Grumbleeze

Happy Thanksgiving!!! Gotta go throw a big ol' bird in the oven! gobble... gobble...gobble!

David's a STAR!!! We all attended a show of talent today, complete with a Thanksgiving potluck meal, put on by grandson David's school. Funtastic! It was short... it was funny... and best of all, with grades 1-8 inclusive, our youngest, David, had the most lines. He was a rooster and a mighty fine rooster indeed! As lead barnyard critter, David was met with a flighty robin asking him "why the cockadoodle-doo" each morning. He decided, why indeed... and proceeded to tell each of the barnyard critters what to cockadoodle do! Well you know what happened; they didn't take to that at all... and he "pouted" in a corner of the barnyard... where his "chick" suggested he use a different approach. He then praised all the barnyard creatures for their contributions to society... wool, eggs, milk, etc. and they all lived happily ever after. Good Job, David!!!

Got something up there at the new domain!!! Took longer than expected, but it can only get better, right? Minimal stuff - no counter - no guestbook - etc. but it's a portal after all! The address is: http://www.salascove.com/ Just for the heck of it, here's a little preview...

Been reading some mighty fine blogs! Thoughtful people.. interesting stuff! Am I remiss in not blogging everyday? Probably, but like to think of myself as more of a catalyst than anything else... and so far appear to be quite an effective one! Blog is my love, but hey guys what's wrong with finding a little new passion, huh? There's a personal domain name in my life now... but only in name so far; I just got it and a place to use it as well. My own name (well am sharing it with my lifetime partner - aka Frank). After all 250 megabytes is a LOT of cyberspace!

Also found a new web editor - thanks to Tech TV's Cat Schwarz's latest newsletter item. You'll have to check out granni39's WebBuilding Secrets to find out all about that! I think it'll be a perfect companion to the new cyberspace and domain... blah blah, etc. So little time - so much to learn - so much to do - ah life, ain't it grand?

Sixty five tornadoes across the United States! It's not even the tornado season now, but a crazy double jet stream is messing us up! Yes I could go on and on about global warming and how we're doing it to ourselves, but I'm not going to let diversion lead me astray this time. People may wonder why somebody would want to choose a place like Michigan to live in for a lifetime - just because they were born there. Lots of Michiganders like to move south - at least for the winter - when they retire and no longer are "tied" to a job. Others actually like the snow - and cold weather sports.

Why do I like Michigan? Four distinct seasons - well usually, although global warming is changing that somewhat. Summertime, especially a long luxurious one, is my own personal favorite season. It's summer picnics, easy family get-togethers, walking in the woods and along the lakeside, getting wet, cooling off and gnerally "vacation" time. Autumn is beautiful in all of her many-colored splendor... Mother Nature sort of making one last spectacular statement before taking a "long winter's nap." Although Winter is number four on my grading scale for seasons, the first snowfall is a delight! ...and who doesn't "dream of a white Christmas?" But then it seems to drag on a bit too long. Springtime!!! Rebirth of the earth... everything becomes fresh and new again. Okay, that's one reason why I like Michigan.... but

... here's the other! All those tornadoes, even in a normal year, thank God, those in Michigan are minimal... and our little piece of this state is in a bit of a valley - further protecting us. Earthquakes on the west coast... mudslides and floods... hurricanes... !!! Michigan, thank God, seems to be tucked safely in a nice little area - protected from nature's wrath. We can turn on the air-conditioner in summer - or better yet - spend a lot of time by the lake, collecting those gentle breezes blowing over the water to cool us. We turn up the heat in winter... grab an extra sweater or sweatshirt - bundle up warmly when we go outside. Sure we had a flood in 1986 - they called it a "hundred year" flood, and bad as it was, it went away and there probably won't be another for another hundred years. Living through that flood gave us an empathy for those people who live through such disasters year after year.

How often does a freshman attain third chair in her first semester of highschool? Not very often.... but our Nicole did!!! Nikki plays her clarinet from the heart and it really pays off! During chair tryouts she earned third chair on her first try! This was against some really tough talent in a big highschool! Congratulations, Nicole; you know how proud you make your granni and grampa!

Alexandria made the "Principle's Honors" list this marking period! Her mom tells us that is the highest category you can get at St. Helen's. Don't I just have the best.. the smartest... and the most beautiful grandkids ever? You bet'cha!!! Alex, you're amazing. Having to go to a new school for your final year before high school and all, you've shown us that you're as flexible as you are smart! Congratulations! You make your granni and grampa PROUD!

Geoff won a tidy little music scholarship today! Congratulations, Geoffrey; we're proud of you!