Great Idea Em and James

I would love to make it down there anyhow and If I got to do that with all my family it would make it even better. I hope every one is having a great all saints day! Matt don't you bet up any little kids for their candy. Ha! We did break the top ten we are now 9th in DIII and our girls time is 35th. Two more positive things for Stevens Point are: We have the most amount of Olympic qualifiers then any other school in any division. We had 3 grads. from SP make the time. also we had 6 guys run 9:30 for the two mile followed 20 min later by running 4:30 in the mile for the same six. This is the best UWSP has every seen for a workout that has been going on for 16 years. Last thing, this is a picture of about half the cross country team in our costumes!

I'm with Em

I like Emilie's idea a lot. I wouldn't want to go when it's cold. Good idea, Em:)

Keep 'em Coming says The Grinch

Thanks for the Meyerevent suggestion, Emilie. It sounds good to me + I don't care about skiing, i.e the times of year could work. I hope you inspire others to comment+/or make their own suggestions-I know Nicola has some different than my original openers + Jimmy would like an Amberg weekend. But let's hear from ya'all.
Good to see Nicki, Ria + Dom. Last nite I needed to use Em to get Dom on, but I believe you need to start by clicking on the 2nd blue site on the invite itself after first getting your account. Is that right Nicki? (I think I might've used Grandma's invite each time I finally got the 3 of us in after trying over + over NOT to create a new blogspot.)
I'm waiting on my 4 Latinos, their attorneys + 2 court interpretors to negotiate a first time + then maybe have a trial. I should have stuck with Spanish.
Happy Halloween everybody! Love, S

Christmas Suggestion

Hey All -

Okay so I have not slolidified the research but here is the Meyer-Mardock Suggestion for family fun.

TAHOE!

Flight Information: I love American Airlines and my lovely Aunt Molly. I imagine that there are some awesome deals on that airline to travel to Reno. However, I use Southwest all the time to travel between Vegas and Reno so I priced flights on Southwest and with enough time in advance tickets can be purchased for $99 from Midway to Reno. Another option is to fly from Midway to San Fransiso for $99 and get picked up by the Meyer-Mardocks and have a day there before going over the Seirras to Reno.

Housing: There are two high seasons and two low seasons in Tahoe. The low seasons are from after labor day until just after Halloween and from March 31 to June 1. During that time we can get a cabin with 12 person occupancy for $300 a night. James and I could host from two to four people more or less confortably. And you would all be welcome. Reno is about 45 minutes drive from where most cabins would be so we would not be much separated.

Activities: There is a lovely and easy hike totalling about 10 miles called the Marlette Lake hike. This is a gem. Plenty of food including a must do breakfast at the Log Cabin in Kings Beach. Shopping. For those who would be interested in driving around - Pyramid Lake and Virginia City are wonderful and much fun.Finally there is tahoe itself. Though the off-seasons are the times when it is generally quite cold to swim and not snowy enough to ski but there is still plenty to do.

This is my Xmas pitch.

But the current holiday is Halloween so enjoy your tricking or treating. The party pictures look like a lot of fun. I wish I had been there. Love you all.

FOR SHIZZLE

Sweeeet costume!!!!

And you thought you could keep me away!

Two broken computers, a mind that has been filled to the point of breaking every day, and bones that have over 1400 miles for this season alone, and I am here. I have been reading the blogs waiting for this day when I could join in and it has final come! Now that I am here what do I have to say that my blogger junky parent havent all ready said, the words that they could not steal from me.... I love you and miss you all! Here are two pictures: the first is me in my Halloween costume (It is Mickey the Pikey for Snatch) and the second is a picture of me running in our conference meet where we got second and now will be in the top ten in DIII xc.

Happy Halloween!!!

Did you all receive the email from Jimmy or Michael where you had to find the dot? I couldn't sleep the other night so I got up in the middle of the night and checked my email. It scared the bejeebers out of me. A few years ago there was a similar one that started as a serene video of a car driving through winding roads.

Happy Halloween!

Love,

Maria

HALLOWEEN PARTY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

PICTURES

MUSIC VIDEOS

Pause it once it starts playing and let the whole video load. It doesn't go in and out for me. Do you have high speed? Nice to see you've figured out the blogging:) Love ya!!!!!!!!!!!!

Hi from Nicki

I love seeing the pictures! The music videos are cool, but I can't listen to them on the computer - the streaming in and out is too annoying. Is there a way to listen to them without the constant cutting out?

????????????

Where is everyone? This is way easier than sending e-mails.

I'm loving the weather right now, even though I know winter is around the corner.

Uncle Stephen

Sorry to hear about Dom's place getting broken into. You were gone when I got back from the walk with Aunt Molly. Sorry the Bears let you down...again.

I saw "30 Days of Night" and it SUCKED!!!!!!!!!! I'm glad Aunt Molly went cause I love seeing movies with her.

I'll put some tunes on for any late readers=]

video comment

Matt, you're such a deer nephew. I was afraid the punchline might not come, but it was worth the wait. Everybody enjoyed Molly + Wes' special Halloween party with the surprise excursion. We earlier enjoyed Dom's team taking 2nd in conference + winning an automatic bid to the regionals + getting him a computer so he can rejoin us.

Halloween Party

I HAD A LOT OF FUN AT THE PARTY!!!!

-Matt

Halloween Party Eve

Just a jot before trundling off to slumberland. It's exciting to think of tomorrow's party. Matthew and Molly went to a Haunted House tonight which got an A+ for scariness. ( If that's a word.) I'm dusting off my witch costume and PJ will be a king. ~Mary Ann~

Nic's new #

Due to her retirement you will find Cola at 608-207-5127, which had been my (seldomly used) #. She also has routed you to her home e-mail address.
I'm looking forward to the annual Halloween party, + I assume there will be pictures coming out of that.
Parlor game: Tell someone you can divide a group of pennies, 10 tails + 90 heads, into two groups each containing the same amount of tails, with your eyes closed. Then pick any 10 + flip them. That group of ten that you flipped will contain 0-10 tails + the other group of 90 will have a matching amount.

Procrastination

Okay so I really should not be blogging today. I have a midterm in four hours. But I just wanted to share what happens when your roomie is an art grad student whose art is throwing parties.

I want to make sure everyone knows that baby bump is a pillow. I am pregnant with anticipation of the Bar alone.

Welcome

Welcome Nicki + Dominick(by comment)! I forgot to add that we need to hear from Whitney + Bill. I hope I'm picking up Dom's computer from Stevens Point today, but we're still waiting for "tomorrow" at their computer store.
The Trib had a story Sun about one of this year's Nobel Peace award nominees. It concentrates on the 4 high school girls who "discovered" this Polish Catholic woman who saved over 2,500 Jewish kids in Warsaw (more than Schindler) + was living in poverty until then. For each kid she buried detailed lists of their ancestry + whereabouts in glass jars under an apple tree in a friend's yard. The Nazis couldn't torture the info fromher. The kids wrote a 10 minute (now 35 minute) play, "Life in a Jar," which they're still performing since it began in 2001. Naturally, they pass around a jar for the Polish rescuerers surviving. (Irena Sendler is now 97.)
Unfortunately, Angelina Jolie is slated to play her in an upcoming movie. (Perhaps she'll play Mother Teresa next.)

Hal O'Ween

I seem to have actually carved a decent pumpkin this year:

Camera

Does anyone have use for a small, APS film camera and several rolls of film? Or a Polaroid camera and some film that may work or may be old? They're free to anyone that wants them.

testing

Ok, I'm trying again to figure this thing out.

80's

Went from the most beautiful Oct Sun you'd ever see to a brisk run in the 40's today (tho shirtless after a longsleave had me sweating buckets. Nic + I hiked Rock Cut for my 2nd day + saw the most couples I'd ever seen there. Nic showed me the cabin she believes Tony + Jolie camped at there. The prior day there were 4 cars of peoplke taking sunset shots + I got so caught up in the various stages that I found myself on the trails in the dark around 7:30 + worried I might get lost taking the short cut.
Dom realized late Sun. that he was a victim; they stole his digital camera. Tuf weekend where he thought he'd be home + have a new computer in hand.
I want Madeline's job. Great to hear from Ria; I loved the Shenendoah. I'm frustrated with Nicki cuz I can't reconstruct how I got on, but Jeff should be able to click on the orange B + add a new post. We should've had yet another fire Sun. nite, but the rain has looked imminent for over 24 hours. 4 days to Nic's retirement, or 3.

My Little Girl

Here's a picture of Shelby. My little 66 pound girl thinks she's a

chihuahua.

I'm Back

I just wrote a blog entry and somehow it disappeared. How frustrating!

Whitney, Shelby and I took a trip to the Shenandoah Valley this weekend. We drove into the mountains on roads that reminded me of Amberg, only much steeper. We rented a cozy cabin. It was breathtakingly beautiful, the height of fall. The cabin made me miss having a fireplace. There's something very calming about being Keeper of the Flame.

Madeline was going to join us, but it was too hard (and expensive) for her to get off work. Human Resources called her into the office and told her that since she was doing more work than what was in her job description she would get a $7,000 raise at her yearly review in June. Not bad. She's in the process of trying to find a car that will fit her budget.

Dom, my house was broken into when I was in college. The police noted in their report that my room had been ransacked. Little did they know that it looked exactly the same before the burglary. Twenty years later, my bedroom still has that ransacked look about it.

What an impressive menu, Emilie. I didn't know you could cook.

The film festival sounds like such fun!

Hello to all; What a delight to see all of the blogs. It is Sunday night and I'm off to sleep but had a very nice weekend and got to see Stephen's Bears pull off a win at the Meyer house at 1021 with Pete and MaryAnn and my step dad Dick who is now a regular there for the Bear games. Dominick has not been able to blog on due to two different computer failures. If that was not enough he and his roomie who was turning 21 came home from a run and the apartment had been broken in to. Cops and missing computer and speakers and screen. Dom will run this coming Saturday in Oshkosh in the state WIAC champs and hopefully gop on to the Nationals. My last week of work at Neck To Back. One fun story one of our patients is a dairy farmer and he named his cutest calf after me. She is called NeckieB. What can I say? All for now be safe and be happy. Cola

38 shares and counting

Ladies and Gentlemen: 38 posts on the family blog in 8 days. You all are a very impressive lot. The White clan is currently a little in debt to the wench, I mean Nicola, who despite personal upheaval is single handily holding up the White's reputation on this site. Meyers you are doing an impressive job.

I got up at the ridiculous PST of 5am set to begin my law school work: cyber law midterm, research report, READINGS, professional responsibility exam (the first step in the Bar!). But I got sidetracked my my email and chanced upon my dad's script from the James and Emilie wedding. The message of the script being that "everything good is meant to be shared."

Here are a few things I would like to share
1) 50 days left in the countdown to James and Emilie's permanent co-habitation
2) James and I are hosting Thanksgiving in Reno the menu is:
PUMPKIN AND SHRIMP BISQUE
ONION AND SAGE TARTS
SQUASH WITH ROSEMARY, SAGE, AND CIDER GLAZE
ROASTED PARSNIPS WITH THYME
HERB-RUBBED DUCK WITH TART CHERRY AND SAGE SAUCE
I am way excited to cook this and excited to see what James will read to me while I cook.

3) James' book goes to print November 13. I have included a picture of his helpful research assistant



4) I got copper lowlights in my hair and that is sassy

I wish I could be sharing the Beloit film fest, seeing Nicola all dressed up, and fires on nights when it is almost too cold to be out. But this blog feels like a way to share a little in everything good.

Where are they?

Where IS Nicki? Where is Maria, after such a prompt response? Tony, Jimmy Molly + Wes- especially at Halloween time-Alex + Sam? We had another fire outside tonight + our new neighbor brought us a little preview of some of the films for the Beloit International Film Festival, which coincides with the Sundance Film Festival each year. I would think Mom would love to be on the selection committee, + I'm trying to put in a good word for her. They have quite a few movie-themed dinner parties that sound interesting, but which would be expensive of course because they are fund-raisers. Nicola is going to WORK at one as a serving wench in "The Lion in Winter" at the Shea mansion on our old paper route. Last night Bill Lock also had a fire + the Ooompa Loompas served for "Willy Wonka." Tonight it's "Pirates of the Carribean." Mom's going to one at a very nice house(a draw for many of them) for "Cabaret" with Amy Fredendahl entertaining in the starring role she's played on stage. Imagine our James + Emilie in character at any of the homes.

I'm stressed, too

I cannot get into my hotmail. For 24 hours that I know of. Went to the library and could get in there, but that's not much help either for handy or for the fact they're closed when I need them.

AUNT NICKI

How come she hasn't joined this?

Kimmy

A few weeks ago I went to The Butterfly with Dad, who was trying to remeber Pam Meyer's sister's name-she worked there. I tried to tell him Kimmy is Carmen's daughter. Tonight she said to tell Em "Hi'" that she thinks shes seen the handsome Matt around + that she sees Sam + Alex every day.
It just occured to me that Jim + Jody's marriage began 4 years ago, just four days after Neck to Back began with Nicola. Now they're both getting divorced at the same time. I hope it is better for the both of them . I know Nicola learned a lot + I think Jimmy, too.Dom was supposed to get a new computer in Rockford today, but the computer folk in Stevens Point screwed up + we won't see him this weekend after all.
Speaking of Jimmy. Our postal service pulled a fast one on me. I've always bought the pre-stamped postcards, which have always cost the same as just getting the appropriate stamp. But now they charge an extra 2 cents for the card. That's fair, but I'd always loved the bonus aspect of taking the easiest route. I guess it was as close as you come to a free lunch. No wonder we've all gone electronic.

Stressed...

Chilis has me stressed out!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I have to be in uniform TOMORROW and I can't find anything I need in Beloit.

I watched a couple of movies with Grandpa which was a lot of fun.

I'm excited for Halloween and the party!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Just showing off.

Are you impressed? You should be. Matthew did it though, can I do it alone? Probably no.

newsy!!

Talk about newsy! Tony is off to the keys? I didn't know, but it sounds wonderful. Jim is off to work, Grandpa and Matthew are watching "The Sting" (a favorite), and I'm bogged down in desk work, accomplished little or nothing. xxx

Misc.

I love all the pictures + hope to learn all that cool stuff. I read the comments too, but I generally like to comment via post, tho comments make you re-check. It rained the entire time I spent at church from 6pm to 7am, but it was showerwater warm throughout the nite (16 homeless is the most I've had). I saw signs of Tony + was told he was there but also that he would be headed for the FL keys this am-the whole church knows more about him than I do. GO PACK!!! I'm waiting to hear some complaining about the Christmas plan. I'd be happy to be at the same site as Carly's wedding, but without the wedding, unless Madeline.....I think Jim is definitely making progress, + I'm not expecting to see Jody, Vince or Mike (Thing 1 + Thing 2) for Christmas. I'd love to hear from Sam + Alex: I saw Jeff Raymer today. When it comes to blogging, Matt, you're a better man than I am Gunga Din. Pictures of a squirming snake pit WOULD be cool. I'm so proud of all you contributors. (Dom has had serious computer problems for weeks but should have a new one thios weekend.)

Rain

It is raining in rhldr.
I hope it is sunny and happy wherever you are!
I did my foot again last night playing tennis so to help heal it I'll play basketball tonight.
Now lets see if this works?

Chilis

I got hired at Chilis today!!!! I have orientation on Saturday and then I train for 5 days. They had me take a really hard test on Monday that I was worried about so I'm happy about the job!

Where's the rest of the family???? Are people getting sick of the pictures?

Last Christmas

This is from the Christmas plan last year.

St. Michael and the foot wash

I am increasingly disinclined to hear actual lawyer's stories as I approach becoming one myself. I had been about to apply for a fellowship with the NV. ACLU when I realized 1) it is the Vegas office and 2) the two people who did it last year are now disillusioned and bitter. I cannot believe Michael that your boss is still there and can only hope that you have stopped cooking for her. I only hope that the judge I hope to work for in the spring is a more sterling example of legal professionalism.

My Michael story is about my first week in Chicago. While Michael was a great friend and Uncle the entire time (especially in the passing of Mr. Chicken) the first week there he did a thing that I think qualifies him for sainthood. He washed my feet. I had hauled a sweaty dazed Emilie all over Chicago looking for an apartment and had found one but not without sacrificing a bit of my sanity. I was staying at Michael's and after dinner he gave me a foot bath and rub. It was so sweet and so Michael.

UNCLE MICHAEL CHECKING IN

Nicola, I'm shocked! I thought you were well on your way to being CEO of Neck to Back.

I'm having drama at both jobs--as some of you may know, I was called to Macy's in the middle of a workday to cover for some MIA employees and we learned as the day went on that one of them had been murdered in her home! She was seven months pregnant and her beau was a former Chicago Bear. Very sad. Although all the news media reports say he's not a suspect, I am guessing the boyfriend will eventually be linked. I am also taking Thursday off from my day job to work at Macy's--I had to switch around my schedule to accommodate a visit from Molly and Wes this weekend. Yay! We have lots lined up already--the "Eleventh Hour" (a mega haunted house, for which he have R.I.P. passes), Mysteries of the Paranormal and Chicago's Ghost Past at Excalibur, and a campy send-up of "The Birds." It got rave reviews years ago when it opened and they actually traveled to NYC, LA, and other haunts. I still chuckle at the bewildered looks of the strollers on the bike path when, during the schoolyard scene, screaming adults dressed as children were being chased by people carrying birds on fishing poles.

Meanwhile, my co-worker Carrie staged an intervention of sorts at the courthouse to confront my boss, whom we've been carrying for two years now. She basically told us to deal with it, that she likes the job and has to keep the job to pay for her sons' school.

Cola comments

Hello from Nicola For those of you who don't know by now, I have officially turned 50 and am probably having a mid-life crisis because I have tendered a resignation at Neck To Back after four years of fun and frustration. My last day is October 31st, scary thought!!!!!!It is a long and confusing story but I do not have any job lined up I am just going to take some time to think, organize and than decide what I want to be when I grow up. I have just returned from a great weekend with my sisters, Sandy, Mary Beth and Suzie in San Antonio,Texas. This was our second sisters weekend and I am wowed by what fun and friendships and how we reconnect each time. They are all great and talented women and we actually want to do a sisters weekend every year not just when one of us turns 50. On a sad note for those of you who don't know, my cousin Marcia who was in our wedding and has been a favorite of mine for years, was recently diagnosed with ovarian cancer and has had an extensive surgery and started chemo all in one month. Her prognosis is not great but her spirits are good. Alot going on but enjoying every bit. Nicola

Tuesday at 1021 from Mary Ann

Matthew and Grandpa are watching "Gunga Din" with much pleasure. Am sure Grandpa knows every line by heart and there's as much gusto as at a Bears game.

Went on a wonderful Halloween Walk at the Rotary Gardens in Janesville Friday night. It's an annual event and the walks are lined with hundreds of carved jack-o-lanterns all lit with candles. Lots of lights everywhere and 8 to 10 spots where we listen to ghost stories. One of the best was a girl reading Edgar Allen Poe's, The Raven. A delightful night.

?

Madeline, too. I couldn't get on the contributors list by signing, reading or commenting, only by posting. Does this mean you've come in + read?

welcome

I see Sam + Jeff as new contributors, but I don't see a post or comment from either. How did you do that?

Rhinelander

That picture is from Rhinelander. You have to highlight next to the picture to see the text. I figured out the blog problem I was having before.

Picture!!!!

Kicking butt in Rhinelander.

Tickled, tearful and trained

Mary Anne, Maria, Mom and Dad, you have made James and my mornings. I am so excited to see you all posting. So as promised - first post anecdotes.

Maria- I think of you often when I am cooking. I think that part of my cooking is inspired by your Chez Maria's. Sometimes when I have invited people over and have nothing in the house I remember Le Mac and Fromage and realize it is the love and not the food that matter. I am a trained host in part because of your tutelage.

Dad and Gram- I have so many fun stories with the two of you but movies are a common thread in our family history. And one lackluster film we went to see together was "An American Haunting". I hope not to give away this "classic" but it had incest as the central tension of the haunting which was revealed in a flash back that Gram watched and ----didn't get. Dad, Dom and I were reduced to tears laughing at poor Gram who, to her great credit, took it like a sport and joined in the laughing. At the point that Dad's nose is running he is laughing so hard, you know it is a good time.

Mom- One of your great skills is your ability to take lemons and make lemonade ... with sparkles. When our roof was strangely absent and we were all living in two hotel rooms and I had lost my voice and had a show to do with Josh, God rest him, who hadn't learned his lines, you ordered room service. I couldn't believe the decadence but you let me sit in your hot tub and ordered a shrimp and steak salad and I ate in my robe and we watched bad tv and laughed. This moment has seen me through many a hard time.

I love you all. Keep up with the posts remember it is just the orange b and it will take you to posts. You all have very much made my day.

Camo

Now Nic will be able to log in herself.

The Christmas Plan

• By pure coincidence, Emilie's innovation has arrived just in time for my Christmas plan. Between now + Christmas I would like everybody to come up with plans for a family outing/vacation that we'll vote for on Christmas day. The whole idea is to encourage the ongoing dialog as much as coming up with a family event. The "winner" will be the Plan that wins the most family members willing to commit to it. And for those that can't stand the idea of NOT spending $, part of your negotiating can be what you'd donate for that cause. Eg. I would host X family members for our Lake Tahoe trip.

• I'm much influenced both by Nicola's sisters weekend + my own 3-day walking trek with MY three sisters, which I cannot believe I've never done since. I was alos strongly influenced by how much I enjoyed the family celebration of Mom + Dad's 50th anniversary, which I'm ashamed to say I almost dreaded [and which was the family's introduction to James- we'll have to start numbering those too now, Madeline].

• My first thoughts were a family hike over the Sugar River bike trail from Brodhead to New Glaryus, where we'd party German-Swiss[lots of beer] style. I'd also love to do the Elroy-Sparta trail, which includes the mile-long tunnel + La Crosse also has great places to feast. I thought of a Mississippi cruise or an expensive cruise. But mostly I realized I'm probably the weakest vacation planner in the family having so little experience compared to most of you. And the process is more important than the plan to me.

• Ironically I started this Dictator of Christmas idea so that each of us could have some control. But now that it's my turn the only things I wanted to control were the timing + that the "present" has to be for everybody. Sorry, I do decree that Jolie is hereby an equal voter if she wants to be. [But I won't require church attendance on Christmas.]

• You do not have to do any of your negotiating/bribing/selling/synthesizing etc. at this site, but it sure helps. Obviously $ + location are the touchiest factors, but I have great faith in our collective creativity to come to a mutually satisfying plan. I love you all + look forward to some face-to-face debating with some of you on Thanksgiving.

Idiot

I must be an idiot. I've spent an inordinate amount of time trying to become part of the family! But mom's enjoying my ineptitude.

Stephen on Mary Ann's Dime

I'll get this right soon enough, but I wanted to have a blog + not just a comment to one of Emilie's blogs. Unfortunately that means I haven't made it to the point that I get my name on the coveted list of contributors yet, but I think that's because I'm unable yet to mail from my computor where I've been invited.

greetings!!!

I'm trying to figure it out.

greetings

Virginia Beach

Greetings from Virginia Beach,

I'm teaching 5th grade language arts at a new school this year, White Oaks Elementary. I really love my new school - so much better than the last one. I had an unannounced observation on Monday. The assistant principal came in as I was reading Walter the Farting Dog. It's totally appropriate, but I felt a little silly sitting there in my rocking chair guffawing over potty humor. By the way, it's a must read.

I'm up sipping tea at midnight (waaaay past my bedtime) because of my allergies. I'll bet Nevada is a kind place to allergy sufferers.

Madeline is marrying a James. Three James in one family. His last name is Henson or Hensen. He's in his first year of law school.

Love,

Aunt Maria

Kudos

As an incentive to make a first post, I have decided to share with you all a story of the posting person.

I failed to do this with James because his incentive was making me giddy.

For Matthew I know the story and it goes like this: The Meyer family Christmas has been controlled by a King or a Queen (or in the case of Dom and I an amicable Ptolemy XIII and Cleopatra) who decides the manner of gift exchange for almost a decade now. Two years ago, Matthew drew my name in the year controlled by her Majesty Mary Anne. Our gift exchange was a letter a month for a year.

Poor Matthew, that year I moved twice. Matthew wrote every month like clockwork. He missed on month and sent two letters. I tried to write to Wes with diligence but not like our Matt. He had PETA and Vegetarian stickers on some and some were several pages long. When Christmas came, I was shocked to hear that some people had gotten very few letters while I got Matthew.

Finally, Matthew also took me out to dinner with Nicki, Molly, and Dominick as the present part of the exchange. He was, no offense James, one of the best dates ever. A good conversationalist and liberal with the wine.

There is a story that involves some of the earlier mentioned culprits in a nefarious scheme involving a negligee, a false gift card and an embarrassed model named Emilie but that is another story all together.

Thanks for the post Matt. Keep em coming.

Confused...

My blogs are a day behind and shows the time I posted my FIRST blog. Am I doing something wrong?

Woah!

How come nobody thought of this sooner? I'm a little bummed because now I'll be addicted to ANOTHER thing on the internet (Myspace and Hotmail).

No offense but I'm surprised Grandma could figure this out.

I like the Christmas plan:)

Em, I LOVED writing to you for a year and I had a blast going out to eat. I'm still shocked you thought I actually bought you lingerie!

Love ya!

This is great!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Em, this was a great idea. I hate not hearing from everyone and sometimes it's hard to get a hold of people. Love ya!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Photo Familiarity

I thought I would also remind you what James and I look like for those who may have forgotten and show you Tahoe for those who do not know.
















The dog is our dog and his name is Lucifer.








The looks on our faces in the wedding shot was when they told us what REALLY happens on the wedding night.

In law...

...but not in law school, like Emilie. I'm just an in-law. Not nearly as exciting. But hello anyway, everyone!

I'm slogging along at the semester, trying to stay on top of my grading and plan lectures on the Aeneid. My only really exciting news is that my book's going to press next week, and should be available by the end of November.

It's probably not all that exciting a read, unless you're particularly interested in fat 17th-century dramatists, and it's priced in such a way as to encourage you to get it from the library, but I'm just happy it's done.

Begun in Beloit ..err.. Reno

Okay family of mine.
I just had a long and lovely talk with my mom and dad. We were all realizing how hard keeping in contact is. As a member of the elder contigent of both sets of cousins I know that I am feeling the stress. My Uncle Micheal once lived two floors below me, now he lives two time zones away. My Aunt Sandy lives in the neighboring state and I have yet to see her. What is a girl to do?

Well, I am a modern girl at the suggestion of my husband James I decided to follow in his footsteps and start a family blog. Any Meyer or White who wants to post just do it. Got great pictures of your engagement party Madeline then post them. What about a fantastic story from the horse front Suz. This could be, and I hope it to be, a way for us all to check on each other and feel like we can reach out without having to make a dozen phone calls a weekend.

So here is my first welcoming post. The title "Begun in Beloit" was a slightly myopic title. I recognize that no member of the senior generation (that is you Phil, Dick, Harriet, Maryanne and Pete) has its origins in that fine city. And I think only half of the junior generation were actually born in Beloit but I believe all of you attended Beloit High or married someone who did. And yes some of the sophmore generation has never lived in Beloit, but I believe the entire quotient of the freshmen class, small as it may be, live in Beloit.

But that is not really the point of the title. For me the point of the title is that something began in Beloit over Christmases and Labor Day weekends and miscellenous other moments that has bonded us. Just because it was begun in Beloit doesn't mean we can't all have some of it now as I sit in Reno and you all sit in your homes. And so that is the title. Begun in Beloit but contiuing. Continuing maybe a little on this family blog.

Til then... I love you all.
Em