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This Page - Gay Christian autobiography regular life updates (Blog, Blogger) for the year 2004.
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Is this a Blog? Am I a Blogger? Long before the term "blog" was invented, from this website's beginnings, I included a monthly "diary," an update of my life and events, things I have learned, experienced, shared. Only recently did I begin archiving previous years. I enjoy reading biographies; I like them not just for the interesting life stories, but they assist me in learning from other people's experiences how to handle my own life journey. I hope this (b)log of my life helps you. Some of you might be disappointed, there rarely will be found here any comments about religion or politics, nor any kiss and tell stories, HaHa. Feel free to contact me if you have any questions, comments, or would like to discuss further something mentioned herein. Thanks, Ben I honestly never thought about archiving the website's previous ten years worth of monthly updates of my life. However, I finally started, and here you may find these past listings. Thanks.
My father, now moved back to Kansas from Arizona, came up to spend the holidays with us. Christmas Day was spent with Chris' mother, brother, and family. Chris' mother lives out in the country, and right before we sat down to eat, five mule deer entered the backyard to feast on their Christmas dinner of corn and grain left for them. Chris' three year old neice and nephew were there, too, decked out in their cute Christmas clothes, madly opening gifts, ignoring the clothes given, and loving the toys, per usual for children. Chris got me several DVDs, our son got me a few, too, and Chris also got me the latest book on Abraham Lincoln, one of my favorite persons to read about (though he swears he's going to ban me from reading so much about him, HaHa). Chris got a fancy clock from our son, some new clothes, and lots of cookbooks he wanted. Our son got some new DVDs, too, clothes, and books. It was a delightful time. For New Year's, we play to do some window shopping, and finally get around to seeing all the various new movies that are out. We all hope your holidays were great, and you ever know God loves you, always. Peace.
The rest of the month was gearing up for the Thanksgiving holiday. Our son spent it with his mother's parents (his grandparents). Chris and I spent it with his mother, brother, and family; all the traditional foods and visits. Between paydays, we were not able to Christmas power shop the days after Thanksgiving, but were able to get several ideas for everyone to purchase later. We also took in several movies, including the new Harry Potter movie, and a nice dinner out one evening. Chris has now banned me from buying anything for myself, lest I purchase something Father Christmas has reserved for me.
Chris and I spent a few weekends traveling to small towns in the area around Kansas City and Topeka, taking in the changing Fall colors, window shopping at several antique malls. My son and I completed his high school band competitions and football games. Overall, the band averaged second place, and did very well, in par with the school history and tradition of a strong music program. The band has a one month break before basketball season begins. The month concluded with a nice birthday party for Chris' mother, who's birthday is Halloween. It was held at her new home, giving opportunity for all her friends abd family to see it. Chris organized it all, and our son and I helped with placing all the food and gifts. It was a delightful day and I was very proud of Chris, and know his mother was delighted with him.
September ended with my birthday, another quiet day. In fact, I had to work, and Chris was under the weather, unable to celebrate with me. But, his birthday gift was priceless to me. Although, as you can see, I love Disney's movie Pinocchio, which was the first movie I ever saw; in fact, my actual favorite movie is Ben-Hur. Chris gave me the new four disc DVD box edition, with the digital restored magnificent four hour movie, and also the flawless three hour silent movie version, too. I spent several days watching them, drinking in the deeply moving story of one man's journey to finding Christ and peace in his life. In between, my son's high school band competitions and performance at the football games began, and they run through the end of October. As in prior years, I am traveling with the band, helping load and unload instruments, chaperone the students, laughing and sharing with the them all, and helping on the field during the performances. In a performance, you are judged not only on your playing and marching, but timed on how quickly you get on and off the field. We did not know until the first contest we needed adults on the back field to pick up flags at the end of the performance, get them off the field; I volunteered. It rained, the field was very muddy and slick, I was weighed down with flags slipping out of my hands. I tripped and fell flat and hard to the ground. Not until two days later did the pain in my right side pursuade me to give it any attention. I have two cracked ribs; not much you can do about them, just rest more, endure the pain for the next six to eight weeks. My father came back for his high school reunion, and while here he looked at homes in the area. He found one he liked and purchased it. Now, he is in the process of putting his house up for sale in Phoenix, going through things for an estate sale and packing for moving back to Kansas. We expect him to move back sometime in mid-November or December. It has been four years since my mother died, and has long been a concern for him living so far away, alone and in advanced age. Now, he will be within adequate driving distance in cases of emergencies. Chris' mother also completed her move into her new home. Our parents seem to both be making changes late in life, HaHa. She kindly gave me a curio cabinet she no longer needed. Now, I have a place to display all of my Disney Pinocchio figurines and collectables, many which Chris has given me over the years, most special to me. Love you sweetie!
Chris' mother and her new husband moved into their new home. Chris and I spent most weekends assisting in packing, moving, and unpacking. Chris' mother asked Chris to assist her in organizing her new kitchen; Chris is very good at this. I've been helping her husband, and cleaning and arranging various things. But, in between all of that Chris and I have had some time together to do our own housework and construction. He purchased some new furniture, adding some of his mother's, and I put together the nuts and bolts of many of them. It is the development of a full finished basement family room, with seating and reading areas, along with the new bathroom. Our son has already camped himself downstairs, and loves it; it makes a nice space for him. Last Christmas, my father finally said he was ready to call Phoenix quits and move back to Kansas. At his age and health, it is just too far away for emergency purposes, and for family contacts. He showed us brochures for a retirement community here, and it seemed too good to be true. Well, now he is still expressing interest in moving back, but would rather purchase a home. This will mean a lot of work, energy, and effort, involving not just selling and purchasing homes, with all of the going through things, selling things, downsizing, packing, and moving, but also financial rearrangements, setting up new contacts, socialization, medical, and church contacts. So, we are not sure what may develop over the next several months, keeping our work and home schedules flexible to assist as needed. Our son turned seventeen years old (for all the straight girls out there, he is not taken, and if you want to know what he looks like, he is a young looking clone of me, just with blond/brown hair, HaHa). We had a simple birthday, with dinner out, new clothes, and music CDs for him.
July went fairly fast. Chris and I began working on the downstairs, now that the bathroom there has been renovated. We are trying to make one half into a family room secondary gathering type area, and the other half into a game or dining table area. I spent a couple weekends putting together shelves and an entertainment center to hold a stereo, television, and our extensive collection of books and movies. It is finally coming together and will be a nice area for our son to use, as well as when we have friends over. July is the only real summer break for our son, between the trip in June, and school beginning again with band the first of August. He spent most of it hanging out with his friends, or in the pool (it has been unusually hot). Chris' mother, a widow, married a delightful gentleman, and they are selling their homes and moving into a new larger place. Chris and I have been helping them get organized, moving some things, helping them with decorating and placement ideas. Their new home will be a nice gathering place for holidays, and it has a pool, to the delight of Chris' brother's three year old twins.
Our son finished out the school year. He had his final Spring band concert, which was nice, and I helped stage the music equipment. He lettered in Academics this year, and we attended the ceremony with other parents and students receiving honors and scholarships. He also received his letter in Band at the annual Band Banquet. He also received an award, recognized for the best representation of form in Band (how he marches, holds his cornet, etc.). Finals went well, and the Band played at the Graduation ceremonies. Things wrapped up with a mini-band camp for the incoming freshmen. Our son will be playing second trumpet next fall, when he will be a Junior. The month ended with the Memorial Day weekend. Chris and I went to see Reba with Brad Paisley, two country singers we love. We also saw some movies, and visited our family cemeteries. Lastly, my son and I prepared for a trip in June.
The house work kept us from focusing on just how broke we have been, lately. Neither of our salaries has kept up with health insurance increases, and the costs of raising a growing teenage boy. In the middle of the month, we went back to court and had approved discontinuing paying child support to our son's mother, since he's actually been living with us for a long time; that will save us more money in the long run, than in the short-term monthly paycheck
Our son had his Spring band concert, which was nice, and he got straight "A" in all his classes this quarter. I filed a motion this month to have the child support cancelled that I've paid our son's mother for years; our son's been living with us continually for a long time. It became a matter of finances, the higher burden of expenses falling on us, and her not really expending it properly. Not something one would like to do, but did out of principal, and our son's needs. Our finances have not been well for several years, the reason why both Chris and I try to work overtime, second jobs, etc., to make ends meet, and be there for our son. We hope this will help. Easter was quiet, except for pulling carpet. We spent some time with Chris' brother's new twins, and shared lots of candy, clothes, and gifts.
In the evening, we went to see the musical The Music Man, at our son's high school. Our son was in the performance, at the end when the band comes into the auditorium playing "Seventy-six trombones" (went the big parade, one hundred ten cornets right behind...). Since our son plays the cornet, and the only one in the band, our son wanted to attach a sign to the front of his cornet, saying "...one cornet right behind." HaHa. We were very proud of him, and he looks great in his formal uniform with black tux pants, purple military coat, shoulder braids, tall black hat with purple feather plume. If he ever wanted to attract a girlfriend, all he has to do is wear that uniform. Chris also spent several weekends helping a friend of his pack and move across town. So, basically, we have been tired all month.
Other than the cat, it was a routine month of working and our son's school activities. But, both were regularly interupted by the weather, snow, and ice storms, letting us stay home from school and work. Chris doesn't drive in snow, so he stayed a couple days with a friend from work. Most of the weather was during the week, so the weekends were free to take in some movies, including Phantom of the Opera, which we liked, saw the stage performance several years ago.
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Father Christmas. In my Scots-Irish family heritage "Father Christmas" comes to visit, not "Santa Claus," though they are very similar. Father Christmas wears a brownish red robe, trimmed in fur, tied with rope around his waist. Hanging from his belt is a bag of coal for bad children, and a bag of sweets for good children. On his back, he carries a bag filled with holiday cheer, a tree, traditional foods, and gifts. This year, Father Christmas was busy all month, hunting for just the right gifts for Chris and our son, within the timing of his payday checks, HaHa. He also "gay-ly" decorated the house for the holidays, and made a few traditional holiday foods.
Moving. My father sold his house in Arizona and bought one in Kansas. So, several years after my mother's death, he is finally moving closer; instead of a three day drive, now he will be a three hours drive away. Still wrapping up selling his home there, he asked me to take possession of the new home, and meet the moving company. They arrived a day early, which gave me more time that expected, not only able to unpack his kitchen, bath, and bedroom needs, but the entire house. I put everything away, everything up on the walls and shelves, and even put up the Christmas decorations since he does not arrive until after the Thanksgiving holiday.
