Happy New Year to All!

As the end of the year closes in.... we wish you and yours a Happy New Year! I have looked back over the year and mailed off our New Years Letter. I found a number of years ago that it was impossible to get out a letter before Christmas. It was then that I decided that I would send out a New Years Letter instead of a Christmas card. This allows me to do a better job of writing and get them to the post office on time.
I have time to think about the whole year and get those thoughts together and in some logical order. Sometimes takes several days in this hurry-scurry holiday time, but it helps to put the year into perspective. I get time to think of all the progress of the ones we love and how they have grown both physically, mentally and emotionally. I get to think of all the people that we have encountered and the special times we have had. (The good, the bad and the really ugly! And to laugh at those things that were NOT funny at the time.)
So as this year of 2008 comes to a cold, crisp end.... we at the Hume House (Tom, Shelby, Kat and I) wish you and yours the greatest of the New Years. May it be a better than the last and may you have time to spend with those you love.

Merry Christmas to all!

Yes! We have a refrigerator! And it is working! We got everything moved and back to normal. Now we don't have to go to the garage to get a sandwich.
We had a great Christmas with the kids at the farm. The kids got a Rockband for their Wii and we got a kick out of watching them. We got to see Mike get a perfect 100% on the vocal for Roxane. And Melissa drop the drum sticks, pick them up and get started again. Then the next time they did the same song.....she got lost in the exact same spot but did not drop the sticks! Mathew is really good on the guitar and scored about 80% almost all of the time. And even Michelle did well....even though she likes the guitar from PlayStation better.
We got to hear from the kids in England. We were on the way home and out in the middle of no-where....there is no cell reception....but at least we got to hear their voices....quickly. They will call tomarrow for a longer conversation.
Now we are home and the animals are happy. Shelby can relax and take a much needed nap and Kat can berate us for leaving her at home. We were her 'best friends in the whole world'....because we had ham for dinner....but now.... she remembers that she is not happy with us and is catter-wailing all over. It eas nice to have the house to herself....but better to have your family at home!
From the Hume Family to your family......
Merry Christmas to all....
and to all a good night!!

Good Thing...... Bad Thing?

I am beginning to think that there is a big black cloud following us around and that every now and then.....it rains.....or pours. Thursday morning, Tom got a soda out of the refrigerator. Not a big deal, normally. But the soda was room temperature at best. He didn't think about it until he got something else out and it was cool not cold. We have a temperature gage at the top of the door and it showed 60 degrees...not what it is suppose to be. 'Bad Thing' He asked if the door could have been left open? But since we have an alarm that beeps periodically and can wake me up in the middle of the night....I thought that it was unlikely that the door was open. The next thing would be to turn the temperature down, make sure that the door is closed and see if the temperature drops. Off to work he goes to leave me to checking it out. After a few minutes.....no the temperature has not gone down. 'BAD THING' Okay, so we know that the refrigerator is not working. Luckily, we do have a spare refrigerator in the garage that we use for sodas, watermelon, and anything else that doesn't fit in the house. 'Good Thing' The spare refrigerator is almost completely empty. I can pile almost everything in....of course, we might not be able to find the mustard or anything for a salad.

I go looking for the instruction book to see if there is a 'quick fix' to get the cooling going. Have a 'good thing, bad thing' moment. 'Good Thing'--We do have a 'service contract' with Kenmore that is good until February of 2009. And it has the 800 number to call. I call the number and get the proverbial hard to understand person on the phone....after all it is before 6am. But get transferred to the service/repair center. BAD THING!....they only come to our area on Tuesday and Friday.....and there are no appointments open for this Friday. So it will be the Tuesday before Christmas before they can get to us. I asked about getting up in the line if someone 'no shows' for their repair on Friday.....but they have less than a 20% no show. So guess that we will wait till Tuesday. Then he asks....is the freezer working? All I can think is .... I really hope so! (After a successful deer hunting season, our freezers are packed! There is no where to put anything else. There are all kinds of deer meat in both the freezer and the freezer section of the spare refrigerator. Both are packed for the winter. Good Thing/Bad Thing) With the phone.....I slowly open the door to look at the temperature ....and.....Yeah! It is working! It seems that there is a fan that blows the cold air from the freezer on the bottom to the refrigerator on the top. And that is probably where the problem is. 'Easy to fix' for the repairman.
'Good Thing' I get to use the time to completely clean the inside and behind the refrigerator....but it fits so tightly in the spot that I can't get it to move out far enough to get behind it! 'Bad Thing' I have to wait till Tom gets home to get it out far enough. I'll just do what I can and get busy with the inside.
With all the regular refrigerator stuff in the garage, we either have to be really quick in and out or dress like Nanook of the North to go get stuff for a sandwich.....Did I mention that we might not be able to find the mustard?.....and did I mention.......I hate the cold!!?
We now have a really clean refrigerator for the repairman to work on...... Tuesday....when he gets here. 'Good Thing?'
Now about that black cloud and 'Good Thing / Bad Thing'. BAD....refrigerator is not working....wait till Tuesday for repair.... really cold weekend. GOOD.... have a spare refrigerator.... have service contract.... have clean refrigerator (now).... have meat for the winter..... have Nanook of the North costume...... Did I mention that I HATE THE COLD!!??

Did I mention I HATE THE COLD!!!

Did I mention I HATE THE COLD! If not....there it is. And we are suppose to be getting the wet, icy, windy, nasty, cold weather for the next week. If the electricity goes out.....I'm going to the 5th wheel with the propane heat! or to some where way south! Don't you just love winter weather??!!

I hate the cold!!

It is officially COLD!! I hate the cold. I hate having to bundle up like Nanook of the North just to go out the door! The only time it is nice is when you wake up, look out the window to a white, fluffy, beautiful, snow covered earth. And then the sun comes out, it melts...and goes away!
Now that the weather has turned really cold....I'll have to wear all the warm, comfortable clothes that have been in the closet for the last year. And if it stays this way....I will be layering it all on! Have you noticed that my ideal vacation always includes....Sun Sand & Sea.....and Warmth (no Maine coast in February for me : ) I will have to just keep warm until Spring comes because this is the time of year that I really don't care for. If I could, I would be moving south like the Monarch butterflies ....south in the winter and north in the summer. (Actually, the heat has not been a problem.)
Oh, sweet spring, with your fresh green leaves, bright fragrant flowers, and sun kissed warmth. It is the perfect weather to drive with the top off and the music turned up!! Guess I will just have to dream about it for the next few months......