MERRY CHRISTMAS in OHIO !

Our Christmas began with Gary, I and Victor loading up and going to Richard's. We have to go where the action is or it is not much fun.

Of course, Charlie was there for action
or I should say attention!

I like to fix breakfast so my daughter-in-law and son do not have to. I saw a new recipe on FB so had to try it out on them.  Not much to it, so not difficult.

The new kitchen is not finished,
but very functionable. Of course Lynn does not know where
Richard has packed everything away for work time.

Can you tell that I put an extra egg in each roll.
I did not want to take eggs back home!
They were very good!

Lynn and Richie putting finishing touches,
or checking it out?

By time the gifts were opened, breakfast was ready.

Lynn and Richie

Miranda and Lynn.

Richie with favorite, Star Wars LEGOS

Come on Mom, open it!

Richie gets his favorites,
from Grandma!

Doug, Miranda and Lynn.

Richard in his easy chair in front of
his latest work, the new closet doors.
The plaster work has come along beautifully.
The new furniture comes later, after
all of the mess is gone.

Looking across the room!
Floor done, tray ceiling about finished and
ready for paint. Put come crown moulding up
and installed light fixtures on the room dividing posts.

The kitchen is about finished except for cabinet doors,
drawers and moving the refrigerator across the room.
Paint on walls and ceiling finished and it has
the same hardwood floor as the living area.
The latest addition was the bar stool/chairs.

Miranda and Doug had to hurry out to go to his sisters where there is a nine month old. I'll bet that was a fun day!  Rich, Lynn and Richie had to go on to her family Christmas at her mom's. So Victor, Gary and I took off for Salem to visit Janet and take her presents to her.  She did not expect us, but she was tickled with what we took her.

She needed a footstool, so we took care of that also.  Then we went back home to Victor's where I fixed dinner of ham, sweet potato casserole, monkey salad and rolls. Each of us had our favorite desserts, blue berry pie, cheesecake, and lemon bars.  Of course, the cookies and snack mix are never ending!!
Hope that you all had a wonderful day!! Take care.

DECEMBER IN OHIO

Another month just about over!!  The plumber came and that work is finished. Was great that the guys did not have to do it, as there were more problems than anticipated. All is well that ends well.
It is colder now most of the time, so it is time to layer clothes.
More eating out!! Went to dinner at Ricky's English Pub in Salem with friends, Bill and Esther, and Randy and Patti. Had a wonderful visit catching up. Bill and Esther spent last winter in AZ where we were, Randy works with the scout troop and Patti is my seamstress. I sure love that I have someone to turn to for sewing needs!
More doctors, dentist, and catching errands for Ben. It is a tough transition for him in MN as his banking is still here in OH. Someone compromised his bank account and thank goodness for on-line banking, as he was able to catch it right away. The transactions were in NY, now figure that one. A police report had to be done here in OH.  Just glad that I am here to be of help.
Been out to Chad Anthony's Restaurant in Boardman a couple more times. Introducing others to it!! Met with my friend, Louise and another evening Gary and I both met up with old neighbors, Ray and Donna. Great visits!
I have kept on baking cookies, also attending Bible study group,

Carol, Renaye, Anna, Cheryl, Ann and Judy

scrapbooking on Perry St.

Betty, Leah, Eugenia, Audrey and Esther

Betty, Leah, Audrey, Mary Ann and Esther
Can't get everyone in the pictures. Have to have a camera person.

and Gary had a trip to Pittsburgh with Vic and he went to the Butler Art Show. It was not nearly as large as previous years.  We still need to do a little Christmas shopping and the holiday is just a week away.
Gary went to his monthly Men of Faith breakfast and meeting in Columbiana.

Bing Newton, founder of Men of Faith
talking with the guys.

Visiting Men's choir.

Then the shopping began. I even managed a trip to the Mall.
We enjoyed a Christmas program of the Allegheny Wesleyan College held at the Salem High School auditorium. It was very good, as usual. So glad that we got that in to our busy schedule. The evening ended with some snow sticking to the ground. Though it was gone in the morning.
Gary went to the SES Christmas luncheon and got to see Victor's 15th year anniversary announced and to see our son Richard, get his certificate for his apprenticeship. Gary got teased about it being Wyatt day. SES has been such a good place to work and Gary spent the most years there of any place he had been employed in his work life. A lot to be said for a family environment, and I don't mean the Wyatt's.
Another Class of '63 luncheon.

Nelda

Donna and Fred, also former neighbors of ours.

Elaine

Fenske

Lenny

Maria

Polly

Ruth and her husband

Bill

One evening we met with our son, Victor and his former boss (now retired) and his wife at the Old Stagecoach Inn in North Georgetown for a fish dinner.

Gary, Mike, and Judy
I hope that Gary has the name right as this brain
ain't what it used to be.

Mike and Victor

We are now at Christmas Eve day which is Victor's birthday, as well.  Just made a casserole for dinner tomorrow and will make lemon bars and then fill cookie trays. Gary is out shopping for one last gift for his sister and I have a few more gifts to wrap. We will spend the evening just relaxing.
Next week I have a luncheon out, I also have a HSL dinner planned for former workmates and a New Year Eve celebration with our Sunday School classmates.
Our stay in Ohio has been lengthened, so called FL to change doctor plans. We will be here until January 18th so that we can celebrate with our grandson, Richie, when he receives his Eagle Scout Award. It will be great to see another in the family attain Eagle!!
Another year coming to an end, so we wish you all a VERY MERRY CHRISTMAS AND A HAPPY HEALTHY NEW YEAR!

OHIO VISIT CONTINUES

Gary and I continue to do some work around outside Victor's house, hoping for a warm day each time. It sure is questionable at this time of the year. I've also been wrapping coin for him, anything to keep busy. I don't get much reading done while the TV is on, so do it after they go to bed.
I also am undertaking some cleaning at Gary's sister's apartment and am running her about for doctor appointments and I get groceries for her. It will give others a break while we are here in Ohio.
I am sitting here waiting for the plumber to come and give us an estimate for some work that Victor needs. Hope that he gets here today and then gets the work done this month while we are still here. This sure all keeps us occupied.
Gary continues his art classes at the First Friends Church (and is to begin one at Pat Catan's store this evening).  The three students at FFC are all doing very well. And Gary looks forward to doing it again, maybe in May and June when we are here again.

Ted is not new to drawing.
But he says that he is learning more.

One of Ted's drawings.

Keep on working, don't let my picture taking interfere!

Gary was happy with Mary Kay's highlighting techniques.

Penny's detail is awesome!

Mary Kay's first drawing,
a difficult one because of so little color.
But she finished great!

Another of  Penny's.

Another of Mary Kay's

Gary's - Little boy sitting on rock
ledge in Arches Nat'l Park, Utah.
He is about 150 feet above the
canyon floor. I did not take my eyes
off of him until his mother
picked him up!

We also got to meet with Audrey's Class of '62 for the monthly luncheon at Salem Hills. It was great to see Karen and know that she has retired from Home Savings finally. She is in the process of selling a home and moving to two other locations, one to be closer to her son. She is well and seems so happy. Isn't retirement wonderful?

Audrey, Carol, Mary Lou, Margie and Ted, Jud

Roger, Delbert and Maureen, Rog's wife Joan, Karen

We also made another visit with another classmate, Gretchen.

When I called her to set a time, she told me that she had recently had open heart surgery to replace a valve in her heart. She is doing well, but still has visiting nurses stopping by weekly. It has done nothing to dim her humor. She is such a Hoot!! Ben, I am sure that you remember. We plan to go back again so that we can get some card playing in also.
We also had another luncheon with Gary's Class of '63 at B.B.Rooners. Seems all we do is EAT! Lot of good TOPS is going to do me here, but maybe it will keep me from gaining! Donna H, I am a visiting member at Chapter 1380. Only one member there from way back when I was in that chapter years ago.
We have been shopping at a lot of thrift stores because we only brought a few winter things with us. Why would we want winter clothes? We have decided that we will put them in the storage unit along with our air bed when we leave rather than burden our son here at his house.
I have been scrapbooking on a regular basis and enjoying the fellowship! We will go to Michelle's store in the Alliance Mall this week for an all day session. Maybe I will get more work done. The last time I went there Michelle was able to help me get started with the used Cricut that I bought when I got here. It's fun, but I probably need a new blade and much more practice.
In between some baking for Thanksgiving, we did more eating out! We went to dinner with Gary's work buddy and his wife, Ron and Donna. They had us meet them at a new restaurant for us on Rt 224 in Boardman, Chad Anthony's Italian Grill. It was great!! Plenty to take home also. Chad uses his father's recipe for monkey salad also and it was to die for! So was the Crabby Chicken!
The next evening was to be dinner with our other son, Richard and his family at a restaurant. But at the last minute we changed the location and went to the Washington VFW for a benefit spaghetti dinner for one of the families who lost two members of the family in a drowning accident during the summer. It was so tragic and sad, but we were glad to be able to help benefit their needs.  Our son and grandson were so close to them through the Scout relationships, so especially sad for them for more reasons.
We went to a small art show at the YMCA in Boardman and have another one at Butler Art Museum in Youngstown before we leave here. So we are getting our art fixes while here.

HAPPY THANKSGIVING TO ALL--

Richie,  Richard, Lynn, Gary, Rick and Victor

Thanksgiving Dinner was very good and a wonderful visit. Just two sons and Rich's family and Gary's friend Rick. Richard and his family went on to another dinner at the in-laws so we could not send left overs with them, but we fixed Rick up real good!!
We went over to our son, Richard's to see the progress of his remodeling and to visit. The goal is to have the drywall done and maybe even some painting before Christmas.Hope he makes it and does not burn himself out.

Yes, you're doing great!!
Even though the pose is fake!!

The last day of November was an awesome day out for me for twelve hours!! I started with Walmart and a haircut and some returns. Then met up with my email friend, Barbara from FFC at Bob Evans. We occupied their table for at least an hour and half. So much to catch up on even though we email often. Her life has taken a tragic change this past year also, but she seems to be adjusting well. I am sure she has bad days. It will take time to heal more!! Then I went to my weekly Bible Study group at Cheryl's house and stopped at Gary's sister, Janet's, and finished the day with TOPS.

The first day of December was another full day with Gary. We met with Ohio RVing friends,

Don and Lois, who we originally meet in Florida. We always go with them to Duetsch Haus!  We found that they were from Columbiana when we first met them in Florida.They have had to sell the motor home and quit going to Florida for health reasons, which is always so sad. 
The husband of the couple who we visited near Columbus on our way home, has since passed away. We are so glad that we stopped and spent the evening with them. 
We then spent some time in the antique shops of Columbiana and stopped at their branch of the bank that I used to work for and visited with a friend there for five minutes. I still have not met with all of the bank girls, so must get that done before the month is over or it will wait until May and June when we are back here. We ended the day with our attorney and his wife. Larry is our grandson's Bible study teacher and Scout Leader.

Larry, you've helped do a great job there!
Sorry that we did not get a picture of you and Gloria.
I guess that our minds were not on pictures.

A great guy and we spent two hours with them! ! We learned all the details about Richie's  commitment to Christ, his testimony in church on Scout Sunday and his attaining his Eagle scout status. But guess there are more hidden feelings there than I realized! Larry and Gloria we look forward to doing that again!!

Today I am sitting here at home alone waiting for the plumber to get here too give us an estimate to fix some of Victor's plumbing.I knew that I needed to get a Blog done, but hated to deal with the cold in the family room. So I disconnected the computer and brought it into the dining room. Hum, good idea if I do day so myself. I even have a blanket on the ceramic tile floor to stay warmer. We are becoming such softies!

Yesterday we also made a visit stop at Rich and Hope Theiss' as Gary had to drop off one of his drawings that she wanted for the living room of their new condo. They are such a sweet couple and have so many interesting stories to share. She had a heart attack this past year and a very narrow escape from death before they did her quadruple bypass in Akron. Then they also did their move and she did much of their painting in the condo herself. She is such an amazing woman! ! I personally think she pushes too hard. I imagine she is hard to hold down. 

Monday evening after TOPS we took a drive up Highland and down Quaker Lane to take a look at the lights. Gano's house was very pretty

and of course, Bob Sebo had an outstanding display as usual. Not all of my pictures were good as I was moving while driving and snapping at the same time. But such a pleasure to look at and we had to show a new friend in TOPS who moved to the area recently from Toronto. She said, WOW!!

This pretty much catches you up on our news. Hope that I have not made it too boring. I wish that I had taken pictures of all of the people who we went out with, but we get so deep in conversation that I forget.

I think I have bent your ears long enough, so had best close. I should get back to you at least one more time before we head south to warmer weather.

Take care and stay warm!!