Good morning all:

Quote Of The Week:

“Do not spoil what you have by desiring what you have not; but remember that what you now have was once among the things you only hoped for” — Epicurus

Mele Kalikimaka – Hawaiian Christmas greeting.
I am a little wired this morning. Possibly it’s from driving 18 country miles last night in some seriously dense fog. Possibly it’s from a ‘little’ imbibing of a specially mixed for the cruise ship QE-II Scotch whiskey. Possibly it’s from enjoying my morning mug of Horton’s coffee here at Paul & Dia’s.

Marcia and I escaped from southwest Ohio to western Michigan for a few days. Wouldn’t you know it, the news here is the same as what I escaped—doom and an awful lot of gloom. I believe that part of this ongoing onslaught of negativity has become a bit of a self fulfilling prophesy. Negativity that is due in no small part to the need to keep pumping the 24-hour a day television news outlets going with the most attention grabbing headlines—whether it is misleading, accurate, well researched or not.

To counter I am posting scenes of family, community, awe, and comfort—all of which I wish for everyone. Enjoy these few photographs.

Pictures from top to bottom and left to right: (click picture to enlarge)
Snow on Marlene’s deck
Marcia demontrating how Vai has to be fed
Dinah listening to Opa’s music – Led Zepplin maybe?
Marin playing the Wii – “I like Golf the best.”
Vai at home and oh-so happy
Kellen playing the old autoharp
Derek awestruck at the model train museum
Our lake in Canada in glorious winter slumber on Christmas day

Make it a great week and take it easy over the new Year celebration.

Cheers,

Dirk