FABULOUS FEBRUARY

The month started off with the news of MR. GROUNDHOG seeing his shadow and I am not very happy with that at all.  It has been a long cold winter so far and I don't want to handle anymore freezing days!  The ice on the river has been frozen for weeks and the coast guard goes up and down several times a day to cut the path for the barges and ships.  One barge found itself stuck in the ice and the coast guard had to come rescue it out.  It took hours to release it from the block of ice.  Today it snowed again, but we had a fabulous weekend on the 13, 14, and 15th.  Ashby had a swim meet over in Connecticut and he did very well.  He has now qualified for many events for the Gold's Championships in March.  He will go to Silver's Championship next week and try to get qualified for more events.  He has done well in school and has been on the honor roll both quarters!  Kudos to you Ashman!  He has been working hard ranking up in scouting and next Tuesday, March 3rd he will get the STAR award.  He has been in scouting for 2 years and he has just LIFE and EAGLE left to accomplish.  He was chosen to attend the NATIONAL JAMBOREE in the summer of 2010 which will be held in Virginia.  We are so proud of him.  For those of you who don't know, I am working as a Reading Teacher for 6th grade students at Rondout Valley Middle School.  I am filling in for the reading teacher who is out on medical leave, we don't know when he is coming back.  I just finished my Presidency with PEO (a philanthropic education organization).  Wayne has stepped in for his Rotarian's and is finishing out the presidency for the club.  His president took a job out of town and couldn't fulfill the commitment.  Wayne is also very involved with the Rotary Youth Exchange and they are interviewing applicants and setting up exchanges.  It seems that it is always busy with the youth exchange students.  Ford Business seems to be picking up now and then and we do pray that it goes up from here.  Ross spent five wonderful days here in the warm country, warm for him (i.e. Buffalo has been colder than here!).  He came home on Thursday evening and drove home Tuesday night.  I want to say that he came to visit us, but you all know it was VALENTINE's Weekend and he spent time with beautiful Amelia!  It is so good to have her a part of the family.  Courtney is flying out to Utah tomorrow to spend time with all the FAM!  Feliz is doing fine.  We have beautiful wood floors throughout the home and so Feliz has red protective plastic nails on because I don't want the floors to get ruined.  Wayne took her to the groomers on Tuesday and she looks marvelous!  She is a much happier dog here on the river!

Well....the OX has spoken, carry on!!!