A week or two ago, Arthur brought us the results of one of his many fishing trips. Joe killed, cleaned, and cooked the catfish, bream, and crappie. Yes, they were still alive -- after several hours!!! Now that is fresh fish! I made some really yummy tartar sauce to go with them and some side dishes. The catfish was our favorite. He brought us enough for two meals, and then took our order for trout the other night. Can't wait. I love it grilled.
January is when we get our price lists printed and mailed to our customers. We have about 100 or so repeat customers. We have even had a few calls inquiring as to why they haven’t received it yet (good sign!). We also mail to a few hopefuls every year; people who have never ordered but continue to want to stay on our mailing list (I call to ask). I suppose they just need something with which to make paper airplanes. This year I have spent a lot of rainy day time calling potential customers and asking if they would like to be added to our mailing. So far I have gone from A through J using switchboard.com nursery listings for the state of North Carolina. 200 more nurseries want copies of our pricelist. There are only 16 more letters to go through North Carolina and then only 49 more states.
I went with my friend David Smith to Rocky River on the 14th. He donated all of the metal roofing that went under the concrete slabs that make up our porches—both front and back—and he wanted to see what happened to his contribution. He was impressed with the place and kept saying that we shouldn’t have any trouble renting it. We hope he is a good predictor. David is a great friend and hard worker. In a pinch, he is good to have on your side. I appreciate his comments at church. He is one who is in the middle of the work. There are many who talk but he is one who works.
We continue to work at Rocky River every time we get a chance. We have spent a few week-ends there and would be there more, if possible. We have cleared away a lot of brush and trees—leaving the larger and preferred species. The place is overgrown with saw brier and wild grape vines. We have slashed and burned. I guess if Agent Orange were available, we might try it.
I know that no one would guess by looking but this was the month I applied to receive social security. I hope all of you can keep your jobs and keep contributing. Every time you read your Social Security withholding column on your pay stub, just ask yourself “I wonder what Dad/Joe and Mom/Debby are doing with that money?” We will try to enjoy it just as much as you would want us to.
On Sunday the 25th I spoke in the sacrament meeting in Murfreesboro at the Stones River First Ward. I saw several old friends. I got to tell a few old stories to people who may not have heard them before. If they have they probably make allowances. I enjoyed telling stories of my little kids with their tithing jars. We always tried to have change on hand so that when we paid someone for work, there was correct change for them to put in their tithing jar. I am sure no one else has ever thought of that.
On the 29th we went to Oak Ridge to see an undefeated basketball team at work (not to be confused with UT). Blake’s community league team was playing and we were invited. They won, of course, and he had a good game. The Shepherds and Whites were there and we made a pretty good sized cheering section in the bleachers. There were only a few other spectators there so we really stood out. Blake said that someone asked him who we were and he replied that it was “some of his family.” He said that they looked again and said –“Just some of them?!?” Of course we all know that there are a lot more where we came from!
After the game we went over to the White’s where Betsy provided supper for the gang. We had a great time eating and visiting. We learned a new way to use our George Foreman grill—hot ham and cheese sandwiches. It was great to relax with people we love. In case Blake has forgotten, I think he is going to attend church at Oak Ridge and keep Christy company when Eric is away on assignment. I hate to be a nag, but…..
It looks like Brett and I are going to go with a work party into Kentucky in the aftermath of the ice storm. As of Sunday, every member of the Paducah, Kentucky stake of the church was without power. I am sure many will have power by the end of the week but the need for men with chain saws to remove downed trees and broken limbs will still be there. We are going with a group of men from church.
We survived the holidays and would like to have settled in for a long winter’s nap, but life’s routines quickly returned and we got busy with the business of living. Blake headed back to U.T. on the Saturday after New Year’s Day. We’d had him with us for a good little stint and it was a sad to see him leave.
Joe and I spent the night at Rocky River on the 9th with the hopes of doing some work on Saturday. It was a total washout, though. We rented a movie, Bucket List, and watched it that night. Afterwards, we talked a little bit about what’s on our lists. That night, there was one of the most beautiful skies I’ve ever seen. It was as crisp and as clear as could be. It was so bright with the moon and all the stars that the river and the surroundings were just beautiful. I drove into town on Saturday for an in-service meeting only to find out that no one else had come. I called Lori and had her check my e-mail (one of the disadvantages of being at the Little House), and sure ‘nuff, the meeting had been cancelled. Bro. Halverson’s wife was threatening a much-too-early delivery of their fifth child, so he was staying close to home. Joe stayed at Rocky River because we had planned to go to the Bluegrass Concert that night – not for the concert – just for some cheeseburgers – so I drove back out there to get him and go to the Rocky River Community Center. That’s the second time we’ve been and it was nice to see some folks we don’t see often and to meet some new ones. Cheryl Hitchcock, her dad, and one of her daughters ate at our table and it was nice to catch up with them. Cheryl is now Dr. Cheryl Hitchcock and she teaches at MTSU. I also visited with Dr. Hamblen a little bit. I hadn’t seen him in quite a while, but he is still as jolly as ever.
The next week was really, really cold. I decided I’d have the fixin’s for hot chocolate for my seminary class on those bitter cold mornings. I enlisted Lori’s help and she made some marshmallows for us. The first batch turned out to be more like marshmallow taffy, but boy, was it good. The second batch was more like marshmallows. Timing is everything.
During that really cold snap, our geothermal unit quit working again. We’ve decided that it’s no wonder that those things are touted as saving money on your electric bill. They stop working when it gets really cold – well, at least ours has! That results in a huge savings!!!
Brett spoke in Sacrament Meeting on the 18th on the importance of having and keeping high standards. He did a really good job.
For Blake’s birthday, we watched all the pomp and circumstance surrounding the Inauguration unfold on TV. It really was something. (I don’t think I’ll ever forget that hat)! I’m sure that the Secret Service was relieved when it was over. Me, too. I sure didn’t want some nut to do something awful. Now, there’s the business for praying for this new president and those he has chosen to work with him. I know Rush Limbaugh has taken a lot of heat for saying he hopes he fails. I certainly don’t – unless what he is pushing for is not in the best interest of this country. I will pray that he will be blessed with wisdom.
The new season of Lost began on the 21st. Lori and Holly, were you the ones who got us hooked on that show? Thanks a lot. Joe quit on me last year and couldn’t be talked into starting this season. All I know is that when this thing finally ends, it better make some kind of sense. It looks hopeless to me.
On Friday the 23rd, Joe, Brett, and I left on a shopping trip – all made possible because of Local Sales Network. Joe has been looking for a little pickup for several months. He found one he liked in Cookeville. Brett found a guitar he wanted in Cookeville. As it turns out, they were both pretty good shoppers and pretty good negotiators. I, on the other hand, am no good at such things. The night before we went, there was a Tacoma advertised in Smithville. I told Joe about it when he got home and he called to set up a time to see it. I’ve also been looking for a small kitchen table and chairs to use at the Little House. I thought I’d found what I was looking for in Sparta. Long story short: Joe bought a 2001 Nissan Frontier from a really nice fellow who works in Cookeville.
Brett traded an amp plus cash for an electric guitar from a nice guy who works in Cookeville. The little Tacoma in Smithville? Friendly fellow, but what a piece of junk! I couldn’t believe he showed up with that thing looking like it did. Let’s see – we would have had to replace the windshield, front bumper, tailgate, front seat, tires, wheel covers, side mirrors – and those were just the things we took note of in the very quick few minutes it took to say, “No way!” The table and chairs in Sparta? Not a bad deal, but the house they were in was ge-ross. I could have cleaned them up, but I’m not sure they would have ever stopped smelling like cigarette smoke. The guy was nice, though. After we left Smithville, we treated Brett to a fine dining experience at Silver Point – The Rose Garden Restaurant. Since I’m on a mission to eat as many cheeseburgers at as many places as I can – that’s all I’ve ever eaten there. Boy, are they good!
That night, Brett and his friend, Russell camped out on the sand bar at Rocky River. Joe and I camped out in the house. Brett’s car spent the night in the yard. We got there right after they did and our jaws dropped when we saw the predicament he was in – and the mess in the newly sown lawn. Whaaaat!!???? Why???!!!!! Didn’t see it?????!!!! Didn’t know?????!!!!! All these things shall give us experience – and hopefully we learn from them – and hopefully, never repeat a good many of them!!!!
The next morning when it came time to try to undo the damage, it thankfully went MUCH better than anticipated. After a BIG breakfast, we got some clearing done down at the end of the driveway. The boys were a BIG help. They discovered an old road sign in some of the tangled-up mess. It states, One Lane Bridge. It’s bent a little and has a few bullet holes in it (imagine that), but otherwise still quite useable. So therefore, since it is a piece of history, we’ll need to find a home for it. And no, Brett, not on the living room wall.
Brett started taking guitar lessons from a guy in town and is really enjoying the experience. He’s learning quite a bit. His classes at Motlow are going well and he is continuing his weekly trek to M’boro for Institute Class.
We went to the civic center in Oak Ridge to watch Blake’s basketball team continue their undefeated season. The Whites and the Shepherds joined us. We formed quite a cheering section. Betsy made dinner for all of us and we met at the White House for some yummy soup and sandwiches. She also made some really good cupcakes. It was fun to be with everyone.
The following Saturday, Lori and William came by to get me on their way to Grandma M’s house. We helped her make a b’day lunch for Joe. He, Brett, and Gracie joined us a little later. Everything was delicious, as always, and – as always – we brought home leftovers that we continued to enjoy. Brett and Gracie rode back with Lori, and Joe and I went to Rocky River. We now have two more big piles of brush to burn. We didn’t clear as much territory as we’d hoped because of a saw brier/grapevine jungle where we were working. It was AWFUL!
But, we won.
In November we went to work moving dirt around to prepare to sow grass in the lawn at “Little House”. It is amazing how many times you can move it around—dragging it away—dragging it back—just trying to get the slope right so that rain water will wash into the river and not into the house. Finally we sowed grass seed—Kentucky 31 fescue—and covered it as best we could by dragging wooden shipping pallets around the yard several times. Then the leaves fell from the trees and covered the lawn area almost completely. I thought they would have to be raked or all the seed would die underneath. However, little did I know that a 6” rain was on its way. It fell over a period of 2 days and washed all the leaves off the yard and into the river. Of course, it also took some seeds with it. But, we have green spots showing in the lawn now.
We went out to observe the rise of the river during the two days of the big rain. We stood on the back porch and watched good sized trees zoom by in the river beneath. The water was about 2’ below the bank on the opposite side of the river. Debby kept saying things like “Is it too late to get flood insurance?” But, all is well. The water quickly swept by on its way to the Caney Fork of the Cumberland, on to the Cumberland, on to the Ohio, the Mississippi, and the Gulf to evaporate and come back to us again as rain.
We have removed a lot more brush and moved our cleared line down to the persimmon tree. Our last brush burn was out in the field where we have had a dozer pile since we built the driveway. We hope to do as much as possible during the winter while the snakes are asleep. Tractor and chain saw repairs are a continuous hindrance to our progress.
I have done some additional insulating in the utility room. The hot water heater is out there and I don’t want any freezes. I hate plumbing! I have put in enough shelves there to insure that whatever tool I need at Shangri La is stored at Little House—and vice versa of course.
A Rocky River highlight has been the planting of four muscadine vines. That little event is as much a symbol of ownership as a woman picking lint off a man’s suit. I have some tame blackberry varieties ordered and will be planting them in the next few days. I hope to add a few fruit trees soon. I am going to try my hand at grafting some pears. I would like to reproduce some of Eric’s and also graft from Glenn’s tree. I also have some Concord grape cuttings rooting in the sand along the river bank.
Debby wrote about the big shoot out at Rocky River. Kyle Stuart, who owns an arsenal of weapons, brought four rifles out to the property so he and Blake could do some target shooting. One of the guns was a Russian SKS that shoots a 7.62 mm cartridge similar to the army’s M-14 from early Vietnam days. Soon Eric got into it and I shot the .22 a little. Debby is so proud of herself. She fired away with the .22 rifle and blasted a milk jug to smithereens. She told me that Kyle had taught her how to shoot. I had tried before to no avail. Kyle was the best teacher. While diagnosing her problem, he discovered that she was closing the wrong eye as she sighted down the barrel. I admit, I never thought to check for that. She discovered that she has to shoot left handed. She can’t close her left eye and keep the right one open.
I got to help Eric with a couple of cow events in the last few months. Sometimes I miss the cows (like when I drive by the neighbors and see a new calf). But chasing Eric’s cow around the field reminded me that my best days for such things are over. I had fun watching HIM deliver the new baby. I was impressed with the efficiency of the new handling facilities he has built around the barn.
Another highlight was the week that Glenn, Debby, and I redid Grandma Miller’s bathroom. It was good to spend the time with Glenn. I am sure that during that week I was with him more than I had been in the past 25 years combined. Grandma Miller kept us fed so well during the week that we were almost sad to see the project completed. I was glad to be the helper and admire Glenn’s skills. Re-modeling is much harder than building. He has patience as well as ability.
On the night that Joe Caten passed away we received a phone call. It was the night that we were expecting the Andersons and Blatters to arrive. We expected them to be here around 12:30. Instead, the phone rang at 12:30. My first thought was that something was wrong with their arrival and they were calling to let us know they would be later. But, Brian Caten’s voice was at the other end and he sounded distressed. He blurted out that he was on his way to the hospital and that his mother was with him. He then said that they thought his dad had just died. His voice was breaking up and I could tell that he was scared. I also knew that he wanted to talk. I kept him on the phone as long as I could and said good-night to him just minutes before the Anderson/Blatter travelers walked in the back door.
Debby and I discussed whether we should dress and go on to the hospital. The discussion was whether they would want to be alone at that private time or whether they needed to share their grief. We quickly decided to go and were leaving just as our company arrived.
We were so glad we went. I was reminded once again that it isn’t enough to pray for something when you have the power in you to “do” something. Darlene immediately embraced us as did Brian and Justin (who was there also). We talked, shared their grief, prayed together and gave blessings.
I think it really is possible to “bear one another’s burdens”. In the process of comforting a hurting one I believe that some of the grief is transferred to you. The vehicle that makes the transfer possible is love. When you really care for the other person, and they know it, their burden becomes a little lighter and somehow, yours isn’t any greater. In fact, you seem to feel your strength increase and feel love flow.
For the last couple of months I have been working with the boy scouts on Wednesday evenings. I am the merit badge counselor for all of the citizenship merit badges. The current project for them is “citizenship in the nation”. Adrian is the scoutmaster and I am impressed with his organizational skill (yes, Adrian!) and his determination to give the boys a great experience. For instance, one of the requirements for the merit badge is that the boys visit a federal facility. It can be anything. One of the parents even suggested visiting the post office. But, Adrian made arrangements for a visit at Arnold Engineering Center’s space center. The boys had the Air Force tour, saw the vastness of the wind tunnel testing facilities, etc….. I have enjoyed the boys. There are usually about 10 of them for the meetings and they have been good participants.
During November and December I have given nine patriarchal blessings. It is a wonderful experience for me to visit with families and individuals when things are going well and they are filled with hope. I just wish my memory were better so that when I meet some of these people a week later I could recall their names.
It has been a good year for us. Since July, we have been able to be with all our children. We made a Virginia visit to be with Julee’s family, we had the Bryce family here for some extended time, we had a lot of time with Moffitt kids in October, Thanksgiving here and in Knoxville, and a really nice get together here at Christmas. We quite often have someone ask if there has ever been a time when all 12 kids and their families were together. There hasn’t been. With so many of us there will probably always be distance, sickness, other commitments and other loved ones that need some of us. But, we love you all and know that we are loved.
Have a great month and the happiest of new years –
We’re not quite sure how to actually write our letter, so there will probably be some trial and error. There may end up not even being very much consistency in how we accomplish our goal, but we are committed to the idea of recording the events of our lives on a monthly basis. Since my last letter was written in early November, I will do a brief (for me) overview of what has happened since – that I can remember. With that said, here goes:
Joe and I attended an Eagle Banquet the first of November for William Hale and Jared King. It was a very nice event and we enjoyed visiting with several of the folks who were there. Darlene came and we were so happy to see her out and about so soon after Dr. Caten’s death. For all of us who know Darlene, we know how giving she is, the countless ways she loves and serves others, and her tendency to very quickly become very tearful. After learning of Dr. Caten’s death, I prayed repeatedly for her, that she would have the strength and the composure to face the public responsibilities that would come at the funeral home, etc. As Joe and I went to the funeral home that night, I was dreading so much to see her hurting so deeply. My concern for her was very quickly put to rest. There were tears, of course, and deeply felt grief. But there was also composure. And she looked so nice. I think the word “miracle” gets tossed around so much that it loses its deeply significant meaning. I prefer the phrase “tender mercy” that Elder Bednar helped me to understand better in a talk a few years ago. I think what I witnessed with Darlene was indeed a “tender mercy.” I felt so grateful to the Lord that she was being held up by His omnipotent hand. I have loved her and looked to her as an example for as long as I’ve known her. Joe was with the family when the casket was closed. He said that Darlene gathered her grandchildren around her and used that setting as a time to teach them. That’s Darlene – always teaching the principles of the Gospel that have been her anchor in times of both happiness and sorrow.
We were invited to William’s first birthday party and couldn’t say “no” to cake. He was asleep when we arrived and was none too happy to see the family members who had assembled in his living room while he was sleeping. He eventually warmed up to the idea of so many people invading his space. Lori made the cutest caterpillar cake for him.
I took Mom to the memorial for June at Raintree Manor one Sunday afternoon in November. It was a very nice event and I think June would have been pleased to be remembered in such a nice way. She found a lot of joy in caring for the elderly and sharing with them something she loved so much – the outdoors. She loved to garden — cultivating both flowers and veggies. For those residents who were able, and the weather was permitting, she would take them outside. I guess she thought they could benefit from something that brought so much pleasure to her. So, after she lost her own battle with cancer, a walkway was constructed in her memory. She would be so pleased.
Mom’s bathroom was due an overhaul and Joe asked Glenn if he was available for a little (a lot) of remodeling. Thankfully, he was. We spent a week with him tearing out everything down to the original rough lumber. It was a trip down memory lane as I saw wallpaper and floor coverings of days gone by. What a job it was! But, thankfully, there was no structural damage due to moisture and no sign of termites. It turned out nicely and Mom seemed to like the fixtures, wall board, etc. that we picked out for her. She cooked for us every day and kept us motivated. It was great to spend that much time with Glenn, as well.
On the Wednesday before Thanksgiving, we cooked a meal here for those of my bunch who were around. Blake and Brett were here and the Joneses joined us as well. The next morning, the annual McM Ward Turkey Bowl was held in the field next to our house. Quite a crowd showed up and seemed to enjoy getting dirty and developing sore muscles. We drove up to Oak Ridge to enjoy a nice meal and the rest of the day with the Whites, Shepherds (including Justin’s parents) and Eric, who rode with us.
In December, Joe spent part of one day with Eric and a cow that was having great difficulty in delivering a calf. After that excitement was over, he put shelves in the storage room at the Little House and we did enough to the walkway in front of the house to make it useable until we can actually finish it in the spring. We spent the night out there the first weekend of the month. We watched Prince Caspian that night. On Saturday, after Joe got his “honey-do” list finished, he mostly took it easy while I re-made a curtain to hang on the back door, did some Christmas decorating, and did some touch-up painting in the bedroom. Because all the things that I wanted to get done took me waaaaay longer to do than I had thought, and since we only had one DVD with us, we watched/listened/slept through Prince Caspian several times!!!
We went to Smithville to deliver Christmas gifts to our home teaching/visiting teaching folks the next day. We’ve been doing that route for several years now and we’ve seen a lot of people come and go. Sis. Spencer has been the one constant and we’ve come to love her very much. She’s 77 and the tiniest little thing. Joe says that if she were blue, she could be a Smurf. She’s about that feisty. She dates EVERYTHING and can talk and talk and talk about people in her family and friendship circle like we know them as well as she does, but we don’t. She will tell us who so-and -so’s mother was and we don’t even know who so-and-so is!
We went to the temple on the 10th. It’s always such a positive experience when we do that. It’s so good to always be able to see “old” friends there. Afterwards, I shopped some at a few different places while Joe waited patiently for me in the car (with a book, of course). I think he passed some of the time talking to Leah, too. We ate at “Joe’s Place” in Woodbury on the way home. We really like the cheeseburgers there.
We baked and baked and baked on the 12th to get ready for the ward Christmas activity. We, along with Lori and Patrick, were assigned to the bakery. What we thought we had originally agreed to turned out to be a lot more involved at the last minute. We survived, though, and even enjoyed the evening. If there’s a repeat next year, we’re going to remember that that was way too much to take on – especially with everything else that is going on that time of year. Next year, we will happily help, but we want to “spread the baking wealth.”
The next day was Patrick’s graduation from Tennessee Tech. Way to go, Patrick! Now, Grandma Miller can quit worrying about you working full-time and going to school full-time. Well, maybe not, since now you’re going to be working two full-time jobs! We were kind of dreading the graduation ceremony since we still have vivid memories of how awful Mandy’s was, but this one turned out to be pretty nice. The speaker was SO MUCH better. Afterwards, we all met at Cracker Barrel for a looooog wait and a late lunch. Patrick’s parents joined us and we had a nice meal together. Lori and I wanted to stay in Cookeville to shop, so Joe rode back with Patrick, William, and Brett. Smart man. I bought a new pair of shoes when I shopped after we went to the temple and immediately started wearing them. Don’t know if it was a coincidence or not, but something crazy happened to my right foot. After walking on it so much that Saturday, I could barely walk on Sunday. I needed to wear my tennis shoes to church the next day, but just couldn’t swallow my vanity enough to do so. I sure didn’t wear heels, though.
The next week, Mom and I spent a nice day in Cookeville/Sparta after her appointment with Dr. Epley. The weather was really nice and she got quite a bit of shopping done. We also kept William one day while his parents went to the temple and did some shopping.
The 18th was the last day of seminary before Christmas break. We had a breakfast and auction and had the best time. Adrian was the auctioneer and Joe was the banker. The parents and some ward funds provided about 30 items and a nice breakfast. The kids spent about “$3000” and had a blast. Sis. Mead, who teaches in Smyrna, had been my inspiration and encourager to do an auction. I was so pleased with how everything turned out – we’ll definitely be doing it again in the spring.
Blake got home the following Friday night, and Mandy brought Layla and Olivia to the house the next morning to stay with us while she went to get her hair cut. It was so wonderful to see them. Layla gave me the biggest hug and Olivia was right behind her – and was quickly on her way to give Roxie an even bigger hug. For all that she used to put Roxie through, she was as happy to see Olivia as Olivia was to see her. Joe needed to raise the flag and Olivia wanted to make it official. So, she led us all in the Pledge of Allegiance and then sang exuberantly, You’re a Grand Old Flag. Priceless.
We spent the afternoon preparing soups, salad, and desserts for the dinner following Layla’s baptism that evening. There were lots of family and friends there to show their support for Layla at this very special time in her life. Everything turned out very nice even though there was no hot water. Layla looked beautiful in her white dress. Thanks, Katie, for helping Olivia sing “I Am A Child of God.” As much as Olivia likes to sing, she got cold feet after she saw how many people were there.
The next day, Sunday, we all went to Grandma Miller’s (except the Joneses who went to Patrick’s grandmother’s Christmas gathering) to share our lunch with her. Joe made his famous Chicken a la King. Mom made a yummy orange salad and I made Ritz/peanut butter/white chocolate treats. We enjoyed our afternoon with her very much. We had Layla and Olivia with us on the way home and decided to invite Katie and Chas to join us at the Little House to watch the Muppet’s Christmas Carol. Thanks, Eric, for bringing them. We had so much fun together. They watched the movie, ate lots of popcorn, drank hot chocolate, played hide ‘n seek and rocked around the Christmas tree while Joe and I sang.
On the 23rd, Lori, William, Layla, Olivia and I had a PJ party at Rocky River—complete with new PJ’s. We ate and snacked and watched movies and played Old Maid and Twister and had a great time. Sweet memories. The next morning, Lori and William left to go visit Grandma Miller, Mandy came to get the girls, and I met Joe at Opal’s for the Moffitt Christmas breakfast. What a buffet! Just about everything that could be on a breakfast menu was there. It was good to see everyone and the best part was getting hugs from all the kids. Even Seth came running and gave me the biggest hug! I had a reality check when I swooped him up to hug him – probably more than he had bargained for. He’s solid! After we left, we came back by the Little House to put things aright, stopped at Kroger to do some last minute grocery shopping, and then came home to finish our preparations for our get-together the next day.
It was so good to have so many of you here on Christmas Day. Joe did the reading from Luke this year and the grandchildren acted out the Nativity story while Christy played the piano and all of us sang some Primary Christmas songs. What poignant and sweet ways to be reminded of that sacred night so long ago when the Savior of the world was born. After the little kids got their loot, they ran off to play while the big kids played the “Right-Left” game and had the White Elephant exchange. After all that, it was fun to see and hear the “musicians” in the bunch play Guitar Hero. Ashley has some real entertainer blood coursing through her veins. I think she reveled in her adoring fans! Jacob shares some of the same blood, I think! As with all good things, our time together came to an end. Joe met the Shepherds and the Whites at the Little House after they left so that Justin’s parents could see the place. It was nice to have them with us that day, too.
The weather was unseasonably warm on the 30th so we decided to burn some brush and make hobo meals at Rocky River. We had quite a crowd for it to be a last-minute thing. Eric and his kids came, Blake and Kyle came, and Brett and three of his friends. I’ll let Joe tell you about the gun shooting that went on, but I will say, that thanks to Kyle Stuart, I now know how to shoot a .22 rifle – and that milk jug won’t ever be the same. Thanks, Blake, for wading through the freezing water to put the targets in place. We also took the dresser out there and Eric helped Joe get it in the bedroom. After it got too dark to do anything outside, there were some exciting games of Balderdash played while I cleaned the kitchen area and we got the drawers and things put away in the bedroom. Nice evening. Oh, let me tell you about mine and Katie’s conversation earlier. She wanted me to go exploring with her along the river. Since that was an offer I couldn’t refuse, off we went – as far as we could go without getting our feet wet. We were out on that little “rock island” and I said, “Katie, this is a good time to explore since we don’t have to worry about snakes and ticks.” Katie: “Ticks are worse.” Me: “They are? Why is that?” Katie: “Ticks suck your blood, but snakes won’t bother you if you don’t bother them.” Me: “I’m afraid the snakes might not know the rule and the snakes and I might have a different idea of what ‘bother’ means.” Katie: “Well, ticks are worse.” Me: “OK.”
New Year’s Eve was pretty quiet around her. Brett went to friend’s house, but the Joneses and Blake were here. We had pizza and played Rummikub as we waited for 2009 to arrive. On New Year’s Day, I made a black-eyed pea recipe that has become a tradition along with creamed potatoes, corn casserole, orange salad, and corn bread. It was so nice to eat real food again after all the holiday stuff. Oh, and Joe fried hog jowl. How could I forget that? Later that day, we had fun with Guitar Hero once again. I sang a few songs and did OK. Lori sang some and did better. Gracie beat us all. Joe – after much coaxing – sang Willie Nelson’s “On the Road Again” and did a great job. He just wants to be begged, I guess.
That seems like a good stopping place that gets us through the holidays. I told Joe that this letter would be long since it would cover two months. He said it would be long just because…
