Family Christmas contrasts

Our tradition has been to celebrate Christmas with the Swan side and another celebration with the Patterson side.  I am thankful that my family does not get all 'schizeee' about the specific day.  It doesn't matter if they celebrate on the 25th, 26th....you get the picture!  No drama or fighting over who gets to have the actual day of the 25th to celebrate.  Everyone knows that the date on the calendar doesn't matter as much as the getting together, enjoying each other's company and, of course, eating massive amounts of food.

Swan Christmas is generally quiet with no real schedules or rushing around.  Sometimes it is the five of us but quite often we have some 'orphans' at the table with us...people who happen to be away from home and alone for Christmas.  Either way, Mom always sets the table up with her favorite Christmas china and I generally make Sticky Date Pudding with Toffee Sauce for dessert...YUM!!

On the other hand, Patterson Christmas is usually at the cottage and involves copious amounts of people, chaos and food!!  The kitchen is filled with many people who are madly cooking up a storm.  The windows of the cottage are generally steamed up with all of the heat and moisture generated.  We arrived on the 27th (after tentatively tackling the roads in the remains of a snowstorm) to a cottage full of 20+ people.  We celebrated Eunice's 50th birthday and ate until we couldn't stuff one more bite into our mouths!!

I guess the best evidence of this Christmas contrast are the following pics : - )

Swan table

Patterson table

Both are very different but equally enjoyable!  I love my family and thank God for them every day!!

Christmas Eve 2010

As is our annual Christmas Eve tradition, Dave and I headed up to Heather's for an evening spent with Richard's family.  We always look forward to it every year and have a blast picking out little dollar store treats for the kiddos!  Dave Jr hates the camera so no pics of him here....

We used to have a big feed of Chinese food but in the past couple of years, we have gone toward a more simple meal of pizza, salad, etc.  With Dave and Richard having dietary limits, this year I tried out a pizza with crust made from almond flour (that Janet so kindly keeps us supplied with).

Dave said it tasted really good but the crust is much heavier than a wheat crust and sits hard on the stomach.  It is hard with this diet to prepare really tasty things because everything gets compared to the original.  Food is not nearly as interesting or delicious without all of the 'bad' stuff in it!!  There certainly was more than enough to eat anyway and I had also made some 'brownies' that they could eat for dessert.

After supper, Annie, Sadie and Robert performed the story of Christ's birth using this nativity scene that Jennifer had made when she was Clara's age (13 or so).  They did a great job and also sang some Christmas carols in between scenes.  We all got a kick out of Joseph's 'do'....we didn't know he was a Rastafarian : - )

We ate some candy treats and enjoyed the company while Clara took a few pics with my camera.  Robert hung in pretty well but, eventually, gave in and went to sleep.  I wonder if visions of sugarplums were dancing in his head??

Family time!

We headed down to Oxford on Saturday as Janet had flown in for the weekend and invited everyone down for a 'drop in' at Grandma and Grampa's.  Janet had phoned Bea from the driveway and gave her the surprise of her life when she realized that Janet wasn't in CT.  I forgot my camera (which happens almost never) so I didn't get any pics...sigh!

When we arrived Elaine, Yves and the kids were there along with Andrew and Donna.  Yves was going stir crazy so he and I went out for a brisk walk around town.  I guess I should have taken a hat or earmuffs because I couldn't hack the chilly wind on my ears and we headed back.  Janet had worked hard and prepared a 'snack' for everyone...and what a 'snack' it was.  Prime rib, salad, raw veggies, lasagna (from Elaine) and five different pies..slurp!  I ate so much I had to go lie down.

Rich, Jen and the kids arrived as we were finishing supper...er, the snack!  It was great to get together and have a visit with Janet while she was here.

Cookie exchange

On Dec 11th, a bunch of gals enjoyed the ?th Annual Cookie Exchange at our home.  I honestly can't remember how many years it has been but it has been many years that we've been exchanging sweet treats to help with entertaining for the holidays.  Some don't bring cookies and just come for the food and fun : - )

We enjoyed a delicious brunch and then everybody grabbed their cookies and headed home.  We now all have a great selection of treats that can be pulled out of the freezer (if they last that long) when visitors arrive.

The Nutcracker

Heath and I took Karissa, Clara, Selina, Annie and Sadie to see the Nutcracker last night.  The younger girls had never had a chance to see it live so it was a special treat to finally be able to take them.  Gi, Josée and Heath's two roommates, Laura and Becca, came along as well. 

We had a fantastic time!  I got such a kick out of watching the girls taking it all in.  Sadie couldn't sit still...she kept trying to move farther forward on her seat so she wouldn't miss anything!  Annie told me that Dave (Jr) told her to take Kleenex with her because the main character, Clara, dies and she will cry....older brothers are a pain, aren't they??

We treated them all to a hot drink at Tim Horton's to finish the night off.

A good time was had by all.  The quote of the night belonged to Selina who said "In my opinion, boys shouldn't wear tights!!!" ☺

 I do so enjoy the Christmas season!  I don't like the crazy 'commercial' aspects of it that seem to have taken over this time of year.  I love the family time and fun with friends that reminds us all that relationships are more important than 'things'.  I love that our family has the gift-giving aspect of things down to a science.  We usually receive one gift from each other and a stocking.  Mom is a crazy stocking-o-holic!!  She fills them with so much that it ends up being a big bag instead of fitting into a sock.  This year, everyone's budgets are tight so we have agreed to ratchet back the stocking stuffers to a reasonable level.  We shall see if Mom can do that ☺

There are always lots of things going on at this time of year.  I am so excited about Friday night.  Years ago, Heath and I used to take my nieces to see the Nutcracker at the beginning of December.  It was our kick-off to the holiday season and the girls just loved dressing up and watching the ballet.  Then....they stopped showing the Nutcracker at the Capitol Theatre and my younger nieces never got to experience this special treat.  When I heard that it was on again at the Riverview Arts Centre, I jumped at the opportunity to take the girls again.  So, Friday night, Heather and I are taking Karissa and Clara (who are teenagers now but not too old to still enjoy this night out) as well as Selina, Annie and Sadie (who have never had the chance to see the live performance).  Gi and Josée are going with us as well as Heather's two roommates, Laura and Becca.  I have made up little gift bags for the younger girls with a small Nutcracker tree ornament and some sweet treats.  It should be a lovely evening with my special girls : - )

On Saturday, I will host the Annual Cookie Exchange.  Every year I question whether to do it again as it is yet another task that has to be completed for everyone and I hate to add any additional pressure to a busy season.  But everyone always asks when it is scheduled so I assume that they are keen to do it.  Some come just for the friendship and fellowship and don't bother with the cookies.  We enjoy a lovely brunch and get to take some delicious treats home!  Here is a picture from two years ago...I just realized that I didn't get a picture last year??

Even with all of the busy-ness and activity, I want to always remember that "Jesus is the reason for the season".  I know that some say that Christmas originally came out of a pagan holiday to celebrate the winter solstice but, to me, it is a celebration of Christ's birth and always will hold that meaning for me.

Christmas Program 2010

Saturday afternoon we gathered for our annual Christmas Program.  Since we were in borrowed 'digs' last year at this time, we didn't get to have one so it was great to be able to use our wonderful new facilities this year.  We had about 160 people there and a ton of new visitors (parents, grandparents, siblings) that we had never seen before.  Of course, the delicious turkey dinner is always a draw but they heard a plain and clear gospel message from Brian J (our special speaker).  Michelle had given Baby Johnson clear instructions that he was to stay in-utero for the duration as we weren't sure who our "Plan B" would have been if Brian couldn't make it.  Baby listened very well and did not make an appearance...despite the fact that she could go into labour any day now.

Bea and Doug drove up and were there an hour early to make sure they got a good seat for their grandchildren's performances.

Brad & Gi's kiddos - adorable (check out fashion princess in the middle..so cute)

Bethany & Emma were our narrators.  They did such a fantastic job!!

The entire Sunday School posed for a photo at the end.

Wow...160 people make a lot of dirty dishes!!!



Many hands make light work...

It was a busy weekend.  Heather hosted a baby shower for Michelle and we also had our annual Christmas Program.

In preparation for the Program, a bunch of people stayed after Bible reading on Thursday night to peel carrots and potatoes.  There were probably around 15 people who helped out and we knocked out those veggies in a little over an hour...and then stuffed the treat bags too!!  It is wonderful to share the work among a group.  Lots of fun and fellowship as well as more speed to get things done ☺

                              Heather, Brad, Uncle Bob and Ashley focused on the task at hand.

 That is a lot of carrots!!

 We packed almost 90 treat bags for the kids.

Michelle's baby shower went great and she got tons of adorable stuff for little "Howard" Johnson!!



School of "How To Get Things For Free Just By Being Nice"

I was chuckling to myself this morning as I was replying to an email from Heather.  She is in Ottawa for a few days and got an upgrade at her hotel.  The desk clerk told her "see what you get for a smile"!!!

This made me think of our long-standing joke about Dave.  The man seems to get free things handed to him all of the time...without being pushy or rude.  Back in '98, Dave, Heath and I toured around the Southwest for two weeks.  It seemed that it was more of an education in "How To Get Things For Free Just By Being Nice" but the final night of our trip was the most impressive.  We had just spent a couple of hours driving back to LA from San Diego and Heath and I were waiting in the car for Dave to check into the hotel.  We were tired...and a bit impatient.  We kept asking "What in the world could be taking him so long????".  Finally, Dave emerged from the lobby and hopped in the car.  He said that the hotel had no more rooms available on the Club Level (we had an upgrade coupon).  Heath and I were disappointed but figured at least we had a bed and roof over our heads.  Then Dave hit us with the big news...the desk clerk was the same one who had checked us out earlier in the week and Dave had remembered him and greeted him by name when we returned.  The clerk had upgraded us to a Suite and given us Club Level access so we could enjoy the free (and amazingly generous) hot breakfast in the morning and the Club Lounge for snacks that night...and would not take the coupon!!  Heath and I just shook our heads and said "We don't know how you do this!!!".  Dave grinned and told us that it was no big secret..."just smile and make people feel special and they will fall all over themselves to help you out without you even asking". 

Another example occurred on our way back from a cruise one year.  We were checking in at the San Juan airport around 1am for a 3am flight (ewww!!).  A clerk was helping us work the 'self check-in' kiosk and we were joking and laughing with her about what a job she had to help out stunned travellers who weren't too sparky at that time of the morning.  When boarding began, this same woman came over to us and pulled us out of line and told us that she would like to upgrade us to first class.  What an amazing treat!!  I think it was the first time that I had a quality sleep on a plane....and all because we were being nice instead of cranky : - )

I have watched Dave in action for over 20 years now and have learned that this approach tends to be very effective a large percentage of the time.  It isn't a matter of being fake or manipulative.  If you aren't genuine, people will know this on some level and won't be keen to help you out.  Service jobs are often pretty thankless and when someone is kind and appreciative....people will go out of their way to do something nice for you.  Even if they can't do something for you...give a word of praise or a compliment on how well they do their job.  Spreading a little joy is always a good practice!

We can all benefit from an education in this 'school' of life☺

With Age Comes Wisdom???

When I was younger, I used to think that when I was 40 years old (ie: ancient) I would have everything all figured out.  Well, I am on the other side of 40 and it is obvious that I am not quite there in the ‘got-it-all-figured-out’ category!!

There are, however, a few things that I have learned in my 40+ years and I thought I would share a few.  I say ‘learned’ but that doesn’t mean ‘perfected’!☺ We are funny humans and knowing something and doing it are often very different things.

1.  We choose our attitude

Each day, when we wake up, we get the opportunity to choose our attitude for the day.  Attitude is often a struggle and it took me many years to realize that I am not a victim of my circumstances.  I may not always choose my circumstances…but I can choose my attitude!!  Some days we make the wrong choice and wallow and struggle instead of facing life’s challenges head on and seeking God’s guidance for our lives.  Each day is a new opportunity to learn this important lesson.

2.  What other people think is not as important as what God thinks

We can live our lives worried about what other people will think and it will never matter as much as what God thinks!!  People will always have an opinion on how we should live our lives and there are as many opinions as there are people in this world.  God shows us, through His Word, the way we should go and He wants our hearts to be right…not just our actions.  You can do the right thing for the wrong reason…and the wrong thing for the right reason.  God judges our intent…

“For the Lord seeth not as man seeth; for man looketh on the outward appearance, but the Lord looketh on the heart.” – 1 Samuel 16:7

3.  It’s not all about you

When we are younger, the world seems to revolve around our little lives.  As we age, we begin to realize that we are not the center of the universe and that everything is not just about us!  Relationships are important but need to be nurtured.  You can’t have good friendships without being a good friend.  Think of others…send a note, make a phone call, let someone know that you are thinking of them.  It is a small thing that can mean so much to someone else!

4.  You cannot change someone else’s life

We can give people all sorts of advice but until they see something for themselves, it isn’t going to have an impact on their lives.  Sometimes people just aren’t ready to hear it and we will only anger/upset them by bringing it up.  It took me a long time to realize that just because I had an opinion doesn’t mean I always have to express it.  I still work on this one daily.  I sometimes say things that I could have kept to myself…but I am learning to keep my own counsel far more than I used to!  Baby steps….

5.  Change is hard!!!

I think one of the toughest things in life is for people to change.  We develop ways of looking at things or doing things and we tend to stick with what we know and what is comfortable.  Every now and then it is good to take stock of what we are doing and why.  Often, things that worked in the past aren’t working well any longer and changes need to be made.  Don’t be afraid to ‘tweak’ your approach!!

The bottom line is that nobody EVER has it all figured out!  We will be a work-in-progress for as long as we are on this earth.  It isn’t constructive to constantly beat ourselves up over poor choices and mistakes that we have made in our lives.  When we know better…we do better and the only way to ‘know better’ is to make those mistakes and live through the consequences of our choices.  Be encouraged that…

“Being confident of this very thing, that he which hath begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ…” – Philippians 1:6

A study in contrasts...

I am living with the incredibly shrinking man!  I thought I would show you a before and after comparison...even though we aren't completely to the 'after' yet.  It amazes me how much weight Dave has lost in the last three months.  It has not only improved his physical appearance but he has way more energy than before and, best of all, his stomach problems are almost non-existent : - )

Before  (on our cruise in March 2010)

After (Oct 2010 - 35 lbs lost and counting)

He is following the diet outlined in the book "Breaking the Vicious Cycle: Intestinal Health Through Diet" by Elaine Gottschall.  It has completely changed the way he eats....only fruits, vegetables, meats/fish and nuts (plus his one indulgence - plain chips).  No sugars, no flour/wheat!!  He didn't think he could actually give up all of the foods he loves but he feels so much better that he says he doesn't intend to ever go back to the way he was eating before.

It takes a lot more planning and creativity to prepare meals as, with so few ingredients to use, it can get pretty bland and boring unless you are constantly on the lookout for new ways to prepare things.  I am developing a list of dishes that work well and I am always checking recipe sites for other options.  The tough thing is that even celiac recipes include sugar so I can't even rely on those options.  Oh well, it is a small price to pay to have a healthy husband!!

Peace and tranquility....and other less appealing stuff

Dave left last night to go to the cottage with Richard.  They needed to do a bit of work in preparation for winter and they were heading to my cousin Leah's house tomorrow to help build her barn.  We hosted Youth Group last night and then he took off.

For the first night in several, I didn't wake up at 4:30am coughing myself silly.  I woke to a beautiful sunny day and no real agenda to keep....delightful!  I spent my time tidying up after last night's events...some necessary cleaning, raked the abundance of leaves in the backyard and sat on the deck reading for over an hour.  We won't likely get too many more of these days so I wanted to soak all of the sun's rays that I could get after our torrent of rain this past week.  This is a shot of the yard before all of the leaves fell off the trees!!

Thought you might like to take a gander at the lovely mess that is our car!  Our neighbour across the road was getting his driveway paved and the guy working the backhoe decided that it was a good idea to park it in our driverway without asking permission.  Dave backed out of the garage and right into it.  Sigh!!!  Still trying to force the company to come good for the repairs.  Until then, we can't drive the car when it's raining.  I think the company should perhaps IQ test their workers because they also went to the wrong address to start with and tore up a completely good driveway before realizing that it was the wrong address.  Can you imagine the poor homeowner arriving home to that mess???

Moral of the story:  ALWAYS check very carefully (and constantly) when backing up...even if it is your own driveway and you don't expect a honkin' backhoe to be sitting around the curve : - )

Seeking whom he may devour....

We had the blessing of hearing Dave Patten, a full-time worker from Ontario, in ministry on Sunday.  His message was convicting and very timely.  He spoke about how Satan's sole purpose is to kill and destroy and how Christians cannot let him get a 'launching pad' from which he can do his work in their lives.

He spoke about the different things that Satan will use to minimize a Christian's impact for God.  The main topic that he spoke on was a bitter spirit.  He spoke about how bitterness can enter a believer's life and they aren't even aware that it is Satan doing his work....through them!!  He wants to paralyze us and keep us from being of use to God so he works on our minds and our spirits to deflate and cripple our effectiveness.

He warned us that bitterness will take over our lives, if we let it.  Bitterness toward other Christians that affects our fellowship and our work together for Him.  He also cautioned us not to think "well, I am glad that so and so is here to hear this message" or "too bad so and so is missing this...they really need to hear it".  WE are the ones who need to hear the message.  WE are the ones who need to examine our thoughts and pray for help to purge bitterness from our lives.  Everyone I talked to said that this was a convicting message and came at the perfect time! 

God knows what we need and He gives it to us.  Dave and his wife were not supposed to be here but they ran into some issues that caused them to stop in Moncton overnight.  This was no coincidence!  God used Dave's exercise to impart some timely wisdom to us...to me...and I should not let it fall by the wayside without learning something from it.

Warm thoughts....

The temperature was supposed to go down to -8C last night and I think it did because it is still below zero this morning.  At these times, a girl's thoughts turn toward warmer pleasures.  When the cold chill hits, I start thinking about cruising.  Well, I am always kind of thinking about cruising....but I start remembering the warm breeze on my bare skin, floating weightlessly in the turquoise blue Caribbean waters and the delightful island smells.  People ask why I don't go to Europe or somewhere equally interesting, for a change.  All I can answer is that I am not (at this point) willing to give up my Caribbean dreams for other pursuits.  Since we can't afford to do both, I would have to choose one...and, if I have to choose one, it will be the Caribbean.  What can I say??  It is my happy place!  It makes me happy to think about it, plan for it and immerse myself in it : - )

My cruise blog is still moving along slowly (check it out at http://thegangwaygazette.blogspot.com/).  I have around 14 islands up so far and am slowly plodding through the rest.  We have visited about 22 islands, so soon I will start delving into some that we've never been to.  I am trying to make the blog actually profitable and have all sorts of visions on how to do that but the visions need to be translated into reality.  It is a work in progress and I will forge ahead!!

Thinking warm thoughts......

Good Things!

Counting my blessings!!  There are so many things to be thankful for in my life.  Just returned home from a great outing with Heath.  There is a Photography Symposium this weekend in Moncton.  We went downtown and browsed through a couple of photo exhibits and walked down Main Street and enjoyed the brisk fall air and dreamed of the damage we could do with a digital SLR camera.

I am thankful:

1.  To be able to enjoy delicious treats like these with Nieche and Co : - )

2.  To enjoy a wonderful lunch (that almost turned into supper) with friends like these:

3.  For two of my favorite guys:

4.  For Mr. Furball:

5.  Being able to enjoy incredibly gorgeous days like yesterday - when the sun is shining brightly, the temp is a balmy 17 degrees celsius and I can spend a couple of hours reading on my back deck, in the sun....at the end of October!!

All free.....and priceless : - )

Sorrow....

A couple of days ago, we got the news that a friend had lost his young wife suddenly.  They had only been married four months and she died the day before her 24th birthday.  I cried for him when I heard...how his life will never be the same and how it would feel to lose a spouse and yet have to go on.

God's ways are not our ways!  It is difficult, even impossible, to understand what God's plan is when someone so young is taken.  Why does He take some and leave others??  This isn't for us to try and figure out.  His plan is far greater and, yes, far better than our tiny minds can comprehend.

It does make me count my blessings that I have enjoyed twenty years with my love.  Marriage is many things; changing, sharing, growing (sometimes together...sometimes apart).  Before we said our vows in front of our wedding guests, we vowed to each other that, no matter what happens, we are together for life.  There are NO other options and we must choose to love each other, each and every day!!

Thank you, Lord, for my incredibly wonderful husband.  For his integrity, commitment, faithfulness and the fact that he can still make me laugh after all these years.   I sorrow with Duncan that he and Bethany had only four short months together but I pray that they were among some of the happiest days in their lives.

Life is short!!  Cherish each moment that you have together and don't waste the precious time that God has given you.

A THANK-ful heart

I know...I know!  I suck at routine blogging.  As I stated in my last post, I only wrote in my diary now and then.  My only excuse is that things have been so incredibly busy lately that blogging hasn't made it to the top of the priority list until today.

We just finished two weeks of gospel meetings with Peter Ramsay and Matthew Cain.  God has gifted these two men with the ability to connect on a different level than many preachers.  They are very much a complement to each other...when one is tougher, the other is softer..and vice versa!   Between teaching Mad Science, attending the meetings and trying to catch up on all of the tasks that have fallen by the wayside in the past couple of months, things have been a bit crazy.  You may think I am exaggerating (as I am prone to do at times) however, evidence of this is the fact that I ironed for 2 hours straight last night to catch up on all of the Dave's dress shirts that have been getting washed....but not ironed....for the past month.  Those who know me well, know that ironing is my LEAST favorite housekeeping task : - )  To make it more palatable, I only do it when I am watching TV!!

Thanksgiving weekend was a family and activity intense four days.  On Friday, Heather, Ashley C and I went hiking at Fundy National Park.  It was a gorgeous fall day and I felt incredibly blessed to have the physical health and ability to hike 5 km through God's creation!

Saturday morning, we were up bright and early to head to Oxford for the Annual Patterson Wood Chuck.  Most of the family was there to put Grandma and Grampa's wood in for the winter.  I remember when we used to head to Grammie Swan's, with a bunch of cousins, to do the same thing.  It didn't seem like work because we got to spend the time with some of our favorite people.  I treasure those memories and smile when I think that my nieces and nephews will look back on these days with fond memories that they may not even realize they are forming!

We rushed back to Moncton in time to head to Reta's for a birthday celebration and cabbage rolls...YUM!  Nobody makes cabbage rolls like Reta.  I think it's her Syrian heritage that gives her special skills : - )

On Monday, we headed down to the cottage for Thanksgiving dinner.  The younger kids and I made a run down to the beach to look for beach glass but the tide was way in so that plan was squashed.  We stuffed ourselves 'to the gills' and raced back to Moncton for gospel meeting that night.  It was very hard to keep my eyes open once the tryptophan kicked in!

I am thankful for:
- Dave!!
- health and physical ability
- my family
- a car to get to the many places we want to go
- good friends

What more can a girl ask for???

Fallin' ......

Well, fall is full upon us!  The leaves are starting to turn and soon I will be able to get more pics like this one.

Obviously, my blogging frequency is going to mirror my diary writing of years past...in fits and spurts : - )  I always have it in the back of my mind to do but it is down the list quite a way.

Last week, I started teaching part-time at an after-school program called Mad Science.  We teach kids from kindergarten to Grade 6 about science-related topics.  I am thankful that the Lord sent a job my way that gives me exactly what I was looking for: much higher than minimum wage, part-time hours and complete flexibility for time off, etc.

We are teaching Spy Academy right now, which is right up my alley.  When I was a kid, I had a detective kit and used to spy on the neighbors in the apartment complex next door and dust their doorknobs for fingerprints.  After the initial chaotic beginning, I am really starting to enjoy the kids and their cute questions and comments.  I had asked them to come up with a spy name and told them it could be a nickname or something completely unrelated.  I had to explain nicknames and one little guy said "Oh, it's like my dad's name is Brian, but he goes by 'Dad'"....too cute!!

This weekend is shaping up to be quite busy.  Heath and I want to go apple picking but I'm not sure when we are going to fit that in.  Saturday, the plan is to go to Oxford with the rest of the family to put wood in for Mom & Dad P.  We will be rushing back to Moncton to join some of the Mix clan for Rita's stupendous cabbage rolls for supper on Saturday and then another trip to NS on Monday for Thanksgiving dinner at the cot-taj.  Burp!! 

Hope all of this delightful food will put some of the pounds on that I've lost.  Between Dave's restricted eating plan and starting to jog, I had lost about 5 pounds and I am getting REAAALLLLYYY tired of people commenting on how thin I am.  Geeesh!  If everyone commented on larger people's weight the way they comment on mine, I can see why people get really defensive about their weight.  Am I not fine just the way I am???  Dave thinks so....and he's the man : - )

It is a gorgeous sunny day and I spent some time this morning finishing up with the outside painting.  Trim and support column all done.  Now Dave just has to finish the garage door.  I got tired of looking like the 'white trash' house of the neighborhood.

Ciao for now!