2008 Christgiving - Part 2

As promised, here are some of the present pictures from Christgiving...


Audrey got a big fluffy pink poodle as one of her gifts and she really seemed to love it.


In fact, Jackson seemed to like it, too.


Jackson got some cool ink stamp sets with stamps of bugs, farm animals and Africa animals. And he got a Richard Scarry book (I believe it was Richard Scarry's What Do People Do All Day).


Audrey also got some costume jewelry like this tiara...


...and this frilly pink tutu.


Finally, here is a picture of the four sibs. The last time we were all together was in December 2006, in the same pose. Jackson decided to get in on the fun this time.

Now I'm going to try going back to bed. I woke up at 3am and couldn't fall back asleep so I came to tinker on the computer.

Just Another Beautiful Fall Day in the UP

I started to post something that I wanted to put on my blog - couldn't figure out how not to post after the fact so I just edited to something different. Put up four quarts of beets this weekend. About half of the leaves are down. It's a bit on the gray side but all in all a very relaxing Sunday afternoon. Looking foward to having guests for Thanksgiving. The turkey ended up weighing in at 22 pounds (processed)! It's abou as big as Lola!

I've Caught The Blogger Bug...

If I did this right, you should be able to click on the title and link to my site. Hope you'll pass the word to family etc.

Haiti Update

Dear All: I'm forwarding to all of you a thank-you note from Carmel Valdema. On Saturday, she and two of her health workers drove up the highway with sacks of ground rice/ground beans and medicine to Nan Gad, a village with a market on the road from Croix-des-Bouquets to Mirebalais. There they met a group from Crochu who had come to carry everything back up the mountain…First photo shows a section of the road that was completely washed out by the flash floods…Second photo shows everyone loaded up and ready to carry the (supplies) back up the mountain. Carmel reported that the clinic was very successful, that the people at Crochu were very happy to see her and her team, and she repeated what she has often said, that our donations of food and medicine and, when we can, our presence, not only sustain people in time of need, they bring the people HOPE. Many thanks to all of you for your prayers and support.

Blessings & Peace, Burt (Purrington - St. Paul's Episcopal Church, Marquette, MI)

Mad Clown Disease Stikes U.P.

Actually I attended our Council on Diaconal Meetings Semi-Annual Conference -- this year on Caring for the Caregiver. Our facilitator drove up from Streeter, IL, and, yes, she is responsible for the red noses...anyone for a rousing chorus of "Rudolph?"

Haitian Storm Damage

Four of the five major storms to hit the Caribbean have caused extensive damage and flooding to Haiti, the poorest country in this hemisphere. Click on the title to link to Episcopal Relief & Development (ERD) will give you more information. If you would like to make a donation, I would recommend either donating through the ERD web site or by donating directly to my church, St. Paul's Episcopal church in Marquette. One of my fellow church members coordinates a major ongoing outreach ministry to our companion diocese in Haiti. Burt Purrington helps run a children's nutrition program, conducts HIV education, and works with the small rural churches to help improve living conditions in this poverty stricken country. Two of the five churches are not functional - one is still flooded and the other is gone. The nurse who houses Burt on his frequent mission trips has lost his house. He, his wife and their toddler daughter spent three days on their roof without food or water. If you would like to donate and would like a more personal connection to the people you are helping, consider sending your donation to St. Paul's church - "Laurie's Fund." Peace, Rev. Larry Shell, Deacon.

PS - Laurie was Burt's daughter who died in her mid-30's, the fund is in her memory.

The Turkey's Waiting...

I hear Ma has sent out the invite again to see if there's interest in a Yooper Turkey day. It would be great if we could pull it off. The folks would be traveling on Wednesday with those who don't have to work and a second car could follow after work on Wednesday or on Thursday. I just got off the phone with L8N and how long the turkey lives depends on how many folks are coming...keep that in mind. Oh yeah, all the critters say "Howdy!"