Sisterhood of the Traveling Cousins

Nancy, Marsha, Deana, and I spent last weekend in St. Louis, eating, shopping, drinking, and going the see the Radio City Music Hall Christmas Show at the Fox. What a great time we had! We started at the Galleria, ate a huge lunch at the Cheese Cake Factory, shopped a lot!, and them proceeded to get lost in the mess that is the "Big Dig" on Hwy 64/40. Through the kindness of strangers, we managed to find our hotel at Union Staion. Harold Glenn met us for dinner Saturday night and drove us to dinner at Vito's. What a great name! He then drove us to the theater, where we walked in just as the first number was beginning. We had "golden circle" seats, and it was a wonderful show. I would like to take the grandkids next time. After, we caught a cab back to the hotel. Next morning we met David and Kathy and their daught Kelly and family for breakfast. More shopping at Bordes and Trader Joes (which is my new favorite store) and then home. We had to come home, there was no more room in the car for shopping! One of the next trips on the list for the cousins is a tour of the wine country around St. Genevieve.

Happy Thanksgiving, Pucketts!

Happy Thanksgiving to you in the frozen north! Hope your Thanksgiving dinner with a vegetarian host goes well! We are having a beautiful day in the 50s. Hope yours is as warm with memories and thoughts from us. We will all be together in one month!

Quote of the Week

I have heard these words out loud in my head for two weeks: "It's all a plot to make a $1.49 look good." John Neudecker, two or three years ago, when gas first started climbing from $.99 a gallon, where it had settled for years after the big bump in the 90s. I never thought we would ever see $1.49 again, but that was the going price in Columiba this morning. Thank you, NostraJohnus.

Keepin' The Faith

I took this picture off our local news last week. The story being covered was about demonstrations and rallies in opposition to Prop. 8 in California. I took the picture because the person holding the sign is possibly David Haproff. I had talked to my friend Jane the day before and she had told me that she and David, along with their daughter and future son-in-law, had attended this rally and that David had made such a sign. They are also part of a group from their local church that is working to have Prop 8 reversed. It makes me proud to know people like this, people who will stand up for an injustice, even when there are people telling them to behave themselves. Decisions on issues like this have to be thought through, prayed over, and then acted on, none of which is, or should be, easy. Of course, the Haproff family has a vested interest in all of this. Their son David has also made a decision after thought and prayer: he and his partner Scott leave for Swaziland, South Africa the end of the month. Scott is a registered nurse and the two of them have been accepted by the Catholic Medical Mission board to serve for three years. David will be working in administration in the hospital where Scott will be a nurse. They all make me proud to know them.

Happy Birthday, Guys!

Happy Birthday, Chris and Andy. The Ramsay Fall Birthday Bash marches on. Hope you both had a great day. Here are some good times from this year.

Happy Birthday, Becca!

Happy birthday, Becca. We hope the snow isn't too deep to go out!

Happy Birthday, Maggie!

Quote of the Week

Hey! What are you putting in your brother's ear?


Overheard at Erin's yardsale last Saturday

Happy Anniversay, Chris and Maggie

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Quote of the Week

I'm trying to talk my mother into getting you a present for the last day of school.

Ryan, one of my more interesting students this year. Evidently he wasn't able to talk her into it because there was no present!

Quote of the Week

"Madeleine, do you know any Spanish words?"

"Sangria!"

Conversation on the way to Dos Primos for Mother's Day dinner.




Erin, you are raising your daughter right! Happy Mother's Day.

Happy Mother's Day, Becca

Happy Mother's Day. Hope your day is wonderful, or at least warm and snow-free! See you in a week. Here are some pictures illustrating the day.

Quote of the Week

You know he's a Muslim.



Old Man Walking, our neighbor Darrell, referring to Obama, when Darrel asked Dan who he liked in the election.

Aunt Clara Mae

We received news tonight that Aunt Clara Mae is in the hospital in Columbia with a leaky heart valve and respitory distress. She is on a ventilator and not doing very well. The docs are doing tests and will let Doris know results tomorrow when a decision could be made whether or not to keep her on the ventilator. Keep her, Doris, and all the family in your prayers. "Auntie" is a dear, sweet person and we will hope for the best, whatever the best may be.

Baby Sitting!

I'm not sure who is taking care of whom in this picture. We were watching Madeleine and Noah while Shannon worked and Erin went to a TEC meeting. Noah was catching up on an interrupted nap and Dan must have thought it looked like a good idea!

Quote of the Week

Politics is show business for ugly people.

Commentator on Countdown, making observations about Bush's remarks at the Correspondance's Dinner Saturday.

Quote of the Week

"I just roped, I didn't jump." Madeleine, when asked if she had been outside playing with her new jump rope.

Quote of the Week

"I just roped, I didn't jump." Madeleine, when asked if she had been outside

Belated Happy Birthday, Erin

Erin's birthday was last Friday. The fact that I am just now posting happy birthday greetings gives you an idea of how badly I am scheduling my time right now. I am officially a week behind! We had a fun evening eating at El Jimador (we forgot to make Erin wear the hat!) and then Cosmo (is that a proper noun?)bowling. We had a ball and Chris had a real adventure. Halfway through the evening it was his turn to bowl and he was nowhere to be seen. I found him in the bar with a gin and tonic in front of him, and a funny looking dog behind the bar. That was all, no other customers, no bartender, just Chris, the drink, and the dog. You know the rest of the story by now, of course, but I do want you to take in that scene: Chris, the gin and tonic, and this weird looking dog, just sitting and looking at each other. And another Thanksgiving story is born! Happy Birthday, Erin!

Roulez Les Bon Temps

Last week we celebrated Mardi Gras from Friday through Tuesday! On Friday night we went to a dinner/dance at St. Peter's in Fulton with OJIF. It was a fun evening with lots of silliness. There was an auction and I tried to get an autographed football for Chris, but it went for $550 and I can buy season tickets for that, so no football for Chris! Here are some snaps of the the good times rolling.

Happy Birthday Dan

It's the big 58 for Dan today. We have been celebrating all weekend. It's nice that the whole country paused today to honor Dan Ramsay with banks and post offices closed. A truly fitting tribute! Here are some pictures from the birthday dinner
Saturday night.

Happy Birthday Maia!

Happy first birthday, baby girl. We wish we could be there with you but here are some more pictures from your birthday party we had when you were here for Christmas. Have fun today. We hope it isn't too cold!