Hearts

January 10, 2006

HAPPY NEW YEAR to all!  Surely the holidays sped by way too quickly, yet being back to routine feels quite fine.  We are grateful for the time we had with family and friends and pleased that the weather allowed us to get together.

We gathered in Nicollet, MN, at Fr. Ed’s church for Christmas Eve mass and shared supper together there before coming back to our house.  My niece Janice and her family and my niece Sandy and her family were with us from Saturday through Monday.  They stayed beyond Christmas to celebrate our 31st wedding anniversary, December 26th.

Everyone pitched in to prepare our wonderful Christmas ham dinner, and of course Enrique and Jim peeled the potatoes and prepared the ham the night before.  Mashed potatoes seem to be a “must” at every family gathering these days, and only the “real” ones will do!

During the past year I wrote down many memories that I have from my growing-up years.  With Jim’s help, I assembled them into a book that I call “Gifts in My Memories”, and I gave this book to the family for Christmas.  I had a very good time remembering many things from my past, and I’m hoping the family will find a few things there that might interest them.

Besides sharing some gifts, our Christmas afternoon included a group walk outdoors, relaxing and watching football, and playing games.  Overnight, 10 people found places to sleep – some on real beds and couches, others on the floor.  Yes, we had to watch where we stepped!

Marco and Christina stayed with us the week between Christmas and New Year’s, so we had a chance to watch movies together, play games and cards and just hang out and have lots of laughs together.  Marco asked Jim to be his sponsor for his upcoming Confirmation, so the two of them held several “meetings” to talk about matters of our faith.  Christina received a knitting machine for Christmas, so she and I enjoyed figuring out how to make scarves with that.  Then their parents returned for more fun on New Year’s Eve, and finally everyone returned to their “real lives” again after our traditional Swiss steak dinner on New Year’s Day. 

Although unable to be with us over the holidays, my sister, Sister Miriam and our friend, Sister Judy were with us this past weekend, so we were able to see all the family at one time or another.  We are deeply grateful for our wonderful family and caring friends who make all the difference in the world to us.  There is no doubt that all these good people are one main reason why I continue to still be here and why I am doing as well as I am.  I want to be here for many more holidays!

Love and blessings to all,

Love, Joanne – and Jim, too!

Earlier months' news:
December 5, 2005
October 27, 2005
September 14, 2005
August 2005
July 8, 2005
June 6, 2005
May 15, 2005
April 7 , 2005
March 14, 2005
February 8, 2005
January 8, 2005
2004 Christmas letter
November 15, 2004
October 14, 2004
September 10. 2004
July 12, 2004
May 28, 2004
April 2004
March 2004
January 2004
December 8, 2003
October 10, 2003
September 15, 2003
August 18, 2003
July 7, 2003
June 2, 2003
May 1, 2003
April 16, 2003
April 4, 2003
March 6, 2003
February 17, 2003
January 21, 2003
January 14, 2003
January 1, 2003
December 2002
November 2002