Picture This

One thing that's a little hard to do on here is post your photo in your profile. The system won't let you upload just any pic from your computer, it has to be a very small size and it needs to already be on the web someplace.

If you don't happen to have a pic of yourself on the web already I can help you out. Just email me the picture you want to use and I'll size it down, load it on the web, and send you a link to the image. All you do is paste that link into your profile on the proper line and BANG....you've got a picture in your profile.

Being so spread out, our family doesn't see enough of each other, so sharing your photo like this will help us all feel a little closer.

He Wasn't Going To Make The First Move

After a traumatic visit to the Vet, Tag spent the last day-and-a-half sulking under the guest room bed with only occassional food and potty breaks, but I'm happy to say that Tag and I are finally friends again. Of course, to become friends, I had to chase him out from under the sofa in the den, push him out from under the guest room bed with a mop, and corner him in a darkened bathroom. Heck, I felt like Marlin Perkins from Mutual of Omaha's Wild Kingdom chasing down a Giant African Armadillo. But once he saw that I was making the effort to be buddy-buddy he was OK with it. He just didn't want to lose face by coming to me first. He's such a proud beastie.

Identity Change

I found out tonight that my brother, Fred, started a blog in August 2004 with the intent of making it a family forum like this one, but that one thing or another stopped him before he was ready to make it public and he just lost track of it. He had called it "Far Flung Family" after a web site I tried to start several years ago. What's even freakier is that he chose the same color/style template for that blog that I chose for this one. Even his first post was eerily similar to the one I wrote for this blog. Same Month...Same Template...Same Opening Post...Creepy, huh?

Peggy had suggested that I change the name so the blog didn't seem so weighted to any one branch of the family, so, in Fred's honor, I've renamed our blog to "Far Flung Family" and I've moved the URL to http://farflungfamily.blogspot.com/ . You'll continue to access it through your account at www.blogger.com just as always, so no worries there.

A word from Maine

Hi. This is Tarja. Linda's daughter for those of you who don't know me. I am new to this whole blog thing, so please bare with me if I have some crazy posts or questions.

I have to run, but I will write more about me and how mom is doing here in Maine. Thanks for inviting me to be a part of this family gathering(of sorts).
Take care
Tarja

Blog Question

David, I see you have links to almost every imaginable family line connected with us. So I'm wondering... have you sent invitations to all those family members to join us here? Let me know if you'd like to include the Hutcheson members from my side and I'll give you the few email addresses I have for them so they can be invited too.

At Last!

Well boring as usual at work is about all I can say for today. The good news for the week is that our living room furniture is finally supposed to be delivered on Sunday!!!!

Blueberry Boy

Personally I think if you painted this cat blue it would look like the girl who blew up in Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory!!

Tag, You're It!

Last Saturday Chunnan gave me my birthday present early...he let me have a cat. I've wanted one ever since we moved into our house a couple of years ago and now I was going to get my wish. We looked at breeders and shelters and finally decided on the fat fellow pictured here. We found him at the Humane Society shelter in Bellevue, WA. He's a 6yo Maine Coon whose owners gave him up to make a move out of state. He was named Bear but we now call him Tag Huer or just Tag.

Now, Maine Coons are a big breed to start with but Tag is a step above big. He's just plain FAT. He weighs in at 25lbs according to the Vet and that's at least 10lbs too heavy. He's friendly and his fur is sooo soft. When he head butts you you know it. He loves to be scratched and if you scratch his belly he flops down and rolls over so you can get to his tummy without any trouble. Don't scratch his tummy too hard though or he'll grab your hand with all four feet...claws extended!

I took him to the Vet today to get all his shots and vaccines and, natually, a perscription for diet cat food. The nurse said she'd never seen such a fat cat and I believe her. Tag was just getting relaxed in our house but after today's Vet visit I'm definitely on his "Bad List". He's been moping around downstairs under the guest room bed ever since we got back. The doctor said he'd probably be lethargic for a day or two after the vaccines, anyway, but I think he's just getting even with me.

I'll post periodic updates on Tag's weight loss and other pictures as time goes on.

David The Moderator

The Fam

Why hello everyone!!! I decided this would be a good time to give an update on what is happening with Amy and Myself. As you know I am working as a Children's Pastor and Day Care Director at Charleston first church of the Nazarene in WV. The job is good, but dealing with the staff is very taxing. Most of my staff is used to doing things their own way. Which of course leads to many conflicts.

Amy got a new Job!! She is working at the Safe Harbor Day Program and they are even placing her in charge of her own location!! She is excited about it! Especially since we get health insurance through it!!

Amy and I also bought a new car. We got a 2002 Toyota Corolla with 22,500 miles, in perfect condition with a good history (we got a car fax done on it) for $9,400. Our interest rate is somewhere around 5.75%.

That is a quick update.....Love you all!!!

August 30, 2005

Home again!

It's now 4 pm and we've finally returned home from our forray into Gainesville. Merle's rash is clearing up, but still itchy. The doctor prescribed some lotion for it (at a cost of $44), but what I picked up at Walmart pharmacy is this teeny little bottle which might cover one arm when what he needs is something for both arms, his whole torso and thighs! I don't think we'll be refilling that expensive stuff!

After the doctor's office we went to lunch at Beef O'Brady's. Merle had fish and chips and I had a grilled grooper salad which was yummy by the way. As a treat for both of us, after I stopped at Joann's Fabrics (of course), we went across the street to D'Lites Emporium for sugar free ice cream (yum again).

From there it was a stop at Office Max for file labels for Verna Mae's office and a stop at Home Depot for various supplies Merle needed and new light bulbs for my computer room. Then... finally... we headed toward Chiefland Walmart to pick up Merle's prescription for that itty bitty bit of $$$ lotion.

After leaving Walmart pulled into Chiefland Dodge as planned to check on a parts order which has been pending for 3 months. Merle wants to put a cruise control in his truck, but they can't seem to get it from the factory... and they still don't have any word on when it may come. Oh well... keep on waiting.

While checking on that I remembered we needed to stop at Tractor Supply to get new lawn mower blades so we backed up, turned around, and headed back into Chiefland.

Finally, we're back. Merle is resting and I'm catching up on email and this blog. Don't expect these long reports every day. My life is just too dull 99% of the time!

So.... what's everybody else been up to today?

Love and Hugs,
Ruth

Welcome Welcome

I wanted to take a moment to thank everyone for joining the MacKenzie, Overbey & Nott Web Log (heck, let's just call it The Blog). As more family members join up I'm sure we'll be getting quite a lot of postings, so let me put down a few procedural notes first.

When you first log into Blogger you're presented with a screen we'll call your "Control Panel" and it has two tabs at the top: "Posting" and "View Blog".

To look at what everyone else has already written just click on the "View Blog" tab. It opens another window and you see what you're reading right now.

If you want to say something that is directly related to another person's post then please make it a "Comment" by clicking on the little "comments" link at the bottom of the entry. Clicking that "comment" link will also let you read all the other comments. Once there you can post comments about comments about comments, etc....

If you have a new topic to write about then go back to the window with your "Control Panel" in it and click on the "Posting" tab. That will bring up a screen where you can write a new entry. Give your entry a "Title" on the first line then click on the big open box to write your text. When you've finished entering text just click on the orange "Publish Post" button at the bottom of the page. If you want to enter some text now and them come back later to finish it just click the blue "Save as Draft" button and then you can come back later to edit your entry.

If anyone has any questions at all please let me know and I'll be glad to help.

David the Moderator

Gather 'Round The Blog

Hi There. Welcome to the gathering spot for members of the extended MacKenzie, Overbey, and Nott families. For many years I've tried to start some presence on the web for all of us to comment and share our e-lives with each other. A lot of us stay in touch by email or by phone calls, but I wanted a more centralized place. A "Team Blog" seems to be the best environment I've found yet to accomplish this goal. So, I'm going to send an invitation to all of the family members I know and then we can all invite anyone I've forgotten.

So, here's how it works...I've set up this blog. I'll send out the invites. You click the link in the invite, create and account at Blogger.com and then feel free to post on the MacKenzie, Overbey & Nott Blog anytime you want to share something with us all. You can post pictures, stories, journals, gripes, poems, recipies, anything and everything. You can also comment on the posts others team members have made.

It should be fun, so let's get it rolling!

Hugs All
David MacKenzie