Escape Rooms

We have always wanted to do an escape room, and when Diana suggested that we all try one, we jumped at the chance.  She scheduled us to go to the Wichita Escape Room, and Sunday afternoon, we showed up.

It was such an interesting experience.  I was totally lost at first, but once Diana showed us one set of clues, we began opening locks.  We teamed up, though not intentionally.  Don and Daniel worked together, Kenneth and Di conquered a few, and Melinda and I held up our end rather well, I thought.  We found slowly and steadily was what worked, and although we had to ask for two clues, we did not have to ask for the final one.

I was impressed with how well everyone worked together and how each of us contributed significantly to the final result.  It was great fun, and I hope we can make this a Christmas tradition!

Kenny

It is time for 2018 to say good bye.  We had some highs, but we had some very low lows.  The most recent happened just after Thanksgiving.

We were on our way to Albuquerque the Sunday before Thanksgiving, we stopped through Dodge City to see Don's dad, who had landed in the hospital.  He had pneumonia, but we had no doubt he would improve.  When we arrived in Dodge, however, we were greeted with the news that he wanted all of the IVs pulled out and we would be having a funeral on Wednesday.  His preacher, Jeff Hiers, had already told him that call was beyond his pay grade, but he was determined.  Within a few hours, we were able to convince him that perhaps he was a bit premature, and he began accepting antibiotics.  We cancelled our trip to the cabin, and we went back and forth to Dodge, spending Thanksgiving with Kevin, Barb, and Zachary.

We did think things were getting better.  Don made several trips back and forth, his dad was in the nursing home, he was taking rehab . . . we thought he might get into an assisted living situation.  And then . . . as Don was driving out to see his dad on December 3, he received the call that Kenny had passed away.

He was a simple man.  He was a kind man.  And he raised four fine boys to become fine men.  Men that appreciate God, love their families, contribute to society.  It was from the community that Kenny and Ruthie created that I learned how to have the family I wanted to have with the relationships with friends that I have.

On the day Kenny went to the hospital, he had gotten a hair cut, gone to the store, and driven to the casino for his weekly $20 jaunt.  On the way home, he actually fell asleep twice.  He awakened in time to avoid a problem, but that evening or the next day, he told Kevin to take his keys.  In hindsight, he knew he did not have much time.

We are grateful for the many years we had with Kenny.  I am a much better person because of my association with him.  Rest in Peace, Kenny . . . and please take care of Ruthie and baby Mia.

The Red Notice

Our November book club read was The Red Notice by Bill Browder.  With an interesting connection with Wichita, this book is a page-turner, and a true one, at that.  Browder was raised within a Communist household, but when he went to college, he became a capitalist.  This book is the story of  how he invested in Russia and won . . . and then became Russia's public enemy #1.  After reading the book, I understood much better how the Russian Oligarchs made their money, how Putin operates, and why the oligarchs do his bidding.  A fascinating book that opened a whole new world of intrigue. Highly recommended!

Punkin-in

This year Don and I decided to try to grow pumpkins.  We planted five plants.  They were beautiful; they grew everywhere!  They bloomed like crazy.  And we got one pumpkin.  One.  Good thing it was a nice one.

We learned we need to plant them earlier than July 4 . . . it was a stretch to get it "oranged up" in time.  The last two weeks, Don was moving the pumpkin into the sun, hoping that it would turn in time, and the day before Halloween, it was good enough.

We also learned that when a pumpkin is leaning against a garden stake, it puts a dent in it . . . hence, it was a little crooked.  But that didn't matter to one little boy.

He and Papa cut the pumpkin open, cleaned out the seeds (which was much easier than with those we buy - not sure why), drew on the face, and cut it.  When done, Caleb named him Punkin-in (as contrasted with Punkin-out).  Not sure I exactly got it . . . but we enjoyed talking about Punkin-in.

After Halloween, we put Punkin-in in the backyard for the squirrels.  The second day, Punkin-in's hat was missing.  It was found out near a tree.  Those sneaky, snacky squirrels stole his hat and dragged it out to the yard.  Caleb was glad we could give the squirrels some food!

Roller coasters

Sometimes it is hard to tell when a person is on a roller coaster and when one is just busy . . . until the roller coaster derails!  The last four days have been absolutely that roller coaster ride - mostly fun but with a few crazy times in between.

I knew the week would be crazy . . . it was the last week before a long Thanksgiving break; we had a Thanksgiving Feast and Grandparents' Day at school - both very busy times; we had a ribbon-cutting and a Board meeting; I had Book Club . . . and then Friday night, Don had his Stockholders' meeting for PEC, which is always a nice time.  Don was in charge of getting everything ready for the tailgate on Saturday, so we were up and on our way by 7:00.  Never mind that it was Don's birthday, we were up and around early, arriving at the stadium at 9:30.  It was cold, cold, cold so we were tailgating inside.  Bundled up like crazy, we made our way into the game, and to our surprise, it was much fun.  An exciting win made the drive back home better . . . until at 9:00 pm Don had to dump and winterize the RV.  He finished by 11:00 pm, and then we were up and around at 6:00 am again to head to the cabin.  We put the RV away, and by 7:30 a.m. Sunday, we were driving to the cabin.  Phew!

Don's dad had been admitted to the hospital on Thursday for pneumonia (though that day he had gotten a haircut, gone shopping, and driven to the casino), so we decided to drive by Dodge City on our way.  We are glad we did, but we were certainly not expecting what we found.  That morning, his dad had decided that his funeral would be on Wednesday and that he was going to stop treatment for the pneumonia.  What?  Not at all what we expected to hear.

We convinced him to wait until his other sons could arrive, and within an hour, Kris, Kenton, and our Kenneth were on their way.  Don and I decided that I should come home, since I had dogs, frozen food, and other food in the car.  Kenneth and I nearly passed each other as I drove home and he drove to Dodge, and by 8:00 pm, everyone had gathered.  Kenny was sound asleep, however, and stayed that way all night.

Long story short, Monday morning, they all visited, and Kenny realized the medicine was beginning to work.  Although he was very tired, he was breathing better, and his attitude had improved.  He agreed to be transferred to a nursing home, where he could recuperate.  Don will be coming home maybe - or I will be going there for Thanksgiving Day and we will both come home.  Still not sure.

During all of the activity on Sunday, when we were talking with Kenny about funerals, Diana was having a different experience.  I called her and she said she was on a scavenger hunt.  Hm.  I knew what that probably meant, and indeed, a few hours later, I received the news that she and Daniel are engaged.  We could not be more pleased!

Don and I considered going back to the cabin on Tuesday, but the reality is, his dad is not out of the woods.  We would rather be closer than in New Mexico . . . so our trip to the cabin has been delayed.  But that is ok.  It is more important to be here for Kenny.  So our roller coaster has not derailed after all.  It did some crazy things, even maybe went upside down . . . but we are still here and plugging along.

Yes, You Can Go Home Again!

It is four months after I started back at The Independent School, and I can say that sometimes one can go home again!  Yes, things are different . . . but they are the same in so many ways.

Although many of the faces have changed, attitudes have not.  Our faculty is still one of the friendliest and most nurturing groups I have ever known.  I have never seen a group of people who love their students like our teachers do.  Creative?  Absolutely . . . just as they always have been.  Friendly?  You bet.  Motivated to be the best, every day?  No doubt.

This has been quite a journey for me . . . it is hard for me to realize I have been on the job for 4 months already.  There is a lot to do, but with the support of all of the people involved, it will be manageable.

Yes, indeed, if you are willing to accept that some things will be different, you can go home again.

Never Say Never!

Earlier this spring, the Head of School at The Independent School resigned, leaving the School in a quandary.  It was too late to find someone to take his place, so they looked to Jenifer Pence, the Head of the Upper School, to fill in, hoping to find a Head of Upper School over the summer.

Unfortunately, most people had already signed contracts and were not available.  So in early July, I was called to have a conversation about being Head of the Upper School.  Yikes!  That was like a fish out of water for me, so we discussed my going part-time with another person in the Lower School.  I could do that one.

I didn't hear anything for some time and thought the matter was dead.  Then toward the end of July, I received another call asking if I would consider being the Head of School for a year.  Because we had some travels planned, I had some hesitation, because some of those were command performances!  But we discussed several of the issues, and how could I say no?  My kids have always called the School my third child . . . and so, of course, I said yes!

I didn't receive the official word until August 4, and I started three days later.  And I discovered there is a lot to learn . . . and a lot that is just the same!

I have thoroughly enjoyed being back at school . . . and I hope I can do some good.

At the end of the year, we will see, but for now, it is awesome!!!

The Finishing Touches

I think we are finally through with the cabin - except for window treatments in the dining room.

We had to go to Albuquerque to pick up the last of the Vienna Works furniture.  Thankfully, with Bart's truck, we were able to haul it all in one trip.

Once we unloaded it all, it went into place . . . and voila!

The bench

The night table

The picnic table

We love, love, love our new addition.  If we could stay all dinner, we just might!

Puzzling Miro

When Don was helping at the cabin last year, he came across an old puzzle my mom had purchased.  It was one of Miro's paintings - one I still do not understand - and Don knew that Diana would love putting it together.

So one morning, while I was snoozing, Don and Di started putting the puzzle together.  The first thing they realized was that trying to put together a crazy puzzle on a crazy tablecloth was just not going to work.

A white towel rescued the operation.

We discovered that the pieces in this puzzle were very odd, sometimes just laying against each other rather than connecting.  And within a day or two, they had completed it!  Why I did not take a picture of it, I do not know, but I would bet the next time Di is at the cabin, she tries to put it together again!

Homegoing and Twelve Years a Slave

I had never read Uncle Tom’s Cabin, but after reading Homegoing for Book Club, I decided I needed to read it.  I appreciated the book for what it was intended to be – an honest expose of slavery.  The religiosity of the book was annoying, but I did appreciate Harriet Beecher Stowe’s belief that slavery was evil and not the way things should be.  I also appreciated that she presented various kinds of slave owners – kind, indifferent, cruel, horribly cruel – and she did not hold back on the kinds of torture the slaves received.

Then I read Twelve Years a Slave (also for Book Club), and it is an actual story of a slave who was a free man but then was kidnapped and forced into slavery until he could be found.  Solomon Northrop seemed to walk many of the same steps that Tom had walked, though Tom had never been free.  They both had kind masters; they both had cruel masters; they both were beaten, starved, and tortured; they both were very religious.

Both books underscored a few points for me:

Without religion, many more slaves would have died.  For them, the religion was the only hope they had;

People, both men and women, can be very cruel to those they perceive “less than they;”

Children learn cruelty (bullying, nastiness, etc.) from those around them; and

Even well-treated slaves would have preferred freedom to their “easier” life than some others on their plantations.

Reading books about slavery and its horrors sickens me, saddens me.  How people could treat other people that way is beyond me. But then we see such things happening still throughout the world, whether it is in trafficking, war, or other equally awful practices.  Continuing to talk about the horrors, continuing to expose them, and teaching children strong values is the only way I know to combat them.

The Food Explorer

I had heard a review on NPR of The Food Explorer, by Daniel Stone, and when the reviewer mentioned that the book revolved around the life and a Kansan and his contributions to the foods we eat, I decided to read it.  I didn’t realize then that the lead character, David Fairchild, was the son of a former President of KSU, and his eventual “adversary” was Charles Marlatt, for whom the dormitory at KSU was named (I think).  

If you have eaten avocadoes, mangoes, lemons, cashews, papaya, watermelon, grapes, mushrooms, pomegranates, even quinoa – and many other fruits and vegetables – you have David Fairchild to thenk.  If you have enjoyed the cherry trees in Washington DC – those that flower but bear no fruit – thank David Fairchild again.  The list of contributions the man who few have heard of is long and grand.

Interestingly, he was married to Alexander Graham Bell’s daughter, and they lived a happy and “fruitful” life.  Before he was married, he had many harrowing experiences, including riding a mule 150 miles through jungles and mountains while journeying from Chile to Argentina. He was nearly thrown off a 1000-foot abyss when his mule lost his footing on the ice.  

This was an easy-reading book, full of amazing stories and information.  Anyone who likes to eat should read this and appreciate the efforts of David Fairchild, who brought us the food, and equally of Charles Marlatt, who tried to keep dangerous bugs and bacteria under control.  

Glorious Rain in all the Right Places

It had rained the day we arrived, but not a whole lot.  But it wasn’t long before we began to receive the kinds of rains we have been expecting.  We were gleeful when the rain and hail came fast and furiously.

Amazingly, it seems as if the same intensity of rain yields more rain in Wichita than here. Several times we thought we had received at least an inch or more, and it was less than .75”.  But we will take it in whatever amounts it wants to come . . . and so far nearly every day, we have gotten at least .2”, which is not much by Wichita standards, but by New Mexico standards, it is a gold mine!

EVICTION!

Drought is an awful thing, whether one is a farmer, a city-dweller, or a cabin owner.  In Wichita, our last meaningful rain, until July, was last October.  We had very little rain or snow over the winter, and the farmers’ wheat crops, though in the end better than expected, suffered greatly.

We had been keeping up on the precipitation in New Mexico during our drought, and the mountains of New Mexico were equally dry.  Our area had fewer than 10” total for the year – where average is bout 100” in the higher elevations.  By the time we came to the cabin in April, the streams were already at levels normally not seen until September or October.  

We returned in mid-May, knowing that the Forest Service may close the forest at any time. After one fairly decent rain, we thought perhaps we would be allowed to stay, but Memorial Day campers sealed our fate.  When the rangers found nearly 100 unattended fires when there weren’t supposed to be any, the foresters decided they must close the forest to prevent another fire. And although we agreed, we wished that we could have stayed.  

So on June 1, we left the Canyon, not knowing how long the closure would last.  We were hoping for a July 1 opening, but that was not to be.  Ultimately, the Canyon opened on July 9, and we were here by the 12^th.  The rains have started, and although it is still dry, more rains are expected for the next few weeks, and we are temporarily all right.  We understand that it has been raining at home, too . . . which is  good thing..

The Potato Farmer

Every year we try to plant potatoes in our meager garden.  Since we are gone so much in the summer, potatoes are easy to plant and leave . . . and when it is time for harvest, we pretend it is Christmas.

This year we planted many more potatoes than normal.  We had allowed some from last year to sprout, so we planted those as well as new ones.  Most of the potatoes from last year were of the purple variety, so when it was time to harvest, we were inundated with purple potatoes.  For a K-Stater, that is not a bad thing, as they retain their purple color through the cooking.

We harvested after July 4, though we did a few plants while Caleb was in Wichita, just to show him how it is done.  The picture shows how many potatoes we harvested, and I am certain there are more in the ground, but we did not find them.

Not long after, I took a dish of red, white and purple potato salad, made from freshly harvested potatoes from our backyard.  I have to admit, it was pretty tasty . . . and attractive, too.  

After the harvest, Don decided to try growing pumpkins for Halloween.  We hope we can take one of our homegrown pumpkins to Kansas City to carve with Caleb!!!

How Waffle!

In 1908, a firm named Griswold Manufacturing Company in Erie, Pennsylvania,  designed a cast-iron waffle iron, meant to be used, we believe, over a gas or propane flame.  Somehow it found its way to the Gladstone Mercantile, in Gladstone, NM, in 2016, where it was seen by Don.

“We don’t need it, Don.”

“But it would be so cool to use on our cabin stove, and Diana loves waffles.”

“Don, we do not have any place to store it.”

“But it would be so fun to have.”

“It isn’t going to work, Don.”

But I lost, and within about two minutes, we had a 1908 waffle iron tucked into the already packed car.  We carted the contraption back to Wichita, where Don read how to condition cast iron.  Three hours later, on a hot summer day, he had oiled and baked the waffle iron, causing smoke to infiltrate the house. Despite the fact that it was 90+ degrees outside, we were running the whole house fan to get rid of the smell and the smoke.  But the waffle iron did look perfect and ready to use.

Fast forward to 2018. The cabin addition is complete, and Diana has come to visit.  Don pulls out the waffle iron to see how it works.

He makes his signature (ha) waffle batter (Pioneer mix), and with his sous chef, Diana, he begins to cook waffles.  They have no idea what they were doing, but Don keeps testing the batter to see if he could open the waffle iron, and suddenly it breaks free.  The first side looks good.

He flips over the iron and cooks the other side about the same amount time.  It does not come out quite as easily – perhaps a little too much time – but it is still better than any of the electric waffle irons we have owned..  By the time he cooks the batch of batter, he has it down to perfection, and those waffles just slide out.

I do not mind eating a little crow with my waffles.

Is Nicknaming Hereditary?

I grew up in a family of Nicknamers.  My grandfather had numerous nicknames for us (some that I won't reveal), my grandmother was known by hers - Brooks - and all of their dogs and cats had numerous names.  My mother had two nicknames for me, one (I think) for Katie, and many for Bart (poor kid - some very humiliating)!  Dad gave us other names, so we all had to respond to many different names.  And I noticed when I went to see Uncle John, that he does the same thing.

When I met Don, I gave him several different names, Kenneth and Diana both know of several they had, all of our dogs rarely were called the same thing on a daily basis.  Yet Don's family did not do the nicknaming thing!

So imagine my delight when Monday, I learned that Caleb had named his father Owl, his mother Kanga, himself Roo, Melinda's mom Piglet, her dad Rabbit, Don Pooh (because he has a honey pot, though I thought maybe it was because he has a Pooh tummy), and me Tigger!  It appears he has inherited the nicknaming gene . . . I can't wait to see where it takes him!!

It Seems to Me . . .

I have always believed that the morale, the atmosphere, the environment of a family, a business, a state, a country is set by those in charge.  If a person has a positive leader, the environment is happy.  If a CEO leads by intimidation, so will those under him or her.  I found at the school, if I was kind and friendly, almost everyone else was, too.

Our nation is undergoing an era of incivility.  To throw someone out of a restaurant because one does not have the same political beliefs?  Oh my.  To refuse to bake a cake because someone does not have the same beliefs?  Unheard of.  To encourage people to intimidate and harass our elected leaders?  Come on, Maxine. You are better than that.

Yet I blame our leaders - and not just our President.  During President Obama's era, those in the Senate and the Congress were as bad as they are now.   People called for President Obama to fail, just as some are doing now.   Why do we want our country to fail?  I don't get it.

Our governors have not been the examples they should be.  Our attorney generals have not been either.  In Wichita, our County Commission is like the Rock 'em, Sock 'em robots.  It is all so unnecessary, yet it seems to be the norm for all.

We as civilians need to call out our elected leaders for their incivility - from our local commissions to our National leaders.  We need to ask them to calm the rhetoric.  We need to help them understand what their nastiness is doing to the rest of us.  It is not okay to harass someone just because they believe differently.  It is not okay to make fun of people who have disabilities, speech difficulties, or handicaps.  It is just not okay.

If we can remind those who lead that their actions matter, that they need to lead by example, that the negative environment they have all created needs to change, maybe they will become courageous.  Maybe they will monitor each other.  Maybe they can change the environment so that all of us "common folk" can go back to being kind, to engaging in healthy dialog, and to loving the best country in the world.  Maybe.

Glorious Rain - In all the Wrong Places

It is raining tonight.  It sounds glorious.  It smells glorious.  And we need it in Wichita.  It hasn't rained for a few days, and it was getting dry.  But over the past month or two we have had some significant rains.

We are home because the forest is so dry we were kicked out of the cabin on June 1.  Since we left there have been two small storms, but the river is running at record lows.  We fear it may dry up.  The Forest is closed to anyone who does not own land up there - so we could go to Grass Mountain, but without electricity, water, and a dump, we could only stay a few days.

The itch Don and I have to go back to the cabin is almost unscratchable, yet the forecast for the next ten days is grim.  No rain before July 1, despite predictions that the monsoons were going to arrive early and be very strong.  So far that prediction has gone nowhere!  That means that we will not be returning until July 15 at the earliest.

We know we need rain in Kansas, but we need it in New Mexico, too.  We are doing our daily rain dance - hoping, hoping, hoping!

Sometimes It is Just Too Weird

During the summer of 1972, between my freshman and sophomore year, I went to study in Mexico City with a KSU program.  About twelve others went too, and at the end of the program, three of them - Lyle Pishny, Mark Holt, and Francie Johnson - drove home from Mexico City.  They stopped for one night in Albuquerque, and they spent one night at the cabin before returning to Manhattan.

I had lost track of nearly everyone (except Ann Zutavern), but when I became a Trustee for KSU, Lyle was also a trustee.  I made sure to find him and reminded him of several of the things that happened to us during the trip.  We had a good laugh, enjoyed renewing our friendship, and moved on.

Last September, we were talking with our friends Carol and Steve King, whose family has had a cabin close to ours.  Carol and I grew up together at the cabin, and about 15 years ago, we solidified our friendship, and we have been close ever since.  At the time, Carol mentioned that she knew a very fine lawyer in Kansas City named Lyle Pishny.  Huh?  When I told her I knew Lyle and that he had actually been at the cabin, we all shook our heads in amazement.

Today, I finally had the opportunity to share the news with Lyle.  We were at the KSU Trustees meeting, and I was determined to find him.  I looked and I looked for him . . . and then noticed he was sitting right below me.  Ha, ha!  I showed him a picture of Carol and Steve, and asked him if he recognized them.  He looked at me, saying, "Carol and Steve.  How do you have a picture of them?"  When I explained the association, he was as astounded as the rest of us were.

We took a picture of ourselves, and then sent it to Carol and Steve.  This is one association that is so weird . . . and so fun!

Pacific Beach

After Caleb's third birthday, the family (two grandmas, two grandpas, mom, dad, and Caleb) went to San Diego to decompress.  We could not have gotten more glorious weather, and the beach was not at all crowded.  We could not have asked for a better situation.

We took Caleb to the beach, and he loved picking up the sand and squeezing it through his fingers.  He was introduced to seals and sea lions, he saw porpoises, and he got to ride several rides at Belmont Park.  Mom and Dad were able to take some time to themselves, and Don and I took the 4:00 a.m. wake-up time.  We knew littles ones do not adapt to the time zone very easily, so we were prepared.

I am ready to go back right away!

This little guy sure loved looking at us!

Shadow of the Wind

I had requested that our book club read Shadow of the Wind, and it was chosen for our May read.  I didn't realize the pressure I would feel, hoping everyone would like it.

I had read it back in about 2004, and I really like it then.  But when the moderators began to preview the book, I wondered if I had ever read it at all!  They described a book I had totally forgotten.  So I decided I had better re-read it, and I am so glad I did.

When I first read it, I think I was just trying to get done with it.  This time, I was able to take my time.  I had missed so much the first time, I discovered.  Not usually one to pay huge attention to the writing, I found I luxuriated in the language.  One of the moderators described Zafon as a Spanish Shakespeare, he was so elegant with his words.

I had recalled that the scenes were dark, the story was dark, and indeed it was.  But I had forgotten how convoluted and twisting the plot was.  I had to pay attention again, and I still got confused.  Had not remembered any of it!!

If you need a beautiful read, full of action and a challenging mystery, this is it!  Love this book!

The Perfect Pass

For the football lovers, this book is a must read.  S. C. Gwynne, who wrote Empire of the Summer Moon, details the life of Hal Mumme and how he created the Air Raid offense.  As a football fan, but not a strategist, this book helped me know what to look for in a play and why the Air Raid offense has been effective.  I loved this book, and I will probably read it again!

Sweet Baby Mia

Two months ago seems so long ago, and yet it seems like yesterday.  Rest in peace, sweet little one.

The Death of Expertise

What a timely book this is!  The author's contention that people in the US disregard the advice and information of experts is well presented in this important book.  He discusses not only how people seem proud of the fact that they are uninformed, but he also shows that not all opinions are created equal, despite the conventional wisdom these days.  He takes on higher ed and its failings (even though he is a professor), the internet and its influences, the media and their troubles, and even experts themselves.

His advice to read more quality information, read from several sources, and examine carefully claims made by so-called experts should be fair warning to all.  Unfortunately, this will probably not be a book that is read by the masses but instead by those who already do those things.  I found many examples of myself in the book (I hate to admit it, but it is true), and I gained a great perspective.  I highly recommend this book - it is a fairly quick read and well worth it!

The Holiday Blur

And now it is 2018.  Between Thanksgiving with Diana and Daniel, the Gaskills, and Kenton, Kylie and Chase, a quick trip to KC for Di and Daniel to see Mia and Caleb, and then a KSU game, Daniel quickly found out the Norton family does not let moss grow under its feet.  We had a marvelous time, culminating in a big KSU win.  The weather was perfect for tailgating, and by the time Di and Daniel left for Austin on Sunday, we had had a great weekend.

Pre Christmas was highlighted by a concert by Chris Mann.  It was so fun to be in the audience and see what a great performer he is.  That voice!  On my way into the concert, I hit a pothole and fell flat.  Don said I looked like the Wicked Witch of the West when my cape folded up around me.  I wasn't hurt badly, was able to walk into the concert and back to the car, into the restaurant, and knew I was fine.  Except once I went to bed, my foot stiffened and I literally could not walk.  Luckily, by the next evening it was better and by Monday morning, I would never have known I had fallen . . . except my hand still hurt a bit.  Four weeks later, it was still hurting, so after the x-ray revealed a healing fracture, I am now in a splint.  Oh boy . . . thank goodness it has not been real painful and is almost healed!

Kenneth, Melinda, Mia, and Caleb came down for Christmas, which was a true joy.  Caleb loved my snow globes, the train, and all of the other decorations, and when we lighted the luminarias, he really enjoyed watching them.  Santa's footprint the next morning intrigued him (it is now a plaster cast), and the fact that the reindeer carrots were gone sealed the deal.  Little did Caleb know that Jordy and Nelson had gotten ahold of the carrots long before the reindeer did!  It was hard to say goodbye to them on Tuesday.

Finally we spent New Year's Eve with a group of church friends.  It was a great way to usher in the new year and we are praying this year is a better one than the last.