Waterproof roof

Well, my Christmas present was permission to hire a carpenter to get the 'tin' on my building roof, and it's done now. I'll try to put up a picture soon. I'm really excited to have the building 'done'--now I only lack these things... (all upgrades! So I don't have to 'permit' the building)
*finish the floor over the subfloor
*put in insulation in the walls
*build shelves for the Christmas decorations
*put screens in the vents at the top of the walls
*put in overhead insulation and some kind of ceiling
*rip 4" boards down to 2" boards and install on the outside to simulate 'board & batten'
*spray paint the outside
*run power to the building
*install a breaker box
*run interior lights and other wiring
*put in two more treated posts
*build the deck on the back under the porch
*reinforce a beam, install Debbie's 'ancestral' swing under the porch
*put in some kind of walls inside--including lots of perf-board
*paint the interior if needed
*install the woodburning stove as heat, run all the venting for it
So it looks like a full spring. But I can at least do it in the dry!

Skype rocks!

I think of myself as being somewhat "up" on technology. I write this blog, I use Facebook, and of course I use e-mail daily and do my sermons with PowerPoint notes...but I'd never got around to using something called Skype.

The other night, we finally got around to installing the software on Debbie's laptop computer. Our son Nathan in TX helped us get everything configured right. It was wonderfully strange to be talking to him, and see him and the background of his living room in Karnes City.

The next night, we called early enough to 'visit' with our granddaughter Brenna. We carried the computer into the living room so she could see our Christmas tree...she kept asking her Dad where we were...I guess she doesn't get the concept completely quite yet.

Lots of people ask "Where's my George Jetson flying car?" but I'm glad to finally have this version of a videophone!

For those of you with Skype already installed, I will publish our 'address' in the future. Don't remember it right now! (One of the disadvantages of the new technology--remembering your various electronic identities and passwords.)

Blue Ridge TubaChristmas 2009

Well, this year's TubaChristmas has come and gone. I've just received many pictures of the event, and will try to post them on my FaceBook account. In the meantime, here are a few images to enjoy... and here is the link to the full photo album on FaceBook (I don't think you have to be a FaceBook member to view them): http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=41267&id=1454783473&l=8069b784f1