12/28/2016

Wow, It’s shy of a year since I updated this particular page. I’ve done a fair number of blog posts but this page is the main page for my website.

    There was a list of things on my website that I wanted to do. The list wasn’t long but I did manage to get many of them accomplished. Usually there are one or two things that I don’t get to.

   This year we gathered the camper, now towed by the new truck,

and headed south during the winter. It was cold all the way down to Florida but we had a good time anyway boondocking (look it up), and seeing the sites in the cold anyway. We hugged the coast and stayed in southern states for about a month.

    We did finally build Danielle’s and Todd’s new deck in NY. It was a fun build for about a week Danielle and Todd helping Joyce and I.

It seems to be getting lots of use so it was a ‘good thing’. The deck along with their white, tall fence enclosing their yard makes it a great space for them, the dog, and their soon to be child.

    Speaking of children... We have two on the way in our immediate family. Danielle and Niki (niece). Expected, official dates are April 5th and 8th respectively. Exciting times indeed. And on the Woodruff side of the family (Todd’s side), his brother Rob and wife Sandrine welcomed a baby in December. Big doins‘ indeed.

    We had a wedding with my niece, Kristen and her husband, Rory. We will also get ready for the wedding of our Jennifer and her fiancé Mike. If you haven’t met him yet, he’s a great guy. Hails originally from Pennsylvania. She met him in the Boston area when finishing up her post Doc. Extensive blog coming up for that in September.

    Jennifer obtained her job at Idexx in Westbrook as a research scientist. She’s been there nearly a year now. She’s living in Portland.  It’s working out very, very good.

    Joyce and I took another trip around August. We hadn’t seen Colorado so we headed

out that way seeing sites along the way. We rode the St. Louis arch and toured the many opportunities in Colorado. A very nice trip indeed. The only continental state left to us that we haven’t seen is North Dakota.

We’ve seen South Dakota so we don’t feel compelled to see it’s northern cousin. Someday we may though as the Trans Alaskan highway takes off from around that area. That trip is in the back of our minds for a possible ‘someday’.

    We completed some odds and ends for the house. A picture area, some objects of art, some door moldings, and with Carlene’s help (actually she did 98% of it)  we got some things done outside.

    The year capped off with some really nice holiday celebrations, Some of which we hosted. Family....nothing better.

This is the list of things on the last update. The checked off items were accomplished. The others will be done eventually.

1. That trip South.....
   

2. Danielle’s and Todd’s deck in the spring...
   

3. A summer/fall trip to Colorado, one of two continental states we haven’t been to....
   

4. A celebration BBQ for Rory and Kristen who will be married...
   

5. Finish off two door’s woodwork this spring...
   

6. Concentrate some on the outside of the house now that the inside is pretty much done....
   

7. New roof on the rental house
   

8. New roof on the garage...
   

9. Remove the rock chimney and replace it with a stainless one. Not as pretty, but more functional.
   

10. Build a living room wall table with picture area for family pictures and mementos in the north corner of the house...
    

11. Hang my guitars ornamentally on the wall and start playing again.
    

12. Design and  mount a wall easel for painting.
    

13. Continue to realize my great fortune to be married to Joyce.
    

14. Continue to appreciate my two great daughters and their significant others.
    

15. This year I’m adding appreciation for the rest of my family. They’re always in my mind.
    

Things we hope to accomplish between now and the next update:

1. New roof on the garage...
   

2. Remove the rock chimney and replace it with a stainless one. Not as pretty, but more functional.
   

3. Design and  mount a wall easel for painting.
   

4. Build a deck at Kristen’s and Rory’s in Old Town.
   

5. Build a desk for Danielle as she works part time at home with the new baby.
   

6. Build a bridal chest for Jennifer before her wedding.
   

7. Attend that wedding in Fryeburg NH.
   

8. Accomplish some plumbing and cosmetic updates to Carlene’s bathroom.
   

9. Build a dining room table for Todd and Danielle.
   

10. Shorter, event oriented camping trips
    

11. Continue to realize my great fortune to be married to Joyce.
    

12. Continue to appreciate my two great daughters and their significant others.
    

13. This year I’m adding appreciation for the rest of my family. They’re always in my mind.
    

Until the next update.....