Christmas 2009

December 2009 I have been trying for weeks to start this letter. Weeks! Me, lacking for words? A new world order, to be sure. So! I am going to make a list. If you know me, you know about lists. Construe the entries any way you wish. 1. new job at the Social Security Administration working for my main man Barack Obama! a. Caveat: this part of the list has taken up the majority of my life since April. It has nearly eclipsed everything else in my life. No joke. 2. banner year for tomatoes 3. we turned 36 4. love my dear, sweet, kind, handsome, hilarious, brave and silly husband! 5. lost the large elm in the front yard 6. went to the coast and Rob’s old Oregon stomping grounds for two weeks 7. go Falcons and Phillies! 8. had a terrible time camping at Sage Hen (boo!) 9. hosted several rockin’ Bunco parties (raised over $300 for the Susan Komen Fund) 10. celebrated our 2nd wedding anniversary and our 6th year together 11. made the most delicious carrot cake ever 12. went to Duck Valley with my parents and almost got drowned and blown away 13. reconnected with old friends from our pasts 14. put in another small perennial garden 15. harvested enough basil for nearly a half gallon of pesto 16. still cater too much to two furry babies (especially their dad) 17. canned a couple gallons of tomato sauce (home grown, of course) 18. went to several wedding receptions 19. cheered religiously for my beloved BSU Broncos (Fiesta Bowl 2010!) 20. am glad 2009 is over! So, that’s about it. It has been a very long year for me – and for a lot of others I have heard. One thing I appreciate about the hardships of 2009 is that I feel like people are FINALLY looking back to yesteryear…a time when simple things were the best things. Money was great if you had it, but most people did not and were creative, frugal and conscientious because of it. The clash and tick tock of mechanical and electronic things were unheard of (literally and figuratively). You could see the stars and night and smell the fresh air in the morning. Those were the days. Our wish for our world as always – be good to each other and yourselves. Love with all your heart and mind. Respect each other and the world we all inhabit. Remember we are all woven together in this Web of Life…all living beings, all races, all religions, all creeds…ONE EARTH. We hope this Holiday season is a safe, cozy and memorable one for all. May this New Year be bright, wondrous, and full of joy! Our Love, Rob and Amy House

Flowers!

Here are some of the flowers that I currently have blooming in my perennial garden as of Memorial Day.

Ethan Michael

Just a funny picture of Ethan. He did not want his picture taken, but I still like it! He has the best eyes!

Grace Kathryn Hobson

Here's the newest Hobson! She was born on May 14, 2009...came almost on her Papa's birthday. I think she looks the most like her older sister Libby. She's a lovely baby!

Spring!

Some Spring cupcakes I made...

Happy New Year!

This year has been generally uneventful for the House House. Thankfully. Neither of us are major fans of upheaval! J We are both still at our respective jobs, still in our little house on State Street, and still parents to the Misses My and Sade. Right at the beginning of the year, our ancient oil furnace finally gave up the ghost. Right when it was nice and frigid in late January! We had to have a new gas line installed as there wasn’t one there before – what a muddy mess that was! The new gas furnace is wonderful… so quiet, does not reek of burnt heating oil, and actually keeps the house nice and toasty. The grass and ivy have nearly grown back and covered the two big holes that were dug in the yard. I was also super excited to trade in my old clunker POS washing machine for a “scratch and dent” high efficiency front loading one. It’s a beautiful thing. I spent a lot of time in the garden this summer – raised nine varieties of tomato, lots and lots of herbs and too many sunflowers. I installed a drip system in the garden this year and it made watering so much easier! I built a compost tumbler almost 100% of recycled materials. I will put it into full production next year when I figure out how to get regular water to it. We had a summer squash plant that grew to great heights and produced tons of baby squash, but they all withered on the vine before getting big enough to harvest. Rob even talked to it every day and tried to baby the fruit to maturity, but it was not to be. Old seeds, I think. You all noted that Rob’s Philadelphia Phillies won the 2008 World Series, right? Woo hoo! Our wish for this year is that we are all able to slow down. In light of current tumultuous economic and social times, maybe we can all hearken back to an older, quieter, more centered existence. Dare I say “old fashioned?” Personally, I have been working over the years to simplify how I live. Have I been successful? On some fronts. I recycle everything that I can, grow some of my own food, preserve what I can, reuse old things, sew up holes in seams, try to buy locally and organically, and cut down on the chemicals that I use around my home and yard. I am proud to say my garden is 100% organic and has been since its inception. Yes, these practices seem to make the house a little more cluttered, the bugs and weeds a little more plentiful, and my lifestyle a little more eclectic looking – but I honestly believe that I am doing all that I can to be a steward of the Earth and my community. I hope that we can all work together to undo some of the damage that has been done to our Earth and our society in the blind pursuit of wealth and the domination of Nature. If we could all consider the impact our actions have on each other and the world around us, maybe we can once again find the glue that has held us together over the past few generations…the ideals that kept our families and our children close, our hands busy and maybe a little calloused, our minds occupied and our hearts full of pride for what we have wrought. We hope that this letter finds you and yours happy and healthy – full of life and grand ideas. Take care of yourselves and the people and things you hold dear.