Xmas 2023

 

Some people go to a Broadway show and go home happy. Some walk away disappointed and regret having shelled out the money for the event. Some people like it so much that they buy the theatre and move in. Which one would we be? Austria is a fine place, but Rochelle’s never been to the capital city anyway, just across the border. So why not stay at the theater near Chloe, and Charlie?  And don’t forget the chickens. Nobody put them in the freezer yet, unlike a certain parrot of Ed Cook lore. 

 

Aside from all that, After selling the center of the road we just had to compensate for the lost adopted Swiss miss and mister part of us so when Al called we said, Pine? No he said, but close. So we bought, and cut down some weeds but we didn’t move in. Perhaps if they had put on a show… maybe someday. Maybe over the rainbow, or beyond the yellow brick, or when the big one happens. You know, Switzerland and Austria share a border but we’ve never learned to yodel. But the fall leaves are beautiful. Some are gold, in the court anyway. T they pile high and all the dead wood burns intensely. Oh, that was at the farm. 

 

Hey Bart, did you see our new address? How bout you Martin? Are you in the field? Chickens, eggs, barns, paint, scrape, rake, mow. Green Acres is the place for me, farm livin is the life for me. Did she really say that? Did she mean it? Her hand is sore. 

 

The work is largely the same, through somewhat more of it. no need to stop he said - fun is a 3 letter word. But now getting there is quite a row. At least some folks consider him old enough that $3 is good enough. Well, then, if that’s all it is, she might as well set it aside and focus on more rewarding things. She doesn’t have to say no anymore because the people that most know of her greatness are in Austria. She still goes to visit friends but not to farm onions. 

 

Does that little boy actually walk on water? They do have the highest land, or occupied space. The Devy think in the alps are probably higher but not inhabited. There’s probably a pattern to that, but it helps to have a visa to get there if you want to stay for a while. Me plus cá change… as they say. Nobody really likes legos, but pokeman is still king especially in gold. 

 

Those that live the farthest north experience the coolest temperatures generally, and have the Kindest snacks in their virtual world. As far as we know they don’t play this here guitar, but maybe that’s because they don’t actually live on the wide street. They did go to the wood island though, and there was an inquiry and some carbon given, set in a heavy element. The real world is also nice because some of us just aren’t in the metaverse anymore. Good thing there are airplanes and trains. Sometimes one gets confused about whether she is the granddaughter or the intended. 

 

But all of our grandchildren are great so we don’t have to wait.  

2023 in other words: 

 

Sorry I'm a few days late...

A couple of years ago or so we went up to NYC to visit it Ben. We all went to the Broadway show, Hamilton. It was good, but some of us liked it better than others. The society for creative anachronism wasn’t in full operation that day. 

 

That aside, as you may know, Rachel and her family were living in Northern Virginia supposedly for 18 months while Shiloh did a rotational assignment with his one-time employer. So we enjoyed having them (relatively) nearby but anticipated that when they finished their 18-month stint and returned to Montana, we would build our house in Midway and move away from the DC area. 

 

Of course, plus ca change, as they say, (things changed). Shiloh and Rachel chose a different way to buy bacon and bread and settled on a small farm in Leesburg, Virginia -  a bit far for a quick drive from Vienna. So rather than build in Utah, we moved to Hamilton, VA. We’re now about 10 mins from Rachel. Our new address is:

 

16926 Golden Leaf Court

Hamilton, VA 20158

 

We have a lot of fun being near but not actually on the farm. Rochelle (and Richard sometimes) helps with various farm tasks. Chickens, dogs, cats, yardwork, etc. We are also in a very nice quiet neighborhood; we are not a farm – no chickens or other domesticated creatures, but plenty of space and trees make a very pretty fall. It’s marvelous gathering place for the family. Rachel nearby, Ben in NYC, Arrin in Utah.  

 

We’re not certain how long we will stay, but we did decide Midway wasn’t the right fit any longer so we sold that lot and bought a different one in Alpine, UT, with building plans and timing still up in the air. 

 

Rochelle no longer substitute teaches, Richard still works, largely from home, but the firm he is with was acquired by another so he does have an office he goes to in DC not very often. He still enjoys the work and his colleagues so why stop? You know what they say, if you enjoy what you do…

 

So aside from the big move, getting settled into the new house. Making some changes, etc. things were and are pretty much the same. Plus doesn’t always ca change (as they don’t actually say). Rochelle was thrilled when Richard came back from a visit with Ed Cook with a new joke (finally!). Here it is:

 

A man had a parrot that said rude things to visitors. The owner told him to stop it, but he wouldn’t. The man threatened, if you don’t stop, I’ll put you in the freezer. The parrot didn’t stop. The next visitor was insulted by the parrot. As soon as the visitor left, the man put the parrot in the freezer. The parrot squawked and squawked and made all kinds of fuss until the man opened the freezer and asked if the parrot would behave. It said yes. The next visitor was treated perfectly well by the parrot. After the visitor left, the parrot said to the man, “what did the chicken do?”

Thanks, Ed.

Oh, and Richard performed a wedding for two friends this year. That was different, but nice.

You might notice in the photo that Harper has some competition for longest blonde hair. Her name happens to be Chanler Bledsoe, Ben’s fiancée. She’s a delightful person, living and working in NYC, as does Ben. You’ll have to ask them where they work; such information doesn’t make it onto the blog. They got engaged on a summer trip to Madeira Island (look it up) and have wedding plans they haven’t shared with us yet! I haven’t seen her throw a football, but I don’t think she has an uncle (or other near relative) named Drew. Too bad. Just imagine the confusion that could reign on or near football facilities…

 

Arrin still works in Utah, Marcus remote to SF; same rule applies – ask them. But don't fall down when you cross that stage! Arrin received her Exec MBA from BYU; hooray, no more school! Johah and Lucas are very entertaining, very good, make that great, grandchildren – why wait? They build amazing Lego things, etc.

 

Then back to Rachel, as I said, farm life is for her, and Shiloh, who has a new employer. Harper, Sam, Gus, and Coen. Last summer I was quizzing Gus (age 8) about math facts and he was getting some amazing results, so I asked if he know how old I was. He said, about 100. I said, Gus, did you know I’m 65? He said, yeah, that’s about 100.

 

Enough said.