gregoryrhollowayvva

Moments Like These Make a Father Proud

Wed, 11 Mar 2026 17:23:25 GMT

Memories.
Like Distant Watercolor (ahem ... Acrylic Oil) Memories.

Another month gone by.
Just like that.

Looking out the window at the snowfall. Light. Just over an inch here in Bee.

Just yesterday it cooled down from the 81 degree high in Nebraska.

Holloway and "the kids" are enjoying some much deserved R & R on the back deck. Today's adventure involved hooking up a chain to the roof of the lean-to and listening to me giggle with glee as I put the old truck in reverse and watched a section of the roof come down. "Look Out!" You might have heard, as Holloway stands in the middle of the melee!!

What else can we say? The kittens are growing up... so fast!! Piki (out of frame) loves to help me work on my computer. He is fascinated by listening to my keys on the keyboard and eventually will take his place on my lap (or on my shoulder) to supervise.

Got to go to the state capitol building and watch a dozen veterans testify against the Claim Shark bill, so that was a treat.

Expect to hear more in April, as the Vietnam Veterans' Day celebration is rapidly approaching. We'll be back at the state capitol building for that day. Becoming more active in the DAV Auxiliary as well as joining the Seward VFW Auxiliary has been another highlight of this year so far.

On a more personal note, Greg's son and his family have come to visit us a few times this past month. It has been such a joy to see the light in Holloway's eyes as he and Destre realize how very much in common they have. To the shoes they wear, to the way they part their .. oh wait!! His hair is gone!!

Had to make sure you were paying attention there! So, they are staying here for a few weeks as their papers are prepared for their next big move. Stay tuned, you may see us there.

A Quiet Turn of the Year

Sat, 03 Jan 2026 15:07:10 GMT

When You Know, You Know.

New Year’s doesn’t always arrive with noise.

Sometimes it comes softly, padding into the room like a cat at dawn. No announcements. No demands. Just a gentle reminder that time is moving forward, whether we rush it or not.

The house is calm tonight. The tree still glows in the corner, stubbornly festive, as if not quite ready to let go. Piki explores every sound. Eva settles in, patient and steady, her presence grounding the moment.

There’s something comforting about ending the year this way. No lists on the wall. No resolutions shouted into the dark. Just a quiet appreciation for what held us together. Warm rooms. Familiar routines. The simple joy of animals who stay close without asking for anything more than a place to belong.

As the calendar turns, we don’t ask the new year to be louder or bigger. We ask it to be kind. To bring more mornings like this. More evenings where nothing needs fixing. More moments where the heart recognizes that it is already home.

Here’s to steady lights, loyal companions, and a year that unfolds gently, one honest day at a time.

A Very Merry Christmas

Sat, 03 Jan 2026 14:50:32 GMT

A Leaning Tree & Loyal Companions

There’s something honest about a Christmas tree that leans just a little.

Ours does. It tilts toward the light, as if listening in on the room. We considered straightening it once or twice, but decided against it. Some things don’t need fixing when they already feel right.

The living room has taken on that familiar holiday hush. Lights glow softly against blue walls. The ornaments don’t match, and the branches aren’t perfect, but the warmth is unmistakable. Piki has claimed her favorite path across the floor, weaving in and out of the tree skirt as if inspecting her kingdom. Eva, ever watchful, keeps her post nearby, content simply to be where everyone else is.

This time of year slows things down. Even the house seems to breathe differently. Coffee cools on the table. Blankets are pulled closer. The world outside can wait.

What I love most is how animals understand the season without needing an explanation. They settle. They stay close. They remind us that comfort isn’t found in perfection, but in presence.

The leaning tree will be taken outside to live on the back porch eventually, making way for the brand new 65" Samsung TV that we "had to have" a few days before Christmas. The lights will be packed away. But for now, we’ll leave it just as it is. A little crooked. Fully loved. Surrounded by loyal companions who don’t mind at all.

Thanksgiving Blessings

Fri, 12 Dec 2025 13:56:13 GMT

Proud Army Veteran ~ Forever Grateful

"This holiday season a new warmth has arrived, in the form of two abandoned kittens: one calico we named Butter, and Sister Stinky Butt, who we will call Picky now that she has mastered the litter box and .. well let's just say grooming. The days are filled with the sounds of kitten cries and stomping feet. I am again reminded of the time when a pair of kittens showed up in my life... to save my life."

These are Greg's words as he shares more about how much he values life, in all its forms.

FOR EVERY ONE WHO EVER WORE A PAIR.

Happy Halloween from Greg & Julie ~ October 31, 2025

Mon, 03 Nov 2025 14:47:50 GMT

Greetings from Bee, Nebraska

This fall Greg attended his VVA meeting at Bellevue University. As we were on our way home, I convinced him to stop by Shooters so I could have "one" beer... and perhaps get lucky and find some food. The VVA meeting was over an hour long, so I was ready for some "me time".

You can easily imagine me seated on the barstool, with my Sweetheart on my right... that's where you can usually find him while I'm in a bar, seated at my right.

When I heard a voice call out, "I guess I'll go sell now!". I immediately perked up and took the opportunity to ask the nice man what he was selling. His name was Scott Jones and he was selling raffle tickets.

Well, you know I'm a sucker for a fundraiser for a good cause, and the chance to win a pool stick was not lost on me.

So Greg pulled out his wallet, Scott made change for a twenty, and I being me took the opportunity to share the talents of my Sweetheart.

Well the rest, as they say, is History. The painting that you see above is a close up of the granite marker that Greg custom made for the woman's fundraiser, which is being held at Shooters in Bellevue on Saturday, November 8, 2025.