May 10, 2008

Strite Family ready for church	It was nice to go to church Sunday morning as a family again.  The children were sick with Pink-eye the last two Sundays.  We got around a little bit early and asked Korwin Schrock to come down and help us get some pictures taken.  Unbelievably, after we took about 25 pictures none of them seemed quite right...  We went ahead and went to church where Ina Sue taught the women's class on "Priorities".  Wendell Heatwole preached a thought provoking sermon on "Is Our Church a Missionary Minded Church?"  Home to Fried Rice, Fried Chicken, Salad & French Bread.  To bed for naps.  In the evening we were invited to Uncle Enos's for a dessert of Baked Custard Pie.  Delicious! and a nice time visiting.
Sunday Evening Snack with Uncle Enoses	I made us baked oatmeal for breakfast Monday morning.  Ina Sue contributed a delicious fruit-slush milkshake.  I went off to work around 7:30 and Ina Sue started on the very large laundry.  She got it all done before I got home at 5:00.  I took care of the children for about an hour while she got a little rest.  We grilled brats for supper with saurkraut.  After supper I met the youth at the church for an evening of picking up trash along the road.  We spent about two hours and picked up about 23 bags of trash.
The Litter Pick-up Crew	We slept in a little on Tuesday and I had to rush off to work.  Ina Sue took the children with her to sewing circle.  Our car has been giving us intermittent trouble with not starting.  Normally if you are patient it will go ahead and crank up.  This time though when Ina Sue tried to leave it would not start.  She called me and I drove out to the church to look at it.  When I got there it cranked on my first try.... :)  They went home and all took naps while I went back to work.  They came back in and we all ate supper at Blimpies before we went back to the shop and worked at making up four outdoor planters to put by our front doors.   They look nice.
Making up Geranium Planters.	After I left for work on Wednesday, Ina Sue spent her morning working outside with the children.  They pruned the rose bushes and tied up the tomatoes.  In the afternoon she studied for SS and mixed up a batch of molasses crinkles.  Boy they were hot and delicious when I got home from work.  For supper we had stuffed taco shells, ceasar salad, sliced fresh strawberries and fresh cookies.  We went to church in the evening for prayer meeting and discussed some issues of where we want our church to go in the future.
Giving Landon a Trim.	Ina Sue kept Caroline and Michaela Heatwole on Thursday along with the normal rugrats.  The children did all have a good time playing together.  Sometimes four is actually easier to care for then just two.  I had a very normal day at work split between service calls and the regular day-out tasks at the shop.  For supper we had poppy seed chicken, fresh broccoli and strawberry shortcake to finish up.  After supper we cut Landon's hair then worked at pulling up the pansies along the front walk and preparing it for the next planting.  I also made up some soil samples from our yard to take in to the Clemson Extension station for analysis.
Blowing off about 3 years of debris.	Friday was very usual with me at work and Ina Sue doing the regular cleaning routine.  In the evening we kept Andy K's children while they drove up to the hospital in Orangeburg to see Korwin Schrocks and their new baby boy, Brady Reid.  We worked out in the yard and planted some flowers.  I spent an hour or two spreading a weed & feed fertilizer on our yard.  For some reason that spreader really gets me in the back.  I am very sore tonight.
A Red-neck Swimming Pool.	When we woke up Saturday morning it looked very stormy and we were sure it was going to rain.  Even though we kept seeing storm clouds throughout the day, it never rained the first drop on Govan.  After we ate breakfast we planted some white vinca along the front walk then planted two flats of impatiens in the back, mulched them and setup irrigation on them.  I blew off the roof of our lean-to while Ina Sue cleaned the back porch.
Saturday evening guests.	In the evening we had Hendrick and his brother Roderick over for supper.  We also invited Randy Ocker to join us.  Roderick just recently moved to New York from Haiti and is going to college studying English right now.  He is between terms and took the opportunity to visit Hendrick for a week.  I grilled ribeye steaks and Ina Sue fixed baked potatoes with a broccoli & cheese sauce.  Also salad and strawberry shortcake.  We really enjoyed visiting with Roderick & Hendrick after supper.  It was good to get a first hand perspective on the recent political events in Haiti.  After they left we cleaned up then hit the sack.