Chefeiram

St Patrick Chaplets for Salt and Light Radio Spring Pledge Drive March 16-18, 2022    The  chaplet components have an interesting history. The St Patrick medal and crucifix were part of the treasure box. The rock chips and stones were given to Marie Edwards by my friend Mary Russell a gifted artist, at her passing a few years ago. I have made several attempts to honor my friend by making something beautiful, meaningful, or useful. After much aggravation, many failed attempts at chain rosaries and jewelry, I set the many pounds of stones and chips aside until a better purpose came to light. Most of the beads were provided by Judy Blacksmith. She has spent many years making beautiful chain rosaries until arthritis made the process impossible. We are grateful that these gifts have found their way into beautiful sacramentals.       The Treasure Box, in truth, is a tackle box. The brown and tan colors and design is reminiscent of the 1970s. It is an odd c...

 The details of the treasure box story are being discovered and will be presented here soon.  Please check back tomorrow.

Thanksgiving Sunday as the rest of the world calls it. For the members of the Catholic Church it is the first Sunday of advent. Today we get to find the parts of an advent wreath. TJ is not in religious education program any more so he is not making them in class and as a home schooled student there are no craft projects making the trek home on the bus. In the last couple of years I have used a place mat with a holly and evergreen pattern, 5 votive candles in the respective colors. It becomes a challenge to light the one candle; maybe we’ll replace them this year. We are starting a new advent adventure and gift giving event. We have small stockings with our names on them, and small slips of paper we will write what we like about that person, how we Christ in them. Thank them for something they do, complements and positives. We will open them on Christmas Eve to celebrate the light of the world shining in our hearts and lives. TJ and I are at the moment feeling mostly ok. So we are...

Good morning to you all Source: Meridian, Idaho Destination: Cascade Locks Oregon Yesterday’s travel was filled with incredible views and wind. We traveled consistent through the eastern part of Oregon. I knew that there was better to be seen. There were many comments of Oh mom look at that! Oh that is beautiful. Lots of oh’s and awe’s. TJ is our navigator and keeper of the travel log. He has truly taken this task to a new level. We played the license plate game, where you keep a list of the ones you have seen. We have 20 some states and 4 Canadian Providences. It feels odd to be posting to face book and my blog from a camp site. I do like the fact that we are not in the wilderness and that we don’t have to pack food for 5 days. We had one small bump in our plan; there are no Maverick Gas Stations in Oregon. TJ and I are living the Thrifty part of the scout law. My friend who was a large part of why we are in Oregon is doing well and is using her extra time off work to catch up on...

Hello all, Well the paper work came through today TJ will be attending the Idaho Virtual Academy for 6th grade. Due to many factors TJ and I feel this next year will be his best opportunity to explore a different learning environment. I have looked at this program before but did not have the right time structure to make it work, I have another year of school where I am at home for the majority of the day to help and guide (read "crack the whip"). After 5 years of trying to fit a round peg in the square hole of a traditional classroom we are both excited. The battles over homework and unfinished class work have made going to school a negative event, when a child that loves to learn as much as TJ does, will fake being sick so he can stay home and read all day. You know it is time to make a change. To all my teacher friends, I have huge respect for what you do every day. TJ has some of the best. I thank you for the wonderful foundation of learning and skills you have given...

Hello By the time you read this it will probably be out of date. As we know technology now moves faster and it updates faster than we can actually read it, ponder, and process it. But this is my effort to try and get all of my communication technology methods connected. So that when I am done with school, I'll be ready to launch into my third and hopefully retirement career of connecting the food world and technology. I have no idea what that will look like but I do think that having my blog, Facebook, twitter and all the other social networking options connected in one space will be to my advantage. For my English 101 class I'm currently researching how technology will change the way we learn and how information for education is delivered. One example is my method of creating this post, it Is being done with Dragon Speaking Naturally dictation software. It is taking some effort to get used to how to use it. I did not realize how much thinking I do while typing, even though...

Hello all, TJ is in the 5 th grade and is learning a new level of ownership and responsibility. He is riding the bus and is responsible for getting out the door on time with all he stuff, including packing his lunch. It is hard not to remind him but I know it is the best way for him to learn. So far he as missed the bus once. I find my self doing too much reminding. Some habits are hard to break. Speaking of habits I am at 3.5 months of not smoking. There were a few days last week that were real hard, not sure why. But I made it through with out falter. Jackie is doing well also. We now have only Mike and Doug in our office to join the ranks. Maybe next we can talk Billy into giving up an hour a day so we can hit the gym? Work is still a challenge each week I learn something new or improve on something I have been doing. I have been using an hour or two a day to read and study for the A+ Certification. I would like to take it before the end of the year. I need to stay focused on th...

We are on pins and chairs waiting for the results of the IQ test for TJ to get in to the gifted and challenged program. He has made huge progress in his ability to stay on task at school. Attitude at home continues to be an adventure. Scouting is still fun and challenging. We are one year from becoming a boy scout. Wow how time flies. I am enjoying my work and the never a dull moment environment of our office. We lost a dear friend and valued team member on January 4, 2009 with the death of Ron Caron. I know that some day or service department will run smoothly again. It may be a long time before that happens but someday it will. My father Stew has joined the Gluten Free world. A bit of a skeptic but recently gave it a test and has proved to him self that the problems on his skin, lack of energy and sinus problems were connected to gluten. My mom Mary and the rest of us are learning about Hypoglycemia. Boy that is more confusing than no Gluten. Together we are being healthier.

Howdy all!! We have been very busy with camping, trips to Lowman, working and doing fun things with Pack 62. Please know that I think about my blog more often than when I actually put something on it. Since my last post in April TJ and I have been on two camping trips with the scouts, a couple of trips to Lowman, I have done a few more installs including one in Ketchum. The more I work with our customers the more I see the value in our guiding them through the maze that is opening and operating a business truly can be. I must admit that after 8-9 hours of work on a computer the last thing I want to do at home is spend more time on a key board. I am spending this evening resting up for the big push and pack for a much needed vacation. TJ and I will be camping at Bull Trout Lake for 4 days. I am really looking forward to some loud nature sounds. And fishing, gin rummy and no showers. Hope you all are well.

Sorry for the long time in blogging… TJ has started soccer and is enjoying the three days a week practice and games on Saturday. Mom and I are hoping that the weather will be a bit kinder to us this Saturday we have had enough of coming home frozen. Although the forecast is for high of 49 and rain. Hummmmm I guess we will be frozen again this game. TJ is also ding well in school and scouts he has earned is Bear Rank and is looking forward to being a Weblo….seams like yesterday he was a tiger. The new career is great the gang at RVP is wonderful and I am enjoying the challenge of working with technology as a team we are meshing nicely. Ron is a wiz at the hardware stuff. Adam is supper great at hardware, software, programming and technology stuff like pagers and handheld ordering devices. I’m a wiz at programming and training. Getting better at the hardware and techy stuff every day. We are close to the end of a big install in Twin Falls Idaho. The Canyon Crest Event Dining Center is so...

Howdy from the snowy Emerald city. Apparently Eugene is not used to this much snow. They have no snow shovels. The hotel is only 1.5 blocks form the Emerald Business Systems where we are doing our training. But with 3+ inches of snow it becomes quite a slushy ice snow pack mess. So much for dress shoes. I see by the way of KTVB and my TJ news source that Boise is getting a bunch of new snow. The flight down was an adventure. Our plane was delayed out of Boise for 4 hours; flight out of San Francisco delayed 2 hours. So we got to the hotel at about 12 pm Boise time. Then up bright and early for class at 8 am that every body but RVP people were late. The odd thing, the people that had traveled hundreds of hours, on time, people traveling a few miles, late. The training is going well. Monday was a bit boring in that we covered a bunch of review stuff and we had no coffee or chocolate. Today was very cool in that we learned new stuff and how to do complicated stuff in configurator. I know ...

Love the new job!!! An I do mean love it, the people I work with are great and I am challenged every day to learn something new. I leave for training in two weeks. I was concerned about how I was going to eat. And stay safe and gluten free, I very much did not want to get sick and miss any of the training. So I talked with the new boss Jackie and she said do what you need to and make sure you put it on the company credit card. How cool is that!!! I did some looking on like and there are a lot of places that I can eat in Eugene and many are with in walking distance of the hotel. My good friend Karen from Eagle Creek Oregon called this week I am sad to day that we had not talked in a long time. Thanks for calling Karen!!! It was good to talk with here and get all updated on Andrew, the Job and the Kitties. TJ does not like his mom being gone so much. There are two events the weekend I fly home that he does not get to go to because his mom will either be in training or...

Wow what a week. In the last 7 days we have had rain, snow, sunshine, and high winds. We changed months and stated a new year. I started a new job. Actually it is a new career. It was very cool to be welcomed and have all members of the company be excited to have you there. Today was my first company meeting and it was a great honor to be listed as a highlight of some ones week. I was also a part of some other meetings where I was able to learn more about the people I work with and the things we do. I am so excited to go to Eugene Oregon for training so I can really get to the heart of what I was hired to-do. TJ is adjusting to his mom being gone a bit more. He is excited about the more money and I am afraid that he may have it all spent before I can make it. He starts school again on Monday and has a field trip on Thursday to see the Boise Philharmonic @ the Swayne Auditorium in Nampa. I spoke with my new boss and she said yes please take the morning off and go with your son. This wil...

As we finish up the last of the Christmas dinner leftovers in our favorite turkey casserole. I am reminded that we are very close to the New Year. I look back and see many things to be grateful for. My son and I are healthy. Nack and Umpha are healthy. Paul is making progress on being healthy. I have stopped smoking and have lost 25 lbs of not needed fat. I belie I have had more good days than pain filled days. Although I have not had a pain free day in many years. I like the ones where I can think of other things to do than to find something that will relive the pain. I know now that fibromyalgia and my weight gain are directly linked. When I am having a high pain day I am often in the kitchen looking for something, not knowing what just something. I now know that I am trying to find something that will stop the pain. Food dose not work. Not even chocolate. I have been reading about computers, internet and protocols, trying to get some information in my head for the new j...

Twelve days of Christmas There is one Christmas Carol that has always baffled me. What in the world do leaping lords, French hens, swimming swans, and especially the partridge who won't come out of the pear tree have to do with Christmas? Today, I found out. From 1558 until 1829, Roman Catholics in Ireland were not permitted to practice their faith openly. Someone during that era wrote this carol as a catechism song for young Catholics.It has two levels of meaning: the surface meaning, plus ahidden meaning known only to members of the church. Each element in the carol has a code word for a religious reality, which the children could remember. -The partridge in a pear tree was Jesus Christ. -Two turtledoves were the Old and New Testaments.-Three French hens stood for faith, hope, and love.-The four calling birds were the four gospels of Matthew, Mark, Luke & John.-The five golden rings recalled the Torah or Law, the first five books of the Old Testament. -The six geese a-l...

Wow what a crazy few days… OK more like two weeks. In my last post, I mentioned that the family was experiencing a virus and I was grateful not to, well that quickly changed. I was very sick for a bit more than a week. I did not go to work much that week either. Lots of sleep, tissues and coughing. I am much better now and have just completed the last week of the Fall 2007 Semester at Boise State University. It has been a good semester at the Culinary Arts program. It will also be my last semester at BSU. As of 1/2/08 I will be working for RVP Systems of Boise, Idaho. I will be a POS Installation Technician. What is a POS ? you say. You know that computer that your servers at your favorite restaurant type in your order? That is a POS system. I will have the privilege of creating the database that each restaurant uses and installing them the hardware, training the clients to use them. I will have lots of technical stuff to learn in the next few weeks but it will be very cool t...

In remembrance of the men and women who gave their lives this day at Pearl Harbor, I would ask that you all take an extra moment to say a prayer. This week has been a bit crazy. My work at Boise State University Culinary Arts is a bit more than usual as the third semesters are preparing for their Capstone Dinner. This is a fund-raising event that is a formal seven course event. Lots of work and stress for them and me the one that must make sure that they have all the stuff they need to make it happen. I know they will do a great event. The house has been a sick ward this week, Mom, Dad, and TJ. I have been ok mostly. TJ stayed home from school Thursday and Friday. We are not going to Snow Capades Saturday in McCall, Idaho. I am somewhat glad about not going. At Camp Morrison they are preparing lunch. I called and spoke with the event organizer about a gluten free lunch for myself and my son. It was another situation of educating someone about gluten and how to prepare gluten free food....

Hello all today is the first Sunday of advent. A special time in our home and thousands of Catholics. Sadly, most the members of our house are home sick today and did not attend mass. We will bless our advent wreath at dinner and light the first candle. Tonight as we prepare for bed we will gather as a family to pray the rosary. This is a tradition my son TJ started last year and it is a great way to calm an 8 year old and keep the focus of Christmas where it needs to be. We are also going to do some cooking for the week to make each weeknight a little less crazy. We are making Butternut puree, yam puree, and maybe chicken nuggets. TJ has given his Grandmother and Grandfather special names, my mother is Nack and my father is Umpha. This afternoon TJ and Nack are playing Mexican Train. A game played with dominos and is great fun. TJ has been playing from the age of 3, he truly loves the game, and it keeps him away from the TV. Well I am off to the kitchen. God Bless

Last night was what looks to be an annual event for a wonderful group of friends. We are members of a large…very large church. We a have 4 masses each week and each one has great music. Once a year we have a chance to say thank you to me musicians that improve and enhance our Mass Celebration. Last year we prepared Brawley Beef Prime Rib, Baked Idaho Potatoes, Assorted Veggies, Salad, and Sweet Streets Pumpkin Cranberry Bash. It was truly wonderful. My good friend Peggy decorated the tables in a very festive Christmas music way. She is so creative. My other good friend Wally, Peggy’s husband, worked with me in the kitchen. He rounded up the helpers. What a hard working bunch he found. I am not sure who had more fun the musicians or the helpers in the kitchen. This year we had a different budget. Oh but I think the food was just as good. Peggy again worked her magic on the dining room. Creating a welcoming environment festive and elegant. Using colors of red, green, and white...