Welcome Year 2009

Christmas 2008 is over and so is the year. This is an exciting time, a time for introspection, remembering, thanksgiving and renewal. As we send off the old year, there is much to look back at. We have said good-by to many friends this past year. We have also welcomed brand new babies who come to be our children, grandchildren, brothers and sisters. We have watched as our economy began to crack and crumble.

We have also witnessed an historical election that promises change and hope for our future. I like to celebrate the changing of the year by putting the old one to rest and embracing the new one with all the positive thoughts I can crowd into my head. I do believe it is important to put as much positive energy into the universe as possible.

So here's to 2008. Thank you for all the lessons and opportunities you have left us and all the wonderful things we don't want to forget. Here's to 2009. Let us all honor you with our best efforts and highest expectations.

Enough of my rambling. I know you really just want to know what's been going on. Let me start with Candy Hill. Her sister, Mary Kay McCallen from Champaign, IL spent several days with Candy over the holidays. Candy enjoyed showing off her new digs and they had a lot of visiting to do. They celebrated Candy's birthday and Meagan Louder's at a dinner prepared by Cathy Louder at Jessie Malin's over the weekend.

And more with Jessie Malin, hostess extraordinaire!

Christmas Eve she was surrounded by her family. Cathy and Rob Louder were there of course. Their clan consisted of David Cohn, Keit and Heidi Cohn, with their children, Mason, Hayden and Cooper, Seth and Misty Cohn and their children, Hailey and Dawson Henderson and Meagan Louder.

Steve Malin and his daughters Mika and Margo came from St. Louis. There was a ton of food, of course and presents and much much frivolity. Steve couldn't tear himself away until Sunday.

Lane Wozniak spent Christmas with her son Josh in Reno, NV. She flew out of St. Louis, MO on the 22nd. You know that was the day all the airports to the north, east and west were battling huge snowstorms. Yeah, she had some trouble getting off the ground in St. Louis because her flight originated in Albany and was delayed in Baltimore.

She ended up on another flight which took her through Denver. Lucky lady. She could see the tail of the plane that slid off the runway a couple of days before as her plane was taking off. When she got to Reno the weather was nice and much warmer than St. Louise or Rector, for that matter. That changed of course.

Christmas dinner was with Josh at a co-worker's house and they had to use tire chains to travel there. Yeah, that means snow and snow means cold. Once there, Lane ran into some folks from Saginaw. Can you believe it! She finds Michiganders everywhere.

Paula Benton also spent Christmas with her sons in the Houston area. Jeff lives in Houston and Chaz and Kelsey live in Pearland. They all had Christmas dinner at Kelsey's, parents home. Both sets of Kelsey's grand-parents were on hand and her Aunt and Uncle. And there were presents for everyone. Then there was time for shopping and eating and visiting with old friends and eating.

In case you weren't already aware of this, there is a reason we are not seeing Jessica Earls at the store these days. She is lolling in bed a lot and putting on weight. It is all good! They will soon have one of those precious little babies to spoil.

I am so excited to know that we will have a Viet Nam war memorial in Rector. That, of course is the war of my generation. Many young men and women lost their lives there. It is good that their memories be honored and never forgotten. Thank you Cindy, Lucenda, Chief Leach, Paul Frets and everyone else who works so hard to enhance our little town.

Time to go. Let me hear from you now. Give me a call or send me an email to let me know what is going on. My phone number is 595-3173 or you can drop me a note at 514 West 3rd St. My email address is: porchswing@newwavecomm.net.