Well, we are now in the Christmas season and there is too much to do before my sister arrives this Friday! I’ve been working on cleaning and decorating the living room since 10 this morning and I’m still not done. We decided not to do a tree because there is simply NOT enough room what with the ten thousand chairs and this hideous sofa my mother thinks is so beautiful! I have to repair the post the cat has totally destroyed over the last four years. I have the wood I just need the patience. I’m also repairing the ceiling in her bathroom which needed to be replaced because the seal went on the skylight. I couldn’t convince her to remove it. damn it. but I did replace the damaged exterior and reshingled. Thankfully I got one of the prisoners who had been released from serving time with a DWI to help me get all the shit up on the roof thus saving me a severe back ache.
Up and running on the gallery are some pictures of what the park looks like when it’s decorated for Santa Breakfasts. It’s really pretty. Also some of the guys that helped Jim and I complete some large projects this fall after the park became closed for the season.
I hope all your wishes come true this Holiday season and that you get everything you need and maybe some what you want.
Me, I got a new dog. Her name is Matilda and she’s four or five months old. She’s really calming Willow down. They actually sleep during the day! Her pictures up, too.
Posted on December 17th, 2007 by MJ
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Today is the fifth anniversary of my younger brother’s death. Marty was sometimes a joy and sometimes a pain in the butt, but he was almost always cheerful. On a couple of occasions he became morose and was his own worst enemy. I know people who have spent their entire adult lives in conflict over what happened to them in their youth…the stronger ones somehow move on and then there’s the rest of us. Marty got stuck, too. But for the most part he was a happy guy except for the last few years of his life. Problems with his health concerned us all, but he couldn’t change. It’s the human condition, isn’t it? We are blind to our own idiosyncracy and continue on paths that are distructable to our lives. My other brother Mike smokes way too much and as much as we wish he would quit, he continues. I wish I could quit myself but I delude myself into thinking it does me no harm. I’ve looked at clouds from both sides now, in November, when half the sky is gray and the other half blue. It’s what November does.
Posted on November 10th, 2007 by MJ
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I’ve been back from my trip to Madison for a little over a week and after having visited with close and loving friends I can only tell them all that my life without them is sometimes sad. Anyway, I trudge along here in CNY and think of them almost everyday. Thank for you allowing me into your lives once again with such graciousness and generosity. This especially goes to Carol and Jane and Rain and Cynthia who opened their homes to me and their great hospitality.
I had the unexpected surprise of getting to see Rose who was visiting from SF. A couple of years ago we managed to arrive in Madison about the same time and I have to thank the great universal energy for fixing the stars so they aligned positively once again. And getting a chance to spend some quality time with Michele was sweet, too.
Rain and Cynthia continue to do huge improvements on their home which is warm and inviting (not that it wasn’t before). Their remodelled basement is something I envy from afar. Thank you for inviting Lois for dinner and the chance to watch PBS’s The War there.
Cherie and Kim are wonderful hostesses and Kim’s cooking was super even if she forgot the chicken at the store. I was happy to be of service getting some of Cherie’s belongings moved from her beloved farm in Deerfield. I’m so sorry she has to sell it. Just keep your fingers crossed, Cherie…someday our ship will come in.
Vicki and Sue continue to update their home as well. It’s lovely and so are they. I hope Jody’s wrist is healing and that she is back home in her own abode though her mother’s cooking would keep me there forever.
Really enjoyed my visit with Jodi. We went for a long doggy walk and then to lunch. I think Emilie is adorable, by the way, but I’m just not into children. It was great to have Jodi by herself without the stress of trying to care for Emilie while we were trying to visit, so thank you Michael for caring for her while Jodi and I played.
I hope Craig is eating some peanuts! Mark is very concerned about his weight loss and having some munchies around would certainly keep some of his present wait on. I recommend almonds and cashews. They seem to add to my girth without too much effort.
Thank you all for welcoming me back into your lives. The invitation is always open to any of you to visit me!
Posted on October 7th, 2007 by MJ
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the summer is two thirds over and I haven’t done anything I thought I’d do! There’s the sky lite to repair and the bathroom ceiling to re drywall and the yard to clean and the garage to straigthen…etc. In my defense, the weather has been brutal. Work, actual work has been hard, and the heat has been oppressive. I get home and I’m totally wiped out. all I usually manage to do is eat and go to bed. And it all doesn’t make any difference anyway because no one cares if the house is clean but me.
My niece, Julie, is biking across the northern half of the country. She was in St. Paul, Minnesota the day after the bridge collasped. In her blog she said she wanted to come home one day…that she missed her dog and her sisters, but she talked herself out of quiting. Good for her! Personally I wouldn’t have lasted the first day. I like my creature comforts too much.
My brother’s high school friend, John Stebla, is visiting. He and Mike drove to Indiana for the class of 62’s reunion. Mike called this morning and says they will probably be coming home early because there isn’t anything to do there. Obviously he misses his computer and his creature comforts, too. I’m looking forward to spending some time with John when they return. John and I used to date when I was in high school. We went to a winter dance together and as I remember we had a good time. I don’t remember if he was much of a dancer though. Probably not. Nobody I have ever dated was much of a dancer except for Fred Woolf who I danced with when I was in seven grade. Now he was smooth. Unfortunately he moved away the next year and we never danced again. I actually think of him often though I couldn’t describe what he looked like if my life depended upon it.
The latest Harry Potter movie was awesome. Unfortunately I wanted more in regards to the last book. Of course Snape had to die…but I think Rowlands chickened out by killing Fred. He was not really what I considered a big character in the seven books, now was he. I think killing Dobby was kind of sleazy, too. But I was glad Kreacher’s change of heart and attitude was great. What happened to the sword? What plan does Harry come up with to keep it from the goblin after the fact? Why does Hogwart’s have to go back to having the same four houses? Why can’t all the students be united, what’s with these divisions, anyhow? Now that the dark lord is dead aren’t we sure that Slithering House will produce yet another evil wizard? Maybe scorpius! I want a thestral, by the way.
Posted on August 5th, 2007 by MJ
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