Happy Anniversary!

Happy Anniversary
Bob and Tonya
AND
Lara and Rick!

Happy Holidays!

My sister-in-law gave Charlie a dreidel toy that is his new favorite. Hope everyone had a great time with family and friends.

Tatum Opens Gifts

Tatum, up close and personal, while she opens a few of her Christmas gifts!

White Christmas In Seattle

It actually snowed yesterday on Christmas. It didn't stick, but it was still fun to see it. Here are some pictures from Christmas at Monna and Brian's.


Tatum starts working her magic on Uncle Brandon.


Dad with his new hat and Tatum.


Bill enjoying the snow - yes, it is snowing.


Tatum in her Christmas finest.


Here's one for Tonya.

Great Uncle Jim Meets Tatum

We are in Seattle for Christmas, and Jim is smitten with his new grand niece!

Merry Christmas Eve

In a few hours we'll be in Seattle. Have a great Christmas eve one and all.

Merry Christmas Eve Eve

A poem for the first day of Winter

Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening
by Robert Frost

Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening

Whose woods these are I think I know.
His house is in the village, though;
He will not see me stopping here
To watch his woods fill up with snow.

My little horse must think it's queer
To stop without a farmhouse near
Between the woods and frozen lake
The darkest evening of the year.

He gives his harness bells a shake
To ask if there's some mistake.
The only other sound's the sweep
Of easy wind and downy flake.

The woods are lovely, dark, and deep,
But I have promises to keep,
And miles to go before I sleep,
And miles to go before I sleep.

What was the final verdict?

Are you all going to Downtown Kitchen, or is Bill cooking?

Today's Delight

Tony Romo's Squeeze

For you People magazine readers. You know who you are.

It's True

Michael Buble said so!

A Little Taste of The Season

NOTHIN MUCH GOIN ON

We had a great time with Tonya and Bob. I think I am having a post visit let down. Next week, I get to meet Tatum. How exciting.

Artist

I don't understand why she never really broke out and made it big. Maybe she is too much of an artist. Anyway, enjoy.

Growing - 10 Days

Dec 3


Dec 13

Dam

Many years ago, the City of Canton and Marietta/Cobb water system decided to build a dam at Hickory Log Creek. I have very mixed feelings about it, but at this point thinking about water supply many years ago, indicates some forethought from the city. So, the dam is built and the lake is beginning to fill. Originally, the forecast was that it would take two years to fill. With the current drought, who knows how long it will take. And, now, the dam is on the tour of Canton. Without further adieu, the Dam.

The Draught - Redux

Well it has become a tradition now. Whenever we have out-of-town visitors in Atlanta, we take them over to Lake Allatoona in Canton to "see the draught." Tonya and Bob were here last weekend, so here is the photo. Proof positive of global warming. Not to mention that it has topped 80 degrees the past few days in the ATL! The poor Fargonauts left Atlanta and returned to the -1 degree temperature back home! There is a tropical storm in the Caribbean, and Atlanta is predicted to go from 80 degrees to 22 F on Sunday. Mother nature is pissed!

Del is Missing a Meniscus

Well, this is a very long story, but here's Del from Beetles BBQ, where the swine is divine. You'll have to ask Tonya and Bob about her missing meniscus!!!!

CCHeers!

Bob and Tonya at the CCH. Now they're having fun!

Tonya and Bob Arrive

Tonya and Bob arrived yesterday for a visit. We are very excited to have them here.

They left Fargo where the temp was -1 with a -18 wind chill factor. It was about 60 here. This morning it is 52 and should reach about 70 today.

Here are just a couple of pictures. I know there will be a few videos and a lot of other pictures.


Of course, dinner was at El Caporal (CCH). Tonya used her early Christmas present (or 4th day of Hanakkuh) to document the occasion.


Bob also is enjoying his visit to El Caporal and points beyond. Actually, I think he is checking his email. What a wired or wireless world we live in.

Grammy Nominations for Lucinda

Very Nice


Best Solo Rock Vocal Performance
(For a solo vocal performance. Singles or Tracks only.)


* Come On
Lucinda Williams
Track from: West
[Lost Highway Records]



Best Rock Song
(A Songwriter(s) Award. Includes Rock, Hard Rock & Metal songs. For Song Eligibility Guidelines see Category #3. (Artist names appear in parentheses.) Singles or Tracks only.)

* Come On
Lucinda Williams, songwriter (Lucinda Williams)
Track from: West
[Lost Highway Records; Publishers: Warner-Tamerlane Publishing/Lucy Jones Music]

Guilty Pleasure - Grammy Nomination!

Tonight's guilty please. Enjoy! Bill, he is not a male Celine Dione.



Best Male Pop Vocal Performance
(For a solo vocal performance. Singles or Tracks only.)

* Everything
Michael Bublé
Track from: Call Me Irresponsible
[143 Records/Reprise]

December Dates of note:

Birthdays

December 1 - Roger Christian Sr.
December 1 - Billye Christian
December 20 - Don Bernard Sr.

Anniversaries
December 31, 1994 Tonya Bernard Omdahl and Robert Omdahl
December 31, 2003 Lara Blubaugh Storm and Jon-Erik Griffith Storm

I'm thinking I missed some but need my home calendar to be sure

Contrail

There is something absolutely enthralling about contrails. I always imagine myself aboard the plane.

The sky was azure. The air was crisp. The plane was headed south. Perhaps Venezuela to see Chavez.

Reunion

Warroad July 2002. Hard to believe it was 5 years ago.

For Tonya

Enjoy!

History

This is how we used to listen to music.

Climate Change

oh-oh

Microsoft - 31
Apple - 02

A Good Cause to Get Excited About Bejing 2008!

Looks like an Olympic effort! Check it out:

http://www.greatwalktobeijing.com/index.html

Let's Get Political

Thanks to Bob for sending me this link.

I am closest to Dennis Kucinich in my positions. I am not supporting him at this point, but you never know.

Civility, please.

For Lara

I am Beowulf!

We saw Beowulf today. Sort of fascinating...live or memorex?

Got Water?

Well it is the day after Thanksgiving, and we are drying out - literally and figuratively. We had a wonderful gathering, and our friends Annie and Steve from Kansas City are here through Saturday morning. We had to show them the local sites, so we drove over to Lake Allatoona to "see the drought." It has become quite the tourist attraction. Here are some photos I took today. It is getting scary around Atlanta!

Bill

Happy Turkey Day!

Happy Thanksgiving

There will be 10 of at our house for Thanksgiving today. Annie and Steve from Kansas City, MO. Steve and Amado from Blue Ridge, GA. Matt and George from Atlanta. Slyvie and her daughter, Mia, also from Atlanta. It's our annual hosting of friends for what, I think, is the best holiday of the year. Feasting with loved ones and giving some thanks to the universe for what we have.

We woke up this morning to thunder and rain. A great Thanksgiving indeed.

Love and peace to all!

Jim

Thanks be to the Internets

What are you thankful for this Thanksgiving eve?

Thanks to everyone who blogged with me this past year. It has been a wonderful way to stay connected. The first warroadroots blogaversary is approaching. Look for new and exciting features - or maybe not. Just more memories recorded.

I look forward to seeing my new grand niece in about a month.

Without the internet we wouldn't have easy access to wonderful moments like this. Now I am all choked up.

Innovation (and Creativity)

I was reading this as part of a discussion at work, and thought many Warroadroots readers might also be interested -- especially you Bill and Jim.

http://thinksimplenow.com/creativity/7-habits-of-highly-innovative-people/

The Omdahl's got elf'd

check it out!!

http://www.elfyourself.com/?id=9550908181

Fall Color In Motion

I took the one photo Jim posted with my iPhone. Here is a slide show of photos I took today with my digital camera. The photos do not do the leaves justice. We really had no fall color up until a few days ago. It got cooler, and we did get almost a half inch of rain at our house. Afterwards, the color just popped! Hopefully, the leaves will hang around until Thanksgiving. We are having some friends over for dinner, and our dear friend Annie and her fiancé Steve are flying in from Kansas City! Jim worked in the garden today while I went to Harry's market to get the supplies. He does not like to go there with me because I get all OCD picking out only the perfect potatoes, limes, lemons, etc. Shape and color are very important you know! Anyway, hope everyone has a great Thanksgiving. Until then, enjoy the Fall color at One Britt!

Bill

Fall Color

The fall colors are great right now. Here's a picture of our woods. Bill took the pictures.

Sunday Morning Easy Listening

Let's go now!

Seems Simple Enough

“A man should hear a little music, read a little poetry, and see a fine picture every day of his life, in order that worldly cares may not obliterate the sense of the beautiful implanted in the human soul.” --Johann Wolfgang Goethe

Cut and Curl

So, the elephant ears froze. I cut the leaves off and left the stalks. This is what happened when the weather got cold again. It's wild. There are more pictures on the garden blog.



So, the elephant ears froze. I cut the leaves off and left the stalks. This is what happened when the weather got cold again. It's wild.

Happy Birthday Jon-Erik Storm

Where is Fall?

Ginger lily blooming November 11, 2007.

Jim and the Mayor Elect

Here is a photo of Jim and Canton's mayor elect, Gene Hobgood. It was taken at the Historic Canton Homeowners Association's "Mint Juleps on the Porch" party. We got the idea from our nemesis, Tammy Perkins, who wrote the following letter-to-the-editor last year:

DEAR EDITOR:

Want to know the real issue regarding East Main Street? Main Street east of Crisler Street is inside the Central Business District. This designation permits numerous uses including office professional and medical. However, when a medical office aspired to open, the neighbors on the block beyond the CBD protested in hopes that a buffer be created between themselves and commercial growth. The property owners on the "contested block" are trying to keep their CBD status and prevent the next block from making them their "buffer." I own property on the contested block, and I don't want to be anyone's "buffer."

Property owners on this block welcome medical and office professional, largely because there are nine small vacant homes inside this block. We would like to see them occupied by professionals or homeowners that will keep the property in good repair (slumlords no longer welcome). But, if a business tries to renovate one of these homes, the next block protests (they want a buffer).

Here is what we want: We want to stay CBD, be no one's buffer, and welcome new neighbors (doctor or otherwise) without the next block putting up a fuss. We won't stand for folks sitting on their porches, sipping mint juleps and enjoying the "buffer" that they have created by scaring away potential professionals from our block; while we live next door to vacant homes that encourage slumlords, drug activity, and varmints? This is the Main Street issue.

Tammy Perkins

Canton

What a Week

Well, it's been quite a week. A new generation was started with the arrival of Tatum Elise Randall. I can hardly wait to meet her. Check out her blog. She has to be the cutest baby EVER!

The City of Canton elections were held on the 6th and our candidates won. Controversy stills swirls around city hall as planning and zoning staff are fired and a $125 an hour consultant takes over the reigns. You can read all about it here if you care to. Small town politics.

Yesterday afternoon we celebrated the victory with a mint julep party at one of our neighbors. The mayor-elect was on hand. Picture later.

Fall has finally arrived. The leaves are turning color and it got cold enough to freeze the elephant ears.

Good Curling!

Big excitement in Fargo. Bob and I went down to the curling club tonight for the first time this season. We didn't get on the ice yet...but will start league next week. No Fargotinis being served yet, but hopefully it won't be too long.

Wonder Woman

GoodWins!

The votes are in and our candidates for Mayor and City Council won. With a whopping 5.35% voter turnout, our candidate, Jack Goodwin, won 66 percent of the vote - 288 to 143. The turnout was higher than the expected 3%. The Mayor elect, Gene Hobgood, ran unopposed.

One of the main goals of the Historic Canton Homeowners Association was to change the political control of city hall. Both Goodwin and Hobgood are members of the association. A great start.

Tatum's First Day

The Princess Tatum



Grandma Monna and Tatum

Tatum's Picture

Here is the first picture I received of Tatum. If the link doesn't work. Go to:

viewmymessage.com

msg id - d1m0porm
password - eras2bun

Sorry

Welcome Tatum Elise Randall

Tatum was born November 5, 2007 around 4am. Mother, daughter and father are all doing well. 6lb 4oz. Congratulations!

Baby Today?

I got a text message from Jill about midnight last night saying her water broke and the contractions were 6 min apart. That was 8 hours ago. No word since then.

Inspiration for Posting

Everyone gets a block

A Little Sunday Culture

Vent It

Here's a link to the AJC vent. There is a little controversy on the City Attorney's Bentley. You can vote the vent up or down. One of them has 31 votes.

Wheels

Baby Update

Not yet

It's not a baby...

but it's a new road! If any of you have been to our house you know what the back road was like. Here is old, in process and new. Yeah!

Tonya, He Did. Last April.

See Tonya's comment on my Bentley post. It's a very nice ride and a vast improvement over the last one he had. However, no trees were taken down in order to get this one.

November Birthdays

November Birthdays

* Nov 5 - Tatum Elise Randall
* Nov 12 - Morgan Christian
* Nov 14 - Jon-Erik Storm
* Nov 21 - Gordon Christian
* Nov 30 - Tim Randall

IT'S BABY DAY

Jill sent me a text message that the baby is coming today. That's all I know except I think I am going to cry. I am so vaklempt!

More later.

Happy Halloween!

Canton Political Update

I have been rather silent about the zoning issue. Believe it or not, the issue is still being debated. At present, the "other" side is suing the city. One of the parties in the law suit is running for city council. We're not sure what it means if he wins. We are backing another candidate.

The mayor did not run for re-election. We think his decision was a result of all the negative publicity from this and other zoning battles. It's pretty powerful stuff when an 80 year old woman stands up at a council meeting, points her finger at the Mayor and says, "you promised us in 1998 that commercial would stop at Roy street and now you are going back on that. We expect you to honor your commitment." We love Mary Sparks.

Our candidate, Gene Hobgood, is running unopposed. He is a member of our association. We know he will at least be sympathetic to keeping E Main St residential. Although, he is not rabid anti-growth. It will be interesting.

One more thing. Here is the Canton City Attorney's new car. A Bentley. Bentley! A bit over the top for Canton. Being the city attorney must pay well! Or, perhaps it's the land deals he has put together over the years.

Check it out

Monna's new venture.

I will add it to the links on the right.

Rodney Dewain Keeler 6/4/24 - 10/24/07

I attended the memorial service for Rodney Keeler. He had spent the last 5 years in a nursing home. Marilyn & Carolyn gave a very nice memory tribute to their father. Georgean had some stories of the farm in Minnesota. Edi & Vicki (Eunice's) were there. I can see back 40+ years to playing with them at Earl & Ellas and then at Eunice and Lloyds in Everett. We used to make the long drive to Everett on Sundays to spend with family. Either Jean & George or Earl & Ella. How time flies. Rodney always made it to any family event at our house. He will be missed.

LUCINDA WILLIAMS

Okay, I have raved about Lucinda in the past. Someone just posted this on youtube so I am embedding it. I believe her music is on par with Bob Dylan as true poetry. She is very raw, and may be an acquired taste. So, here is a nibble...

October 28?

It was a beautiful day here. High in the 70s. It is supposed to drop into the 40s tonight.

I went to Aiken Friday and came back yesterday. Dad looks great. Elsie is still limping a little from her knee surgery. Saturday morning we went to the pancake breakfast at the masonic lodge. Dad was working. Elsie and I went to a couple of nurseries. I bought a pot at one of them (see above). I also put a little slide show on our garden blog.

Sad news about Rodney Keeler. How old was he? Monna told me the service was today.

oh, no

oh, yes

Name 2010

ok, we need to name the reunion blog - all you clever people give me some blog names.

minnesota to vancouver 2010
MN BC 2010
From Squaw Valley to Vancouver
1960 - 2010 - Celebrate 50 Years of Gold
get your butt to vancouver in 2010

Better suggest or we'll get one like the above!

37 Weeks

Here is a picture at 37 weeks. Baby has definetly dropped, feeling some contractions but not the "real thing".

Vancouver 2010

Just as an additional incentive to the fence sitters on the whole reunion in Vancouver...this will be the 50th Anniversary of the first Gold Medal in Hockey for the 1960 Gold Medal team. I'd think that USA Hockey would recognize this so all the more reason we should be there to be part of the celebration!!

California Fires

I looked at the map of the fires in So Cal. It looked like there was one close to Effie and Jim. I would assume we would hear if they were going to be effected. I know they live in the desert but I seem to remember some hills around that had brush. Let us know.

500,000 people evacuating. That's very scary.

Fall Color

I found some nice color today. A few trees in downtown Canton.

I dreamed about our house and neighborhood in Kent last night. I never dream about it. What, pray tell, can it mean?

Bill requested more detail. There isn't much except I remember Mr. Stegmeister who was one of the first people in america to buy a toyota. And then, here was our neigbor's basement. That's about it.

Fall in Georgia

I keep thinking the leaves are very late in turning. I think it is because of the drought. Here are a couple picks of yard. I also posted a few pictures on our garden blog.