Welcome Bro

This past weekend Aunt Shirley and Uncle Rodney hosted a little family reunion we call Octoberfest, just a time for family only to enjoy each other and visit and potluck. This year Mike Briggs (Wass) and his family was able to join us. Mike has a delightful wife Karen and daughter Katelyn. Tom and I had the pleasure of they staying with us for a few days and enjoyed it a lot, had some quieter moments to talk. Brian and Shari got to spend a day showing Mike the town of Mariposa and being tourists together.

It was a joy to see all of the family welcome Mike (and family) into the Wass clan, Mike seemed like he should have always been here, looks like Dad very much. (more than Brian and I)

He and family also got to spend time with Shirley and Rodney, Uncle Jack and Lonnie, Donna, Greg, Pearl and Shelly, Uncle Kenny. 

We are all glad your a part of the family, Welcome Mike, Karen and Katelyn.

Mike, Julie, and Brian Wass

Buck Wass clan

most of the gang at the Wass Octoberfest

Missy, Shelly, Marie, Ronda, Mike, Tanya and Julie

An addition to the family

This week I got a message from my cousin Karen, she had been contacted by a man who from Ancestry DNA testing showed he is her cousin. A first cousin to many of my first cousins. So how is he related, where did he come from, how is he.....I had a lot of questions going through my head.

My Dad, Harry "Buck" Wass had been married previously before meeting and marrying my Mom, Marian McCay. Dad's first wife was Carol Thomas (not sure if that is the name she went by, but that is what I knew her as). He had a son with her Rickard Wass that I have know about all my life, only got to see once or twice, he spent a few weeks here in the summer when we were kids, was offered to live with us but he chose to stay with his Mother.

So the man that called Karen is my 1/2 brothers brother....well it looks like the man is also my half brother. Would like some more testing to prove, but after looking at pictures and taking to him, it does appear that his Dad is also my Dad.

I am excited to meet Mike, and his family, hoping to get together in the next few months. One thing that is interesting is the patch of gray hair, Dad had a patch, Brian has a patch, Garrett has a patch. I would think this is a pretty much genetic thing....wondering why I do not have a patch of gray hair...oh yea maybe if I did not color my hair I would see it.  hehe!!

So look for pictures in the near future of meeting Mike, looking forward to a new page in the book of my life.

Cancer Sucks

Too many friends and Family in my life have suffered with Cancer. I am just saying, I do not like it! I hate it. Being a nurse and working with Hospice a few years in my life I have seen more that the average person...I guess.
The person who got and lost their battle with cancer that I was the closest to was my Mom, and awesome lady who died on her 62 birthday due to a "female" cancer, never really found out what type it was because she was inoperable because the tumor was so big by the time she decided that I could drag her butt to the doctor.
Anyway, lost another sweet family member to cancer this week, my uncle Ralph. Ralph was interesting to be around because he was a Mule packer in the Grand Canyon and in Grant Grove/Sequoia area. He surely loved what he did and continued to lead packing trips long after he retired. He fought prostate cancer for quite a few years and in the last year it spread to his liver and other parts of the body. Ralph was the baby of my Dad's family, the Wass family. He was loved so much by all of his family but especially his brothers and sisters.
Ralph loved his wife Pat VERY much, together since she was 15 years old. Ralph loved and took great pride in his 3 kids and many grandkids, even nieces and nephews.
My Dad was quite a bit older than Ralph so Ralph was kind of like a son to him. Often Pat and Ralph and family would stay with us when they came to Mariposa, for the farm family reunion, or just to visit.
I will always remember when my Daughter in law died, I was with my Son all the way across the united states, and Ralph encouraged Tanya (his daughter) to come to the funeral, I think Ralph may have even helped pay for the plane ticket. It meant the world to me and to my son when Tanya and her grown son walked into the church during the funeral. It is a day I will never forget, I was so thankful they were there - when other family could not make the trip due to work and other obligations.
Ralph's memorial will be on my Birthday, I am not sad about that, but will always remember him on my birthday from now on, and keep a very special man with me. I know he is with my Dad and family. Hope there are a lot of horses and Mules in heaven for you to care for and ride dear Uncle.

the big day

Well we did it!! Paid off the last of Tom's truck. Paid $7,200 in 2 months. I am proud of us. We still have a long way to go, next step is fully funded emergency fund of 6 months in the bank, then attack the mortgage. Goal is to have the house paid off as soon as possible, baby steps.

Financial Goals

My sweetie and I have not always seen eye to eye on financial needs, wants, or goals. A few months ago I read Rave Ramsey's book, "Total Money Makeover", Tom and I watched a few you tube videos together and decided when we could we would take the class, "Financial Peace University", given by many churches - a nine week class, we bought the kit and we have now been to 5 of the classes. I really have to say if you have not been as good with money as you would like to be, if you have debt, if you never were taught by your parents how to save and manage money you really should think about taking the class.



Tom and I do not have that much debt in our lives currently, we had a pretty good amount a few years ago after we finished the cabin (on top of the morgage), but we have worked pretty hard on our own have had that paid off for a few years. When we started the class our total debt not including our house was $7,200 - I am very happy to say it looks like we will have that paid off about the time we finish the class.




We feel the class is awesome, would be helpful for many people. I have never done a zero balance budget - where you figure out where every last dollar will go, and as Dave says, "tell your money where to go". We have been able to find money we did not realize we had. The program is sound gospel principles, and we have prayed a lot to ask God how we should manage his money. Our next step will be to work on our emergency fund, then pay off our home as quickly as we can, to invest and prepare for retirement. Our only regret is we did not do it sooner.

I think the drought is over

What a great Winter so far, we have gotten quite a bit of rain. We got a beautiful snow for Christmas eve, and last night we got snow - a very wet sloppy snow - but I will take it.

After the last few years of no rain, no winter, no real COLD, I do not think I will ever complain about rain or snow again.

Without the rain we have had not enough water in California, the wild grasses did not come back last year, and what we did have in the pastures as I drive to Merced has been eaten down so badly.

I am thankful for winter, I am thankful for rain.

Life is short

My dear cousin Missy's husband  (Mike) was in a horrible motorcycle accident this morning on his way to work. I just want to say we never know from day to day what is going  to happen and how many days we have here on this earth.

Kiss your loved ones, remember people are more important that things, be nice to those we live with, say i love you often to those who mean the most in your life, say your prayers/ ask for safety. Bad things happen to good people.

Hang in the Mike, you are in my prayers.