Finally!

Finally, we're almost done with January, the month that went on forever. At least the weather hasn't been terrible, I haven't worn anything heavier than a sweatshirt.

I love the cemetery where our family is buried. Mike and Samantha put up a Cowboys flag for Joseph at Christmas, and it's still there. 

Ali put this pic up of Joseph and baby Joey. 

Here's an oldie! Mike, in 1984. He was 28. 

My gnome family, all of them Xmas gifts. I love them all! Amanda made one, and Steph bought one in Germany. They make me smile. 

I just printed out this pattern- aren't they hysterical? 

We went thrift store shopping yesterday.

Jules is reading Stephen King, and I'm an enabler! 

We made it thru another week!

It's in the 60's out! Amazing for January, but it's happened before. The sky is blue, the sun is shining, and I'm going to open a few windows and air the place out!

We did get a little snow last week. It was snowing really hard, but I couldn't capture it with my cell phone camera.

Ralph and his little Tina. She wasn't thrilled about being carried around.

A couple of weeks ago, we bought this cool rug for the living room. It's partially in the shade in the pic. We went back and got a matching runner. I love the tree, and it's huge! It's made of metal.

I got ambitious yesterday, and made 2 pounds of meatballs and froze them. I used the recipe that Ralph's Nana Rose gave me over 40 years ago. The difference is that she used to fry them in oil, and I baked them in the oven. I also browned 2 pounds of ground beef, and froze one. I made sloppy joe's for dinner with the other. We went to the Amish market for the meat, I'm sick of grocery store meat, it's never the right weight. If I need a pound, I don't want .82, or .75, I want a pound! The Amish will package whatever weight I want. I also got a quiche there and froze it. 

Today is lunch with Frank and Charlotte, at Uno's. They have a terrific broccoli cheese soup that I always get.

January

Yesterday was January 4. A day that brings up a variety of emotions. In 2002 it was a wonderful day, the day Heather and Ed got married, with Manda and Steph in the wedding party. 

In 2005 it was a terrible day, the day that Ralph's father Rocco died. 

In 2020 it was the day that our friend Gordon was laid to rest. Gordon was one of our Cookie Swap husbands. As the guys retired, they started to attend out Cookie Swap events, and we were happy to have them. 

Funny how one date can hold such a variety of experiences and emotions.

We have other dates like that. June 26 is the date Manda and Ben got married, and also the date that Joesph died. 

Anyway, it's a new year. Happy 2020.