Letter from Dundee

Last time, I asked about everyone's new year's resolutions.  Even though I know that I cannot make resolutions for other people (but, hey, wouldn't that be nice,) here's a suggestion.  Everyone resolve to submit at least one contribution to Pops Weekly Letter during the course of 2014.  More than one would be nice, but, let's start small.  It's easy: just write an e-mail (delete all your signature items) to popsweeklyletter.dickson@blogger.com.  

On that note, Andrew has already fulfilled his (my) new year's resolution:

Talked to Claire this week who has joined an intramural volleyball team with her roommate, Matty, and was kind enough to go to the easy league because Matty has not played too much. She was asked to apply for a RA position and will interview this week. She is also teaching second graders in the Zeeland, MI school district one day a week for her education class. To do so, she had to drop one of Hope's popular classes, "Religion and Atrocities". I told her there are plenty of examples in history. I drove her back to Hope on the 8th, and it was a harrowing ride both ways with semis off the road and major backups. Thank goodness for the Subaru.

Today, Daniel got braces. It will be 20 month long process, so here we go. He continues to do well in basketball, and is enrolled in drivers ed. Yikes. Bill and Jen seem to have their hands full with the kids, and am sure the out-of-control granddad doesn't help.  Just doing my job.

Sign of things to come: the cat jumped on the outside bench and the leg collapsed. Everybody is getting older.

Total snowfall in Chicago last winter: 38 inches

Total snowfall in Chicago so far this winter: 39 inches

More arctic freeze and snow coming this week. We will try to send it east as fast as we can.

I told my doctor last week that I was in shape. He did not agree. I then said " Hey, round is a shape".

All is well in Dundee. Be well.

Cold and colds

Not only is it the coldest season on record, but it's been the season of lingering and recurring colds.  I spent the better part of the day in bed, and am still a little foggy from four different types of cold medicine - not all at the same time.  I thought with vitamins and breakfast fruit, I had beaten the odds, but the colds are definitely winning this year.

It was frightening to flip through the temperatures where everyone was living this past week.  Chicago -13.  Rochester -4.  Pittsfield. -1.  Princeton 4.  DC 12.  Yikes.  Then yesterday it was up in the 50s.  Last Sunday ice fishing, today people could have gone canoeing on the lake. Last Monday, when it was 1 degree here, I went over to take some pictures of the preservation project; people were out working and it was brutally cold.  I stayed for only 30 minutes and that was enough for me.  One more sign of the cold: we've almost gone through the woodpile I set aside for the winter.  Fortunately, winter's almost over.  Right?

The glow of the holidays is over;  Marge and Lew had come up for a new year's eve dinner with Mary's high school friends.  The big news is that we actually made it to midnight, and a little beyond.  Last Sunday we took down the tree.  We still have the big wreath up, but we haven't lit the lights since new year's eve.  And so, it's back to work and back to our routines.  

Did you all make new year's reservations?  I did but I can't really start until May when I am finished (hopefully) with school.   That's the best new year's resolution, one that doesn't begin for another five months.  What is mine, you ask?  Swimming.  Learn how to swim properly.

Odds and ends.  Two birthdays last week: Jeffrey and Margaret.  Happy days!  Marilyn had knee surgery this week, and has bounced back quickly. Not so happy a day, but it will mean happy days to come. Mary went with her swim team to a meet yesterday, and she swam in five different races.

We spoke with Joe last week, and he was getting ready to go back to work after two weeks off, part of which he spent in Paris.  Sweet.

So, we're watching football and Downton Abbey and Chris Christie press conferences, at least John Stewart and Stephen Colbert's takes on them.  Not sure which is more entertaining.

Outside of school reading, I am working my way through two Christmas books: one on Bush and Cheney and the other on the history of the Book of Common Prayer.  I am trying to find the connection between the two, other than that they are both interesting reads.  

I ran out of photos from the week, so I found one from the files.  Those were happy days, and warmer ones as well.  Stay warm.

Love from up here.