A New Blog Baby is Born

My eldest brother, Edwin, has finally stuck his toe in the Blogging stream and started his new Blog, Parents & Ancestors. As you might imagine, it focuses on family history from his memories and many years of geneological research.

It is located in the link column right before Snow Story Here.

Welcome, Ed to the Blog family. I have not had time to read it in detail, but it apppears it will perform a valuable service for those of us who want to know more of our history.

Can it be long before Mary starts her own Blog?

Hello, again.

Dear Folks:
Hope you all had wonderful holidays.
Judging from the many delightful posts, sound like most did.
I just discovered the engaging Snow Story, because most of the time lately, I have been on the run and barely had time to check on my email. I am hanging on every word. Applause, applause, applause!
I had about 250 emails to go through when I got home and then with Christmas and Teri's surgery right afterward, I felt like the gal on the end of the skating rink line.
Wouldn't have it any other way though, keeps me from sitting around feeling sorry for myself.
However, the calm after the storm has descended and I feel quite at peace now, because God has blessed us in so many ways.
Teri came through the surgery fine but has had quite a bit of pain, which is to be expected since she was pretty well gutted. Dr said there were several endrometrial tumors, two of which were about the size of oranges and it was so crowded in there that one of her ovaries and the bowel were engaged to be married. Nipped that deal in the bud just in time.
Naturally, that took quite a bit out of her(sorry, couldn't resist) but got the staples out today and she is much better this afternoon. (Staples? Whatever happened to catgut?)
Kelly worked over the holidays and we hear from her every day or so. She is delighted to be back at Interstate Distribution and going to the Northwest which is her favorite part of the country. She is going to try to get down here around the third week in January and we will be glad to see her.
Christie is doing well and now working two jobs. Her former employer Regis offered her a raise and choice of hours to come back and help them. She is really good at keying in inventory when they audit these big stores like Walmart & Target.
I will be home for several weeks nursing the sicko, if I can stay well myself. I am fighting a sore throat now and feel like I may have it licked.
Carolyn, I really got tickled when you referred to the rubber band on the VW.
I remember when that saying got started when it was the latest fad in the early 1950's to play with model airplanes.
My brothers had one and were forever winding it up and chasing me with the propeller spinning.
Mary & Don, hope your move to Fla will be a happy one for you. That is a nice area. I have made several trips to Orlando & vicinity lately and will likely do more at least til spring. Then will go back north til watermelon season comes back.
Sure am enjoying the posts and glad you folks started this.
I decided I'd better hustle up a little bit since I got verbally switched last week by the host, but I had a whole raft of excuses under my Christmas tree to dump in the pot.
Now, another memory.....
Our first Christmas after Don & I married was spent in a remodeled Chicken house. It was on the three acres he was buying in the hills east of San Diego. He had formed a rabbit-raising business partnership with a fellow employee at Ryan Aircraft.
We were, of course broke due to poor(extremely) money management and the loss of my job at Convair Aircraft.
He had gone fishing in the gulf of Mexico with friends(who footed the bill in return for the use of Don's flatbed truck)and brought back a big box of rock cod.
We had that along with fricaseed rabbit and white radishes from the garden for months. Christmas dinner was no different.
Later, that night we went up the canyon to some friends who had bought a 1930s era resort with cute little log cabins situated alongside a concrete swimming hole watered by a sometimes wet creek.
It was pretty cool for southern California and as we came into the rock fireplace warmed cabin through beautiful oak french doors, we were immediately wrapped in the wonderful aroma of homemade goat chili.
We(as later confessed to each other) both thought we couldn't live without being invited to supper, which we were, thankfully, though I know it strained their larder. I can say without reservation, that that was the best food I have ever tasted, being a blessed change from fish & rabbit.
Then after supper, we got to help bring twin baby goats into the world in their spare room. A truly memorable Christmas.
Isn't it amazing how such little things can stick in your mind!
They gave us the extra goatlet and after we brought it home, it spent the next few weeks galloping back and forth on the deck between the front and back doors, where it would stand on its hind legs screaming into the house for companionship, food, drink, conversation or anything available.
You know, goat chili is pretty good.
Well, guess that winds my rubber band down.
Belated Happy New Year!!

Gas Shortage in Europe

Europe is in the midst of a very severe winter, and is now facing a shortage of natural gas used for heating, due to a dispute between Russia and Ukraine. The gas pipelines that supply most of Europe come from Russia and go through the Urkraine, and Russia had shut them off last week. Apparently they are back on now, but it is touch and go.

I had emailed my cousin, Betty, who lives in Prague and asked her if she were affected there as she is elderly, living alone. She sent back an interesting response that I thought would make a good Blog post from someone living through it.

I think we must not have been affected--at least, not residences. One of the stringers on this article was Robert Anderson in Prague. If there'd been much impact here, surely his input would have shown up in the article.

If we'd lost much gas, people would have begun freezing to death over the holidays. Two of the nights were the coldest so far this year. We also have a lot of flats that would have returned to burning brown coal, ignoring the restriction against that. It gets so cold here for a time during winter that everybody has to be well-prepared for any eventuality. If necessary, I can heat my flat from the two electric burners in the miniscule kitchen. That's how truly small my flat is!!I've never heard of any old person living alone who died because of the cold. That would have been big news here, for sure.

The run-up to elections in Ukraine is on again, and this cutoff could very likely be related. Russia keeps a lot of pressure on the Ukraine because it is now the buffer country (politically) between Russia and The West. There has been a general state of unrest in Ukraine ever since Russia's boy was ousted. Now there is a two-way battle between Yushchenko and The Beautiful Blonde. Can't think of her name at the moment (Yuliya Tymoshenko--dtb), but she is wildly popular, was Prime Minister until Yushchenko fired her recently. Her record very controversial. Now she may run for President. If you're interested, a day or two ago, the Times ran a good feature article about her and the political situation in Ukraine.

The comment about Moldava out of gas for 3 days is really sad. That's one of the poorest countries going, and they're always getting hit over something.

I met a beautiful young blonde standing in the line at the bank here a few years back. She was a walking ad in Baroque costume for some concert or other. There are always a few young people doing this. If you agree to buy a ticket from them, they walk you into the theater to the box office where you're moved to the head of the line. You pay the ticket-seller the regular price and the "ad" gets the percentage on the spot.

This particular girl was so beautiful she could have done major modelling. But, instead of taking the risk, she was working for practically nothing walking the streets all day and into the evening. This way she supported her entire family in Moldova! She was the only family member with a job anywhere.

HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!

I want to wish the Family a happy and prosperous new year. We are hopeful about 2006. It will be the year I graduate college, and we will be making a big move, and I hope to be starting a new job, that pays more than minimum wage and provides me with a sense of accomplishment above monetary gain. I have decided that my background and upbringing will help me to help battered women. I have never been in a physically abusive relationship, but I know how these women feel, and I think I can help them. So 2006 will be a big year for our family. I hope you all have a great year!