Another year has past and here we are again wondering what to write about it. Thinking back the events freshest in our minds have to do with the weather. At end of August we were hit with Hurricane Irene which was nothing like I thought a hurricane would be. The romantic in me expected howling winds and driving rain, the reality was simply a hard steady rain of an astounding amount (10+ inches). The romance was lost when we spent the entire time bailing the basement in the dark and then going for a week without power. Afterward the destruction to our area was pretty impressive with hugh trees snapped in half or more often just fallen over from saturated ground. It was impressive that is until the end of October when we were hit by a freak snowstorm that dropped a foot of wet snow on trees that were still in leaf, the photo above is from the following morning. It turns out that trees drop their leaves in the Fall for a very good reason, there wasn’t a single tree in the area that did not suffer major damage. Branches fell everywhere taking out hydro lines and blocking roadways. We went for another week with no power and still today there are wires hanging from poles and branches hanging from broken tree tops. We can’t really complain however as we got through without any injury or much damage.

With the changes in the weather, there have been other changes for the Vanderfleet-Martin’s. John has finished his time in the Marine Corps and is now free to get on with the rest of his life. He has begun it by moving to Illinois to be with his girl Jane and to hopefully continue his schooling. Alec as well has finished High School and is attending Raritan Valley Community College where he is enrolled in a computer game design course. Barb as always, has been quilting up a storm, except when she has been displaced by one. She and her friends have been off on adventures to some of the larger quilt shows including the biggest of all in Huston Texas this Fall. I on the other hand have mostly been hanging out around the garden, riding my bike and cooking nice meals for Barb.

We are looking forward to the upcoming year and hope to do some more travel, starting with a trip home for Christmas and hopefully a trip to France for our wedding anniversary in the Fall.

As always, we hope this e-letter finds everyone well and wish you a Merry Christmas and all the best for 2012.