We welcome 2019---HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!

Day 77, "Every picture has a story"

This is the January page from the calendar I made and gave to siblings and kids.  I think it pretty much tells the Lee story.  Dad was great about taking pictures of EVERYTHING and that included family.  It would not have been unusual to ride along to town and have him stop and take a picture of something.  One memory he prided himself in was a picture he took just east of Geneseo, ND.  He happen to come along just after the train had derailed.  He took pictures of course and would take pride in telling people that you could tell it was the first pictures taken as shortly after the derailment the engine had been turned around but NOT in his picture!  His TOOLS for many pictures were burned out flash bulbs and/or the blackboard.  I do not know if that was his idea or Mom's.  In the Christmas 1951 picture you can also see a sign on the back wall and I think Mom would do that with letters on a sticky surface.  The snow plow picture, I have no idea where that was but I suspect it may have been near our farm as you can imagine it would not have been possible to get out and about that day.  I think Mom and Dad brought into this world some good looking kids!!!  When I see the picture of the anniversary with the deer head in I often wonder IF Mom ever objected or if she though that was OK.  I do know that if Dad wanted something one way it was going to be that way.

Terry and I had a nice New Years Eve day.  We had Carmen and Betty over for Michigan State football as it was a treat for them to watch it on a big screen.  We had nibbles and then brought in a pizza from Crust.  I think they have the best pizza in town and maybe the most expensive too!  Anyway they were here from about 2:45-6:00 or so.  We then watched a movie and actually stayed up until 10:30.  That is as close to midnight as I have been for some time.  Today will be a stay at home  except for my 10:30 tennis.  I thought about celebrating the new year with some Irish Cream in my coffee but I do want to be on my best behavior for tennis so I went with heavy cream today.  After tennis I will make a small amount of cream potatoes and with ham it will be a grand day.  I say small amount because I stepped on the scale this morning and it was an ouch "for sure"!  Amy/Aaron sent us some special Norwegian food that we will open today and have with the potatoes and ham.  

I do NOT make new year's resolutions but somethings I will work on this year are:

• less or NO snacking between meals
• Good but smaller portions at breakfast.  A good start this morning as I had ONE English muffin with cheese, egg and bacon.  NO hash browns and only one sandwich.  
• more bike rides
• Less emphasis on winning in tennis and more on improving skills.  That is easier said than done when you get to a set score of 5-5 and you are serving!!!
• I promise myself that when I write my first check of the year I will write 2019--Maybe I should just get out the checkbook and write in the year on the first 5 checks--great idea Carmen
• I really should take my 2 meds every day rather than taking them maybe 4 or 5 times a week.  I can often hear people in my life saying, "Do as the Dr. says!"  My Dr. said my numbers were great last summer so my attitude has been kind of OFF.  Maybe, just maybe I should have more patience and less meds for BP.  
• later to bed and later to get up--enough of this bed at 9 and up at 5 or 4:30
• I have a goal weight by the end of the month but will leave it at that.  I will say that at 10 or 15 pounds lighter I may be faster on the court.
• I have other things that people may not want to hear about or I may not want to share but I promise the list is really not too long.
• The first thing is to get a new garbage disposal in the kitchen.  The current one has a small leak, at least it was small the last time I looked.  TOMORROW.
• more woodworking and less work at 2094 Niles---maybe

My FP has gotten the new year off to a rousing start so will sign off.