The new, slim Christopher
Tuesday, October 18, 2005
Sunday, October 16, 2005
This has been one baseball-filled weekend. I am in Chicago with Rose and Shirley. The Sox are hot, and Chicago is hot for them. We've watched the Cardinals get crushed twice by the Astros and now are watching the Angels battle the Sox. I have to call Scott and Chris often during these play-off games to get info about players, rulings, and baseball in general. They certainly have followed in their father's footsteps. Each knows all the subtleties of sports in ways I don't even begin to fathom. So, I just call them when I want to know, for example, why I may never get to see Roger Clemons pitch again.
Rose did a nice update but failed to mention that Brother Donald traveled from Birmingham on Monday to attend Joe's Man of the Year Award Dinner. I want to correct that oversight. And I want to add my two cents about what a wonderful evening it was. Truly the gang was all there!
Tomorrow Shirley and I will fly to St. Louis where Chris, our attentive and loving airport shuttle, will meet us. Rose will return on Tuesday. This will be a short week. Shirley's sister arrives from Covington, LA, on Thursday, then the four of us will go to the lake for a few days on Friday. This is our semi-annual get-together during which we usually play cards, specifically poker, for money. We like to refer to Shirley's sister Loretta as the "Mississippi Gambler" because she has a way of going home with some of our $$$. After several years of this, we no longer can call it 'luck.'
I am having new siding put on the lake house. That work should begin while we are there. I took Pete's advice that 'cheapest is sometimes most expensive,' and have selected someone that my sons--biological and adopted--approve even though the his cost is above other estimates.
Sad to say, Brayden hasn't given us dear old ladies a second thought since he went off with his dad yesterday. Needless to say, we are missing him terribly.
We have lots of photos to post, but they are in St. Louis. We'll try to get them 'blogged' before we leave for the lake.
Rose did a nice update but failed to mention that Brother Donald traveled from Birmingham on Monday to attend Joe's Man of the Year Award Dinner. I want to correct that oversight. And I want to add my two cents about what a wonderful evening it was. Truly the gang was all there!
Tomorrow Shirley and I will fly to St. Louis where Chris, our attentive and loving airport shuttle, will meet us. Rose will return on Tuesday. This will be a short week. Shirley's sister arrives from Covington, LA, on Thursday, then the four of us will go to the lake for a few days on Friday. This is our semi-annual get-together during which we usually play cards, specifically poker, for money. We like to refer to Shirley's sister Loretta as the "Mississippi Gambler" because she has a way of going home with some of our $$$. After several years of this, we no longer can call it 'luck.'
I am having new siding put on the lake house. That work should begin while we are there. I took Pete's advice that 'cheapest is sometimes most expensive,' and have selected someone that my sons--biological and adopted--approve even though the his cost is above other estimates.
Sad to say, Brayden hasn't given us dear old ladies a second thought since he went off with his dad yesterday. Needless to say, we are missing him terribly.
We have lots of photos to post, but they are in St. Louis. We'll try to get them 'blogged' before we leave for the lake.
Hi, it's Rose here, posting from Chicago. This update will be brief. Perhaps tomorrow Sue, who is here also, and I will put our heads together and do a more complete entry. We have had Brayden all week which is the reason for the long silence. With Brayden in our home, our attentions are unidirectional. He is quite a love at two and one-half years. Except for a few tears when his beloved "DADDEE!!!" left, he was a cheerful and happy little guy the whole time. He is quite attached to 'Ganny' and tolerates Shirley and me well. Shirley went off to Chicago on Wednesday. And this morning Sue, Brayden, and I met Scott at the airport where we did the baby exchange, Scott coming from Louisville just an hour before Sue and I left for Chicago. Brayden thought we were simply going to pick up Shirley where we dropped her on Wednesday. Needless to say, he was overjoyed with his DADDEE appeared.
One of the things we have taught Brayden is to be quiet when someone is on the phone, talking 'business.' On Friday, Sue cautioned him to be quiet because Aunt Rose was on the phone with some important business. Brayden listened intenttly for a minute, then said, "That's not business. That's Aunt Shirley!!!" Well, Dear Readers, if you think we are all ga-ga over this little guy, you are right.
In other news Sue, Margaret, Norm, and I went together Monday evening to the downtown St. Louis Radisson for the Railway Club Meeting at which Brother Joe was named Man of the Year. It was quite an event and very, very ritzy. Joe is obviously well respected and liked by this group. Their selection of him as their Man of the Year was unaminous. One man proudly told me he had known Joe for 35 years. I told him, just as proudly, that I had known Joe for more than 60 years. Funny though, he didn't know that Joe was known widely as SMITW (Sweetest Man in the World).
We met some interesting folk, spent time with Joe's beautiful family, and heard astonishing testimonials about the character and accomplishments of this man, Joe Felin. We have photos from the evening and audio recordings of people talking about Joe and of Joe giving an interesting speech. When we get time, we'll post photos and a link to a podcast of the speeches.
Just an aside here: Norman Abbott was dressed to the nines in a suit he had tailor made some thirty-plus years ago. How many of us can still fit into ANYTHING from that long ago? It was awfully good to see Norman so recovered and looking well after his recent bout with illness.
One of the things we have taught Brayden is to be quiet when someone is on the phone, talking 'business.' On Friday, Sue cautioned him to be quiet because Aunt Rose was on the phone with some important business. Brayden listened intenttly for a minute, then said, "That's not business. That's Aunt Shirley!!!" Well, Dear Readers, if you think we are all ga-ga over this little guy, you are right.
In other news Sue, Margaret, Norm, and I went together Monday evening to the downtown St. Louis Radisson for the Railway Club Meeting at which Brother Joe was named Man of the Year. It was quite an event and very, very ritzy. Joe is obviously well respected and liked by this group. Their selection of him as their Man of the Year was unaminous. One man proudly told me he had known Joe for 35 years. I told him, just as proudly, that I had known Joe for more than 60 years. Funny though, he didn't know that Joe was known widely as SMITW (Sweetest Man in the World).
We met some interesting folk, spent time with Joe's beautiful family, and heard astonishing testimonials about the character and accomplishments of this man, Joe Felin. We have photos from the evening and audio recordings of people talking about Joe and of Joe giving an interesting speech. When we get time, we'll post photos and a link to a podcast of the speeches.
Just an aside here: Norman Abbott was dressed to the nines in a suit he had tailor made some thirty-plus years ago. How many of us can still fit into ANYTHING from that long ago? It was awfully good to see Norman so recovered and looking well after his recent bout with illness.
Tuesday, October 04, 2005
This is Ding, posting a long overdue update about the family reunion (grandmas 100th birthday party). We have decided on the weekend after Memorial Day, which I believe is June 2,3,4. Our tentative plan is to have the main event on Saturday at Creve Coeur park...weather permitting. If the weather is not permitting, than it will be at our house.
The next thing that I need is a list of people to invite. I need phone numbers, addresses, email addresses.....I would like to send out email invitations if I can. I don't know that I can for two reasons 1. I am certain everybody isn't "computer savvy" and 2. Shelly may well consider it tacky. At the very least I can send out reminders and directions and a whole host of other information. I can also use the information to compile a database of everybody's information.
So if I could get people to send me that information, it would be greatly appreciated. Please send it to spreitler@gmail.com (this is not my usual email address so please take note) If you could send me pictures I could also compile a slide show as well.
If you deem lodging to be a problem please let us know. Shelly and I can host a few, as can Auntie, and the Oakland house is available....
I am taking suggestions for activities for the other days and volunteers are always appreciated. I am sure that I am leaving information out but considering I don't have that much right now......Cardinal game is starting....more later.
Ding
The next thing that I need is a list of people to invite. I need phone numbers, addresses, email addresses.....I would like to send out email invitations if I can. I don't know that I can for two reasons 1. I am certain everybody isn't "computer savvy" and 2. Shelly may well consider it tacky. At the very least I can send out reminders and directions and a whole host of other information. I can also use the information to compile a database of everybody's information.
So if I could get people to send me that information, it would be greatly appreciated. Please send it to spreitler@gmail.com (this is not my usual email address so please take note) If you could send me pictures I could also compile a slide show as well.
If you deem lodging to be a problem please let us know. Shelly and I can host a few, as can Auntie, and the Oakland house is available....
I am taking suggestions for activities for the other days and volunteers are always appreciated. I am sure that I am leaving information out but considering I don't have that much right now......Cardinal game is starting....more later.
Ding
Monday, October 03, 2005
These are photos from Lynn's Birthday Party on October 1. More about the party further down on this post.
Stephanie
Chris, Rose, Sabrina, and Barry
Norman and Randy
Lynn, A Friend, and Margaret
We are happy to report that Norman is much improved, actually back to his old self. You can see photos here that will prove it!
Chris and Rose attended Lynn's birthday party, her 40th, on Saturday. Lynn is Margaret and Norman's daughter-in-law and is a dear. Rose met Chris in St. Charles and they bicycled together on the Katy Trail along the Missouri River to Defiance, MO, where the party was going on at a beautiful winery overlooking the river valley. I was at the Lake for Girls' Weekend as was Shelly, Chris' wife. Otherwise we would have been at the party too. I would not, however, have ridden there on a bicycle!
Here are some phtos from the birthday party.
Stephanie
Chris, Rose, Sabrina, and Barry
Norman and Randy
Lynn, A Friend, and Margaret
We are happy to report that Norman is much improved, actually back to his old self. You can see photos here that will prove it!
Chris and Rose attended Lynn's birthday party, her 40th, on Saturday. Lynn is Margaret and Norman's daughter-in-law and is a dear. Rose met Chris in St. Charles and they bicycled together on the Katy Trail along the Missouri River to Defiance, MO, where the party was going on at a beautiful winery overlooking the river valley. I was at the Lake for Girls' Weekend as was Shelly, Chris' wife. Otherwise we would have been at the party too. I would not, however, have ridden there on a bicycle!
Here are some phtos from the birthday party.
The Railroad Club Dinner at which Brother Joe will receive their "Man of the Year" award is next Monday. We are looking forward to the event, especially because Joe will be giving a speech. Rose intends to take her tape recorder and camer. With some luck, technological luck that is, we will post photos and a podcast of portions of the program. Joe will be coming with his wife and two daughters. David, his son, and Lydia, his granddaughter, won't be able to attend.
On Thursday of this week, Scott and Brayden are coming from Louisville, Scott to Guys' Lake Weekend and Brayden to stay with us for eight days. We were hoping Jalen would come for a few of the days, but that looks like it won't happen because he would miss some school.
Our Louisiana Evacuees are still in St. Louis. They are truly making the best of a bad situation. In fact, Regina, Shirley's grand niece, has dubbed the whole thing their "Evacation," and they are taking in all of St. Louis. Two days at the Art Museum, two days at the zoo, the Arch, the Science Center, the Magic House, and the City Museum. The children are learning a lot on this Evacation and their missing school turns out to be a blessing. The family will be able to return to their Lake Charles, LA, home some time this week. While here, they have even been able to go to the local Red Cross office and apply for some benefits.
With some help from Rose and Chris, I readied the Oakland House so our Louisiana Family have a comfortable place while they are displaced. We've had several visits and meals with them while they've been here. This arrangement works out great as Rose and Shirley have clients who come and go from the 905 Barnard College Lane house. Our Oakland house guests can come and go as they please.
Other news of note is that I've been driving quite a lot. Rose and I took the Lexus today to have the key modified so that I can drive without assistance. This whole evaluation and modification project has been very reassuring. I probably needn't have gone through it, but having done so, I can now drive without hesitation or concern.
On Thursday of this week, Scott and Brayden are coming from Louisville, Scott to Guys' Lake Weekend and Brayden to stay with us for eight days. We were hoping Jalen would come for a few of the days, but that looks like it won't happen because he would miss some school.
Our Louisiana Evacuees are still in St. Louis. They are truly making the best of a bad situation. In fact, Regina, Shirley's grand niece, has dubbed the whole thing their "Evacation," and they are taking in all of St. Louis. Two days at the Art Museum, two days at the zoo, the Arch, the Science Center, the Magic House, and the City Museum. The children are learning a lot on this Evacation and their missing school turns out to be a blessing. The family will be able to return to their Lake Charles, LA, home some time this week. While here, they have even been able to go to the local Red Cross office and apply for some benefits.
With some help from Rose and Chris, I readied the Oakland House so our Louisiana Family have a comfortable place while they are displaced. We've had several visits and meals with them while they've been here. This arrangement works out great as Rose and Shirley have clients who come and go from the 905 Barnard College Lane house. Our Oakland house guests can come and go as they please.
Other news of note is that I've been driving quite a lot. Rose and I took the Lexus today to have the key modified so that I can drive without assistance. This whole evaluation and modification project has been very reassuring. I probably needn't have gone through it, but having done so, I can now drive without hesitation or concern.
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