New Years resolution- fewer balls.....

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lwalden

lwalden

Member
Joined
Nov 3, 2005
Messages
1,238
Location
Trophy Club, Texas, USA.
I'm sure most of y'all at one time or another have felt you've been trying to keep too many balls in the air while juggling work, family, social obligations, projects, and on and on... which is a subject my wife and I have been having discussions about for several months now. Seems like with 3 kids (ages 8, 10, and 16) we have a very full schedule (surprise!!). Also seems like more frequently I've been telling the kids I can't do something with them, or they'll need to wait for next time, because I've got to get something else done, or meet a deadline. Thankfully, my wonderful wife was able to get through to me (without progressing beyond the soft mallet against my noggin stage) that I can't make up time I miss with my kids later- and taking them fishing on a Saturday morning will be infinitely more enriching than finishing an order for several pens.
I'm still going to be hanging out here, and puttering with pens for my own satisfaction- I really love this hobby, and the interaction and creative stimulation I get from what I consider extended family on this site. But I'm dropping the efforts to make a small business out of this until the kids are out on their own, and will be getting rid of a lot of my accumulated inventory (do I really need 4,000+ pen blanks if I'm not trying to maintain inventory for a small business?). I'll still keep supplying cross inlay blanks for those who are interested, but ratcheting back on my other time spent chasing business. For what it's worth, I know I'm going to have a blast gearing up again once the kids have flown the nest.

Now if I can just lose that extra 30 lbs...........

Happy New Year, and best wishes to all our IAP family!!!
 
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Lyle ..... having had three kids all close in age ..... your life is going to become much richer. One is 27 now, the other is 25, and we lost the third three years ago. Man, what I wouldn't give to have had three little kids here at the house this past Christmas morning.

Having three kids around the house driving you crazy? I always used to tell people, "Now I understand why animals eat their young!" But, it was worth every minute of losing my sanity. :D:D:D
 
Happy New Year Lyle and this is a wise choice, you will not regret for 1 second. They grow up all too fast. Good luck on the 30 lbs. I will be trying to join you in that quest.
 
Lyle, That`s a choice I made some 30 years ago and have not regretted it for even a moment,wise choice my friend.You have made 3 children happy not to mention tloyl.

Perry
 
Lyle, Spend time with them now, you won't regret it. Until 2004, I spent 13 years in scouting with my son (he's now 23, married and in the Coast Guard), coached softball with my daughter (now 26 and it looks like I'll be spending time with a grandchild soon)and spent countless Saturdays at Band contests with both. Those activities left little time for anything else and I wouldn't trade them for anything.
 
Originally posted by lwalden

Now if I can just lose that extra 30 lbs...........
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Now there's a contest if I ever saw one!

I started on Labor Day (US) when I saw an unfortunate picture of myself...down 34 right now and on my way to the gym...go for it, you will feel SOOOOO much better!
Jon
 
Hey, you're ahead so far. How many kids the age of yours can take a pen to school and say "I made this in my dads shop"?

What you need to do is box up a lot of your stuff and bring it over to the next bubbasville meeting. I for one, being the stand up guy that I am, would be more than happy to offer ten cents on the dollar for anything you bring... sight unseen!:D
 
Hey Lyle. We have never talked but you are making the right decision. You never know what is around the corner. I almost left this life in August this year with a heart attack. Never seen it coming. But it sure has changed my outlook. You have only One life and this is no rehearsal. Good luck and enjoy what you have around you
 
A very wise decision and one you will never regret. My two were the age of Nick a couple of years ago (so it seems) and now they are 30 and 28.
And the weight is another wise choice. I'm down 70 lbs since I retired and started eating a more healthfully and on a regular schedule. A few trips to the gym also helped;). Let me know if I can help out in any way.
Later my friend.
Do a good turn daily!
Don
 
Lyle very good decision, unlike you I went the otherway, always working. The kids are 38, 36 and 30 now. We have 3 grandsons and 1 granddaughter with 1 on the way. Which I try to be very involved with and sadly enjoy more then I did my kids.

Jack
 
Originally posted by Texatdurango

Hey, you're ahead so far. How many kids the age of yours can take a pen to school and say "I made this in my dads shop"?

What you need to do is box up a lot of your stuff and bring it over to the next bubbasville meeting. I for one, being the stand up guy that I am, would be more than happy to offer ten cents on the dollar for anything you bring... sight unseen!:D
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Thanks, George. I knew I could count on my friends to look out for me while I go through the trauma of pen withdrawal.....[8D]
 
Heh...you said balls. I had to look. :D

I know what you mean, the 'business' of turning something that's supposed to relieve stress into something that causes it is always tricky.

My kids are 13 and 15, and I'm trying to figure out how to incorporate them into the picture rather than inadvertently push them out. I'll let you know how that turns out. At least they get excited about turning a pen or two. heh

Enjoy your celery. I'm right there with you. For the record, you can't deep-fry it and expect to make progress. [:p]
 
Kyle, your doing the best thing you've ever done,take it from one who worked tru my kids growing up years and missed way to much.Thank God I woke-up in time for my grand-kids and now one great grand son. Enjoy your children now before you know it their grown and gone one thing you can never get back is lost time.
 
Lyle,
Like you and Doc we have three as well. The youngest is in college and we are basically a flop house to her. She works, goes to classes comes home and crashes then repeates the next day. Our oldest two are on their own with busy lives. If we could have kept them 6-12 years old it would have been great. (I didn't much care for their teenage years). The oldest has slowley started to realize that Mom & Pop were not as bad as he thought and that we were not as dumb as he thought either. Some kids, myself included, had to learn from the school of hard knocks and can't heed the been there done that warnings. There are many a time that I wish I had done more for them as a parent than a provider, but I do have to say that some of my fondest memories with the kids is in the shop. My son helping refinish a table and my daughter just hanging out and even cleaning up after her old man. But as they say we reap what we sow.

With that being said, my workshop is part of who I am and I know that my kids will always think of me as the old man in the shop. I admire you for what you are doing and your better half for showing you the light without causing any damage.

Mike
 
You are definately doing the right thing, I missed out on the first 6 years of my oldest daughters life as I worked constantly. My carpet cleaning company was booming and I was working all day in private houses then in the early evenings I went into offices to clean after they shut. Even through the night I was cleaning carpets in restaurants and pubs after they shut at midnight or later.

Plus I was responding to the fire station every time my pager went off, so believe me I was very busy.[xx(]

I lived to work not worked to live!:(
 
Wise choice my friend. Sherry and I totally understand. We are thankful that we lice close to such a wonderful family and it is people like you that changed our lives as well a few years ago when we decided to take up woodworking and meet new friends. Let us know the soccer schedule and the wrestling schedule and maybe we can attend once in the while. We remain your friends, John and Sherry
 
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