Captain Vincent

Vince has been wanting to get his captain's license for quite some time now so that we would be able to rent a boat and get out on the bay. Like so many things here in GTMO, it all takes T-I-M-E..........

But, it was finally accomplished -- he passed a required test one day and then another day successfully navigated through an orientation of the bay. So, last Friday, we rented a pontoon boat for a whopping $6 an hour and went to Hicacal Beach. This particular beach is mosquito heaven, so we really lathered on the bug spray (which worked!), and then had fun doing some beachcombing.

We look forward to hearing some updates from the rest of the Grove clan -- we are feeling pretty isolated here and always love knowing how things are going with the rest of you!

Happy Birthday

The song went....

Happy birthday to you...
Happy birthday to you...
Happy birthday dear grandma...
Happy birthday to you!
Cha cha cha cha cha cha (Eli likes to add extras!)

Happy Birthday Cathy! Happy Anniversary as well to the both of you! The boys were sad that they couldn't actually sing to you, I did assure them I would post this for you to see!

Our prayer for you this year is that your blessings richly abound and you find favor from God! We love and miss you!

Love,
The McGouyrk Clan

Toady at the Villa

In response to Julia's questions about bugs, I think there are some bugs here and there. But when you have a residential bug-eater like this guy, the general population has to be somewhat decimated.

Vince says that Toady realizes that the photo shoot is for the Grove family and that is why he is pooping. (the toad is pooping, not Vince....well, Vince does sometimes, but not here...well, here, but not now....you know what I mean!)

Applesauce, too

I'm so excited that I was able to put up the door trim myself since I got my new mitre box. I also bottled 7 quarts of applesauce with produce that Karen brought me from Crowbar's farm. She also bought me an apple corer and peeler. It is really slick!! (Of course, I had to allow for a learning curve on adjusting the peeler.) Both tools are great -- thank you both very much!

Still no job, but I'm plugging away and exploring different options. I'm eligible for Social Security in Januaary, so that will help. I am getting lots done on the house with the extra time I have! Phase I is almost complete (kitchen, living room and yard). Shel and Matt are coming up in a couple of weeks to help me with the patio area. Phase II is the upstairs bedroom and bath area. At least there are no major expenses there -- just painting and curtains. I'll post some photos soon.

I'll also post some photos of our Alaska trip as soon as I get them titled so I know what the heck I'm sending.

Bobbo and I met Hal and Shel at the annual Apple Fest in Weston, MO yesterday. We had a great time, and the weather was gorgeous. We ended the day listening to a Celtic band named Dogtree -- they were wonderful! (No, Bob and I are not getting back together -- he was a lousy husband, but he's turning out to be a good friend.)

Love you all, MF

Dear V&C,

Just tried to post the previous message to your new blog, but it didn't work. I'll keep working on getting it right. I hope you check the old blog occasionally.

JL

Dear V&C,

Thank you for the update and the beautiful pictures. It sounds as though it will be a nice stay there, with all the kind and welcoming people, and the large lizards to keep you entertained.

Are there bugs there, big bugs? That would be my concern, but now my phobias are peeking out, and they are probably not yours.

I just had an evening of dinner with the neighbors, and a bit of really nice wine.

Russ and Karen called just before the neighbors arrived, and we had a good chat. Apparently they were in Omaha not too long ago, and visited Sandy. They bought her a miter box, which she really likes, and has already framed a door. Russ sounded like he had had a bit of bourbon (imagine). Russ went to see Dad while in Omaha. Karen declined, which I can understand. Russ finally used his birthday gift certificate, and had a massage. Apparently, they have become converts to having massages. Aaah, yes. In my spoiled, middle class American way, I have elevated massages from luxury status to necessity status. There's nothing better after a lot of physical labor.

Matt's still in China, Steve's still in Petaluma, and Rowan is getting cuter.
All the animals are well (my surrogate family).
I'm trying my hand at watercolors now. It's daunting. Not nearly as easy as acrylics.
Work is actually better. I'm not sure why. I'm scared to analyze it for fear that it will change.

Love you,

Julia

Departure day is near

Good morning! Just wanted to advise you that I (Cathy) will be leaving for Guantanamo Bay this Wednesday, October 1.  Fergus, our dog, will be accompanying me.  

I will be starting up a new blog soon just to record our stay in Cuba, so you will be sent the link to that when it is up and running.  I'll still "pop in" on this blog occasionally so please feel free to use it if you so desire.

I have also downloaded Skype on my laptop and we will be attempting to use that to talk to folks back in the states instead of trying to use the more expensive long distance (especially since Skype is free).

Hope all of you take care, and look forward to hearing from you at some point in time!

Hurricane Ike...

I'm so blessed to know that my father, Vince, is with the many suffering from Hurricane Ike. He is a man of prayer and following God's will for his life and that of his wife; he is sure to be an asset to a suffering community. The community will only be that much more blessed with Cathy's arrival! I'm so proud of you dad! What an honor it is to say.... "Yeah, my dad rode out that storm and is able to share God's glory in it all"! What a priveledge!

I've recently been able to attain a video that scientifically puts into perspective God's magnitude and majesty! I've never been more anxious to share a video and to get that video to Cuba! I pray Dad and Cathy are able to broadcast it to an enormous audience! I haven't been moved to this capacity in a long time! Shame on me.

I miss you dad... I wish I could pick up my phone and hear your strength at the other end. I love you and Cathy immensely and can't wait until we are reunited! May our Lord Jesus Christ be with you and bless every step he has ordained for your lives!

Miss you big,

Em

Update from Vince (via Cathy)

First of all, it was great to read your post, Julia, about your trip. (I get very excited when I see that someone besides me posts something!!) I would love to hear more details and see photos.

And, secondly, I feel terrible about the reunion being postponed -- while we don't want to miss it either, we hate for the rest of you to not get together. Believe me, our feelings will not be hurt if you decide that you want to all go to Glacier (or anywhere else).

And, last but not least, Vince finally was able to actually work on Tuesday, or more accurately, be trained for 9 hours straight without a break. The airport was closed soon after he arrived on Saturday due to the hurricane, and didn't re-open until Tuesday. From what he says, it sounds like Gitmo is really another world from all the rules and regulations he is encountering.

My understanding is that the only way you can get to Gitmo is if you have "area clearance" which is obtained by first submitting a copy of your passport info to the commanding officer there. Visitors (or non-residents) are allowed to come to Gitmo, after obtaining the area clearance -- we will have a two bedroom duplex, so we should be able to accommodate guests, and I believe there is also some type of guest housing available.

Vince is going to try to get to the library soon to use a computer and send some updates himself. We'll keep you all updated as things progress.

Oh, and how could anyone forget? Bye, Vince and Cathy. We miss you already, but want to hear all about living in Guantanamo . Can people visit there, or is it totally restricted?

JL

To All the Gang,

First of all, Sandy and I had a wonderful time on the cruise. I spent some time sitting in lectures, but otherwise we had a luxury- and adventure- packed 7 days. I've never been treated to such service before. Wow! So that's how the rich live.

We got to see some humpback whales, some bald eagles, and a coniferous rain forest. We bought stuff, and ate and ate and ate. Now I have to go on a diet for the rest of my life.

Of course, there are stories galore, and I won't go into great detail here. Sandy will no doubt want to contribute, too. She took all the photos, which relieved me of the effort, since I'm not such a good photographer.

One of the highlights was Butchart Gardens in Vancouver. I want to go back there again and spend a whole day. What an incredible place.

After checking with all the old geezers of the group, it has been decided that we will postpone the family reunion until 2010. Vince and Cathy will be in Guantanamo for the next year and ?.
A miracle could happen and Matt and Liu Ping could come back and be able to join us. Sandy and I are needing a little financial save-up time, and Russ and Karen will prolong an already planned vacation. So it seems beneficial to all, except the younger generation. I hope no one is terribly disappointed. Frankly, I just can't imagine having a reunion without V&C.

Anyway, that's all that's new for now.

Oh, there's one more bit. I must gloat about this. A recovery room nurse asked me to do her anesthesia. A recovery room nurse. They're the ones that see all the worst possibilities of post-op bad stuff. It just made my little heart glow. To be picked to do her anesthesia is like getting an Oscar. Thanks for tolerating my smugness.

Love,

JL, aka the B of T

Update from Vince and Cathy

Hello, everyone! First of all, "Happy Birthday" to Julia! I believe that she and Sandy are in the midst of their Alaska cruise -- can't wait to hear a report, and hopefully, see some photos!

Most of you may have heard our news, but in case you haven't......Vince has accepted an air traffic control job at the naval air station on Guantanamo Bay, Cuba (aka Gitmo). He leaves September 6th, and I will join him later in the month. We re also planning on taking our dog with us.

We'll live in base housing that is being provided for us -- we've seen some photos and from what we've seen, the housing certainly looks adequate. At this point, we are not sure how long we will be there -- we are planning on a year, but since there is no employment contract, it could be more or less than that.

We're busy trying to make all the arrangements that need to happen for us to be gone for that period of time, plus just trying to learn as much as we can about Gitmo.

As we find out more, we'll keep you posted. Phone service is very costly there, so we will likely be relying on e-mail and Skype (or something like it) if I can figure it out.

Never thought I would end up on an island for a year -- shouldn't be too bad!

Dear Sibs,

This might not be news for you, because Dad has probably called all of us, but I got a message on the answering machine yesterday. Dad wanted me to know that Jean has had another heart attack, or some such, and is in the hospital now for "major surgery", which I am guessing is a coronary artery bypass graft (CABG), pronounced cabbage by us weird medicine types.

Interesting that she wanted him to call us.

Word for the day: schadenfreude.

The B. of Treebling

The oven is functional!

Last night was the debut of the WFO being used for pizza -- and it was very exciting!  We started by making some pita bread, which was delicious.  We then assembled pizzas and got them in the oven.  We had to make the pizzas in an oblong shape since we don't have the proper size pizza peel yet, but it worked fine, as you can see from the photos.

After the fire died down, we then baked a loaf of hearth bread.  And, that also came out pretty well.  Vince has worked so hard on this project -- and yesterday, naturally, when we decided to have our first official firing, it was 100 degrees outside.  So, Vince probably lost about 2 quarts of body fluids in perspiration while he was firing the oven.

We're looking forward to trying pizza again soon, along with some sourdough bread.

A Birthday Celebration

We helped Vince celebrate his 55th birthday yesterday -- and we had a darned good time doing it. Sandy drove down from Omaha and brought a delicious appetizer (recipe courtesy of Shel). Of course, Sam was here, and Erin and her boyfriend, Jason, also participated in the festivities.

Here is a photo of Vince after being presented with some birthday prizes. We normally have a "no gift" rule, but some folks claimed to not know about it. See if you can guess what the gifts are!!

And for those of you who are interested in our WFO (pronounced woof-oh) progress --wood-fired oven-- here is a photo of the brick arched doorway that Vince just finished today.

I took this photo a little prematurely because Vince did some "smoothing" of the mortar between the bricks, so the actual archway looks a little more polished.

We're hoping if weather/time cooperates that we will be having an inaugural pizza party very soon!

Cathy and Vince, you are amazing. I have pizza oven envy now. It's always seemed like such a wonderful idea, but I've never known anybody who actually had one put in until now.

Thanks for the little forward about the pony with the prosthetic leg. I'd have bet it wasn't possible, either.

Shelly just finished coming out to visit for a few days, and we had a wonderful time. I just so enjoy your company, Shel. We made ethnic food, cooked, drank wine together, shopped, and talked and talked. Shelly makes a formidable partner in the process of weed-whacking poison oak patrol combination. We got a bunch of that nasty stuff destroyed.

Too little rain this spring is already appearing. The trees are budding out on the top poorly, the grass is already brown, and the little stream dried up the third week in May. We've had few frogs this year, and the sun is starting to beat down in its usual summer fashion. I've softened my resolve to spend no more on this property and am having a pergola put over the back deck. I'm not lucky enough to have a Vince around, so I'm paying someone to do it. It's got to be done eventually because it's just too hot to even utilize that space in summer.

So far, research into Glacier Park for next year's reunion is just beginning. There seem to be two options in that area. One is for absolutely spectacular lodging for a small fortune, and the other is for very ordinary lodging (a la Tall Pines, NM) at reasonable rates. Since I was scarred by the Tall Pines lodging experience, I want to research the modest lodging very thoroughly, if possible. I realize that we can have a great experience regardless of the accommodations, but you all know that I seem to be driven by aesthetics.

It was great to hear that you are considering retiring in two or three years, Russ. It makes me happy to think of my loved ones freed up to do whatever they want. I hope to join you in two to three years, too. Even that far down the line, it makes my job seem that much less onerous.

Love the photos of the Limoncello process. The bottles look so inviting. Something that exotic and high octane makes ordinary canning and preserving look quaint.

Stay cool in the summer heat, everyone.

Love,
The B of T

Cottage industries at the Grove House

We can never seem to leave "well enough alone" (whatever that means)......both of us enjoy making and creating things, so here are some of our recent projects.....

Making limoncello: I first read about this Italian "digestivo" a while back and thought it sounded tasty. And, while I had never tried it, my instincts told me it would be good. And, furthermore, I had found a recipe that looked easy, although it took some time to get through the process.

First, you start with a whole bunch of lemons.....this is a photo of my sister, Kristi, who came to help zest about 40 lemons. You then take the zest and mix it with vodka (we also add everclear to this concoction), and the whole mess steeps for 40 days. (why 40 days? 40 is just a good Biblical number -- 40 lemons, 40 days. 40 nights....you can see a pattern here). Anyway, after that time, you strain out the zest, make a sugar syrup, and add it to the potent, lemon-infused vodka. Bottle it, and freeze it for the best flavor.




And, here are some of the finished bottles of lemony goodness. Limoncello is typically quaffed (yes, that is what I said) at the end of a meal in SMALL quantities because it is so potent. But, you can also mix it (club soda, sparkling wine, ice tea) to get some of the same great taste without all of the alcohol blast.

It is especially yummy on a warm summer evening! We made it for the first time last year and it looks like it will be an annual event.


Our next project has been to construct an outdoor wood-fired oven. I heard about "how easy" (.....easy when I am not the one doing it) it is to build your own oven that bakes up quickly wonderful pizzas and flavorful breads. So, I bought a book on it, and Vince has started this project. (you will see that on this project I am the research assistant and cheerleader).

So, here is the frame that will soon be holding a concrete slab. Vince (being the artiste that he is) decided that he wanted an octagonal shape to the oven, hence the eight-sided frame.

It's about 48 inches in diameter to give you some idea of the scale.

Then, he mixed up about 8 bags of cement and poured all of the gloppy stuff in the frame, while I kept a watchful eye on the whole process.



Here is a photo of Vince "screeding" (had to look that one up) the cement to make it smooth. We had to keep our dog out of the back yard for a while so that he wouldn't put his initials in the foundation.

Behind and to the right of Vince are the bricks that he will use for the foundation of the oven. We were lucky enough to get the bricks free of charge since one of our criteria for this project is also frugality.

Once the brick base gets constructed, (and I am making this sound "very easy"), a beehive-type shape gets constructed on top for the actual oven. Wood-fired ovens can reach temps of 700 degrees which make them perfect for cooking pizza in about 3 minutes. After the fire has died down and you rake out the embers, the oven stays hot for quite a while making it the time to bake bread or even roast meats and vegetables. Primarily we are doing this for bread and pizza, but I am sure we will experiment, especially to make the most of the oven heat.

And, now, here is a recipe for you -- it is (really, it is!) easy and GOOD. It's an appetizer called "Frico's" (not Fritos), and consists of three ingredients. Take one cup shredded Parmegiano reggiano cheese, 2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh basil, and one half tablespoon of grated lemon zest. Mix in a bowl, use a tablespoon and spoon on a cookie sheet that has been covered with parchment or silpat (to avoid a mess, which I am all about). Just make little piles of the cheesy stuff, keeping each pile about an inch apart. I think I ended up with about 12 or 13.

Then, after heating up an oven to 400 degrees (should have mentioned that first), place the cookie sheet in the oven for about 4 minutes -- watch carefully because it doesn't take the cheese very long to melt, spread out, and start turning a little golden brown at the edges, which is your cue to take the cookie sheet OUT of the oven and onto a cooling rack.

Let the wafers cool for about 10 minutes (if you can wait that long) and then using a thin spatula, remove them, put them on a plate and enjoy! They would be great with olives before dinner, or, you can put this on really good bread, or even break them up and put them on a salad. I would have had a photo of them, but I didn't think of it until we only had one left last night, and I didn't think a photo of one Frico would be very artistic.

Vince doesn't like the name "Frico" and wants to call them something like "menage a trois" -- I told him that was French and these are Italian, so I will have to look up "menage" in Italian.

Okay, enough from us....it's really time for someone else to check in so I don't take up all of this e-space.....please, someone else tell us all what you have going on this summer!

Catching up in late May

Good morning, everyone! I can't believe it's the end of May already -- being retired has been wonderful, but it hasn't done much for honing my time management skills. I seem to be able to get through a whole day sometimes without doing too much of any importance.

Oh well....on to the news....We received an e-mail from Wendy this morning. She is on her way home -- she is presently in Kuwait. She and the rest of her unit will be debriefed at Camp McCoy in Wisconsin for about five days before she can head home to San Antonio. We are so glad that she will soon be on American soil.

Here is a photo from a two day trip we took in April -- we went to Platte River State Park and really had a good time, especially since it was so early in the season and the place was fairly deserted. We had a roomy cabin right next to a small lake, and enjoyed the hikes with our dog, in addition to the hot dog cookout.

Vince is staying quite busy with his volunteer work -- between the hospital visits and supportive phone calls, he is also working on a counseling course (at his own pace, in-home) and he's doing very well in this endeavor.

If it ever stops raining here (we've had a ton a rain the last week), his big outdoor project is constructing a wood-fired outdoor oven. We have the bricks for it, so that is a good start. I'm excited about baking bread and pizzas in it!

A couple of weeks ago I went to the International Quilt Study Center which is right next to the UNL East Campus. Dr. K -- if you are here in Nebraska and have the time, you would really enjoy seeing some of these quilts. (You can see some of them online at www.quiltstudy.org) It's quite an amazing story how this project of housing 2,300 quilts came about, and even for a non-quilter like me, it's pretty darn interesting. And, not the least of it, these quilts are truly works of art. Anyway, it was an eye-opener for me.

That is about it for now -- we'd love to hear updates from the rest of you.

Hi Folks! Finally getting around to posting a couple of photos from the Hurricane Rita relief work in SE Texas. This was at Sabine Pass a tiny town not far from where Rita's eye came ashore. Rita was a Cat. 5 but didn't get much press since Katrina was about 3 weeks earlier. The Habitat for Humanity homes are on 13 ft. stilts and very overbuilt so as to with stand a bad storm surge and high winds. Each one also must have a wheel chair ramp. One of the photos shows me waiting for someone else to finish and be out of my way as we work on the ramp.

Not much else new. Just waiting for nice weather and being really sick of the long winter. Saw some snow flakes yesterday and this morning. Sunday we will be making a giant batch of Limoncello in order to finish off our summer evening meals with a flair. Later.

Sorry. Me again. I still have the Thomas Kinkade painting sitting in the garage. Anybody interested? It is called Sunday Morning, I believe, and it's a picture of a family getting into a horse drawn cart. It has a certificate of authenticity. It's framed in blue. Love, JL

News

Hey, Sibulants et al, No one has entered anything since March? Now, I'm one for well-ordered lives, but someone has to be doing something interesting out there. Not me. Perhaps I should wait for Matt to break the news, but he's going to be in China for another year. They've extended their teaching contract with the University, and they may stay still longer after next year, if they find jobs in that part of the world. I'm thoroughly enjoying my painting class, and even though Georgia O'Keefe has nothing to worry about in the way of competition, my techniques are getting better. Weed whacking and painting. Yep. I'm excited about the fact that Shelly is going to swing up here after one of her business trips. It will be so much fun. This is a perfect time to say that I always love company, one and all, so don't be shy. The donkey is in training right now, so he isn't on the property, and it's honestly a bit of a relief. He can be quite a pill. Maybe with training he'll be a little easier to deal with. I'm taking a cruise to Alaska this August. The cruise will be part of a continuing education series of classes, so I will have to attend class now and again. I'd love some company, if anyone is interested in going with me. Treebling is looking spectacular right now. Everything is so green, and the trees are all in full leaf. The redbuds put on a great display this year. We've had so little rain I'm afraid the green won't last long. Sigh. That's all for now. TY, Julia B. of Treebling

Okay, I figured out how to upload the picture that was missing in the last post. I like the fact that I can adjust the picture. If I make it narrower, I look skinny.

Ta da! (Wish it was that easy in real life.)

No Longer Among the Unemployed

Yup, my dreams of becoming a bag lady are over. I accepted a position with United Health Group in their Evercare Division. They take care of the elderly in nursing homes and those with chronic illnesses. I will manage the office and will research claims. The benefits are excellent, and I'll be making $1,000 a year more than I did at Prairie. So there, Prairie Pukes!

The picture I used in my Weblog profile is one taken while I was visiting Julia. We were getting ready to clear some brush. I thought it would be appropriate to show my tough side (yeah, right). Seriously, I'll post a new picture as soon as I find one I like. Of course, that may not be in your lifetime, but I'll try.

My cabinets are almost done, and they look great (good job, Sam and Vince). I put the last coat of varnish on yesterday and will put the handles (courtesy of Julia) on today. I'll post a picture as soon as the kitchen is "presentable".

I'm looking forward to seeing Winky, Cathy, and fam tomorrow. Happy Easter, Everyone!!
M. Fulcrum

Grove "kids"

Thought you all might like to see some new photos of Sam, Wendy, and Emily. Sam had some photos taken recently of him in his work "attire" and it was hard to choose just one since they were all so good....and Wendy was home in San Antonio in January for a furlough -- so here is a photo of her with Em -- they are two gorgeous young women!

BTW, Gang, Isn't that just the handsomest bunch of men? And that gorgeous Shelly right in the middle of them. Julia, AKA B of T

Great new look.

Strong work, Cathy. Loved the clip of the dogs. It will be a long time before I'll have the expertise to do such things. So, Dad's birthday is coming next month, and then Russ's in April. Time flies. Dad will be 87? I'm still amazed and pleased at our visit in December. A neighbor is selling two Kinkade originals. I told her I'd take one, and possible the other one, depending upon the number of Thomas Kinkade fans in the family. Would anyone like one if I get them both? One is called Going to Church on Sunday Morning, or some such, and is a painting of a family getting into a horse drawn buggy on a rainy spring morning. The other is something like Quiet Christmas, and it is a hushed snow scene. They are both framed and matted in a muted blue. Let me know. They would be gifts. She is selling them at a low price. I'm absolutely having a ball in the painting class I'm taking at the local college. Obviously, I have a lot of catching up to do, having done nothing in years, but some of it is coming back. And Russ, guess what? While going through all the old art stuff I found some cartoons that you drew. One of them is Elaine from the back. What memories. They are all hilarious. The other thing I've been having fun with is looking through Steve's and Matt's old art that I've saved for a long time. Some of the phases. Robots with flame throwers, missiles, amazing stuff that hearkens back to star wars, and all sorts of sci fi things. Shelly, get your butt back into painting. Hally, you'd better have that piano by now or I'll have to hire one of Guido's cousins. Love you all, The B of T

Experimentation!

In the event you notice anything different, I am experimenting with the "look" of our blog......let me know your thoughts. And, in the meantime, you can watch this movie of our dog, Fergus, playing with Justin's dog, Tony. The dogs had a great time over the holidays while Justin and Tessa were here from NY.

Genesis

Finally got in. Alive and well. Will put up something more substantive when I get a chance. RWGG

Happy Birthday, Sandy!

Greetings to the Birthday Girl!!!

Vince and I were able to go to dinner with Sandy on Friday night, for a little pre-birthday celebration. We had a good dinner at a Chinese restaurant.

Hope you have a great day, Sandy! (Vince and Sam will be coordinating with you on getting your new kitchen cabinets installed).