December, ugh, it's been a month since I've blogged on. I haven't been in the reporting mood, I'm wanting to try an overview instead of a detailed day by day minute by minute report. However, I know if I get started I will again get bogged down in the details of everyday life. I should be focusing on little incidents and writing poems. But it is December, when the store takes over and if it doesn't take over than the stress of it not being busy enough takes over.

Lots going on with my Dad. We are in the middle of a deal on the house upstate, a signed contract with a closing before the New Year. The house Jackie and I were married at, a mile from where the Woodstock concert took place, more details once the house sells, for now we will hope for the best. Dad would like to not have that responsibility anymore. We will see what happens. Ben took Dad to have his melanoma removed by a surgeon - I think that was December 2nd. I just spoke to him and he says it still hurts, he's supposed to get the stitches removed tomorrow. He says he thought he saw a couple of trickles of blood on his chest today, not sure how he can see that, but we will see how it goes tomorrow. Louis took him for a couple of follow up appointments with his eye doctor and his stomach doctor. Nothing major to report there, except that his stomach doc told him it's O.K. if he only needs to go every other day.

Wednesday Dad leaves for Florida...

My birthday was a couple of weeks ago. 48. Somehow that number bugs me a little bit. I had a very nice birthday, worked half a day, I hung out at the house, Jackie and the boys had a meet the ski coach thing in the evening, so I stayed home and made dinner, then we had a very nice meal and a surprise cake...

I guess I've been journaling a little bit on my computer, but just haven't been to the blog...

Thanksgiving was with Grandma Peggy and we all had a very stuffing weekend with lots and lots of food and friends.

Saturday, Ronald from Kenya showed up in Big Sky - we knew he was back in the States - but we didn't expect him to walk in the door. He showed up at the store and Lauren tracked us down and Ronald surprised Jackie. Made her day. It was really nice to see him and his friend Eldon from Bozeman who was hosting him for the moment. Very interesting conversation about Eldon's company which has designed and will be manufacturing "fold up" plastic refugee hexagon housing.

We hope to see lots of Ronald while he is in town!

And so that catches things up a little bit. December always is the too much at once month with Christmas, a busy store, and visitors and friends and parties and school programs and kids basketball games, and never enough time...

though somehow I find myself alone at the kitchen table, the boys downstairs watching t.v. and Jackie out at women's book club, and Buddy outside barking...