Hi John…

Here comes the rain.  Today was the first day that I thought that there may be no more snow coming down and winter has ended.  I’m not sure if that is the case being here in Vermont.  It just was the warmth that I felt today.  This felt like April showers a week early.

The morning was spent in yogaville.  Today was the last class for my toddler group.  The teen class will be ending soon also due to lacrosse.  Spring in Vermont means yoga of the outside.  We are in transition.

IBM has announced a possible 5000 layoffs in the company.  I am not sure when they will begin.  I know you will be sad not to be here for that.  It will be important for you to talk with friends and help whomever head towards another job.  You are so good at networking.  That is a skill that facebook or myspace have gotten better at…yet you have the human touch. 

Transitions…they are happening everywhere.  State workers are being asked to take a pay cut to keep the layoffs low…students are protesting cuts…UVM has lost baseball and softball…on and on.  I know it is painful for some folks.  It is hard to go to bed at night and wake the next day to find your job or house  on the way out.  Our country and community continues to feel the burden and change.  I understand.  It is the loss of control that makes the situation harder.  It also is this that shows that we should not take it personally.  This change will hurt however I believe it is necessary and will produce a better place.  Maybe I am just optimistic or hopeful.  It is important to keep things in perspective.  Job, houses, locations can change.  Hmmm enough talk.

Gabe had a half day today and one tomorrow.  This afternoon was spent at Bolton.  He is squeezing the last bit out of the snow there.  He too feels the change in the season.  It is hard to transition to lacrosse when there is still snow in the mountains.  He participated in a Rail Jam for a little girl named Molly.  It was a fundraiser to help raise funds for her lymphoma treatment.  I was glad he did it.

I did my thousand errands this afternoon.  It was kinda fun.  I was very efficient.  I had fun delivering some of the Arbonne products to friends.  It was good catching up with them  This evening I took the dogs out before the rains came again.

Tonight I watched the “Twilight” movie.  Not as good as the book.  I had to read the book because all of the girls in Gabe’s class have been reading it.  I love a good vampire book.  This has all the elements of prince charming except this dude has fangs.  I also love it that this family has the last name of “Collins”.  I don’t think this age group gets the connection to Barnabus Collins.  The author must have enjoyed that element.

Time for bed.  There will be no dreams of vampires although it’s nice to know we are immortal in spirit.  I love that.  Good night.   love…d     

Hey John…

Max called today and all went well with the lease and they have a new apartment beginning in April.  I guess it is closer to campus and a little cheaper.  The rooms are nicer for all of them.  They also have some leeway in moving in which is good. 

The dogs went for their 100,000 mile check up today.  They got shots, gave blood and others fluids not needed to say right here.  Healthy and happy dogs. 

My day was a normal Wednesday.  I  went to CHMS for an hour then onto RES for my kids yoga class.  Cute kids and spring fever was high.  Lots of energy.  Gabe went to Bolton in 50 degree weather and sunshine.  They stayed until 8:00. 

Me…I am tired.  I have to go to bed.  I think I am tired because Satori needed to go out at 1:30 for some reason.  After that it is hard for me to get back into a deep sleep.  I am off to read then sleep.

Early goodnight to you John.  love…d     

Hi John…

Today was cleaning day.  The place looks great.  I have taken off our flannel sheets from the bed.  I guess that means winter is done.  Although it did not feel that way today.  The March winds can be cold.  I had to bundle up when I took the dogs for a walk with Jen.  The field was cold however the dogs has a blast.  Today was pass the flattened dried frog back and forth.  Satori found it first.  As I took it from her Julie swooped it up and took off with it.  As she tried to roll on it I was able to bury it in some leaves.  Those dogs. 

Last night I heard from Barry.  He returned a few days ago.  The rest of the Townsend’s are in Buenoes Aires, Argentina.  We may not be able to get Deb out of there.  This sounds like a place she will truly love.  There is night life, museums, Tango, Salsa music, good food and great people.  They are having a ball.  Right now they have a place rented until 4/7 and then they will move to another spot.  I think they may be using this as their launching spot.  Brit however is returning back on 3/31.  Barry will get her and they will spend the night here.  Barry needs to work and then they will head to New Hampshire to gather some of Brits things.  She hopes to head back here to Vermont to work for about 3 months.  Then it will be New Zealand.  Exciting times for them.  It will be good to talk with Brit and get the scoop.

It was also good to talk with Jleigh though email today.  Her life is quieter without your calendar hopping.  She too misses you.  She will be talking one of her rescue pugs to their new home this week.  That is so cool she does that.  I forgot to ask if that was the blind one.  I’ll see her next week.  Seems she has to make a birthday delivery for you.  Did you get me a pug? 

Gabe asked an interesting question about our auto insurance.  You know that we have a $500 deductable however since you hit an animal it was only a $100 deductable.  Gabe was wondering what would happen if you swirved to avoid an animal and hit a tree.  Well, I had to talk with Brenda through email and she said it would be $500.  Poor animal.  I told Gabe I would still swirve, if I could, and pay the extra.

We went t the chiropractor and stopped in to pick up Gabe’s board from Talent.  Gabe said Dave is an expert waxer.  His board looks so good.  Dave also filled some gaps to keep this board good through the summer.  This summer Dave will order a replacement board for Gabe’s Swindle board.  Gabe also got a new winter coat at 50% off.  Yeah.  Next pants.   

Gabe had an interesting science class these last few days.  They split up into groups and then they constructed an experiment to be done on themselves to test an increase in heart rate.  My first guess was taken…watching scary movies.  Some watched sad movies and some stood out side in the cold.  Guess what Gabe’s group did?  Yes they drank Red Bull and checked their heart rates.  They also understood that their heart rate may have increased just with the excitement of drinking Red Bull at school.  He told me that the heart rate did go up a little.  I like this type of test because so much of our pop media is based on tests just like this.  Hopefully they will understand the difficulty creating and executing a simple test on humans. 

He told me that someone at school told him he needed to drink 2 glasses of water for every Red Bull he drank.  I told him that may have been due to the caffiene.  I told him in the same respect people who drink coffee ought to do the same.  I enjoy hearing him come home with the same things we heard in school like coffee will stunt your growth and chocolate gives you zits. 

I found a large print copy of “Tuesdays with Morrie” on our bookshelf.  I’m not sure where it came from however the large print was perfect for using on the elliptical due to the wobbly nature of our machine. So I just keep it there to read when I exercise.  I really enjoy the book.  It talks about how Morrie is in that state of simplicity.  It is just about basic bodily functions and giving/receivning love.  So simple.  There is one bit where he is being interviewed by Ted Koppel for the second time.  Morrie is identifying with a person who wrote him a letter.  This was in reference to a death of a parent.  So Morrie tells the writer that he understands because his mother died when he was a child.  He says this with with tears and getting choked up.  Ted Koppel says that was 75 years ago…and the pain is still there?  And the answer was yes.  No surprise there.  Morrie doesn’t filter that out.  He misses his Mom as an old man just as he did at each point in his life…getting married…working..having kids.  Each step.  I think you understand my point John.  To live each point along that path in the moment of joy and sorrow intertwinned together.  Bittersweet.  That word “bittersweet” is just that…the bitter intertwinned with the sweet.  Okay, maybe tonight I like language better.  I think I’ll add bittersweet to the list of words I like.

Well I think I’ll go check out those clean crisp cold sheets.  Sleep well.  love…d 

Hi John…

Let’s see….yesterday was catch up day at home.  Not much new…Gabe went to Bolton…I did water softener…walked dogs…caught up on house stuff.  There was snow on the ground. 

Today was busier and colder.  I woke to 12 degrees and it only got to about 20 today.  I made 2 trips today to Williston to fax and FedEx things.  I believe FedEx has become a verb just like Google.  What is it with people who live in cities that need things within 24 hours.  If I put these same items in an envelope they would arrive in 2 days for just a stamp.  And it is amazing to me that some people don’t understand that we do not have a fax machine in our house.  I can send them through email but that doesn’t suit them.  In such a hurry…for what?

I have been helping Max secure a new apartment with his roomies.  Hopefully…if all those FedExs and Faxs arrived in 24 hours…maybe Max will be in a new place in a month.  I guess it has bigger rooms…closer to campus…and 2 bathrooms!  Maybe they will keep one bathroom clean for guests.  The comic strip “Zits” had the Dad fixing the toilet.  The only other toilet available was Jeremy’s, the teenage son.  The Mom chose to drive down to the local gas station and use their toilet over her kid’s bathroom toilet.  For some strange reason I understood.  Anyways, I am keeping my fingers crossed.  The guy I talked with on the phone about the apartment talked so fast I could not even get his name correct (3 times) until I saw it in an email.  I am certainly not a NYC girl.  There truly is no reason to be in that big of a rush that you cannot even communicate your name clearly.  Oh well.  Maybe I am just moving slower.

I did get the dogs out at 17 degrees.  On one of my outings I visited Hannah & Dave at Talent.  Senyah is 15 months and walking so well.  She looks down at her feet and walks carefully not to fall.  I don’t remember our boys looking down nor caring about falling.  She negotiates so well.  Girls are a different species.

There has been debate in the Senate about same sex marriage.  It is fun reading all the points of view and what riles certain people.  I think I missed my calling as a sociologist.  Too bad I thought sociology was the worst “science” course I took in college.  I saw it as such soft science yet I am most intrigue with the study of people.  Hmm.  Anyways, somewhere along the way we forgot that people come in many different flavors and they too can love and chose to live together legally and spiritually.  Again I feel our world gets hung up on words.  So what if same sex folks want to be married.  Why not?  Love only adds to this planet.  Fear hampers it.  In the end, love is all that matters.  For now, I will enjoy the debate.

I guess the bridge people are making good noises and work is underway.  Due to mud season the dirt roads are closed to through traffic.  I guess some cars have been ticketed for traveling through those roads, like Kenyon road.  The complaint is it takes an extra 15 minutes to come by our house.  I remember our bridge being out for a year.  It was nice to have less traffic and yes Bolton was an extra 15 minutes from us.  The bridge closure will be over in a blink.

AIG is still in the news.  I heard that they will be changing their name.  Hmm.  I also heard some nasty comments about bodily harm to those who have wronged the tax payers.  I cannot even write the details I heard because it saddens me so.  To think one would want to kill or harm someone over money.  Yikes.  Sometimes this world is hard for me to be part of.  It’s only money.  We are so much more than our money.  Sure, consequences need to happen to those who have acted criminally or immorally…but not death…and not physical harm.  When all is said and done at the end…the end of your life…it won’t be about money but more about how you behaved with your money. 

Oh I sound so preachy and selfrighteous tonight.  Like I know the way when the way is our own path.  Again…who am I to say.  I guess I miss you as my sounding board.  We could crab and laugh at what we hear and what we read.  Then we would just shake our heads and wonder silently.  Wonder about the meaning of it all.  Again…that mystery.  Living in the mystery…might as well because once you think you got it figured out…there is another bump in the road that makes rethink it.

Enough said.  I miss you John.  I look forward to more walks with you and talks as we live in the mystery together.  Good night friend.  love…d