I guess – and I probably should know this after 51 years – but when I’m overwhelmed or even underwhelmed with a bit on my mind – I kind of shut down.  Suppose that is a natural reaction.  Christmas is such a big holiday for our family.  I  love Christmas – I love preparing for Christmas, I love to buy presents for people… I pretty much love everyone at Christmas time.  I love Christmas eve and Christmas eve service in order to center myself on the real reason for Christmas and then Christmas day with family…

The weather just sucks in rural Iowa right now….in Iowa in the country.  Our gravel road was solid ice for several days – if you live in town and never travel gravel – woo hoo travel gravel…you have no problem.

Kate is going to Kent State next semester and for 2 years.  I’m all emotional about that…but once these two years are over, they are moving back here to Des Moines…so those two years will be difficult to get thru but 20 years from now it will only be a drop in the bucket of life.

Helen and Frances are home.  They are both still alive.

We are shift bidding for 2008 shifts.  I’m going back to nights…I have a love/hate relationship with days but the cons of staying on days are significantly more than going back to nights – 6p to 2a is actually a pretty good shift.

Okay.  I think that is it.  Hoping to feel better about getting it all down in writing.  We’ll see.

Until next time…..