Deb's update
I did not end 2008 very well - On Dec 23rd, 2008, I totaled my car. I had just finished my Christmas shopping and had just gotten onto highway 14 when, in the dark, I thought I had seen an outline of a car that was sideways in the road. Fortunately for the other driver, I had not reached the 65 speed limit and was able to slow down to less than 40. He also had another vehicle on the shoulder so I had no choice but to run into him. He was able to drive his car off the road but he did end up with a couple of tickets. Apparently, his pickup stalled earlier in the day and he was attempting to line up the car to jump start the pickup - it is against the law to do a u-turn on a 4 lane, and also illegal to park a vehicle going against the traffic. The good news was that no one was seriously hurt - I had sore arms and shoulders for a few weeks. So I started 2009 looking for a new car. I liked my old corolla and decided to go with another one. This one is a capri sea green and has more features than my 2006 corolla did. I like it - but it was a heck of a way to get a new car.
Late February - early March, Bruce and I spent a few days in Tampa. The weather was much warmer (we left the day of a large snow storm) and we took in a Spring Training Twins game at the Yankees Tampa stadium. It was great and the Twins won that game. Too bad that the Twins didn't have the same luck in the fall on the road to the World Series.
The summer months brought golfing on the weekends and in June Bruce brought me along to EDAM conference at Rutgers. The weather wasn't all that great but I did start a couple of quilt hangings those couple of days. I ended the summer working with my sister Bridget at the MN state fair at the Kiwanis malt stand. It was fun - reminded me of my Dairy Queen Days in the seventies.
At the end of October, my sister Bridget, my mother and I went to central Florida. We spent a couple of days at a golf community called "Juliette Falls" and stayed in a private home. It had its own pool and spa and of course we golfed. I wasn't used to golfing 18 holes 3 consecutive days and my golfing showed it. The course and the home was beautiful. It was wonderful to experience how the other half lives. While we were in Florida, we did do a day at Epcot and we also went to the Boardwalk and met up with my cousin Kyle Burkel and his wife. They live in the Florida keys but drove up to see us in Orlando. It had been about 30 years since I seen him. We had a very enjoyable evening with them. I came back to Minnesota just after their first snow storm - in fact they would not let our plane leave Florida until the runways were open in Minnesota.
Currently, we just finished our 9th annual Christmas Cantata - which I have directed the past 7 years. I still occasionally play for church services and help out where needed. I am still working at Kasson-Mantorville Public Schools in the business office. We are in the process of converting our student data into a new program and since I do the state student reporting, I am very involved in the process. I think it will be a long 4 months - we are hoping to go live in the middle of April.
I am looking forward to 2010 and can't wait to see what it brings. May you have a blessed Holiday Season and that God grants you a prosperous and joyous 2010. dds