Flying Update

I have completed another FAA requirement. Last night(12-04-08)I did my cross-country night flight. It was really awesome! Our route was to Fairview and the cool thing was as soon as we got on the East edge of Woodward you could already see the beacon light at Fairview. Going was great and I stayed right on course.

On the trip back my instructor shut the lights off as to assimilate an electrical failure. I only got off course a little. I was able to correct the flight path and fly right into Woodward. It is easy to get disoriented up there, in the dark, unable to see landmarks and know for sure that what you see is really what you think it is. Thank the Lord, that someday when I fly with a license, I can take a GPS. Next is some more ground work and then a daytime cross country to Enid. One step at a time. It's great fun!

Happy Thanksgiving!

Dawn and I enjoyed our Wednesday in the kitchen together making pies for Thanksgiving. It was a lot of fun. The menu of pies includes Pumpkin, Pecan, Mile high lemon meringue, Coconut cream and cherry. Thanksgiving day will be spent in Sharon at my grandma Keltch's house, who is 97. Family there will be my mom and dad, grandma Keltch and grandma Castor, several aunts and uncles and cousins. Then on Friday we will go to Dawns parents. I have so much to be thankful for and am blessed beyond measure. I'm so grateful for my salvation in Christ. I pray your Thanksgiving day is a tremendous one spent with family and friends and I want to encourage you to find something to be thankful for. If you are reading this you must be alive and that would be one reason to be thankful.

What Part of Thanksgiving are You?

You Are Mashed Potatoes

Ordinary, comforting, and more than a little predictable You're the glue that holds everyone together.

http://www.blogthings.com/whatpartofthanksgivingareyouquiz/" What Part of Thanksgiving Are You?

My Past Punkins!

Wanted you to see some of my past little punkins. Now they are all grown up. The first picture is of the girls Molly 4 and Sarah 7 carving pumpkins. I was amazed this year when Sarah brought home some baked pumpkin seeds. They were excellent! When they were little we would always soak, coat with seasonings and bake. She remembered that after all these years and didn't call for direction. The next picture is Sarah probably 3 or 4 years old. I think she had just flown in from helping Peter pan take on Captain Hook. Then we have Molly after she had spent a weekend with our family in Arkansas. That's what happens when you don't brush your teeth for a week or two. Then when they were about 7 and 10 they were rockin' and rollin' in there poodle skirts. This year we had our third Kid Fest at First Baptist Church in Woodward and we had well over 1,000. It was a lot of fun and we left the church about 11:00 p.m. I'm so glad we have an extra hour to sleep tonight.

Dreams Really Come True!

When I was about 8 - 10 years old we had a pastor, Herb Masters, who offered a challenge at bible school to bring more of our friends. The prize was an airplane ride in his personal airplane. I was one of the recipients. I can remember always wanting to learn to fly from that moment. That has been a goal of mine since that time. Many years ago I made a commitment to myself that I would, with the Lords help, learn to fly in my forties. When I delivered mail, out on route 3 which went right by the airport, I would dream that I would someday be taking off in an airplane at that airport. Well, not only have I taken off from that airport many times this last year, but Tuesday evening I accomplished the first step of my goal. My instructor and I did a couple of take-offs and landings where he was just along for the ride. After the second landing, when we got back in the air, he told me he had all faith that I could take-off and land that plane by myself and ask if I was ready. Because my instructor is the best and God had helped me with my confidence, I agreed. We landed, he got out, I taxed down to the north end of the runway, made my call, "Woodward traffic, Cessna 5453 mike, departing one-seven, west Woodward," proceeded to the run way, wound it up, and off I went. Stayed in the flight pattern, which is left-crosswind, left-downwind, left-base, and final. Then I set her down on that runway. My first SOLO! What an awesome experience! Thanks to Randy Schultz(my instructor), my family and friends and most of all, to God.

I yearbooked one of my buddies. Can you guess who it is?

I laughed at Sally's Pictures until I hurt. So, I did some and had a lot of fun. Here they are!

Flying Update

I currently have 16.4 hrs and should be able to solo in the next couple of lessons. The wind has not been cooperating. All of my touch and go's have been with a pretty strong cross wind. That has been a good thing because I get to practice those and am really starting to understand how much rudder it takes to keep the plane straight with the runway when you land however, Randy, my instructor, would like for me to have a lesson or two that is either calm or winds right down the runway so I can experience some landings where there is not so much going on. Today, Saturday, I went to have a lesson and there was a cross wind again. Sarah had gone with me, because she wanted to take some pictures of me for her photography class, and so because we decided to hold off on another cross wind landing Randy took her up and let her take some pictures from the sky. Here she is before she took off and then after she landed. Now I think she might want to take lessons; someday. Randy Shultz is a great guy and instructor.

Family News

Two weeks ago today memaw(Grandma Castor) put herself in the Vici nursing home. It has been difficult for her because she misses her stuff. She would like to be in a private room, not because of her room mate but because she is used to her own space. I'm sure once she is there for another week or two she will begin to adjust. My dad is able to go by every other week each day because his route goes right through there. Last week he stopped everyday and took something to her or brought something back she decided she didn't want right now because of no room to keep it. At least she gets three good meals a day and some one around at all times if she needs them.

The Mountains in North Carolina are a sight to behold.  This is a veiw from the Garden area of the Biltmore estate.  By the way make sure you look at the full view picture at the bottom in the photos of the full view of the estate.

This is Dawn in front of the Biltmore main Conservatory Greenhouse.  One of the many greenhouses among the 5 gardens and bass pond.  It was beautiful!

Today was awesome, Dawn and I, before we had to register at the choral festival music conference in Spartanburg, South Carolina, took in the Biltmore mansion.  Well, to try and tell you how it looked or explain its magnitude, I couldn't even get close.  It has 250 rooms, 33 family and guest rooms 43 bathrooms, 65 fireplaces, 3 kitchens, and an indoor swimming pool.  It sits in the middle of 125,000 acres of forest, farms and dairies and five pleasure gardens.  I'm sure you know this family as the Vanderbilts.  You must go see it some time.  We were there for 6 hours and could have stayed another 2 or 3.  What a birthday present Dawn got me!  That's me at the front door of the mansion.

July 25th was my Grandma Keltch's 97th birthday. She is my mom's mother and she is still as sharp as a tack. Just because she is 97 doesn't mean she can't do anything either. In fact just a couple of weeks ago my mother, who spends three days a week with her was going out to mow the yard but was having difficulty getting the mower started. She came back in the house and told my grandma she was just going to wait for Tom(her brother) to get there and see if he could get it to going. Well she went on to do some other chores and noticed my grandma was gone. She realized she had gone outside and so she made her way out there to see what she was doing. Mind you she usually walks with a cane and has oxygen all the time. She had started the mower and ask my mom if she needed her to back it out of the garage for her as well. She has determination like no other.
Here is a picture of her and her children at her birthday party at the Vici restaurant. From the left the oldest living sister Aletha, Jackie, Shirley, Tom and Bonnie(my mom). Of course my grandma is in the center(probably pinching someones behind)

We have been very busy this Summer. We spent the first full week of June with the senior adult, from church, on a trip to Indianapolis, Indiana taking in the National Baptist General Convention. Then we traveled a little farther down the highway and took in the Creation Museum. It is a must see! An entire family would enjoy the Museum. It basically takes a day and tickets are very reasonable. Don't miss this one. While I'm talking about the senior adults, just let me say I count it a priviledge to get to spend time with these folk.
We had a week at home and then off again to Falls Creek. It was the best year ever. The kids were incredible and we had several salvations, rededications and many calls to various ministries.
Home three days then it was off to Newcastle, Ok to help Brent and Andrea(Dawns little sister) move from Lavernia, TX. It was a lot of work but we had a great time.
We have a couple of weeks were we are not running then Molly will be off to Romania and Dawn and I will be going to South Carolina to a music conference. Keeps us out of trouble I guess.

Just Getting Started

Everybody keeps telling me I need to have a blog! So here I go, I'm blogging. Oops! I got some on my fingers.