Meanderings from Pueblo

Hi everyone - I have pictures first, then an update following it.

Owen & Amelia at Nana's My nursing aprons

Logan in Los Alamos

Laila in Los Alamos Amelia & Owen at City Park Rides, Pueblo

Papa, Brenda & Amelia
Josh & Owen at rides
Wyatt (little Josh)

Amelia's 2nd Birthday

Cavan - cute, huh?

Bug in my yard!!! Devin, Amelia, Laila & Logan

Nana with Cavan

Hello to all interested parties reading my blog.

We had hail and it was hell! The end of July we had hail that looked like ping pong balls hitting the ground and bouncing about a foot in the air. In addition to the ground, it hit cars and roofs, as well. It really reaked havoc on my flowers and trees, and meant hours outside raking up limbs and branches. Our household deductible insurance is greater here in Pueblo due to summer storms. Well, I got some damage to my car that was parked at work, and to my roof, as well. I was fortunate not to be closer to the downtown area (8-10 blocks away), because many cars had the windshields shattered. The adjusters have paid up, but I fear my insurance will increase more, we'll see. The storms were great to watch, but now I am thinking maybe they were not so cool after all. These pictures were after it had melted for a couple of hours. The hood of the car has dings, but not enough to have to paint the car. The center of the hail was so hard, as you can see, that it didn't even break when hitting the ground. The weather here is crazy unpredictible.

The yard stick shows how big the hail was! Here is the graveled area in my yard (not undergrowth). I had 3 trash bins of litter and it took me days to get it raked up.

Roommate doin's:

Roommates are great companions and create very interesting new adjustments. Shep and I are doing fine as good friends and compatible roommates. We have some great new adventures on the weekend including visiting the grandkids - that's the best! Shep is most definitely more aware of security than I am. He even will lock the doors when he is in the house - that's kind of interesting to me, because if I am home, the house is wide open. What an interesting difference.

Pueblo beanfield wars (as opposed to the Milagro Beanfield Wars - you had to have read that book:

The other day we grocery shopped and he bought his favorite frozen chili. In addition, he adds Kuners no salt added pinto beans. We got 2 containers of chili and 4 cans of beans, so he was set for at least a week for ingredients. I also bought the ingredients for 3 bean salad. When making the salad, I opened a can of pinto beans by mistake, put the lid back on, and put it in the refrigerator and was going to tell Shep that he needed to use it right away. Well, considering my advanced age, I forgot to let him about the missing can of beans. The next day, when making chili, he discovered the mystery of the missing can! Well, what is one to do, except take the other cans of beans and put them on the bookcase in his bedroom where they were safe from the bean thieves that come in the night. The weekend came and as I dusted I could not imagine why the beans were in the bedroom and I cracked up to find out he was protecting his $1.44 investment! We have had more than one laugh over that one.

Our trip to Bishop's Castle, a one-man endeavor to show what a single person can accomplish in a lifetime..... what eventful to say the least. We climbed to the top of a very scarey structure and enjoyed the beautiful view. Suddenly there was someone shouting on the ground - Jim Bishop, the colorful, eccentric, and very opinionated owner. He was ranting about politics, throwing signs around and stomping on the ground. It was the best show in town. I had heard rumors about his rantings, but it was great to see him in action. It is reallly easy to get him started if you make and comment about politics. He carried on for a good 20 minutes, then suddenly stopped, drove his tractor over to the castle and mixed concrete. Look up Bishop's Castle on line, and you won't believe what he has done by himself.

Many weekends are spent on household stuff, or visiting the kids. It is a good balance of work and play-and I am seeing more fun things around here. Eating out, too, is so much nicer with company. I am teaching again - cooking and cleaning lessons. After Shep had his para-thyroid removed he felt great, but was still not absorbing vitamin D so they tested and found out that he had celiac-sprue - so we are on a quest for gluten-free products and new cooking adventures.

We took down an ancient storage shed right outside my back door. It took an afternoon. Shep has a truck so he found the dump after 1 1/2 hours of looking and asking directions. We got rid of the huge pile, though. Afterwards, we found out there was a dump closer by, but oh well!

The squirrels are really fun, but in addition to using my patio furniture for nest building, they get into my birdseed. They can be destructive little critters! They are fun to watch, but now I have to make a cache of fabric and batting to hang in the tree for their nest gathering, or I will have more holes in my patio furniture.

The Bronco games have become a weekly tradition. We are enjoying their success! I managed to get Shep hooked on Harry Potter Movies and Monk! We live near Dutch Clark Stadium, so we can here the rivalry between local high schools. People come as far as from Denver for the games that have traditions going back many years - it's fun.

Work:

The job has been a struggle at times. We had a very interesting combination of personalities when I started. One employee was not renewed, so she was replaced, and the office was tense during the interview process that lasted from January to September. That was not much fun dealing with her hurt feelings. Another employee left because her husband was transferred. With the two replacements in these jobs, the whole office environment has changed-for the better! The tension is gone, and we all seem to work very well together.

My boss, DenaSue, gave me a letter today letting me know that she was giving me a bonus in my October paycheck. She hand mentioned a bonus, but I thought a hundred bucks, maybe. She gave me a huge bonus - enough to pay for my 4 new tires and gutters for the house after I re-roof with the insurance money. She gave me an incredibly nice letter expaining my value to the foundation - boy do I have a big head now!!!!! I really feel like this has been worth the struggle, hard work and sticking with a situation that was some what negative for so long. On December 7, I will have been there a year. My hire date is July 1, so I think I really paid my dues as a temporary!

We are busy like all non-profits trying to get the money from investors just like everyone else. The same pool of people must get hundreds of requests for support, and we are just one. The University really has a huge backing, although they are not all incredibly wealthy. They have a 2-year old football program that has made an enormous difference in the enrollment and general interest in CSU-Pueblo. It is the fastest growing university in the state. People at work outside of my office, too, are great. I am one door down from the President, Joe Garcia, who is a really nice guy (Harvard grad & attorney). The employees know that I am not from Pueblo, so I don't get the typical question of Puebloites "where did you go to high school?"

Becky, Devin, Laila & Logan:

The kids are now located in Los Alamos, New Mexico. The move was quite an ordeal as you will read in their blog. I went down to help for a few days and thoroughly enjoyed the visit. They were pretty much moved in, so I did some little things and enjoyed Logan and Laila. The trip if 4.5 hours door-to-door, so it is a much easier trip compared to the plane flight from DIA to SLC. Los Alamos is beautiful! They can be on hiking and biking trails in minutes. The town is small and seems to be really friendly. Laila was still "butt scooting" and wanting to walk while holding my hand-that's hard on the back! She is walking now and excited about the new found freedom. Logan had me read to him every night before bed - the same book of course. One time I said a word wrong and he immediately corrected me. I could stop reading and he would finish sentences in the book. He is still in the "why world" and taxes my brain to give him good answers. We had such fun and the house is great! Read more on their blog to the right.

Josh, Bree, Owen & Wyatt:

We visit them often since they are 30 minutes away. Owen is growing up so much and still interested in music. He doesn't sing songs for me as much, but he can certainly tell you which number a song is on every CD. He loves his spider web, and he and Josh have fed the spider throughout the summer. Wyatt is just the happiest little guy. He still reminds me of Josh. It looks like he might skip crawling and walk instead. Josh has made a little pole to have him hold onto. Leaning over to help him walk is a back killer. Pretty clever idea! Bree is helping me get my nursing covers listed on-line November 5. I hope they sell-they are fun to make and will add a little extra income. I will post pictures below. She seems to be much better at navigating the process than I am.

Ben, Brenda, Amelia & Cavan:

Visits to Bailey have been easier with Shep along to share the driving. We have been up a few times this summer, and Ben & Amelia came a couple of weeks ago when Brenda took Cavan home to Wisconsin for a visit. We always have great fun. Cavan has just grown like crazy, and I hope to see him in a couple of weeks. He is reaching for objects and smiling a lot. Amelia is busy in her kitchen that she got for her birthday. She cooks a variety of things especially pizza and cheese soup. She and Owen had so much fun when they visited. She is definitely Nana's girl.

Plans for Thanksgiving are up in the air, but we have the family Christmas. With two houses close by, we should be able to fit everyone in and be comfortable. Josh and Bree have lots more room. I am excited to get the entire family together for pictures and fun. There is never a dull moment, that's for sure.

Cindy Jobe and I plan to visit GJ pretty soon to see Debbie Kaus for a girl's weekend. With weather and all, we are not sure when. Unfortunately, I will have to leave Friday afternoon and come back on Sunday. If I make it over that way, I hope I can see some other friends, too, but it may be springtime before I travel that way again. Time just flies by, so that should be just around the corner.

Pueblo is still fun and interesting, and we would love a visit any time. from any of you!!!

It's September - where has time gone?

Wow I have been so busy, I haven't had time to sit down and think about what all has gone on since my last posting.


Shep is moved in and things are going well. We are remarkably compatible as roommates, I think because we have both "grown up" a bit and have life in better perspective. The question you are all thinking but afraid to ask is....."are you getting married again?" The answer is no. We are great friends and have many mutual interests, especially our incredible growing family! I think there is too much water under the bridge to look to our past. We are more concerned with our future years, economic well-being, having someone to complain to at the end of a hard day (which I am really good at), and our future, especially not being a burden to the kids. Life has given us some lemons along the way and we are just making lemonade, no matter how unconventional it may seem. Now on to what has been going on over the last two months.



Work: CSU-Pueblo Foundation graciously decided to hire me full time and permanently on July 1. The pay is nothing to write home about, but the health insurance is great! In fact, it is so good that if I ever quit and need to go on COBRA, my monthly insurance premium would be $1084 a month! Well, for now I will enjoy the $15 co-pay and hope I can stay on until I retire and get medicare! Work is work and that's about it. We are having some turnover, and that is always hard on employees. I am hoping to be able to work 3 more years and retire (I think that might be a pipe dream, but who knows). Shep's contributions to the finances may help make that possible.



Activities: We have been getting out some. We go to Colorado Springs to see Bree and Josh and to Bailey for Ben & Brenda quite often. Pueblo had a huge parade with 126 entries to kick off the State Fair. It was really fun to watch (took about 2 hours). Went to the State Fair and wandered around and managed to avoid greasy food and trinkets. It was great to see (and smell) all of the animals, see the crafts and watch people. If you ever get a chance you are welcome to visit late August to see the fair. It is huge and something to experience at least once. We even managed free parking which is pretty difficult. We checked out Cripple Creek and found a cute little town for a gambling mecca, but decided the food was lots more fun than the gambling was. The countryside surrounding the town is beautiful! I got a new front door and with Shep's expertise and plane, we got it trimmed out. I had plaster and greatstuff hanging out all over for two months. It looks great, now.



Bree & Josh: They are moved in their new house and have an extra bedroom for guests. That will make family visits much easier. Josh is back at work for the school year and dealing with the usual beginning of the year rambunctious kids. Bree is still tutoring on-line a couple of nights a week and just keeping up with kids. Owen is just hilarious, but has quit singing songs for us - his performances were so much fun I really miss them. He is really getting good at puzzles. Josh takes him to Lowe's classes every Saturday to make little wooden projects-he is quite proud of them and has this little apron with patches for each project. Josh took him camping and introduced him to s'mores! Needless to say, that made a big hit. Wyatt should be the Gerber Baby. He is just the smiliest little thing - so happy all the time, Bree is such a great mom. He definitely has the "Hobgood Charm" when he grins. He is sitting up and loves being able to play with toys. It is great to be so close by-they are only a half hour away and let us visit often! Bree has helped me with fabric choices for my latest sewing project I will write about later. She has really enjoyed the house with more room, and has really added her good taste.



Brenda & Ben: That little Amelia loves her Nana - what can I say. We went to her 2nd birthday party last month and met many of their friends. It was really fun to see all the kids. Amelia talks like crazy now and she still has the cutest little walk swinging her arms. When she was around her cousins, she did not have a bit of trouble standing up for herself. She is quite the outdoor kiddo - they made her a sand box and put pea gravel in it and added a slide. She loves the slide, but hates swings. She even goes down the slide head first. When I visit we read lots of books and she cooks "soup cheese" and pizza for me. One visit she would not let dad brush her teeth, but Nana could. I must say I like that idea. Ben finally resorted to using puppets on his hands, and the pig and cow could brush her teeth. What a character. Cavan is just growing like crazy! He is always hungry and has just started smiling. He loves cuddling and being held, so I enjoy that a lot. We got great of grins when we visited a couple of weeks ago. Ben is busy with work. He is doing lots of projects on the side, as usual, including a new remote controlled airplane project. Brenda is working part time, some of it from home, too. The kids really keep her busy, though. She and I enjoy such good visits when we get together.

Becky and Devin: Wow, they are in the midst of moving to Los Alamos. Devin's post doc position will be doing research that he really loves, so it is an awesome career move. They are really lucky that the lab is paying for the move, even the packing end of things. Mid September they will head from SLC to Los Alamos and camp along the way until the mover arrives with their stuff. They are really looking forward to Los Alamos. It is a small community with a plethora of outdoor activities, kids parks, skiing, and great education! They have a huge number of students from the high school receiving full-ride scholarships every year. Logan will go to pre-school, which he will thoroughly enjoy. That will give Becky a break. They visited in August and Becky & Devin left the kids overnight to look for rentals 4 hours away in Los Alamos. They found a great house to rent, and when they got home I was beat! Logan is in the questioning stage of life. Like Devin says, "welcome to the world of why". Logan mostly asked questions and used my little vacuum in the family room the whole weekend. He and Owen had a great time playing together and going to the Quarter Rides. Pueblo has this little tot amusement park and you can get $5 in tickets, ride all the rides and still go home with change. The boys were hilarious laughing and talking on the little Ferris Wheel. The two little ones, Laila and Wyatt, just enjoyed the great weather. They were pretty cute together, too. Laila or Lailee as Logan calls her is coming into her own. When she gets upset she can definitely make herself heard. Logan calls her a drama queen. She is so happy, even if she doesn't sleep much. She imitates her brother, and it is quite fun to watch. I loved their visit.

My latest sewing project: I am making "hooter hiders" which are nursing aprons for moms who are breast feeding. Bree helped me pick out material and I made 10 of them. I am going to list them on a mom's site called Hyena Cart. There is also a site called Etsy I may use. I am going to try to get the sites up and going in the next week. I have sold one, and Brenda and Bree tried them out for me. I don't have my name yet, but I figure this weekend when the boys are together they can come up with something. I am going to get pictures of the girls with them on so they can be models for my website. I can get Becky to model one, too when I visit them. I will post information for it when it's done. It seems to have been months in the making!

We are all getting together Saturday & Sunday of Labor Day weekend. It is Brenda's first time to see Bree & Josh's house, so they will stay there and we'll celebrate birthdays on Saturday and come here Sunday for the Quarter Rides and play! Amelia and Owen have fun playing together. Wyatt is almost old enough to join in now. I have to work Monday in order to get time off at Christmas, so I am going to bite the bullet. There will only be two of us in the office - yea!

Sept. 26-28 I am traveling to Los Alamos to stay with Beck & the kids. Devin has his annual biking expedition in Moab, so we can do the decorative things in the house. His first day of work will be the 28th.

Time is just flying by - I will try to write more often, because I think I forget a lot of stuff waiting this long.

Say a prayer for Deb Kaus - we all miss Jim, but I can't imagine how hard it is for her.

Come and visit any time!

I will be hired July 1

My employer informed me today that I will officially be employed by the CSU-Pueblo Foundation Office on July 1. I breathed a sigh of relief that I won't have to wonder anymore. I have never been really good at second-guessing or waiting, so this has been a struggle to hope for the best. The pay is low, but it does have an excellent benefit package.

I will have health insurance with a $15 co-pay - no more Cobra premiums!!!!!! That should really help my bottom line. I am still fighting to get my insurance to pay from January when the doctor's office sent the coding in to CNIC Insurance incorrectly. As a result, my $845 hopsital bill is not covered until they change the code and get it fixed. In the meantime, I have been hounded by the hospital. It is so strange how you can call a gazillion times, but no notes get made in the file to indicate why you are not paying. Go Figure! Alas, maybe this new insurance will be better, and the doctor's office probably has my file tagged for very assertive letters and threats not to pay them.

THE MOVES!

The last few weeks have been crazy with the typical Hobgood organizational endeavors. Josh and Bree sold their house, bought another one, but their sale on their house was delayed, which acted like dominoes with everyone. Poor Bree was living all day with a baby and a toddler and boxes stacked everywhere. The week's delay was tolerable, but put everyone behind. As it turned out, both parties rented in order to move, then closed during the next two days. Finally, arrangements could be made.

Shep dropped his stuff off at my house on Friday. Josh, Shep & I unloaded his boxes into the living room and bedroom. He had to leave in the middle of the night to drive on a job. Josh & Bree needed boxes, so I got up early Saturday and unpacked, and headed to help with the kids while Josh and Bree finished packing . Bree took the kiddos to Monument, so Josh and Ben could pack up the van and move their stuff 30 minutes away. Ben brought Amelia down with him so I could take care of her. Brenda had to finish work because she is pretty much due to deliver their baby boy any time now. She isn't feeling really great. I watched Amelia, and ran stuff over to the house for Josh and Ben. They came to my house to spend the night Saturday. They couldn't even get the moving van until 6:30 p.m. The next morning they got up early and packed it more, then headed to they packed the van and headed to Widefield (So. Colorado Springs near Fountain). Amelia and I had a great day, and I took her to Widefield at 4:00 so Ben could take her home and check on Brenda (about 2 hours away). Josh and I had another load at the house, so we headed back to Pueblo and loaded up with the help of a neighbor. The people moving into their house had to wait about 40 minutes while we finished up. By the time we got home with the moving van in my driveway, Josh and I were whipped, to say the least. We ate and headed to bed!

The next morning I headed to work and Josh went to finish moving in. Shep was still on the road, so I just revelled in the mess all week.

Shep came back this past weekend with the rest of his things, got moved in, and we put a bunch of stuff in storage. He left again on Sunday and will be gone another week.

Seems like a whirlwind of change in all our lives, as usual. Things are working out well, in spite of the craziness.

Josh & Bree
The new house is wonderful - newer, lots more room, great yard, newer kitchen and bathrooms. They even have an office and guest room. Little Wyatt "Y Guy" is just the happiest baby. He smiles and makes lots of great sounds-he has the "raspberries" figured out. His smiles looks exactly like Josh. He is just so much fun, and so cuddly. Owen is the great performer. I hope they get a video posted on their blog of Owen singing "I'm Yours". Not only does he know the words, but his gestures are hilarious. He sings it almost every time I visit. He is all boy these days-the noise, jumping, running, and cracks great jokes.

Ben & Brenda
They are playing the waiting game for baby boy (name to be announced at birth). Brenda predicted a Tuesday delivery on Becky's birthday June 9, but it didn't happen. (Statistically, more babies are born on Tuesday then any day of the week.) Now she is thinking Friday - that would be nice for me. I am taking 2 days off work, so a combined weekend would be great. Amelia is pretty needy right now, so I am sure she is picking up on things. When I took her to meet Ben to take her home, she wouldn't have anything to do with him - she wanted her Nana (I can't say that hurt my feelings at all). Brenda is really anxious to have this over with. I am sure many of you can sympathize. Ben is not terribly busy at work now, so this is good timing.

Becky & Devin
Well, it looks like they are possibly moving to Los Alamos, NM. The deal is not finalized, but it looks pretty sure. Devin felt the research would be exactly up his alley and a great career move. After checking out the area, it also suits them well because of outdoor activities and size of the town, and Santa Fe is a short distance. It would only be a 4 hour drive from here! I can handle that! Logan is into lawn mowing these days. On the phone he will describe in detail how his toy lawn mower works - the blade, gas, etc. It is quite the fun conversation. He sings songs to me on the phone-he's soooo enthusiastic. I got him a toy weed-whacker for his birthday that squirts water - can't wait to see what he thinks! Laila is 1-can you believe it? She still scoots on her butt and is quite fast. She may end up walking before she ever does a regular crawl. Her birthday pictures are on the blog to the right of mine. She is still happy and smiley like Becky was as a baby. She is a charmer.

Life here is good, and I am looking forward to the times when Shep is around to become more social (that is definitely his forte!). I am afraid I have not been very good at getting out on my own.

Please email me and let me know what all of you are up to!

March & April have been a blur!

Job situation





Finally, I sat down with my boss to figure out if I will have a job or not. She said that until she does the budget, she won't know my rate of pay, but it does come with benefits. In order to do the budget, I have to make appointments for her to meet with Xerox, etc., to determine costs of scanning options on our equipment. The problem is, she is never available, or the Xerox rep did not show for the appointment we had. Oh, life at work! All is well with the job and I continue to get more responsibility because everyone is so overwhelmed. The pay will not be enough, but I can get by until retirement-whenever that happens!





What I have been up to.


I spent Easter weekend with Brenda and Amelia while Ben was in Reno visiting friends from California when we lived in Santa Rosa. He had a great time, and I loved to get time with Brenda and Amelia, too. Amelia definitely knows who her Nana is! She is really lovable and we have a great time together. Brenda is looking great and feeling pretty good, considering she only has until June 20 or so before delivering a little boy, who is nameless at this point. They are busy with work and activities with Amelia.

Ben and Amelia also came to Pueblo for a weekend while Brenda was in San Francisco visiting a friend. We had fun getting the cousins together. She and Owen are pretty funny. They would run around the house chasing each other. With Amelia talking so much, it makes for a whole new dynamic. Owen is learning to hold his own, because Amelia can stand up for her rights! One of her favorite phrases is "My turn" and she means it. What fun! They will be coming again in two weeks to help Josh and Bree move.

Wyatt looks exactly like Josh when he smiles. He is the happiest little guy and his making lots of noises and smiling at Nana. He is so cute! I love getting to see them a couple of times a week. Owen is into great concerts these days. I hope the kids get a video posted, because he knows whole songs and the dramatic gestures are hilarious! He will perform either with the guitar or a drum. I kept him for a day while Josh and Bree looked for houses in Fountain/Widefield. He was great and I enjoyed his sense of humor-he makes up words and tells great stories.

Josh and Bree will be moving to south Colorado Springs/Widefield in a couple of weeks. They are packing boxes and getting ready for the great adventure. They will be 1/2 hour away. Josh will be 5 minutes from home. He has evening activities as an assistant principal, so this will mean he can go home and then back to the activity. He was putting in alot of late evenings! They got a bigger house and are really excited about having room to stretch. The Fountain area will be growing because of the troops moving into Fort Carson. Josh's school is hiring teachers, while many in the area are laying off.

I miss the Close family. Check out the blog on the right side of this page. Logan is such a character. He is into lawn mowers-you can read about it. They went to Moab this weekend and met Shep to camp. I guess Laila butt-scooted (she doesn't need to crawl) all over the sand leaving a trail. She loved the experience almost more than Logan! They had a great trip. The kids are growing up so fast. Becky and I visit on the phone at least twice a week, so I keep pretty updated on their lives. Devin is still looking for a Post-Doc position-but in the meantime they still enjoy SLC. Becky is busy with the kids, they have so many great places to take them for entertainment like the zoo and parks. It is a great place to have children. Becky's play group has been nice for her, because she has met some really close friends.

Shep will be moving over during the next two weekends. He will rent a storage unit and we will keep much of our stuff in case the kids need something. I think it will be an interesting adventure. Since my job is so undetermined, the financial help will be tremendous. Shep and I agreed, too, that living alone is no piece of cake! It is nice that we can be friends after all these years of being divorced. I am sure it will be an adjustment for both of us, but I think we've both become more realistic about life in general and are willing to give it a go.

House

I have been painting my kitchen bit by bit for months! I am almost finished. I still need counters and other shelving, but it is slowly improving. I got a new red front door. Ben got the wrong one, painted it, and had to get another one, so I bought it from him. He and Josh installed it and now I just have to figure out how to trim it out. It has an oval window and looks soooooo much better. Need a screen for it, but that will come soon. I am really liking my house. My lawn in dying in the back yard, it is really wierd. Guess I will have to dig it up and put new soil in. It looked great this spring, but it has something going on. I still have green on part of it. I planted the seed in pretty bad soil. Why is it that grass always grows where you don't want it? Josh gave me some plants from his house and they are doing great. I am anxious to put in some annuals, too.

That's all folks!

Time flies by

It has been a while since my last update. I seem to be busy with company, or taking a trip somewhere. Make sure you check the blogs of the kids on the right side of this page. They have all updated with current pictures and news of their lives.

The job situation is the same. I am not hired on yet, because my boss has not completed the budget for the next fiscal year. She is aware, however, that I need to have a job in order to get a loan for the house. Premier Mortgage carried me originally because the loan was small and I was unemployed. I have until August 1 to confirm employment and secure a loan. It would be really nice to cash in on the low interest rates. They are willing to extend me, but I would rather be employed and get a great rate. I will update when something breaks loose.


My friend Marcia Tormey moved to Aurora in March. She is closer to her family, now, too. It seems to be a trend - who woulda thunk! I get to see Cindy Job, because she takes care of Wendy's girls once a week. I think I see her more now than I did in GJ. It is wonderful to have friends close enough to see them once in a while. My visits on the phone with my other friends keeps me in the loop with their lives.

Shep was over twice in Feb & Mar. He will be here this Thursday with a load of stuff, get a storage unit rented and see those little ones. We will begin the process of figuring out what to do with all of the stuff we have both accumulated. I think we can work it out. We can store stuff until our kids figure out what they might want. It will give me a chance to clean out all of the junk I moved (I have procrastinated).


I went to SLC to visit the Close family and had a super time. Logan is such a character! He knows no strangers. Devin and I took he and Laila to the Aviary. Logan liked all of the mechanical things, especially the little kid rides and the bird food dispenser. Laila loved the birds and was quite vocal about it. She was enthralled with the sights and sounds. Logan and I rode the Ferris Wheel - one of my favorites, too. He even gave three older boys some of his precious duck food. The boys were so suprised. He just walked right up to them and gave them a handful. It was pretty cute. He is great at making the clerks in stores ultra friendly with his cute little "what's your name?" The kids are growing and changing so fast. Laila is the happiest kid on the block, literally - all smiles and talking. When I flew out to SLC, they had to de-ice the plane twice - that was my first experience with colored de-icing. I was telling Becky about it while driving home. All weekend I was drawing de-icing trucks for Logan. He just couldn't get enough of my "great" art work!

Owen and I spent four hours together on Sunday while Josh and Bree got the house ready to list this week. He and I had great conversations, and he made up all kinds of words and jokes, then he would do a belly laugh. The weather was cold outside, so we stayed in and played. I had a bunch of fun with him just learning how that mind works. He talks all the time, asking questions about everything. We had to go over the whole sleep-over he did at Christmas. He re-named the little stuffed dog "Bo" and I am certain he will remember it next time he is over. Wyatt is growing like a weed. He still looks like Josh, but also more like Owen. He is smiling and making cute little noises. I usually go over on Wednesday after work while Bree goes to Yoga. I "help" Josh take care of the two and get in some great Nana time.

This weekend, weather permitting, I will venture to Bailey. Ben is going to be in Reno visiting his friends from Santa Rosa. He has not seen them since we left CA. Brenda and I are planning a sewing fest - time permitting. I got a sewing machine, but have not used it since Ben's visit with Amelia when we made parachutes for the sailplane. I am still trying to figure out where to put furniture. Amelia is talking quite a lot now, so I am looking forward to seeing her again. I love it that she remembers me when I visit, and we kind of pick up where we left off. Brenda and I will have fun, and I always like to get away.

There isn't much more news. I am moderately busy at work, it comes and goes. I still am searching for the big buck job, but things are pretty quiet in the job market now.

All of you email me with your news!

Life is just such a mystery!

Pueblo is fine, my job is great, and I am so thankful to have employment. The economic times are pretty difficult right now. My boss has to go through her Board and budget to see what my salary and benefits might be. I was offered an interview for a part time (for a month, then full time) job at a chiropractic office for $9 and zero benefits. I think this job may be better than that. I am happy to stay here, but making ends meet is pretty hard. I am going to continue to look for better wages and benefits, but I don't feel the panic that I did earlier. Life just has so many blessings, and I am truly lucky to have all I do have!

Shep visited the last two weekends on his way through so he could see Wyatt. We had a great visit with Josh, Bree, and the kiddos. He is seriously thinking about moving over here when his lease expires in late April or May-like me to be closer to the kids. If he moves, we may just share expenses at my house- I certainly have the room. Neither he nor I feel good about the economy and our future ability to save for any retirement - that will probably never happen for either of us. It would be a good solution for us both. I think it is pretty strange that we would consider this after being divorced for so long, but we have been friendly all this time, and I have seriously considered renting out a bedroom. At least we both know what we are getting into.

Oprah had a show on the other day about the creative ways people are cutting costs. Not divorcing is one, another is finding another family to share your house. Guess I am not so far off base. The show had on a bunch of ideas for cutting back, including coupons like Bree does, and using a freezer so you could stock up. I have not been that organized for years, but I am going to make an attempt now.

I don't have any pictures to post right now. Check out Wyatt and Owen - the videos are great. I am taking Owen for a while this weekend while they birthday shop for him-love to do that! Wyatt is over 10 pounds now! It is so nice to see them each week. It is amazing how much Wyatt grows, and how much new stuff Owen is doing.

I have bulbs coming up in my yard that I planted last spring. Daffodils and Crocus - oh, and for those of you in frigid weather, it was over 75 for the last 3 days. I get home from work and open my front door and air out the house. Last Sunday I hung my sheets on the line - smells so great! We do have a bit of wind, though.

All the kids and grandbabies are growing like weeds. Make sure you check out their blogs when you read mine. They have some awesome videos.

Ben and Brenda are going to have me keep Amelia the first weekend in May so they can do one last trip together before the baby comes in June. They don't have a boy's name picked out yet. Amelia is really chattering and Ben should be getting videos. She asks for Nana alot and sometimes thinks people look like me in the store. All older men are Papa. She was so much fun on the trip to GJ, and it was great to capture Ben and Brenda in the car to visit for the many hours of travel.

Becky & Devin are great, and not moving to CA. The offer was so low, they would be living below the poverty line! On to greater things, I am sure. Berkeley just doesn't know what they are missing! (not that I am prejudiced) . I am flying to see them March 26-29. I haven't seen them since Christmas, and the kids are so cute and changing so much! Logan has decided to become the consumate gentleman. He was eating breakfast one morning while Becky was fixing her cereal and toast. When the toaster popped up he said, "Honey, your toast is done". How cute is that. Becky said he is full of complements lately. He "loved the orange purse" that her friend Sage was carrying one day. Gina has "nice pants, and aren't those great snaps on it." He asks Devin how his day was every day, and always complements Becky on something. What a character. Laila is just the happiest baby on the block! She laughs and babbles a lot and is quite the charmer. She is on the verge of crawling, but hasn't figured out the leg part yet. Maybe I can teach her when I visit.

Well, gotta go, cuz I am at work!

The trip to GJ was fun!

I am back at work today, glad to have a job, and excited about visiting Grand Junction this past weekend. There was just not enough time to see everyone. I drove to Bailey on Friday, then Ben, Brenda, Amelia and I left Saturday and arrived in GJ about 3:30 p.m. The weather was pretty decent, and the roads were good. Ben did the driving, except from Glenwood on, so I was not nearly as tired as I would have been driving myself. Amelia did amazingly well for a long trip. We sat in the back seat and played and talked the whole way.

Angie Feather's wedding reception was just beautiful. What a pretty bride - David looked great, too. We saw so many friends-like all of Joanna's parties, it was a crowd.

We stayed in Fruita at Sherry's and Terry's houses. Amelia slept well, which made everything easier. Sunday we got to spend the day with Jim, Deb, and Chakotah Kaus. We had an awesome visit and Ben is trying to design a tool to help him double click on his computer that he operates remotely. Their home remodel job is really underway, and, of course, they have the usual disruptions. They are dealing with it quite well, better than I would!

Monday morning I went to the 8/9 school and visited with the staff-that was great. Then, we tried to get away early, to miss the ski traffic, but we caught it anyway. Ben found a back road to help out, and we missed a huge hold up as I listened on the radio after I left Bailey. I got home at 7:30 which wasn't too bad, but I am sooooo old, I don't love driving in the dark much anymore. I am beginning to sound like my mom!

I am hoping to visit with DenaSue - my boss - this week about my pay and benefits, since I am going to stay on at this job. She is so rarely in the office, that I really have trouble finding time to talk to her at all. The newly hired Dbase administrater starts on March 2. That will take some pressure off of DenaSue, and provide more work for me! Yea! I hope I can make enough to get by, or find an easy way to supplement my income. Something will have to give, for sure.

I missed seeing some of you, but I plan to come over some time this spring.

February visit from Ben & Brenda & Job Situation

Wyatt sleeps quietly while we are all making noise and laughing. He is such a good baby.

Owen and Amelia are saying good-bye after a great weekend.The Hobgood 4 - Looking rested and happy. The little Bug, as dad calls her.

The Hobgood 3 - soon to become another Hobgood 4 on June 20. They are having a boy, but there is no name yet.

Ben, Brenda and Amelia came to see Wyatt for the first time. We had a fun weeked watching the three kiddos - especially Amelia and Owen. Wyatt was just a quiet little baby. He is just adorable and already over 7 lbs. He is growing like crazy! He is beginning to develop the chubby cheeks.
Josh dressed Owen as a stegasaurus. Only Josh and Ben could think of such things!!! The dads and kids and I played with play doh for about an hour while Brenda and Bree went to a baby shower. It was soooo much fun. It reminded me of the "old days" at home with the kids. I think we had lots more fun than they did.

Amelia and Owen had lots of fun in the teepee I made for Christmas for each family. It was fun to use it in the house, and it worked great outside, too.
Amelia loved the gorilla and the tools! She says Nana all the time-and I love that! She is quite the cuddle bug, too.

Job Situation-

I have decided to stay on at CSU Pueblo Foundation Office. They are hiring a receptionist pretty soon, so I told them I would stay. We have not had a chance to discuss pay and benefits, but in this economic climate, I think that any job is better than no job. I am going to continue pursuing other options, which I am sure will work with my boss. At least the pressure is off for now to run out and find a job that apparently does not exist at this time. I feel good about that decision.

I am heading to Bailey today and GJ tomorrow and returning on Monday. I hope to see some or all of you while I am on the western slope.

And Time Marches On........

This is February 6, I am still without permanent employment, but the weather is beautiful, so how can I complain. After work last night I had to water my new grass which was looking pretty pitiful, since we have had no moisture and the temps have been in the mid to high 60s. We have a couple of cold days-23 for a high last week- then it warms to 50-60. It really makes dressing for the day a little difficult.

My temp position at CSU Pueblo is going well. A new database administrator has not been hired, so I guess I will be here a while longer. After that person comes on board, I will be helping further until they hire a receptionist ($7.50 hour). This probably gives me about 3 more weeks of work, but I have already been here 2 months - who knows. I like the job, but have some pretty long, boring days when I eat snacks and read the news on-line. I really don't like doing email and blogs at work, but there is nothing else to do. I have even re-organized 4 4-drawer file cabinets, typed new labels for the folders and taped the folders that were worn. I used two big rolls of packaging tape. That was my project for idle times, now I don't know what to do. I really didn't think I would finish that one! This business is a non-profit not a CSU entity, so they are really short on funds.

My resume has been updated and changed a bunch of times. Currently, I am printing off 5 resumes a week with a blanket cover letter that lets them know I will come in and work for them for a few hours for a "working interview". Maybe someone will be intrested in that. I delivered 5 this week and plan to continue to use my lunch hour this way until this job ends. It is great to go to work every day.

Ben suggested that I open a cleaning business, I just don't know how much energy I have left in this ole body! The activity might do me good, however. I will give it some thought. I also am going to check on-line jobs. It is just hard to sort out the scams.

Ben, Brenda and Amelia will be here tonight to see Wyatt. Their ultrasound is today, so when they get here, we will know the sex of the baby. The due date is June 22. They will stay until Sunday. I should have some great pictures to post.

I am especially enjoying the laid back life here. I drive I-25 for a short distance to work. The speed limit is 55 and most of the time I am behind traffic at 50 and nobody is passing!!! The other day I got lunch at Chipoltle and a guy in line at the drink counter asked me if I wanted a straw and lid. When does that kind of thing ever happen? The funniest "friendly encounter" was at WalMart in line to check out on a busy day. The lady in front of me bought a bunch of Christmas tins. She said she baked a lot. I asked what she baked and she said Potcia. We talked for a bit, and the lady behind me chimed in and we had a long conversation about how to roll the dough really thin, how you need at least one person to help out, and how many times a year they make it. Amazing how friendly people are!

Well, no other news. I will post again after the weekend.

I am planning a trip to GJ on Feb. 14 for Angie Feather's wedding reception. If the weather permits........ Ben and Brenda are going with me. I am taking off the 13 & 16 to allow travel time and look forward to getting away, and to see people. I miss everyone so much.

Catch ya later! Email me, you guys!
Linda

January update jobs, etc.

Before I tell you about jobs, our family has another announcement - Ben & Brenda are having a baby in June! They will find out whether it is a boy or girl in February. That will make #6 for me - how cool is that?

I am enjoying my job at CSU Pueblo Foundation Office - it is really busy now, which is fine by me. The job was pretty boring before Christmas, so I am a happy camper now. It looks like I might be there three more weeks. My boss posted the job and is requiring a similar degree and 2 years experience on databases. I don't come close to qualifying, nor do I want to sit and number crunch all day. I actually like what I am doing, but she is going to hire a receptionist after she hires the dababase administrator. The pay would be $7.50/hr. I can't pay bills on that kind of wage, so I will bow out.

There are few jobs anywhere right now, even scams on Craig's List. I got a mailing ready this weekend to send to random people I have talked to since I have been here. I updated my resume and cover letter. This week I will use my lunch hour to pass out resumes. I have gone through a pack of 100+ sheets of resume paper so far! Oh, well, I am thankful I am not starving or homeless. Maybe the temp service will have more for me when this job is finished.

Brenda, Ben, Amelia and Ella will be down the weekend of February 6 to see little Wyatt. I look forward to seeing them again and finding out if we get a girl or a boy. They have been busy since Christmas getting their bathroom finished at the house, and back to work. Amelia is as cute as ever. Check out their blog on this page.

Josh, Bree, Owen and Wyatt are doing great. Owen does great with Wyatt. Josh got to take a few days off work, and Phoebe was here to help Bree. Wyatt had to be under the lights for a few days, but they could do it at home, so it was inconvenient, but less disruptive than going to the hospital. It is so nice to be close by and get to visit them! They have updated their blog, too.

Becky, Devin, Laila and Logan are enjoying the snow in SLC. Devin has an interview in Berkley in February for a Post Doc position. He is pretty excited to get an interview. He has been looking like me, but it is tough all over and in all areas. Other places they are considering are Los Alamos, San Diego and Golden. Logan and Laila are growing and changing like crazy. I miss being close, but Becky and I do visit on the phone a lot. They will be updating their blog soon, so keep checking.

Time to go now. I miss Grand Junction and Fruita friends, but I like it here.

Wyatt Spencer Hobgood has arrived!

Josh and Bree have a new baby boy: Wyatt Spencer Hobgood, 5lbs. 12 oz., 18", dark hair. He decided to appear face up to everyone's surprise, but no complications! I just came home from the hospital and he is adorable (not a proud Nana here). He is nursing like a trooper and Bree just looks great!! The whole experience was easier than Owen's delivery, so the family is doing well.

Phoebe, Bree's mom, is staying with Owen and he is doing just fine. He came to see his brother, and after warming up to him, he couldn't understand why he couldn't take him home. He told him how they were going to eat Life cereal together.

Bree will probably go home tomorrow sometime. She is tired, but feeling fine. Josh is staying at the hospital with her tonight.

Update January 7

DenaSue, my boss at CSU Pueblo Foundation Office, sat down with me Monday and we had a good visit about where to head from here. She wanted to know if I would consider staying on because I was such a good fit for the office. The problem is the teaching/learning curve for both of us was far more than either of us wanted. Database administration is not what I want, nor would I be that good at that type of job. As it stands, I am going to stay on and help during interviews, and be flexible if they need to have someone come in for a working interview. The up side of all this is that DenaSue is going to pass on my resume and help me look for work. Finally, a well connected native to use for networking. She can also speak to my work ethic, which makes a difference!!!! I don't know that opportunities are out there, but at least I have someone local to use for a reference. So...I will work until whenever and be glad to get up every day and make my $10/hr.

Christmas was a blast!

Owen at Nana's











Amelia - the Star











Logan Loves his Play Doh










Laila thinks Sweet Potatoes are great











Logan and Laila spending quality time together










Laila the happy camper-always smiling
See videos below.

Family is just the best during the holidays! All the children and grandbabies got to meet/see each other. Becky, Devin, Logan and Laila were here for 3 days in Pueblo and 2 days in Bailey. Owen and Logan had fun with Nana's toys and played around each other most of the time. It was great fun to watch their different personalities. Josh & Devin got to take the boys on outings since the weather was frigid. Logan and Owen both like to go on disc golf outings just a mile from my house. Becky and I stayed busy with sewing projects which did not get finished. We always plan waaaaay too much in the short time we have together. Bree spent some time taking it easy, but she and Becky got to visit. She has to rest 20 minutes of every hour and keep that baby in the cooker for a few more weeks. I kept the Close kids one evening while Becky and Devin went to Josh and Bree's for the parents to talk for a change. It is nice to have two houses, but still hard not to have the evening time when the kids are in bed, so they enjoyed the time to catch up.

We went to Bailey on the 23rd with my car packed to the brim. The weather looked horrid on I-25, so we got to go my favorite way, on 24 through Woodland Park and Deckers - it was dry most of the way. We caught nap time for Logan and Laila which made the two hour trip quite nice for them. Ben, Brenda and Amelia were bombarded with all of us and we figured out sleeping arrangements. The men went to pick Shep up in Denver.

The next day the guys went shopping for dinner (Cajun Boil). We watched kids play and waited for the return of the men, which took a while, but the wait was worth it. Ben's partner Andrew and his wife Shelly joined us for Christmas Eve - we had a great dinner after the kids were in bed!

Christmas morning the kids were up bright and early and we opened gifts. After a big breakfast, Becky, Devin, the kids and Shep left to meet Devin's brother Cory in Broomfield, so they could go to Greeley for Christmas there. I stayed on in Bailey until Monday, because Ben and I had to do a project (the ususal!) We demolished their master bathroom, and I learned how to do ceramic tile! I left them in a huge mess, but I needed to get home. The travel this holiday was great. Weather in Pueblo has been awesome - in the 50's and 60's. I have enjoyed the warmth.

Jobs are non existant right now. I have tried everything, but the time of year isn't right. Maybe later this month. At least I get to go to work on Jan. 5! I am getting anxious. I tried to go to the Police and Sheriff offices today, but nobody was around to give my resume to. This was not the best time to look for work. I am still plugging along, though.

Check out these videos - what a joy they are!!!


Amelia

Owen & Devin playing with the puppet show

Christmas Morning

Christmas morning