Here it is, folks. The culmination of nearly a year’s worth of Rusty’s planning, organizing, and employment of various contractors. (And lots of extra work done by Rusty, too.)
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| INDOOR PLUMBING! |
It’s nothing fancy, but it covers the basics. I’m happy we had the experience of no running water for two entire years, because it made us much more appreciative of our new upgrade. Many of our grandparents did not have such a luxury. There are millions of people in certain parts of the world who still don’t have running water. This is a spacious room which also houses (not pictured) two 4-foot wide, 6-foot tall, metal storage shelves. We are grateful for what we have.
And just as important is running water at kitchen sink.
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| Just turn the knob and water comes out! If you wish, it can also be hot! |
In November we flew to Philadelphia to be with the Caviezel family. I always enjoy this city; it seems to me it doesn’t take itself too seriously.
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| A favorite Philly saying |
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| …and on the other side of the sculpture, another famous saying. |
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| I got to walk over the Ben Franklin Bridge |
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| And enjoy the view of the Delaware River with son-in-law, Sam. |
Our visit was too short, but we still got to hear the Philadelphia Orchestra perform Beethoven’s Sixth Symphony in F Major. Sam was awesome!
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| We had fun after the concert standing on the Maestro’s podium. |
Felicia always finds fun museums to tour, and this trip was no exception. The
Winterthur Museum (a part of the DuPont Family) was hosting a special Christmas featuring the gowns of Ann Lowe. There’s a great video
here if you don’t know about Anne Lowe.
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| She created many gorgeous gowns for high society women. Perhaps her most famous was Jackie Kennedy’s wedding gown. |
After Philadelphia, Felicia, Ruby and I flew to Kansas City for more adventures with Olivia’s family.
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| First adventure was watching the Philadelphia Eagles vs. the Kansas City Chiefs. Thanks to Olivia for such great seats! |
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| 3 Eagles supporters and 6 Chief supporters. |
Before the pre-Thanksgiving jobs began, I had a fantastic evening hanging out with my girls.
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| Olivia |
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| Felicia |
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| Cozy fire, comfy sweats, a little wine, and the dog—-perfect! |
Preparations began early Thursday morning.
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| Chris was in charge of the kitchen, with Ruby as a helper. |
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| Once the Fowler family began to arrive, the kitchen was a very busy place. |
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| What a group, huh? Thankfully Olivia has a big home that she happily shares with all the family. |
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| Many of us walked to the Plaza to witness the turning on of the Christmas lights. |
Such wonderful family time!
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| Ruby and Felicia |
And we had two birthdays to celebrate.
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| Ruby turned 13. |
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| Chris’s daughter, Abby, turned 15. |
Pierce attends Rockhurst High School (all male). He is the only sophomore to make the varsity team, so of course we had to watch him play on Friday night. I had not attended a high school football game in over 50 years. This experience brought back many wonderful memories!!!
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| *This is a promo photo, not Pierce. |
And just to add one more thing to a very busy week, we drove to a tree farm for the Christmas tree.
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| Abby, Chris, Ruby, Olivia, Pierce, Felicia, Reece, Maddy, Di |
The travel experience was horrible, but it was worth it to see both of my daughters and my grandkids.
An inauspicious beginning to December: 2 flat tires and melting of snow and lakes.
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| This is the local junkyard where one goes to get a tire fixed. |
We hosted our second annual Holiday Party for our neighbors. Two dozen people filled our small cabin with merriment.
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| I love to use the Christmas napkins my Mom made for me many years ago. Thankfully, my Mom is still doing well. She will be 98 in March. |
We spent Christmas Day enjoying dinner at the Grand Ely Lodge with friends.
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| This is your Merry Christmas card from Rusty and me. (I just didn’t get cards sent this year. Sorry.) |
I did get to spend one afternoon biking on White Iron Lake. Then the temps warmed and the ice was covered in water. Too scary for me.
Because of current temps, the ice is thawing and freezing, which results in unusual noises from the lake. The locals compare it to a pod of orcas singing. I’d say more like groaning, but it’s very cool to hear.
For New Year’s Eve we will be celebrating with about 350 others at the State Theatre.
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| Heavy appetizers, champagne, and wonderful music. Best of all, it ends at 9:00 p.m. |
We received so many Christmas cards with wishes for peace and hope. We wish the same for you in 2024.
