Stepping Into the New Year

We were catapulted, pushed, shoved, forced into the 2008 New Year.

We really didn't want to go. We wanted to have a do over. A rewind and let's do this a different way. A different outcome. But it could not happen.

So, we went forward.

We didn't have a plan, a focus, a direction, a vision. We just wanted to survive a life without a husband, a son-in-law, a best friend, a brother-in-law.

We've done all the "firsts". Mostly together.

A room was reinhabited, trips were taken, the families reunited frequently, tears cried, a house bought, a job secured, belongings retrived, memories reviewed, a home established, traditions begun, a kitchen and bathroom renovated, a race run, brothers and cousins held close, friendships appreciated, new friends established, and a first year without done.

This year I feel like I'm stepping lightly into 2009.

Delicately.

A whole year in front of us. A year of possibilities and potential and great expectations. But, quietly and prayerfully approached.

A Dog and His Boy

Yeah!!!

Jon is home from St. Kitts and will be in the North Country for a couple of weeks before heading out to Oklahoma.

We lit all the candles on the porch and inside and he arrived around midnight.



Jon and Otis were reunited after being separated for six months. Hesitation at first but then a joyous reunion and refusal to leave Jon's side. Oh well, I guess I'm history now that his real owner has arrived.



The red chair is Otis's. However, when Grady is in the house he takes dominion over the chair. If they are spending the night I have to remove Grady so Otis can sleep there. That is HIS sleeping chair. Grady and Dyllan sleep on their bed in Laura's room. However, the chair is free these days. Jon is back and Otis has resumed sleeping with him on his bed!



We had a beautiful ice storm last week. It left the area blanketed with ice encrusted trees and bushes then layered with a big blanket of pure white snow. It was beautiful. I took the dogs down the avenue of the elms on St. Lawrence's campus. I wish I could capture the true beauty of landscape.

A Leahy Family Christmas

We went to the Community Performance Series Concert last night at Hosmer Hall.

The Leahy Family from Canada treated us to a wonderful night of fiddling, singing and French Canadian clog/tap dancing. It was magical!

Eight of the eleven siblings performed (three of the girls were at various stages of pregnancy so they stayed home). There were drums, a mandolin, and fiddles, a banjo, bass guitars and a grand piano. They were raised on a farm and taught to work hard, appreciate music and have fun. And it was evident that they were experts at all three. They all played a variety of instruments, they all sang and they all danced. The men were great! They travel as a family, together and with their children, and at each performance they allow one child to come out and perform with the adults. Last night the cutest little six year old did a wonderful dance!

The talent of each one of them was impressive but together they were inspiring. ( I have to confess that I was asking the Lord why that family got soooo much talent, seems like it would have been good to spread it around a bit) And they were having so much fun together and with the audience and just in general enjoying each others gifts!

Wow, what a family!

I was thinking about the church as a family again today, I guess because another first anniversary is tomorrow and I have continually sensed the love of a family this year.

In the New Testament God's people are rarely referred to as Christians or believers. They are mostly called brothers, members of a family. We are brothers together because we have the same Father. We share the same life source. And our responsibility to each other in relationship is love. It's not a spiritual gift but an outworking of character. An expression, a thoughtful gesture, an invitation, a kind word, a remembering, a putting up of storm windows yet again this year.

The church, a visual representation of a family. His family; joined together, working, worshipping, loving, grieving, sharing gifts and talents and having fun with each other and the Father.

Is This What It's Come To?

It started in Italy.

The Nordberg boys plus myself and the Skoglund kids and Kay were introduced to House.

In between the different activities which had to be attended to we sat as lumps, glued to the television, watching episode after episode of House. We were hooked! Totally mindless!

We came back to the States and immediately introduced my neices, Laura and Jen, to this strange fascination.

Dad joined the mix at various times, just to see if he could be as smart as Gregory House. Diagnosis after diagnosis was shouted out. Could he get the answer before the third emergency was revealed to the watching audience?

Now we are recording each new episode for any who may have missed that week's show. And random people stop by, (this week, four Clarkson seniors plus Laura) gather around the kitchen TV, sitting in uncomfortable chairs bent forward to view the unfolding drama. What you can't see is Rob and myself, eating our dinner of sandwiches at the kitchen table, totally trying to come up with the current disease entity.

What strange thing will House do this week? No, hospital administrators do not wear seductive clothing and no, treatment is usually not started until the diagnosis is established but......

This may be the beginning of a new weekly fellowship group....
We have the Monday Menu at 34. Now perhaps the weekly viewing at 42!

A Birthday Card

I received a card recently that said "Happy 60th Birthday".

What? No way!

I know that I have been in the card store looking at those cards which read, "Happy 60th Birthday, Happy 70th Birthday, Happy 80th Birthday, and even Happy 100 Birthday. (Lots of people are now reaching centenarian status) Those cards are for old people and I'm only 30 aren't I?

Oh, no, wait. I guess I can't be since I have a 32 year old daughter and Ethan was born when I was 35 years old. Can I really be 60?

Okay, I guess I am sixty, but I'm going to feel closer to 30, actually I think I have more energy now then when I was in my thirties.

Rob and Elizabeth, with the help of Laura, gave me a wonderful surprise party on Sunday. They invited all my special church family to help celebrate the event. We had an elegant dinner at the 1844 House with live jazz music. Carina sang several old favorites in between the dinner courses. The best part for me was when everyone stared to share our joint experiences. I was so touched and moved. Our 22 years here have certainly been ones of fun, ministry, growth and fantastic relationships with a group of families that I will continue to fellowship with thoughout eternity. And it certainly has been a great start. Where would I be without all of you!

I was certainly surprised!




They made a wonderful chocolate creation with a birthday sentiment. It was yummy!



Elizabeth had lovely fall flower arrangements of each table, and candles all around. It was beautiful.



On the actual date of my birthday, the 18th, Elizabeth had luncheon for my birthday group plus a few old friends and a few younger ones, at her new home. Flowers, gorgeous tables all decked out with fall finery, magnificent food, fellowship and gifts made for the best birthday ever. We even found someone (initials MD, not the doctor) who could patiently get the woodstove going and we were toasty warm as Laura, Liz and I relaxed the rest of the day into the evening.

Thanks everyone for an absolutely WONDERFUL 60th birthday!

We Get By With A Little Help From Our Friends!

We more than got by with a lot of help from our friends!

40 bags of leaves, raked, bagged, loaded in the truck and discarded at the dump. Wow, it would have taken me a whole week of steady work to do what 6 college kids and other friends and family did in two hours on Saturday.

The joys and responsibilities of camp ownership. Unless I get the yard and hill raked I end up in the spring with a muddy mess. And if the leaves lie on the decks throughout the winter they are all stained by the following spring. So this was a huge blessing to get it done in one day. And now that I am a bit older, lugging the heavy leaf bags up the hill is an issue. To say the least, I was impressed with those college guys who hoisted the black bags up on their shoulders and ran up the steps to the waiting truck! Go youth!

The hot apple cider, hot chocolate, brownies and chocolate chip cookies helped.

And did I mention it was raining, pouring out? They were awesome!




Josh is rescuing Grady who pranced out on the evergreen tree which had recently fallen over into the river.
The rescue was brave and daring however both dogs could not resist the water and were jumping in to retrieve sticks and balls the guys would throw for them.




This was the first year that Elizabeth participated in fall clean up! She really enjoyed it and looks forward to being here for the event next year!



Thanks everyone for ALL your help!

St. Kitts/Nevis

We arrived in St. Kitts on Saturday afternoon. It was about 85-90 degrees. Jon picked us up at the airport. Liz and Christian rode back to hotel with Jon. Rob and I took a "taxi",(local person waiting at the airport with own vechicle looking to transport tourists to the Marriott) back with all the suitcases. We had brought half full suitcases so we could pack and bring back to the states Jon's things that he has accumulated over the last 2 1/2 years.







Contrary to rumors that we heard upon arrival, Wilbur the giant pig, was still alive and well at one of the beaches. Folks thought he had died in the hurricane last month. He actually tried to get in Jon's car when we were leaving...... the opened front door prohibited him from getting to the water, and he could not back up.




St. Kitts received it's independence from Britain 25 years ago. The island originally produced sugar cane as it's main industry but that has been abandoned. There are several plantations on the island which are now resorts. We ate at Ottley's Plantation, high up in the rain forest one evening. Wonderful food in a lovely setting.







Another day we drove around the island in Jon's old Mazda. Rob did a great job of driving on the opposite side of the road from the right side of the car. We arrived at Rawlin's Plantation during a brief rain shower. Umbrellas from the staff arrived and we were escorted up to the veranda where we had tea and drinks. Very British. Then we were encouraged to walk around the property after being shown the honeymoon suite, converted from on old sugar rendering chimney. It was lovely but Ethan discovered better accommadations on the resort with an infinity pool.







Another day we took the car ferry, with Jon's car, over to the neighboring island of Nevis. This island is not quite as undiscovered- much better roads etc. A note for history buffs. Alexander Hamilton was born on Nevis. His house is still standing, and is currently the museum of history for Nevis. We took a picture of Rob infront, holding a ten dollar bill but I neglected to download it. We drove around the island and landed at the Nesbit Plantation Beach Club where we had lunch and Liz and Ethan enjoyed the water.



Imagine our surprise when we were touring around Charlestown, the main city on Nevis. We knew that our friend Bill Hull was taking over Madrid but we didn't realize that his influence and business savy had extended itself to the West Indies. We were quite impressed, to say the least!






We celebrated Elizabeth's birthday at the Beach House which is at the end of St. Kitts. It was new, and we were literally right on the ocean. They prepared a special dessert for her! The drive back was a bit of a nail biter. The road was quite circuitous, steep and narrow, (and obviously no street lights) and there had been rock slides during the evening but both cars made it back without incidence.





We mostly just relaxed by the pool and the beach were we were staying. Rob and Christian visited the Vet school and saw the horse, donkey and sheep that Jon has been operating on, (still alive and doing well). Rob thought he could be a visiting surgeon and stand in on Jon's operation that week but he was curtly denied! So we just had to hear about the days events each night when Jon came home from school





It's a beautiful, somewhat undiscovered island and I think I may want to go back when February rolls around.