12-18-08 Today we have declared ourselves snowed in…Tis the season to be jolly, joy is in the air for us this year, my wish is that Joy is in the lives of all of you. Excited for Santa to be here soon. Enjoying this wonderful time of giving while dodging the scrooge energy. Most of my life I have not supported the commercial Christmas. I do this by making gifts--a lot of cookies over the years--giving from my heart. For me giving is such a good feeling and when I can make things from what I have around me, then what is around me grows in its value for me. Tying cedar branches to an old style metal hanger, reminds me of the wonderful place I live. Takes me through time from metal hangers to plastic. The metal hangers I have spent most my life with, also good for unlocking your car door, are now hard for me to find in my closets. Replaced by the new more functional, clothes do not fall off of, but plastic!, hangers. They are no good for wreathes. Making use of all the music I have at hand, I was able to spend a Sunday compiling a Christmas music CD I found enjoyable and hoped to share that enjoyment with friends, family and acquaintances. The greatest moments for this season at this time have been watching and having Ted enjoy helping to get the CD copied and stuffed in many Christmas cards, my own scrooge enjoying and feeling the happiness of this giving season. Last year we were gone for Christmas and my scrooge said it opened his eyes to some new light. Oh “yes” I too have had those years of “happy it is over” so I know. So again my wish is that this letter finds you and those around you with Joy in your/their heart. This year’s Christmas looks to be different, as we will not all gather Christmas morning, those times will be a great wonderful memory. Thank you Karen for sharing yourself with me and my children those past Christmas’s, making them so warm and wonderful. Jenna and Laura will not be physically with us this year, but very much in our hearts…Jenna is off basking in the warm sun, someplace in South America hopefully surfing for her Christmas day. Laura is in Nampa, Idaho, living with her love Ransom and their four legged family Babes, Ash, 2 kitties, one of those white ferret creatures who is very cute and their new Geat Dane puppy, Bartleby . So with such a huge family, school, and work, she is very happily settled in for her winter. So proud of them all and their choices. Jordon my Grandson spent 3 days here last week and helped me decorate and make gifts, those moments being my best gift so far, thank you Katherine. Christmas eve we have no plans as of yet, Christmas morning will be me, Matt and Ted, maybe Sheryl will come make us her homemade biscuits and gravy. About 1pm we will host an open house Scrooge’s Christmas gift exchange with homemade soup and bread to follow. Enjoying Christmas day with our children in town and whomever else desires to be here. Dec 2008 Family Update; Well Jenna is in South America for the winter and that is pretty self explanatory. Katherine, Jason, Ambison, Jordon and Shila are warm and cozy in their beautiful lake view home in Hope “20 min. down the road”. We may or may not see them for Christmas, they work hard and enjoy their family. Dustin and Alanna, who just celebrated their 5th anniversary of their courtship, we see often, enjoying them being here very much. Dustin is drafting pursuing an architect license and Alanna is working at the hospital as an Rn., excited about her new position in surgery post opt and recovery. Momma Darian with Kieran and Matt is working 2 jobs, jewery sales, schooling to be diamond certified and sharing her domestic engineering with Matt, who is working 2-3 days a week surveying. They live happily in town and she can walk to work, sweet set up. Both waking each day to cater to our new young man in the family 6 month old grandson Kieran, the new light in all our lives. Thank you Matt and Darian, great job, well done, you are amazing!!!! That said, all our Children are amazing in their own lives, we are grateful daily. Laura as I mentioned already above has been a busy girl enjoying her family Ransom and pets, working and still in school with amazing grades, soon to graduate with a bachelor’s degree in psychology, supported so lovingly by Ransom who is a very good welder--helped creat the new lion habitat at the Boise zoo. Matt, well he is living next door, working with Bowers Construction, watching over us and gift from heaven. I treasure each day as I know it may end at anytime. He is looking at returning to school soon. But most importantly he has endured a past year of “the college of life” having finals that most of us never have to complete. The rough seas have passed for him and he is like surfing again, only cautiously and with new wisdom. He is happy and that I am so very proud and thrilled to see. His story not mine to tell. He and Ted have a great time I hear at work. This year we had larger jobs and Matt’s friend, Cory Lindholm, a practiced carpenter and all around good guy, joined Bowers Construction along with JP Huguenin, Matt Kinney at times, even Jamie’s son Scott all worked with Ted and Matt this pass summer. Really fine young men--good workers and great humor and the job. Ted, here, to add my 2 cents worth… Yes, I am in the spirit this year, as Gini has mentioned. She graciously allowed me to drag her away to Costa Rica last Christmas, which we spent in a Hotel room, recovering from dental surgery and watching TV, listening to the local fireworks displays crackling and booming all over the city well into the night. Getting away from the Great American Consumer Christmas Race for a year was great for me, but watching my wonderful wife show true Christmas spirit by not making me feel guilty for keeping us away from all of our children during her most favorite time of year, was a real eye opener for me and I began to finally separate what I love and don’t like about these holidays. I’m still pretty cynical about the way we celebrate Christmas in this country, but know that I don’t have to participate in what I don‘t like and can fully enjoy what I do. Doesn’t sound earth-shaking, I know, but nonetheless a fundamental change of attitude for me for the better. Thanks, Gini! I, too, am grateful for our extraordinary children, our families, both blood and extended, and the incredible quality of life we enjoy and unfortunately take for granted too much of the time. Even during tough economic times, to have a roof over our heads, food on the table, dry feet, clean drinking water, hot water to bathe in, cars to drive, and most importantly, the love and support of family and friends—things most people in the world only dream of—well, we all could do well to remember to give thanks daily for these blessings… and not just at Christmas time. So much for the lecture—I’m mostly speaking to myself anyway! Merry Christmas and Happy New Year, everybody. If you don’t get a gift from me, know that I love you and am sending you my love, respect and good wishes for the holidays. 10/26 Once a powerful “ray of bright light” Keiran would visit and shine on me. Bringing big laughter each time we saw each other, always stretching my cheeks. I woke and felt it… day three of knowing that new wonderful light in my/our life would not be available to me/us today. The morning sorrow, the tears we all shed as the day folds to afternoon, we dally-linger in a space we have never known. Myself and (I believe all) experiencing finding a way to live on, feeling numbness, a space unfamiliar and waves of deep deep sorrow. Days ending with memorable stories and laughter. Each of us sharing ourselves in ways I/we have never known. Learning our “bright ray of light” Keiran shot to the sky without our permission, just to shine not on just some of us but all of us…I am so mad and proud of him. Day four and a trip to the store, my favorite singing- whistling butcher, bellowing the verse about the “star” in “Somewhere over the Rainbow”. I am taken back to that deep deep sorrow with tears… finding comfort only in the eggs. Realizing this is my new life…. I feel like, I am crawling like I watched “my light” Keiran so recently. Feeling a new understanding of the difficulty in learning to walk forward in this new life without him. Moving through another day with our sorrow and hearing others sorrows and disbelief of such a horrific event. May I stand up and trot forward as fast as I saw “my light” Keiran do. Day five just flew by as did six full of love and much much bonding. For many, letting past be past so to now share love. Our/my “loving light” Keiran still at work. Day seven it feels so unfair to have to live on. I cling to the sound of this weeks evening laughter. The week has continued to be horrific in many ways all of us trying to find our way in this new life we have all just been given. Searching for some form of acceptance that Keiran has moved on to a place we cannot follow, even thou I/we think at times we want to, no one can, not with my permission. My light Keiran is now my Saint, I only need one whom I will worship for all his goodness. Nanners, Gini Day eight a beautiful memorial gathering and nine children leaving Day ten could not sleep 530 got up and later found out it was 430 Planning the week, going to the store Today it I learned it was easy to smile and laugh with the family only or was is the end of the day with a toast? Two planets gently collided and sent a spark to a village in lovvilla on the 3rd planet from the sun. The spark emerged from a pool of water into the home of a loving young couple Dac and Marian. In this new life we have all just been given 2/9/09 My world quake So abrupt an unexpected For moments I am a mountain Lyon My cub is in danger Life said to be threaten Charging Loved ones dancing around me Listen to there words Board the metal tube with wings Time warp G-force forward G-force back Break downs My baby Ride on world of strength and silence Taking turns Rides up and down The life roller coaster Love, fear, gratitude, whys Helpless, modern medicine Crazy mental state Why this ride, my baby Want to give strength Anger to come Break down stalled Always the whys, whys, whys Cannot fix Unfair Want rosy days, everyday Back to leaning on time Time that heals Thankful for that Could be worse Thankful it is not Tremor waves of protect-let go Want to wrap in a cocoon With by baby Till the tremors stop And we can rise to smell those roses Blog 10/24/08 Ash n Lilly My my what a week. Low low tides with death Fun an intense big waves with birth Colors brighten through our transition Flu and cold seeking us Country Chaos Breath Deep my only sense Time passing Changes come Doors open Others close Sadness Happiness Fatigued from the compac emotional ride Excited for old friends to reunite May we have some smooth sailing, now. When time/event in your life is “just a reason” to be happening maybe “things happen for a reason” is making you more aware of living with your choice a “reality check” also a responsible choice you know you can live with. February 22 family update My my February 22 2009, must be havin fun as the time is flying. Two months well lets see what have we done. Our Bowers Construction crew went various ways as the bigger jobs ended. Ted and Matt stayed busy on a couple of smaller jobs and now they are working next door while we wait for the next job. Ted and my health have been good a few colds but we are well. We have been homebodies in support of the times. We stay active with our wii mostly and snowshoe. Our grandson Jordon does not come stay with us as often, but that is good cause he is spending that time now more with his Dad. We miss him. Darian brings our new grandson over often and he is just a bundle of joy. Katherine and her family are just work-in and liven a happy life in Hope, Id. She works up the rode and we stop in and visit her, as they do not come to family events very often ☹. Jenna in Brazil at this moment has been just traveling, partying, surfing, hikes as she goes; we worry about her and are happy for her. Dustin and Alanna we see this winter, it is so nice to have them in town. They have a nice home in town and Dustin is drafting enjoying his job. Alanna is nursing at the Hospital and just move from night shift to day shift plus learning a new position, she is very happy to be off night shifts and we love being able to see her more. Dustin comes and hangs out once or twice a month and it is the best time. I am so thankful when our children share their lives with us, what a gift!! Darian, Matt, Kieran, Dustin, Alanna, Matt, Ted and I have a family Sunday twice a month, they do spoil us. Darian like Dustin comes by once or twice a month, just her and Kieran so being homebodies with the times has been just wonderful. Darian and Matt still live in town Darian works at the jewelry store, Matt watches Kieran and works when Darian is off surveying, just a great family. Laura is in Nampa Idaho, living with 2 cats, 3 dogs, a ferret and a huge tank of fish, her honey Rasom who is a welding foreman. She stays way to bust working, going to school and managing there home, she will graduate with a BS in psychology nest fall. I went down and stayed a week recently sorry to say a not planned trip but medical emergency Laura is now 3 weeks into health issues, they ”Modern western medicine world” do not understand and we hope will be resolve soon, and it will. But the time spent in this adventure is one we would rather not, but am sure there is a reason. Matt he is still living next door and works with Ted eats meals with us and adds his dog Brodie to our household, they are so nice to have around. The quiet without them would most definitely make being homebodies less enjoyable. He is looking a t returning to school next fall in Moscow. He flew a helicopter recently and really likes it. So he is looking to be a pilot. I have been busy working for Bowers Construction and doing what I can to keep us out in the world for clients to see us. We have hopes to building a small eco homes some day and we are looking at becoming LEED certified, by Ted or Dustin taking some test. Well for you out there far and near hope this lets you know what us here in Sandpoint have been up too. Mark your calendar for the 3rd Saturday in July any year to come visit during our annual “Café Gas yard party” and sometimes it is a reunion. May this writing leave you with good health and happiness from us, by gini, from Ted n Gini Email me Gini if you have reached this point and have somethin to say | 
