Opportunity is starting it’s eighth year on Mars. Great googily-moogilies! And great job little guy! It’s so wonderful one rover is still going so long, so well. And might even still be going when the newest one arrives? Sometimes… newer isn’t better. Watch out Curiosity! You have large tracks to fill.
New Island? Way Cool!
New Volcanic Island in the Red Sea
It seems weird to me that new land is forming in our day and age. But that’s so cool too!
“The land surrounding the vent has grown, and is now about 530 by 710 meters (1,700 by 2,300 feet) across. … In contrast to the fragmented rock that forms when lava interacts directly with water, lava that solidifies on land is tough, so this new island is likely to stick around.”
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Music, of Course
These three songs have been my inspiration the last few months.
“Theme Song” by Big Time Rush (can’t find a valid video link)
“Make it Shine” by – Victorious (even though I’m not partial to the show)
“Firework” – by Katy Perry (even though I don’t like the artist herself)
On a related note: I have officially applied to be a NASA astronaut.
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2011 Christmas Letter
Dear Family and Friends,
Merry Christmas! I hope this letter finds you well. Not much news from me this year. Amber did much more than I! She took her first step, said her first word, and turned one year old. And that’s just scratching the surface! Eating, drinking, singing, dancing, teeth, running, playing, communicating, and just being so observant and smart! One of my favorite developments is she now loves books. Even if she doesn’t always let them be read all the way through, she picks out which ones she wants to read, and when!
Amber took her second trip to MA on a train this year. She liked the window and crawling in the narrow hallway. Amber went camping for the first time over the 4th of July, in a tent and all! She did well, even though she didn’t like swimming, and was so interested in everything else she skipped most of her nap time everyday we were Up North. Amber also flew on a plane for the first time, to MA for Thanksgiving. She was great! Slept pretty much the whole way there, and slept until about 10 – 15 minutes shy of the whole flight on the way back. Amber still loves being outside, even through she doesn’t want to touch snow. But her favorite place to be is with Mama, yay!
As for me, the biggest thing outside of Amber, was being the Maid of Honor in my best friend’s wedding in SC in October. It was the first time Amber and I were apart overnight, and it was for four days. But it was a busy four days so I made it through without issue, until someone would ask “Don’t you miss your baby?” Still, it was so great to spend time with Emily, and so nice to see Jericho and my godchildren. I wish I had more time with cuddly Douglas, energetic Tegrim, and princess Ezra. Hopefully soon!
It’s been a wonderfully full-of-family year. Mom flew out almost every month we didn’t go to MA. Dad has seen Amber almost every week we were home, Colette joining him a majority of the time. We’ve gotten together with cousins Derek, Ana C., and Tyler many times – it’s so wonderful they moved to MI. We’ve gotten together with cousins Reesie, Tamara, and Reese many times too – it’s so great they did not move out of MI. We have dinner with our neighbors Elizabeth, Nick, Greer and Addison pretty much weekly, both Amber and I look forward to it. We’ve visited Ma one shy of once a month, and various Aunts and honorary family members have come to visit and/or help more times than I can properly thank them for. Even Michael has come to visit four times this year!
Hope Everyone Has a Happy New Year!
(I should have waited to get letters from other family members before writing this. As it was, this version is little like my first draft, as I started remembered more and more things from the past year in the getting-too-little-and-interrupted-sleep haze. But I still forgot to mention the family reunion Up North over the 4th of July, spreading of Nana and Grandpa’s ashes, and who knows what else!)
Posted in Year Summaries
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For My Birthday…
I decided today what I’m going to get myself for my birthday: I’m going to donate blood. (If I can just stay healthy enough!)
Posted in Donating Blood
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From Past Week
12/25 – Going away from home for a while should be done from time to time, it lets you appreciate things when you get back that you don’t normally notice but are reasons you enjoy your home.
12/29 – I’m sad the Christmas season is almost over. I really enjoyed Christmas Cheer this year. Going to miss it. And I’m always a little depressed by how dark the streets get when all the Christmas lights are turned off – not looking forward to that.
12/31 – I read a book, a chapter book, mmmm
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15 Months and Growing?
Amber is 31.4″ tall, which puts her at 97th percentile height. She’s 19 lbs 15.4oz, which puts her at 9th percentile weight (yes, 9, as in one less than 10). She even lost weight in the last month. But the doctor says she’s healthy, developing ahead of schedule, and pretty much perfect, she just needs to get more calories. SO yay!
The doctor also said she’s advanced. That at 15 months babies don’t know any body parts (Amber knows 9 for sure, and seemingly 2 more), and at 15 months babies speak around 2 words (Amber has over 20, 6 in clear English).
Amber also can use a fork and drink from a cup (she’s turning the spoon over more often then not), she has four dances, knows the color red, can (and usually will) follow simple directions, likes to bring books to me to read (finally!), knows how so many things work, loves to laugh, and is just so smart and observant. The doctor made a long joke of my carrying Amber for a year instead of 9 months cause she’s pretty consistently 3 months ahead!
I love my Love, for many many reasons. :)
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Snail Mail In Trouble (the USPS, that is)
U.S. Postal Service Faces Bankruptcy, Plans Cuts To Slow Delivery Of First Class Mail
With the death of many newspapers the last several years, most shifting to online news only but some wholly shutting down, it’s not a surprise that the postal system is feeling the hurt of general correspondence and document sending shifting to electronic means.
Side note – I’ve always wondered why stamp prices rise faster than inflation. Here’s the answer: “The Postal Service, an independent agency of government, does not receive tax money”
So… the USPS has been loosing money for five years running. And it is set to go into default to the U.S. Treasury this month. To return to being profitable, it has to cut $20 billion in the next three years. The solutions the Postmaster General is intending to implement will slow mail delivery from 1-3 days for letters and other first class mail to 2-4 days. So even if you live in the same town, your letter won’t reach its destination the next day.
Why? Because just under half the processing centers will be closed by March, so your letter will have to go further to be processed to find out its going near where it came from. And because there will be about 100,000 less mail carriers and almost 3,700 less local post offices nationwide, it’ll take longer for your letter to get to the processing center and get back. What about local post offices that have a separate drop box for in town mail? I have no idea.
But they have to do something. As a for profit business, they are subject to all the same problems as any other business. The bigger problem for the U.S. public though is what if the USPS does go under? “In the event of a shutdown due to bankruptcy, private companies such as FedEx and UPS could handle a small portion of the material the post office moves, but they do not go everywhere.”
However, “… the planned cuts could test the limits of the Postal Service’s legal obligation to serve all Americans, regardless of geography, at uniform price and quality.” No private companies want to take up that legal mantle, and you can’t really blame them. But I’m also wondering about that legal requirement. Does that mean the government will have to start subsidizing the USPS like it does Amtrak? And if so, why aren’t then invoking that support net?
In addition to the above plans, the USPS wants “… to reduce delivery to five days a week, raise stamp prices, and reduce health care and other labor costs.”
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Kiwanis club to the rescue!
I just bought a 7′ fake Christmas tree from them for $25!! I’m so happy, I gave them an extra $5. Much better than going retail rates, even sale prices are like $70.
Posted in Do-it-Yourself
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Christmastime Is Here!
Two weeks ago, I felt like I needed Christmastime to start. Then I realized it was only 10 days to Thanksgiving, and I said I can wait. (I don’t like a holiday starting before the holiday before them.)
Well, now Amber and I are home. Last night I pulled out the “essential” Christmas decorations and put up the wall tree that is always my first Christmas decoration up and the last to come down. Then I watched my favorite Christmas movie: Garfield’s Christmas. Ahhh. :)
I love this time of year!
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