November 28th Dave Wrote

Hello, Everyone --

Wow, only about 3 more weeks until the days start getting longer again. Like Mom, I always have trouble getting through this part of the year (Thanksgiving to about mid-Jan.) without getting depressed. I just don't get along well with short days!

Our family Thanksgiving was great! Matt had a full week off from school, so he came home on Nov. 19 and left today. Nate's break was shorter, but he was also home, and Sara/Terence/Jordan were here for a really nice Thanksgiving dinner at our house. Carol out-did herself with the family dinner. I'd never have the energy to put together than kind of meal, so I suggested that she just boil a few hot dogs. But we had the traditional turkey meal with all the trimmings, and we all enjoyed it.

I also enjoyed having a few days off for Thanksgiving break. It gave me some time to relax and catch up on a few homework jobs. However, my break is over now and the new storm doors that I installed in September still don't have any door handles or latches. We just grab the edge of the doors to pull them open, but some of the deliverymen and some visitors to our house get quizzical looks on their faces when they come to the door. Then ask if this is a "new style" for storm doors! I have the knobs and latches, but I just haven't found the time to put them on yet. The same goes for the outdoor light beside our garage that was sheared off by falling shingles when we re-roofed our house in July of 2003. The replacement light is on my workbench in the basement, but I think it is defective because it has not yet installed itself. As I get older, I find that "getting things done" isn't as important to me as it used to be. I keep plenty busy, but some of the details just don't hit the top of my priority list as quickly as they used to.

I still enjoy working outside far more than working indoors. Therefore, it wasn't much of a "sacrifice" for me to give up two Saturday afternoons in the last month to help a friend cut his firewood from a stack of logs that was left when land was cleared for their new house about a year ago. It's a nice change to come home at night feeling "bone tired" instead of "brain dead."

I'd sure like to hear more about the summer adventures of Devon and Aaron. If you guys read this newsletter, consider this a request for an e-mail summary of the highlights from your summer adventures. I suspect everyone on this list would enjoy hearing a bit about the most exciting and the most boring parts of your summers, and also, perhaps a summary of the three most important things that you learned. (And learning that you missed your girl friends won't count as one of the three!)

I hope all of you have a great December, and don't forget that Christmas started with Christ's birth even if most merchants today believe that it started right after Thanksgiving!