Date: Mon, 17 Dec 2001 15:14:10 -0500
Subject: Weekend Update: December 14-16, 2001

I turned 42 last Friday and I marked it with a full day at work and
an evening at the church for a Teen Christmas Cafe program.  Emily
played the flute better than ever.  Mandy and Jessica also appeared;
school is out until January and Jessica is home for a couple of weeks.
Miranda has a few days left of work in Quincy, so she had to go back
Sunday night.  

Joy's attentions were squarely on the two events of her weekend: our
annual Christmas Party at the Manor and the Children's musical on Sunday
morning.  She held the final rehearsal on Saturday morning leaving me
at home to re-affix the icicle lights that didn't clip up the first time.
By the time I was out in the cold with the ladder against the eaves, 
Joy was halfway through the rehearsal at church and I didn't know where
she wanted me to position the new (nail-to-the-eaves-type) clips.  So I 
called Miranda who, I reasoned, has similar tastes to her mother, and
she told me where to tack it.  I did a good-enough job on my own for 
Joy to thank me for my efforts when she returned.  She opined that
I might have tacked a little lower but was pleased with the result
nonetheless; (that being, she didn't have to stand out in the cold
with me like Andrew did).

We called my Dad on Saturday to wish him a happy birthday (#71).
Because we have six in our family, we've worked out a nice division
of labor with the "Happy Birthday" song that keeps us clear of 
copyright infringment.  Each of us took a syllable (I was "day") 
as we held out the phone: "Ha" "Pee" "Birth" "Day" "To" "You"; 
with a chorus of "Dear Poppie!"  It worked out well.

Meanwhile, several family members with the help of Eric and 
Linda Magnuson finished up the cleaning and rearranging in the house,
while Joy prepared the food. I took Emily to a Christmas party at her
friend's home in town and two lasagnas over to Wendy Gonzalez who helped
out with her oven.  Joy prepared four pans of lasagna; several sheets of
potato skins with cheddar, chives, and bacon; garlic bread; meatballs in
sauce; and plates and plates of cookies stationed around the house. More
than seventy people graced our home with holiday cheer.

The next morning, Joy and I headed to the church with last minute
details for the Children's Christmas musical.  She had lots of help
but I have to say that Joy does a real good job with the children,
who performed well not once, but twice that morning.  When it was
over, we took down the props, got home, reheated some left-over
lasagna and meatballs, took off our shoes and melted into the couch.
Cleaning up after the party would wait until Monday.

After church Sunday evening, we went out to Bickfords for a bite and
good conversation with Jan and Meredith; always a treat and a nice cap
to a very busy but also very Christmassy weekend.  

My cousin Kevin arrives with his two teenagers this Thursday from
Texas for some down home ice and snow.  I've already warned him to
pack sweaters because we keep the main house cool.  We'll give them
a nice New England Christmas.

Mark
-- 
+---_-----------+ Mark Metcalfe, metcalfe@cadence.com
| c a d e n c e | Cadence Design Systems, Inc.    Phone: (978) 446-6451
+---------------+ Manager, PCB Enterprise Publications