Yes, once again Christmas is here whether we are ready for it or not!  It seems to come faster each year!  And this year it looks as tho it will NOT be a white Christmas.  But that is okay.  Think of Australia and other countries in the southern half of the world….they are celebrating Christmas in SUMMERTIME!  And Let us wish all of them a Joyful, Happy, and a Merry, and Blessed Christmas! 

Two weeks   ago we, our family, were having our annual “cookie day” and our kitchen seemed to be overflowing with daughters and granddaughters. But I did not mind that.  I just shared in their fun time!  That’s what being a daddy/grandpa is all about, isn’t it?

The time since then….well, where did it go so quickly?  Today Marthe is preparing for tomorrow, Christmas Eve, when the whole family will be with us, Laughing, singing, happy, eating, sharing a joyful day together.  Four of the grandchildren will have their current boy or girl friend with.  The family gets bigger each year!  But that’s life, right?

Marthe and I send wishes to all of you, for a VERY MERRY CHRISTMAS HOLIDAY…and along with that,  we hope the new year will be HAPPY for all of you,,,,all over the world!

December is half gone and we (Chicago) have had no snow for some time! But the reports are saying that, perhaps, we will have some this week-end.  Will we have a “white Christmas”?  It would be nice, that is, if it is one of those nice fluffy snowfalls, and NOT a blizzard!  However, we have no say-so in the matter. We haven’t had much rain this year either, so we should appreciate whatever moisture we get, right?

About one week ago we had a “COOKIE DAY” at our house.  I may have mentioned this before.  Anyway, it is really an occasion!  A few  daughters and some grand children congregate at “Grandma’s” with a supply of baking supplies, and whip up an abundant supply of Christmas cookies!  Our kitchen is a “bee-hive” of activity for several hours with chatting and laughing, and perhaps even a little singing with Christmas Carols playing on the radio!

When it is all over they clean up and go to their homes and Grandma and Gramps sit back and enjoy the peace and quiet.  Of course, that is not the end of it.  We see them  often between “cookie-day” and Christmas Eve when the whole family come together again at our house to celebrate CHRISTMAS!

We are fortunate to be a very close family who love each other.  We are blessed with a very fine relationship.  And we are quite happy to have it that way.

And now, Grandma and Gramps send their wishes around the world for a very happy and blessed CHRISTMAS to each one of you!

Even  I wonder why I have not blogged much lately?????   Well, I think it is just the tiredness I have been feeling lately!  Maybe it  is a combination of being tired, plus lazy, plus old age?  I don’t like it, but there it is, creeping up on me little by little without my noticing it!!!!  And what can I do about that?

I must get over it soon, Christmas is only 3 weeks from today,   This was they day we, our 16 or so, nieces and nephews met for our monthly “BREAKFAST” get together at the OMEGA Restaurant.  It is always a delight to meet with them. Besides that, we seldom get all together.  But it sure did tire me out.  When Marthe and I got back home, I took a nap and slept for one hour or a little beyond that.

When we next meet all these holidays will be over.  At this time I am wondering how it must be to celebrate Christmas in Australia in SUMMER!??  And for us it is always winter and we dream of a WHITE CHRISTMAS!   It seems so natural to have snow at nthis time of the year.  But this past week there was NO sign of it.  In fact we had a few days of record-breaking warm weather!!!! 

ANYWAY, we wish all of you “down under” a really happy, MERRY CHRISTMAS.  And even if you are NOT down under. “MERRY CHRISTMAS TO ALL”

 

Yes, Down AGAIN!  I have no idea what went wrong, but it is probably my fault!  my stupid fingers are all over the key board and often accidentally press some key that should not have been touched.  And sometimes I press two keys at the same time and the computer doesn’t know exactly what to do!!!   So I will call my son-in-law, Marty. HE will fix it for me.

Besides having arthritis in my wrists, I also have a nerve problem and do not have  much feeling in my fingers. So I’ll just do the best I can for as long as I can.  Then, MAYBE, I will give up blogging.    I’m not as young as I used to be!  Is anybody?

COLD, cold, cold, when we awoke this morning!  But it will be warming by the week end.

I have not blogged for a while.  I do not know whether it is because I am too lazy, or too old!  Maybe a little bit of each, eh?  Maybe with the HOLIDAYS coming I should perk up a little bit.  Next Thursday is Thanksgiving Day, so we have a Roast Turkey dinner to look forward to! That is a big plus.  Marthe and I will be getting together with all the family at our daughter Denise’s house, (AND of course our son-in-law’s as well). WE are hoping the weather will be warmer and no snow!  We did have a very tiny bit of snow this morning on the garage roof!

I do like snow sometime during the winter, especially at Christmas time; you know…WHITE CHRISTMAS and all that?  But not over done, like 2 or three feet, and certainly not in the form of a blizzard! And HEY!  why is it that on a regular E-mail I have the option of including a Smiley-Face so why can I NOT do the same on a blog??

I am being paged now to “COME TO DINNER”  So  Bye-Bye for now!  Write soon?

 

GREETINGS to my Australian Friends! Yes, that is how I think of you. And I don’t mind if others read that. A person cannot have too many friends, right? Earlier today I wrote a fairly long blog and when I went to post it…I must have hit the wrong key and fffft! it disappeared. I don’t know what happened.

Anyway just let me say that one of our daughters brought me an Australian calendar.  I don’t know where she got it.  There are some very nice pictures of your country in it.  There is one of the Parliament House in Canberra, and one of course, of Ayers Rock, which we see frequently.  There is not one picture of a kangaroo, nor a koala!!!  That is what we see most of the time.

By the way, did you ever get a copy of the book, “Goodnight Moon” for Eva?  Would you mind if we got one for her?  But for that we would need an address.  Let us know, okay?  (Do you use that term “OKAY” down under?) 

But, now, it is supper time and Marthe is calling to come to eat.  Keep in touch.

Otto and Marthe

 

The last time I sent a message it did not go very well and I don’t know why! Only the first sentence went. Strange, isn’it?  I think I just did something wrong without realizing it.  I DO make mistakes occasionally!

So what’s new with you, my Reader?  The newest thing is that AUTUMN arrived yesterday, in Chicago.  Oh, not only Chicago, but all over the Northern half of our globe!  And in the other half…SPRINGTIME! and isn’t that great?  Does tha make all you Australians happy?  I’m sure it does,.but it really happens in South America too. AND in Africa, although I think of those places as being warm, or even hot all the time. Do they ever have cold weather ther?  When we see movies of those places, it is always of jungles, or desert.

Anyway we always have frosts and snow in winter.  Sometimes really heavy snow tha can stop the flow of traffic!  But, happily, SPRING and SUMMER always come back!  And that makes us happy again.  Anyway, most of us living here do like the the change of seasons, and those who move to the warmer states, do miss those changes!

Now, I need to ask my Australian friends how they are doing and how is little Eva getting along?  If you have any recent pictures, we would like to see one.   Do you read to her?  I remember the days when our girls were little, how much we, and they, enjoyed books.  AND we still do, altho they are all able to read themselves.  Do you have a book down under titled, “GOODNIGHT MOON”?  It is one of my favorites. Now I have many favorites.   I have read many stories by French-Canadian authors.  Of course, I read the English translations.   Marthe introduced me to one of them a long time ago.  Her  name is, or was, Gabrielle Roy.  I think Im would like to read some of them again.  I better do that soon.  I am not getting younger!

And now, Erin and Daniel, I think I wrote enough for this time.  I will attempt to send it nownd hope it works!

Am I just getting lazier by the day? Or is it “old age”?  I do want to go blogging, but why am I so tired?

HEY!  What is this?   I just finished a rather long msg And is this all that was sent ?  I did get a message that said “INVALID POST”  when I clicked to send it!  What does that mean?    Anyway I’ll try again later.  OKAY?

The entire Midwest section of the U.S. (including Chicago) is experiencing a record breaking hot summer! With temperatures in the 90’s too much of the time!  That is 34-35 or swo in the resat of the world.  And right now I am wondering how the winter is going in Australia?  That is where friends Erin and Daniel live!   So,  how are all of you doing down under?  How is Eva?

 I have been quite lazy lately.  And when I talked to the doctor about being so fatigued,  he started giving me vitamin B-12 shots.  I will be getting a shot once a month for life!  Did I tell you this already?  I didn’t mean to repeat it.

Last week we borrowed a movie from the Library (no charge), and it was an Australian movie called “Rabbit-proof Fence”  It was based on a true story of 3 half-caste aboriginal girls who  in 1931, were taken from their families and forced to become “English”. After a while, they escaped and walked many miles to find their way home aqgain.  Later, the athorities caught up with them again and took them back, but they escaped again.  According to the movie, it was a happy ending.  Interesating movie.  have you ever heard about that incident?   It reminded of how the early “athorities treated the “native americans”!

Do you go to the movies very often?  Are there many American-made movies shown in Australia?  We don’t  go out to see movies any more.  There are so many shown on TV and we can borrow  some older ones from the library!  I think I am just ntoo old to be running out to the theater now.  And besides, it costs  a bit for a ticket.  AND IT IS MORE COMFORTABLE AT HOME!

Now Marthe is telling me that lunch is ready. And I AM hungry, so I’ll say G’bye for this time.

 

 

Today, July 4th, America’s birthday!  A day of celebrations with family and friends and children of all ages!  Picnics, cook-outs, fireworks, laughter all around.  A real holiday!

And the birthday of son-in-law, Marty.  So our daughter took us out for breakfast, together with our grand-children. Very enjoyable, but I  am happy to be back home.  Actually, I am very tired.  I can’t take all that activity any more!  Ami too old or something?

Of course, the heat of today does not help.  Right now , at rwo p.m. it is about 97 degrees!  (that is like 35 in the rest of the world!)

At this time I want to say to EVA,  HAVE A HAPPY BIRTHDAY, little one!  In a couple of days you will be One year old! I hope all the years to come will be happy ones for you!  And also happy ones for your Mommy and Daddy!

I will write more, later.  Right now, I need to rest!