There, hopefully I have stept on several overly sensitive ethnic groups toes if this letter is made available to the general public. All I can tell them is to get some steel-toed boots and put um on. Sorry, just had to get that off my chest right off the bat this year!
Now…on to the usual annual updating as to the goins on here in the Tidwell clandom. I sit here on a blustery day as the temperature drops below freezing and thankful to be inside after being on top of the museum roof in Gainesville earlier in the day resolving a leak. NOT my idea of a pleasant day in the construction trade. I spent the middle part of this year in a quaint little town of Elberton, Georgia, constructing an Operations Center for Pinnacle Bank. Was lucky once again to have some wonderful clients to build for and who could understand for the most part my southern mountain version of communication. At least they shook their head a lot like they understood. I will be headed out to another project shortly and if it is out of town Susan is planning on traveling with me this time and taking her transcription work with her. I believe she sees the new trailer we just got as looking a lot less trouble to keep clean than the homestead. We have been enjoying an activity called Geocaching for the past year, which began with me buying a GPS unit to use when we went 4-wheeling. It’s a form of a treasure hunt that is worldwide and takes you to some wonderful out of the way places. Susan’s caching name is “Downychick” and mine is "Georgiabuddy". If you get a chance look us up on the web page Geocaching.com and see where all we have been.
This year has been a good urn for the clan as all are well and working, woo woo!!! Carrie and Ryan are doing well, with Carrie still at Gilmer County Bank working with the head of their security department. I know she is taking her job seriously as to when we may loan her a $20 bill she holds it up to the light before accepting it from us. Ryan is still placing concrete and as a diversion takes martial arts classes. I now have to watch my son-in-law jokes for my personal safety. They have one child, Ludicrous…..their dog. Of all the grandkids, he takes the least amount of attention giving as all he requires is a chewy and a soft bed and he is good to go.
Melissa and Keith are doing well and are in a constant state of motion. With the 4 kids involved in, let’s see….soccer, football, baseball, basketball, piano, track and trombone, there are always places to be. Susan helps out some in the transportation and is getting to enjoy being a parent again, but with the option of dropping them off after just a few hours. I get to go and see them play at times and don’t have to cart the whole team out for dinner or ice cream. This grandparenting is a pretty good deal! Melissa has followed in Susan’s houseshoes and is doing the transcription work from her home/office. She also has a side business that takes her all around to meet ladies and expound on the Tidwell philosophy of “Life is short, seize the moment and live it”. She describes her parties as Tupperware parties with batteries…..enough said!! Keith is still traveling the country working on machinery that breaks down and takes a little more than WD-40 and a PHD to fix. He understands the term we in construction know as “seat time”…LOTS of miles….
Now for the grandkids…as I told you, they are into every imaginable activity…and seem to do well in all of them. I take some satisfaction in that Sarah has pursued the Trombone, and I have even bought myself a new one and have some Christmas sheet music we can play next Christmas for the amusement of the kin folk. Madison can accompany us on the piano and we might con Kyle and Rachel into some percussion or juice harp. I was recently met by Kyle and Sarah at my truck when I got in from work one night, with overly helpful intentions…the kind that set off an alarm in your head…..you know…..”Can we carry your coat for you…..here…let us help you up the stairs…..”I envisioned all sorts of terrible things awaiting me….That and Susan had called me and warned me on the way home NOT to immediately say NO to what they had in mind for me. Well, wasn’t as bad as I thought. After all the niceties and I finally pushed them to spit it out, what did they want….they presented me with a set of plans they had drawn for a tree house/club house. Had dimensions, a plan view and elevation. More than I sometimes get from some of the architects I have dealt with and clearer. We are currently in the negotiation stages of me saying I am looking into it and taking it under advisement, hopefully this will buy me time till spring and warmer weather.
Susan and I watch CNN Headline News in the morning when I am home and we are constantly amazed when they come on with little tid-bits like John Lennon being killed 25 years ago today….25 YEARS!?!?!?! Can’t be that long ago…..Life is so short…and getting shorter…and so much still to do. The days, months and years are flying by…but I hope all of you, our friends are making the most of what has been given us in this world. And I don’t mean the big vacations and fancy dinners; take time to enjoy the timeless joys, of a child holding your hand as you walk, or to sit in a rocker on the porch and listen to the owls and whipper wills calling at dusk, or to just watch the embers glowing in the fire….these seem to be the joys we take for granted, the joys our servicemen would and are dying for in a desert land far away. This Christmas I ask you to pray for our defenders and take a minute to appreciate all that we have been given by right of birth…..our birth and a birth more than 2000 years ago.
And in your 'spare time' check out Susan's blog page, she is the real writer in the family - http://patchworkreflections.blogspot.com - & you can track me by my photo albums on Webshots.com - Community - member name: buddyt48. Enjoy!
Merry Christmas to all our friends and kin across the world, your family and friends here on Burnt Mountain………Buddy and Susan
