Belated Happy New Year!!!

Mea culpa, mea culpa, mea maxima culpa!! I will explain all later, as to why this is the first update since I left Dec. 20, 2004.

Anyway, the flights home were fine and ontime. I took the train to Manchester, and from there I flew Air France to Paris. I connected with Continental going nonstop to Houston. A good, nice, noneventful flight! I arrived in Houston, and Mother and Joyce Havard were there to meet me. We headed back to Mother's home, all of us jabbering at once. It was 72° F (22° C). My sister and her husband had arrived from Alabama while we were headed back, and so more voices added to the chorus of the jabbering. Good to see everyone! Needless to say, I was in bed well before 10, and I slept the night away!

The weather began to drop on the Gulf Coast, and there were rumours there might be snow for Christmas. Well, we've heard this all before. Anyway, I went into Houston on the 22nd to visit with John Maio and Erik Osterrieder, Maria Penn and Jackie Greer. I thoroughly enjoyed seeing all of them.

On the 23rd my sister, her husband and I headed to see my father and stepmother. We had a good visit, and we'd not been there long before my nephew and his family also arrived. They'd come in from Alabama the night before, and they'd slept in a bit! We had a good time there, and the weather was getting colder! Nita, Larry (sis and brother-in-law) spent the night, and the next morning the wind was blowing! We were now in the high 20s.

We returned to Mother's home on the 24th, and then that afternoon I went by my aunt and uncle's (Curt and Marty Ball) home where I found all my cousins and their children. How nice to see them all there! Then it was on to Dale and Jim Brannon's home in Kemah. Would you believe, on the way there, it started snowing! It kept it up, and when we went to dinner with Robin Hough and John Petersen, we could see the snow falling on the palm trees through the large windows! What a beautiful and unexpected site! I'd never seen snow on Christmas eve in Texas. And President Bush doesn't think there is a problem with global warming! Anyway, we had a lovely evening and saw Ron and Annette and their families at the restaurant. I left shortly thereafter and returned to Mother's home.

On Christmas day there was snow on the rooftops and on the tops of cars. Farther south, in Galveston Island, they had over 4 inches, and at Brownsville in the tip of Texas, there was over 7 inches! Yet in York, England, in the North of England, there was no snow. We had a delightful day, and Dale and Jim joined us, after we'd opened our gifts, for a late lunch. Later that afternoon, Dale, Jim and I went to see "The Aviator", and we really enjoyed it.

On December 26 I went to Houston to meet Tommy Barker for lunch and to go to the movie, "Meet the Fockers". No, we didn't enjoy it. What a shame, with such a wonderful cast. By this time, it has already started warming up in Houston. I returned home after the movie, and visited with my family. My nephew and his family had left early that morning.

On December 27, my sister and her husband left for Alabama as well. Everyone made it home okay. I began to do some of my packing, and then Erik and John came out, and we went all went to lunch, along with Mother. We had such a nice visit! I had a 3pm massage appointment, and boy, did it make my old back feel good! By now, I'm not even wearing a jacket in Houston! I came home and got some packing done. Jim and Dale Brannonh had called and said that a group of friends of theirs (and mine) who live in Kemah wanted to see me, and so off I went to their get together! There were Annette and Ron, Fran, James and Deena, Merida, Jimmy, Jack and Lynn and others I've forgotten, and I do apologize!! How very, very nice! I got home early, though, as I knew I had to get everything packed the next day.

December 28 found me finishing my packing, and talking to the Social Security Office about taking my retirement monies early. Well, after talking to who knows how many people, the solution seemed to be that I had to go to Pasadena and talk to them in the office there. So, I set out, and on the way I stopped at Crosby State Bank and was able to visit with Pauline Brown. What a sweet, kind, wonderful lady! I am lucky! Anyway, after sitting at the SS Office for over an hour, I found out that I earn too much money to collect early! WHY couldn't someone have said that on the phone????? Oh well........ So several hours lost.

The 29th Joyce Havard was back down to take Mother and I to the airport so they could bid me farewell. Off I flew to Newark, where Sharon Rollins Tremontana was there to greet me. She'd flown in from Mexico on her Continental flight. We had a great couple of hours visiting, and then she was off on a flight to Puerto Rico. She'd purchased 3 lovely wreaths for me from Mexico! How thoughtful of her! She left, and then Ken Carlile and his friend, Ron, arrived. We sat and chatted, and then it was time to board our flight. The flight went well, but I can tell you, if you can avoid getting here by going through Newark, do so. It seems you just get to sleep, and they wake you up!

We arrived on the morning of the 30th, and we took a bus to Manchester Piccadilly Station where we took a train to York. Then a taxi to the flat!! We got all our stuff in, and Ken and I began to unpack. Ron went for a walk. Then we all went for a walk, and we had a late lunch at The Golden Lion. We returned, and fell into bed!

Dec. 31st I was at work for the morning, and it was nice to catch up with some of the people who were there that day. Afterwards, I collected Ken and Ron, and we met Peter Gibson at the Rose and Crown pub for lunch. From there it was back home to have a nap before we started out for New Year's Eve. We went by Bruce and Sally Corrie's home to say hi, then on to pick up Richard and Liz Kirby so we could go to Peter and Gareth's home for the first party. There I was able to catch up with Dana and Pam, and at 9:30, we headed back to Bruce and Sally's. We spent the rest of the evening there, along with John Coulson, Kate Addy, Rachel Addison and Paul Cain, and Fiona and Ian. Bruce had rented a hot tub, and a number of people went in and seemed to be enjoying it, most of all, Richard! At midnight the church bells pealed, champagne was drunk, etc. We headed home about 1:45am, and we slept in!

Around noon we were on the road to the Yorkshire Dales to show Ken and Ron the old home Bruce and Sally have purchased there. The wind began to blow, the rains came, I got lost, but eventually we found it! Then, to make matters worse, I went 22 miles out of the way to get us home. We arrived back in York and went for a Chinese meal then home, worn out!

January 2nd we headed out to Selby so they could see Selby Abbey. Surprise, it was closed! So, back home we came, and they went walking in the city. That evening we went to Caffe Uno for dinner, then crossed the street to the Grand Opera House York to see the panto Cinderella. A panto is a very British tradition at this time of year, and it was the first time for all of us. Afterwards, it was back home and to sleep.

On the third I was off to work, and that evening we went to La Piazza restaurant, where we were joined by Liz Kirby. We had a nice meal, and then it was back home. Ron was off to Wales to see a friend, and he still needed to pack.

I'd gotten a car the day before, and I took Ron to the train station that morning before I went to work. After work I came home, and Ken and I went for an Indian meal at Jaipur. We then headed back home, as we were a bit worn out.

Thursday found us in Bishop Wilton visiting with Isobel and Joh McCoy and their son, Sidney. John had to go to work, and so Ken, Isobel and I went to the pub for lunch. Afterwards, we headed back home and did some walking around town.

On Friday we went to Harome to The Star Inn for a lovely and delicious lunch. It is a thatched roof building that has been there since the 14th century. Fully sated, we came back home and took a rest, as we had to be at Bruce's for dinner that evening! He'd prepared a delicious oxtail stew, and we had fun time with just the 3 of us reminiscing about our time together in California. Soon it was time to leave, as Ken had to pack!

On Saturday we had gale force winds of 50-70 miles per hour (80-120 kph), trains were delayed or cancelled, trees were uprooted, the River Ouse was out of it's banks, the city of Carlisle was flooded and completely cut off by flooding, there was NO traffic going north, and they told Ken at the train station that he would get to Manchester, but they didn't know what after that. Well, off he went, as he was joining Ron in Wales. Fortunately, he made it, although he was an hour late. I came home and did washing, cleaning, dusting, ironing, unpacking, etc. and then just collapsed and watched TV.

Today we had some wind, and rain, and it was much colder. I finished the ironing, went to the supermarket, and am now completing this long journal for you all! SO, as you can see, I was just a bit busy since my arrival.

Again, I hope you all had a great holiday! I sure did.

Love,

Denny