Whoa!  I almost forgot my weekend update.  It must have been rather
uneventful so I won't keep you long in updating you on the Family
Metcalfe.

Miranda hitched a ride home from ENC to spend the weekend eating
home-cooked meals and baking chocolate chip cookies to take back with
her.  I took her yard-sailing on Saturday and saw some things I think
my wife might have liked, but without her there, I don't dare come home
with furniture.

Jessica and Emily were busy with teen activities just about the whole
weekend.  And I think Joy got the run-around prize for the weekend,
but I'll spare you the details. My home highlight was scaring a
20" snake from the grass and a 16" snake near our pond.

My other highlight was when Mom and Dad made their way to Lowell
on Sunday so Dad could preach in the morning services.  He was
very warmly received and it was good to be able to hear him preach
again.  He doesn't miss the pressure that goes along with running
a church, but he still really enjoys the opportunity to preach.

Mandy found another ride to hitch back to ENC and Andrew is off this
whole week at a public school "Nature's Classroom" event - like
camping of sorts, I guess.  That means the house will be considerably
quieter with just the four of us.  We're all busy, but we're happy.

I hope you're happy, too.  (I know some of you are challenged these
days, but like one spam email said to me: even when the house is
messy, it is an opportunity to be thankful for a warm home and roof
over your head.)  Yeah, sounds idyllic, maybe even too good to be
true, but it is a delusion I am willing to risk.

Mark
  .+*+                .....Cadence Design Systems, Inc.
 ***+*+.        __..'''    270 Billerica Road             A house is made
.*+*+**.   _____[]_        Chelmsford, MA 02184           with hands.
'**++**.  /___/\___\    ^  (978) 446-6451     ,
 '*I*'.::/___/__\___\  /*\                    \_0__,      A home is made
 ..I *..: |[] [] []| .:/*\                      M         with hearts.
 ######==################### ._/__=_.          .|\.
 -------------------------- 'O====O='   metcalfe@cadence.com