Happy New Year, Twenty Ten!

I've been a bad, bad, blogger. I let a whole month go by without posting. I think I hit web overload, keeping up with two blogs, facebook and managing two other group pages. When one gets busy with 'other things' like taking advantage of good snow when it's here, hanging out with my dear Alina when she visits, visiting friends in near places like Bend, celebrating with family in even nearer places like McMinnville, baking cookies to my favorite Christmas albums, well, time just flies. So my first new year's resolution is to pay more attention to The Pahk. I'm thinking this year will have plenty to write about.

My Top Ten Best Things About December 2009, in summary, are:
1o. A successful I'm Dreaming of a White Salmon event, I just love manning the s'mores table at the firepits. The tree was beautiful, including the lighted salmon Lloyd made for the top.
9. Being able to buy Food Bank bags of groceries at the register at our local grocery store. So easy to add on $10, and it's what the food bank needs. BTW, I think it's being extended thru January. I like it when I'm reminded that people aren't as lucky as I am, and can act on it right then and there.
8. Great cross country ski days with my ski buddies, lots of fun, no injuries, post ski pizza and brews at the Sawtooth, and the first cookie swap.
7. Excellent weekend in Bend, and visits with Edie, Bill, Bob and Jane mixed in with ski club business, as well as a perfect snow day ski at Swampy Lake. The drive home through a storm on Mt. Hood, not so much.
6. Getting snowed in twice. Lloyd and I never run out of things to do, outside or in. It's really nice to not HAVE to go anywhere...like work, school, pool, etc....I'll add almost getting snowed in at the movie theater the day we went to see AVATAR...clear on the way in, several inches by the time we got out. But so worth it.
5. Given #6, being able to get to and from PDX to pick up and drop off Alina without incident, with a storm 'window' new year's eve morning to get her there before the snow started. Except for that one bit about driving back through the gorge at 5 am, hitting ice while passing a semi on a bridge, and everyone sliding...that was not fun. Getting up at 3 am wasn't much fun either, but you gotta do what you gotta do to see your kids.
4. Hearing from friends near and far via cards, email, Facebook and phone.
3. Blowing glass ornaments at White Salmon Glassworks, this time with Mary and Syd.
2. A wonderful Christmas weekend in Mac, great food and wine, friends and family.
1. The fantastic present from Keara and Alina, hand carried by Alina from Boston: a gallery of framed photos of the two of them, and their sweeties, taken at Lars Andersen Park. I'll be hanging them in the living room, so stop by and see my beautiful young women who are missed so much. No digital images yet, so you'll have to wait a bit.