Christmas 2005
That time again! Actually it's early! This year we're starting two months earlier than last year. It's Thanksgiving weekend. Last years letter didn't get written until after New Year's. With a little luck we may even get this one out in time for the Christmas Season.
This year was one of joyous new beginnings. And the last day of September will be a day to be celebrated for years to come. Sadie Edwards (Susan's sister) gave birth to Wilhemina Morgan and about two hours later Kelly Edwards (Susan's nephew's wife) gave birth to Hannah Elizabeth. Two beautiful children sharing a birthday!! Susan's now a great-aunt!
And locally, our nose count (to Susan's dismay) also went up. A family of beavers moved into the marsh behind our house. They built up a dam to fill the pond and placed their lodge in the previous swampy area behind the pond. During the summer, all was well; with the dam, the pond stayed full. But in the fall, they started increasing the depth in the pond; flooding the “wild flower border” in front of the pond and about five to ten feet into the yard. Susan had just gotten a mix of plants established in the border area to keep colors on the bank from spring through the fall. Fearing that all of her bulbs would be lost, Susan tried to control the situation. Every day, she would wade out and pull the dam apart. Every night the “busy” beavers would re-build. Susan was determined and kept opening up the dam daily for two to three weeks, hoping that the beavers would become discouraged and decide to move. Unfortunately the beavers were more determined. Finally we decided to co-exist. She'll re-establish the wild flower border on the new shoreline, moving some plants and adding new ones. Susan has lots of friends with gardens that will always need to be thinned. And I pointed out the good news. We don't see as many rabbits in our gardens; the beavers have flooded their nesting area! And no, we haven't named these additions to our menagerie other than referring to them by their favorite building project; dam beavers!
Over Memorial Day weekend, we traveled back to western New York. The family and friends of Susan's dad, gathered on his birthday for a celebration of his life. And what a life he led! Veterans, teachers and students, volunteer firemen, friends, neighbors, and family, all shared stories, some funny, some poignant, but all heart felt. Herb touched and enriched many lives. And the fact that it rained from just before the festivities began to just after the last guest was leaving didn't slow anyone down. The kids, planning for the chance of bad weather had set up a tented pavilion in the back yard. Close to seventy of us huddled together sharing memories of Dad.
In June, Rose brought Mom, Aiko and Tiffany (a friend of Aiko) out for a visit to Wisconsin. A very pleasant visit reminiscing and playing cards.
In September, Herb and Sheila came out to visit and to learn how to play bridge. We deeply immersed ourselves in playing bridge; meals were at the table while we played hundreds of hands of cards. They may have started out mystified about the game, but quickly caught on. A very enjoyable experience!
And for Thanksgiving Susan left me to my own devices and flew back to New York to visit family. Will and Amy and the boys came up from Pennsylvania. And with most of the family gathered, on Sunday they celebrated Wilhemina's dedication.
Susan has kept busy with her knitting this year. She made nine hooded sweaters for homeless vets. She also has made many sets of baby clothes; gowns, caps and booties, that she donates to hospitals for preemies. You would think that with a knitting machine this would go fairly quickly, but Susan if she sees a flaw will rip out the piece and start over. But the finished results are worth the time. Her work looks and feels commercially made.
As we reflect on our good fortune, we want to wish every a Merry Christmas and a prosperous New Year!
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