In case you haven't heard....

I know many of our dear readers are also one or both of our "Face Book Friends", so the following maybe old news to you, but here goes....
I was offered a job!
Which I took of course, it's with the VA, where I have wanted to work since my experience on active duty with CBHCO.
I don't know a lot about the job at this time, but it basically involves helping veterans that are first entering the VA health system.
I start in a little less than a month, so I can finish up on a few things around the house and get in as much fishing as I can.
Being unemployed this past eight weeks or so hasn't been all that bad, I've done a few things around the house, and Mirinda and I have gotten a little closer too I think despite the extra stress.
I did a lot of fishing too, by my standards anyway. There were a couple of times for instance, where I went in the late afternoon/evening one day and went again the next day. I also got a lot of opportunities to make some photographs when I went fishing too. I'd say I added eight new photographs to the project I am working on. You can see it HERE if you like.




















One of the afternoons I spent somewhere on the Middle Provo....(Yes I did catch one that day!)



Just me and my shadow.... ;-)


There were several days there where I didn't shave at all.

Anyway thanks for your support during this period Mirinda and I greatly appreciate it.
A HUGE thanks to Mirinda for putting up with me during this time too, as well as being there for me and with me during this period as well as the period before.

Here's to new opportunities!
SALUD!
Brian

Rage, rage against the dying of the light.

Today is All Saints Day, a celebration of all saints, both known and forgotten. It lands on the ancient Samhain celebration of the beginning of the dark time of the year. It is also the end of daylight savings.

I have been feeling the lack of sun for a few days now. The light which was perfect just a few weeks ago is suddenly not quite bright enough. It’s too cold to expose my arms to those week rays and let my skin drink up the vitamin D. My garden is all but gone to sleep and my fingernails hold no trace of growing soil. The dark time of year has begun, and it is time to remember those who have gone before.

They say Halloween is the day the division between this life and the next is thinnest. I look forward to this day as a time to remember those who have died, passing through the winter of this life into the eternal spring of the next life. But this year I am being reminded of life.
The last few days I have had several reminders that people are most important, and that I have neglected some of my most important people, including myself. As we celebrate the day of the dead, I am being reminded to live.

I apologize for not taking better care of myself. I would ask that you forgive me for not calling you, for not sending you a quick note. I am sorry that I was not there for you when you needed me. I promise I will work to be here. To be in the now. I will do this for you my friend, as well as for myself.

This year instead of celebrating the saints who have gone before, I will celebrate the potential in myself to bless the lives of those I love. I will celebrate the living, and life. I will dance with passion, and light a thousand candles against the darkness. I will live, to honor those who showed me the way.

Marriage sucks - Rebuttal

You might think that that our marriage is a little rocky after reading Mirinda's last blog entry, but I am here to tell you that our marriage is the best it has ever been and is always getting better, simply because of one reason, because we work at being married.
And if you have been married for any more than five years or so, you know this and if you have been married longer than that, you defiantly know this and appreciate the work that you and your spouse put into your marriage.
I remember when Mirinda first told me she felt like this, I was a little taken back by it too, but when she explained things to me It made a little sense to me, but I accepted it, because the last thing she said to me at that point was that, "despite all the lousy stuff about me and our marriage, she loved me and accepted it and was willing to work on our marriage.

One of our favorite singer/song writers David Wilcox, put marriage best in his song "Good Together" on his CD "Live: Songs and Stories, when he was telling a story about a single friend who had had several failed relationships. His hapless friend said to Dave, that marriage sounds like a lot of work, to which Dave replied, "Yeah, it is, but it's good work, if you can "get it." I somehow think that Dave just didn't mean get it as in obtain it, I think he also meant to understand it in that marriage is a lot of work too. Which is that just how we see it, because we've got a good marriage and we understand that it take a lot of work to maintain our marriage.

For those of you who are married, I encourage you to thank your spouse for being married and tell them a couple of reasons why you love them and why you appreciate them. It will do you and your marriage good.

Thanks for loving me Mirinda! You are a great wife!
Brian
;-)

Marriage sucks

Marriage sucks! I have always thought the only thing worse than being married, is not being married.

Don’t get me wrong, I love my husband and there is nothing that makes me happier than being a wife. But marriage is hard. It is compromise and cooperation and sacrificing for the greater good. Maybe I was single to long and had too many years when the best date was an evening alone.

My husband is making me crazy. He doesn’t know how to not be employed and I don’t know how to get anything done with him home. You would think with both of us at home we would be able to get twice as much done, but the opposite seems to be true. This is especially frustrating as I work from home and this is my busy time.

The fall conference is coming up and I have a million details to take care of, name tags, sponsors, and one last check with the speakers. Not to mention I have a kitchen full of tomatoes waiting to be canned. Of course there is always the usual vacuum, pick up, mop the floor.

Don’t get me wrong, it is so nice to share my morning coffee with my best friend. Not only is the conversation better then with the cats, but he knows just how I like my toes snuggled. But when snuggle time is over, he doesn’t know what to do with himself and I don’t know where to start.

I think that dating is a horrible way to choose a spouse. What does going to dinner and a movie, or bowling, or the opera have to do with being married? It is easy to find someone you want to have fun with, what is hard is finding someone you want to work with. Finding someone you want to go through the good times with is so much easier than finding someone you want to go through the bad times with. I once read that the decision to spend the rest of your life with someone should rest on one question- is this someone I want next to me when my mother dies? I don’t know if I agree with the specifics but the sentiment is right.

My sister will be getting married soon. Sometimes I get to know these things. After years as a single parent she is finally ready for the love of her life. I know that when the thrill of new love has past, and the arguments over toothpaste brands and hard or soft tacos have been settled, she will know what I do- that marriage sucks. And just like Brian and I, I hope they live happily, and unhappily, ever after. Because the only thing that sucks worse than being married, is not being married.

Opportunity?

It’s supposed to freeze Tuesday or Wednesday so it’s time to bring in all the peppers and tomatoes and start putting the garden to bed.

I am busy filling the freezer with stuffed green peppers- my favorite way to preserve them, tomato basil pasta sauce- tastes like summer and must be made with fresh from the garden tomatoes and basil. Latter I will be making Verde and if I can find pine nuts for a decent price, pesto. I will bring the green tomatoes in and can them as they ripen.

I love canning and preserving our garden. I get to think about how good the food will taste in winter when I am hungry for the sun and miss being outside. I feel nurturing, taking care of my family. I feel connected to the generations of women who have put up and put by. And I love the secure feeling of knowing that whatever else happens, we have cans of tomatoes.

I am really clinging to that security part this weekend.

Brian is now a full time job hunter. For those of you who were betting on which would happen first- quit, get fired, find a new job- they asked him to leave Friday.

We are both feeling relieved, hopeful and a bit scared.

I am really proud of him, he has worked for 6 months at a job that made him miserable in so many ways and made the best of it. This job was bad fit from the beginning, but as it was allowing us to pay the mortgage on the Team Schiele World Headquarters, so he put up with all sorts of $%#! and stuck it out.

Things may be crazy between now and whenever it is that he finds a job, but we are in it together and grateful that we have options an opportunities. And we are grateful for those stuffed peppers in the freezer.

What was once white is now....

If you've ever been to any of the two places we've owned, you'll know that Team Schiele, loves color.
So for the last little while I have been painting the front door to the Team Schiele World HQ.
As you may recall the front door was a plain white, really boring I know!
Well thanks the magic of two quarts of paint and a lot more elbow grease I am happy to announce that, that boring while door is now RED!
More specially, it's "quiet red".

The plain white door before:

The "quiet red" door now:

I also wanted to thank everyone that reads this for the birthday wishes. Thanks!
Brian

Happy Birthday Brian

39 things I love about my husband on his 39th Birthday 9/9/09
1. Passion for life
2. Sparkly eyes
3. Great ‘eye’ for photos
4. They way he makes me giggle
5. Love of country
6. He is brave- he goes to a job that is not a good fit for him and makes the best of it.
7. Best barista ever
8. He always kisses my goodbye, even if I am not awake enough to remember it
9. The way he treats my mom
10. He can let me have my way and still be the boss
11. He says I love you in his sleep
12. He gets along with almost everyone
13. Pure laugh
14. He never forgets extra pickles on my cheeseburgers
15. Fun dance partner
16. Cutest grill sergeant
17. Best chili chef
18. He doesn’t do football
19. Fly’s the flag at half staff every time a soldier from Utah dies
20. Creative
21. Listens when I say “I was thinking…”
22. Thinks I’m sexy
23. Gets excited about chickens
24. Knows his way around the kitchen
25. If I forget to lock the door, he worries that someone will steal his wife
26. Better then Google
27. Loves to learn
28. Our hands fit
29. Holga Master
30. He doesn’t give up
31. Loves God
32. Cheesy humor
33. Very romantic
34. He’s fun
35. He married me
36. Great host
37. He is grateful for what he has
38. Quick to forgive
39. Willing to be the father of our child