Preparing for Christmas

This year got off to a good start: we actually wrote and mailed a Christmas letter by the beginning of Advent! We're pretty pleased with that since we were so up to our ears the past two Christmases with my mom's health concerns and our house remodeling, we didn't even get cards or letters out.


After our family Thanksgiving in Ventura, we wrote, printed, and mailed out most of the copies.

Here's a link to:

T&R's 2005 Christmas Letter Page 1
T&R's 2005 Christmas Letter Page 2

Computer Cat

I'm dreaming of . . . . a new computer, a laptop, actually. Not that I really need one, but I think the Christmas ads are beginning to have their effect on me! Too bad Tom and I are both too frugal to go out and spend that kind of money on something we don't really need. Other than the fact that computers keep getting better, we already have a perfectly good one to use daily. Plus the old Mac Performa pictured here . . . and the old Mac Classic that I may spraypaint gold and put into a shrine someday ;-)

Anyway, this is Bob doing his Computer Cat imitation. And, never to be outdone, this is Kate when she was doing her Kliban Cat impersonation.
What, you don't know about Kliban cats?
Although B.Kliban died in 1990, Big Cat, Hula Cat, and all the others live on.

Holiday Waste Reduction Tips

The California Integrated Waste Management Board has a good web site full of ways we can easily cut down the amount of paper, ribbon, and boxes that go into our landfills each holiday season. Not only are these good ideas for our environment, but they are also good ways to save money and have more fun buying and wrapping presents!

Deck the Halls with Less Waste This Year!

Alternative Christmas Faire

The annual faire at Ventura First UMC was once again successful as people made donations to various organizations in honor of their friends, relatives, and colleagues. The Faire was held on December 4th, but I'm selling alternative gifts through December 22nd. So far, we've raised over $4500.00 for charities!

Catching Up: Rest in Peace, Kate

Katharine Hepburn Cat (AKA, Kate) lived a contented and intelligent nineteen years. Although she was nearly half Bob's size, she was definitely the Alpha Cat at our house! Kate was born in Ventura in May of 1986 and lived her entire life less than a mile away from her birthplace. She died peacefully at home in September, 2005.

Catching up: September 2005

9/11/05: Our 34th anniversary. After church in the morning, we spent a pleasant afternoon enjoying the Ventura Hillsides Music Festival in Arroyo Verde Park.We picnicked with Mark and friends and enjoyed the music of Los Lobos and Big Bad Voodoo Daddy.

After the concert, we went home and enjoyed champagne and cheese with Richard & Nancy and Jack & Carolyn. Totally mellowed out, we took this self-portrait while sitting on the couch.

Thanksgiving 2005 in Ventura

Now that I've learned more about how to update the library's blog, here is my first attempt at adding a photo to my own. This is a photo of 2/3 of the Hundley family - after Thanksgiving dinner - at our house! Missing that day were: Jane, who was sick, Sam, who was scheduled to work, and Bryan, who was in Merced with his girlfriend's family. Seen here are: Robert, Tim, Mary Ann, Tom, Renata, April, Lindsay, and Ron. (If you click on the picture, it will open into a slightly bigger version.)