Date: Tue, 19 Mar 2002 15:03:33 -0500
Subject: Weekend Update: March 11-18, 2002

I awoke early Saturday morning on a Friday schedule to
hear the rain pouring down on the metal roofing outside
my window.  "We need the rain," I thought to myself as
I rolled over. Soon I heard my son in the kitchen below,
preparing for his Saturday morning paper route.  Soon
after that, I heard him call hesitantly up the stairs,
"Mom?  It's raining out. Can you drive me on my paper route?"
A groggy groan came from her side of the bed and by now,
I am more awake than asleep so I offer to take the Boy on
his route.  I guess Joy must have figured that it was my
turn since she immediately faded back into her pillow.
(By the way, you can't call him the Boy; only I can call
him the Boy and sometimes his family members; and I think
he's growing out of it in more ways than one as he catches
up to his dad in height.)  He still owes me a doughnut for
my trouble, even though I declined it that morning for the
eggs and bacon that I was anticipating back at home.

Jessica had been home all week during Spring Break from ENC.
She took this time to do her prepracticum in the Peter Fitz
(Pepperell) Elementary School.  Her students pleaded with her
to stay at the end of the week, which was both heart-warming
and affirming. 

Joy's Dad has been with us for more than a week, too.  He
finally got to play cards (a favored activity) and I won
both the Toonerville Rook and Hand and Foot games we played
much to his consternation because he thinks I enjoy winning
too much.  Takes one to know one, I say.  ;-)  We've taken
Dad out for a favored rib dinner, and shopping in the favored
tax-free state of New Hampshire.  He has enjoyed blending in
with family life.  His other two daughters, Faith and Hope,
were off with their husbands to someplace warm, sunny, and
sandy which probably helped him to decide to come visit
Daughter #3.

Saturday afternoon, we went over to Rich's place; it was his
week to burn stuff and fires are attractive sorts of things.
He had a large pile of hot coals and burning wood by the time
we arrived. It seems that I missed the best part of the fire,
so he obliged me by tossing on a few things that flamed up nicely.
Later, 5 out of the 6 of us (Mandy hadn't come home yet) got
in the Jacuzzi together for a sociable soaking after which I
caught up on Joy's extra time that she had in bed while I was
out on Andrew's paper route.

In the evening, we were off to the Bickoms' to celebrate Kayla's
second birthday. She got lots of socks, a few dresses, a tea set,
and a Veggie Tales toy doll.  Dave and Paula have been hard at
work, rennovating some of their living space. Eric and Linda helped
them out but left before we got there; probably heard we were coming.
Miranda was home by the time we returned from Kayla's birthday
party and that brought our family up to full strength.

Melissa Christmas joined us for sunday dinner and we miraculously
had an extra chicken brest that Joy did not know was in the dish.
(That was kinds of funny.)  David Young also returned Sunday night
from Spring Break in Virginia with his folks. Jessica skipped church
to pick him up at the airport.  We all reconvened back at the
homestead and I ordered pizza for everyone before the college kids
rejoined their friends in Quincy.

It snowed lightly on Monday with little or no wind so that
the flakes decorated ever branch and twig in detail.  I snapped
a few pictures before heading off to work and I'll send them to
the Pictures distribution list just for fun.  Have a great week,
everyone!

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