WILD PPAARRTTYY? ------- NO intimate family Party!!

It is saturday night. I have spent most of the day with my sore knee stretched out on my la-z-boy. Got some housework done, preparing for our family get together tomorrow for Memorial day. We have Laura, her husband Rich and the three grandkids, and Rich's son Ritchie. Ritchie was absorbed into our family when he was little, when Rich and Laura first hooked up. Rich is our son now too! Sarah our daughter close to two years now since she married our older son Tim. Sarah will be here for the gathering. Tim is in Chicago for a conference for his work with kids with autism. Sarah  works with Tim too. Heather, another RN is the newest member of our family, the soon to be wife of our youngest son Jeff. They are moving home in about two weeks from North Carolina for Jeff to start at Lancaster Theological Seminary. He got the Calling. We are very proud of the six kids in our family! And we are very proud of the three grandkids, so far just three, that we have, including Ritchie our adopted grandson who just recently moved in with Laure and Rich again. Sunday our house will be full again. And that is a great feeling. Laura is bringing cup cakes. Sarah is bringing potato salad. I am bringing my appetite as usual! I got STRICT orders to keep away from the party fixings. There is little notes on the soft drinks, potato chips, cookies and other items saying."Keep away, for party only" Mary knows me too good.

Mary has recovered since her chest pain incident wednesday and thursday that put her in the emergency room over night. Thank you GOD for giving me back my soul mate! Her heart was not the problem, they don't know why she was in such great chest pain and that is still a little scary! I will pick up the newest member of our extended family. Bruce my friend since 1967 is invited too. He had a heart attack years ago, and several strokes recently. I am helping him by running him around because he is not suppose to drive yet. Mary said to me last week, invite Bruce sunday, he has no close family members to be with for the holiday. We had him over last christmas for a gathering. What's one more to join the family. We have room. I take him to breakfast every Saturday. He likes to see his favorite waitress Linda. She is really kind to Bruce and makes him feel special. He takes candy for all the girls. I will do a page on   The Udder Choice  our very favorite eating place. I told Bruce we will keep coming here as long as I can still walk and drive to get us here. I take Bruce to the cycle shows too. We both like to see the bikes and the babes who ride them.

Christian Motorcyclist prayer tent. They minister to the hard core bikers to bring them to the LORD!

We had a lot of people living with us over the years too. We feel it is our responsibility to help friends when they need it. Laura's best friend Heidi still has a lot of belongs in our basement from her break up. We have the room, so we help do what we can.

Hopefully we will be able to have our supper out that we did not have time for earlier in the week. Our 42 nd anniversary was Tuesday the 20th of May but Mary was going to her older sister Shirleys over night, since her husband of 55 years Donald died in January and Mary doesn't want her to be alone all the time. Shirleys daughter Donna lives with her which is a help, but Mary and Shirley have been close for all their lives. We just feel the need to help. That is why Mary and I hooked up over 42 years ago. Although different in a lot of ways, you know me by now, our capacity for feeling others pain and helping others is great in both of us. We see a need in others and have to remedy it. It is our calling you might say.

Family get togethers are very important to both Mary and me. It is a lot of work, but we both enjoy the time together so much. We have the grandkids over usually every other weekend. The fighting, and yelling time is soon forgotten. The good feeling time is remembered forever. Now you have met our extended family. I don't know how much it will grow from here. More grandkids? New adopted members. We have a big house for get togethers.

My need to help others is why I have this blog. To alert you to the dangers I see in society. To help those who need to make more money. To give you the advice to not make the same mistakes I and others have made in life. To help you avoid the pitfalls in life. Alas I realize we must make the same mistakes others make so we learn the lesson. But I hope my raves alert you to a dangerous situation, and hopefully your situation will not be as bad as ours has been.  Thank you Randy"Hoss"Caldwell

Tough times never last; tough people do. Join us and be tough, but tender and helpful when someone needs you!!

This is the helmet I had on when I was thrown 30 feet from my bike and landed in the middle lane of traffic. See the damage, that would have been my skull without the helmet! Please convince others to wear a helmet. Their lives depend on it! Thank you Randy"Hoss"Caldwell

My adopted brother Bruce checking out the bikes and the babes! Right now Bruce is down, but with Dave and my help he is far from out!!

Just one more shot of the Legion breakfast in Ephrata, Pa. Soon to follow our trip to Lawn. Pa with over 5oo bikes, and bikers!