November

Blogging has not been on the agenda recently. However, I did have a notable Saturday. We went to the Baker residence to visit Jason, Regi, Bullwinkle and my granddaughter, who is now making my daughter bumpy-looking.
Brent and I accompanied Jason to the American Legion for a birthday celebration of one of his parishioners. We were invited to eat, and Brent and I needed very little cajoling to accept. We had chicken, ham, green beans, macaroni salad and chocolate cake...good ole' Kentucky cookin'.
Next week is Thanksgiving already. Soon after that we will be getting ready for Christmas. And then, the countdown to Granddaughter #1!

September

Regi says it is time for an update. Facebook seems to be the main place to gather, so haven't blogged since July.
The Bakers went to Ireland in July, and now I hear there is a new Baker on the way! Bullwinkle stayed with us, and he is back for another stay at our house now. Bilko, his first cousin, is here, too. Dudley loves having both cousins here because they fight each other and leave him alone for the most part so he can get his beauty rest. They are all excited about getting a real cousin in March. Well, maybe not Bilko who went to the vet's office Monday to get "tutored". He misunderstood at first...now he gets it.
Rena is off to National Quartet Convention today...it's just me and the four dogs.
In two weeks, Rena and I fly to Myrtle Beach to work the Collingsworth table at the Gaither Concert.
Now, you're updated.

44 and 6

50 beings celebrated the 4th at the Lavy Ranch. 44 humans and 6 canine friends. There was Spanky (Olivia's pup), Bilko (Dani's pup), Boeing (Brooke and Holley's horse...er.. pup), Bullwinkle (Regi and Jason's pup), Jessica and Dudley (the dogs who live here) and a whole bunch of Lavys, Hilligosses, Collingsworths and other friends.

The food was plentiful and outstanding. Apple cider ribs, Nathan's hot dogs and Bratwursts were the main meats. Add to that salads and beans and chili and slaw and desserts too many to enumerate and you have a 4th to remember.

Volleyball, cornhole, softball and visiting with family and friends was the order of the day.

Unfortunately, I was coerced into fingernail and face painting. Fortunately, I am not able to add pictures of that right now, but you could check out some images on Facebook if you desire.

Since Regi and Jason are going to Ireland today, we have the pleasure of puppysitting for Bullwinkle. He is a cool dog, and Dudley and he are good buddies. Right now, Dudley is napping in the morning sunshine, while BW chews on a toy beside of him. Gonna be a fun couple of weeks!

100th Blog

This is my hundredth blog. I wasn't aware of that until I signed in.

Saturday starts Vacation 2009 for the Lavys. This year is Myrtle Beach year. This will be the fourth family vacation there. The first year, we went "budget". It was not the greatest vacation ever. Next time we had a beach house across the street from the ocean. Very nice. Two years ago was an oceanfront condo. Wow, what a view of the Atlantic! This year it's a condo across the street from the ocean with a side view of the water.

Dudley and Bilko, the doggie cousins are going with us. And, so is Holley, so it could be the greatest vacation ever, or something not quite that great! Just kidding. Vacation 2009 is just around the corner.

Gatlinburg!

Family Fest Weekend in Gatlinburg

Courtney Collingsworth

The Cousins - Bullwinkle Baker, Dudley Lavy and Bilko Lavy Camping out in the Smokies in the Puppy Condominium The only picture I wanted - Ben Speer

Michigan 2009

A beautiful cluster of four morels

Grandpa, Brent and I took a quick mushroom-hunting trip to Wolverine, Michigan. We left our house at 2:55AM last Tuesday. We were in the woods at 9:08AM. Sixty seconds later, we had our first morel mushroom. After a day and a half of hunting, we finished with 180.

Dad started this madness in 1958 when he took the family north to find sponge mushrooms for the first time. Fifty-one years later, I got to take him to the very same woods to which he took us many years earlier. We still find them in almost exactly the same areas.

In 1960 - give or take a year or two - Dad took his mother and father to Michigan. Grandma Lavy, Dad's mother, found a patch of mushrooms in an area near Old 27. For many years after, we hunted that same spot and found mushrooms nearly every year. In recent years, we have not found them there. However, this year Brent and I searched that spot. We were about ready to give up when BJ spotted two small ones on the edge of a dirt bike trail. That caused us to look more closely, and we found sixteen in that patch. That was very near Grandma's spot. That was amazing to me.

If Grandpa (who will be 89 next September) is able, we may try it again in 2010. As he said, "I'm making no promises." None of us are, but what a treat for the three of us this year! Dad and I at the roadside park where he stopped in 1958 What a smile! Dad in the woods that he loves. That's a start Grandma was happy to see Grandpa come back. No, seriously, she was!

WOW

OK, here's the little kid that I helped raise for quite a few years. We played one-on-one basketball in his bedroom for hours. Keep in mind, this room was 8'6"x11'. Almost every game, played with a rim hung on the closet door and a nerf ball, came down to a last-second shot or free throws. Mom wasn't thrilled when we took out the light. Eventually, we took the rivalry outside.

He moved onto the court at Ansonia and had some success against Covington, Twin Valley South and a few other schools. Mom and I got to see him light up the scoreboard with threes. Then, he was outta here.

Off to Cincinnati where he has worked his way through four gruelling years of college. A little basketball, a little soccer and a lot of work has been the norm for the past few years.

There, he found this young lady to spend some time with. She has been to visit us a few times. She has toured the site of our in-room basketball games. I think she thinks BJ is as goofy as his dad.

Pride is not really a great attribute. However, this father is VERY proud of his son, Brent. Four years of college and many hours of work takes a lot of discipline. He'll make a great teacher, husband, man and whatever else it is that he decides to do.

I'm proud to call you my son, BJ. Go get 'em.

You might ask him about the door in the background
Kid's Klub
That's the lady to whom I was referring