Mon Mar 2 08:10 EST 1998 Weekend Update: February 28-March 1 For those of you not in the Northeastern USA, Saturday was so sunny and warm (50 F), we ditched any indoor responsibilities and headed out into the yard. Carpe Deim en Re et tu pruni. (Seize the day in the sun, and you prune.) We hacked the roses, the blueberries, the black raspberries, the crabapples, the lilacs, the zebra grass, and trimmed a few errant branches from some trees... all in good fun, of course. We looked hard and even found the tips of some crocuses sniffing the air above the cold surface of the ground. We're not too jubilent, because although this has been a mild winter for New England, we know winter can have the last laugh here. We've gotten our third and best estimate on painting the house (so far). We're even getting closer to a color. Joy has me out and about with the video camera taking shots of homes we like. I only hope the colors come through true on the TV. On Sunday, we had a birthday bash (bash being the operative word) for our Pastor who is a leap year baby who turned 50 yesterday. I toasted him and his staff roasted him. The best articulation of the moment said, "40 is the old age of youth, but 50 is the youth of old age." (Interesting tidbit: leap year babies don't get a birthday until 2004 because of the 400 year correction that happens in 2000.) By the way, Happy Birthday to Don Slovenkai, who is also a Leap Baby! The kids are doing fine (mostly) although Numbers 1 and 2 are always too busy - Mandy wrestling with scholarship application (many thanks for those of you who helped out with letters for her) and Jessica is barely staying one step ahead of her school assignments. Emily is making a mint on her paper route and we no longer have to visit the ATM for money - we just borrow from her and make the transfer to her Swiss bank acount in Zurich on the computer. Andrew "my son, my son, the only one" continues to enjoy life, including Aunt Faith's trumpet. That's all for now. We have two families reserved at the Metcalfe Manor Bed and Breakfast at the beginning and end of the summer. Maybe we'll see you for an overnighter or a day trip sometime? Mark __________ .'----------`. .-----------------------------. | .--------. | | Mark Metcalfe | | |########| | __________ | Cadence Design Systems, Inc.| | |########| | /__________\ | 270 Billerica Roads MS04 | .----| `--------' |----,------| --=-- |-| Chelmsford, MA 01824 | | `----,-.-----' \_0_, |o ====== | | (978) 446-6451 | | ______|_|_______ M |__________| | metcalfe@cadence.com | | / %%%%%%%%%%%% \ .|\. |=============================| | / %%%%%%%%%%%%%% \ | @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ | | ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ | | +------------------------------------------------------------------------+ ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ Mon Mar 2 10:10 EST 1998 Leaps Years and Lilacs This is an errata notice: 1. I may have been misinformed about the year 2000 not being a leap year. Several of you have told me that it IS. Suits me. 2. Be careful if you intend on using my weekend updates as guide for when you should prune certain plants. We have our noses in a book in the one hand with the pruners in the other hand. I suggest you borrow or buy a book before making cuts and where you make the cuts. Some plants do not get pruned until midsummer, late fall... we're learning as we go, and probably cut (err) on the side of conservatism when things aren't clear cut. Thanks for the help, folks! Mark Mark Metcalfe Phone: 978-446-6451 !! O 270 Billerica Rd. MS04 Fax: 978-446-6351 \O/ O O #=\ Chelmsford, MA 01824 __#___<__<____|_ \ metcalfe@cadence.com _ ( : \ \ : )(\ Cadence Design Systems, inc. v//~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~