10 Gallons!!

Well, I finally made it - years behind Uncle Peter - but I did make it to 10 gallons. Of course, I guess this doesn't count all the blood I gave in Utah. I think he is close to 14 now. Last Wednesday I gave my pint and picked up a nice t-shirt and mug. Seems like dad & Peter each got a free dinner out of the deal too, but nobody said anything to me about that, so I guess that's a thing of the past. Anyhow, beyond the temporal trappings I feel very fortunate to be able to reach this milestone, and to reflect upon the good it has brought many lives over the years. Serving is a blessing, no matter what it consists of.

And now -- on to 20!

My dad first got me hooked on this almost 40 years ago in 1972, just after I turned 18 - the age limit back then. I can still remember going into the BPOE building in Marysville by the lake. We laid on tables and afterward there were as many donuts as you wanted. I've never had any trouble giving blood, except for the time I gave at lunch time (This was when we lived in Bennion and the only time in my life I ever played Church softball. I home taught the coach, Jeff Abeyta, and really liked the way he ran things.) and by the time I went to play softball that evening I had forgotten all about giving blood - until I ran to first base. By the time I got there I was just a tad woosy. But fortunately I didn't have to go to second, and took it easy the rest of the game.

Laney Family Photos

I was talking to Andrea last Sunday about our Laney ancestors and decided it would be a good idea to post some photos of them. These are what I have readily available; if you can't copy them off of this blog (I understand that sometimes one can, and sometimes not - I don't know why), let me know and I'll email them to you.
This first one is of Ella Ethelena Smith.

Here is one of the same Ella, with her husband, George Culbert Howard Laney.

And this is the Laney house in Kamas, Utah, date unknown.

Blinding Work

We have been on a steady course of renewing our living quarters, our home. Latest on the menu has been the replacement of some pretty old window treatments that have been bothering us for some time. So here is what we are doing in kitchen. These are really nice because you just lift them up and in comes the light (if it is daytime). Much better than those clacky old verticle blinds.

And here are some photos of the new blinds in my office. I really like the way they look. Much better than the curtains that were there that I could never get to stay open. Since there are two here, I can open the side where there is a window that opens, and open the window, but keep the other closed if I need the shade. Most helpful to have the options.

More Locks in Panama Teddy

Last Saturday was a perfect day to work out in the yard - so that is exactly what we did . . . after getting our other work done. To us gardening is play, so we have to watch ourselves or we wouldn't get our "work" done.
Anyway, here is what we have done so far. I have been pretty good at keeping the soil churned up (I'm such a human tiller) this
Winter, so it was not much trouble to prepare the soil for planting of bush peas (around the little fences), spinach, and butterhead lettuce. All of that is in the top photo.
The bottom photo tends to remind one of a certain basement in Brooklyn, not Greenpoint. It is, however, our potato patch. We did this last year and it worked out very well. We dig down to plant the spuds, then as the plants grow, we keep stacking more dirt on them. We had a great yield last year and are looking forward to more this year if we can just keep the ants and cats off.
Any ideas?

Thinking of Kate Laney

On another blog there are some great photos of a little Irish-looking maiden. She has dark hair, blue eyes, and the rosiest cheeks. So my angel & I were looking up some Irish blessings to find one that she remembers her dad saying, and we ran across a bunch. Here's a sampling, just to remind us of our roots (potatoes).
May the road rise to meet you,
May the wind be always at your back,
May the sun shine warm upon your face,
The rains fall soft upon your fields and,
Until we meet again,
May God hold you in the palm of His hand.

I-rish you a very nice place to live,

I-rish God's greatest gifts he'll give,

I-rish you health, and wealth, and more --

I-rish your smilin' face were at my door.