 sewing cart project
If you have ever used a heavy portable sewing machine, you know what a pain it is to haul it out of storage and set it up to make a simple repair. I don’t know how many times I’ve grumbled when Brenda wants me to… »
09/25/20: Real ID is still happening, but you have a 1-year reprieve
Since I posted last year about the new Real ID regulations for domestic flying and travel, I figured it was appropriate to update the one-year reprieve. Due to circumstances resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic and the… »
09/24/20: A sign of Autumn and our 1987 Mercedes Benz 560SEL #TBT
We had our first taste of cooler fall weather for 2020 last week as the hot 80+ degree days of August and early September gave way to pleasant mid-to-high 70s and cooler evenings dipping into the 40s. Brr, my body has… »
09/23/20: Time for another BMW X5 35d oil, filter and air filter change
The weather has been just perfect for evenings in the garage or outside, so it is a good time to be checking off a couple of to-do list items – it was enjoyable. Although I’ve been slightly overdue for an oil… »
09/22/20: A couple granddaughter photos from Brenda’s babysitting
Since Brenda (Oma) is babysitting up in Perrysburg for Katelyn and Drew, I thought I’d archive a couple photos from her day (although the one above is from Katelyn marking that Ellerie is now 7 months old). Since… »
09/21/20: Music Monday: "Where the Stars and Stripes and the Eagle Fly" co-written and sung by Aaron Dupree Tippin
There are a handful of songs that bring tears of pride to my eyes and goosebumps to my arms in reflecting just how blessed we are to be living in the United States of America. Aaron Tippin, Kenny Beard and Casey… »
09/20/20: I’m missing sailing, but here are a few new knot tying ideas
Most people who enjoy sailing and undertake the sport/activity as a hobby, also enjoy learning how to handle the many sheets and lines (ropes) that are used aboard a sailboat. I’ve been sailing off and on my entire… »
09/19/20: Paintied the hinges and door hardware for the pool changing room
It has taken me most of the second half of the summer, but I’m finally finishing the poolhouse changing room … more work than I thought. The damage done by Katelyn’s “late” pet rabbit Pumpy Umpy was… »
09/18/20: Tech Friday: A new feature update for my Fitbit Versa
After a recent update from Fitbit, my Versa watch is now tracking my SpO2 level when I sleep. Unsure what to make of it, I asked my doctor-daughter Katelyn what it means: “looks good, no sleep apnea.” (Fitbit… »
09/17/20: Our granddaughter Ellerie has her first tooth … and big eyes!
What kind of grandparent would I be to not include Ellerie’s first tooth on MyDesultoryBlog since I post on practically everything else? Katelyn mentioned in a phone call that Ellerie was teething and could see her… »
09/16/20: Filler post: Shade Sail Stick Insects and a couple idea photos
While brushing a few leaves off the new shade sails, this little guy caught my eye. It is amazing how different Stick Insects can change colors to fit their surroundings. Actually this blog post is just a mid-week… »
09/15/20: Photos of a few new hardwood trees from my brother’s nursery
It has been eleven years since we last purchased a few trees from my brother Ron’s retirement avocation – a nursery dedicated to NativeOhioPlants. He started planting trees years before so after he retired from the… »
09/14/20: Another Jimmy Buffett 2020 stay-at-home video memory
In keeping up with archiving the Jimmy Buffett COVID19 “stay-at-home” series of recording during the summer of 2020, here’s another old one … although to me, I remember it like yesterday. “The Wino and I… »
09/13/20: Apple iOS 13.7: Opt-in to COVID19 exposure notifications?
I downloaded and installed the new Apple iOS 13.7 update, but hesitated since I regularly prefer blocking location services information. Both Apple and Google announced the “tracking” in April 2020, but as expected,… »
09/12/20: BMW X5 35d diesel fill-up for $1.39/gal with Kroger fuel points
With a few miles of driving this week (nothing like my years of back and forth to NE Ohio) … I kept an eye out for anomalies in diesel fuel price. prices. It just so happened that Sidney and Wapakoneta prices were a… »
09/11/20: The 19th Anniversary of 9/11 and thoughts on our current path
It seems like yesterday, but it was 19 years ago that the US was attacked by our own commercial airliners taken over by radical Islamic terrorists and orchestrated by Osama bin Laden. These evil men following a twisted… »
09/10/20: Few photos of vintage racing match this Nigel Corner image #TBT
Nine lives, fate, stroke of luck, divine intervention? Here’s a Throwback Thursday #TBT shocker. One never knows just how “forgetting to put on a safety belt” could be seen as the smartest thing someone would do… »
09/09/20: Archive: Brenda’s flowers, busy working bees and babysitting
It is a late day of posting a few photos and memories from babysitting on Tuesday. I drove up to Perrysburg on Labor Day and enjoyed a few hours with Katelyn, Drew, Annalyn and Ellerie together, then the next day, it… »
09/08/20: The trajectory of a bullet thru pipes is shocking! YouTube #video
It is disturbing that someone actually tried this, but “for science” (cough, cough) … the result is eye-opening. I don’t think I’ll ever look into the end of pipes when working plumbing… »
09/07/20: Music Monday: I Heard It Through The Grapevine – CCR (1970)
Everybody knows it and everybody has “Heard It Through The Grapevine” (at least the 1968 single version by Marvin Gaye)… but not everybody has listened to the full 11 minutes of Creedence Clearwater Revival’s… »
09/06/20: Assembling a simple (cough, cough) swing set for grandkids
I was planning to hold off posting the progress from last weekend and a few evenings putting together a swing set for Annalyn … and eventually Ellerie who is now 6 months old (the playset is sized for 3-10 year… »
09/05/20: The 2020 Presidential Election through symbolism
In trying to look at our divided America in a glass half-full way, the 2020 Presidential election at least gives voters a clear contrast in a candidates or political party’s desired direction for the country.… »
09/04/20: Obit: A generation of small boat cruising sailors loved Larry
Larry and Lin Pardey have been a couple of my sailing idols since I was in high school. Their life adventure, magazine articles and books have been a mainstay in keeping the cruising lifestyle close to my heart and in… »
09/03/20: My memories on an obsolete automotive oil spout gadget #TBT
I shared a question to a few of my automotive friends on a Twitter a few weeks ago … prior to my WordPress post disappeared due to a mysql crash (grrr!) … A question for #Millennials: What is this automotive… »
09/02/20: Books: Starting with "Pacific Crucible" by Ian W. Toll
As a World War II history buff, and someone who has read a few Navy and Merchant Marine stories over the years, I was triggered to start a hefty Ian W. Toll trilogy after reading a book review in the WSJ last weekend of… »
09/01/20: Unrequested November 2020 Ohio absentee ballot request forms
Although we have "requested" Ohio absentee voting ballots before as a convenience or often for being away from the local polls, this is the first time ballots requests forms are just showing up in the mail. If… »
08/31/20: Music Monday: The Box Tops – The Letter (1967)
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… »
08/29/20: Made a new car guy connection when discussing the Packard
On Friday afternoon I stopped in to talk with Rick Benhase, the guy looking at the Packard transmission for me. He is a truly old car nut and can’t seem to get rid of his “fleet” once he buys or fixes them. This… »
08/28/20: An updated shade sail photo and a granddaughter photo too
I know … if you check-in on my blog regularly, you are tired of hearing about this shade sail awning project. But after the thunderstorms, wind and heavy rain this week I had to ‘trim the sails’ so to speak.… »
08/27/20: A memory from 2010! What happened to my children? #TBT
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… »
08/27/20: A summer thunderstorm may be a Hurricane Laura precursor
As the Gulf of Mexico coast of Louisiana and Texas prepare for Hurricane Laura (as well as areas well inland), we got a taste of the kind of rain that might also be headed our way as this tropical weather works its way… »
08/26/20: Would you feel safe swimming with an Orca Pod? #video
Just a filler video that I found eye-opening since my wife Brenda is a openwater, correction … shoreline swimmer. 😮… »
08/25/20: The Democrats had their 2020 virtual convention last week and the Republicans started their virtual convention this week
To sum up the nomination process for the November 3rd 2020 presidential election in a short paragraph is foolhardy, but that doesn’t prevent me from opining on the week long telethons. I expected both parties to come… »
08/24/20: Music Monday: Under Pressure – Queen, plus some humor
Oh how the simplest humor can trigger a music flashback, at least for me! I’m not sure everyone’s brain operates like this, but the song Under Pressure from 1981/82 by Queen, and the late great David Bowie, is the… »
08/23/20: It is wearing out, but the Rat Zapper is still repairable
Even though we have a few of those ultrasonic devices plugged into the walls, mice seem to find their way into the detached and attached garage then figure out how to squeeze there way into the house. I’d like to… »
08/22/20: My summer favorite Sperry Searacer boat shoes are wearing out
This is probably something I should have expected after bringing my “boat-only” non-skid Sperry SeaRacer Sneakers home from the boat in June – excessive wear. I’ve been wearing these light-weight synthetic upper… »
08/21/20: Sent the Packardbaker out for some transmission work
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… »

October 2020
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