Merry Christmas 2019!
November 2019
This year, I've decided to try something different. It's a week before Thanksgiving and we're starting the Christmas letter. Maybe we'll even get it in the mail before Christmas! It's only in comparison to our previous years, but this year has been eventful; at one point Susan and I thought we were facing the “End of Days.” But that's just a teaser to keep you reading, let's go on to bringing everyone up to date first.
Susan and I are both well (considering our age and arthritis - her left thumb and my right index finger slow us down the most). Susan is still at L&S, she has her doubts about retirement, but she turns 65 in December 2020. And will not be working by January 1st 2021. Dalyte had some back issues earlier this Fall, but a visit to the chiropractor (yes, they do have veterinary chiropractors for horses and cows) for an adjustment and a early lay-up (no long rides or hard work) for the winter should bring her back to normal (maybe a little slower and calmer than the previous normal) come Spring. In June, Susan and Dalyte were on a ride with her friend from the barn. They had gone to a local forestry unit where they have good trails. The horses were at a slow walk, with the riders enjoying the day and conversation, when Dalyte stepped into a pot hole and going down to her knees. Susan couldn't get her foot out of the stirrup fast enough and sprained her knee and ankle when rolling down Dalyte's neck. Luckily, Susan's riding partner, Sue was able to help her get back on and Dalyte was not injured for the 20 minute ride back to the trailer. Dalyte had some minor scrapes on her knees but was relatively unhurt. However, Susan was in a lot of pain and could barely walk. The next morning, after some discussion, Paul convinced her that Yes! They were going to the local walk-in for x-rays. Luckily, no real damage, just a seriously sprained ankle and knee. After three days with a walker and then two weeks with a cane, Susan was back to normal (slower but no calmer). I tried to convince her that the “no dirt roads” rule (remember last year's adventure) should applied to the horse too, but she overruled me. She did agree that from now on either her or her horse will pay more attention when they're out.
The sad news is that Carlotta left us in March. Her vet explained that it was time; that her heart, her lungs, and her kidneys were in a race to see who would fail first. We miss her! We are talking about finding another rescue cat at one of the local SPCAs, but we not ready yet. The biggest debate is if it is going to be a younger cat or an older cat, and if it will be one or two or three!
Not as sad, but we also lost the Durango in January; serious body rust and continual minor repairs, so bad that it got to the point that we didn't trust it when hauling the trailer. We replaced it with a 2012 GMC Sierra 1500 pickup. A good vehicle, but not the same as the Durango.
Susan stays busy with knitting and sewing, two sewing and two knitting retreats this year. Mostly all for charity; bibs and pillowcases, hats, mittens, and shawls. Susan leads the local Days for Girls group and this year they've made 417 kits that were sent to Cambodia and Zambia.
By now you're probably wondering if I'm ever going to get back to the “eventful year” we had. This Spring we faced Flood, Fire, And Pestilence (or maybe Famine).
Flood: The Thursday before Easter, we found 1-2 inches of water in half of the basement. The week before, we had 15 inches of snow and then 3 inches of rain. With a lot of deep frost still in the ground, it just percolated up through the basement floor. It was a real mess, with a lot of scurrying around and friends helping up bring stuff up to the garage. Luckily Susan is very organized; everything was up on shelves or in plastic tubs. The only thing we lost was a shag carpet; the only part that made Susan happy. But we needed a local recovery company come in to pump us out and then 4 days with industrial fans and dehumidifiers to dry it completely. So the knitting room has new flooring and we are both still nervous every time it rains. But we've been here for 19 years and this was the only time we've had a problem, so maybe it was just a fluke.
Fire: A month or so later, after a very dry spring, I came from the grocery store to find a fire truck in my drive way. When I asked what's happening, they pointed to the swamp, where they were monitoring a 60 acre grass fire; somebody wasn't paying attention to their burn barrel. They let it burn itself out, and luckily no houses were threatened by the fire.
Famine (or maybe Pestilence): By then end of May, during a Spring clean-up I found a dead fox underneath our deck. A beautiful animal that I moved to an eternal resting spot in the swamp. Talking to my neighbor, he found its mate in a hole under his shed. Maybe starvation, maybe drowned, maybe illness. There was a lot of heavy snow cover last winter.
In review, the year actually was pretty uneventful, especially when compared to many other families. But I got you to read all of this missive.
Well, dear reader, this brings us to the end for this year.
Enjoy Christmas and enjoy Life!
God's blessings to you for the coming year.
Susan and Paul Stomieroski
6310 Setter Road
Weston, WI 54476
(715) 355-7769
Susan@Stomieroski.com
Paul@Stomieroski.com
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