January and February, 2008
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MUSE INDEX Dropdown menus LINKS Previous issues What's New Who's Who Birthdays and anniversaries Muse readers' own websites Muse History Jan-Feb Photo Gallery 2007 in Review Nancy's Quilts |
CONTENTS OF THIS ISSUE: MOMOMUS BECOME GEMS (Gene Murdock) Click THE LESKINEN FAMILY AT HOME (Daniel Leskinen) Click GREETINGS (Becky Murdock) Click TREASURE HUNT (Valerie Davidson) Click REUNION PLANS (John Howlett) Click HAPPY 76th BIRTHDAY, GENE (Nancy Murdock) Click MY FIRST RIVER CRUISE (Colleen McKay) Click CHALLENGING VENTURES (Mary Cosgrove) Click THANKS FOR THE MUSE (Pamela Clark) Click Part 2 SEASON'S GREETINGS (Charles Frost) Click RETIRING IN MARCH (Jean Kiyoe Ogawa) Click HAPPY NEW YEAR (Akiko Matsumoto) Click INSTEAD OF A CARD (Barbara DiStefano) Click FROM THE HEART-LAND JANUARY 6 (Charles Frost) Click A DIFFERENT CHRISTMAS (Natalie Murdock) Click UPDATE ON ROBERT (Carol (Murdock) Pletcher) Click BOOK REVIEW (Gene Murdock) Click Part 3 FROM THE HEART-LAND DECEMBER 30 (Charles Frost) Click THE BIG TRIP: U.P. FALLS 2007 (Mary Nordahl) Click PLANS (Valerie Davidson) Click WINTER HAS ARRIVED (Claudia Lindsey) Click MY FAMILY (Ronald Murdock) Click THANKSGIVING (Dotty Salminen) Click |
at Orioles game Photo by Christel
"Ode to my African Violets" Gallery photo Quilt index |
Family photo |
Daniel Leskinen Calder and I have been busy marking the property lines on our land. Now I'm ready for a nap. Carolyn and the crew drove up to Philadelphia to help Stephanie move back in to school. She made a small detour to see the Hershey Park Visitor Center. We are still in the campers. They have the same problems as a house. I dropped my deodorant stick down the toilet. It took a few weeks, but it worked its way to the outlet on the camper. I had fun pulling that out. The wind was so strong it blew the canopy off one of the campers. The water lines froze one night. I wrapped the lines with heat cable and insulation. Now it is all good. Calder and Patrick are trying real hard to find jobs. I think they want to get out of the campsite. Christmas and New Years Eve were beautiful warm days. We spent the day outside munching on finger foods and sitting around the fire. |
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Becky Murdock I had a wonderful Christmas. I hope you two did, too. Here is a new pic of me taken Friday at my Christmas party. |
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Valerie Davidson Dec. 25: We are having a relaxing time on the home front. A highlight of our day was the "treasure hunt" I designed for Jerod. I gave clues which were lines from Christmas carols, and each led to the next clue, which was paper-clipped to a $20 bill. For instance, "jingle bells, jingle bells..." was a hint to search above the doorbell in the kitchen. Larry was helping Jerod with the clues, and he has a hard time thinking literally (the other side of his brain is definitely more highly-evolved!). It was all hilarious, and gave my gift a little extra mileage. It seemed like a more gracious way to give a person cash! |
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John Howlett Merry Christmas from the north country. Cathy and I are doing well despite the foot and a half of snow in the yard (with more coming tonight). Our newest family member is Molly [AKA Wee Black Beastie, her AKC name], a black lab. She is now 8 months old and weighs in at 63 pounds of puppy. She's a handful but keeps us young. The annual get together is scheduled for July 12th,2008. It will feature the usual menu (with brisket again). I'm going to up the ribs from 30 lbs to 50 lbs, as they ran out last year. Still not sure of what the appetizer will be but have plenty of time to figure it out. Brad and Mike Howlett as well as others of Clyde's direct relatives are planning to attend this year. Again-Merry Christmas to all! |
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Nancy Murdock How can we say "thank you" So you know what we really mean, Not just one thing in isolation But all things in between. We love to open our email And see something there from "Gene," Variety is the essence of your work Of making us king and queen Of Museland and its environs As we share the gifts you send. We appreciate the words you find And all the time you spend. A single article is exciting - Wondering what it can hold, But now another flies to its side, Rain or shine or cold. Some are called "bottomless pit" For all the food they can hold, But your bottomless pond of ideas Is much more nearly gold. |
Gallery photos |
Colleen McKay I decided on November 5 to shuffle my vacation from Christmastime to take a river cruise on the Danube, from Vienna, Austria to Nuremberg, Germany, November 25 to Dec 2. I could not get anyone to go with me. I said I was two people because it was $80.00 cheaper to book the trip that way. Luckily Delta had business class seats to Vienna for only 90000 miles. That saved me $1100.00 and flying coach. I left on Saturday, Nov. 24, after going to work for two hours to be sure the fix for a program had been loaded properly. The Muse editors took me to the airport. I landed in Vienna and found my way to the major Catholic cathedral, St. Stephen. I went to the noon Mass in German. I then set out to locate the ship. The ship can accommodate 150 passengers, but only 97 were on board. I think that is why they were offering cheaper than “two for one” prices. What was interesting is that I did not talk to everyone on the ship but found three other people with connections to Vallejo CA on board. Vallejo, where my home is located, is a city of about 125,000 people in the San Francisco Bay Area. Monday was a bus and walking tour of Vienna. They dropped us off at the Christmas market. I wandered the streets and located a second hand store. I found a Geiger (Made in Austria) sweater vest and scarf for 10 euros. It was the envy of women at my table. Tuesday was the first day of cruising on the Danube. It was cold but clear. I got to see the blue Danube, because the sky was clear and blue above the Danube. I saw castles, ruins, churches, town halls and homes. The ship stopped in Melk, Linz, Passau, Regenburg and Nuremberg. In Linz I found another second hand store and bought a necklace. I ate most of my evening meals with Nancy and Bob, a couple from Dallas. He's a pilot and she is a flight attendant for American Airlines They flew standby. Nancy was very jealous of my find in Linz. In Melk we toured a 900 year old Benedicitine Abbey with 365 windows. Linz had a trinity column, to give thanks for the deliverance from the plague, fire, and invasion. In Passau we visited a fourth generation family-owned bakery. There was a gingerbread-making demonstration and samples. They explained how they handmade their goods. The samples were from different recipes using for the sweetness either honey, molasses, or sugar. I enjoyed them all. Regenburg had a religious article shop that was blessed by Pope Benedict when he was a cardinal there. I bought a postcard there. In Nuremberg I stayed an extra night. I went to the big Christmas market. Besides wooden toys and gingerbread cookies, there were folk art prune people. These are figures made from prunes, nuts, bits of cloth, and bits of stuff from outdoors (such as pebbles and moss) to resemble people. I was trying to take a photo of Harry II (my bear who travels with me) by the sister cities sign in Nuremberg, showing "Altanta 7307 km." A couple offered to take my photo with Harry II. They were very nice. We chatted. Kathleen is 35, grew up in East Germany with no Christmas traditions. Oliver is 37, Catholic, and grew up in West Germany. Oliver asked me if I have any German trees. I looked at him strangely and then realized he was asking me if I had any German roots. I said no, I was half Polish and one quarter French. I asked them about the Christmas pickle tradition. At a booth earlier I had seen Christmas tree ornaments in the shape of a pickle in three sizes. The tag in English on the ornaments explained that the pickle is hidden on the tree and the child that finds it on Christmas morning gets a special gift. As the children get older, the pickle hidden gets smaller. I asked Oliver about the pickle tradition. He did not understand the term "pickle". So I dragged them through the crowded market to the stall where I had bought the pickle. He said, “Gherkin”. And he did not know of the tradition. I was beginning to suspect it was a marketing ploy to sell pickle ornaments to tourists. A coworker with German roots does the pickle ornament tradition. We googled it: marketing ploy. I flew to Vienna on Monday Dec. 3 and walked around a neighborhood not in a tourist area. I bought Mozart balls. They are chocolate covered marzipan balls wrapped in foil with Mozart's portrait. I remembered from the walking tour how any place Mozart stayed in Vienna has a plaque, so I guess these candies are available all year long. With my new digital camera, I took 282 photos that made the cut to the disc for the trip. The transit through the locks was fascinating. I really should have had someone take my picture with my hand touching the walls of the lock. The tow paths along the river, where the horses used to pull the barges up river before powered boats, are now walking and biking paths. With the completion of the Danube Main canal and the locks on the rivers, it is possible to go from the North Sea to the Black Sea on a river boat. I think I would like to do that trip. |
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Mary Cosgrove November 4: God bless you both. I will find time to read the Murdock Muse. Thanks ever so much. You are amazing...I wish I were there to know everyone in the family and extended families. We have been ever so busy sometimes in our snail's pace and other times, at a higher speed (since moving to OR). I've taken up a challenging venture to supplement (some day) the s.s. income..."Avon calling". Not knowing anyone in Oregon or having avenues through employment, community contacts, etc., and with all the competition since there are no Avon territories, it is a slow process, but I've met a LOT of very nice people in the process! It's been slightly over a year since we found "a place" to settle into. Bob has been wonderful with fix-it projects (and enjoys them). I bought up a supply of embroidery projects but haven't found time for it yet....(for craft fairs). I have a temporary assignment in watching my grandchildren after school, and we are enjoying getting to know each other more since our move from CA to OR. The youngest is six years old. Mehgan is amazing!!!!!!! Her sis in 4th grade and her bro. in 8th are also impressive. Their dad, Matt Hanks (my son), has gone back to work for G.E., and will be spending a lot of time in Sweden, Germany, and other countries on his job. It has to do with "port security systems". Best regards to you all. Mary (Fellows) Cosgrove, daughter of the late Ona Fellows. |
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Pamela Clark November 4: Thanks once again for sending me the Murdock Muse. I have already read about two-thirds of it. Love the fact that you can now have "colored photographs" be a part of your newsletter. Colleen just added to her cat clan today with a tiny-tiny kitten who will soon be named either "Ginger" or "Bella". Her four, yes, four other cats are in a bit of a tizzy, but Colleen has such a loving and mothering ability that peace will reign soon. Lots of love to you and yours. |
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