The Year in Review!!

Today we took the ninety minute drive to Cambridge, Ohio, to see the light show at the Guernsey County Court House - really neat. Here's a three minute movie I took - the second half is more impressive.






Here's a longer, better clip from someone.

Two new features

On the left side at the bottom I've added two new features - "Today in History" and "Today's Birthdays."

Merry Christmas!

Heather, Mike, Jane, Ryan, Megan

Heather Feeley and Ryan

Clockwise: Jane, Heather Feeley, Ryan, Heather, Jordan, Megan

December 23, 2008

December 23, 1972!

Winter Solstice

At 7:04 this morn the solstice was upon us and now the days will begin to lengthen.

49 Microwaves

Who knew?

Paper towels are small in Ireland! Here on the right is what is left of a roll of Bounty paper towels that we got in Ireland, on the left regular Bounty paper towels from the U.S.

Snow!

Norman and his blonde wife live in Fargo.

One winter morning while listening to the radio, they hear the announcer say, “We are going to have 3 to 4 inches of snow today. You must park your car on the even numbered side of the street, so the snowplow can get through.”

Norman’s wife goes out and moves her car.

A week later, while they are eating breakfast, the radio announcer says, “We are expecting 4 to 5 inches of snow today, you must park your car on the odd numbered side of the street, so the snowplow can get through.”

So, Norman’s wife goes out and moves her car.

The next week they are having breakfast again and the radio announcer says, “We are expecting 10 -12 inches of snow today, you must park…” and then the electricity goes out in the middle of the sentence.

Norman’s wife says, “Honey, I don’t know what to do…”

Norman says, “Why don’t you just leave it in the garage this time.”

Wreath from Ryan

1949

Hmmm - maybe next year....NOT!!

Carol of the Bells - Computer Controlled Christmas Lights from Richard Holdman on Vimeo.

Rudolph on the Deck -

About an inch of snow today

We spent a lot of the day putting up the Christmas tree.

Wassup -2008

Why didn't I see these clips prior to the election? I'm glad somebody did!



In case you've forgotten the inspiration, here's the original version followed by the new one.

Ron Howard!

See more Ron Howard videos at Funny or Die

A Great West Wing clip!

Megan's Thanksgiving Turkey

Happy Thanksgiving !

Another quote ahead of its time -

“Academe, n.: An ancient school where morality and philosophy were taught.
Academy, n.: A modern school where football is taught.”

- Ambrose Bierce 1842 - 1914
(Probably in The Devil's Dictionary, 1911)

Nowadays we'd replace "academy" with "university"!

GO
BUCKS!

Timely quote -

"Most of the luxuries and many of the so-called comforts of life are not only not indispensable, but positive hindrances to the elevation of mankind."

O.K., when you read the above quote what luxuries and comforts do you think about ? T.V., computers, the internet, cellphones, etc. ? I guess the case could be made for any of the above (and more) - things that have become seemingly indispensable but in some respects hindrances to our elevation.

But here's what makes it even more interesting - the quote is from Walden published in 1854 by Henry David Thoreau. I wonder what luxuries and comforts he had in mind, we can be sure it wasn't those I mentioned. In all likelihood anything he considered a luxury would not be so considered by us. Would his luxuries be our bare necessities? Imagine what he would think of our luxuries!

MoveOn.Org Sticker

Maple tree

Here's the maple tree in the back yard.

Palin Prank

Click here to hear the prank that a Montreal radio station pulled on Palin - calling her and she thought it was the president of France -

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CcEiR01QK7o

Megan Finished the Dublin Marathon!!!!

Autumn scenes

Spencer was ready for the Penn State game!!!
Too bad the Bucks weren't!

Blog additions

No new neat pictures this week, but you might notice a couple new additions - a little weather report on the left side and a widget that shows some quotes on the bottom left.

Friends

Megan went to Obama Rally!

Watch this!: Colin Powell - Meet the Press

"One Day More" Obama Headquarters on November 3

Here's a neat video of what the Obama HQ might be like on November 3:





Here's a more serious one -

We voted today!!

Since we will be away on election day Jane and I went to Veteran's Memorial Auditorium and cast absentee ballots today!

Back Door Web

For the last few weeks a spider has been making a web in the back door frame catching us as we go out in the morning. This morning before we went out I took this picture -

Spencer's New Car Seat

For long trips Mom wants Spencer to sit somewhere besides her lap, so yesterday his new car seat arrived. So far he seems to like it O.K.

Cloudy day

Some needed rain today early morning through noon.

Beautiful Day

It's a fine day! Here's the view out the back door -

A little change

After the big wind storm the coleus around the mailbox was looking scraggly.



So I replaced it with some decorative cabbage -

Little flowers

October Clouds

Praying Mantis - again

We were doing some garden work and this guy was there on the chrysanthemum - we may have disturbed it from where ever it had been but it seemed content on the mum.

Another picture to share

Here's another picture I'll share. Early this summer Jennifer Kasiak took a trip out west to the Grand Tetons I think and sent me a picture - I played with it and here it is in sepia. Jennifer is an elementary teacher in Columbus and was my fifth grade student in Grandview.

An old picture -

Here's an old picture that I'll share - it was taken by John Farnsworth at Chautauqua in the autumn of 1975.

Sunday - back to better than normal

Friday evening the store called and had the old data loaded on the new computer, so Saturday morning we picked it up. Everything is where it should be - with a lot more power, space, and speed!

Thursday Computer Woes and Friday progress

This evening our main computer froze up. I have tried various things but I think the hard drive died. We will take it in tomorrow afternoon. I'm using the back-up machine right now. We will continue to get e-mails but won't be checking them as often.

Bad news - good news - expensive news - The problem with the computer wasn't the hard drive - it was the logic board. The cost for replacing the logic board would be three-fourths (or more) of the price of a new computer. So we will be getting a new computer AND they think they will be able to save the contents of the old hard drive. We will see - stay tuned - Sunday or Monday will tell.

New Gazebo, Light, Table and Chairs!

By 3:00 P.M. today, just one hour short of being a whole week since the destruction. we finished the new gazebo and light. Next we worked on the new table and chairs.



Just as Jane and I were starting to work on the table Heather and Jordon arrived. Thanks to their help - especially Jordon's work on the chairs - by 5:30 P.M. all the major work was done!

Deck Progress

Here's the gazebo frame - I tackled it this morning - to get it in small enough sections to be carted away - I thought it would take hours but the task was accomplished in 15 minutes! I wish I could build the replacement just as quickly.





Here's the deck right now - we're still digging tiny pieces of glass from between the boards. We have a new gazebo, a new lamp, and a new table ready to put together - not sure when we'll get that job finished - stay tuned!

Pictures are ready!

You can view the cruise pictures - just click on the "Cruise Pictures" link at the left above Spencer's picture

You don't have to join Shutterfly - just click on "View Album"

Once you're there don't click on "Slideshow" or you won't see the captions and explanations - to read them just click on the first picture and go from there.

Thursday

Here's one of my favorite pictures from the cruise - the Maasdam at Quebec City.



I have the other pictures online - see the post above this one.

The insurance man was just here I don't think we will be out of pocket on this whole experience just a lot of time and trouble.

Wednesday Afternoon

Here's what the deck looks like now -



Workers spent some hot time taking out the tree. They may come back to cart away the broken gazebo.

On another subject, look below to see an updated view of the mum that I showed progression back on August 29.

Wednesday Morning

Not long after I made the Sunday evening post the cable went off and just came back this morning. I tried to use the dial-up yesterday evening but that didn't work. So anyway we are back to normal communication-wise. The tree people are supposed to come today - I'll get pictures - and then tomorrow the insurance guy is supposed to show up.

We have been more fortunate than people in the surrounding subdivisions who have been without electricity since Sunday evening. About 250,000 homes were without power and only some of them are back, it might be Sunday before all are returned to full service. Columbus City Schools are not in session for the third day as is the case for Upper Arlington. Grandview and Hilliard were out for two days. The GV library was closed Monday.

We finished sorting out good pictures from the trip but with the cable down haven't been able to post them anywhere yet. When I get them up I'll post a notice here.

We DON'T like Ike!!

We were having very strong wind gusts and about 4:00 this afternoon I said, "We'll be lucky if the gazebo doesn't blow away." Within ten seconds there was a crash and we found the neighbor's tree had lost large sections and crashed into our yard and onto the deck destroying the gazebo, the table, a chair, and a lot of little things. We're already in contact with the insurance company and hopefully things will progress soon.

Rose Hips on P. E. I.

Looking at pictures from the trip I came by this one that I think is striking. It shows rose hips at Green Gables on Prince Edward Island.

(No enhancements were done to this image - it's just as it came out of the camera.)

Still trying to get it together!

We are still recovering from the trip in addition to doing the normal things. Perhaps we will work on pictures later today and get a link posted. In the meantime here's a teaser.


TMW at the Peggy's Cove, Nova Scotia, lighthouse -


Lobster trap buoys in Peggy's Cove -

Prints from Quebec City

Etching with embossing by Jacques Brousseau entitled "10 rue St. Denis"


Etching by Jacques Brousseau entitled "Rue du Tresor" This is the "art alley" where the artists show their work. Here's photo showing the actual place.

















An engraving by Richard Metzger entitled Upstate - Le Haut Du Conté

(Again - click on any to see it enlarged.)