Is it time yet?

Is it time to start the Christmas celebration yet? Stores have been at it for a month now. Weather has finally turned cold. But it is the heart that controls when the real celebration begins.

Seasons

Seasons in the mid-West are a lot like human aging.

While there is a general flow of spring growth, summer greens, fall colors, and winter gray, there are always those chance days which surprise you, bringing a warm, Spring breeze after the leaves have already fallen.

It seems important not to succumb to the gray, but tolerate it, waiting for that surprise -- and then living fully in that day.

Monday after Thanksgiving

We enter an interesting part of the year. Thanksgiving, when spent with family such as we were able to do, is usually a wonderful kick off for the whole Christmas phase of life.

But this Thanksgiving was so good, it is almost a let down to ease into Christmas time. We had all but two of our immediate family in Stillwater. Beth and Valerie both had to work and they were missed, but we had 13 and two dogs. Mom and Dad's house held us and I don't think we broke anything. You could just wander from room to room and enjoy all the different levels of experience. It was great.

We got back to St. Louis and dropped the girls off. This is always a sad time. The weather was still warm, and our house is still a mess from our "lets go buy a house" fiasco, that getting the Christmas stuff out just seems so foreign. Maybe we just need a little freezing weather to get us going.

Or maybe we are just trying too hard. Maybe we should just relax and let Christmas consume us, instead of chasing it.

Preparation 22 Nov 2005

The Thanksgiving Holiday is about to begin. At 1:00 today, Scott was in Nashville. So in 5 hours, the Holiday officially begins.

So what do you get when you put 7 adults, 2 college kids, 3 high schoolers, and two dogs into one house? A great time. Lots of food, football, and noise. Only missing two kids who have to work.

My PC is a little outdated 

Valerie

Valerie in the RV. ... with loving sisters
with sister and cousin
hiking with family in the Smokies
Go carting in the Smokies
sisters in the garage
one of her better faces
great smile!!
she loves Cody, she really does!!!

Valerie is our college student daughter. She is a nursing student at Anderson University in Anderson, Indiana, in her Junior year. Valerie is wonderful girl who loves to laugh, loves to argue, and loves to help people. She is already a wonderful nursing student, and will be the best nurse every known.

pictures

People I work with:



Mark and Stephanie








Amy








Mascots
















Orange - John, in sister work group
White, Pat, in our group
rear, Lisa, no longer in group
white pants - Chris, rookie in group
Sling - Keith - engineer

Birth

When is a beginning a real beginning, and when is it but a pebble which never made its waves in a pond?

If this causes you to think, you are definitely in the wrong Blog.

This Blog will only be deep by accident, but will be irreverant any chance it can get.

If you love family, the South, and wandering around, then this might be the right Blog.

So, a start? or just a burp?

Don't know. I like both.