Hello there. My, it's been a long, long time...

 It's been since October since I updated this blog. Yes, shame on me, may all my children be born naked...all that stuff. Well, I haven't updated it. No excuse. I just didn't. Sue me (no please don't).

Did you know I had three sons? Here they are. Over the years of not updating this blog on a regular basis, at least one person has commented that they'd like to see pictures of my family and less of my long winded monologues about nothing of any substance. Well, one little benefit of not updating this blog is that I learned how to get my phone pics onto a safe storage place on the internet and therefore I have them at my disposal now to decorate this blog. So, here are some relatively recent ones of Thing one, Thing two, and Thing three.My apologies to all of you (none of you) who actually really like all my long winded monologues of little or no substance. Here, look at these pictures!

Thing three before his very first haircut at two years old at mi casa.

Things one, two and three, along with the Original thing, A.K.A. Swanp Thing! We're hitting it pretty hard as you can tell.

Mama thing looking gorgeous and glamorous.

Click on the link below to hear a pretty good song by John Prine and Iris Dement.

A three day weekend!

Now don't hold it against me if I'm in a career which provides me with a three day weekend at a time of year which almost no other career enjoys. If you wanted a three day weekend in the fall, you should have checked that little box next to "teacher" on your high school career interests survey. Furthermore, if you think "teachers should have to work like the rest of us", that sort of takes the approach that you very possibly wish you didn't have to go to work; that going to work is sort of unpleasant, and that if you have to do this required unpleasant activity, then so should everyone. Right? Well, why in the world would you wish something unpleasant upon someone else? That's sort of like wishing poison ivy upon others because you yourself suffer from poison ivy. That's not a very nice train of thought.

Here's another angle: Almost everyone I've met dislikes paying taxes, and if they had a choice to stop paying taxes without incurring penalty, they would stop paying taxes. Right? Well, then you have some citizens who are upset about bicycles being used on our public roads because bicycles don't pay gasoline taxes. Often these disgruntled motorists voice their opinion that "bicycles should pay a road tax, because we (automobile drivers) pay road tax. Well, those same people who wish they didn't have to pay taxes are wishing taxes upon people who currently don't have to pay them. Why in the world would a person wish for a population to pay taxes, when they themselves wish they didn't pay taxes? I thought those people were against taxes, yet they wish to add more taxes?

So, don't be a hater because I've recently enjoyed a three day weekend with my family. If family time is what you value, then perhaps it's not too late to change careers. Remember all those motivational posters you see in businesses: you can do anything! it's never too late! follow your dreams! etc. And also don't forget what the Holy Bible says, (paraphrased) I can do all things through Christ Jesus that strengthens me!

It was a lovely Friday to be home! I made breakfast for my three sons. I took my three sons to the library story time and we listened as the librarian read us Halloween stories. We then picked out Halloween books to take home to read. Then we chose some "scary" DVDs to take home to watch. That afternoon, I gave my yard a much needed cut and rake and leaf blowing. I cleaned up the kitchen. I took the boys on a bike ride to the nearby park. It was a perfect fall day and I got to spend it with my family.

That Saturday, Mare had organized a Halloween party for the boys' friends, so we had 13 little ghouls and goblins and superheros come over. They played an assortment of games Mare had ready and ate some Halloween themed snacks. It was another lovely day of golden sunshine and mild temperatures and everyone enjoyed themselves (it appeared). We topped off the the Saturday by having a little fire in our outdoor fireplace and cooking hotdogs on it.

Sunday, we headed down to my grandma's in my hometown and visited with my dad's uncle and aunt from Texas, that would be my dad's dad's brother and sister, and my dad's uncle's wife. If that was confusing, I'm sorry. Read it again and work it out on some scratch paper. I was surprised to see how alike my grandpa and his brother looked and acted. Of course grandpa is dead, but his brother looked just like him and displayed the same mannerisms and habits of speech my grandpa used. My own two aunts and my dad were there, too. Of course, my grandma was there (it was her house) and my mom came with my dad. The boys played outside with their older cousin for most of the time and we visited inside. It will likely be the last time I see my dad's aunt, uncle and his wife.

So, I apologize for the length of this post. However, I thank you for reading it! As always, continued good health and prosperity are wished and prayed upon you and yours and all our enemies, too!

Short and sweet

Things are going well for the Broyles family. My dad is off gallivanting around North Carolina on his motor-scooter; my mom is likely off gallivanting around on her bicycle, one of my grandma's is likely off traipsing around with her new dog; my other grandma is likely out and about hiking along the trail; my four year old is on his first bus trip to the pumpkin patch; my six year old is earning academic awards at his elementary school; my two year old is motivating around the house on his own two feet and laboring intensely to be understood verbally; my wife is chasing after four boys in her house fetching this and that and needs Calgon to come and take me away; and me I'm still commuting back and forth to my job on my bicycle. We're all doing the best we can with what we got.

The reunion was a success and, to be honest, was a bit anti-climactic. I performed my songs and gave my speech and my classmates from 1993 were generous and kind with their remarks. I'm glad it's over, but it was fun.

I must go. As usual, I direct blessings in great and overflowing measures in prosperity and health upon you and yours and our enemies. Love to you.

An important speech

So, I've written a speech to give to my classmates in attendance at our 20th class reunion, as well as the other people who happen to be present at our class reunion's choice of venue, Reb's Place; a public "beer joint" in the local vernacular. It's a place that has undergone several name changes over the years as different owner/operators have come and gone. It's a public venue everyone is welcome to attend and I expect there to be not a few locals gathered there for their own impromptu reunion as it is the night of Biblesta, which is my home town's big tourist draw for the year and de facto reunion. Reb's Place serves only "near beer", or beer with an alcohol content of not more than 3.2%. It's been many years since I've stepped foot inside that establishment, at the time called "The Watering Hole", I believe. That must have been over 12 years ago, because it was just before I was married and a friend of mine held a party for me to celebrate my, then, upcoming marriage. I can tell the place has undergone some expansion and remodeling, so I look forward to seeing the changes. I know the "Reb" in question, too, so I look forward to seeing him and sending some business his way.

I've taken it upon myself to write a little speech to recognize some of my classmates and their contribution and hard work to organize and plan the reunion. I'll also attempt to honor my friend Jeff Klotzbach, after his untimely, unexpected death through my speech and by performing a couple of songs on my guitar and harmonica before the band our class has hired takes the stage.

I'm nervous about the speech and performance, though I probably shouldn't be worried. At any rate, that's what I've been practicing for in front of Mare in the evenings. I want things to go smoothly and to try to bring us all together and to, temporarily at least, help our group to get over some leftover animosity toward each other for events both during and immediately following our high school experience.

Perhaps next week I'll have a post which recounts the complete success of my speech and performance before my former classmates. If it doesn't go well, I suppose I'll be led to recount that experience truthfully, as well.

People often re-evaluate their relationships and take time to think of people they have grown distant from after a death has occurred. I am no exception. There's a list of people who I should have developed a lasting friendship with in different phases and places in my life, which I would not allow to become close to me, and whom I've allowed to exit my life, or have exited their lives. These are the people I think of and wish to reconnect with and express to them their friendship was valuable to me. I'm guilty of not valuing people's friendship and I wish to be better at that. I wish to value their friendship, if it's not too late; I don't want to be better at not valuing their friendship.

That's what has been on my mind. Love to you all.

The end of a season

Rest in peace my friend Jeffrey Leighton Klotzbach. You are missed.

The closing days of summer

This Sunday, I'm told, at approximately 3:45, the official end of summer will have arrived. Likewise at 3:46, presumably, the beginning of Autumn will have arrived; or fall, if you prefer. What does this mean for us? Probably it doesn't mean a heck of a lot, truth be told. However, it marks the 38th fall I'll have experienced to date. Granted, I took no notice of the first several autumns to happen in my life, but I notice them now. Fall, autumn, is probably my favorite time of year. I like them all, the seasons, for what each has to offer in their own way, but I have special place in my heart for the end of summer.

I suppose I like fall so much for all the usual cliche' reasons: the colors, the temperatures, the smells. Do I like it for any other reasons that aren't readily available to any other citizen? I don't know. I guess I should have prepared more for this entry, but I didn't. Instead I simply started typing my thoughts. Well, look how that turned out.

Of course that means winter is on the way and the start of a prolonged season of cold weather. I do tire of cold weather by the end of winter, but I enjoy it in the beginning. This post, however started out about the approaching fall, not the impending winter.

I'd like to write that I will have a symbolic end to my own summer and the arrival of fall will coincide with my own end of __________ (fill in the blank). I'd like to make some changes in my life and I need to decide what those changes will be. I have yet to settle upon what exactly to change. Perhaps the change will be that I pursue something, rather than doing something different. Perhaps it will be that I and my family will do new things without a drastic change to the old...things (for a lack of a better term).

As much as I'd like to institute a drastic change, I'm sure the wise thing to do would be to make small adjustments, so the changes will be effective and less traumatic. Then again, jumping in with both feet into some sort of drastic change might be much more fun and adventuresome.

Change, of course, is good. Change is also often a violent, painful experience. At any rate, I'll try to keep you abreast of anything that develops. Presuming, naturally, there is a change of some sort in which to report.

Adios for now. Enjoy the fall weather while it lasts. All of you have all my love and I pray God's blessings upon you and yours and all our enemies in Niagara proportions.

Long Saturdays and happy Sundays

Watching the high school football team win their first two home games is a strange and welcome experience. I've worked on the "chain crew" for all of the seven (?) years here and this is the first year in that time the team has done well. In fact, the first three football seasons I worked, I didn't see them score, let alone win. It was a double overtime victory, but a victory nonetheless.

Saturday, I was back at the high school to serve as scorekeeper for the home freshman volleyball tourney. That lasted from 7:30-7:00p.m. that's a whole mess of volleyball. Fortunately, the day went by quickly.

 I regret missing my oldest son's first soccer game because of my scoring obligations. His team won and he even scored a goal! That's an auspicious start.

When I arrived home Sat. night, I had the two oldest boys help me to build a little campfire in our outdoor fireplace for us to sit around in the cool fall evening until bedtime. I watched the first hour of Saturday night live by myself and it was funny for a change.

Sunday I made a bit of a hodge-podge breakfast that would have made my dad proud. I browned and seasoned about a half pound of leftover ground beef, then made cream gravy of it to pour on top of toast. It was good. It must have been for the boys to eat some of it. It reminded me of what my dad's dad said they served in the Navy far too often. The sailors had a name for it, though it was chipped beef gravy, or corned beef gravy; something besides ground beef in other words, but still served on toast. He called it "shit on a shingle"! That's not how I sold it to my family, though. I called it something like cowboy toast to make it sound legit.

Once the kitchen was cleaned up, we all attended the Antique Engine and Tractor Show at the park. It was the final day of the three day event and we were told three quarters of the tractors were gone. Still, there were probably 250 or so tractors of varying brand, condition, and purpose. I particularly enjoy watching the demonstrations of the old, old machines which relied upon the belt drive system: a separate implement is parked at a distance from a parked tractor and the two are connected to the parked tractor by a big flat belt, and the spinning flywheel on the tractor, when engaged, serves to power the additional implement. Even though they were no doubt huge labor saving devices at the time, it is apparent operating them required a great deal of work in and of itself. They also look fairly hazardous; most machines are missing guards and have exposed moving parts which threaten to catch loose articles of clothing and pull a person into them where a limb could become mangled or amputated or cause death. If you like crusty old men in overalls and work boots, pliers, and restored old, obsolete tractors, then you might attend next year's event. It's a pretty good deal. Admission is two dollars apiece for adults and allows entrance for all three days.

Little bit of moisture today, but probably not enough to help the farmers.

That's about it for today. As always, you are in my prayers and I speak blessings in huge measure on all of you and yours and all our enemies, too.