Christmas Eve--08

Where has the year gone. Last year this time we were waiting for Isabel and fussing with her mother to take it easy. That girl never was one to take it easy. This year, after many months of illness and pain, I sadly said "good-by" to my long-time friend. She and I always agreed that you have to take the bitter with the better. How true.

This Christmas Eve the Saint is out and about doing his thing. I hope he's not spending money on a gift for me...as we decided Ashville and the Biltmore was to be our gift to each other. There's a pile of gifts under our tree...some in a box to go to Joan's tomorrow (yeah, she's cooking!) and some labeled for the Saint and me. I did sneak a peak at one of them...a lovely pin from my sister bought at the Titanic exhibit when she and Uncle John were in Vegas last spring. So, it's a far cry from Christmases past when one woke at 3 a.m. and tried to get parents to rise and shine for Santa's visit. It's even a far cry from Christmases not so far past when kids woke early and tried to convince parents (us big people) that it was time...it was time...it was time.

We are trying to think of the right time to go to church. Children's mass as St. Stephen is at 4 p.m. Maura is Mexico (whatever that means). But we dislike that mass so much that I told her much as I loved her I wouldn't go to that mass unless she was the Virgin Mary. She just laughed and said I'd be missing a lot not to see her in her debut as a "country." I'm going to chance it.

The next mass is at 7pm and it's the teens mass. Also not our favorite. Too much jivy music and hollering. I know the teens love it and that's what it's for...so.

Midnight Mass...too long...too hot. You have to get there at 11 to get a seat...even those Steinmetzes crazier who always get there early think it's not fun.

Is church supposed to be fun? I don't know. The next mass is a 10am on Christmas Day and I guess that's OUR Mass, unless when the Saint is out he finds out that Holy Rosary down the road is having one at 8 in the a.m. So many choices, but one thing you can put money on is that we will be at one or another of these Christmas celebrations. You have to say thanks to God for blessings received.

Adieu, Farewell, Aloha, etc, etc, etc,...I'll write again soon. I'm hoping I'm blogging enough so that Carla (who did all the work setting up this blog) won't think her work was in vain. Love to all.

Books and more books

Hello out there in cyberspace....The question for the day is "are you a reader?" As a lifelong reader (well, since first grade) I can't understand people who don't read. I know with computers etc. reading is becoming a lost art, sort of like letter writing, but I'm never completely at ease unless I have a book at hand.

The Saint is also a reader. Although we don't have the same tastes in reading, he usually has a book in progress. I, on the other hand, usually have a couple going at the same time. I told someone the other day that I read 2 or 3 books a week. They were impressed. My tastes run to mysteries but I'll read anything (even the Saint's military history books) when I'm desperate.

One of my problems is that I usually can't recall the writer's name when I'm recommending a book. This week, I read "The man who made lists" and "Hush". The first wasn't a mystery but was about Roget of Roget's thesaurus fame. A biography...This man lived long and evaded the family curse of madness by making lists from the time he was a child. Very interesting. The other book was a mystery involving a serial killer and had a couple of interesting characters. I think this author has a series going for her.

So, back to reading. In the old days when I went to school children were not encouraged to know much before they went to school. No kindergarten, but the first day of first grade I remember going home and reporting to my mother that I couldn't read yet. What a disappointment. The first word I ever learned to read was....go. That started me off and I haven't stopped yet. Hooray for the written word.

A few years ago I was talking with a nonreader. He actually was illiterate and encouraging him to stick it out with his tutor. I asked him what he liked to read and he said, "nothing." I told him that someday he'd want to know something and there wouldn't be anyone around that he could ask about the subject and the only way to find out about it would be to read.

I read, therefore I am...to paraphrase that I think, therefore I am fellow.

That's all, folks. Till next time.

Dec. 19, Friday Today Sadness

Today is a sad day for me. My friend Kathy Brown died yesterday morning. I will miss her a lot. When someone we love dies, we cry not for that person, but for ourselves. Today I'm crying for myself. I'll probably never have another friend like her.

Till next time

Dec.14/08 Maura's recital

Hello from Nashville...Today we go to see Maura's first piano recital. I'm sure she will be one of the first pianists as she just started taking lessons a few months ago. These things usually go from the least experienced to the most experienced. Anyway, we asked her yesterday what time it started and she said "4 o'clock." Her mom said, "Wrong....it's 2 o'clock...If you come at 4 you will have missed it all. So, we are gearing up for the 2 o'clock hour.

Jean-Luc..we caught your blog. Great news about the fort project. 97 is a great grade. I'm sure your teacher was impressed with all the work. Your grandpa is a master craftsman. Right now, he's reading the paper and I'm writing.

No big plans for this week. It should be quiet. We put the tree up yesterday. I still have to make Isabel's ball. Her mom said she had her first play date yesterday. Aunt K was watching a high-school classmate's baby while he and his wife were at a meeting. Aunt K says Dominick was 2 months younger than Isabel, but 3 pounds heavier. I thought she said 3 times heavier. Grandpa said that would make Dominick about 60 pounds. Wow...what a big boy.

Ta-ta till next time.

Dec.12/08 snow,snow,snow

Hi, folks. Sorry, Florida Steinmetzes...no J-L camera here. This is what they say when you get off the bus...collect all your belongings, make sure your cameras and cell phones haven't fallen out of your pockets or purses. It's much easier to get them now than try to collect them later.

This a.m. in Nashville we woke to snow on the ground. Since Nashvillians are notorious for not being able to handle snow, today will be a driving adventure. Sure am glad Al took my car to get a tire fixed yesterday. There was a nail in it. He ordered new tires for his car. I'll be out and about at 6am to go to the talking library. Then to drop off a covered dish for a funeral at church. Then a visit to Kathy. Perhaps by noon the snow will be all gone. As you can probably tell it's pre-dawn as I write this. I'll need a nap after lunch.

Dad is still sawing logs but he put up the tree last night. Today I'll get the balls out and decorate. I must make Isabel a ball to add to the other "Horton X-mas" balls. We wouldn't want her to be the only one in the family without a name ball on the tree.

So, Christmas is coming and the goose is getting fat. Yesterday I sent off Rose Mary's Xmas box.
She is getting ready to move to a new apartment. She'd like to get into it by the end of the month. She says it's bigger than her current address and has a storage space (this has been an issue with her since she moved out of the big house). It's also a ground level apartment and the other residents are all women of a similar age to her. So it should be quieter. We are hoping all goes well with this move for her.

Well, I've put it off long enough. It's tea time and go down and dig out the decorations. Till next time...ta ta.

Dec.11/08 Asheville, etc.

We visited Vanderbilt's Biltmore HOME (not a castle, chalette or manorhouse) these past few days. First an evening tour with ballet dancers and madrigalle singers in the grand entrance, then many, many steps to the top floors. Bedrooms, libraries, diningrooms, etc. all elegant and over the top. The next day we visited again and went to the basement (called "down stairs") to see how all that elegance was maintained. That was most interesting..kitchens, laundries, and the equivalent to a modern rec-room with weights, swimming pool (58foot long), pantries, and tiny rooms (where some of the servants slept), diningrooms for the staff. The only working room was where the flowers for the mansion were arranged and stored. A 38foot tall tree as well as 50-60 smaller trees were about the house. Naturally a trip to the shop to look at all the expensive baubles. Even at the Biltmore...they were having a 25% off sale on Christmas related items.
After that we visited the winery...converted from a dairy barn. I should say barns, as this was a big operation. Very interesting, also.
We came away thinking that we wouldn't have minded being a Vanderbilt, but we wouldn't have chosen to be a servant.
Currently the Biltmore employs 1700 and there are many houses around the grounds where some of the higher up employees live. This was a deal...no rent, no expenses for heat,water, etc. The Biltmore takes care of everything. I asked if this was in addition to wages, and was told yes, everyone living on the estate also gets wages. What a deal.
8,000 acres down from 10 miles of property in the early 1900's.
Of course, during the next day we also saw some other things, but the Biltmore was the highlight of the trip. I'm wondering if Biltmore doesn't really mean Built More. The family did actually live there. Wow and Wow again.
We got home last night about 7. Joan and Maura were there to greet us and take us home. The trip was fun and as usual, we were ready to get home to our own beds....no place like home.

Dec.7/08

Hello, One and All...after some assistance from my favorite daughter-in-law...I'm ready to go. The Saint and I are watching the Titans beat the Browns (from my mouth to God's ear). Titans are ahead at the half. Too many penalties...this from the Saint. I say football is a rough game. He loves it when I talk sports.
I'm not too happy with Nashville's unseasonable cold temps. It's been cold (for us cold is in the 20s at this time of year) and usually we don't get cold till midJanuary. I say...where is global warming when you need it.
I can't believe we are in December already. We will put us our tree next weekend as the Paters will visit in January and then we'll do Xmas with them. Early Xmas with the Florida Steinmetzes and late Xmas with the Paters in January. Only the Quinns on the real day.
Xmas gifts are always a problem...what to buy and how much to spend. Long ago we decided toys weren't the gift for grandkids, but as someone near and dear says, you have to get them "somethin-somethin". Books for Ed and kitchen stuff for Joan...a bag of school goodies for the kids plus their college fund money.
We are happy that we have the wear-with-all to give money. Al reminded me that when our kids were little..they were only allowed to ask for three gifts and none of them could require batteries. Those xmas catalogs got a lot of attention from our three. We wern't trying to be mean, but batteries lasted about an hour and they didn't fit into the budget.
We always had a rule about Christmas....no bills in January (or February or March) for Christmas gifts.
The Saint and I are giving each other a short 3-day trip to Ashville to view the Vanderb ilt mansion and grounds for Xmas. He says we are going with the "old people", as if we aren't old people too.
Enough for now. I'm going to make a New Year's resolution to write at least 3 times a week in the new year. Y'all (a good old southern contraction) will get tired of reading this thing.