The Rumbold Page

For the Least of Our Brothers 2011

2011-12-23T23:31:00.001-05:00

Sitting here at my computer the day after our annual charity run, my thoughts & prayers can't help but to go out to those homeless we met yesterday, and the ones we didn't meet. The things most of us take for granted- a roof over our head, hot shower, warm bed, regular meals- there are many here in our midst who look upon these as daily blessings.

This year it was myself, Ron Krier, and Mike Volko who made what has become an annual day of giving to the homeless in Center City Philadelphia. This year we gave away 44 bag lunches from Silvio's Deli in Hatboro, they bake the rolls fresh on premises and are delicious even to those of us who have regular meals. We also had a good selection of winter coats, hats, gloves, socks, underwear, thermal underwear, toiletries, sleeping bags, and backpacks that we purchased new in the days before.

We headed straight for City Hall as we usually do, to head down into the subway by the giant clothespin. On the way down Mike was dividing the toiletries up into plastic bags to make it easier. Before we even made it there we noticed a few folks on the sidewalks and handed out some lunches and supplies. We stay away from shelters and try to focus on those folks who also stay away from them because of the trouble that can happen when you get any group together who are competing for limited resources. This way we also get to spend a minute or two of time in conversation with them and let them know that someone cares.

It was very warm this year, above 60F and we had to change our tactics somewhat. Usually the homeless are down below in 15th Street Station or Suburban Station trying to stay warm. With the warm weather they were out and about more. It can be challenging to identify those in real need, as there are plenty of people out just trying to take advantage of whatever situation they can. If we're handing out supplies from the van it tends to attract attention of those just looking for free stuff. We think we get better at weeding them out every year but who really knows?

This year we encountered more ladies than ever before, mostly it is men we find. We found Linda off to the side in 15th St Station reading the Bible and gave her lunch and some supplies. Alicia was on the sidewalk and really needed a sleeping bag so we hooked her up. Some folks are very wary and even decline the offer of a meal even though you can tell they need it. We break the ice with an offer of a good lunch and then try to find out what they really need whether it be a pair of gloves or a sleeping bag. They will often tell you just what they need, and then point out someone else who can use something. Some have been out on the streets for 7 years or more, one man I met said it was his first night out. Sometimes we find a camp, its amazing what they can put together and even more amazing where they are tucked in right next to life as usual in the city.

Some notes for myself to help in planning next year- a few more sleeping bags, tarps and backpacks would have been good. Some things for ladies. Packages of toiletries were good, could have used a few more. 44 lunches was a lot to hand out for the 3 of us, in the end we started giving 2 a person. Start a little earlier to try and maximize our limited dollars. We estimate we spent almost $1,000 this year and appreciate the few monetary donations we received!

On the way out of the city we were talking about how the day went and Mike talked about calling it Project Homeless. I told him that I came up with a different name last year- "For the Least of Our Brothers" based on the following from the book of Matthew:

“When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, he will sit on his glorious throne. All the nations will be gathered before him, and he will separate the people one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats. He will put the sheep on his right and the goats on his left.

“Then the King will say to those on his right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father; take your inheritance, the kingdom prepared for you since the creation of the world. For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.’

“Then the righteous will answer him, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink? When did we see you a stranger and invite you in, or needing clothes and clothe you? When did we see you sick or in prison and go to visit you?’

“The King will reply, ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.’

“Then he will say to those on his left, ‘Depart from me, you who are cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels. For I was hungry and you gave me nothing to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me nothing to drink, I was a stranger and you did not invite me in, I needed clothes and you did not clothe me, I was sick and in prison and you did not look after me.’

“They also will answer, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or needing clothes or sick or in prison, and did not help you?’

“He will reply, ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did not do for one of the least of these, you did not do for me.’

“Then they will go away to eternal punishment, but the righteous to eternal life.” - Matthew 25:31-46

Here are a few photos:

For the Least of our Brothers 2011

ACN IRIS 3000 VIDEOPHONE REVIEW

2009-10-16T12:33:00.000-04:00

This review is for the ACN IRIS 3000 Videophone. This phone is a voice over IP (VOIP) phone that promises unlimited calls to the US, Canada, & Puerto Rico and unlimited videophone calls between other ACN videophones, all for the monthly cost of about $40 after taxes & fees.

It is necessary to have a broadband internet connection for this phone to operate. It is supposed to be easy to plug in and turn on, making it appealing for folks with limited technical skills. Also the promise of seeing the person you are talking to is exciting and this promises to be the next wave of technology.

I purchased the phone when I signed up as a representative for ACN, this review in no way reflects an opinion on the opportunity the company provides.

The phone had some high expectations to live up to. Installation was easy- just plug the phone into a high speed internet connection and turn the power on. It registered just fine and voice quality was good. Video quality with other phones took a little time to optimize and was good at best. The largest issue is that the video part only works with other ACN phones and to this date the only people I know who have one are ACN reps or their families.

A few other features of the phone are worth mentioning. You can connect another phone to it and use that for voice calls (cordless phone). You can also plug a USB drive or SD photo card and it will show photos on the 7" screen. I did have to return my original device because of a problem with the screen and it was replaced for free under warranty.

Over the past 6 months I have used the phone extensively in my home office. My complaints are as follows. As anyone who uses a corded phone can attest to, handset cords tend to get tangled after any considerable amount of use- this cord is permanently attached to the handset so is not easily replaceable nor can you use a swivel with it. The speakerphone works well as a speaker can. The larger issues are connectivity and the phone operation itself. Mine frequently drops calls and 'locks up' and must be power cycled, at a rate of at least once per day. Sometimes when you pick up the handset to make a call it takes 10-15 seconds to respond. I have put in several support requests and have made changes in my router to give the phone a static IP address and also open all ports recommended by ACN. I also have a 25/15 MBps FIOS connetion which is the fastest you can get. Not good for a device that promises to be easy to use.

Despite all my issues, so far ACN refuses to waive their early termination fee if I cancel before the 2 year committment is up. I intend to cancel service anyways because the phone is clearly not up to par with what I expect for phone service. My wife hit the nail on the head when she said it was more of a novelty. I am certain that video calls are the future of communication and hopefully ACN will get it right soon. I would not recommend this phone to anyone.

Delaware River Canoe Trip 2009

2009-08-10T11:22:00.005-04:00

This was the 25th annual trip organized by my friend Jeff. Its on the upper Delaware starting at Skinners Falls and ending in Minisink, about 25 miles. We leave on Friday and stay at Jeffs place at Lake Wallenpaupack and then Saturday we do about 13 miles to our campsite along the river. This year we stretched it out another day to spend a full day at the campsite which was fun. We leave vehicles parked at strategic places so we don't have to carry all the gear the whole way. We caught a bunch of smallmouth bass with 2 keepers that we had for dinner. The campsite is not a commercial one and we've been lucky not to show up there while someone else is there- or should I say they've been lucky!

Thanks for Jeff for organizing another great trip this year and to Wilton for being the camp bitch.

Here is a link to the photos

Catching up

2009-07-04T15:51:00.005-04:00

So this spring we moved our garden to a better spot in our yard and started a compost pile. We started a bunch of greens from seeds and when we finally got them in it started the rainy month of June which held them back but as you will see things are looking up. We got 3 more chickens for a total of 8 hens, the new ones should start laying in the next month or so.

We're keeping busy with our regular jobs and also trying to get the soap business going. No big plans for this summer other than some weekends up at the lake.

Springtime pics- the wisteria was awesome again

Garden pics

Today!

Our neighbors brew beer and have started some hops along the fence.

Dorinda in the News!

2009-04-20T13:59:00.002-04:00

We had a story done in the local paper on Wash Tyme and Freedom Fuel! Check it out below:

PhillyBurbs.com: Clean and green

Phillies Game

2009-04-09T21:57:00.004-04:00

Andy got to go to the Phillies v Braves game yesterday with a few friends courtesy of Frederick Mutual. The seats were awesome and we got to see the Phillies come from a 10-3 deficit to win the game! We were sitting a few seats away from our Governor Ed Rendell. The beer was cold and the peanuts were good.

Tour of biodiesel plant

2009-04-03T21:10:00.002-04:00

My friend John and I drove out to Camp Hill PA today to tour Keystone Biofuels plant, check out the photos on our website http://www.freedomfuelnow.com/

It was pouring on the way out, on the way home the sun was coming out and we saw about 10 rainbows no kidding!

Winter Get-away

2009-03-03T15:42:00.002-05:00

We left the chickens in the custody of our neighbors Mike & Amy and drove up to Jay NY 2 Fridays ago to spend a week at Blair & Marjorie's place. Blair, Marjorie, and an old friend Kurt that I used to work with were there for the first few days. We had fun taking walks with the dogs, hanging out and building fires. Kurt left on Monday and Blair & Marjorie left Tuesday morning. Andy went skiing at Whiteface on Wednesday and the rest of the time we spent reading, listening to the radio, and just relaxing. No TV!

Their house is very nice, at the end of a street with hiking trail right out the door. And only 10 minutes from the ski area.

Here are the photos:

More Chickens!

2009-01-28T14:25:00.002-05:00

It appears that we will be adding 2-3 more chickens to our herd or flock or whatever you call a group of chickens. Stay tuned for more details and eggs!

Sustainabilty Conference

2009-01-24T20:14:00.004-05:00

I (Andy) spoke at a Culinart corporate conference at Columbia University in Manhattan today about biodiesel. They provide food services for many colleges and corporate clients. This is the 2nd conference I spoke at for them. They bought 240 bars of soap from Wash Tyme this month and we're very excited to get the soap in peoples hands to try.

I was one of 4 members of a "distinguished panel"! Just spreading the word about this renewable and recycled fuel, people are just as interested about the soap. The President said that a company mandate as of February is all used fryer oil will be going to companies who make biodiesel! There were 2 sessions of at least 50 people each.

There was a fantastic Mediterranean-style lunch done by some of the company's top chefs. My friend & biodiesel partner John Morano went with me. I'll post up a few pics ASAP.

The Incredible Edible Egg!

2009-01-08T18:42:00.002-05:00

So we're getting about 4-5 delicious fresh organic eggs per day! The birds are funny because in spite of having 2 nests they only lay in one.

For the Least of our Brothers 2008

2008-12-19T11:10:00.005-05:00

For the 4th year in a row (3 for me) some friends and I distributed lunches and warm clothes to the homeless in Center City Phila. This year it was Ron Krier, Mike Volko, and myself. We did get quite a few donations which helped with our limited funds and special thanks go out to Pat, Jane, Arlene, Jim @ BCCC, ONeill Family, Boomer, Justin, Deb & Rich, Ken & Jill, and Wash Tyme. I hope I did not forget anyone.

We met up around 915 am and loaded up Rons van with jackets, hats, gloves, socks, underwear, sweatshirts, blankets, backpacks, pants, shoes, & sleeping bags and stopped by Silvio's Deli to pickup 40 brown bag lunches with a sub, chips, soda, and cookie in each. They bake their own rolls on premises and the subs are really good, and they give us a break on the price for charity.

Since we've been doing this a few years we have a good idea where to find these folks. At the end of the day we'll drop off the remaining items at a shelter but we find its more rewarding actually searching out people who need things the most and the 1 on 1 interaction is best. For the most part they are very respectful and only take what they really need knowing we only have so much to give. Sometimes people will start to crowd the van and we're not really sure if they are homeless but we try to use our best judgement. Just the interaction and asking their name helps their self-esteem.

One interesting thing that one of us noticed was watching the reaction of other people watching us giving the stuff out. I'm sure many just walk by these people all day long and don't stop to think about the situation someone who does not have a home is in. Hopefully we planted a seed for someone to stop thinking of themselves first and serve others in whatever small way they can.

So I'm sitting here in my warm house looking out the window at it snowing or is it freezing rain right now and can't help thinking about our brothers & sisters out there just trying to survive. If we all just do a little it adds up to a lot.

Matthew 25
34"Then the King will say to those on His right, 'Come, you who are blessed of My Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world.
35'For I was hungry, and you gave Me something to eat; I was thirsty, and you gave Me something to drink; I was a stranger, and you invited Me in;
36naked, and you clothed Me; I was sick, and you visited Me; I was in prison, and you came to Me.'
37"Then the righteous will answer Him, 'Lord, when did we see You hungry, and feed You, or thirsty, and give You something to drink?
38'And when did we see You a stranger, and invite You in, or naked, and clothe You?
39'When did we see You sick, or in prison, and come to You?'
40"The King will answer and say to them, 'Truly I say to you, to the extent that you did it to one of these brothers of Mine, even the least of them, you did it to Me.'

Do You know where Your Food Comes From?

2008-11-21T19:41:00.004-05:00

Today I helped our friend Tom Colbaugh process some turkeys for the upcoming holiday. We've been getting a local farm raised bird for the past few years- once you have an organic farm raised bird you will never go back to a frozen boat anchor from your local supermarket.

The hardest part is catching them, I personally didn't bleed any but I did everything else, add another skillset to my toolbox! After putting the birds in a sack with their head sticking out, they are hung upside down and their carotid artery is cut. It takes about 3-4 minutes for them the peacefully bleed out. Then their legs are removed at the knee joint and they are put into a scalding water bath for about 30 seconds, then into the de-feathering machine. It spins them around and rubber fingers pluck most of the feathers. Then the neck and entrails are removed, the neck, heart, and liver are put into a bag and stuffed inside the cavity and then they are soaked in water and then bagged and put into cooler.

Doylestown Hospital Green Fair

2008-10-31T22:16:00.001-04:00

Today Dorinda, Abby, & Andy took part in a Green Fair at Doylestown Hospital. It was for vendors of the hospital to showcase their 'green' side. Diane Pennington invited us after a meeting with Andy last week. Bucks County Freedom Fuel will be partnering with the hospital to recycle their used cooking oil to make biodiesel and Wash Tyme uses the vegetable glycerol left over from that process. It was open to hospital employees and volunteers from 12-2pm. We estimate there were 150-200 people that came through. We had a table right up front when you came in and got very positive response. We gave away small soap samples, answered questions, and got some good exposure for our soap and website. It was a lot of fun! Here are some photos:

Chicken update

2008-10-20T21:31:00.004-04:00

We went away for a few days to be at my Godson Joel's baptism and Rob's sister Jena & Justin's wedding in Butler PA and we came home to our first egg! Since then another chicken started laying so we are getting about 2 per day and the other 3 will kick in soon we hope. I got the outdoor run finished and also the henhouse. All that is left is to get roof panels so I put up a tarp for the time being. Here are a few photos:

Announcing Wash Tyme!

2008-10-20T20:13:00.003-04:00

Dorinda and her friend Abby are now officially in business! They are making and selling homemade glycerine soap from the by-product of making biodiesel from used cooking oil. So we are recycling 100% of this oil after it was used to fry food.

I met a local guy who helped us with the biodiesel process and him and his wife started making and selling the soap. They had too much on their plate so we bought the equipment and some soap they had made, we had bought some from them before and loved how well it worked and that it was a natural product from a recycled material.

The process works like this: We collect used fryer oil, let it settle and filter it for food particles and water. We then react it with a solution of methanol and caustic soda at 130F for 2 hours in a tank that is circulated with a pump and then allow it to settle overnight. It settles into 2 distinct layers- the top being biodiesel and the bottom layer is a vegetable glycerine. We drain off the glycerine and 'wash' the biodiesel before using it. Then it is necessary to recover residual methanol from the glycerine which is done by distillation up to 260F.

In the transesterification process described above much of the process of saponification has taken place. To finish the process we follow a recipe developed by a guy from Canada. We can make bar soap and liquid. Here are some photos of Dorinda and Abby making bar soap.

We're also working on making a gel type soap. The liquid works awesome as a degreaser, for laundry, washing pets, etc. For the bar soap we add only scents and shea butter or olive oil. None of the chemical additives found in commercial soaps. It not only works great at cleaning any type of organic stains but doesn't dry out your skin.

We are working on a new logo and updating the website http://www.washtyme.com/ , it has a fully functional shopping cart so please help support us and tell everyone you know!

Updates

2008-09-18T23:27:00.001-04:00

Sorry for lack of content, we've been very busy since our vacation. We'll get some new photos up soon of the new chicken coop and our new soap business!

Stay tuned....

Rocky Mountain Vacation

2008-07-27T23:22:00.002-04:00

We had a wonderful vacation out to Yellowstone and Grand Teton National Parks, see following album: you probably will want to pause the slideshow so you can read the descriptions at your own pace- just put the mouse over the album and click the pause button and then use the arrows to navigate.

2008-07-01T23:18:00.003-04:00

I was looking for a specific car and found it in Houston of all places so I got a short visit with Melissa & family. Then I headed to Atlanta and met up with my friend John Cash. We drove up thru Smoky Mt National Park and stayed in Gaitlinburg TN and I drove home the next day. The car drives great and runs fantastic on B100- thats 100% biodiesel. Few minor issues but overall a great car that will hopefully last us many years and get us around in style.

Chickens!

2008-06-07T20:41:00.003-04:00

Dorinda is now officially a chicken farmer! 6 new chicks arrived yesterday, hopefully by the end of the year they'll be supplying us 4-6 eggs per day. I'm going to build an outside run just off the back of the shed and cut a door through the wall. I also have to build the nest boxes and put some roosts in but I can work on that over the next few months.

Memorial Day weekend @ Elmcroft

2008-05-26T19:35:00.002-04:00

We drove up Friday evening, Karen came over Saturday late morning and we cleaned up the outside and planted some annuals. Weather was beautiful. Left Sunday at noon and did some stuff at home today including starting on the chicken coop.

Golf Shenanigans

2008-05-13T10:12:00.002-04:00

So myself and 7 friends hit the links this past Saturday. Tom & I were part of the first foursome and we got a little ahead of the 2nd group and decided to play a little joke on them by moving the flag on a green:

Then kharma caught up with me and they distracted me and switched out my ball on the back 9:

Then I got home to find a surprise party for my 40th which happens to be today. Thanks to Dorinda and my friends for pulling off a great day!

Biodiesel!

2008-04-28T21:01:00.003-04:00

On Sunday I got to check out a local homebrew biodiesel setup. This guy has been making and using it for 2 years to heat his home and power his 2 vehicles for around .75 per gallon from waste vegetable oil (obtained for free from restaurants).

New Wisteria Arbor

2008-04-28T20:38:00.002-04:00

This past weekend I took care of a project thats been floating around in my mind for awhile. My friend Jeff has many cedar trees on his property some of which are dead. I used some to construct an arbor, I still need to get some smaller pieces to add for cross-bracing. It should look real nice when it grows over which I predict will be before the end of the summer based on how many times I have to trim it

Politically Incorrect?

2008-04-27T17:43:00.003-04:00

I've been pretty active in the grassroots campaign for Ron Paul here in PA. Getting petitions signed to get delegates on the ballot, doing literature drops in my voting precinct, putting up signs, etc. On April 15 I went with some other supporters to a Freedom Rally on the west lawn of the Capital. It was a beautiful day and there were some good speakers including Ron Paul. Some of the views expressed were of the 'fringe' type but the overall message was about how our government wastes our tax dollars. Here is a brief video I took with my Canon digital camera:

Here are some photos:

So our primary was last week. Our main goal was to get our delegates elected to the convention so they could vote for Ron Paul because they are unbound. We had 66 running but only 5 won slots. The GOP party did a good job manning the polls with their sample ballots, in every precinct that we had someone there with our sample ballots our delegates placed high and so did Dr Paul. In my district he got 35% of the vote!
I found out the night before that there was no one running for Committeman in my district so with little notice I ran as a write-in and won with 33 votes (needed 10). Committeeman is the lowest elected position in the party. I was at the poll most of the day and people loved the costume!

More Maya

2008-02-16T08:34:00.002-05:00

I just weighed her and she is 31.5 lbs at a little over 6 months. When we got her at 9 weeks she was less than 9 lbs! She's doing terrific in spite of having some 'intestinal issues' this week which caused her spaying procedure to be put off until early March.

Here are some recent photos mostly playtime with her boyfriend Freedom who belongs to our friend John. He's 1.5 yrs old and even though he is more than 2x the size Maya doesn't take any grief from him and they get along great.

Visit to Florida

2008-02-01T08:14:00.000-05:00

Last weekend we went down to Florida to visit Dorinda's grandparents on her dads side. Flew down Friday morning and came home Monday night via Southwest at $72 each way which is probably cheaper than gas to drive it.

We had a nice visit with them and got to hear alot of stories about them growing up, her grandpop is just recently suffering from Post-traumatic stress disorder from his time spent in France during WWII as a heavy machine-gunner. On Sunday we drove down to Treasure Island beach and spent a night at a hotel on the beach. There was a group playing drums on the beach which was pretty cool!

Woke up Monday and spent a few hours at Fort DeSoto- checked out the historic fort and read on the beach for awhile before flying home.
Got to use the new GPS which was invaluable for getting around- no more maps and directions!

We brought home 40 pounds of fresh oranges and grapefruit from the trees in their yard!

Party for Mike's 40th

2008-01-20T21:00:00.000-05:00

Last night we went to a surprise party for our good friend Mike thrown by his wife Erin. It was a casino night theme and was alot of fun. If you click on the album there are 2 videos

Post-Holiday Party

2008-01-16T15:00:00.001-05:00

We had some friends over last Friday, here are some photos taken with the new Canon SD850IS camera.

Christmas Holiday Wrap-Up

2007-12-30T22:21:00.000-05:00

We had a wonderful Christmas this year. We had my dad, Jonathan, and Melissa and family staying with us for the week. Christmas Eve we had a buffet style dinner for 16 in addition to us with my mom, Chris & family, cousin Dan & family coming over.

Gift opening was Christmas Day. Afterwords Dorinda and I went to brunch at her grandparents and then opened gifts from her dad's parents which is always a fun time.

Rob's parents Denny & Joan and sister Jena drove out from Pittsburgh the day after Christmas and stayed at a local hotel for 2 nights. We had a great time with them also and played a fun game called Last Word.

As nice is it is to relax and enjoy some quiet time with everyone gone, we miss you all and the house seems empty. Come back soon!

Giving Back

2007-12-23T08:17:00.001-05:00

Again this year I joined up with Mike & Ron to distribute warm clothing to homeless folks in Philadelphia. Jeff & Jamey joined in this year also so we had lots more stuff to give out. Most of it we bought at Walmart because its so ridiculously cheap, some we also got at the Salvation Army stores and Mike's neighbor had alot of stuff from last year. We also had 30 brown bag lunches to hand out. In addition to the usual hats, gloves, socks, underwear, and hoodies- this year we had sleeping bags, poly tarps, and jackets.

We loaded up Ron's van and spent the whole day driving around Center City. We also stopped at a veterans shelter called Perimeter and another one I didn't get the name for.

Going 1 on 1 or in small groups is the way to go- the guys are really grateful and only take what they need. In larger groups like at the shelters its a little tough because they all start competing with each other and it can get a little nerve-wracking when we start to run out of stuff.

We are blessed to have so much and for the opportunity to give some of it back. Merry Christmas!

McKean Deer Camp 2007

2007-12-13T13:25:00.000-05:00

I spent a few days again this year up at Pine Tree Camp in McKean County. Had a good time although we didn't see many deer. Got about 10" of snow which was nice. My friend Jamey got a doe and his son Travis shot a button-buck. I ran into Rob and his dad on Tuesday while driving out of the woods which was cool.

Another good checkup

2007-11-27T23:12:00.000-05:00

Maya went to the vet today for her 3rd round of immunizations including distemper & rabies. Now she can start to venture out and explore the neighborhood.

Here's Dr Jim with her:

Here she is a few weeks ago, she no longer fits in this spot! She weighed 17.5 lbs today, when this pic was taken she was about 12.

Ron Paul Rally at Independence Mall

2007-11-11T09:46:00.000-05:00

Yesterday was another first for me- I went to a political rally. Actually its not correct to call it that since Ron Paul is really not political rather he is a presidential candidate for the people. I met some folks from the local meetup group, passed out some slim jims to folks for a few hours before the rally. At least 75% of the folks I approached were receptive to hearing about him including meter collectors and the gal driving the horse carriage.

I got to meet Ron and shake his hand when his "entourage" rolled up to the hotel where he was meeting with some supporters prior to the rally. It consisted of 3 vehicles and about 5 people- don't you wish every elected representative rolled like that!

He had an interview with CNN right after which can be seen ironically not on cnn.com but on youtube here.

I encourage folks to learn about what he stands for and spread the message so we can restore liberty and stop our government from building a worldwide empire. Did we not learn anything from the Romans??

A Great American

2007-11-06T19:05:00.001-05:00

As you watch this video, ask yourself which current presidential candidate shares this vision for the American people

Our Newest Niece Jessica!!

2007-11-04T20:23:00.000-05:00

Born this morning just before 2am to Lyndsay & Andre. Mom and baby (6 lbs 11 ounces) are doing fine. It was exciting working at the wine & cheese shop with Andre last night as Lyndsays's contractions got closer together.

Congrats to Lyndsay and Andre!!!

Taking care of business

2007-10-27T22:29:00.000-04:00

The wine & cheese shop in Doylestown is now officially open. More wines will be added from other vineyards in the coming weeks.

More Maya

2007-10-15T21:12:00.000-04:00

She's really getting used to the idea of this being her new home. Housebreaking is going well so far and she's getting used to us leaving. Today she spent 5.5 hours alone in the crate and no accidents.

Meet Maya

2007-10-08T20:26:00.000-04:00

Maya- Our new addition, born August 6th.

Sire: K&H Royal Oak Blitz                                                                            Dam: Buddy Sue Conway

7 pups in the litter, 2 females. We didn't get to see the other pups but the breeder said it was a very good litter.

Kinda hard to get good pics yet, she hasnt stopped moving :)

So far so good! She's got alot of energy but is not high strung. She takes lots of naps in between bouncing around and chewing. Housebreaking is going well so far with only a few minor accidents (on the tile floor thank you very much!) The hardest part is leaving her in the crate and hearing her cry but she'll get used to it once she learns that we're coming back when we leave the room!

Dorinda Celebrates another milestone!!

2007-09-16T12:38:00.001-04:00

So I managed to pull off a surprise party for Dorinda this year, even though I sabotaged it myself by copying her on an email to my godmother. Her friend Kelly got her out of the house on Aug 18th and with help from Jeff I managed to get 30 people there for the surprise, and about 15 more showed up later.

Our friend Tricia and a gal she works with did all the food prep and serving- we had ribs, chicken, corn on the cob and everyone brought a dish or dessert. It was probably the nicest day of the summer with temps in the 80s and low humidity.

Here is an album with some photos:

More exterior improvement

2007-08-04T19:13:00.000-04:00

We did some painting the other weekend, and today put some outdoor carpet on the deck- a temporary fix until we can replace the deck and add a patio. Looks much better and didn't cost much.

PS- i give up on the stupid blog formatting, I spent 30 minutes trying to get these pics to line up

April 2005

August 2007

one of the smaller frogs in our pond, there is one the size of my fist. Also a small turtle that our neighbors put in their pond but I guess it likes ours more.

Lake Minisink

2007-07-29T19:45:00.000-04:00

Dorinda and I went up to relax at the cabin this weekend, and relax we did. Did some hiking both days. Weather was great on Saturday, had a nice dinner by the dock. Sunday I straightened up the garage some. Dorinda made awesome brunch both days, we slept through breakfast.

Here are some photos:

Lake Minisink July 2007

New Pipes

2007-06-24T20:07:00.000-04:00

So I was out at a local bike shop yesterday with a friend and ran into this guy who has the same year and model Honda. In the course of talking to him it came up that he had a set of aftermarket pipes and I was looking for same, so I bought them for $100. They have a nicer sound and some more power....

Before.... stock pipes exit on both sides

After... both pipes exit on right side

Also new fork seals are in place, new front brakes. Need to do rear brakes and drain and replace coolant. Dorinda just got a nice leather jacket from a friend so we're looking forward to some nice rides soon!

Pond Update

2007-06-19T20:55:00.001-04:00

So the pond area has been cleaned up in the past 3 years we've been here. Last photo was taken tonight, the others last summer.

Check out Ron Paul for President

2007-05-31T15:23:00.000-04:00

If you consider yourself a good American and patriot I urge you to take some time to get educated on the candidates for President, particularly Ron Paul, Texas Representative. He is essentially being blackballed by the media but has a website and YouTube channel.

His next debate is June 5 airing on CNN from 7-9 pm EST. Please listen carefully to what the participants are saying and ask yourself "who would I want to lead the country?" If your answer is Ron Paul then please support him by helping spread the word and donating to his campaign.

I support Ron Paul because he opposes and would substantively change the following:

• The WTO (World Trade Organization), NAFTA and CAFTA. These organizations threaten our National Sovereignty by placing domestic policy decisions in the hands of foreign agents.

• The "Federal" Reserve. Despite it's name, the Federal Reserve is not a Federal agency (think FedEx). It is a privately owned corporation that manipulates the value of the U.S. dollar (through interest rates) to the advantage of the wealthy and the detriment of the middle class and poor.

• The PATRIOT Act. The PATRIOT Act is an unconstitutional law, passed by a panicked, spineless Congress at a time of fear and uncertainty. Congressional members were so scared, in fact, that they literally neglected to read the law they passed. This law allows for domestic spying on ordinary Americans. It allows for warrant less searches. This law is not limited to terrorism cases. This law gives the government the authority to detain anyone, for whatever length of time, without ever bringing charges. This law is illegal.

• The REAL ID Act. The REAL ID Act is a law passed by Congress that mandates the creation of a national ID card. These cards are plastic human barcodes that every American citizen will be forced to carry, starting in May of 2008, so that the government can keep an absolute tab on every one. Right now it is the law.

Depending on your State of Residence, some of the features these cards will include are: fingerprint, iris scan, genetic information (DNA), social security number, physical description of the card holder, a magnetic strip which would allow access to databases containing your credit history and private medical information, and an RFID chip, which would allow the government to track your movements.

• The Military-Industrial Complex. The Military-Industrial Complex is a term that was made famous by WWII war hero and former President, Dwight D. Eisenhower. He used it in his farewell address to warn Americans of the dangers of the MIC. The term Military-Industrial Complex refers to the relationship between the Military, Government and Private Industry (a.k.a. weapons manufacturers). It works like this...

The more wars there are the more toys the Military needs. The more toys the military needs, the more money Private Industry makes. The more toys Private Industry makes for the Military, the more influence the Government gains on the world stage. The more influence the Government gains on the world stage, the more toys the Military will need to sustain it. The more toys the Military needs to sustain the Government's gained influence on the world stage, the more money Private Industry makes... and so on.

Only constant war can sustain this vicious circle of war profiteering, dominance of others and death and destruction. In essence, constant war benefits these three parties at the expense of world peace and stability.

• The War on Drugs. "War on Drugs" is a propagandistic term for a policy that sustains the very drug market it is supposedly meant to fight. By criminalizing drugs (think Alcohol), the government enables the existence of black markets (think bootlegging), which in turn allows for the emergence of individuals and criminal syndicates (think Al Capone) who are more than willing to kill, rape and bribe themselves into riches, as they satisfy that market's demands.

By keeping drugs illegal, the government enables a market whereby those who trade in it (gangs and individuals) make enormous profits that allow them to further their criminal enterprises. It puts money into the pockets of individuals who use it to bribe Police, Court Officials and Politicians. It turns desperate poor people into deviant entrepreneurs. It makes criminals out of individuals who have the illness of addiction.

• The War on Terror. The "War on Terror" is another propagandistic term and contributes greatly to the Military-Industrial Complex. It is meant to promote fear and submission to authority. By neglecting the fact that terrorism is a tactic of war and not an enemy, the government is able to conceal the progress, or lack thereof, of it's war against said enemy; simply because one cannot measure a tactic.

• The Department of Homeland Security. The DHS is a massive, wasteful, bureaucratic, Orwellian institution that threatens our values, our liberties and our Rights under the Constitution. This is the same institution that spent the summer of 2004 scaring all Americans by issuing "orange alerts" whenever the political situation for the White House got dangerous.

• President George W. Bush. The President has waged an undeclared, unconstitutional war in Iraq. The President has waived the Writ of Habeas Corpus; the right of an individual to have a Court review whether or not their detention is legal. The President has exceeded his Constitutional authority and violated several federal laws by; engaging in domestic spying, allowing the NSA to intercept and listen to millions of innocent phone calls, allowing the NSA to read your private e-mails and Instant Messages, allowing the NSA to monitor your internet activity and by allowing the Post Office to open your mail. And these are only the confirmed programs.

Trip to CA

2007-05-16T10:34:00.000-04:00

It was good timing to get away, and we had a fun week with Dad in the land where every day is a good weather day. I put some pics in an album below so I'll just fill in some narrative as I have time.

We got there Saturday afternoon and just relaxed and caught 'Breach' at the movie theatre for $1.50 (yes thats correct one dollar and 50 cents). Although the popcorn and drinks ended up costing just north of $10, funny story about that- I ordered the large bag and after the clerk filled it I changed my mind and said I'll take the tub which appears larger and costs $1.00 more since there were 3 of us and it would be easier to share. So she pours the large bag in and ITS THE SAME FREAKIN SIZE, well she is all apologetic and trying to put more popcorn in until it spills all over the counter. okay...

Next morning we went to church service at the Crystal Cathedral, yep the same Hour of Power that I have made fun of in the past on TV. The place is really cool and the music is great, but too little message and too much Hollywood for us. After that we were hungry and had lunch at marie callenders.

Monday we toured the Queen Mary in Long Beach, which is now a floating hotel as well as open to tours. Andy's grandfather travelled on her from England to New York in 1936 and his dad put some cool photos on his blog. We walked alot as the ship is 1,000 ft long and has many decks. We also toured the Russian submarine next to it. Had dinner at La Cave the first restaurant we've ever been to where the menu was a cart with fresh steaks and seafood on it.

Tuesday- hiking in San Bernardino Mtns

Wednesday- cruising on rented BMW motorcycle with John Cash from Redondo to Laguna Beaches.

Thursday- walked around Laguna Beach, had dinner at the Rusty Pelican

Friday- checked out Long Beach, had dinner with friends John & Maria at the Belmont Brewing Company

Saturday- travelled home

CA May 2007

Our Best Friend

2007-05-02T19:36:00.000-04:00

May 2, 2007

When I moved back to my moms house in early summer 1993 I was happily surprised to see another Seeing Eye puppy, a yellow lab named Dimples that my sister Melissa had accepted to raise. From the start she was a very good natured pup, easy to housebreak and very low-maintenance. I wound up spending a lot of time with her, especially since Melissa headed off to school in New Hampshire that year. I would take her on weekends up north to the whitewater rafting outfit that I guided trips for and she would hang out tied up to the bumper of my jeep in the employee lot and get lots of attention from the other staff who worked there. If it was rainy she would curl up on the front seat while I was on the river for 4-5 hours and be perfectly content. She went most everywhere with me.

When it was time for her to return to the Seeing Eye it was hard just like it had been for the other puppies that our family had raised over the past 10 years or so, but at the same time its so rewarding knowing that the dogs have a purposeful life. A few months later we were notified that she did not pass the training due to a condition from having parvovirus as a puppy that caused her to walk with a head-tilt. What this neurologic damage meant was that she walked with her head down and to the side, and also walked crooked kind of like a snake moves diagonally. Over the years she really adapted well to this and it became less noticeable. She always seemed a little goofy and unsure on her feet- one time I was in Mikes basement just hanging out and I whistled for her to come and she came flying down the side of the basement stairs! She slid down to the bottom and got up like nothing had happened. Some of my friends used to make fun of her but it never seemed to bother me much.

Over the next few years I lived in 2 apartments and could not keep her, but she was only 15 minutes away at my moms, a few times sharing the house with other Seeing Eye puppies. At the 2nd place I was able to have her after leaving an extra security and my landlord meeting her and seeing what a mellow dog she was.

She was so well housebroken that she would virtually never have an accident in the house, only when she was sick or left alone for a longer period of time. Sometimes I would get home late and she would run right outside and do her business having been holding it in so as to not have an accident inside. She hardly ever barked unless someone was knocking at the door (or I pretended someone was by knocking on the table or wall). When she went places with me I could usually leave her off the leash as she would only go about 30 feet from me- even in the park with ducks and geese around, she never paid them much attention.

When Dorinda and I had our first date, Dimples was there. Walking in Tyler State park along with Dorinda’s dog Samantha, the two of them got along just fine although Dimples always did tend to get annoyed with other dogs wanting to keep playing when she was done. In many ways she became closer with Dorinda than me, she was part of us.

We lived with Dorinda’s folks for 2 years before we bought our house and she loved every minute of it- getting plenty of attention, having a nice big property to roam on and making a good friend in Jasper the cat. She would make the trek across the field to Dorinda’s grandparents to get a biscuit from Poppop, sometimes completely on her own and we would get a phone call saying she was there. She loved her mommom and poppop as much as they loved her. She also loved being around people and could be found cruising underfoot at parties looking for the cracker that someone inevitably would drop.

About 3 years ago she stopped eating for a few days (very unusual for a dog with such a voracious appetite) and Dr Jim diagnosed her with not only Lyme disease but an immune deficiency blood disorder. He told us that 90% of animals do not survive it. We nursed her back to health with a diet of eggs and venison to get her to eat and miraculously she bounced back after taking steroids for a few months. At that point she was not to be given any more immunizations including rabies vaccinations and be kept away from other animals to protect her. Which was fine by her because she was a one-dog type of dog anyways.

Over the past year her hips got increasingly worse, to the point where she had difficulty getting around and going to the bathroom. We would have to help her up most times and also frequently help her stay up when going to the bathroom. She also started to drink a lot of water in the past 2 months, making me think there may be something worse ahead. Many nights either Dorinda or I would wake up to her crying because she couldn’t get up to get a drink, and we would help her around without even blinking an eye. By this time she was on several supplements for her joints and also tramadol for the pain. We even took her to an animal chiropractor for about 4 weeks which definitely gave her some relief- the stinky proof of which was evidenced about 5 minutes after her treatments!

We both started to wonder when was the right time to make the decision to help her move on, and it wasn’t until the last 2 weeks that I started to feel selfish when she would have difficulty moving around or start crying. Hearing her cry is what really bothered me because she had never been a vocal dog, not even crying out when she inadvertently got stepped on. So I made the appointment. She had many visitors over the past week from friends who wanted to say goodbye.
So 14 years after she came into my life, this morning I woke up and cooked her up some eggs and leftover steak from dinner last weekend. She wolfed it down. The sun came out and promised to be one of the beautiful days that we look forward to after a long winter. When the time came I put her collar on and said “want to go for a ride?” which she loved to do because she knew she was going somewhere with us. She flew down the steps and we got her on her bed in the back of the pathfinder. When we got to the vet Dr Jim came out and was so good with her like he’s always been treating her over the years. As I held her head in my hands and cried she passed peacefully and I immediately knew that she was at rest. Out loud I thanked God for putting her in our life and expressing His love for us through her, and also thanked Him for Dr Jim, and said it is OK you can take her now.

She is buried down at the farm where she loved it so much, with one of her buddies tucked under her front leg just like she fell asleep so many nights. Thank you Dimples for showing us both the unconditional love you did- you are our best friend and we know we'll see you again.

Here are a few emails I received from friends that I wanted to share

My Dear Friends Andy and Dorinda,

Your love for your friend Dimples is so evident. It will always be recognized by us as people who love and respect our own pets as individuals and members of our family with the right to live and pass with dignity. Our heart feels heavy for you. To lose those close to us never gets easier... the pain only seems to build with age and wisdom. Your decision is noble and without selflessness.

Love,

Marjorie and Blair

"We who surround ourselves with life even more temporary than our own, live within a fragile circle, easily and often breached. Yet we would live no other way and cherish memory as the only certain immortality."
--Irving Townsend

Dear Andy and Dorinda,
I am so sorry... I can't imagine not having a dog in my life. The Boys especially Brennan will be very upset. If there is anything we can do, please let Tricia or myself know. I read this and though it fit. Dimples knows who was there for her.

A Dogs Plea

Treat me kindly, my beloved friend, for no heart in all the world is more grateful for kindness than the loving heart of me.

Do not break my spirit with a stick, for although I should lick your hand between blows, your patience and understanding will quickly teach me the things you would have me learn.

Speak to me often, for your voice is the worlds sweetest music, as you must know by the fierce wagging of my tail when your footsteps falls upon my waiting ear.

Please take me inside when it is cold and wet, for I am a domesticated animal, no longer accustomed to bitter elements. I ask no greater glory than the privilege of sitting at your feet beside the hearth. Keep my pan filled with fresh water, for I cannot tell you when I suffer thirst.

Feed me clean food that I may stay well, to romp and play and do your bidding, to walk by your side and stand ready, willing and able to protect you with my life, should your life be in danger.

And, my friend, when I am very old, and I no longer enjoy good health, hearing and sight, do not make heroic efforts to keep me going. I am not having any fun.

Please see that my trusting life is taken gently. I shall leave this earth knowing with the last breath I draw that my fate was always safest in your hands.

Author Unknown

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The Alley

2007-03-28T20:21:00.000-04:00

So the alley behind our house was getting really bad with potholes. The borough is not responsible for maintaining it although they are responsible for allowing more homes to be built that use it. One can only wonder where the liability will fall when an ambulance or fire truck cannot get through during a big snowfall!

So we talked with our neighbors Mike & Amy and decided to take it upon ourselves and our friend Blair brought over his backhoe and graded it down and delivered about 33 tons of modified stone. We set about asking the neighbors and I also put up this sign hehe. So far 4 people have contributed $40 each towards the total cost.

Family Weekend

2007-03-19T22:51:00.000-04:00

I'll add some story later, I just spent 30 minutes doing so and clicked publish only to lose that work- $%*%^&!!

A few videos from Zachs bar mitzvah, more pics and story to come

You Shook Me All Night Long

Lets Do The Twist

Kyle Breakdances

Snow Day

2007-02-14T10:47:00.000-05:00

Well actually an ice day, we're both staying home to avoid paying the $500 deductible incurred when some bad driver forces us off the road.

So after some deliberations we finally decided on the furniture placement for the sunroom, and we used the settee that Dad had built years ago for the house at Indian Walk.

I'm not going out there!! Sleet/freezing rain at the moment...

Traffic? No Problem!

2007-01-26T17:06:00.000-05:00

Trying to get through rush hour? Get a humvee!

Motor City Madman

2007-01-19T23:20:00.000-05:00

Ted Nugent was at the Reading Sport show last night. Got to hear his rant (video to come), see him play the Star Spangled Banner, and he signed my NRA card. Cool dude!

Ted plays our National Anthem

Sunroom 99% complete

2007-01-14T19:31:00.000-05:00

Got all the cabinets in and painted. Just have to hook up the electrical for the lights under the top cabinet and also in the top cabinet. I cut out the panels on the doors using a router from the back and will get some glass this week for them as well as a glass shelf to replace the wood one. Also need to build a box under the bench to hide the foam insulation.

Old Movies from the Far East !

2007-01-13T17:01:00.001-05:00

Following is a brief clip from Grandmom Adelaides home movies recovered and converted to DVD by Dad Rumbold. They are from the 1930's when Grandmom and Grandpa Jack were stationed in Sumatra.

The opening shot is Lake Toba, then to the rubber plantation at Kisarin.

The bicycling was in front of their home at Benoit.

Enjoy!

Dorinda's grandfather

2007-01-05T10:53:00.000-05:00

He had another heart procedure at UPenn yesterday and is doing well. It was supposed to be a mitrial valve replacement after the repair last spring, but the surgeon noticed that 2 of the sutures on the repair were failed and at his age (82?) instead of go ahead with the replacement the Dr. just repaired the sutures and has 100% confidence. Less invasive that way and hopefully a quicker recovery.

New Cabinets

2007-01-01T20:50:00.000-05:00

I bought these unfinished oak cabinets at Lowes for about $450. I have to get some more beadboard for over top of the counter, cut the countertop and then Dorinda is going to do an antique black paint finish. Oh and I have to figure out how to support the bench so I can get rid of that 2x4- there was lack of studs in that wall to support on that side....

I also added the light fixture above the bench and moved the outlet above the counter.

Christmas Eve

2006-12-25T15:23:00.000-05:00

We had a great time with lots of family in. People started arriving around 4:30 and we had dinner about 6 including roasted turkey, spiral honey ham, sweet potatoes, stuffing, cranberry, and wide beverage selection. Before saying grace Andy read the following as a reminder of the real reason why we all gather together every year at this time:

One Solitary Life
He was born in an obscure village,the child of a peasant woman.
He grew up in still another village, where he worked in a carpenter shop until he was thirty. Then for 3 years, he was an itinerent preacher. He never wrote a book. He never held an office. He never had a family or owned a house.
He didn't go to college. He never visited a big city. He never traveled two hundred miles from the place where he was born.
He did none of the things one usually associates with greatness. He had no credentials except himself. He was only thirty-three when the tide of public opinion turned against him. His friends ran away.
He was turned over to his enemies and went through the mockery of a trial. He was nailed to a cross between two thieves. While He was dying, his executioners gambled for His clothing,the only property He had on earth. When He was dead, He was laid in a borrowed grave through the pity of a friend.
Nineteen centuries have come and gone, and today He is the central figure of the human race and the leader of mankind's progress. All the armies that ever marched, all the navies that ever sailed, all the parliments that ever sat, all the kings that ever reigned, put together, have not affected the life of man on this earth so much as THAT ONE SOLITARY LIFE.
-Author Unknown (adapted from a sermon by Dr James Allan Francis in “The Real Jesus and Other Sermons” © 1926 by the Judson Press of Philadelphia (pp 123-124 titled “Arise Sir Knight!”). If you are interested, you can read the original version .

Dorinda's brother Justin & Dimples

Drink anyone?

Mom Rumbold & Mom-mom Elliott

Tyler & Max keeping busy

AJ being AJ

Dorinda with Luke's gift

Mom & Andy's cousin Dan

Everyone was having fun!

Jonathan & Allison

After the polyanna gifts

Dan, Jon, and Chris

Gotta love those candid photos! Dorinda's sister Lyndsay, Justin's wife Becca, and Justin

Dorinda's dad Rich & his good friend Greg

Pop-pop enjoying the chair and a half

Dorinda's mom Deb hates being the center of attention!

Sunroom just about complete

2006-12-23T20:34:00.000-05:00

Before.....

After.....

Sunroom Floor complete!

2006-12-10T18:12:00.000-05:00

Finally! Just some trim work and painting left. Putting down floors is brutal on the body. My friend Bob helped me out making cuts. I rented a power stapler from Home Depot and started around 9:30 and returned the stapler at 9pm yesterday. Today I put the last 2 rows in and got some of the trim work done. The trim color is going to be the gold color that you see on one of the windows.

Man was I hurting after that, took me a few days to recover! Neck, arms, legs...

Pine Tree Camp 2006

2006-12-10T17:29:00.000-05:00

Well the hunting trip was lacking in only one thing this year- deer! Only a few even sighted and no shots taken despite the ideal conditions (snow, cold). Time to try a new area perhaps next year.

Jeff cleaning up the squirrel pantry

Shorty and Brice

Good thing we didn't have to count on eating venison!

Down @ the gas shanty

Visibility was good

Jeff in the State Game Lands

The Mountain Bar never disappoints

Removing a large tree blocking the logging road

Thanksgiving

2006-11-27T18:21:00.000-05:00

We went up to Elmcroft late Thursday and spent the weekend helping my dad out with the estate. George, Karen, Doug, and the kids came over for a delicious dinner on Saturday. Dimples had the best time!

Dorinda making the stuffing

We dug up some peonies from Grandmom's garden and stopped at the cemetary on the way home to plant some at her gravesite, and we also planted some at our house.

New Door is In

2006-11-16T17:39:00.000-05:00

My buddy Jace helped me, well actually I helped him. Most of the subfloor is also down, we'll paint next week and then I'll probably start on the bamboo flooring after deer camp which is the Fri-Wed after Thanksgiving.

Floor Progress

2006-11-14T21:47:00.000-05:00

Over the weekend and tonight I got the remaining joists in and closed up the floor. I just have a few pieces of insulation to put in, and our friend Jace is coming over on Thursday to help me put the new patio door in and install some flashing.

Before

After

Guys golf trip

2006-11-06T18:13:00.000-05:00

Trip out to Las Vegas last weekend to ride cycles and play golf with Mike V, Rafael, Tom, John M, Mike M, Keith, and Ron K.

Red Rock Canyon

Black Mountain Golf Course

I was very apprehensive about swinging, first time out since my herniated disc. I did pay for it the next day...

Video from the ride

Midwest Trip Part 2

2006-10-24T22:27:00.000-04:00

Narrative to follow when I get time, its late here..... lots more pics on Rob & Melissa's blog

Dorinda at the Houston Museum of Natural Science

Melissa and Luke after watching 'Dinosaur Prophecy' at the planetarium

Fun at Jump n Jungle !

Visit to Bayou Wildlife Park

Up close and personal with Longhorn Steer

Boo on the Boardwalk at Kemah, ferris wheel ride

Train Ride

Merry go round

Dewberry Farm, slide

2006 Autumn Trip

2006-10-24T21:32:00.000-04:00

We took a week off and visited Dorinda's uncle Wendall in Rose Hill KS and Melissa's family in League City TX. Saturday morning we took a flight to Wichita. Wendall treated us to a delicious and filling steak dinner that evening. Sunday we stopped at Lowes to buy a new refrigerator for his garage which turns out was not needed as the outlet was just bad, that was discovered when they delivered it on Monday. For those not in the know, you can't plug a refrigerator or freezer into a GFCI outlet! Anyways after stopping at Lowe's on Sunday we watched the Eagles (lose) at Oscars sportsbar in Old Town Wichita. They have a huge TV on one wall (split into 4 games simultaneous while we were there) and many others scattered around with any game you want.

On Monday we drove about an hour to the Tallgrass Prairie Natural Preserve, a really off the beaten path destination. We checked out the prairie house and then took a bus tour with 2 other people and learned about the biological diversity of the prairie.

We then drove into Cottonwood Falls and had delicious cheeseburgers at the Grand Hotel, the only 4 star restaurant in KS. They had to call the chef back in as he had gone home, and it turns out we just missed seeing Bill Murray the actor who had just been in with his brother for dessert a few minutes earlier. They have beautiful rooms for between $150-$180 night and they were booked the night we were there.

Every summer they have the Symphony in the Flint Hills. Suzan Barnes the owner of the Grand Hotel told us about it while we were there. Sounds like a great experience!

Monday night we went back to Old Town in Wichita and saw the movie 'The Departed' at the Warren Theatre. You push a button in your seat and a waiter serves food and beer right at your seat! If there were theatre's like that around us we would probably see more movies. We were too full to eat but enjoyed a few beers while we watched a great movie.

Here is Dorinda and Uncle Wendall at his house.

We left on Tuesday around noon for Houston. That's another post.

Congdon Family Reunion

2006-10-09T18:32:00.000-04:00

We drove up to Wallingford VT on Friday for the Congdon family reunion hosted for many years by Lester & Audrey Congdon. Congdon was my grandmother Adelaide's maiden name and they had settled in the Wallingford area back in the late 1800's. Les & Audrey bought some land that had belonged to the family on Sugar Hill Road and built a log home in 1988.

We stayed at Hill Cabin on Elfin Lake just west of town with dad, George, and Barbara.

The cabin is primarily a summer residence as it has zero insulation with the gas heater providing minimal heat, most of it going out the ridge vent in the roof.... but we still had a good time with dad making breakfast every morning. Saturday morning as we were finishing eating a tree fell next to the cabin and pulled down the power line, which fortunately was fixed by that evening! Scary that we were getting used to the temperature after the first night!

The weather couldn't have been better, on Saturday we hiked at the White Rocks Recreation area. The girls in the pic are Jessy & Elizabeth Wightman.

We hiked about 1 mile down to the the ice beds which are rocks which have ice under them year round. It was much cooler there, and a stream runs out with cold water. Here's George & Barbara resting at the ice beds.

Here is Les & Audreys place on Sugar Hill. Great views from the deck although I dont have photo of that...

Here's Les taking Steve and his kids for a ride on Les' new gator.

Sunday morning we went to the Wallingford Congregational Church for a nice service. The sermon was 'Reconnecting with God'. Another beautiful morning as you can see.

Here is our great-great grandmothers home across the street from the church.

After church we drove out towards Tinmouth Pond and stopped at Truman Young's farm for some Vermont Maple Syrup which Grandmom Adelaide had bought for years- now we're keeping the tradition. Their family has had the dairy farm for almost 200 years and Truman made his first syrup on his own at age 12. Now at the age of 88 his one son runs the dairy business but Truman still makes the syrup with the help of his other son who is a carpenter. We talked a bit about what some of the changes that have taken place and then bought some syrup and promised them that as long as they keep making it that we'll keep buying it. They now produce organic milk as it is more profitable not having the price controlled by the federal government as is done with regular milk.

His wife Natalie handles the sales which they do via mail as well as stopping by. They can be reached by mail by writing to them at: 17 Route 140, Tinmouth VT 05773.

We left the Young Farm and continued over to Tinmouth Pond to see Roxane who was doing some work at her family's cabin. So we talked a bit out on the deck and looked at some old family photos that Roxane had.

Then we drove back up to Sugar Hill, took some pics at the famous birch tree, and got a tour of the cemetary just down the hill where many Congdons have been laid to rest.

Clockwise from bottom left- Kelly, Pat Wightman, Barbara Stewart, Jessy Wightman, Les Congdon, Andrew Rumbold, Elizabeth Wightman, Dorinda Rumbold, Grace Kerr, John Rumbold, Steve Wightman, George Rumbold, Roxane Johnson, Bobby Wightman.

We had lunch and dinner at Sugar Hill both days. Lots of good times reconnecting with family members we dont get to see often. Family members present this year: Lester & Audrey Congdon; Grace Kerr, John Kerr; Pat Wightman; Steve, Bobby, Jessy, and Elizabeth Wightman; Andrew & Dorinda Rumbold; John Rumbold; George Rumbold & Barbara Stewart.

Lizzie kept Dimples in good company! She's quite the talker when she's not napping and a real cutie!

Babysitting

2006-09-26T20:38:00.000-04:00

This past Sunday we watched Oak, our neighbors Mike & Amy's 4 month old boy. He was the perfect little gentleman and didn't even fill up his diaper! Here's a cute pic of Dorinda with him:

He loved watching the Eagles trounce the 49ers ! Come back soon Oak!

The Next Home Project

2006-09-22T20:50:00.000-04:00

So somewhere we had this crazy idea to put a new wood floor in the sunroom. I knew it was poorly insulated as I could see the insulation falling down underneath from outside.

So I tore up the carpet and the first thing I found is that the addition was simply built on an existing deck, no flashing out on the deck so we had moisture coming in under the wall.

We put Dad to work :)

Here's the crummy insulation job, it was held up with thin foam on the bottom and was falling in several places.

Also the floor drops about 1" in the corner, so my plan to address that is to double up all the joists as they are 24" centers anyways, and just make up the difference in that corner with those new joists. Then nail some strips on the side of each joist and lay plywood down and reinsulate. I also have to put a few footers in the middle to support.

We're putting a new door in, that will be in about 2 weeks from Lowes. And the flooring is going to be bamboo

Megan & Matt's Wedding

2006-09-02T07:00:00.000-04:00

A few weekends ago we drove 2 hours upstate to see Megan Brech marry Matthew Raup. The service was held here...

Warrior Run Church Named for Indian occupation of the region. Presbyterian landmark. A log church was built in 1789; the present building was erected in 1835. Restored in 1947 by Warrior Run Chapter of the Daughters of the American Revolution, aided by descendants and friends.

The Major escorts his daughter.

Candle Lighting

After the ceremony everyone hung out, took photos and had some refreshments before heading to the reception about 15 min away. Congratulations and best wishes to the Bride & Groom !

Perfect day, not too hot

2nd best looking couple !

awwww !!!!!

Dorinda and I stayed over in a local motel, then drove home the next day and took Tyler & Allison to Gettysburg.

Trip Out West

2006-08-14T22:59:00.000-04:00

Well to the middle of the state anyways! We drove out to visit Kilian, Margaret, & Brigitta this past weekend. They live near State College PA and have a nice little horse farm, about 3.5 hrs from Perkasie. I helped Kilian put together a picnic table then we had some delicious ribs & corn for dinner. Not like they have any shortage of corn, thats all you see on the drive out!
So after dinner we watched Kilian practice some dressage tests on Luke- one of their horses.

We watched a somewhat lame movie later. It was a cool night, below 60. Out on the deck we looked at the stars for a little while and saw 2 shooting stars- one of which is the brightest I have ever seen. Not much light pollution out there!

Next morning we woke up early and Kilian made some breakfast. He had a horse show near Williamsport so Luke got loaded up in the trailer and we followed him & Brigitta. Once there Megan showed up and we got to meet Matt quickly before he left. So Kilian got into his Air Force uniform and did 2 tests for which he got a blue ribbon. We enjoyed watching.

Salute!

Grandmom Lois Burton

2006-08-14T21:37:00.000-04:00

Dear Grandmom Lois passed away on Friday July 14, from complications most likely due to diabetes and age. Dorinda and I had many nice visits with her over the last year on weekends that we drove up to also see Grandmom Adelaide. Here's a great photo of her and Dorinda taken Dec 26, 2003 having lunch with her at Crossroads:

Her memorial service was held at St Anne's Episcopal Church in Old Lyme CT on July 28th. My mom gave a really wonderful eulogy about how grandmom loved all her kids and grandkids equally. What a fantastic wit she had too! She was always a faithful Christian and we are happy knowing she is with our Lord. She will be interred in FL next to my Granddad Lewis who passed away about 15 years ago.

Losing both grandmothers has been tough, they were both loving and wonderful ladies. At least we were lucky to have so much time with them both, as many people lose their grandparents earlier in life.

Grandmom Adelaide Hummer 8/30/1915 to 6/9/2006

2006-06-13T20:35:00.000-04:00

My dear grandmom Adelaide Hummer passed on last Friday June 9th. She was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer that had spread to her liver last August just before her 90th birthday. The original prognosis was 2-6 months and with chemotherapy treatment she beat the odds and had a wonderful holiday season with us.

Dorinda and I were blessed to spend her last few days here by her side. Just holding her hand, touching her, and letting her know that we loved her. Trying to give her some of the love back that she has given all her years. When we left around 10pm I told her we needed rest and would be back in the morning. Our last words, I told her I loved her and she replied "I love you too Andrew." The next morning she was gone.

During those last few days through prayer God told me that she would be ok. You see once you give your heart over to God, no evil on this earth can separate you forever. Through the amazing power of Jesus Christ I know in my heart that I will get to spend alot more time with her when its my time.

Dorinda found an old Bible with my cousin Laurie's memory. Inside it said(from an email from Dad):

Presented to Adelaide Frances
August 30, 1924
By
Edythe
Rev. 22:21

That was her 9th birthday. A gift from her sister. On the opposite blank page is written:

"I gave my heart to Jesus.
Aug. 14th, 1927
Adelaide F. Congdon"

This is in her handwriting.

Adelaide returned to New Jersey from her terrible ordeal with Aunt Grace and Uncle Kenyon in Glendale California on January 27, 1927, seven months before this writing.

Her remains were cremated, and will be buried with her parents in Passaic NJ. A memorial service will be held on July 2nd in Hamden a few miles from Elmcroft at the Unitarian church she had joined in the last few years with a gathering to follow at her home.

God blessed her with a long life and alot of love. And blessed us with her.

-A

Prizes

2006-05-16T18:20:00.000-04:00

Contents of boxes, the clock has a receiver to synch up with the atomic clock in Ft Collins CO

Guess whats in the boxes!

2006-05-11T19:13:00.001-04:00

Probably the biggest boxes I have ever seen for my birthday! I wonder whats inside? Any guesses?

Update on Pond Repairs

2006-05-09T19:05:00.000-04:00

I got all the pavers mortared in, and everything seems to be holding for now. It was a little tricky getting the mortar to stay on the rubber liner over the brick. I pounded some masonry nails through the liner to hold the mortar on top. The first half was a learning experience, then it went better once I learned the right way.

Also garage is mostly painted, still have some trim left. Much nice to look at than the bleached out pink color...

Another Before And After

2006-04-30T08:17:00.000-04:00

First pic was about 3 weeks ago

This wisteria looks and smells terrific. I was thinking of building a trellis on the side of the garage to get it to grow over the pond area. If I did that it would be over there by the end of the summer it grows so fast.

More updates, work continues on the pond. As soon as the mortar sets on the repairs I did then I can put the new liner in and cap it with the pavers I got.

We had to reset the posts, the fence was falling over. While we were doing it the neighbor came out and remarked "It only took them(previous owners) about 4 hours to put the fence up"
Yeah no kidding.

Here's Dimples after her bath. Its funny that as much as she loves to go swimming she hates getting bathed.

What a difference a week makes!

2006-04-17T09:57:00.000-04:00

Here is the weeping cherry tree in front of our home, first pic was one week ago and the other was this morning. Spring is here!

Periwinkle I planted last summer so I dont have to mow the hill. I plan on finishing the rest this summer.

Also some work on the pond is due. I drained it 2 weeks ago and cleaned it out, and repotted the plants. Its about 5 feet deep in the middle.

Water Lilies

Goldfish

NRA Basic Pistol Course

2006-03-21T10:06:00.000-05:00

Dorinda and I took the NRA Basic Pistol Course this past weekend. Its a 2 day class at Target World taught by local PA Game Commission officer Bryan O'Pella. First day was classroom only with basics on pistol safety, nomenclature, storage, cleaning, and shooting fundamentals. I'm not ashamed to admit I learned a few things even with many years of shooting. Dorinda even scored better on the test than I did LOL (98 vs 96)- however I did shoot better.

Monday nite was range time for 2 hours. I shot both my Ruger Speed Six .357 (using .38 SPL) and my S&W 9mm semiauto. We rented a S&W .22 revolver for Dorinda. They started us out at 5 yds and we put 10 rounds into a target, then progressively moved to 10-15-20, then back to 5. The object was that as we shoot farther we get steadier, so when we move back to 5yds the target seems really close and our aim improves.

2 things I learned- #1 if you have a round that doesnt fire when you pull the trigger, you may have a hangfire and should keep the gun pointed at the target for 20 seconds in case the round goes off. #2 that even though I am right handed, I am left eye dominant. Focus on a small object about 20 feet away, make a circle with your index finger and thumb of both hands and move your hands close to your face while still focusing on the object. Whichever eye your circle ends up at is your dominant eye. When aiming a pistol you should have both eyes open focusing on the barrel sight and your target.

Bluetooth GPS in vehicle

2006-03-13T19:16:00.000-05:00

I finally got my Ipaq working with Street Atlas for handhelds and all mounted in my Pathfinder. The mount clips into the vent and sits in nice position on the dash. The bluetooth receiver sits on the dash near the windshield. I took a few pics with and without flash. It works great once you learn how to use it. You can create routes on desktop and import them to the ipaq or do it right on the fly. If you start to get off track, it calculates a new route to get you back on. Biggest downside is you have to decide which area you want available and move it to the ipaq. I have about 2 counties and its 12 MB file so if you dont have much room it can be an issue...

G-visit

2006-02-27T21:09:00.001-05:00

Cool new tool for showing visitors to your website on a map. Here is the page to view visits to this site http://www.gvisit.com/map.php?sid=dc0841b6657a86b309f98f615258890a

Looks like I already have some visitors from Singapore and KL, Malaysia- hi !!!

This is a neat free app, you just sign up, download some code and paste it in your site and track it.

Lake Placid 2nd post

2006-02-14T21:33:00.000-05:00

Well evidently one is only able to post 6 photos per entry, so here is the rest of the story on LP

We had a leg of lamb on Sat night- yuummmmmmmmmmmy

Played some parcheesi- here's a sweet block that Andy had going, although Dorinda ultimately won!

We went for a snowshoe hike on Sunday

Winter retreat

2006-02-14T20:33:00.000-05:00

We spent the extended weekend at our friend's (Blair & Marjorie) house in Jay NY near LP (Lake Placid for the flatlanders)

We left around 5pm Thurs and arrived at 12:30 Fri. I figured we would have a few drinks to unwind but ended up drinking until about 4:30. Blair woke up around 3 and promptly joined us for some cognac. What a refreshing effect being in the mountains has!

Here's the liquor stock:

We did get out despite the cold, about 3 F at night and high of about 22 during the day. We visited John Browns grave and farmsite near the ski jumps.

Dorinda's new rabbit fur vest ! Thanks to the rabbits who gave up their fur.

We also rode the bobsled at Mt Von Hoevenberg, its the the lower half of the 1980 course. You ride with a steerman and brakeman and reach speeds of above 50 mph and pull at least 2 g's on the curves. What an experience!

Thoughts and prayers request

2006-02-02T10:58:00.000-05:00

Dorinda's grandfather Bob Elliott is in the hospital and scheduled for triple bypass and valve repair tomorrow. He is in the cardiac care unit at Doylestown Hospital which is a really nice facility and his room is on par with a 4 star hotel!

He has been there a few days and they are making sure he is 110% before the procedure. His spirits are high and he has so much company that after a while he wants everyone to leave! (to know him is to love him)

Please include him in your prayers and thoughts to get through this quickly and have lots more years to enjoy with the family.

Satellite radio installed

2006-01-26T11:35:00.000-05:00

After much trial n error, I found a good resting place for my Sirius reciever in the Pathfinder. Since neither of us smoke, the ashtray was a good spot. I still need to finesse the wires but its the best spot in this truck.

Instead of using the FM modulator I have a cassette adapter, much clearer sound.

New Track Lights

2006-01-14T11:53:00.000-05:00

We finally got our new track lighting up. Dorinda's brother Justin was on the tv show 'Moving Up' and they got a double order of this stuff and didnt have to return it so we got the benefit, we only had to buy the rail. Good thing because its expensive!

You can bend the pendants any way you like, you can also bend the rail but we left that straight.

Many pendants are available, some really nice handblown glass ones.

Its on a dimmer switch and looks really great at night, couldn't get a good picture of that though.

2nd Annual Holiday Open House

2006-01-10T19:04:00.000-05:00

We had the 2nd annual Holiday open house last Friday night, a good time was had by all including Dimples! Then we took down all the Christmas decorations and trees.

Christmas 2005 went too fast !!

2005-12-28T21:44:00.000-05:00

So we had company for the past week- Melissa, Rob, Luke, and Jon. Even though Jon wasn't feeling well we had a great time!

One day we went to Northlandz to see the biggest model train display in the country. All Luke had to say was "WOW"

It was cold in there !

After we went to church on Christmas Eve we had alot of family over- Mom, Chris & family, Dan Brech & family. Fun was had by all !

Had to do some major red-eye reduction on this one LOL !

On Christmas morning we drove up to Connecticut and stayed at Elmcroft. Dad was there, and we also got to spend time with Uncle George, and Karen & Doug Odell and family.

Monday we drove up a little farther and visited with Grandmom Burton, and then stopped to see Uncle Ken & Aunt Kathy. here's a pic of us kids with Grandmom in her room at Camelot Nursing home.

2005-12-21T19:25:00.000-05:00

Here's a nice photo from November after we helped George cut down the spruce trees in front of the carriage house at Elmcroft.

Greetings !

2005-12-21T18:57:00.000-05:00

This is where Dorinda & Andrew will keep info on whats going on along with photos of our adventures !

The Rumbold Page

For the Least of Our Brothers 2011

ACN IRIS 3000 VIDEOPHONE REVIEW

Delaware River Canoe Trip 2009

Catching up

Dorinda in the News!

Phillies Game

Tour of biodiesel plant

Winter Get-away

More Chickens!

Sustainabilty Conference

The Incredible Edible Egg!

For the Least of our Brothers 2008

Do You know where Your Food Comes From?

Doylestown Hospital Green Fair

Chicken update

Announcing Wash Tyme!

Updates

Rocky Mountain Vacation

Chickens!

Memorial Day weekend @ Elmcroft

Golf Shenanigans

Biodiesel!

New Wisteria Arbor

Politically Incorrect?

More Maya

Visit to Florida

Party for Mike's 40th

Post-Holiday Party

Christmas Holiday Wrap-Up

Giving Back

McKean Deer Camp 2007

Another good checkup

Ron Paul Rally at Independence Mall

A Great American

Our Newest Niece Jessica!!

Taking care of business

More Maya

Meet Maya

Dorinda Celebrates another milestone!!

More exterior improvement

Lake Minisink

New Pipes

Pond Update

Check out Ron Paul for President

I support Ron Paul because he opposes and would substantively change the following:

Trip to CA

Our Best Friend

The Alley

Family Weekend

Snow Day

Traffic? No Problem!

Motor City Madman

Sunroom 99% complete

Old Movies from the Far East !

Dorinda's grandfather

New Cabinets

Christmas Eve

Sunroom just about complete

Sunroom Floor complete!

Pine Tree Camp 2006

Thanksgiving

New Door is In

Floor Progress

Guys golf trip

Midwest Trip Part 2

2006 Autumn Trip

Congdon Family Reunion

Babysitting

The Next Home Project

Megan & Matt's Wedding

Trip Out West

Grandmom Lois Burton

Grandmom Adelaide Hummer 8/30/1915 to 6/9/2006

Prizes

Guess whats in the boxes!

Update on Pond Repairs

Another Before And After

What a difference a week makes!

NRA Basic Pistol Course