Home Again (home again,Jiggity jig!)

Well, Toni and I are home again after a fantastic week! I miss my brother Matt already! He is the perfect travel partner. He is always fun to be with. (Poor Toni, ended up working very hard all week, so I must make it up to her somehow!) Here's another pic from Disney!

Another Incredible Day!

Well here we are at Disney Studio having another "Incredible" Day! Here's a list of highlights for my two readers... first we went on the Star Tours ride, then the Twilight Zone Tower of Terror! And along the way, we ran into some Friends!

Birthday!

Yesterday, I was celebrating my Birthday. And what a party. My brother Matt, Tim, his wife Julia and I we're all at the Magic Kingdom! (Poor, Toni was working at a seminar!)

Here's a picture at Disney!

;)

Oldie, but goodie...

"And speaking of oldie's"; that's how my friends Wynn and Gene started to present to me my Birthday card after church today. The cards front captured it all. Yep! That's me. The petulant man-child. Still holding onto childish loves, with the rancour's of youth, still driving the bus!

The painting I just finished on Friday. I'm planning on doing a series based on film characters from my childhood!

I'll be celebrating my Birthday down in Orlando with family!

No music today, just thinking of "Over the Rainbow", sung by Judy Garland.

Saturday!

Ah Saturday! How I've worked to get here. (I'm sure you did too!) This has been a long week. They have gone and done a complete overhaul of the work routes we do at Silverfoam Distribution. That's the name of the beer distributor that I work for part-time.

The work has been especially hard, this week. But I've been thinking "Vacation, vacation, vacation!" ( And so I've survived!)

I'll try and post while I'm frolicking! In the meantime; I leave my two readers another art work I've done.

No music this morning, only coffee!

Almost Magic Time!

It's almost magic time! I'm getting very excited, as I am just a few day's away from spending my Birthday at the most magical place on earth. Disney World!

I can't wait to go. I'm looking forward to seeing my brother Matt, and I just wish Toni had some free time to share with us! Well, you can't have everything!

Here is another Disney picture that really says it all. Magic Time!

Me & my ipod

In case you didn't know it; "I love my ipod"! Once upon a time, Toni got me an ipod for my birthday back in 2003. I looked at it with trepidation. "Honey, I don't know a thing about these ipod-things, I don't need it! Take it back!" Toni, with a seldom seen scowl;" you never get anything for yourself, its a gift! You can't give it back!"

What could I do, I tried it! ....And I've been addicted ever since.

For those who don't know ipods, they are the handiest little wonders, capable of playing music, TV shows, movies, music video's, and podcast. I especially love it, when travelling. Its great to view on airplanes. So right now, I'm getting it loaded with some new movies to watch, when I fly down to Orlando!

Music I'm listening to; "Electric Light Parade"! Disney Classics!

Getting Closer!!

I'm getting pretty excited these days, 'cause I'm about to go on vacation with Toni and my brother Matt! (Well, technically, Toni is working down in Orlando, and just Matt and I are on vacation!)

We are planning on visiting the Magic Kingdom, and maybe a trip to Universal Studios!

Meanwhile here is another watercolor I did a while back! (It's kinda the mood I'm in right now!)

Music I'm listening too; "Honeysuckle Rose" by Fats Waller!

Happy Valentine's Day!

Happy Valentine's day! I got up very early this morning, and ran 4 miles out at Gull Lake with Toni, and some friends. After the run, we had breakfast at Frona's. A local haunt that has good food.

Then a quick, (well, not so quick, because it snowed), jaunt back to Battle Creek. A hot shower and now, I ready to spend Valentine's day with my sweetie, Toni.

Kellogg's History

Toni came home yesterday, with a little piece of Kellogg's history. She is working on a project; and brought home an actual premium first given away in a box of Kellogg's in 1910.

It was a flip book, with the pages cut horizontal so one could alter the images within the book. Toni told me she had to sign it out, from the Kellogg archive. I scanned the front, back and inside page to share it with my readers. (Ain't it cool!)

I love sharing this little bit of history with you!

I Wish I We're a Spaceman....

Here's another watercolor I did. This one is from one of my favorite childhood shows, Fireball XL5! The main two characters pictured here are Steve Zodiac and Venus.

This was one wacky puppet show. I used to know and sing the show's theme song. I believe it was a minor hit on the Billboard charts in the very early 60's.

Music I'm listening to; "Supercar/ Fireball XL5 soundtrack" by Barry Gray!

My Toni's good Medicine!

I was feeling in a funk yesterday, (see previous post), and my wife Toni stepped in to cheer me up. She's a thoughtful person. She goes the extra mile to really understand a problem, and seeks out balanced solutions.

She took one look at the situation; and had the answer.

"BEER AND PIZZA!"

Music I'm listening to, "Fairy Nights by Patricia Spero".

;)

At a Loss for Words...

My best friend in the world, (besides my wife Toni), is Bob Lyman. He is the most reliable, down-to-earth person I know. He's been my friend forever. (Well, since junior-high.)

I just got an e-mail from him, that his father passed away. I am at a loss, because I knew Bob's dad. In many ways, he was alot like my dad. I know how hard this is hurting Bob. And I grieve for his loss.

I wish I had the words to ease Bob's pain, and suffering. I pray Bob's dad is at peace, and I take comfort by saying he is home with the lord. I hope his family has strength in dealing with all the arrangements; I pray their strength be increased tenfold to make it through the difficult days ahead.


Life is so short. Say I love you to everyone special to you today in honor of Bob's dad!

Top Secret!!! (Shuuussh!)

I recently started a top-secret project. After a bitter false start, I finally figured out a way to proceed. When I have the green-light, I'll post a picture of the finished project.

Meanwhile, I'm missing Chris already! He came home for the weekend, and we had a real nice visit with him. He seems to be getting more mature all the time. It is nice to see him grow into a responsible adult. (But it also means I'm getting old)! Not Toni though! She is a fountain of youth.

Music I'm listening to; Frank Sinatra, I've Got You (Under My Skin).

U.N.C.L.E. Follow-up

After my last post, I thought to myself, wait a minute...I know! And Wella! Here is an oldie but goodie. (It is also one of the few art pieces I was able to save after last year's flood!) Long story for another time.

This is an art piece I did in (YIKES!), 1984. See, I told you I was an OLD Uncle fan!

Hope you like it.

Man from U.N.C.L.E. fan

In the 60's, there was a spy show on TV called "The Man from U.N.C.L.E."! I was a super-huge fan. I remember one time having seen the shows star Robert Vaughn judo toss a bad guy over his shoulder, thinking, "I can do that". I promptly ask my cousin Wendy to be my stooge. I took her by the arm, and promptly tried to pull-toss her over-the-shoulder, just like our hero. Only to discover, (at just about the same moment, I dam-near puller her arm out of the socket), that it was a Hollywood trick! I promptly was punished and sent off to bed. (Funny, how often that happened back then?)

As you can see, I would have benefitted greatly from one of those disclaimer's, "Don't try this at home!"

Anyway, the prompting of this little sound bite, was I just started reading Robert Vaughn: A Fortunate Life, and it awoke a flood of fond childhood memories about the Man from Uncle!

Note to Wendy: "Sorry about that, chief!"
Music I'm listening to, what else-"The Man from Uncle" By Jerry Goldsmith! ;)

Netflixs

A short while back, my best bud Bob, convinced me to sign up for Netflix! It works like this, you open an account with them on-line. You clix on films you'd like to watch, arranging them in the order you'd like to receive them. Then the movies begin to show up at your doorstep, courtsey of the USPS.

After you've watched the film, you slap the old dvd, into a self returning envelope, mail it, and then wait for you next disc to arrive. (I didn't think I'd like it as much as I do!)

It's so easy. So far I've watched a dozen or so movies in a month! It's very cool.

I'm currently listening to Miles Davis-"Kind'a Blue!;)

What I've been doing!

My friends and family know that last fall, I had been diagnosed with kidney cancer. While I was home mending, I spent a lot of time painting and drawing. Here are some samples of what I did.

These are some watercolors I painted. (As you can see, Superman, Batman, Disney...these are all favorite subjects of mine. Tell me what ya' think?)

Hope you liked them.

Music, I'm currently listening to, Vampire Weekend!

;)

It's a start!

It has been along time coming, but, I finally took the plunge! This is my blog, so you can now catch up on all things Pat. I will use this blog to catch you up on things I'm doing, things I'm learning, things I'm feeling. "THINGS"!!

So I hope you'll come back often, and see what the heck is going on. Right now I'm listening to a Bach concerto, not sure of the number...but it's very nice.