North Norway

NORTH NORWAY — Having nothing to say that’s printable lately, I have abstained from writing. And have been busy doing things like cleaning the microwave and looking for all the things we have misplaced. Things travel around and hide themselves. Scissors especially.

If it wasn’t for Dell’s penknife we couldn’t exist. Everything we purchase is encased in a tough plastic that is pretty hard to violate. The other day I was trying to open a bottle of vitamins and Dell had to come to my rescue. He offered to hunt up his old machete for me but that’s a little much, don’t you think? Probably couldn’t find it anyway.

There were 20 family members at our family Thanksgiving, held the Sunday after. Everyone brought something and helped with the cleanup. Baby Luke was the center of attention and very good humored about all the fuss made over him.

Six was shy at first but soon warmed up and when he went down to Frank’s Museum he delivered an incomprehensible lecture about all the exhibits. I assume he had heard Frank and was imitating him.

Our party was at Mary and Frank Perham’s domicile. A family meeting decided to have our Christmas tree at Pat and Charlie’s the Sunday after Christmas so everyone could attend.

Mary has been shopping for presents for Christmas for Kids for which the AARP contributes monies. We have been assigned two little girls to buy presents for, a nice change for Mary as we have mostly boys in the family.

She was stymied by some of the requests on the list provided but with the help of other shoppers who had little girls she was able to fill them all.

Tony and family did not come to our party as Josef had a meet in New York state and they drove him there. He is making a name for himself in running.

Dell and I ate out at the American Tavern back in November and Marie Kuvaja and her daughters were there. Sandra, Mary, Sherri and Susan. I believe they were celebrating Sandra’s recent birthday. They all behaved themselves as they knew my eye was on them looking for news.

Yesterday we grew tired of leftovers and went to Maurice’s for lunch. The Whitman family was having a luncheon get-together. Tekla, Vieno, and Martha were among those at this outing.

I worked with Martha a few years ago. Martha Edgar, nee Whitman. Why didn’t I sit down and talk with her more, find out about her life? Just bashful, I guess.

Dell’s older brother, Erwin, had an episode that ended up in the hospital. They tried for four hours to put in two stents for blocked coronary arteries and didn’t succeed.

So they let him rest over the weekend, then told him they would try again but it was Boston and the roto-rooter for him if they didn’t get it this time. Fortunately their attempts were successful and Erwin is now back with Doris in their assisted living facility in Dover, NH.

We have some tough weeks to get through ahead of us but remember what our first American poet wrote. Anne Bradstreet, 1612-1672 said “If we had no winter, the spring would not be so pleasant.”