A SURPRISE ON CHRISTMAS MORNING by Josh Tate

Stinker the Tinker, that mischievous elf,
Left a gift in the toilet-
He made it himself!!!

A WALK ON CHRISTMAS EVE.

After everybody went to bed, I went for a walk.



There was a full moon.





Taking the above picture of an ambulance pulling out of the Idyllwild Fire Department resulted in the Sheriff's getting called to investigate my "suspicious behavior." I only figured out I was the source of so much concern when I was confronted as i walked back past the Fire Department. I would have pictures of thqat too if my batteries hadn't died. I got to hang out with my friend Bob Clark, who works there, as we waited for the Sheriff to come so I could explain myself. They never showed so I just walked home and told Bob to give them my name and such if they had any questions.



I saw Santa.



This is a really poor shot of a pile of snow deposited by a plow in front of Village Market. I only took the picture to prove to you New England types that we have snow too.



I found fifty cents in the coin return of a newspaper machine.



Some pretty Christmas lights.



A lonely shoe.



A package slip in somebody's box at the post office.

Merry Christmas to you and yours.

I'M CHANGING MY ENDORSEMENT...AGAIN!!!

I know...I know...I know...I started by endorsing Romney and then I changed to Huckabee, and now I am going to throw my support behind yet another horse? When will this revolving door stop?

Right now. After much soul searching and thoughtful analysis I am for Fred Thompson.

Vote Thompson!

Journal 12/7/2007

Out the door at 8:30 am for work. Worked until 6:00 pm with a 45 minute break for lunch. Mailed the latest newsletter. Rainy and misty all day. Turned to snow in the late afternoon. Two guest groups arrived today, and it is good to have the place hopping again after a few weeks without camps.

JOURNAL 12/6/2007

Men's bible study at 5:45. Came back and made the kids breakfast at 7:30 (pancakes). Called Joel and his family to wish them a happy St Nicholas day!Sarah went to her women's study at 8:30. Did the dishes, cleaned a little, and fell asleep on the couch until Sarah got back at 10:45, then I went to work. Worked until 4:45 pm. Kind of a short work day. Watched the first part of the redskins game before our junior highers came over for our small group. That concluded at approximately 7:30. Watched the end of the redskins game, and then put the kids to bed and fell asleep myself. REDSKINS WON!!!!!

JOURNAL 12/5/2007

Worked 9-5:15. Bible study in the afternoon at the Leih's house. Fell asleep downstairs, by agreement with sarah for a change, as I have to be out the door very early tomorrow morning and didn't want to wake the baby with my alarm clock and movements.

ANGER!!!

I'm afraid the writing is on the wall for Joe Gibbs, but I still support the man. I'm a loyalist.

JOURNAL 12/4/07

Unseasonably warm day- high of 78 degrees. Worked from 8:30 until 4:30. Stressful day for our friends who lost two units to a fire at their Inn over night. Sarah made them lunch, and picked up their oldest son from preschool. Bowden loved having a playmate for the afternoon. Had the Shirleys over for dinner. Worked on Christmas stuff before going to bed at 11:30 pm.

OH, REDSKINS!!!

I haven't gone underground yet, but I have started packing.

Like some merry dam has broken,
And its joyous torrent freed,
Come the children on Christmas morning-
A happy giggling stampede!

MERRY CHRISTMAS!!!

I am working on a grand total of seven ambitious projects as part of my homemade Christmas. Yep, that's right, I am trying to make the majority of the Christmas presents I give this year, and with Thanksgiving dinner sitting sluggishly in my belly I am reminded that I better kick my productivity into overdrive if I am going to make this happen.

TOMORROW I AM PREACHING IN LA VERNE, BUT AFTERWARDS WE ARE DASHING UP TO THE VALLEY TO TRY AND CATCH THE SECOND HALF OF THE GAME AT UMPA AND GRANDMA'S

MAMAS, DON'T LET YOUR BABIES GROW UP TO BE COWBOYS...

THE HOLIDAYS ARE UPON US!!!

Check out this youtube video about the history of Thanksgiving. Squanto made me laugh out loud!

$500.00 U.S. SAVINGS BOND

So Sarah and I finally reached the $250.00 mark in our found money jar. A couple of weeks ago I lugged the $250.00 in coins down to good ol' Guaranty bank (surprisingly heavy) and converted them into a $500 u.s. savings bond. I know that savings bonds are not the best way to invest money, but when you only have $250.00 to invest it's a pretty good option. So in 10 years we will have $500.00 and we can go out for a candy bar or something. Assuming that the United States of America still exists ( I think a fairly safe assumption I will promptly turn that $500 into a $1000 savings bond on the very day it matures. I wonder how much money we can get from found money in our life time. If I took all of the pennies and such I pick up off the ground and fish out of coin returns and invested them somehow, how much could I amass by the time I kicked it?

Any esitimates?

I WOULD LIKE TO TAKE THIS OPPORTUNITY TO STATE PUBLICLY, ON THE RECORD, THAT I DO NOT BELIEVE IN THE CHAMPLAIN MONSTER.

I AM STILL A BELIEVER IN SASQUATCH AND WIDJIWATS HOWEVER.

I KNOW THAT THE REST OF MY FAMILY ARE A BUNCH OF RUTLAND LOYALISTS, BUT BURLINGTON IS UNDENIABLY THE CROWN JEWEL OF VERMONT.

So why am I talking about Burlington? Because these crisp autumn days remind me of those early days in my marriage when Sarah and I would zoom down to Burlington after work for a stroll down Church street and a cup of hot Chai. Heady days!

Plus I knew that comparing Rutland unfavorably to Burlington would arouse the ire of my brother, Job.

Job, why do you love Rutland so much? Burlington is way cooler.

I HAVE FINALLY DECIDED TO ENDORSE A CANDIDATE

I'M A HUCKABEE MAN!!!

WELL, AT LEAST WE PLAY THE PATRIOTS TWO TIMES THIS YEAR. WE'LL GET ANOTHER CRACK AT 'EM IN THE SUPER BOWL.

Scalp 'em!!!

"God gave all men all earth to love,
But since our hearts are small,
Ordained for each one spot should prove
Beloved over all."

Rudyard Kipling

More St Albans drama! Don't make me come back there!

OH, ST ALBANS!

DID YOU KNOW...

...that the Redskins are the only NFL team that Tom Brady does not own a victory against as a starting quarterback?

IN A PREVIEW OF THE UPCOMNG SUPERBOWL THE WASHINGTON REDSKINS HEAD TO NEW ENGLAND TO TAKE ON THE PATRIOTS

I am predicting a fnal score of Washington 24 and New England 21.

It'll be a close one. I expect Washington to run up an early and unexpected lead. New England will wake from their confidence-induced stupor and start to come back, but they will face a surprisingly stiff secondary and it will be too little too late. New England's biggest weakness is their arrogance and the public's expectations. This is probably the only game the Skins will play this season where there is no pressure to win. They won't disappoint anybody if they lose to the juggernaut that is New England so they can be creative and loose. That equals danger for a Patriots team who is probably looking past the perrenial losers from Washington to their showdown with the Colts. Guess what... the patriots will not enter that game undefeated like everyone expects them to.

Hail to the Redskins! Hail victory!

MORE RANDOM VT PHOTOS...ENJOY!!!

MORE SPRING HOUSE REROOFING ACTION

VIEWS NORTH AND SOUTH

JOB AND I REROOFED THE SPRING HOUSE

While I was there it was discovered that the roof of the spring house had fallen into a shocking state of disrepair. All of the shingles had been stripped off of it, and the underlying sheets of plywood, rafters and even some of the studs on the southern wall had begun to rot. One of the rafters had fallen in completely, and a second was just barely hanging on. Two of the studs on the southern wall were pretty spongey and rotten so we ripped them out too. For under $150.00 we replaced the rotten studs, rafters & plywood and reroofed it complete with drip-edge and 30 pound felt underneath. It was fun working with Job.

HOST AND HOSTESS WITHOUT PEER, MY MOM AND DAD WERE THE ENGINES DRIVING THE PARTY TRAIN!!!

Thanks Mom and Dad for giving me and mine a much needed time away.