IT'S ABOUT TIME

GOOD DAY, FRIENDS AND FAMILY. IT'S A GREAT DAY TO
PRAISE GOD AND COUNT OUR BLESSINGS, HEY?
I KNOW, IT'S BEEN ALMOST 5 MONTHS SINCE MY LAST
POSTING, BUT I'LL TRY TO DO BETTER NOW THAT LIFE IS
"SETTLING DOWN" A BIT.
WE ARE MOVING! SIGNED THE PAPERS TUESDAY, AND HAVE
"HAND MONEY" ON THE SLOVAN PLACE. MOVING DATE IS
MONDAY, DECEMBER 13TH. OUR NEW ADDRESS IS:

327 FABER STREET, PITTSBURGH, PA 15214

PHONE NUMBERS WILL BE OUR CELL PHONES, MINE IS
STILL 724-263-0505, AND CINDY'S IS 412-480-7981.

CHARTEL AND C.J. (HE PREFERS TO BE CALLED "CHARLES')
WERE BOTH HERE FOR THANKSGIVING DINNER, P.T.L.
WE HAD A SWEET TIME VISITING, HOWEVER SHORT.
C.J. (CHARLES) WENT BACK TO HARRISBURG LATE THAT
EVENING, AND CHARTEL (FORMERLY KNOWN AS 'LELLY')
LEFT EARLIER, NEEDING TO MOVE SOME THINGS FROM
HER FORMER RESIDENCE AND HAVING TO WORK THE
NEXT DAY.

BOTH ARE WELL, AS ARE WE, THANK YOU AND THANK
GOD! CHARLES HAS PUT ON POUNDS, UP TO 165! HE'S
BEEN WORKING OUT, ESPECIALLY LIFTING, THOUGH HE
RUNS SOME OF IT OFF PLAYING SOCCER TWO OR THREE
TIMES A WEEK. HE LOOKS GOOD.

CHARTEL GETS PRETTIER BY THE DAY, I THINK, THOUGH
THAT JUST MIGHT BE A DAD'S TAKE. SHE WORKS FOR
'AMERICAN EXPRESS' IN THEIR CUSTOMER CALL CENTER,
AND PART-TIME FOR AN ESTABLISHED LOCAL EATERY,
DAMONE'S BY NAME.

TO REGRESS SLIGHTLY, MY TRIP TO WISCONSIN AND
UPPER MICHIGAN IN AUGUST WAS A BLESSING, INDEED!
I GOT TO SPEND A COUPLE OF DAYS WITH THE GRANDSONS,
(AND THEIR PARENTS, TOO, OF COURSE), AND ENJOYED
EVERY MINUTE OF IT. BRYCE IS A HIGHSCHOOL FRESHMAN,
PLAYING ON THE VARSITY SOCCER TEAM. GARRETT
AND NOLAN ARE GROWING RAPIDLY, THOUGH I'VE ONLY
SEEN THEM EVERY OTHER YEAR OR SO. IT WAS A BLAST
WATCHING THEM PLAY. BRYCE IS ALSO TAKING GUITAR
LESSONS.
BILL IS STILL FLYING MEDEVAC CHOPPER, AND RUNS
REGULARLY, AS DOES COLLEEN AND BRYCE. GARRETT
GOES ALONG ON HIS BIKE SOMETIME. HA-HA.

MY ABBREVIATED VISITS WITH TOM & KATE AND
"GRANDMA MARY" AND SOME OF THE CREW WERE VERY
SPECIAL! CAUGHT DAN AT HIS PLACE OF BUSINESS,
THEN MARYLOU, SUE, MIKE, JOHN, BRENDA AND "MOM"
AT HER RESIDENCE. STILL SMILE ABOUT THE TIME WE
HAD TOGETHER.

SPED FROM THERE TO UPPER MICHIGAN TO SPEND
BREAKFAST WITH JOHN & CAROL MEYER, MY LONG-
TIME FRIENDS. JOHN AND I HAD PLAYED A LOT OF
TENNIS AND RAQUETBALL DURING MY TENURE AT THE
CHURCH THERE IN IRON MOUNTAIN AND KINGSFORD.

BACK TO PA. CINDY RECEIVED THE "VOLUNTEER-OF-THE-
YEAR AWARD" FOR PITTSBURGH FROM THE R.S.V.P GROUP
AND THE AMERICAN RED CROSS. ALL 3 MAJOR LOCAL
TV STATIONS WERE THERE TO COVER THE 500-PERSON
AFFAIR WHICH WAS HELD AT A DOWNTOWN SHERATON.
SHE HAS BEEN FEATURED IN LOCAL NEWSPAPERS, AND A
SPOT IS PLANNED FOR THE CBS LOCAL NEWS CARRIER.
SHE GOT A BEAUTIFUL GOLDEN MANTLE CLOCK WITH
THE AWARD INSCRIBED ON A NAMEPLATE, AS WELL AS
A CITATION FROM OUR LOCAL STATE LEGISLATOR IN
A STURDILY-BOUND FOLDER NOTING HER ACHIEVEMENT
AND AWARD. BIG DEAL!! SHE'S NOW MORE OF A
CELEBRITY THAN I AM! HUMPH.

SERIOUSLY, OUR MOVE IS INTENDED TO CUT DOWN ON
HER LONG TRAVEL TIMES TO THE SHOP AND BACK. WE
WILL BE ONLY A FEW MINUTES FROM HER PLACE, AND
THERE ARE OPENINGS AT 3 AREA RITE AIDS FOR ME
TO FIT INTO. HOW CONVENIENT, HEY?

THE NEW PLACE IS RED BRICK, ABOUT THE SAME SIZE
OF WHAT WILL SOON BE "THE OLD PLACE', EXCEPT THAT
WE'LL NOW HAVE A COMPLETELY FINISHED BASEMENT
WITH A FAMILY ROOM/GUEST ROOM COMBINATION,
AND 2 (COUNT 'EM, TWO!) COMPLETE BATHROOMS. WHAT
A LUXURY THAT WILL BE. THE YARD IS SMALLER, SO
I WON'T GET TO EXERCISE AS MUCH WHEN I MOW, BUT
IT WON'T TAKE LONG TO GET USED TO THAT. HA.

WE TRUST THAT ALL IS WELL WITH YOU AND YOURS.
WE PRAY ALSO THAT YOU HAVE BLESSED HOLIDAYS,
WHICHEVER YOU ARE CELEBRATING!! (THAT'S FOR
YOU, RON.) YOU'RE WELCOME.

PLEASE KEEP IN TOUCH. I PLAN TO RESUME WRITING
AS SOON AS WE GET SETTLED, MAYBE EVEN BEFORE.
I'M BURSTING AT THE SEAMS WITH TOPICS TO ADDRESS,
SO HOPEFULLY I'LL GET 'ER DONE BEFORE I EXPLODE.

HAVE A GREAT 2011! HOPE TO CHATATYA SOON,
LOVE, CHARTEL, CHARLES, CINDY, AND CHARLES, TOO.