The 2010 Glidden Gazette

The Rockerfeller Christmas tree, on its side because I can't get it to rotate!

Happy New Year everyone!

I hope this edition of The Glidden Gazette finds you enjoying life in good health.

The "Gazette" is meant to share my family's highlights for 2010 in words and pictures. I hope you enjoy reliving the good times with me!

David and Elizabeth

I'll begin with David.  We haven't seen him much here in Lakeville, NY this year.  David is busy finishing his senior year at The George Washington University (GW) in Washington D.C.  That means he only comes home in between classes and work. He brought his girlfriend, Elizabeth, to the lake this summer for the Ring of Fire on July 3.  Elizabeth also attends GW and studies early childhood and dance.  It has been fun getting to know her.  She left after about a week to be with her family in Virginia, leaving David here to bake pies for our Summer Festival in Geneseo, NY.  He mixed the fillings for the pies, and had good reviews!

One thing that kept David in D.C. this summer was his appointment to the Colonial Cabinet, a sought-after position afforded to two dozen of the peppiest, college coeds I've ever seen.  The Cabinet provides entertainment and education in forums, skits, dancing, and singing during Colonial Inauguration (a.k.a. freshman orientation) at GW.  I volunteered during one of the sessions to watch him in action.  I saw David teach the freshman how to cheer GW style and share touchy subjects with the parents through drama.  (His performance was so touching at times that I cried!)  I was delighted to sit in on a parent talk that David and another cabinet member led.  He effectively shared the info the parents wanted to know and told them to chill out at the same time.  I was one proud Mama! 

David play the alto sax for the GW wind ensemble and pep bands.

Jeremy and I drove down this fall to attend one of David's band concerts.  We stayed overnight in his dorm (many thanks to his two roommates!) and enjoyed breakfast from the slim pickings in his refrigerator and freezer.

David was able to make it home for Thanksgiving, Christmas Eve and Christmas morning two years in a row!  It is so much fun listening to the boys with their cousins over dinner, games of Pounce, Blokus, charades, etc. My siblings and their spouses ask the same questions I ask, but they get longer answers.  It's great to eaves drop on those conversations, I'll tell you!

Christmas Eve at the lake.

David turned 21 years old this year.  He has been an "old soul" for so long, and is now growing into the position in years.  Of course, he wanted to celebrate his birthday with friends in D.C., so I got him a gift card for he and 10 friends at a Spanish restaurant.  I knew he wanted to drink sangria, so I asked him to take many friends along to help him drink it.  I hear tell that my gift certificate helped with the final bill - Yikes!  That's a lot of sangria!!  I like knowing that at least the kids take the Metro or walk, and don't bother with cars in the city.

Yes, Mom got us matching pajamas for Christmas!

David plans to work for a year after he graduates until the University of Maryland consolidates its masters degree programs in higher education. David plans to continue working with universities large and small, public and private.  Who knows?  He may be a university president one day.  Stay tuned...

Now, on to Jeremy.

Poor Jeremy began 2010 with a temperature and had to miss most of the first week back to school.  For a social guy like Jer, that was torture.  He celebrated his 16th birthday and is now a Junior at Livonia High School, enjoying taking band and engineering courses whenever possible.  He joined Ski Club at the beginning of the year, but found the crowded, noisy bus ride unbearable.  I tried to take him as much as I could by car, but the warm weather came before he could use all his lift tickets.  It stinks to have sensitive ears... unless you are also a musician like Jer is!

Amanda, Jeremy and Laura celebrate Jer's 16th birthday.

Jeremy takes piano lessons from our church organist, as well as percussion lessons at the Eastman Community Music School in downtown Rochester.  In addition to his recitals and band concerts, Jeremy participated in a NYSMA (that stands for New York State Music Association, I think.) competition this year. He continues to participate in our church's bell choir, many times manning two stations (that's up to eight bells in one song!)  

Jeremy plays the quad in the Livonia Marching Band.

Jeremy has taken up an interest in a game called, "Magic," attending quite a few tournaments this year.  He and his cousin, Dan, play weekly on Skype too.  Jer also enjoys playing paintball.  He gathered some teams of friends this year so he could "kill" them.  I wouldn't want to be his enemy, that's for sure!

Jer tried something new this summer; he worked.  He helped out on the Phelps' farm in Arkport, NY.  He weeded the garden, painted, cleaned the warehouse, and helped with yard work at his grandparent's house. I just picked him up from helping to put up a beam for a new barn.  He seems to enjoy helping out.

Jer's first day as a Junior at Livonia High.

Jer also provided manual labor for a project our church is involved with:  a place called Lagom Landing.  It is a transitional setting for 18 - 23 year olds who need time to figure out what to do in life.  While contemplating their next phase, they learn hands-on trades, first responder skills, etc.  Jer is featured in their brochure.  He is raking the pea gravel for the basement of one of the buildings.  You can check out the website at lagomlanding.org.

Jeremy, one of my handsome sons.

Jeremy is quite involved in our church.  He is still part of the youth group attending a mission trip to D.C. to help the homeless, the Presbyterian Youth Triennium at Purdue University in Indiana, and was the only one from our church to attend an area-wide youth retreat near Corning, NY.  Jeremy volunteers his time on two church committees as a youth delegate.  He is just finishing a yearlong commitment on the Deacon's Committee and is in the middle of the Pastor Nominating Committee (PNC), helping to find a new pastor for our church.  

Jeremy is finally able to eat popcorn, peanuts, chips, sticky candy, etc. again!  Yes, that means he got his braces off after two long years.  He is quite a handsome guy with his new, strong chin and straight teeth, don't you think?

Diane is 50... and sideways!

And now, on to me, Diane.

 

I guess you could call this "The Year Diane Turned Fifty" since, that's exactly what happened.  There is more to it than a cake with fifty candles and funny cards warning of smoke inhalation. For instance, my family gave me gift certificates so I could have a massage each month during this 50th year of my life.  Wasn't that a great idea?  I thoroughly enjoyed my massages, and needed them too!  I still struggle with fibromyalgia and its chronic muscle pain and fatigue, so deep tissue massage is truly therapeutic.

 

Also, in honor of my 50th, I decided to use one of the leftover lift tickets from Jer's ski club package to try my hand (or should I say butt and skull?) at snowboarding.  I have never before fallen so hard, so often.  I found out something valuable though:  one of the pains I thought was from fibromyalgia was really from a pinched nerve in my spine.  My snowboarding fiasco exacerbated the pinched nerve, so I was a frequent visitor to the chiropractor and to physical therapy.  Through physical therapy, I found as close to a miracle cure as there is:  lumbar traction.  I now have my own traction unit that I use multiple times a week.  Coupled with yoga for exercise, I have no more pain pills or muscle relaxers!  There's more!  I began seeing an "anti-aging" or biomedical doctor.  Through blood and saliva tests, we have narrowed down why my body is so tired and in pain all the time.  I now take supplements and very few prescriptions to decrease my pain and to feel rested after sleeping.  It turns out that my body doesn't make what it should to function (such as cortisol), so my muscles ache due to the lack of the essentials to keep my body running.  Unfortunately, my health insurance doesn't recognize this type of therapy as medically necessary, so it is mostly out-of-pocket expenses.  I feel like a regular person for the first time in more than 5 years.  So I have to shop at rummage sales and second-hand shops.  There are worse things, like aching all the time.  

 

Dad planted these to honor Mom.

 Some tough things came up this year.  (Today I gave a children's sermon on how to look at the adversities in our lives as blessings, so this won't be too bad!)  My family dealt with all the "firsts" since Mom passed away. In Mom's honor, Dad planted hundreds of daffodils all over our lawn and they bloomed beautifully this spring. In February, I had to pay a 5-digit retainer to a child custody lawyer (Don't even bother to ask what poor decision Wayne made this time!) and, on the way home, my van died. Luckily, both things added up to the inheritance left to me by my mother that I had just received.  I am now a proud owner of a used Toyota Prius.  The gas and payment each month equal the amount of gas the van guzzled each month.  In March, I went to the emergency room with chest pain (yes, my heart is 50 as well!).  Good news!  After the EKG, chest X-ray, blood test, and stress test, we found my heart to be quite strong.  (The doctors think my fibromyalgia was the cause of the pain.)  I feel truly blessed.  God is good!!

I celebrated my birthday in an unusual way this year.  A local composer needed a choir to perform the liturgical mass she wrote, so I sang in the choir that released the first recording of the mass.  It was so much fun.  I also sing in our church choir, Geneseo Festival Chorus, Finger Lakes Choral Society, Rochester Oratorio Society (ROS), and a small ensemble subgroup of ROS called Resonanz.  And to think I didn't sing at all while living in North Carolina (in order to appease my ex, Wayne).  I guess I am making up for it now.

 

My fiftieth year has brought about a sense of giving back.  I find great delight in helping others, just for the enjoyment of it.  I have been involved with:

 *the Mentor Moms program with Catholic Charities.  I meet with a single teen mom each week, helping her to discover new ways to be an effective parent. ( I am now with my second charge.) I get to cuddle with her little one, who at the time of this blog, is 2 months old. 

 *Memory Lane worship services, leading worship once a quarter at a local alzheimer's unit.

 *Habitat for Humanity in Buffalo, NY.

 *giving the "Moments with Children" whenever I attend the First Presbyterian Church of Tonawanda.

 *co-chairing Central Presbyterian Women, my church's women's association.

 *baking pies for neighbors and Thanksgiving baskets for needy families in our area (just like Mom used to do).

Dad has fun for his 81st birthday at a Rochester Red Wings game.

I have begun my own company, the GAMUT, that you see advertised on the sideline of this blog.  In addition to helping my dad (who is now quite independent again), I help a friend of mine from church, Ruth, who needs assistance with getting to doctor appointments, with paying bills and budgeting.  I packed, moved, and unpacked her this summer, getting her into a senior independent living facility so she can enjoy life to the fullest for the rest of her days.   This is quite a necessary service in these times, I am finding.  Even a bank executive asked for my business card because she sees the elderly taken advantage of all too often. 

Ruth is 80.

Don't think I'm only exercising, in traction, singing, working and volunteering!  I have taken lessons this year in kayaking and duplicate Bridge. I helped my dad find the perfect pontoon boat that accommodates wheel chairs (he doesn't use one, but just in case it comes to that) AND tows water skiers.  I continue to scrap book albums for myself and my children.  

The sun sets over the St. Lawrence River.

I have been able to enjoy quite a few outings too.  I took Ruth and Jeremy on a trip to North Carolina this summer.  It was great to see so many friends from our life in the south.  Ed Hoener and I have enjoyed our  time together.  We "tear up" the dance floor at wedding receptions.  (Just this week, one of Ed's parishioners referred to us as Fred and Ginger!)  We visited the St. Lawrence River twice, at Ed's mom's camp.  (Her name is Ann and she is a real peach!) From there we took short trips to Ottawa, Montreal, and Old Forge (Nick's Lake).  We also visited Ann in New Jersey twice, making sure to take in the Metropolitan Museum of Art one trip, and Times Square, Rockerfeller Center, and Saks Fifth Avenue on another trip.  Ed and I also enjoy the local sights and sounds, such as the Rochester Strong Museum of Play, the Strong Butterfly House, George Winston In Concert, and the International Jazz Festival, in addition to my performances, of course!

The Changing of the Guard in Ottawa, Canada.

The beautiful gardens of Montreal, Canada.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Ed plays at the Strong Museum of Play.

Well, that wraps up The 2010 Glidden Gazette!

Other pictures shown were taken in celebration of the coming of 2011:  Times Square, the Rockerfeller Center Christmas Tree, the ball dropping in Tonawanda, NY and the display of fireworks to celebrate all that is to come.  

I pray you all have a blessed 2011.  Keep in touch.  You know where to find me!

Love, 

Diane

Times Square, NYC

 

Fireworks to bring in 2011 in Tonawanda, NY.

The 2011 Tonawanda, NY ball (on its side).