This is turning out to give me a lot of grief! I get criticized on our blogs, reprimanded for improper upkeep (you need to post regularly - way to go Jill!), and hear a constant din from anyone left out - even Puma's fleas! This was supposed to be a way to toss out nuts from our nest to let you see what is going on in our lives, even without kids. (Yeah, we really do still have a life.) Instead it is beginning to create nuts IN the nest!

So herewith please note our latest blog! Enjoy!

First and foremost, we must pay due homage to the right Reverend Daniel Renno! In all seriousness, it was a blessing for me to be a part of Daniel's recent ordination. We praise the Lord to see all of our children walking with Him (3rd John 1:4) and we are thankful beyond words for their commitment to Christ. The spouses of each one of our children are a delight to us, even to the point of being seen not as in-laws but our children, too.

Daniel's recent ordination was a further evidence of our great God's working in our kid's lives. Praise God from whom ALL blessing flow! Now our prayer is that he might mature in the Word and be used mightily of God! Pictured are Dr. Charles Busada, our pastor, Reverend Daniel Renno, and Pastor Ted Vinatieri of Grace Felloship Church in Hazleton, a dear friend of the family.



On an INFINITELY lighter note (of course, knowing me you know the pun in intended) here now I present The Only Town Four! (Can I actually here the laughter over the internet???) As most of you know, I have been thoroughly enjoying participation in a local barbershop chorus which meets every Monday night. I was asked by these very tolerant gentlemen if I would like to sing in the great, world renown Bloomsburg Fair. I jumped at the chance. It was so quickly put together that we didn't even have a name until 10 minutes before the competition! I went in with high hopes but realistic expectations. When they announced third place and then second place, I knew we had not done well. Then they announced first place and I was floored! We had won our very first competition and the quartet was officially only 60 minutes old!!! This presented us with a huge problem, though. We had not even thought about rehearsing an encore, which was expected!! What a great time Marlene and I had (no, she did NOT wear earplugs as had been rumored - at least I don't think she did!). It is seriously a really nice release for me on my long Mondays.



Nest came our show in the beginning of November. The chorus sang (sorry the pics didn't come out of the whole chorus) along with The Only Town Four (now an award winning quartet!), the New Found Sound (same group only substituting me for a baritone), and a national award winning group called The Ringers. They were very good and the whole program was enjoyable.



For the final few numbers in the second half of the program, we don our tuxes! Unfortunately this pic does not show the striking red cummerbund which really makes the tux snap!


After the program we have what is called "Afterglow". We go to a local church and there is a feast there for us. The groups sing a few more numbers to entertain. Now you need to realize that when I joined this group, the average age dropped by about 10 years! But these guys can party!! At the first one Marlene said "Shouldn't these guys be home in bed?" The afterglow got us home about 1AM!!

No post would be complete without at least one pic of grandchildren. Here are the Halloween visitors that appeared at our door. They were the only ones this year - not really a "hoppin" road we live on! Pictured are Super MiahRenno, Ice cream cone in the DaniRae flavor and little miss Anaduck.




Oh, we also did visit Dallas in mid October. The first thing we said to our financial adviser, Toni, when we began the session was "How 'bout we skip the retirement plan assessment this year?" We did spend MUCH less time on it than usual. No sense analyzing what's in a diaper!

We did pass by my favorite sculpture ever - the Mustangs of Las Colinas. It is a massive piece and is really neat. Incorporates a stream along with fountains where the horses are "splashing" through the stream. It is ever cooler at night. Sorry about how far away it is but we were trying to get somewhere so Marlene shot this from the very busy road that runs by it.



Lastly, we were able to pay homage at a shrine that has stood in Irving for decades. It is enormous memorial erected to pay tribute to lost hopes and shattered dreams of cities throughout the country. I have spent quiet moments over the years as Marlene and I have passed by this impressive monument. Unfortunately, it is doomed to be replaced by another even grander memorial that will, over time I am sure, come to represent all that this one does and even more as, through the years to come, group after group of grown men are brought to tears in its presence. My eyes may never again see this site and so, I give you..............


the hallowed halls




the venerated venue




the lauded location





the consecrated concrete







Texas Stadium!!!!!!

Duly Exhorted

So, I was talking with Joel last night and in his unconfrontational way he mentioned that it was interesting that he saw all of our grandchildren, children, and "in-law" children (who we consider our children, too) named with two notable exceptions.
Having been duly exhorted, I present to you the most recent pictures of our northernmost offspring - Joel and Anna.
As you can see, they needed to put on a new roof due to some leakage into the kitchen which, providentially, obviously, dripped exactly on Joel's cell phone. Now, really, a cell phone takes up how much space on the earth? And we are not talking about the Trump Taj Mahal here! What are the odds?
Anyway, here is the happy roofing couple. If dentistry and nursing don't work out, who knows?

Here is Anna pulling her load. Puts a whole other meaning on "caps" eh, Joel? That is her dad in the background, whose name is also David (our family's name thing is a whole 'nother blog, though). We were thankful that he was able to go up with a friend of the family to help out. Buffalo in late October is not the exact time I think that a guy from West Virginia would have picked to do a roof!!!


This is Joel practicing forcep extraction of an impacted shingle. I gotta get me one of THOSE instruments.

Awwwww............

I know what it means when a MAN dwells in the corner of the rooftop, but when they are BOTH there? Hmmmmmm...................


And lest I invoke the wrath of the animal kingdom - here follow our grandpets!!



This Tucker Urlacher Renno. Guess who gave him the middle name? Must be the haircut or that he is afraid of his own shadow.



This is Dakota William Hamilton, or at least that is all I know him as. I think he has some snooty pedigree name but that will do. Now Kelly gave him and the next their middle names. I guess that is her family job, except for Urlacher. This was taken back around Christmas. His head is this big now!


This is the eldest of our grandpets - Puma Leonard Hamilton. Sounds regal, doesn't it? He fits the bill, too. Fortunately, he allows Ben, Jill and Rachel to share his home.

There is one more, thanks to a loving brother! The Renno household has Eddy, the goldfish. Yes, Ben, he is still alive. With good behavior, I hear he earns things like food and water changes. Kelly will not allow any pictures until he is one year old. I guess its a protectionist thing.

That's it. Hopefully everyone is happy now and I can get my Sunday nap!

Our Granchildren

Now that I am a pro at this (lol) I will attempt a blog about a few of the joys of our life - our grandchildren! We have five (one of whom is still comfortably resting in mommy).




Our eldest is Jeremiah Hamilton Renno, son of Daniel and Kelly. He is 7 years old (where did those years go?). He is a serious climber and can even shimmy up the chains that hold our tree swing!




DaniRae Marlene is 5 and is incredibly active! She tries to keep up with her brother and usually does! Dani is an avid reader and we hope that never changes.


Ben and Jill's daughter Rachel Kirsten is the next in line. She will be two in one week! She is sooooooo sweet! Marlene's prayers that Ben would have one just like him were NOT answered in Rachel. She is so calm, observant and mellow. Her mom and dad might not agree with all of the above, all of the time, however!



AnaGrace is Dan and Kelly's youngest. She is 'little miss busy" according to her grandmother! She goes and goes and goes, much to her mom's fatigue! She will follow her cousin Rachel with her second birthday in January.


And our fifth! Hang in there Jill!! We love you and are praying for you through this time! Come quickly February!!!!

Of course, there are hundreds of other pictures of our grandchildren. Marlene LOVES digital! But I could not resist just one more!!


I think I got the hang of this!!! Look out world!

First attempt!

I am going to try to see if I can learn how to post pics and write now since I have gotten over the trauma of setting up this blog! We will see how it goes from here. You may not even read these words if I mess up!

The first picture is one taken shortly after I first blogged. I am in a barbershop society chorus and three of the long time members asked me to be in a quartet with them and sing at the Bloomsburg Fair barbershop competition. Yes, competition! I was excited and, of course, said "Yes!" The picture you see here is of our quartet taken from where Marlene was enjoying (tolerating?) the show. We were so new we didn't even have a name so just before we went on stage (literally) one of our group named us "The Only Town Four", giving homage to Bloomsburg, the only TOWN in PA. I enjoyed myself completely and when the awards were given, I was hoping for a respectable showing out of the 7 quartets that sang. Well, The Only Town Four walked away with first place! I was shocked! The first place quartet has to sing an "encore" and we didn't even have one prepared! We managed, though! Marlene and I laughed the rest of the evening as we ate around the fair (I hadn't eaten at all since noon even thoughwe were at the fair at 5 for a 7PM show!