Mood:  energetic
Today was a fun Saturday. Chris and I went to Gt. Barrington to meet with Don, Carol, Lance & Aletha for lunch at noon. We walked around a bit then went to a grille for lunch. The food was a bit pricey but very good.

Aletha & Lance went to Alaska a few weeks ago to visit their son, Doug, and his live-in girlfriend. They really like the girl very much! They said that this time of year the sun comes up around 10:00 a.m. and sets around 3:00 p.m. The sun never gets very far above the horizon. They said Doug has now moved back to Colorado.

Today was in the 50s and sunny! Crazy weather!

We tried to call Dan twice but couldn't get through. He e-mailed us so Chris e-mailed back and said we'd try to call him again tomorrow.

Mood:  chatty
Today is Friday. Mary called tonight to say she got home from Puerto Rico today. She had a wonderful time but didn't get time to swim in the ocean. She has to do laundry etc and get ready to go to Baltimore, Maryland on Monday for a few days. She will stay in a hotel there rather than commute 90 minutes each way.

Today was nearly 60 deg. So warm that we had the windows open at work!

Mary called tonight from Puerto Ricco. She said they have asked her to stay on until Friday instead of coming home Wednesday night. She is very excited and they took her shopping to get more clothes as she only packed for two days.

Mood:  happy
Today is Monday and Mary and Chris have the day off (Martin Luther King). Mary came up from PA at noon to get her passport as she is flying to Puerto Rico tonight out of Newark, NJ. I took 2 hours off from work to see her and visit a little while. Chris has been cutting trees for firewood for next winter. It is extremely cold here today around 17 deg.

Mood:  chillin'
Well, today is Sunday and Chris went out by the back pond and cut down trees to help supply us with wood next winter. I got to work taking the Christmas tree down...it was sad to see it go as it really made the house pretty especially this gray time of year.

I called Mary and she is doing fine and she likes her new rotation at work but not the long commute. She may be going to Puerto Rico in the next couple of weeks for a day or two to see a new Merck plant.

Hubby gets Martin Luther King Day off next week but I have to work. My next holiday is Memorial Day...so very very far away.

Happy Friday
Mood:  lazy
Dan left today for gunnary training up near the Czeck border. He will be gone for a month...I hope his cookies are still good...

Mary is doing fine with her new job but is still adjusting to the longer drive to work (1 hour).

Ada leaves tonight for Spain for a college semester living with a host family.

Gas prices are up to over $1.50 as of today. This annoys me greatly as I feel we as US citizens are being manipulated by other countries/corporations and paying way too much for fuel. I plan to do a lot more shopping online and less driving.

Today the price of stamps inceased from $.37 to $.39 so I will also be trying to pay some bills by credit cards and others on-line or by telephone.

I don't know how people with low incomes make ends meet.

First Blog Entry
Mood:  happy
I've decided to start a blog to keep a diary of sorts starting with this new year.

Christmas (12/25/05) was wonderful. Dan came home from Germany where he has been posted with the Army for a few months over a year. Last year he was unable to come home so this year was very special.

Mary came home from Lansdale, PA and stayed for a week before she started her new job today. She is doing her last 6 month rotation with Merck. Her job is now about 1 hour from her apartment but she has a new Toyota Camry (2005) and doesn't mind the drive as she got Sirious the new no-commercial radio for her car.

There were 13 of us for Christmas a our house. George, Laura, Chris, Amy, Dan, Mary, Don, Carol, Ada, Jim, Betsy and Zach. We had good food, fun presents and an overall wonderful time being together.

On December 27th, Sue Bole died (Laura's sister) at age 93 so on December 30th (Friday) we drove to Arlington, VA for the funeral on December 31. Don & Carol took L&G with them as they had the day off and could travel during daylight. Chris & I worked until 1:00 and then left home at 2:00 for the 7 hour trip. We arrived at 9:00 p.m. Betsy flew in from Ohio.

On December 31st we went to the cemetery at 10:30 for the commitment service and Mary was able to meet us there. We all then went to Dick & Virginia McEwen's house for a buffet lunch and then on to the church service at 2:00. After the service, Mary left to go to NJ to Katie's (old college roomate) for a party and Chris & I, Don, Carol and Betsy all went to Bob Wilson's for dinner. He lives nearby in a lovely old house. Clyde and Diana met us there (they had come in from Colorado as Diana is Sue's daughter) and we all ordered Chineese food. The food was great, the company superb and we had a wonderful visit from 6:00 until 9:00.

January 1st we drove home and brought L&G home with us. Don & Carol dropped Betsy off at the BWI airport.

January 2nd we had to take Dan to JFK for his flight home. We left home at 3:00 and got back at 9:00. He flew on Delta and said it was a "cheap" airline and he would like to fly something else next time.

January 3rd, I woke up to about 5 inches of snow. Chris went off to work but I had taken today off as a vacation day so I decided to set up a blog for the new year, do laundry, knit and make Dan some chocolate chip cookies. We are sending Dan a box tomorrow with clothes he got for Christmas and other stuff he could not carry back to Germany. I will send the cookies in the box tomorrow.