Happy 2012! 

The new year came in quietly for us, which it usually does, with the usual fireworks at midnight. St. Louis loves their fireworks!  We much prefer that over  shooting a gun into the air, This year a young boy was killed with a bullet shot a mile away; how sad.

Tim has been sending out resumes, has had one interview, yet still no results.  We are both getting very excited to know just exactly God has in mind, and we sure would not mind Him letting us know ASAP : )  Tim's part time job is now done, so news will be welcomed with smiling faces.

Gitta was home for break, but not around very much.  Many of her friends were home on break, so she spent most of her time running from one thing to another, and squeezing in work, when she could.  she and her friend, Jesse, enjoyed themselves immensely.

My car window's system is stuck at half up and half down, so I have been land locked, for two weeks or so.  It will be very hard to get used to the house being so quiet all the time. We were to have watched our son Tom's three children, but that changed, and the silence  is deafening.  To see the toys, neat, the music not playing, no Thomas movies.... and an empty high chair... very sad.  I miss them a lot, and hope we can start watching them again, soon.

Tim is leaving tomorrow for MN. They are having a big 90th birthday party for his dad. His mom was in the hospital for a few days, and is now in an extended care facility, as she is too weak to be home.  She is hoping to be able to at least attend Grandpa's part for a while.  She is a real fighter, and does not like to miss anything !

I have been trying to post things about the upcoming election, as so many do not know the facts, and are listening to sources that do not give enough information.  It is the most important election in my lifetime, and perhaps long before that.  So many say the social issues are not important, but if a man, or woman, does not find life sacred, from conception to natural death, that their opinions on all other issues will be tainted.  When life is unimportant, then other sacred things, such as marriage, between one man and one woman, will be relegated to the antique pile,  political corrections will abound, and very soon it will be considered acceptable for all sorts of immoral behavior.  Invetro fertilization kills many babies, is brought about from a very unnatural circumstance,  the human element is taken away. I am so sorry for those that can not have children, yet there are so many children in the world that need adoption, and if one really loves children, it seems they would not want to kill many of them, so they could have a child.

Here is a little something from  FB friend, on politics this time, but with humor:

•  Gerard Webster:
  Anyone else having this problem? I keep getting my tax return back...again and again. I don't know why.
  
  Under the question for # of dependents, I put: 12 million illegal immigrants, 3 million crack heads, 42 million unemployed, 2 million in prison, the entire guest roster for the Jerry Springer Show, and the House, Senate, and White House.
  
  I guess that wasn't the right answer.

We finally had some snow today.  It never  ceases to amaze how St. Louis does not know how to handle snow.  Instead of putting salt and ice down during the night, when they knew the weather would be moving in, and there would be some slushy snow at first, they let it be, and the highways were backed up for miles.  They plowed our subdivision, when there was no snow to plow, put down sand and salt, then came back later, after it had snowed a bit more, and plowed again.  Rather silly, since the ice had worked and there was none on the ground. Gossip has it that people complained about all the salt last year (it was pretty icy and snowy), so they decided not to put the salt down last night... really, I think we should leave that to those that know better. 

People said the salt was making their cars rust.  Well, that may be true, if they have very old cars.  We were hard pressed to find somewhere to put our "Keep Christ in Christmas " magnet.  The tailgate on our Volvo wagon is definitely not steel, as are the many other parts of the outside.  When we had our suburban, when all the kids were at home, you knew there was something between you and the other car. It was solid.  Now, cars just "crack" when hit. No dents to take care of, so it makes it easy to repair. Just pull of all the old parts and get new ones.  Let's see, seems to me that is more expensive, right?  

Tim and I were talking about the high price  of college, and how many, if not most, kids do not go into their field of study anyway, and how no one seems to see that the colleges are getting rich, while receiving subsides from the government, pushing up cost, while professors  get more and more, while not really teaching the class; their assistants do, most of the time.   We think that shop classes should come back to high school, as well as cooking and sewing.  We all used to have to take home EC. Now, if they want to offer cooking/sewing for boys, too, and shop for girls, too, that is wonderful.  Just give the kids a chance to get some useful tools for their every day living, as an adult, and perhaps see that they would like to attend trade school, instead of college.  We really need those in trade. Another thing that should come back is the apprentice program, learning while doing, as that sticks with you, much more than the book learning does.

I am trying this and hope it works. If it does, you will enjoy a auto shop class : ) If not, then we will try again next time.

One thing I know is missing in my life.  Since I have been w/o a car for such a long time, and not feeling well, also, daily Mass attnedance and adoration are not in my life.  Therre is a large black hole, and one becomes distant from people, from God, from oneself.  That, for sure, has to be my newyears reoslution,.  I pray that moving is not in the plans, beaause we are tired. 30 times we have moved... but if it be God's will, I pray for strength, as we will surely need it.

Christ's peace to you all, and a very Blessed and Happy New Year!!