Thought I would add these beautiful fall colors before the ice and snow set in this weekend. We are expecting bad news weatherwise tonight. All these beautiful leaves are now on the ground. I've blown them to the curb - at least in the front yard. The backyard is totally covered but they are now all just brown. The city hasn't picked up anything for two weeks now. If we get a lot of rain the drains will all be stopped up! Bummer! Oh well, I guess snow and ice are pretty too in their own way.

We had a most enjoyable trip down to Garland Texas to visit with our nephew, Steve, and his family. It is a long drive, 485 miles, but the speed limit is 70 and we were able to maintain this pretty well for the whole trip. The car's computer said we averaged 61 mph! It also said we got 29.8 mpg!! I think that is wonderful considering the size of the engine - 4.6 liters - and going 61 mph avg. And this car has 93K miles to boot.

While there, I needed a couple of parts for the newest rc model. We went to "Mike's Hobbies". Now, this is a hobby shop devoted almost entirely to radio controlled airplanes, cars, and boats. It is in a warehouse - nothing fancy. On one side there are two tracks for those interested to race their electric powered cars. One of the tracks is dirt complete with bumps and turns as well as a drivers stand. This track was about 100' from end to end with many curves in between as well as one long straight section. Many people were there testing their skills. The other track appeared to be carpeted but no one was racing there. On the other side of the wall was the actual hobby shop. I was in heaven! I found the parts I needed and also some others I just wanted! I could have spent another hour or two just looking. They have a HUGE inventory of everything you can imagine.

Our nephew's main hobby is cooking. We were VERY well fed. Not only is it his hobby but he is good at it. We tease him about having so many cooking tools - sort of like Tim Taylor on Tool Time bragging about having 256 power tools!

It looks like part of today will be spent blowing leaves again. It is supposed to get very cold by the end of the week so I better get with it today while I can. Still no pick up by the city. They have their wagon loaded as many people in "The Woods" have leaves piled up at the curbs. If it rains, all the drains will get clogged. Oh well!

Hope all that read this contemplate how fortunate you are and remembered that particularly on this Thanksgiving.

Over the weekend I have been giving some thought to how I've become who I am. Is that deep enough to scare you? Last week I had lunch with a group of men that together attended high school and some even grade school. This means that we have known each other for 65+ years. This always takes me back to those formation years. Our school years were shaped first by the nuns and then by the Christian Brothers. Both instilled in us rowdy boys a sense of reverence for those holy and spiritual ideals. The nun's firmly believed in discipline and enforced it whenever necessary (quite often in my case). In this process, we developed a great respect for authority. They also expected in us our very best effort at our studies. They provided the foundation for our lives.

The Christian Brothers, while honoring the same values, went the next step. Again the religious aspect of our lives was emphasized foremost and the academics followed suit. They had a way of getting us to do our best - not only in our studies but we became "Brothers Boys". This meant a great deal to us. Our integrity became a major concern in our lives. We were to represent the school at all times and present it in its most favorable light. We were to be people of integrity, people that others could count on, people who not only represented the school but also represented our Catholic faith.

Looking around the lunch table at these high school friends I see a group who have lived their lives as "Brothers Boys". They all have achieved a degree of financial success, have had good marriages and several children and grandchildren (some even great grandchildren!), and all are respected men of this community. Their faith has remained strong and this has been passed on to their families.

And to think that all this started with a group of dedicated nuns and polished by an equally dedicated group of men - the Christian Brothers. God bless them all.

Here it is Saturday - a bright sun shiney day without a cloud in the sky. This is the kind of day that lifts one's spirit.

The city workers came yesterday and cleaned up all the leaves that were at the curb - mine as well as all the neighbors on this street. The across the street neighbor managed to blow his leaves out just before they came. I had planned on doing the same after lunch but they got here too early. The yard is covered up again but I'm going to wait at least until Monday to blow them again. Such is life in "The Woods" at this time of year.

We plan on having our son, Tony, and his sons out for Thanksgiving dinner. His sons are growing up now and may have other plans in their busy social lives. We will just wait and see. Friday we will drive down to Garland Texas (just outside of Dallas) to visit with our nephew, Steve, and his family. This is kind of a tradition and we always enjoy being with them. Steve is a dynamo and on the go all the time. He is hard to keep up with.

We will attend our first Mass in the new Sanctuary tonight. We are blessed with the opportunity to serve as Extraordinary Ministers of the Eucharist at this service. Hopefully next week I can get some pictures of the Sanctuary and will post a couple. I really want to set up a tripod and take some proper exposures. The consecration of the church will be January 21st with a 2 1/2 hr. service complete with Bishop and all the regalia. I'm told that this will be the largest Sanctuary in the diocese! It will seat 1350 people!!

I've been working on the new plane by and by. It is looking good. I have enough done now that I can assemble it all and take a look at what the finished product will look like. I have dressed up the kit color scheme a bit to match the scheme on a real plane. It will be impressive. Hope it flies as good as it looks!

This shot was too pretty not to share. It was taken where the Wold River skirts Peterson Lake Park here in Collierville. Anne Marie and I go to this park frequently for our morning walk. This is a very tranquil place to just sit and contemplate how good God is.

Enjoy.

With a burst of energy Monday I got out my super leaf blower and again blew off the front yard. The city is supposed to pick them up on Tuesday. Gosh, it sure looked neat when I finished and my back could attest to the chore. So what happened? Tuesday it rained a bit and the cities machine doesn't work in the rain! Where are the leaves? Still at the curb. So what else happened? It came up a storm last night (Tuesday) and blew down a fresh batch. The yard looks like I never touched it. Oh well, such is life in "The Woods". I'm beginning to think that there is a correlation between blowing leaves and storms. What do you think?

I had lunch with a group of guys that I have known for too many years. Most of us went to grade school together (St. Therese of Lisieux - the Little Flower) and then on to Christian Brothers High School (called CBC in those days). We have managed to keep up with one another all these years! The sobering thought occurred to me - we're getting old! But, the rewarding thought is that I'm in much better shape than most of them - great wife, good health, nice home, and able to do much as I want. God is good. Several of them are widowers, some divorced, most have serious ailments, all seem to have nice homes (they all did well financially in life), but are limited in their activities one way or another. I thank God that I have hobbies that keep me active.

Tonight promises to be exciting. This Saturday we will celebrate our first Mass in the new Sanctuary. It is HUGE! Tonight there is a meeting of all the Eucharistic Ministers to find out just how we are supposed to serve. I'm sure it will all be much different from our old small Sanctuary. I hope they define how the Lectors are supposed to serve too.

Last night was Scripture Study. We had a most lively session covering Chapter 8 of the Gospel of Matthew. Our course material is severely lacking so the facilitator (me) brought in some other more challenging material. This chapter gives rise to many questions and I think we covered most of them. We have a really great group of people who are not shy and openly share with one another.

One learns to itch where one can scratch.

Here is a headshot of a Great Blue Heron taken at Peterson's Lake in Collierville. We first spotted him/her (?) high in a tree overlooking the lake. When he/she (?) flew down and lit in the woods next to a small stream he (?) was only about 25-30 feet away. Picture taken with a Panasonic Lumix FZ30 at 420mm Zoom and then cropped in Picasa. Enjoy! 

Wow! A whole week has gone by without my posting anything here. The time sure does seem to fly by as we get older. Let's see, what has happened in the week past?

Tuesday our Scripture Study class covered as best we could in the limited time Chapter 7 of the Gospel of Matthew. I was truly worried about this class as I have been on most of the previous ones that we wouldn't really cover what was intended. The materials that we have simply are not up to par. They don't address what Matthew is actually saying but seem to be more centered on how this writing relates to the Old Testament. I'll grant you that we need to know the relationships but it does seem more important to figure out just what is being taught to us - today. This requires that I do a great deal of research to bring to the class those meanings and to get a lively discussion going. This is a great bunch of people who have finally opened up to each other.

Slow progress is being made on the new plane. All I managed to get done last week was to finish the wing and assemble the tail feathers. I sure am glad that they came already hinged saving me a job I do not like. It is beginning to look like an airplane now and this is exciting. I did discover that the engine that I had planned on using will not fit due to its' HUGE muffler. However, the engine that is in the plane I'm currently flying will fit just fine. So, it looks like a swap is in order. No big deal.

Thursday began the 'leaf blowing' season for me. I spent several hours just blowing the accumulation from the driveway and front yard. It was looking quite nice afterwards. Friday brought a cool front along with a lot of wind. By that evening it looked like I had never done a thing. The yard was again covered with fall leaves. Actually, they look kind of pretty! The city pick-up will be tomorrow, Tuesday, so maybe today I can get out and blow again.

Anne Marie has managed to pick up a cold or allergy somewhere and is dripping, blowing, and coughing. This started Friday. She did get a decent nights' sleep last night and seems to be a bit better this morning. Let's hope she recovers soon.

Saturday was spent mostly studying. We attended the 5 o'clock Mass and the Senior Group's monthly dinner. They had turkey and fixin's which was catered by Leonards. It was really good. The speaker was a young lady lawyer covering the "Five Wishes" that one should have in place at our age. They deal with the last wishes of a person who dies - Living Will, Power of Attorney, etc. It was most interesting. Anne Marie and I have part of this in place now but we really need to do the other remaining steps.

Sunday turned off sunny but a bit on the cold side. There was little wind. I did go over to the field and managed to fly without breaking anything. Also, again everything seemed to work correctly - including my thumbs. This plane sure flies just like I wanted - smoothly! My confidence is being restored. I'll need it when I fly the one I'm working on now!

That brings us to today which is cloudy and dreary but not too cold. From where I sit it looks like is has begun to drizzle. Hmmm! No leaf blowing in the rain. I really didn't want to anyway.

Until next time may peace be with you.

Blue Monday. Rainy, dreary day. Thank goodness yesterday was good for flying my plane. I managed again to bring it home after a few flights all in one piece! Everything seemed to work just as it should so it made for a delightful day.

Today is a different matter. It seems that the heat and air conditioning on Anne Marie's 1998 Buick stopped blowing out of the dash vents. Actually it stopped blowing back in mid-summer but the cold weather caused us to be concerned. Now you would think that it would be something simple like an open vacuum line or a disconnected electrical connector. No way! It turned out to be the computer that controls all of this. $900!!! So much for automatic temperature control and all that. Thank God we are in a position to have it fixed. That car only has 68K miles where our other car has 92K! I was looking to trade it soon but wonder if I need to get rid of the Buick first. Just last month we had to have a strut replaced on the Buick ($500). GASP!!

This rainy day gives me the opportunity to prepare for our Scripture Study session for tomorrow night. Otherwise, I would be out blowing leaves!

This is only fitting for a Sunday.

Saturday has dawned a beautiful sun filled day. The temps are expected to be in the 60's. The fall colors are still holding but the leaves are still dropping. It will be leaf blower time very soon. I don't want to rush it!!

Anne Marie and I went in to Memphis to the model train show. It was quite a disappointment as there really wasn't much to see - a couple of tired layouts and a few vendors. It was nothing like last year. Oh well, it gave us a chance to get out and just enjoy doing something together.

Last night we went to the new Jim's East. The ambience was good and resonably quiet. The prices were about right for an upscale dining event. Anne Marie had a pork tenderloin & rice entree which she said was really good. The portions are large so we were able bring home her left-overs for another meal. I had catfish. It was large but mushy. The flavor was good but I really don't like mushy fish. I will not order that again.

It seems that I have the "Comments" feature of this Blog worked out. I was worried about getting a lot of SPAM but it seems that when there are Comments posted I get an email telling me that. I then have the choice of either accepting or deleting each one. So, if I don't recognize the sender I will simply delete without reading. You have the choice of sending a Comment signed "Anonymous". I would probably delete this. Just sign your name please - first name will probably work fine.

Hope the weather holds through tomorrow so I can fly my plane again.

If you look closely you will discover a couple of changes. First off I've added a couple of links over on the right side. One directs you to my Host PhotoBucket. This is where I post my best pictures to share with others in my photography forum. The other is to Picasa. This is where I post everything else to share with family and friends. Feel free to comment on anything you find there.

That brings us to the second change. Reading instructions takes the fun out of doing anything. That happened regarding "Comments". The default is to limit comments to those who also have accounts. Now, a simple change allows anyone to comment. This will be fine until the SPAMers find out. I'll have to change it back then. I've seen some terrible comments on other Blogs.

Here is a picture of my latest model. It had its "maiden" flight last Sunday and survived. It is not a scale model of any real airplane but is just a fairly nice looking plane to have fun flying. It is a gentle flying plane but is aerobatic. My reflexes have dimmed considerably so I need gentle flying planes!






Hope you are enjoying this Blog and will check back often.

Who am I? Great question. The best answer I can come up with is "I like who I've come to be". A better question may be "What is my background"? This can be answered as it applies to this world.

I am a native Memphian as is my wife, Anne Marie. We have been married (to each other) for 54 wonderful years. Her father was John C. Matthews, a well known chiopracter in Memphis. My father was Vincent David Botto and his father (my grandfather) was Vincent Frederick Botto. Our family was in the tobacco/toy business on Court Square.

There are several Botto families in the Memphis area. One was in the flower business, another in the radio business, and still another that were "truck farmers". Only those in the radio business are distantly related.

Christian Brothers High School (known as CBC in those days 1945-1949) provided basic education and CBC Jr. College, St. Louis U. and Memphis State provided my higher education. Anne Marie attended Central High School and Memphis State where we met.

My work history is rather varied. The family business occupied me for several years out of college. Then I moved on to Memphis Furniture ultimately as CFO. From there Brooks Museum of Art required my services and then to State Tech for 8+ years of teaching Computer Technologies. Minor stops along the way included The Commercial Appeal, Public Accounting, and a bit of Computer Consulting. All of these were fun and fulfilling but teaching at State Tech was the best. For the last 10 years we have enjoyed being retired.

My hobbies are primarily Photography and Radio Controlled Airplanes with secondary interests in Stained Glass, Amatuer Radio, and I am a Master Gardener. Anne Marie's hobbies are primarily her work at church and her organ as well as also loving gardening.

Both Anne Marie and I are involved in several ministries at the Church of the Incarnation here in Collierville. Our primary ministry is facilitating a Scripture Study class each week. We are currently studying the Gospel of Matthew.

Our deep thought for today:
"One must toot their own horn or it shall forever remain in a state of untootedness."

It is Fall 2006 in our backyard.

This is a picture taken this morning. There are 27 more if you would like to see them