The Stomieroski's annual Christmas letter has become the New Year's greeting this year. Neither one of us seemed to be able to get our selves started on it, or any of the other many Christmas preparations. So we played “Lets Make a Deal”. Paul got to go and do all the gift shopping and wrapping (including his) and I got to open all the gifts (including his) and write the letter. (He seemed to think I did not have the technical “expertise” to buy him a DVD play… and he probably was right… any way, I hate shopping.)

The past year was a rather busy one for us. We started off by taking a mini vacation over Easter weekend. We began on Friday by driving to Appleton and touring the Outagamie Museum and Houdini Historical Center. (Their web site is http://www.foxvalleyhistory.org/ ) The building is a Norman Revival style 1924 Masonic Temple in downtown Apple and offer information on the history of Outagamie County, including its heritage of papermaking, Outagamie County in WWII and exhibits on Edna Ferber and Joseph MacCarthy. Also, the Houdini Center tells about the life and times of Harry Houdini. We stayed the night in Appleton and drove onto the Wisconsin Maritime Museum in Manitowoc. (http://www.wimaritimemuseum.org/ ) The museum not only offers much concerning the maritime history of Wisconsin through interactive exhibits but also is home to the USS Cobia. Tours are offered through this World War II submarine. Interesting fact: Manitowoc built 28 submarines during the war. We stayed the night in there with plans to drive up into Door County on Sunday but it was so foggy, we just headed for home sooner then we expected. But, what a wonderful trip. Highly recommend both museums.

After years of saving my pennies, I finally was able to buy a new horse trailer. I have always wanted one… new enough that my horses were the first to mess it. My dream was realized this spring although ultimately, I did not get it until July. I placed the order the end of April. The dealer I worked with was so wonderful. He indicated that it would be at least six weeks, so he gave me a trailer to use until mine arrived. The six weeks ended up being closer to ten but it is ever so nice. I decided to go patriotic and got a blue and white trailer to haul behind the red Durango. Hopefully, Paul will have pictures on the web page ( http://stomieroski.com/ ) soon. (Note: the picture was taken in front of the indoor where I board.)

In May, Dalyte and I went to our second show together. This time I rode her. It was a dressage show. In dressage, horse and rider are judged individually against a standard, very much like the judging of figure skating. We scored 58% on our first class (test) and placed 6th out of 12 and the second test we scored 52% and did not place. Fifty percent is considered an honorable score and I am VERY pleased with our first time out. She (and I) handled everything very well.

Later in May, Paul and I traveled to New York to see the folks. Paul's mother, Audrey, continues to stay at Cuba Memorial Hospital. She now is able to sit up in her room and join the others at mealtime. She has moved to the window side of her room and is able to enjoy a lovely view of the wood covered hill. We were also pleased to see my parents doing well. Dad celebrated his 81st birthday in May. They continue to live in Ischua as both my sisters (and Rose's husband Alex and daughter, Aiko) reside with them. As usual, the trip was too short, but we were able to return again in early October.

Upon my return from New York, I received word that the barn I was boarding at was closing. (I think this is the 5th barn Lady and I have been in since our move to Wisconsin that has closed.) Well, God's hand was very much in my search this time. I placed an ad in the paper just to see what kind of response I would get. There were several responses but there was a wonderful one. A woman from Athens, WI (about 35 miles from Wausau…only bad part of the whole thing) responded. She does not run a “boarding stable” but was interested in taking in a boarder so as to have someone to ride with. I went out and looked and decided to go with her as it turns out there were many good things: she owns a half sister to Dalyte, my two horses are turned out their own pasture with a protective shed and when they are in they have huge stalls, there is a beautiful indoor arena, parking for the horse trailer and very nice trails. Their neighbors are Amish and crops farmers who let us ride the horses on their property. And the biggest bonus is that Traci and her family are so nice and she is very mindful of the care of the girls.

We did have an addition to our family this year. Utz joined us over the course of the summer. As you may remember, we had a retaining wall garden built around the workshop in 2002. Last summer we installed a small pond/fountain in the garden. Well, I decided one must have fish in a pond, so I went out and bought about 15 small feeder fish. What we did not know was they are not big enough to out swim the current causes by the suction for the fountain. But after a couple of week I could not find any live fish left in the pond. So I was talking it over with the guys at work and one of them told me he had a neighbor who had a pond overstocked with stunted bullheads and I could have as many as I wanted. I agreed to a couple and in preparation for their arrival, cleaned out the pond and discovered one little feeder fish. I decided that since he had survived thus far, and was told that the bully boys (my name for the bullheads) would most certainly eat him, that he should get special treatment. I got out one of the big plastic gallon container that pretzels (Utz is the brand name) came in and he became the king of “Utzland” thus his name Utz. He continued to show is persistency in living by surviving the front steps in this plastic container with a plant stuck in it. For the most part, the water was emerald green or fresh from the sink. Well, the cold weather came, and I then decided he deserved the right not be become a frozen fish stick so I went out and bought this 79 cent fish a $30 fish tank completed with filtration and chemicals and brought him into the house. About a week later, I went to feed him, and there he was, just lying on the bottom. I told Paul that he did not make it, and Paul gave me all sorts of grief about how he probably had gone through withdrawal from the lack of the chlorine and dirty water. When I went to scoop him up, he started swimming again. (Guess he was just taking a nap.) Another evening I came down and he was sucked up against the hose that circulated the water. He came free after the power was shut off but was stiffened into a half moon shape for a couple of days. I built up the stones around the suction so he would not get stuck. It is especially funny to watch him go nose to nose through the glass with either of the cats when they are a bit nosey about him. This makes our “nose” count five for pets now. Lady & Dalyte (horses), Max and Carlotta (cats) and Utz.

In September, Paul and I celebrated our 25th wedding anniversary. We took the day off work and Paul surprised me with a special day trip. We went to The Highground Veterans Memorial Park a Wisconsin War Memorial born in 1965 as an idea to memorialize a fallen friend on a battle field in Vietnam. ( http://www.thehighground.org/ ) The Highground, a 140-acre Veterans Memorial Park, has grown into a tribute for all veterans with tributes that vary in significance from national (Native American Vietnam Veterans Memorial) to historical (WWII Globe) to contemporary (Legacy Stones). As this also sits on top of a hill, the trip in the fall was extremely beautiful.

I guess others had the same problems we did this year getting their Christmas news out. Even just today, a card came. The author indicating the same just did not have time to do prior to the Holidays. I so enjoyed the news we did receive. I do find the biggest anticipation I have for the holidays is receiving and reading the news from everyone. I still shock myself when I realize this schoolmate or another is expecting grandchildren.

Paul and Susan