2008 Has Ended

I don't know about you, but I am glad to see it gone. It has been a year that I will talk about for some time to come. We started with record breaking snow and eventually sort of saw spring, at least for a brief moment.

In May we traveled back to South Dakota to lay Albert's Mom to rest. It is never an easy time. We decided since we were having to make the long trip to vacation also. We saw many interesting things in our travel and I posted here the best of the best. We then traveled on to visit my son in Idaho for a few days, but that was interrupted when Albert became very ill. I rushed him home and he was hospitalized for a week. He then had a relapse so it was a month before he was well enough to work.

Things went pretty good for a while until the vacation in September that as you now know was filled with fog, fire and frustration. But, we were healthy.

In November, I found out I was going to be Grandma twice! My son in Texas called just before Thanksgiving and my son in Idaho called just a day after. That was really good news. But, I am sad to say that my son and daughter-in-law in Texas lost their baby just before Christmas. They are doing good and are optimistic that God will bless them again.

But the best was saved for last. We have had 69.7 inches of snow this December. Let me just say that this Texas girl does not appreciate the beauty of the white stuff. Regardless, I have shoveled, slipped and snow blown my way through all 69.7 inches. The first day my daughter and I couldn't keep up with the shoveling, but we won in the end. We were beating ourselves up for not learning how to run the snow blower. You can imagine how we greeted poor Albert at the door! We immediately got lessons and have become very good at it. Well for the most part anyway. I did think at one point I had killed it and managed to flatten the tire. I then had to drag the thing a mile to get it back into the shed. I was very glad when Albert told me I didn't kill it and the tire could be fixed. I also had my car trapped in the garage due to a frozen lock and had to rely on a friend to get to work for two days. Thank you Ron!

Our mail delivery was suspended. What happened to the motto "through sleet, through snow, through dark of night" or however it goes. I guess that doesn't apply to Spokane. So we got three deliveries in 13 days. Now it is better, we get it every other day.

In the meantime, poor Spokane is falling down around us. I think we have 28 buildings that have collapsed roofs as of today. Nobody seems to care. Have you heard one word on National news? NO! There seems to be only one side of Washington and it is over the Cascades to the west. In the mean time we are falling apart and have no place to put anymore snow. OK I have vented.

Needless to say we are all ready for the New Year 2009 and all it has to bring. Less snow, maybe. A new president that I will learn to accept in time (I really will try). Good health for all my family. And best of all Spring!!!!!