Hot pepper warning

Can't edit a post from my phone (tried logging in, went to edit post, post shows up bit will not allow edits) so I will just create a new one.

Consider wearing disposable gloves when cutting up the hot peppers.  My first experience making salsa, I washed up then headed out to mow grass in 90° weather.  After wiping the sweat from my forehead, my eyes began to burn. It was so bad I worried I might go blind! Washed again, but was afraid to touch myself afterwards. Lol.

I don't wear gloves, but I am more careful. You've been warned. ;-)

Homemade Salsa

I planted some hot peppers this year in a topsy turvy contraption.
Maybe they didn't get enough sunshine, cause they weren't very
productive plants. But the peppers I've picked so far are pretty good.
I've got jalapeno, habanero, & banana. My neighbor also planted
several peppers, so I've got to also enjoy cayenne.

Now I'm on a kick of making homemade salsa. After several batches,
Kelly said I should write down what I put in, since I made it up as I
went. So what better way to document it than my blog. Keep in mind I
like it spicy hot.

Ingedients:
2 cans of diced tomatoes
1 fresh tomatoes (just cause I had it)
1 tablespoon cumin
2-3 garlilc cloves
1/4 cup brown sugar
1 onion
2 tablespoons lemon juice

(Add peppers to you liking)

This time I made a batch of mild and hot at the same time.

Mild:
2 long peppers (my neighbor grew these, not sure what they are. But at
thebeginning of the year these were not hot. Today they made the mild
sauce extra spicy)
1 small green jalapeno
1 cayenne

Hot:
3 long peppers
3 small green jalapeno
1 red jalapeno
1 cayenne
1 habanero

Directions:
If your using fresh tomatoes, boil a small pot of water. Place the
whole tomatoe in boiling water for 10-15 seconds. Use a pair of tongs
to fish it out onto the cutting board. Cut the ends off, then the skin
should peel right off (which is why we used boiling water). I've read
that the peeling can be chewy if you don't do this. You can toss the
boiling water out now.

Put canned tomatoes & lemon juice in a medium sized pot. Chop up all
remaining ingredients. I leave mine pretty big, as they will be
blended later. Put everything in the pot and place over medium heat on
the stove. Stir every couple minutes. The flavors will blend together
during this part of the process.

Once the juices start to boil, pour the chunky mixture into your
blender or food processor. I only blend mine for a few seconds, so
there are still small chunks. Now is the perfect time to taste test
and add flavor as needed. I was happy with mine. The mild was hotter
than I intended, and I probably could have used half as much sugar.
Once I am satisfied, I let it cool down and refridgerate until I'm
ready to beak out the cornchips.

The Graduate-Level Test: Self-Defense

Finally got around to fixing this post:

The Graduate-Level Test:

Self-defense
by Os Hillman for Marketplace Leaders


"He will make your righteousness shine like the dawn, the justice of your cause like the noonday sun" (Psalm 37:6).

As a believer grows in trusting obedience and love, God often brings a test that seems uncharacteristically cruel. That test is being wrongfully judged by those close to you. It is not for the reactionary. It cannot be passed over by simply gutting it out. Supernatural grace is the only means of passing this one.

It is one of those tests the Savior had to experience Himself when being tried by the court of public opinion, the religious community, and the government of His day. His response to the government was silence. His response to the religious establishment was silence at the final judgment. To the rest of His accusers He remained quiet and left vindication to the Father. He lived the commandment He gave to the disciples:

"But love your enemies, do good to them, and lend to them without expecting to get anything back. Then your reward will be great, and you will be sons of the Most High, because He is kind to the ungrateful and wicked" (Luke 6:35).

How do you react when you are accused or mistreated for no reason? Do you listen quietly, or do you justify each and every action? Most of us take pride in doing what is right and expect the same from others, especially our brothers and sisters in the faith. Jesus knew that if you were to be a true follower of His, you would enter this test eventually. It is part of the program.

The marketplace gives ample opportunity to be wronged, misunderstood, and maligned. When God brings a measured assault against one of His children, it is to find out if he truly believes in the cross. The cross is where each of us is given the opportunity to die to our pride, our reputations, and our ego. When He allows a measured assault upon us, it is to find out if the cross is sufficient. He wants to see if we will seek to rescue ourselves.

Jesus said if we die with Him, we will be raised with Him. When God allows satan to bring the measured assault, ask God for the grace to cling to the cross. Let the pride and arrogance that Jesus wants to remove from our lives be crucified. Thank God for the opportunity to be crucified with Christ. Then your righteousness will shine like the noonday sun and the justice of your cause will be in His hands.

(c) Marketplace Leaders

Os Hillman is president of Marketplace Leaders, an organization whose purpose is to raise up and train men and women to apply Biblical faith in the workplace. His email address is os@marketplaceleaders.org.

Thank You

Today I stopped off by the produce stand. After selecting a variety of fruit, I realized that the store did not accept my debit card - and I seldom carry cash. I asked a lady nearby (I thought she worked there) if they closed at 6:00, and she said yes. My phone showed it was 15 minutes til. I explained I did not have cash and would have to come back tomorrow and pick up what I needed. To my surprise, this woman said "Here, I have some cash you can use today." She reached out and handed me $10. I thanked her, then asked if she worked at the store. She said she did not, but she came by often and I could return the money to the cashier tomorrow.

As the cashier rang me up, she asked if I knew the lady who handed me the $10. I told here I had never met this woman before. She grinned and said {I already forgot her first name} Cook would give you the shirt off her back.

I may not remember your name again,
The image of your face may fade from my mind.
What will live on for eternity,
Is the seed you planted by being so kind.

If the media would only report on the good that people do, the world would be a much happier place.

Now I realize that God took a little extra time to send this woman into my life today. In spite of the fact that my needs are so small in comparison to most - God saw fit to send the fruit of kindness to me. I don't want to be like the 9 unthankful lepers - I want to be more like the one who returned to show gratitude. I don't want to taste of the fruit of kindness, only to have its seed wither in my heart - I want to let this seed grow, that others may taste of its fruits. And when they taste of it - I want them to see that Jesus gave the increase.

I don't know this woman - not sure what she believes about Christianity. But when I look real close, I'm sure I caught a glimpse of Jesus today!

Saturday's Progress

I had to work on Saturday. Kinda of a bummer, but the good news is that Saturday's progress got us the approval to ship the product on Saturday. I found where we were ready to ship the special machine a month ago. The other great news is that the customers casting had been identified as the problem. I am so thankful that this project will be off my plate. I've got plenty of projects to get back to.

I am suppose to teach Adult Sunday School this morning, and need to go finish preparing. Wanted to share this though - don't want my blog to be my complaint department every post.

Kelly had to remind me of how I should react to people I disagree with last night. So this morning it was only fitting that I found myself reading in Galatians. Sometimes I retain information better by taking a little time to reflect on it, and typing up a blog page makes me do just that.

Gal 5:1 Stand fast therefore in the liberty wherewith Christ hath made us free, and be not entangled again with the yoke of bondage.

Gal 5:26 Let us not be desirous of vain glory, provoking one another, envying one another.

Gal 6:1 Brethren, if a man be overtaken in a fault, ye which are spiritual, restore such an one in the spirit of meekness; considering thyself, lest thou also be tempted.

I'll not comment on these. Just wanted to put them here as a reminder to myself.
-
It has been one of those headache weeks. I believe it was Tuesday morning at 5:o0 am that I woke up with a migraine. Seems I have needed ibuprofen just to make it through each day. Today appears to be no exception. Work has been crazy - going in for a least half a day today. I have not been doing my body any favors by getting enough sleep either.

Kelly and the boys are holding their own much better. Still seems to be some side effect or new symptom every couple of days.

Additional reminders:

I'm going to amke it through, yes I am, Make it through, yes I am, and I'll not be defeated, I'll sing a brand new song, Yes I'm going to make it through the day, Cause to Jesus I belong.

Bullfrogs & Butterflys, we both been born again - As a child, we had a record with a booklet that had this song on it. I wonder if it still exists anywhere?
http://www.agapelandmusic.com/bullfrogs_and_butterflies_CD.html
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Agapeland
http://www.agapelandmusic.us/MusicClips/Samples/Bullfrogs%20and%20Butterflies/God%20Is%20My%20Friend/11-Bullfrogs_and_Butterflies.mp3

When it rains it pours

It sure has been a long winter. When I first moved to NC, I had trouble adjusting to the heat in the summer time. This year, it's the cold that is getting to me. I try to adapt to change, but it just doesn't come easy. On top of the cold weather, the transmission in my truck is out, there are several problems with my car, and the van could use a few repairs. On top of all that, Kelly and the boys have been sick, it seems to be non stop for 4 weeks now. Work has been a little frustrating, with one project in assembly that I just can't meet customer specifications on. I think that management & the customer are understanding, and hopefully some progress will be made tomorrow.

My list of complaints could go on and on. I try to see the good inspite of the bad. Sometimes it is just overwhelming.

On the bright side, our tax refund was decent this year. I do not like to get a lot back - hate the thought of loaning the government money. After a tough financial 2009, the tax return should help us get back on a solid financial foundation.

I've got a week of vacation that I may need to take before the end of March. Had hoped to go to Haiti, but that was before the earthquakes - not sure I could help out at this time. Maybe I'll use the vacation to spend some time with the Kelly and the boys, get some things done around the house, or if it were to work out it would be great to go see Mariano again.

Verizon has me upset. I lowered out minutes at their suggestion and my bill has not dropped like they told me it would. One month it actually jumped up significantly. At the end of this month I am eligible for a phone upgrade and had hoped to get a Droid. Now I am not so sure that would be the wisest move. I need to take the bill into the store and get the right plan in place or switch networks.

Oh yea - the quiet Mike Rice stirred a hornets nest this week at work. I've been getting feedback from my coworkers that a vendor has been providing bad quality and delivery. So I sent out a nasty-gram letting the vendor know that I had other options if they couldn't correct the issues. They have been emailing me and calling me every day since to make sure I keep specifying their components. They sent me a long email and lengthy attachment trying to show they were not the problem on delivery. Our purchasing agent is a fireball and she informed me that she has a paper trail showing where the vendor is the problem. I really hate controversy. There will be some compromise as some of the product will not meet our requirements - the remaining problem is overcoming the complicated part numbering system the vendor has. In the end I think I will be able to help implement some kind of solution to smooth this out. If not, there are other options.

Better quit rambling and get some sleep.

Late Night / Early Morning

Yea - I'm the late night blogger. The problem is that I do not have very many late nights any more. Well ... maybe not having late nights is not a problem. And maybe the fact that 11:00 does not qualify as a late night any more has something to do with it as well.

I did go to sleep - last night :). But Kelly has been sick so I have been checking on her and trying to help out. Not bragging ... just not sleeping.

Love Is A Verb

I've said it before, (and others have to) "Love is a verb ... and a verb is an action." Too often we say "I love you" but our actions do not follow through. And without God's love being demonstrated through out lives (meaning we can show human love without knowing the true depth of love) we are nothing (1 Cor 13).

Lip service (or saying I love you without backing up the love with our actions) is one of the biggest displays of hypocrisy in society today. Many people see this hypocrisy (or other forms of hypocrisy) in one form or another and then make excuses as to why they can't be a Christian, or why they can't go to church with certain people. Sadly, they have valid arguments, but even more troubling is when someone looses their own soul but blames someone else.

Love is the antonym for hate. Consider this - if you or I are giving "lip service love" only, then are we really demonstrating hatred?

Trip Home

Christmas was great. Enjoyed the evening with the Dennis's then Chirstmas day we went to Brian and Bridget's. Enjoyed the time there ... good food and got to see more Family. Barbie and Mike were there, David Brown, Eric, our kids (Kelly and I of course), the Rexroth kids, and a couple Barbie sits with. The chefs did an excellent job with all the food. Good thing I'mnot counting calories (although I probably should).

We were thinking about heading out Saturday evening for home - maybe take advantage of one more trip to Dollywood. However the weather was going to be quit chilly, so I was reluctant to try that. Ended up going to Columbus, trying out the Spaghetti Warehouse and then going to COSI for the afternoon. So we stayed at Eric's and left out this morning. The trip is suppose to take 8 hours of driving, but we usually can count on 10 hours. Kelly started driving and traffic was pretty good. I took over somewhere in WV and all was good 'til we can out of the 2nd tunnel and in VA. People just need to learn how to drive! I was ready to experience some road rage. I realize the holiday traffic will cause some congestion, but there were no accidents or construction delays. So people were just braking to see red lights like they were missing Christmas already! Come on ... learn how to drive. It was stop and go, 70 MPH. then 5 MPH all the way through VA. I get mad just thinking about it.

Thankfully that was pretty minor and the only "problem" we had over the holidays. Had a great time with my brother and it was the best traveling our family has done in quite some time. COSI was really cool. Hate that Seth was sick over the week end but we got to do Christmas together. Hope he really enjoys his Penn State chair.

Merry Christmas

I'm sitting here at my brother's computer - it's almost 9 on Christmas morning and no one else is up. I laid in as long as I could - maybe 7:30. We exchanged gifts yesterday, so maybe everyone is wore out from the excitement. Come to think of it, neither one of my boys took a nap yesterday. But I just feel better in the mornings, so I'm up and ... actually thought to blog.

For the trip up here, we packed most of our clothes the night before. Then, I got up around 5:30 to load up the van, and amazingly, we were on the road by 7:40! I was able to drive the entire way, so Kelly and the boys could rest, read, or entertain themselves with a movie. The boys also had their games (Leap Frog & V-Tech). The past year or two the trips to Ohio have been extremely long and/or aggravating. Not this time thank the Lord! Maybe I can convince Kelly to always leave this early - she hates the early morning but she did pretty good this time.

Christmas Eve we opened presents at Eric's house. He got the kids the night before so we were able to spend some time with them. Eric & Kelly started breakfast, I started getting Ericca's kitchen set laid out for assembly. Then we ate and Eric & I put the kitchen set together. The kids had a little time to play, then we ran to the store and then to Annette's. Eric usually does Christmas Eve with the Dennis family so we crashed the party this year. They fed us good and then surprised us with gifts!

I had to order Seth's gift - he is decorating his new room with Penn State and you can't find much in NC or OH with PSU. Since I ordered it late I had it shipped to Eric's and it came while we were at Annette's. I ran over to Eric's twice to see if UPS had delivered yet. It was a blow up chair with the PSU colors and logo. It cam with a small foot pump and several of us worked to get it pumped up. Seth seemed to enjoy the chair - he sat in it the rest of the night. A couple of the kids jumped all over him but Seth handled it very well. We hung out for 8-9 hours, then back to Eric's.

Seth & Ericca went back to their mom's for Christmas day. They will be back tomorrow. We are going to chill at Eric's and then go over to Barbie's house this afternoon. I like not having to run around so much. This is nice. I would like to see if we can catch Uncle Roger before we head back to NC.

Merry Christmas to all my blog followers. I think there are 1.5 of you out there - LOL. Maybe when I get my new phone I'll post more ... maybe.

What doth the Lord require of thee?

Micah 6:8 He hath shewed thee, O man, what is good; and what doth the Lord require of thee, but to do justly, and to love mercy, and to walk humbly with thy God?

There are many creeds, doctrines, and beliefs that bring human reasoning into the question "What doth the Lord require of thee?". First, our human nature typically spins the question to "What doth the Lord require of ________? (fill in the name of someone else). Another spin we typically put on it - figure out what we want to do then find scripture to justify what we want to do. Yet another spin is to do what we want to do then ask "Where can you find thou shalt not ________ (fill in the blank) in the Bible?".

Micah specifically lays out three three things that the Lord requires of us. A requirement is not a suggestion. A requirement is needed, essential, and is a condition for meeting a goal. If heaven is our goal, we are required to do justly, love mercy, and walk humbly. Let's take a look at them individually:


Do Justly

The human tendency - make excuses for our actions, blaming our reaction to other events/people. However, this requirement requires a lot of self examination. No finger pointing is allowed here. The word just means lawful - God's Word is our law and we are to abide by the Word. If someone else breaks the law, we still have to follow the law. If we break the law, we have to correct the problem the lawful or Biblical way. For problem solving, see Joshua 22 & Matthew 18.

Love Mercy

It is way too easy to become self righteous and lift ones self up above others. We put on our "robes of righteousness" and think that our wardrobe gives us judicial authority. With gavel in hand, you can bang on the old sounding block, making a lot of noise and giving out guilty judgments against anyone who doesn't see things the way you do. This is not mercy!

Mercy can be defined as not getting what you deserve. God sent his Son to extend mercy to the lost - you and me. By accepting Jesus, we are accepting the mercy of God on our eternal soul. As true Christians, we are striving to be Christ-like, and should be extending mercy to people even though we may not think they deserve it. A great example in the Bible is Jonah who finally went to Nineveh to preach but then expected God to pass judgment even though the city repented of their sins. God used a gourd to help Jonah see the error of his way.

Walk Humbly

Humility is often missing from the Christian walk and many are led astray because of their own pride. Looking at current conditions in congregations, I sometimes reflect on what might be different if men had humbled themselves and made minor corrections. If the element of humility is missing from your walk with God, then it seems to be impossible to do justly and love mercy.

Webster defines the word humble as expressing a spirit of submission, ranking low in a hierarchy or scale, and not being proud or haughty. Ephesians 5:21 tells us to submit to one another. 1 Peter 5:5 instructs us to be subject one to another.

To help us really grasp the words of Micah, we need to be asking our self this question - What does the Lord require of me?

Took a weekend trip to the New River in WV. Good time, great laughs ... what a blast. You'd have to see the video to beleive it. Peeling out in a rafting boat was not suppose to be so scary or so fun. I'm so glad everyone is safe - I think I was the only one that came out up stream and I couldn't tell if everyone was OK or not. Jump Rock was another experience - I wasn't scared until my feet left the rock. Not being in the water very often leaves me a little skeptical and tense when I do get in the water, especially when your floating down or jumping into a body of water you are not familiar with. But like I said, it was hilarious and a great adventure.

I'm really wanting to get more involved in the Haiti mission. I've been looking into various sources where I could make an impact. The financial needs are great and oversight of such a project is critical. I don't want to throw money into random insanity. I want to make a difference in the lives of the people. I'm not for spending all my time at a convention, as some are already filling that need. My burden is to help the people with their daily needs. I want to support a medical team in the orphanage. If given the opportunity to go back myself, I'd like to use my hands to make a difference in someone's life. Not sure of God's plan for me in this mission, but I'm needing to hear from that still, small voice. It takes a group of people to make everything happen, and unfortunately church groups in America are so splintered that they can work with their own neighbor, let alone an overseas mission. God's plan might be hindered by our failures, but God always finds a way to get the job done. Lord help me to do my part.

After the recent news rants concerning Sgt. James Crowley arresting Henry Louis Gates Jr., I couldn't help but chip in myself. I guess what really stirred me up was President Obama's comments about a subject he failed to look into. What kind of leadership was shown by commenting in this manner? And then to pile on racial comments!

Now the president is the head of the Executive Branch of our government. This branch is responsible for enforcing the laws of the land. Sgt. James Crowley was enforcing the laws of the land - from the information that is being reported. So I guess if you are doing your job, you are "acting stupidly" from BHO's point of view. For those of us who still have a job in this economy (thank the Lord I do), are we to slack up so we don't act stupidly? Only if we want to further jeopardize our employment status. What about those who see Obama's policy decisions as "acting stupidly"? Oh - were are not suppose to criticize him.

Let's take a look at the racial element that has been heaped on this subject. Massachusetts Gov. Deval Patrick called this "every black man's nightmare." Obama gave us point #3 - "No. 3 — what I think we know separate and apart from this incident — is that there is a long history in this country of African-Americans and Latinos being stopped by law enforcement disproportionately, and that's just a fact." I thought he was going to unite the country, not divide it - specifically along racial lines. It is tough enough to try and unify two political parties, and it would seem the President has enough work to do in the occupation he chose to pursue. He holds an elected office which is appointed to serve all Americans. Not just his friends, not just his political party, and definitely not one specific race. Mr Gates is a highly educated man, and possible has endured some racial issues in his life. But that does not appear to be the case. I can't find anyone pointing out specific acts of racism against Mr Crowley.

So why was Mr Gates arrested after showing ID? Based on the reports I've read - it was because of his attitude. I can image any cop of any race being called to a situation not knowing if he/she will be shot at, and trying to maintain a calm composure in spite of the unknown. The officer checks out the scene, finds out it is not a burglary (in this case) and then has to deal with a bad attitude from an innocent person. That would make me upset. I'd guess a lot of people are arrested just because they displayed a bad attitude to the officer. I beleive some officers will actually give you the benefit of the doubt just for cooperating. There have been several times I've been pulled for a speeding violation and the officer either 1) issued a warning, or 2) told me how to take a safe drivers class to keep points off my insurance. I don't think they would have been so understanding if I was bad mouthing them.

In this case, Mr Gates displayed a bad attitude. Cooler heads could have prevailed, but they didn't - and the bad attitude is overlooked by Mr President. Thank you Mr Crowley for doing your job.

My Visit to the Dentist

Our nephew Randy spent the night with us. So this morning they are playing dentist and guess who had an appointment - me! They actually were very accurate - in some regards. I had to wait in the room and did not get to see the dentist until I fussed to the first assistant (Garrett) and the dentist (Randy) who kept telling me I had to wait half and hour! There were however, some things I've never experienced at the dentist. First, the second assistant (Levi) jumped on top of me! I can say that is definitely a first and I am still laughing about it. Next, I finally persuaded the dentist to take a look. The first thing he wanted to do was check my temperature and informed me that my temperature was "average at 102". After getting a shot and prescribing some vitamins, I was cleared to go by the dentist and told to stay 8 days and ten nights by the first assistant (thankfully the second assistant was not asking me to spend the night - LOL!) Well, I got out of there as quick as I could. Next time, I hope to have my teeth checked!

Blah Blah Blah

What is it with me posting at this time of night? I'm fighting to get some internet time (like I need more) since I don't have to work tomorrow - at least not in the office.

My finger is still numb and gets irritated from time to time. Still can be very painful if hit just right. Thankfully that does not happen often.

I'm thankful for the time I got to spend with my Grandma before she died. We were able to go up and see her for a few days. I'll remember her responding to my voice by squeezing my hand. When I kidded with her about not hurting my fingers, she immediately let go. Her hands were very warm, and at times she would rest them for a minute, then go searching for my hand resting on the bed beside her. I had hoped to get up and see her on mothers day, but she passed about a week before. I'm glad my last memories of her were not of her suffering.

The job is going great - but you can still see signs of the economy hurting the industry. We had a company outing with a big customer and it was pretty cool - fast go carts, good food, and a live band. Of course, I had to deal with the beer that others thought was necessary - but it is nice to not need an extra buzz to have a good time. I left early but it sounds like everyone kept things under control. It seems sometimes we are taught as a church going person that we should avoid such gatherings, but if we can't be in the world but not of it, then we are in big trouble as Christians.

I finally got my storage building/workshop and am working to get my tools cleaned out of the basement and organized. There are a few of my bigger tools that were a haste to use so I just let them collect dust rather than tangle with them in the basement. Now maybe I can be a little more creative - and not have any more accidents with sharp tools. Lol

We had a great weekend. Left out Friday for the Ravenswood All Day Meeting. Stayed the night in Ripley, then went to the first service on Saturday. I originally want to go and see Bro Nathan Dieudonne, but through our email correspondence, I found out he would be going to Haiti instead. They need a lot of prayers for the conditions in Haiti. Besides the poverty within the country, there are several forces at work here in the US that are working against the people there. In some cases, it is spiritual warfare, in others it is hindering the medical outreach - how sad. Any ways, I thought it would be good to go and support Bro Cummings and the congregation. Seen a lot of people I have not seen in a long time - many I can't even remember their names, I just smile and ask how they are doing - sorry.

Well ... gotta go make a to do list for this rainy week we are suppose to have. I'd like to have some sunshine to mow and work on outside projects. But at least the garden is getting the rain!

Answered prayers

Both fingers are healing really well. I was worried about the one that had stitches. The doctor pulled them after nine days - they were in-grown and it hurt as bad as the day I cut them. It is still numb and very sensitive.

Update on the prayer requests I mentioned before. God really worked some things out for us. I got back from Guatemala on Feb 3rd and my job was terminated on February 5th. Very bad timing I thought. We were so blessed to have been able to make it through almost 2 months without any income. According to everyone I've talked to I should have been able to draw unemployment but because it was an out of state employer, there is some extra red tape to trip through. So we are still waiting for the results of that headache to come in.

Started my new job on March 30th, and am enjoying it so far. I am back in the office/plant daily, and enjoy being out of the house more. However, there are some things I miss about working from home. The boys seemed to adjust well considering they both were used to me being home all day, almost every day. At least they are excited when I come in the door each day.

New prayer request - please pray from my grandma in Ohio. They believe she had a stroke today. Not too many details are know at this time. Pray for my parents and sisters as they travel up to visit and we plan on going up for the weekend as well.

Update

It's almost been one week since my accident. The wounds are starting to heal, and I have not had much pain since last Sunday. The wounds are starting to draw up - I guess exposing them to the air and the typical healing process cause that along with a little extra pain. They're doing fine. I'm just thankful that I can still count to ten instead of 9 + some change.

Thanks to everyone for your prayers!

Mike's fingers

I was making some cuts with my circular saw - needed a table saw. I knew better than to cut the way I was. But after successfully making the most dangerous cuts in a 1X3 (cutting a notch the length of the board), I started to rip the board into a 1x1-1/2 piece. The saw grabbed the board and pulled my hand into the saw, seriously gashing two of my fingers. Kelly drove me to the ER and x-rays showed no damage to the bones. Thank God! All the way to the hospital I was thanking God because I was in a room by myself with the door closed. I could have blacked out and lay there bleeding until someone found me.

They put 6 stitches in one finger and the other one they just wrapped up - said it was not bad enough for stitches. The pics don't show it but both fingers were wrapped up the same way. I am also thankful this is not my mouse hand!

If you don't like to see cut up flesh, don't scroll down.