A QUICK SNAPSHOT OF OUR YEAR IN REVIEW

We've had a blast this year and we're looking forward to 2009. We rang in 2008 with our good friends George and Tammy McGowan on New Year's Eve. Went to Jazz Festivals in Vegas, downtown Salt Lake, and Phoenix. Took a 2 week cruise to Alaska. Went to County Jam Festival with George and Tammy in Grand Junction, Colorado, Took a quick trip to England. And relaxed for a week in Cabo San Lucas, Mexico. It's going to be hard to top this year!

MERRY CHRISTMAS

Even though I have quite a few different nativity sets, this year I decided to set up the newest one. Dave and I purchased this set in May 2008, during our trip to Alaska. We found it in a gift shop in Denali National Park, and I just fell in love with the rabbit skin pelt, the little Eskimo figurines, the polar bear, the husky dog and the seal. I love how they all are watching over the little newborn. We have it sitting under our Christmas tree and every night when we turn on the Christmas tree lights and light the menorah, I look at the set and smile, (remembering our trip to Alaska). My wish this Christmas to everyone is that you will remember or find something wonderful and good in your life, that gives you a smile. MERRY CHRISTMAS TO ALL, AND TO ALL A GOOD NIGHT.

Happy Chanukah & Merry Christmas
I got my new 2009 Honda Civic GX today. It is an all natural gas car. I know, I know, I will be able to fuel it forever without visiting a gas station. It is silver with gray interior. No power driver's seat which is a good thing because I was tire of replacing fuses in the Saturn. The CD player will play MP3 CDs and it has an Aux input for an iPod (or whatever). I am moving the 10-CD auto changer that Barb got for me, and Sirius satellite radio that Jared got for me to this new car. It is so quite but gutless. When I step on the gas pedal it looks at me and says "Just a minute, buddy." I'll just have to get used to it. It has an all digital dashboard that has a cool blue color.

Our Cabo MEXICO vacation trip

Well we finally got a chance to have a real, (relaxing), vacation this year. Not one where we were up early every morning running all over to catch all the sights, but a real vacation where we could just sleep in and take long naps in the middle of the day and be lazy bums. IT WAS WONDERFUL! We went to Cabo San Lucas, MEXICO the day after Thanksgiving for our annual week long vacation trip, (during the day the temps were in the high 80's and in the evenings it was in the low 70's). This year we did not plan anything in the way of activities, we just decided to relax. On Sunday, we took a sunset sail cruise. There were only 9 people on our boat and everyone is in a very laid back mood, and it wasn't a party boat - Very nice.

On Tuesday we took a large catamaran along with 12 other people to Saint Maria Beach and Snorkeled. Afterwards they had a B-B-Q on the boat for us. On the boatride back to Cabo, we saw two whales. It was a little early for the whales, but those with cameras got great photos.

On Thursday we wondered into town and visited the lion exhibit and had our photo taken with the baby lion and tiger. They were so adorable!! I may have to use this photo for our Christmas card!!

The rest of the time, we just swam in the heated pool that was only 20 feet from the front door of our little casa, ate good food, and relaxed. We made a few more local friends and had laughs. Now we have to work hard and get ready for our return trip to Cabo the first of May 2009, with our friends Tammy and George McGowan. We hope to get in some deep sea fishing on that trip.

The Thanksgiving I Remember

These days when Thanksgiving Day approaches, I tend to get a little nostalgic. Not for my mom's turkey and all the trimmings dinner, but for my great-grandmother's Thanksgiving dinners, (on my dad's side). She used to have these hugh dinners with the extended family in attendance, and as I look at the photos I am surprised at how much I actually do remember those dinners and how many of the people I remember.

A little of the background: My father, (being the oldest grandson), is named after his grandfather. And I, being the first born great-granddaughter, was named after his grandmother. And my father and I were what you might call a little spoiled by grandma and grandpa. And they didn't care who was around, they had no shame in showing favoritism.

The one Thanksgiving that I remember as my all time favorite, was the year I was 6. That year my great-grandparents and my dad's parents came to our house for Thanksgiving. Wow, it was wonderful. My grandmothers brought all kinds of food and worked in the kitchen with my mom. After dinner, everyone sat around and played card games, until late into the night. Then it was decided that it was too late for my great-grandparents to drive home, (cause grandpa's eyes weren't as good as they used to be). So they would stay the night and go home the next morning. So dad's mom and dad left for home, and my mom made up her and my dad's bedroom for grandma and grandpa. Early the next morning, I ran into grandma and grandpa's room to proudly announce that it had snowed during the night and they couldn't go home in the snow, so they would have to stay overnight again. But, grandma said no, they needed to get on the road for home. I was so sad, I thought my little heart would break. But grandpa sit down, and told me to remember how much fun we had yesterday, and to always remember all our good times. I promised him that I would.

And now that they have been gone for over 40 years, I still remember the good times with them. I remember sitting in grandma's kitchen, eating with them and sharing my secrets with them. Knowing that my secrets were safe. Listening to their words of wisdom, knowing that they wouldn't steer me wrong. I was 13 when my great-grandmother passed away, and I thought my world would never be the same. I sure grandpa felt the same. When I got my license and my car, I drove to see him at least every other month. By then he had lost his sight, but his mind was sharp and we still shared secrets and lunches of soups and sandwiches. When grandpa passed away I was 20 years old and I knew that I had lost the two people who loved me unconditionally and without judgement. My father felt the same pain, (my mother told about his retreat into their bedroom to grieve that afternoon). We both knew that we would never had that kind of love again in our lives. But we have our photos and our memories. And when I see them again in the next life, we will once again share secrets. Here's a couple of photos from the Thanksgiving in 1958.
Can you find me ???...

THE FIRST DAY I WENT WOLVERINE HUNTING

I remember the day well over 50 years ago when my great-grandfather smiled and told me that I was finally old enough now to go Wolverine hunting on Saturday, with him and my father. I ran into the kitchen proudly announcing to my great-grandmother, “Grandpa’s taking me wolverine hunting with him next Saturday”!! She just shook her head, looked at him and said “You already spoiled my only grand-daughter, at least let my 4 year old great-grand-daughter be a little girl”. To which he replied, “Non-sense. Look at her, she’s definitely a BUCKEYE. That brown hair, brown eyes, freckles, and tom-boy attitude. And she already knows how to read, write, and all her numbers – she’s already an OSU shoe-in!!” At the time I wasn’t really sure what all the talk was about, but I was proud to know that I was a BUCKEYE. Something I had heard since the day I was born. And I knew that Buckeyes hated wolverines and wolverines hated buckeyes. And now we were going to go out and hunt them down!!! Maybe grandma would cook them up for Thanksgiving!
Well Saturday morning bright and early, we got up and dressed warm and Dad and I drove up to his dad’s and picked up grandpa Long, and Great-grandpa. Then, over to my Uncle Charley’s; to get him, my Uncle Eugene, and my Aunt Cleo. (my dad's brothers and sister). WOW – those wolverines must be real fighters to take so many of us to hunt ‘em down. Aunt Cleo and I sat in the rear of the panel station wagon, facing towards the back. Aunt Cleo said it was about a 3 hour drive down to Columbus to the big house, and we had to be there well before the noon hour. I only remember just snip-its of the conversation, but I do remember one of my uncles talking about the shot-gun formation and I took a good look around the car, but I couldn’t find our guns. I asked Aunt Cleo, “How are we gonna’ get the wolverines without our guns”? She laughed and told everyone what I said, and my grandpa said, “don’t you worry, our old buddy Woody’s got that all figured out by now”.
Finally we arrived at the Big House. (The Ohio State Stadium, the famous "Horse Shoe"; built in 1922 - Home to 2 Conference Titles, 32 Big Ten Conference Titles, 21 All- Americans, and 7 Heisman Trophy winners, (all current statistics – for those of you who are wondering). WOW, I thought, is this something or what. We passed through the gates, and we were at the football stadium. Then I got my first real lesson in life, football, and the “F” word. Which in Ohio, even in the most religious home you are allowed to use that four letter word – provided it is followed by the name Michigan. And that’s the only time you are allowed to use that “M” word in the Ohio Stadium, and on these hallowed grounds, was when it was prefexed with the "F" word. Yes back in 1958, we held things to a different standard that they do today. It was good game, I learned so much from my uncles, my grandfathers, my dad, and my aunt. You can win every game all year, but you'd better not lose to "M", and you can lose every game all year, but you'd better whip "M's" ass.
The family has a bond that runs deep when it comes to OHIO STATE FOOTBALL, and the score that day; OSU 20, M 14. We came away victorious!! I road home with a tummy full of hot dogs, soda pop, and anything else I could get the adults to buy. When the home team is winning, everyone is generous with their money!! But I also learned that football roots in Ohio run VERY deep, and I passed that on to my own son, who is also a born and breed BUCKEYE fan. And now I live 1800 miles away in Utah, and tomorrow these poor souls will have their little rivalry game between Utah and BYU. But they don’t know true rivalry that has lived and been played at high noon every single years, (during rain, sun, and snowstorm), since 1897. And when the noon hour arrives, (10:00 am our time), I will sit down in front of the television, (as I do every year), and I will fondly remember my Great-grandfather, my grandfather, and all the other family members who passed on this great love of football and the love for this great school to me. Win or lose, I am still a BUCKEYE at heart. And tomorrow when all the Utahans ask whom I’m cheering for, I will just smile, look at them, and just say…

Our Trip to ENGLAND

Well we're back from jolly old England, or rather I should say cold wet old England. We left Salt Lake on Tuesday morning, (Oct 28th), at 11:00 am and arrived in London at 8:00 am Wednesday morning. We met up with 3 other people, (from the company that Dave was doing a presentation for) in Atlanta and flew to England with them, and they rented a car and the 5 of us crowed into the car and drove from London to Bristol. Along the way, (a 4 hour drive), we stopped in Salisbury and had lunch and saw one of the 9 original Magna Cartas. VERY IMPRESSIVE. We were not allowed to take photos. The cathedral where the document is housed was moved to the site in the 1600's, and was so beautiful. From there we drove to Stonehenge. We arrived in Bristol around dinner time. It was very interesting to meet the different people attending the meeting in this area, from different countries. We had a lot of laughs.

On Thursday,while Dave was in meetings, I walked down to the train depot and went to the town of Bath, and took a tour of the ancient Roman bath houses and the country-side. It was a very interesting day, to discover how the Romans knew in 400AD the methods to build such a detailed bath house. I also toured Sally Lunn, the original bakery that made bread for the monastery, (when all the ovens were out-lawed). I also shopped the little shops and vendors. Then, I caught the train back to Bristol and met up with Dave and the group from his meeting, and we went to a French Restaurant for dinner. On Friday morning I walked around old Bristol town pier and took more photos.

Then on Friday afternoon, Dave and I got the train from Bristol to London. We arrived in London around 6:00pm, and took a taxi to our hotel. Then we hurried and changed for a dinner cruise. Very nice. On Saturday, we arose early at 6:00am, and got a Grey-line tour and tour around London. We saw the House of Parliament, Big Ben, the Buckingham Palace, Prince Charles and Camilla's house, the changing of the Guards, (impressive but not as impressive and the changing of the guards at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier!!), The Tower of London, (this is where the crown jewels are all housed, (now that's an impressive site !!, sorry girls, they wouldn't let me take any photos), The Household Calvary, and so much more. We were really moving, and it rained that whole day. Then after a quick dinner, we did all of our souvenir shopping and packed our bags, for our early Sunday morning, (11/2) trip back home to the good old USA. We arrived home at 8:30 pm. And we were so exhausted. But it sure felt good to be back home and in our own beds again. But we wouldn't have missed the trip. We made new friends and have lots of photos and memories.