Dear Diary

This is still the coziest thread.

I know exactly how you feel. It can be a little depressing when you've created a good new thread and it gathers very little attention.

Unfortunately, there are so many others that you have to share the attention with. Sometimes, too, many people are just "readers" and not "posters".

I do notice, though, that depending who you are on this board can depend on how many interested folks you can attract to your topic. That's a fact of life that some of us have to live with.

right

Hi Reyn, I don't think we have interacted before...thanks for dropping by.

urs, loved the insight provided by your tidbit.

I have been afraid to ask you about Stefen...You haven't mentioned him for a while...soooooooooo, I didn't know whether you two were still a pair.

I'm not sure whether Southern Americans understand the concept of married women spending extended time with their lady friends. In social situations, they sort of expect a married couple to be within so many feet of one another, especially, within the conservative Christian community.

Although, in my 20+ years in Georgia, the constant influx of Northern business folk and foreign companies has helped modify that concept. And it is true that Atlanta is another world from rural Georgia.

Ah, Mapleleaf, don't worry! Of course we are still a pair! I do spend time regularly with 'my girls'. But that is also due to the fact that Stefan works whenever we are off - in the evenings, weekends... Although I think I would spend time with them any way. I love being together with a couple of nice women.

Tonight I think I'll stay home, watch some TV, surf the net, be lazy...

Well, well, Christmas is over and no new entries in the diary. So I will start...

We had a nice a relaxed Christmas as always since my parents moved to Hungary. Sounds mean, I know... It's the truth... We spent the evening of Dec 4 - Heiligabend (holy evening) in Germany - at my sister's house eating fondue, admiring the Christmas tree, talking a lot. It was very nice with her family - well, part of her family. One nephew lives in Hamburg and couldn't come. The other one was partying too hard the night before and slept until 10 pm...

On Sunday, we had a lazy day at home. BigDice cooked a wonderful dinner and later on we took two bottles of wine and some icecream to our friends' house. Monday as a holiday, too - late breakfast and then my friend came to visit and present her new boyfriend. So we went out for a cup of coffee with them. Another friend visited from Copenhagen and stayed in Balingen for one night. We had a good old-fashioned Swabian dinner and met more friends at a local bar.

So tonight I will definitely stay home! I've seen enough people for next couple of weeks... And besides, it is snowing and cold outside...

Most interesting...I shall return.

And it is still snowing and even colder today...

I ventured outside just after eight this morning because I had a doctor's appointment. Then I walked to the post office to mail my blood sample to the lab. I registered as a bone marrow donor and the blood sample for this was one reason to go to the doctor.

My doctor also informed me that I have about 2-3 mm of fat on my belly which is good. :-) And that my stomach muscles are unusually strong for a woman. Well, that did cost me some sweat... And my liver looks good. So I am in good shape!

By the time I returned from the post office, my face was frozen so I decided not to go for a nice walk. What's nice about walking around in the cold? I will stay inside with the cats who are sleeping the day away. Good choice!

How's life in Georgia, mapleleaf?

No snow in NW Georgia. Temperatures have been jumping around, 20s to low 60s; today, we will be in the 40s for 24 hours. The wind brisk.

We spent Christmas near Atlanta at our son's home. It was our 4 year-old grandson's first holidays at his own house. So, that part was fun.

Oh, I almost forgot; we had carpet installed this past Tuesday. It took me parts of 5 days to move or clear everything out of the way. It added a touch of class to the house.

For decades, I haven't had close friends nearby; so, your comments re such was appreciated.

With all our friends nearby, we will still spend New Year's Eve by ourselves. We had planned to spend it with a nice couple and their two kids. However, it turned out that the wife did not really want to have guests. She wanted to celebrate with her parents. Her husband did not want that - so he talked her into inviting us. Today she sent a text message uninviting us. Well... it's probably for the better.

So we will have a nice meal cooked by my favourite husband and will go outside at midnight for fireworks. There is this big box of ammunition he bought today... And then we will see... We will just take it step by step.

Since the weather is supposed to be bad with ice and freezing rain I do prefer to stay home anyway.

Mapleleaf, at this time of the year I sometimes wish we had carpet, too. We have old wooden floors that I love. And it does not matter if there a scratches from the cats. But at the moment my feet are cold... :-)

You know, urs, Mapleleaf and all, the reason that I created the WA2K radio thread was so that all could and would participate. I don't go into the other categories too much because I don't have much to say. Yes, it seems that there are cliques here, but I think it has to do with what people have in common.

It is difficult for me to believe, that anyone--anywhere would uninvite someone unless there was an emergency, Urs.

I guess I need to make myself get out of this house.

Letty your welcone to stay around

Letty! How good to see you here!

It is evening already here in Germany. I will start peeling potatoes - that's my job in tonight's dinner. Stefan will do all the rest. Nice Swedish food!

You all have a great evening!

Thank you both, husker and Urs. Have a wonderful and safe New Year Year's Eve.

Hello, fellow diarists!

A happy and safe new year to all!

It's not quite 11 pm here in Massachusetts. Taylor and I have been to a dinner party already this evening, and are preparing to head back out to another party. We'll ring in the new year with interesting folks, then come back to his warm cozy apartment to snooze. (He says Happy New Year's too!)

I wonder how many folks we'll see in church tomorrow morning...

And we made it!

We had a nice evening just the two of - oh, sorry, four that should be - can't forget the cats.

Good food, a nice bottle of wine. We went outside at midnight to look at the fireworks and contribute a bit ourselves. Then home and watched some TV.

Now we will go to a New Year's brunch to a restaurant in walking distance. The sun is shining, it is not cold. A wonderful first day of the year.

I hope you all have that, too!

HAPPY 2006 URS, AND MSOLGA, LETTY AND MARYCAT. The Year of Finding the Path...

And a happy & fulfilling one for you, too, Clare!
The year of finding the path: That has a nice ring to it!

Dear Diary,
Good Stuff! B. and I sat through midnight (ETZone)...sharing it with the TV. In American, some of us were wondering what Dick Clark of Times Square fame (NYC) would look like after his health problems.

My wife has officially given me permission to travel abroad without her. This is a big step for us. My health has been failing and I lean on her, but she has made it very clear that she probably will never go out of the country. The next issue now becomes the cost and where to fit trips into our schedule. If available, I could go with a local group which we have used for our long visits to the NW and NE United States . Now, I will have to struggle with my daughter who has assigned herself to be my driver, at least in the states.

I really appreciate you folks for dropping by; and, I need to visit the radio thread more often

Clary, very well put! Finding the path...

Mapleleaf, I am glad to hear you are planning to travel outside the US. So I hope we will see you in Germany soon!