Happy New Year!

It's 1:26 AM, and while I know that I should be asleep, the desire to start a new post on the blog has been on my mind for days. I've been thinking that I wanted to start with a series on Swedish floats, and knowing that it was late, thought I would just post a few pics with a few words.

Turned the computer on to get started, but just had to check my emails first. There was a terrific surprise waiting. I found an email from a glass float collector that a friend had put me in touch with by giving me his email address. I wrote, but did not hear back from the collector, until just now.

He sent a very friendly email, with an explanation for his delay in answering my email-10 days of computer loss due to a power outage. He's very happy to be online again, and for me, what an absolutely terrific way to start off a New Year of glass floats!

So, instead of going to sleep, and getting up early enough to receive my wife Nancy's phone call from the airport in Amarillo, Texas telling me that she was on her way home, here I am still trying to start a float post. Can't wait to pick her up tomorrow! This has been a very different way to spend New Year's Eve-after sharing the last 35 years together.

Monday, Dec. 29th. at 5:00 A.M., I dropped Nancy, our daughter Chloe, new grandaughter Nora, and grandson Thomas, off at the airport. Nancy wanted to help our daughter with the children through the trip to their new home, where they were joining our son-in-law Chad, as well as to help Chloe and the children get moved in.

You see, it's kind of a long story, but upon Chloe, Chad and Thomas' return from a 10-month Fulbright stay in the Czech Republic, they came to live with us to get back on track. Chad had glass work in Seattle, etc., and left right after they arrived. He returned briefly in mid-July, then went for a job interview at West Texas A&M, came home, and two days later was offered the job-which started the second week of August. He was off again!

Chloe was pregnant with our new grandaughter Nora, who was born Nov.15th. Chad flew home for Nora's birth, returned to Amarillo, then back again for two days at Christmas, and promptly left on the 26th. to drive Chloe's car packed with belongings back to their new home. Now, after the better part of 6 months of separation, they will be a family together again, That's why I'm physically-alone on New Year's Eve 2008.

Definitely, a good beginning to the 2009 though!

I want to wish all of the readers a great year filled with good health, happiness, friendship and love.