My favorite week of the year

Normally my birthday is my favorite day of the year, Thanksgiving is my favorite holiday, and the week between Christmas and New Years is my favorite week. So, as usual, I'm enjoying this week. I think my favorite thing about it is the wrapping up of the closing year, putting things away (today I archived my 2009 emails at work), cleaning out, filing away, getting ready for a fresh start, making plans for new adventures and activities in the coming year.

Thanksgiving WAS wonderful this year, as usual. I especially enjoyed the day at my Mom's. Our home group friend Donald joined the half-crowd. The food was FABU and I thoroughly enjoyed the time with family and friends.

Football season ended with a disappointing loss to our rivals and then a hard-fought, entertaining ACC championship game loss in Tampa. Alan especially enjoyed the roadtrip to that game with Doug, Dave, Dustin, Erik and Nelson. I decorated for Christmas while he was away. Our neighbors, the Harpers, loaned us a tree. (We have great neighbors)

As the post below indicates, I struggled in December to adjust to a new "droid" phone that Alan just HAD to have. About once a week I have a lesson on how to use some features. I can probably do 20% of the stuff it does. And I didn't even WANT a new phone.

The BIG news in December is that Alan had an epiphany and now knows what he is going to do with his life. January 11th he starts a program at Greenville Tech in GEOMATICS. Wiki that term for a complete explanation.

So, unless something else comes along, I'll be toiling away at the Cate Law Firm for the next year and a half. Despite the economy, people still want to get divorced and fight over their children, so business is good. December was interesting because the boss was out most of the month and I held down the fort. It was challenging at times, but I did OK. We have a good team.

After the fun of Thanksgiving, I was REALLY looking forward to Christmas, since this year it would be the whole-crowd at Mama's. Things really came together nicely and we celebrated on Saturday the 26th. Simple menu. No sickness, bleeding, hard feelings, or gifts. For me it was mostly playing the the little ones. Doug managed to get Cara (to neigh), Annalisa (to quack), Kade (to moo) and Libby (to Oink) while he clucked like a chicken to several Christmas tunes. It was SO CUTE! After naptime we had a 2 minute (if that) live nativity starring Kade as "Joveth" and Cara as Mary, 2 week old Colton as Baby Jesus, Caleb and Cooper as the Shepherds, and Annalisa as the Angel, to Doug's reading of the story from Luke. Again, they were adorable. Thanks to the Flemmings for the costumes.

Also had fun with Alan's family at Christmas (the potato gun he built at Thx continues to be a hit), and especially enjoyed the Clemson victory over Kentucky in the Music City Bowl Sunday night.

All is well in my world, and for that I am enormously grateful. In some ways 2009 was a hard year for us (although Colorado in Feb and July & Alaska in August were terrific memories). We are looking forward to 2010.

Raining cats & dogs tonight

It is pouring outside tonight. Yesterday Alan bought us new phones and tonight I'm trying to learn to use mine. So far it id irritating.

Happy Autumn

My favorite season is going well. The Tigers are winning. The family is good. Alan's extended family got together a few weeks ago for fall pictures at the botanical garden in Clemson.

Tigers Win Tigers Win

Such a strange day. This has been a WET Clemson football season, and once again we sat out in it 4 hours to see the Tigers play. Only this time they WON! Finally, they looked like the team they are supposed to be - spectacular talent displayed on offense and the traditional dominating defense. So, I'm hopeful for our coach.

Sad news from Colorado, first of the loss of Wayne and Sarah's ATVs to thieves in New Mexico, and then the more serious loss of Katie Wise, one of my first GA girls back at UHills who died yesterday in Italy from childbirth complications.

The truly wonderful part of today was all the family time. Alan and I spent the night with my mom and I had time with her after the ballgame today. We had breakfast and dinner with his mom and dad. At the game we saw Devilla, Delisa, Annalisa, Dustin and Lindsey. After the game I saw Bill and Vikki. Then Dave, Rachaelle and Caleb came to mother's for a visit while I was there. Plus we went to the Walhalla High homecoming game last night to see niece Hannah in the homecoming court at halftime and cheering in the 3rd and 4th quarter. More family time there.

Cold and rainy today. Dreary, damp and dark.

Yeah, October!

I cannot adequately describe what a gorgeous, beautiful day it is today in Upstate South Carolina. Clear, blue sky, low humidity, mild warm temp, gentle breeze. We've been talking all week about sleeping in on Saturday, and we thoroughly enjoyed doing so, but still managed to be up mid-morning. Went out for a short ride around town on the tandem before the Clemson game started at noon. Kind of nice just to be at home today.



Every night this week we have watched at least part of the PBS special on national parks, a film by Ken Burns. I didn't post many scenery pics of our Alaska trip, but it was truly spectacular. This is the best photo we took.

First Day of Fall

OK, it is official. Fall is my favorite season.

Tuesday was the first morning I felt it. When I got out of my car at the office at 8:30 fall was in the air. Now this being SC, you have to be sensitive to these things or you'll miss it. Because when I left the office at 5:30 it was not fall at all, but still summer. Not blazing, 100 degree, cooker hot August, but pleasantly warm tee shirt weather. Of course lately we've had LOTS of rain so it has often felt like a fishbowl - room temp warm and humid/damp. Mold growing weather. Of course, I love it!

Fall is also about football, and so far this season, I'm pleased with the Tigers. Good effort from coaches and players. I'm not an unreasonable fan who asks for a national or even conference title win every year (or worse yet, expects it). All I ask for as a Tiger fan is effort and entertainment. Don't make me bored or frustrated.

Notice the time on this post. Why am I awake a 3:45 a.m. you ask? I've asked myself that same question for the last 3 hours and 45 minutes. How will I even function tomorrow? Why does sleep elude me?

Home Sweet Home

We made it back, and I am HAPPY to be home. Alaska is FAR!

It has been a week of recovery, getting back in the right time zone. Work wasn't bad, not too much going on for me to get caught up, thankfully. Back to home group; good to see the folks. In Seneca this weekend for the start of Clemson football today. My mom did great while I was gone and we njoyed dinner at her house last night with Bill & Vikki, Doug & Devilla, Dustin, Lindsey, Kade and Cooper. Kudos to Bill for introducing us to the celebration of Labor Day as a gift-giving holiday.

Time for tailgating. Go Tigers!

Sunday in Sitka

Pitching and rolling tonight. But I am TANKED UP on Dramamine. We had to buy more on the ship yesterday and in port today. Never mind about the acupressure bands. HA!

It has been quite a trip since my last post in Kotzebue. The flight to Anchorage Tuesday afternoon was a 3 Dramaminer; unfortunately I had only taken 2. I didn't get sick, but it wiped me out. Tuesday evening my friend Renner from law school picked us up for a personal tour of her new city. We saw the Museum of the North at the University of Alaska Fairbanks, which is on a hillside overlooking the city. Beautiful setting. Then to the Large Animal Research park to see musk ox and caribou. Then a walk around Pioneer Park before dark at 10:30. Wait 'til you see the pic of Alan riding a salmon.

Wednesday morning we caught the Alaska Railroad for Denali. Riding the train was fun, the first day. We got to the park and took a bus tour of this HUGE park. We pulled out at 3 pm and got back shortly after 11. We saw almost every form of wildlife in the park - moose, Dall sheep, grizzly bears, grey wolves - LOTS more. The geology of the area was fascinating and beautiful. I really enjoyed this day, although you wouldn't have known it by looking. I was so wiped out from Tuesdays travel that I could barely stay awake. Plus a 3-4 hr train ride and an 8+ hr bus ride, while spectacular, were hardly active. But about 10 pm we did see Denali, a gorgeous sunset on the mountain top peaking out above the clouds.

Thursday morning we took it easy, checked out the park visitor center and the beautiful Princess Wilderness lodge (insert photo of A&J w/flowers here). Good thing because our second train ride was a fiasco. We boarded about noon-thirty, and the afternoon was one spectacular view of Denali (Mt McKinley 20,320 ft) after another. Until the crossing at Willow about 5:30, where the train came to a screeching halt. Somehow, we will probably never know the details, a car hit our train and a woman was killed. We sat there 5 1/2 hours. Finally, when the authorities released the train, we inched forward about 3 miles to another road, where 20 tour buses met the train and took us the final 1.5 hrs to Anchorage. We got in after 2 a.m.

SHORT night. Friday we left at 6:45 a.m. from the depot in Anchorage for the final train trip, to Seward. We had booked the upgraded domed viewing car and again, spectacular views of Denali, rivers, canyons. It seemed my eyes were tired of looking at all the natural beauty.

We walked around Seward just a bit before embarking to our Holland America ship - the ms Ryndam. This is my first cruise, so just getting oriented to the ship and shipboard life has been interesting.

Saturday we cruised all day, with a stop by Hubbard Glacier in Yakutat Bay. Today we were in Sitka, (insert photo from National Historical Park here).

We are on the cruise with Wayne & Sarah's friends Jim & Cheryl Rawlings, who we met camping in July, and their friends Tommy & Dorothy. Tommy is hilarious. We are having a good time being together, getting to know them, and just relaxing together.

Bears and Berries

On Alan's trip to camp, he took these shots of his foot beside a bear track and the toe of Doug's boot near some blueberries. He didn't see a bear, only this track, which Doug said was from a small, young bear. A full grown bear will leave a track that is as wide as Alan's foot is long.

We picked berries too and were likewise amazed that they grew so close to the ground. I used a yoga position, on my knees, to get down on the tundra and find them. They are delicious and plentiful, but tiny and low. Also saw huckleberries and cranberries. Yummy!

Rainy Monday in Kotzebue

So happy that we had good weather this past weekend. Today is rainy and in the high 40s. Josh loaned us his "wheeler" today so we showed Alan around town a bit, ate lunch at the other restaurant in town (only 2 places). To the hardware/Napa/gas store and then "the AC" for more expensive groceries. Milk is $10.50/gallon. ChipsAhoy $7.50. Going out in the rain again soon to pick up Wanda from work, see the dental clinic, and then to dinner at Doug's. That is Doug, below, holding open the tent and sitting, watching the boats. Expecting to eat moose, goose, and musk ox. Too much meat for me and too much fish for Alan on the "subsistence" diet here.

Camp

Alan's fish

Alan's departure

Alan's birthday

Wow! What a weekend. I had a fun in Kotzebue and Alan had a even more fun "at camp." Hopefully he'll get some pictures and comments posted soon. They are amazing. Saturday was a LONG and wonderful day. The daylight is just amazing. I met the nicest people - co-workers, neighbors, friends of Wanda's. Sunday was fun too, at church, more nice people, then berry picking in the afternoon and a huge, long walk before dinner with Josh & Amber, a young couple from SC who moved here 2 weeks ago.

The weather this weekend has been nice. In the 50s and clear. Windy, tho'. But that keeps down the bugs. I hear the mosquitos rise from the tundra in swarms, but we didn't see a one. Tundra is amazing, spongy/dry stuff. I am bundled up each time we go outside. At "the AC" grocery, I was standing, my 4 layers, beside a girl in a tee shirt, shorts and flipflops. It's whatever you are used to, I guess.

Good morning from Kotzebue

It is incredible just to be here. Friday's travel was completely uneventful, except we were in the Anchorage airport less than 1 minute. They were holding our flight to Kotzebue, waiting on us 2 gates down.

Kotzebue is like the BEACH. I forgot it would be a coastal town. Buildings are on pilings. There are boats and junk all around. An Alaska phenomenon is that once you get something here, you wouldn't pay to dispose of it elsewhere, so it just stays here and rusts. Dog sleds are stored on top of storage containers, because the snow gets that deep. There is water on every side, it seems. Wanda's place is a second story apt, much like a beach rental condo in SC. Plus it has a view of the runaway, which is a mere slip surrounded by water. People get around town by walking, car or fourwheeler. Snow machine in winter.


It IS daylight a long time. Here we are after dinner at the Bayside Restaurant. Despite the light, none of us had trouble sleeping after a long day of travel.

Alan is packed, with many borrowed clothes from Wanda, for his camping/fishing adventure, which starts in about 1/2 hour. It is cloudy and 50ish this morning. More later from the Far North.

Ever Wanted to Mountain Bike with Alan?

Well here's your chance. With his trusty helmet cam and nerves of steel here is a ride down Big Rock trail in Dupont State Forest. Dramamine may be necessary.

Dupont Forest - Big Rock Trail from Alan Burkett on Vimeo.

A finance story

Yesterday we saw and talked with Greg and Annette, who are also on Joe's team at church and do financial counseling. Annette had a story to share. On Saturday she left a restaurant without her purse and when she went back for it, it was no where to be found. So, she lost her driver's license, other personal stuff, AND $350 cash. Now, those of us who are cash crazy STILL don't regularly carry that much cash, but she and Greg had PLANNED a day of shopping and taken out the cash to cover it. She was sick and also sad to tell Greg what she had done.

Well, I have BEEN there. I once took our food envelope to the grocery store, and lost it. I was SICK to tell Alan that all our food money for the month was gone.

But Greg told Annette the same thing Alan had told me. "Don't worry about it, honey. We have money in the emergency fund. I love you." WOW! Husbands can never understand how secure and loved that reaction makes wives feel. Annette and I marveled at the blessing in our lives and the effect on our marriage of doing our finances God's way. I wish everyone, especially Christians, understood this.

Weather Report

Hot and humid (like that is news from SC in July). OK, a better description. Humid with a hot breeze. Oh yeah, it's 6pm. How miserable is that?

Back a NewSpring today for some great worship. First anniversary of the Greenville Campus. Yeah!!

What did you do on vacation?

Well, Alan fished, of course. Four straight days. Too many fish to count. He was so happy.

My camping accomplishment was reading my friend Linda Berry's latest book - Death and the Crossed Wire. It was my favorite so far, the 6th in her Trudy Roundtree series. (Available for loan to either one of my faithful readers) She says it may be the last, but the campers pushed for #7 - Death and the Pie Iron, a Colorado camping adventure for Trudy.

Now that we are home, I am enjoying my favorite July daily sporting event - the Tour de France.

Camp Hale 2009

See what I meant by GREEN? And LOTS of water in Colorado this year. We left Thursday July 2 for 5 days at 9236ft - Camp Hale. Alan fished in this stream Friday, Saturday and Sunday. Caught numerous brown and brook trout.



A bit of change in our plans. Sarah didn't make the trip this year. Her mom had some health problems and was in the hospital in Arkansas last week, so Sarah flew there on Thursday when we left for camping. Beth and Carrie had been involved in planning all the related group activity, including meals. We fed about 72 Friday night and probably 60 Saturday night. Breakfasts were group projects too. I inherited the role of "Zaccheaus" the tax collector, prepped with my list from Sarah of all who were supposed to come, which nights, and number of campers.

One morning we prayed for syrup, because we started the French toast line with only one bottle of syrup on the table. By the time we cleaned up, everyone had had all the syrup they wanted, and we had a full bottle left. It was like the miracle of Jesus feeding 5000.

Good group of folks. I realized I had not been on this annual trip since July 4, 2005. Some things were the same. Lots of new faces in the group. Fun time reconnecting with friends and meeting new folks too. Seeing how the children have grown and become delightful people.

I especially enjoyed reading than then reviewing for the author, Linda Berry's latest mystery - Death and the Crossed Wire. I've read all 6 of her offerings in s]this Trudy Roundtree series. She says this is the last, but I'm hoping not. The group suggested she write Death and the Pie Iron, about Trudy's camping trip in Colorado.

Lush Green - this can't be Colorado!

It was a snowy winter and a rainy spring, so Colorado is lusher and greener than I ever remember seeing. Our flight on Tuesday was uneventful. Wayne picked us up at DIA and then we had lunch with him, Sarah and David at a delicious new (to us) Mexican restaurant not far from their office. Sarah and I treated ourselves to a manicure and pedicure, so I have lovely nails for camping. Yes, I know that makes no sense. Dinner at the neighborhood pizza place - Big Bill's - with left overs for lunch today. I was ready for bed early, since we had been awake since 2:30 a.m. Denver time.

Alan and I got up about 7a.m. Wayne and Sarah were long gone to work. We took a long walk on the trails in the neighborhood green space and enjoyed seeing all the wild bunnies. No coyotes recently. It's been a relaxing day, a little shopping, some cooking. It's 92 degrees, so after it cools off we will load the camper and trailers to hit the road in the morning for 5 days in the woods. I'm not so worried about it being dry now that I've seen how green Denver is. We are expecting a crowd. The grocery shopping has been extensive. Carrie says they are prepared to serve 500 meals on this camping trip. No kidding.

Summer Time

After a 3 month break, tonight I am inspired to blog. I am sitting on our front steps, poaching internet from the neighbors, while Alan cuts grass. It is so pleasant outside tonight. We had a few extraordinarily hot days last week and weekend, but it is nice now.

This is a stupid thing to blog about, but I am really distressed by the break-up of Jon and Kate. I know. It is stupid. I do divorce all day every day. But I just think, when you have EIGHT children together, how is splitting up going to make things better?

OK, I got that out of my system.

2009 is the summer of vacations. In a week we leave for 8 days in Colorado. Then in August we are gone to ALASKA!!! yeah for 17 days. It doesn't seem real. We put ALL of this on the credit card and paid it yesterday. DONE. I know. It is crazy that in the summer Alan isn't working, we take our biggest vacations ever.

Another fun thing I've been doing while not blogging is revamping my health through nutrition and acupuncture. It's still a work in progress, but I've radically changed my eating habits, pretty much given up coffee, spend time grocery shopping, cooking and eating at home, packing my lunch every day, even eating BREAKFAST!

(A blue jay is in my crepe myrtle tree)

Work is interesting. I'm in charge of a software project this year that has at times made me CRAZY, but it is kind of fun to be connected to the world of a developing technology. I'm pleased with how my cases are going lately.

With better nutrition, I am able to get up in the mornings. I've even been walking on the treadmill almost every morning. Yesterday I even walked to work and then home in the pm. That was great too!

Church is still so fun for me. NewSpring Greenville moved from Roper Mtn Road to the Carolina First (Palmetto Expo) Center two weeks ago. BIG move, but it has worked out great so far. BIG lesson for me in "being" the church, not having it matter where we meet to worship.

Home group has been fun too. We took a few weeks off, but then celebrated host Patti's birthday with dinner and dominos. Getting together this week for an exciting review of he Kenya mission trip by Nancy. Planning ahead for a day of service in July, to help a single mom get into her new house.

Alan and I had a GREAT time in Athens for the Georgia Tandem rally. Missed my fabulous sister's fabulous 60th birthday party that weekend. Hated that, but I still haven't figured out how to be in two places at once.

My mom had knee replacement April 30 and is doing great. I am SO thankful. I get to spend time with her most every weekend, and that is fun for me too.

Alan's dad and I have really been on a "farm" fix this Spring. He has a huge garden layout. I have a few pots by the back door. But all are doing well. With Alan and Joyce, the four of us enjoyed a Saturday of farm tours, where we met and touched a baby alpaca, and then hosted our own for the little girls - Annalisa, Cara and Libby.

Unleash

Alan and I had a fun time last week. I took off from work on Thursday. Wednesday night we went to the Greenville campus and toured guests who were coming into town for Unleash. It was so fun to meet people and answer their questions about our church. Then on Thursday we were at church in Anderson by 7am for a full day of volunteering. We had about 3,000 attendees and 500 volunteers to make it all happen. Again we mostly met people and answered their questions. We got to hear the two main sessions and sit in on a couple of the breakouts too. First big event for our new children's facility and youth building, which are awesome. Wrapped it up and were out of there at 6:30.

My mom had made a pot of veggie soup (my favorite) so we went to her house to eat and rest. Up at 7 Friday to get back to Spartanburg to work all day. Cold rainy days F-S, so we stayed home. Did our taxes. Weird things happened there. Our adjusted gross income for 2008 was within $100 of the 2007 AGI and Alan didn't work 4 months in 2008. Plus we are getting a $3200 refund and in 2007 we had to pay. And we didn't change anything like withholdings in 2008. Weird.

Since I'm so pumped about church and finances I want to send you to the webcampus. We have added a "westcoast" service at 11am Sundays Pacific Time AND the Financial Learning Experience 2 hour class is going to be FREE on the webcampus next week too. Check it out. http://www.newspring.cc/webcampus/

Tigers Win!

Tuesday Alan and I went to the aquarium in Denver. And my favorite part was the tigers. Yes, tigers at an aquarium. They were AWESOME. I took about 100 photos and this is my favorite.

And then Tuesday night my Clemson Tiger basketball team beat down Maryland in Littlejohn while I watched on TV in Denver. Go Tigers!!

Colorado snowmobiling

On vacation

I meant to blog about our first tandem ride of 2009 on Sunday afternoon Feb 8th and how happy I was that we had made it in to the Georgia Tandem Rally. More on that later.

Now we are in Colorado for a week. We didn't come this past Christmas as we have the two previous Christmases. So we planned our "Christmas" trip in February instead. Flew out of Asheville last Wednesday, the 11th; we LIKED that airport a LOT and the ticket was half the price of Greenville or Charlotte.

Wayne and Sarah picked us up and we grabbed a late lunch at Famous Dave's BBQ. I needed a post-travel nap and time zone adjustment before we zipped over to Carrie and Eddins' to get our snowboots. Thursday afternoon we took off for the mtns, snowmobiles in tow. Stayed at a small but inexpensive condo in Winter Park with W&S and John & Lana Alexander. Friday we rode the sleds 70 miles in the Grand Lake area just outside Rocky Mtn National Park. Almost killed me. Mercifully Wayne let me drive his nicer, smoother machine in the afternoon, but I was REALLY tired after driving all that way. The weather was very nice. Not too cold.

We had dinner at Hernando's, watched Ironman with Robert Downey Jr. and went to bed ZZZZzzzz. More snowmobiling on Saturday, this time in Fraser. We rode right beside the slopes at Winter Park. Only about 25 miles this day. Much more pleasant for me, but bumpy, overcast and some snow. Introduced a couple of new friends to the sport before we headed back to town.

Celebrated Valentine's with dinner at a New Mexican restaurant Carrie (the New Mexico native) loves. Yummy food and great sopapillas.

Worshipped with them at Mission Hills Church on Sunday, and enjoyed a relaxing day. Just nice to be away a few more days. The weather has been mild. Not much snow around. Good to see folks and spend time hanging out with them.

Did enjoy church at the NewSpring webcampus yesterday afternoon. Awesome way to connect people with church!

Bored at Church - No WAY!

It's 9pm on Wednesday night and I'm so tired. Alan and I are at church to help host the Financial Learning Experience (FLE) with Joe Sangl, affectionately known as "flee....." And I'm not terribly busy or involved right now, so I'm surfing the web to stay awake.

You have NO IDEA what an unusual experience it is to be bored at this church. NewSpring is ALWAYS exciting. It makes me hyper just to come here. People are in the auditorium right now with Joe getting their world rocked and their hearts changed. God is working on them!

Last night was Home Group at Patti's. Someone asked me recently what we do at home group. Mostly we sit around and talk about church and what God is doing and how great He is.

Sunday was our 6 month anniversary at the Greenville campus, and the first regular 3 service day - 9:15, 11:15 and 6:00. We did it Dec 21 and had 2800 attend, so we knew it was time. The two Sundays after Christmas were WILD - packed with people. The Christmas rush never slowed down. So we ramped up the volunteer teams for an evening service and it TOOK OFF.

Yeah God!!