19 days into 2009...

I am finally catching up to my pictures.
We spent New Year's Eve at my sister Maria's house.
As my Christmas gift to her (this year we decided to do service projects for each other), I helped prepare and host.
Here are just a few shots of her guests.



Friends Cami and Troy Packham

The Bunco game continued well into the evening

A great shot of Ian, getting ready to celebrate

And the Megan Nicole with her noisemaker, bringing in the New Year in style!

Happy New Year continued!

Abby says the new year is great!

Uncle Mark weighs in on 2009

Uncle Dave is glad everyone is celebrating

Cassie is just joy...pure joy!

Melissa and Theo

I have been busy taking random shots of friends and family.

I came across this one of Melissa and Baby Theo. You might remember my posts from last June, when we had her baby shower here at the house and I think 25 people came???

Anyway, Melissa is a dear friend and I love her and her special family. She will probably not see this since she doesn't have time to check the blog...she is trying to raise 2 under 3!!!! I took this one on New Year's Eve as I stopped by to say hello.

Theo is now sitting up on his own. It's fun to watch babies in their stages, after you have already raised your own through that age. He has the biggest grin and smile and he is so cuddly!!!

The harsh realities

Yes...well, this is the worst you are going to see.
Only the clean laundry...not the dirty!

Time goes by so fast with activities, schedules, the everyday and nonstop circus. But every now and then, socks must be matched. Clothes need to be washed and folded. Bathrooms disinfected, dishes washed, beds made. Life needs to be cleaned up and arranged! That is what I am trying to work on this weekend. My family room actually looked like a college dorm. What you see in the picture is the cleaned up version, believe it or not!

But it is life as we know it, sometimes a harsh reality.
But...nothing like others have been experiencing...

The last few days have been the coldest that Ohio has seen in quite some time. Not just with the weather, with 15 below 0 registering as the air temperature, but also with things going on in the world.

30 people lost their jobs this week in our company. Although I have seen much of that happen in my career, it never makes it easy to see the those you consider "work friends" having to be sent home, and unexpectedly so. During this "winter" of our economy, it is a harsh reality that is happening more and more.

Circuit City and Goody's are closing down all of their stores, and all of their employees are out of a job. Another harsh reality of retail. Of the greed that took over the industry in general, led by those pressuring retail to grow, grow, grow despite the obvious drop in demand over the last few years.

The unemployment office in the state of Ohio ran OUT of funding this week. What??? Yes, it's true. They are borrowing from the federal government to support those who are out of work. My question is...didn't the budget for the new year just reset? If so how could they be out of money? Wow. Harsh reality of budgets not meeting expenses.

Then there are the harsh realities of life itself when things don't go well. One thing that is constantly on my mind whenever we experience bad weather is the homeless. Imagine for one moment stepping outside this morning (when it was still 12 below 0) and staying out there for any length of time, even bundled up with a down coat, gloves, scarf, earmuffs and hat. I don't know about you, but I went to the mailbox and back, and my face was frozen, my hands were tingling and I felt cold all the way to my bones. That was being outside for one minute! On Thursday they showed video footage of folks living down by the Scioto River in tents. I cannot begin to imagine...there are shelters but even so, these people did not want to leave the only home that they know.

The good news is...our weather is going to warm up a bit (if you consider 28 degrees warm, which at this point, I do.:)
The good news is...that US Air pilot landed in the HUDSON RIVER and saved 151 people this week in New York.
The good news is...there is somewhere better than here...if you let faith lead you there.

Come, take a walk with me!

On Saturday, the weather had cleared a bit and I was busy catching up.
I thought I would go take a walk to warm up back to my jogging schedule.
Where better to go than the favorite Dawes Arboretum?

My only problem was that I procrastinated.
I keep forgetting, or trying to forget, that it gets dark so early.

I hopped in the car about 4:00 and drove over anyway. The sign said "Gate closes at SUNSET".

Nahhhh, I should be able to walk the 3.2 miles way before then!
Right?

I guess you will have to check the rest of the story...
but there are pictures to guide you.

Take a walk with me!!

I wasn't sure if I would make it -

It was a gorgeous start to the walk.
The balmy (sort of) air and the sunlight were a refreshing change after rain and grey days.
This is the beginning of the path I have come to know so well!



At this point, there are 3 miles to go!

This is the first "round the bend". I like the contrast of the berries.
But no time to stop...had to keep moving!

Uh-oh...this doesn't look promising, 5 minutes into the walk...

I came around the bend and saw the first glimpse of the lake. Nice and peaceful...pretty.
But since I know this path so well, I also know that going around the lake takes a little time - and there is a really big incline once you are all the way around it.
That's great when it's Saturday mid-day.
Not when it's Saturday sunset and you aren't sure you can make it out alive before the owls and deer take over!

So I did what any normal person would do...right?
I took a shortcut!

Well...*sigh*...maybe not such a great idea.
As I round off to the left to find a shorter path, I sort of kind of ran into a BIG GROUP of GEESE.
Hundreds, maybe thousands?
I tried to tread quietly - it would have required doubling back at that point.
I thought I could sneek around them and not bother them...

Well, I THOUGHT WRONG!!!

This is a very MINOR image of them not only running and screaming for their lives, but flying over me, around me, jumping in the lake, and making a terrific noise that could probably be heard all the way in town.

So much for being sneeky and smart. That set me back a bit, and I wanted to HIDE because I knew other people must have been thinking...who is terrorizing the geese???

Interesting shot

This picture has a lot going on.
First of all - I thought I was facing East. I am still quite sure that I was. Which means - the sunlight you see is actually a reflection on the lake but appears to be in the sky.
Secondly - Do you see all the geese? Well...this is where they landed after I scared them (and myself!). Though the picture appears calm and peaceful - I have never heard so much noise from a bunch of birds! They would NOT pipe down. I was trying to hide so that others would not accuse me of messing with nature...but there was nowhere to hide!

One last incline!

The last few views from my walk...

This, the final hill before the turn to the...

Deep woods! I don't know why, this just cracks me up.
As if one needs to be told...they are in the deep woods...

My last glimpse of the day as I returned to the car. Beautiful!

I made it...just barely

This is the gate at Dawes. You probably can't see the sign - that it closes at sunset...but IT DOES!
A beautiful way to end the day.

To those of you who didn't receive a Christmas Card...

This was the picture that was included on our Christmas card this year. It just makes me smile so in case we missed you somehow - here it is!

Of course there is a story as to why you may not have received a card. I did procrastinate and waited somewhat until the last minute. However, the reason, besides being extraordinarily busy, was that I had seen on the instant machines in the stores that you could get cards in an hour. Naturally, you give a person an inch, and they take a mile!

So, I thought it wouldn't be a problem when I sauntered up to the machine, all confident and happy that I could get my cards right away...

and there was a sign. An orange sign. Handwritten. This couldn't be good...

They were OUT of Christmas card paper! WHAAATTTT???

Good grief. Okay, I thought, I can handle this...I'll use the one hour machine instead of the 1 day machine.

Well, the one hour machine didn't offer Christmas cards. But it did offer prints.
$30 later, I had a few prints to share with the relatives. I do mean a FEW.

I turned to the counter to try to see if I could get a rush on the "send out" option, which was also inexpensive.

Well, "due to the snowstorm in Albany, NY, our Christmas Card service has been suspended for the holidays".

Wow.

I went to the next store, flash drive in hand.

The machine wouldn't take my flash drive.

I went home, made a CD, went back to the same store, found a design I loved, got it created...and they were ready in an hour (in which I managed to spend $85 while wandering through the store!).

I took everything home and collapsed. The next day, I was ready (more than) to get these cards sent out! As I recall, it was the 20th of December...

I opened the box and could not believe what was in it.

It was our picture, for sure. But it was TINY. So tiny, and I couldn't figure out why...then I realized somehow I had gotten GIFT TAGS with our photo on them instead of CARDS!! I called the store and the same lady answered the phone that had developed them and said "I thought it was weird but I figured you knew what you were doing..." Oh my.

By the time I went back, tried to return the gift tags that I would never use, found a new design...wow, it was December 21st, and there was no mail pickup on Sunday.

Long story short - those of you who received a card from us...congratulations. You must feel now like you won the lottery!

2009...here we go!

A beautiful view of the lake in Central Park - what a perfect December morning for a true "Saturday in the Park"!

Sandy was amazed at the treasure that I took her to see in Times Square's Toys R Us...

So, I cannot believe it has been a month now since I blogged. Where DOES the time go??

Actually...I can tell you...

After attending SNL on December 6th (that ROCKED, though I had not slept in 36 hours!) and spending the next day traipsing all over the city with Sandy...it's just been one thing after the other!

Not quite sure how to get caught up but I can tell you that Santa was very busy preparing for his arrival here in Heath. So busy baking, shopping, wrapping, sending cards, updating Facebook, using as many $.39 coupons at Walgreens as possible....that much got lost in the process.

There was Megan's play, a work outing, our small group Christmas, Ian's band concert, roller skating, gymnastics, an ice-filled evening, the Newark Naz concert, a girl's gathering, a new year's party, family...WOW we have been busy.

Not an excuse, but a reality.

BUT...all is not lost...I have pictures and memories and events to share.

In the meantime, I need to stay on top of 2009. That will be fun.

Enjoy a few pics from our adventure to NYC....