southcarolinaredherring

2010-10-26T17:43:00.000-07:00

I want to introduce you to my daughter, Jillian Grace. It still doesn’t seem like she is mine. I keep waiting on it to end. I love having her here with us. She has only been here for about 6 days but it seems like she has been with me forever. It seems like I was supposed to be with her. I don’t know how that is possible. She has been here for short while and I feel like she has always been here. I don’t know what it is. I saw the cat come in one day and jump up on the couch beside her. I gave the cat the stink eye. I watched it the entire time until Joanna went up and picked it up and walked away. She never said if she knew I was eyeballing the cat. I think she did – she is the mom, and they know everything.

I don’t know how to put into words what she means to me. I don’t know if I ever will. I have been calling her pumpkin lately. Julia asked me tonight why I call her that. I told her because she is my little October baby. I guess that is the case but I think I might have called her pumpkin anyway. I called Katie my little cutie pie and I can’t say why I did that. It just comes to me when I meet them. Jillian is my little pumpkin.

New bike

2010-08-27T14:27:00.000-07:00

We were shopping the other day and got both of the girls a new bike. Alan was crushed but we knew that one of the girl’s bikes would fit him soon. I talked to him and told him we would go to the paint aisle and he could pick out a color for his new bike. I think this cheered him a little. He picked yellow. I spent the next few days tearing the bike apart and sanding the frame down. Little by little I was able to paint then build him a new bike. I put new grips and tires on it. On the day I put it back together I had the shop put a new chain on it. It was the one thing I didn’t do myself. I think it looks okay for my first attempt, and he is happy with his ‘new’ bike.

Time to say goodbye

2010-08-27T14:10:00.000-07:00

It was a sad day on Thursday. I had to say goodbye to an old friend. We had a near and dear relationship for almost 11 years. I am talking about my little red truck. I did not want to get rid of it but it was necessary. We have a new addition on the way and needed more seating capacity. We looked around and opted for a minivan. We went with the VW Routan. It is nice but… I would like to have kept the truck but there was no place to store it. My neighbor has no problem with having a yard that looks like a used car lot but I did not want our house to look like that. Plus we would have had to pay taxes and insurance on it every year. So – it’s gone. I put it on Craig’s list in hopes of selling it in a week or so. It went on the site at around 2 and was sold by 5:30. I got more for it than I thought I would. I have one parting picture of it. It was a truly sad day.

Fishing

2010-07-29T17:45:00.000-07:00

I love to fish. I have several opportunities to fish with my favorite people in the next few days. Tomorrow is going to be a special day for the kids. Joanna is going to take Julia out for a special one on one outing, and Granna Trish is going to take Holly out to the movies, oops I think that was a secrete. Alan and I are going to go to my friend Jan’s house to go fishing. He lives over near the coast and has a tidal creek in his back yard. It is where Julia caught the sting ray last year. Alan and I are going to borrow Jan’s crab pot and fish for the morning. We hope the catch everything out of the ocean.

I also get to take my grand pa fishing on Monday. It is his birthday! It will be very special to me because I get to take my new family fishing with my grand pa. I hope that they learn to have the same love for the outdoors that I learned from him. It is the one thing in life that I have always loved to do- go fishing with Grand pa.

I hope to be half the man for them, that he is for me.

Baby!

2010-07-07T18:28:00.001-07:00

I don’t know if I blogged that Joanna is pregnant. We are expecting a bouncing baby girl on October 31. Today we bought a crib and bedding. I have been watching Joanna as she progresses but putting the crib in the house was the first time it seemed real that she will be here in the fall. I think we need more room. I don’t think we can afford it – yet. This is a nice house. It is small but we can raise our family here. It is what you make it. I hope you enjoy the pictures.

I like the green color and the barn yard motif. I got to pick the bedding out.

First Bauble

2010-06-29T18:57:00.000-07:00

This doesn’t seem a lot like me, but I picked it out. This is the first thing that Joanna and I have purchased for the new baby girl. We went to the Jelly Belly factory today and I thought they would be nice for a baby girl.

Honeymoon

2010-06-25T19:02:00.000-07:00

There has been a lot of stuff since my last post. I went camping with the family, and a Zac Brown concert. I guess I have a hard time keeping up. Joanna and I waited until the kids were going to be with their dad to go on our trip. We chose to go to Napa/San Francisco area. We did not know when we planned it that she would be pregnant. I don’t think the tastings are very fun for her but she has enjoyed all the other activities. We have been active in the mornings and in the afternoons we have visited the wineries. We have only been here two days, but we have been to see the Napa and Sonoma Valleys. My favorite winery so far is Frogs leap. Tomorrow we head to San Francisco. I am including some pictures of our first few days.

Garden update

2010-05-23T17:33:00.001-07:00

I was hoping to just feed us this summer. I think we might have enough to can some if it all goes well. I am still asking questions and reading books and articles. I am trying to get better at gardening. I wish I would have taken a Botany class. I might get a used book to try and learn more about the plants. I just learned today that all squash have a male and female flower on the same plant. Joanna told me she thought that they had different gendered flowers and I started looking them up. I like gardening. I like the thought that goes in to it. I tried to plant some things like my Grandpa did and they never came up. It was carrots and I need to call him to find out how and why I went wrong. I ask the people that have gardened in this area how they do things, and I have learned a few things. I have learned that I will probably use some sevendust in the near future. I learned horse poop in your garden is a great thing. I guess this makes no sense but I think it is ok to ramble once in awhile.

The cumbers are doing very well and I think we will need some creative ways to eat and save them. Please let me know if you have suggestions.

I have several peppers in the garden. Some Bell, and some hot. They are coming along nicely.

I have about 40 tomato plants. I think we will have more than we can use. I hope to can some. The only problem is I don’t know how. If anyone has any helpful hints please email me – scarroll6@sc.rr.com.

Fishing

2010-05-02T17:50:00.000-07:00

The kids and I went fishing. I have learned to keep their fishing trips short around two hours. I took them to Lake Moultrie today around the hatchery. We weren’t there more than a few minutes and Holly pulled in a fish. The next hour was tough-not many bites. I even thought that she might be the only one to catch a fish. I was fishing on bottom and I had them on floaters. I got a couple of bites and then pulled in a very small bluegill. It wasn’t long before Julia caught a very small Bass and then Alan caught a small pumpkin seed. When everyone caught a fish we decided to call it a day.

Alan’s Day

Julia’s Day

Holly’s Day

Shed Update

2010-04-24T17:28:00.001-07:00

I got back from training last night. I worked on putting the roof on the shed today because it is supposed to rain tonight and tomorrow. Hamza and I worked for most of the afternoon. We were able to put up the rest of the rafters and one side of the roof. We hung a tarp over the other side and I hope to finish the rest of it this week. I hope it stays dry. I am planning to put a metal roof on over the wood. The training I was at this past week was SWAT a medic class. I will post more on that later.

Nearing the End

2010-04-13T17:01:00.000-07:00

Hamza and I have put in many hours working in the garden. Today we finished. Well, mostly finished. We still need to finish the top rail and staple the chicken wire down, but it is mostly finished. I was able to fit most of the plants in it that I wanted. The kids brought some plants from their grandparent’s house and I made sure they went in. I am ready to set back and watch it grow. I am ready to start to work on the shed again. Next is the roof.

Fire News

2010-04-10T13:30:00.000-07:00

There are a few recent news articles that involve our fire department. Anderson Cooper did a story about a man that went into cardiac arrest and was saved by some of our firefighters and paramedics. They were using a machine that was given to our department by Firehouse Subs. I won’t tell the whole story here, so just follow the link and watch the video.

http://www.cnn.com/video/#/video/us/2010/04/07/mattingly.bua.firehouse.subs.cnn?iref=allsearch

http://www.fastcasual.com/article.php?id=17886&na=1&s=2

http://jacksonville.bizjournals.com/jacksonville/stories/2010/04/05/daily11.html

Birdhouse Update

2010-04-09T14:40:00.001-07:00

I was out and saw the nest in Alan’s bird house. I am very happy a bird has chosen our yard to stay in. Alan will be home on Sunday and I can’t wait to tell him. He can see it for himself on Monday.

Alan's Birdhouse update

2010-04-03T16:20:00.000-07:00

I was working on the gate this evening and saw a small bird going in and out of his bird house. I really didn't think a bird would take up residence but it has. Life is full of nice little surprises. I cant wait to tell him. I will try to get a picture of it and post it.

Garden update

2010-04-03T15:06:00.000-07:00

I still have to install a bottom rail but it is almost complete. I was trying to get by without a bottom rail and I can’t. I need it to hold the chicken wire down. I didn’t choose a heavy enough gauge wire. The gates are in and work well. I am ready to finish and plant. I want to get started on the shed again.

Garden

2010-03-31T17:54:00.000-07:00

I have been taking time off from the shed project to put in a garden. I attempted a small one last year but it was in the shade too much of the day and the dogs were in it digging things up. This year I am putting it in the middle of the yard and fencing it in. I am using treated lumber and chicken wire. I think we should be planting this week. Joanna has plants in peat cups and news paper pots – they need a home soon. Hamza and I have been working for a couple of days. We have the wire up and will be working on the gates day after tomorrow.

Painting

2010-03-22T16:01:00.000-07:00

Julia has shown a lot of interest in art. She has received several art supplies as presents. She has been drawing pictures with crayon, pencil, and oil pastels but I think this is her first painting of this kind. She sketched what she wanted on the canvas and then began the paint. Joanna and I helped with gathering equipment, such as, a cup for water and a paper plate to use as a palette. She was just beginning as I left for work but she sent me a picture of it when she was finished. I think it is beautiful.

Odds and Ends

2010-03-19T14:48:00.000-07:00

Thought you might want to see the things Alan and I made yesterday. I was not planning on making a bird house yesterday but it is what Alan wanted to make the box become. I think he might have heard the suggestion from Holly. Later, we will remake a better bird house but this impromptu one was a fun project with him. The planter box is for the seedlings we need to thin out. I want to till, and plant the garden soon. I was going to buy a tiller but I think I will wait. I am planning on renting one for now.

Kite

2010-03-18T16:36:00.000-07:00

Alan made a kite at school today. He wanted to fly it when he got home. It was a plastic bag on a string but you could see it was magic to him. I like spring. It was a lot of fun today. Alan and I went out after his school and threw the football. He says he wants to play football in the fall. He also told me he wants to play rugby. I wish he could. Out of all the sports offered to kids I like soccer. I am glad the girls like playing it. We worked out in the yard for most of the afternoon. Alan and I made a box and painted it red. Then he wanted to turn it into a bird house. So, we added a back and made a hole and mounted it on the fence. I spent part of the day building a box for Joanna to separate the sprouts. We have a lot. I am looking forward to the garden this year. I had the Call Before You Dig people come in and mark all of the underground cables for me. I didn’t know that was a law, but it is. I went out yesterday after they were here and planted the Muscadines. I think it is supposed to be around three to four years before we can get grapes from them. We got the vines from the local vineyard here in Charleston. We have one white and one red.

Shh!

2010-03-16T16:04:00.001-07:00

Holly and I had dessert. Don’t tell the rest of the family. Joanna took Julia and Alan to soccer practice. Holly and I stayed home. Joanna said she would stop on the way home to get them something to eat and not to wait. So, I heated leftovers for Holly and me. She was disappointed and wanted to wait and see if they brought her something home. I can understand her wanting to eat out or be offered something special. I was not disappointed because leftovers were chicken curry, but I felt her pain. We have an unwritten rule that there will be no sweets on week nights. I wanted her to feel like she was included in the special night, so we had ice cream.

They got home and said “We got to go out to Sonic!” So Shhhh! We had ice cream.

Work today

2010-03-16T15:35:00.000-07:00

I finished cutting a tree down today. I limbed it and cut the rest into logs to burn later. I burnt the rest to get rid of it and clean up the back yard. While I am out there the kids mostly stay out there. I enjoy watching them play. Alan asked if he could jump up on the dog house. I said I thought he could. I talked him through it and before you know it he was dancing on top. I like working out in the yard and I like it better with the kids.

Local Artist

2010-03-13T17:57:00.000-08:00

I found these pictures of the snow. Joanna and I took a ride around after the snow to look at the local artist. There seem to be some very creative people in the neighborhood. It was a very special day for this area.

Bag head!

2010-03-12T16:45:00.000-08:00

I haven’t seen a bag head since my mom used to watch the “Aint’s” when I was a kid. I thought it was great when Alan came out sporting this bag. He played with it for awhile. At one point he was a ghost and another he was in the girls play. This was when he was using it to play video games outside. I thought it was very inventive.

ME?

2010-03-12T16:27:00.000-08:00

Alan drew this picture of me the other day. I think he is a good artist. He and Julia were having an art class in his room and he came out with this picture. I feel privileged that he chose to draw me. I think he might have gotten my ears just right. I have always felt like they are that big. No wise cracks Eric. We did put it up on the art wall in his frame. Maybe it will be changed by the time we have visitors.

Alternator

2010-03-03T16:09:00.000-08:00

My alternator went bad recently. I spent the day getting a new battery and alternator and installing them. It was unexpected. The guy told me it was great for this to be the first repair to a vehicle that was as old as mine. I have been changing the oil on a regular basis and kept up on the routine maintenance. I bought my truck when it was a year old and now it is eleven years old and has 170,000 miles on it. I count my blessings that it has run as well as it has and continues to run. I always said I wanted to run it until the wheels fall off. I know Joanna and I have discussed getting a new vehicle but I really hate the thought of giving it up. I do want to drive it until the wheels fall off. I don’t care what people say about Toyota, I like mine.

Progress

2010-03-02T15:25:00.000-08:00

This is a compost bin I built. We are trying to compost all of our vegetable food waste. We researched it on line. We started off trying to just bury it in the ground but the dogs would dig it up. I looked up the different composters and decided to build my own. It’s kind of big. I used the scraps left over from the shed. I think it turned out nice. If you look you can see the door I put on it so we can dig out the compost from the bottom. We are putting equal parts food waste and leaves or grass clippings. I also put some dirt from time to time. It is supposed to produce a very fertile soil.

For access to the second floor of the shed, I decided on a ladder. It is made of 2x6s and is a cross between a ladder and stairs. The steps are 15 inches apart. I think it is a bit far but I saw the kids climb it and it looks okay. I can’t wait to finish, but I enjoy the progress.

Treehouse!

2010-02-28T16:49:00.000-08:00

I grew up out in the country. I didn’t have very many neighbors or kids to play with. I had to go outside and create things to do. Lately I have been asked how I grew up. “What did you do?” Julia asked. I didn’t really know how to answer. I told her I remember climbing trees, making forts in fallen trees, damming the creek, swinging in the tree tops (or did I leave that part out?), and coming home at dusk and having to be hosed off. She asked specifically what I used to do. I told her I did it all every day. I told her I picked black berries and waded through the thorn thickets. She asked if I ever got hurt. I told her no. I thought about all the times mom spent in the ER with me getting stitches and I still think I never really got hurt. I tell them to be careful on things I think that might hurt them and I think I would have not batted an eye at doing it. Joanna laughs at me when I get too protective. I took them on a hike today around and through the drainage ditches behind the house. We did lots of the things I used to do and it is when all the questions surfaced. I never realized how wonderful it was to be able to grow up the way I did. I am very thankful to my mom for letting me grow up in my own way. I am thankful for all the times she was brave enough to let me fall down or get hurt. I tell the kids the reason we fall down is so we can learn to get back up.

I cut a tree down that was about to fall in the backyard. It was after the snow storm. I just let it sit for a couple of days. It was almost immediately that the kids claimed it as theirs. The climb on it and made their plays include the tree. The called it the forest. After the hike and our discussions they came back and wanted to make a play house out of the tree. I smiled from the inside.

Daffodils

2010-02-26T17:05:00.000-08:00

I have daffodils lining my fence to the back yard. I got them one year from my Grandpa when he thinned the row of daffodils he has. For a log as I have been alive, he has had them on that fence row. I am under the impression that the daffodils from his house originally came from my Great Grandma’s yard. This is the first few blooms from them. I took this a couple of days ago. The flowers are really full now. I may post more pictures soon. Daffodils always remind me of spring. I think they are my favorite flower.

I am thinking of taking the kids fishing on Sunday. I can never go fishing without thinking of Grandpa. I need to get back to Oak Ridge to take him fishing.

Tree house?

2010-02-26T16:43:00.000-08:00

The tree house is under way. I just completed the walls for the second floor. Hamza and I finished it up yesterday. We worked all day and finished about dark. Today I locked it in and leveled it up. We started the ladder for the second floor. It is a very fun project. I am tired. I hope the kids enjoy it when it is finished. Next, I am putting up the particle board sides and then the roof. I have some studying to do before then.

Shed Update

2010-02-21T18:07:00.000-08:00

The kids, Hamza, and I have been working on the shed. Over the last week we put particle board on the sides of the shed. We put some paint on it to protect it from the weather while it is under construction, and we put the door in. I am enjoying it every day. The kids were out from sunrise to sunset on Saturday. Part of the time they were playing on a tree I cut down recently. Part of the time they were working on projects of their own, and part of the time they were painting with Hamza. I did not paint at all; the kids and Hamza did every bit of it. I spent the last two days working on a compost bin. I was very proud of the work they all put in on the shed. It was a fun two days off. They really want a farm and I want to give them one. I think we can do a lot with our yard to make it more like one. I took this picture at the end of the work day. They were working on their latest play. It is a play about the Three Musketeers and their quest to find the lost jewels.

Painting

2010-02-13T07:54:00.001-08:00

This is a painting the kids, Joanna, and I made this past summer. I thought it would be a fun project. We created our painting by dribbling paint onto a canvas. This method was used by Jackson Pollock. The kids spend a lot of time creating pictures. This was the reason for the creation of the art wall. They are very talented.

Each of the kids was given a color. Julia is red, Holly is yellow, and Alan is green. Joanna and I went last. Joanna is orange and I put on some blue.

Charleston Snow

2010-02-13T07:09:00.000-08:00

I sometimes miss the snow. It snowed here yesterday. It is a beautiful day. It is not supposed to last past today. That is okay with me that means we bypass the phase where it gets nasty and brown.

This was the station this morning as I was leaving.

Snowman! I wish the kids would have been here to make a snowman with me. It has not snowed like this in 20 years. I hope I have another opportunity to play in the snow with them. I made this little old man. I played for awhile until I got cold and came in.

I think this is the first time Tony and Annie have seen snow. I don’t think they like it very much. I think they like the warm weather like me. This was a pretty sight to see in Charleston. I like it even better since they say it will melt away and be gone today.

Don’t eat the yellow snow!

New Items

2010-02-02T16:35:00.000-08:00

We have been making changes. Recently we went to take Joanna’s mom a corner cabinet and a few other things. We were only supposed to come home with this animal bench. We also brought home a dresser, and desk. The small desk we put in Alan’s room. The animal bench came from a store owned by John Barrow. This was Joanna’s grand daddy’s uncle – I think. It was in Barrows department store. It is a beautiful bench. It was used in the kids shoe section of the store. It has been well loved. We placed it in the living room in front of the big windows.

Lighting has been one of the things we both wanted to change in the house. We have two new big changes. The light in the living worked but the fan had a blade that was broken on it. We went in Home Depot one day shopping for something completely unrelated and found this light. We both looked up at it and said what a nice light. I said it looked like a cabin or hunting lodge. Then Joanna said that can’t be the correct price. It had a price tag of 30 dollars. It had started off at over two hundred. We soon found the sales person who said that was the price and that she was thinking about buying it. She had only changed the price an hour or so before we found it. It was the last one so the electrician came over and took the display down for us. This made the installation easy. I just took the old one down and put the new one up. Easy peezy!

Joanna put this one up. It replaces an old brass colored thing with tinted glass squares. I think it must have been here when the house was first built. I hated it but I love this one. Joanna is a true handy woman – hear me roar.

This is the art wall. The pictures change but the focus remains. It houses our artistic endeavors. The kids all have two frames. One frame they can change at will the other frame is one where I get to pick what picture of theirs I want to display. I love this wall. I originally thought it would cut down on the art we were putting on the refrigerator but it hasn’t. We all have art on this wall. We can’t forget about the art they create on the piano. They don’t do this as often but I enjoy it when they do.

As you can imagine we have been searching for places to put all of our stuff. It has been tough to fit all the things in one house. We have all made sacrifices. I hate to get rid of things that we all like but we have. I wish we had space for everything. I don’t consider myself a pack-rat but I don’t like to get rid of good things either. I built these shelves in the coat closet in the dining room. We removed the door so the cat’s litter box could be stored inside. This is a vast improvement from having it in the hall. I don’t think I ever would have thought that I would have enjoyed building as much as I do.

Joanna and I didn’t have a table that would seat all of us comfortably. We traded in some of our furniture for this table. I like it very much and think it fits the space nicely.

Shed's First Day

2010-02-01T14:25:00.000-08:00

Today was the first official day of the shed. It has already been claimed by the kids. I want them to enjoy having it. I am in the planning phase for the second floor/playhouse. I don’t want to go too much higher. I want them to have a play room without putting an official second floor in. So, I’m busy with plans. I like watching them play. They are practicing a new play with the neighbors. I can’t wait to see the finished product.

Shed Update

2010-01-31T16:04:00.000-08:00

I have been working on my shed over the last few months. I have been working on it when other projects aren’t the priority. This has been a great learning experience. I have never built anything like this. I have been in the book and doing the calculations. It is fun though when you nail the boards together and it works. We need the storage space so I have been working to get the shed under roof. I hope to build the floor for the second floor tomorrow. The second floor will be the play house for the kids.

Resolutions

2010-01-04T16:47:00.000-08:00

I haven’t blogged in awhile. I find it hard to some times when Joanna does such a great job. I really like the way she tells the story of her life and ours. I like sometimes to fill in the blanks a little where I see an interesting or touching fact. All of the kids are precious. I love to hang out with them. I love how they can make a simple night a special event without even trying. We were discussing New Year’s resolutions we might want to try for this year. I mentioned wanting to learn Irish and Joanna wrote it down. Julia and I kept talking about what we wanted to do this year. I said I might want to do a ten mile run and she said she did too. I did not know she was writing them down until Joanna told me to go look at the list. I share it with you because it means so much to me. They are great kids. I think we will shoot for a 5K to run together.

Biltmore

2009-12-26T19:18:00.000-08:00

We were able to take a small trip to the mountains this holiday season to see the Biltmore house. I know by the photos that the trip seems larger than it is, but it was just a two day trip. I think it is good to get as much out of a trip as possible and so does Joanna and her family. We were able to see the Biltmore house and then have dinner with David and Olivia. It was a great time and wonderful trip.
The barn/petting zoo was the biggest hit in my opinion. We saw goats, horses, and chickens. We were able to roam around and pet all the animals. The house was great but every time I see the kids with the animals, it makes me want to own a farm.

The Barn and displays had several opportunities to play with toys designed for a different era. I think the kids enjoyed them as much or more than thier video games and more modern games. I enjoyed them more.

Everyone took turns playing with the hula hoop. Everyone except the cameraman.

Throwing the bean bag.

The kids all took turns at attempting to stick weave. Very cool.

Biltmore after dark was beautiful. The tree and the house were magical.

We ate with Joanna’s brother David and his daughter Olivia at a popular Greek restaurant. I had a Greek pizza with lamb on it. It was great.

We stayed in a hotel outside of Ashville. It happened to have a dish barn off the exit. The kids and I were allowed to stay outside while the rest shopped inside. It was not a popular decision for the kids but they eventually had fun. We roamed around looking at the different things nature had to offer. They ended up with wands and pretended to be wizards.

December Blooms

2009-12-15T15:59:00.000-08:00

I have been growing plants in pots for awhile. I will find seeds and plant them or acquire them from friends. The Tea plant is in the camellia family and this is the first year it has bloomed. It is from a local plantation off of highway 402. I think I have been keeping the plants in pots because I have been worried about putting down roots of my own. I have always lived like I am going to move tomorrow. I am going to do my best to plant all of them in the yard this year. I feel like I have a reason to stay in one place. I hope you enjoy them like I do.

Shamrock

Cabbage

Grandma Barrow's Camellia

Christmas Cactus

Tea Plant

Christmas Dancing

2009-12-08T16:39:00.000-08:00

Christmas carols and dancing is a popular activity over the last week or so. On this night we moved the coffee table out of the way and danced. The carols were on the radio and the tree was decorated. My favorite was when the music from Charlie Brown came on and Holly started doing the dance from the show. I loved it.

Nitpicking

2009-11-23T16:20:00.000-08:00

Nitpicking - Minute, trivial, unnecessary, and unjustified criticism or faultfinding.

This is the definition that I grew up with. I didn’t understand where the term came from until this week. Later in the week we found lice on the girls. We were nitpicking all week, and painting, and attempting to move everyone in.
Friday was the first day of nitpicking. All the kids stayed home, and all started to get on each other’s nerves. Pick-pick-pick until I said everyone outside. Julia was upset. She wanted to know why and I said because they were nitpicking at each other, and they need to get out and burn off some energy. Joanna laughed and said nitpicking under her breath. I realized what I said and thought, so that’s where that comes from, then smiled. Needless to say I have been itching all week. I haven’t had any on me but it sure feels like it.

It has been a busy week and I feel like I got nothing accomplished. The room is almost painted. The house has junk all over it and I have never liked cleaning up or out. I need to clean all of it out. I have so much stuff that I have not looked at in years. It needs to go. It was very nice to have Joanna’s mom down her this weekend helping. It made a huge difference, and it was a very fun time.
It has been a very interesting first week of marriage. I wouldn’t trade it for anything.

Parents vs. Players Game

2009-11-18T15:03:00.000-08:00

I have been enjoying watching the kids play soccer this fall. It is their first year and they have played wonderfully. Joanna and I got married this past weekend and I don’t think of myself as a parent-yet. I was pleasantly surprised this week. I was sitting on the sidelines watching the parents play Julia's team. Julia ran up to me and said “come play!” It gave me a lump in my throat. She has no idea what that simple statement meant to me. I got up and played. I ran for 20 or 30 minutes and then went and relieved Joanna so she could play. Alan was sleeping so someone needed to sit with him. I am enjoying my new life.

I got married!

2009-11-16T18:24:00.000-08:00

I got married over the weekend. I had the perfect day. We planned for a small wedding but it ended up larger than we originally wanted. We planned for a small event with just the immediate family. It ended up larger. We held the service at my Grand Pa Underwood’s church. With a venue that size we invited anyone to join us that want to. We invited through phone calls, email, and in person. It wasn’t formal and we didn’t do all of the rituals that go along with the occasion. No paper invitations. We did do several of the rituals we wanted to. We didn’t see each other that day until Joanna walked down to join me in the front of the church. We didn’t have a rehearsal or a dinner. We did have a beautiful dinner/reception at the Flat Water Grill after the wedding. We tried to rent the special room for parties and it was booked. They allowed us to have our party in the bar. It was better and more closely fits who we are. It was on the river in Oak Ridge. The place was beautiful. This was the first time our families had a chance to meet and socialize. It appeared to me that everyone had fun. Some had more fun than others. I had some friends come in from Charleston. They had a great time. I had some one tell me that was the first wedding they have been to where there was applause and cheering as the groom entered. Mike, Jan, Laithe, and Hamza were making all the noise. They made the day very special. They singled out my Grand Pa and talked with him for most of the dinner. I know that made him feel special. I do have some great friends.

Look at this beautiful woman.

Alan was my best man. He normally is very talkative and bouncing off the walls. I was amazed at the quiet professional he became when the wedding started. He did a wonderful job. The girls walked in with Joanna and looked very beautiful. I don’t think it could have been a better service. I am a lucky man.

This is my new family – Joanna, Julia, Holly, and Alan.

My mother was instrumental in putting this event on. She did most of the leg work and planned the dinner. I couldn’t have done it without her. It all went off without a hitch-yeah right. A few days before the wedding the pastor’s mother-in-law died and they had to go to Ohio. It is hard to get married without a pastor. My mom helped me track down another one. I made a couple of suggestions and she made the calls. My old neighbor, Pastor Steve MacDonald, help us out in our time of need. He is truly practicing what he preaches. He had a member of his church in the hospital that he needed to visit-he went. He had another wedding to perform at his church at four thirty (ours was planned for three thirty). He still agreed to help us. He was great. He told everyone what to do and where to walk in and where to stand. His instruction was a big part of Alan’s performance. He allowed us to use our own vows. We wanted to use some that weren’t the same old ones. I really like the part of accepting me with all my faults. I have my share. I also really like the part of turning to her when I need help. I love her and am very happy she will be there for me.

...

(Sean/Joanna), I take you to be my lawfully wedded (husband/wife).Before these witnesses I vow to love you and care for you as long as we both shall live. I take you, with all your faults and strengths,as I offer myself to you with all my faults and strengths.I will help you when you need help, and turn to you when I need help. I choose you as the person with whom I will spend my life.

...

Did I mention we picked our own music? Joanna picked most of it. She picked some beautiful pieces of classical music. My favorite was one from Yo-Yo Ma with a local guy, Edgar Meyer Jr. I was playing the music for mom and telling her about it. I thought I was smart because Joanna told me about him this past week. Turns out that my Grand Ma Underwood cut his mothers hair for years, and my mom knew all about the family. I enjoy those types of personal connections. Joanna does a wonderful job with making people feel special. She suggested using my Grand Pa’s church, the Edgar Meyer music, and green is my favorite color. Probably the best tribute is that she chose to wear her Grand Mother Barrows wedding ring. I have a feeling she was feeling pretty special that day as well. I had a great time and am looking forward to my life with Joanna.

Shed

2009-10-22T14:28:00.000-07:00

I have been working over the last few weeks on using some wood that was given to me. I am building a shed with it. The wood started off as pallets to haul heavy equipment on. I have been breaking them apart and getting them ready to be used. It is hard but satisfying work. As the base I used tubes designed to make concrete pier footers. I am using the pallets as the floor. I recently mounted them on the footers. I am stopping here for a week or so. I told the girls we could use it as stage. They have big plans for Julia’s birthday party. I was lucky enough to see rehearsals last night. I really like the Shalom song sung in a pirate’s voice. Should be a fun party.

Fishing with Grand Pa

2009-10-18T19:40:00.000-07:00

I thought I would post a picture of the most recent fishing trip with my Grand Pa. This was on his past Birthday. We had a good day and we caught a few fish. I walked away with one good size catfish. My Uncle Butch, Joanna, Eric, Rachel, and the kids all were fishing with Grand Pa and me. It was a fun day. My mom is even there. You see my Grand Pa talking on the phone, that’s her from England. We took the catch home and had a fish fry birthday.

See that umbrella. That was a birthday gift to Grand Pa from my Uncle Butch and Aunt Pam. It worked extremely well on this hot day. It kept Grand Pa in the shade and cool.

Look at that girl fish. She shoots guns, and rides a mountain bike too. I like her activities. We might be related.

I had a lot of fun and enjoyed getting to spend the day with my family.

Shipyard

2009-10-18T15:22:00.000-07:00

I know some of you have heard me say I work in a shipyard. I am not sure you know what it entails. I work as one of the safety guys and as the in house paramedic. I am here to treat and evaluate any number of injuries. I think it is a great place to work. There are many new things that I get to see.

Some of the buildings are old but have great character.

I saw a large ship today being removed from dry dock by the tugs. This is a pretty common site here but is still amazing to me.

Cypress Gardens

2009-10-18T09:28:00.000-07:00

This is a local park that I like immensely. It is a local black water swamp that was set up to flood rice fields when it was a plantation. It has been turned into a park and is sometimes used to film movies. Movies like the Patriot and Notebook. I learned on this trip that it was also the setting for the original Swamp Thing. Of course that was from our interesting guide, Cowboy.

They also had a butterfly house. We saw all stages of the butterflies. Here are a few eggs with newly emerging caterpillars.

Alan fed the koi.

There was a guard duck in the butterfly house. He didn’t like everyone but we got along fine.

Alan learned about bees.

Some of the nice butterflies we found.

Movie bridge. This bridge is in the Patriot several times. Now you want to go rent it again and watch it-don’t you?

We also saw some alligators, and some of them looked hungry. Just check out the last two.

First Fishing Trip

2009-10-16T11:21:00.001-07:00

This was our first fishing trip. My buddy, Jan, let us use his dock on a tidal creek. There was plenty of action for a first fishing trip. I was glad because it kept the kids interest and maybe gave them the interest to fish over their entire lives. There are many occasions where you come back empty handed but not this trip. I learned to fish from my Grand Pa and have loved the activity my entire life. I hope to pass along some of the interest and enjoyment associated with it. It is still my favorite thing to do – fishing with my Grand Pa.

Alan was King Crabber for the day. There is a nice picture of one of his crabs I included. All of the kids caught something and had a good time.

Alan’s crab!

And the catch of the day goes to Julia. She caught a Southern Sting Ray. It was a beautiful fish and is still talked about in conversations. It was a fun summer and we fished several times-none as successfully as this one.

Tennessee vs. Georgia

2009-10-15T04:38:00.000-07:00

Joanna and I were in West Ashley before the game. We had lunch at Senior Tequila’s. We did see something that made me break out in laughter. I am not sure what a detention pond is, but I guess it is where they keep the banditos.

This was a recent outing to West Wings to watch the UT game with friends and the Alumni. It is almost like watching the game in a pub in Knoxville. Steve and Megan came with our newest UT fan, Jack. It was a great time and is always good to see them.

Kevin was there with Ashley and their future fan, Frankie. We expect him to make an appearance before the end of the season. It was fun and we learned how to signal “and it’s another Tennessee first down”.

I had a great time which was evident by my 5:30 PM bed time.

New

2009-10-14T18:23:00.000-07:00

I am no blogger. I thought I would start a blog to show some pictures and share a few stories from here. Here – interesting. Here is a small town in South Carolina, Summerville. I don’t seem to have a lot to say. I have never done anything like this. I have never kept a diary or journal. I do not consider myself a talented writer, so if you read my blog, enjoy it for the content and try not to poke too much fun at me for grammar and spelling.