MJC's Journal

It is cold outside but warm inside. And everyone is in bed excluding the wabby and mouse! :O) Winter has arrived in Iowa - it came on Saturday. The wind that came with it was making shopping very uncomfortable to say the least. Sunday wasn't any better, either.

When I let Moca out this afternoon I was surprised to see a boxelder bug strolling on the patio! I blinked and look again and sure enough he was moving. I thought they only came out during the warmer seasons. Oh my, this too shall pass!

Christmas was great. Beth and Dave came over from Chicago on Monday the 23rd. and I put her to work right away wrapping presents. The funny thing was she was wrapping the presents we got for her and Dave along with Chris's. After she had finished the first present she asked who it was for so she could mark it. When I told her to put her name on it she just looked at me and shook her head. :O) There were a bunch of presents under and beside the tree when she was done. They were all for Chris, Beth, and Dave. Norm and I had gotten our present a couple days earlier. This was a very happy Christmas for us - you see we paid off our mortage off almost 2 years early. No more house payments every month! Now in a little over a month we can burn the mortage when we receive the official papers from the bank saying the house is really ours.

Tuesday the 24th was Chris's birthday - he turned 33. We celebrated by having cake and ice cream after supper. Being born that close to Christmas can really put a damper on things - everything closes early - usually by 6 PM.

We went up to see Mom after Christmas on Friday. She was in good humor and in the present and knew all of us. She wasn't sure who Dave was until Beth introduced him to her. We had a good visit. We laughed every time Mom would look at Chris and say "Comb your hair." Chris and Dave met the rest of us at the nursing home since they had been working that morning close to Hampton. I told Mom at least he had washed the grease off (or tried to) before he got there. Beth and Dave went home to Chicago on Saturday.

Monday the 30th Norm had surgery in the morning and I drove him home in the afternoon. He was feeling okay but snoozed a little more then he usually does. We stayed home on New Year's Eve and celebrated the arrival of 2003 by ourselves - including Moca. By Friday the 3rd - my birthday - Norm was up and moving around fairly well. He had been in town the day before and came home and asked me if my birthday was that day or the next - he said he couldn't remember. But I think he was joking since he never forgot it before. After his doctor's appointment on Thursday he stopped and got a bouquest of flowers to give me. He surprised me this year since he had done it the day before my birthday. We went out that evening for supper with a couple friends. He made the comment that we were going to celebrate my birthday the whole month of January so I am holding him to that. :O) I know you want to know so go ahead and ask. I am 56 years old, thank you. :O)

I think I best get to bed so I can get up early and get to work. I have a job to get done for a client and my computer is still acting up. I think it started before Christmas or shortly afterwordsm, but it will freeze up on me for not reason that I can find or think of. And it is very hinky on when it does it, too. It comes and goes. I just hope it holds out until the end of the month when I get my new one.

I love you, Mom! Love you bunches, Beth! Scratch Zulu behind the ears for Moca, Beth. :O)

Tootles!