End of Year Message (2008)

This has been an interesting year. We added Hayden and Paul to our family this year. We lost my Aunt Kay to cancer in August, but she's reunited with a lot of her family in heaven. Next year, we will add Dave, as well as Paul, to the Gift Exchange, as well as to the family. If you want to read more about my adventures, go to the archives. I don't write that often, so it shouldn't take that long. The memories are usually so good that it will be a thrill to relive them again.

2009 will start off with a bang. I'll be seeing Patty and Dan SR. We'll be dining at Max and Erma's (http://www.maxandermas.com) in Middleburg Heights, OH (Just South of Cleveland Hopkins Airport) tomorrow night. We wanted to go to the Brooklyn branch, but they close at 5:00 P.M. Hopefully, New Years Eve will be successful enough to compensate for the lost revenue (for them and the gain to the competition).

I will close by saying that I hope that my audience has a happy new year. (Edited on 1-14-'09) Happy New Year (in Webding Font, I hope).

Maggie's Birthday (AKA Christmas All Over Again)

We celebrated Maggie's Birthday tonight. The guest list can be summed up in a "simple" equation.

Christmas Guests - Paul + (Mike Schmidt + Marnie + Kendal + Hayden)

The food was supplied by Mandy and Marnie. We had ham (again), cheesy potatoes, green bean casserole (The Thanksgiving one), rolls, and salad, among other things. The appetizer was spinach dip in pumpernickel bread. It was all very appetizing.

After dinner was eaten, presents were opened. Since the Schmidts were not around for Christmas, Kendal, Hayden, Mike, and Marnie opened up Christmas gifts. As far as Kendal and Hayden were concerned, toys and clothes were the rule. However, Bob and I were practical in giving gift cards to Toys 'R' Us and Borders (Books were the intended goal, but CDs and DVDs would also be sources of enjoyment.). In general, the children will be having fun, but the parents (and any other adults) will be wishing that they had earplugs.

Maggie then opened up her gifts (Actually, since our gift cards were included with Maggie's birthday cards, they were opened up during this time.). Dessert was served. It consisted of a delicious cake from Buehler's (http://www.buehlers.com/), pumpkin roll, cheesecake, and little circular ("petite") brownies. Once again, dessert earned its appreciation.

Although it was Maggie's birthday, Kendal and Hayden were the main attraction. Even the birthday girl helped to make this possible. Kendal proved that she is very intelligent by speaking in complete sentences. She's very smart for two and a half. I think she will do great things when she grows up. Hayden is just too cute for words. (By the way, her name came out of a book of baby names. However, I am sticking with my theory and post title.) It was a night to remember.

When Dan Sr. and Patty show up in Northeast Ohio, I will share stories of my visit with my blog audience. It would be especially nice if Dan Jr., Laura, and Amy Marie are involved. Tune in to find out!

The Gift Exchange

Here are the names of all the givers and receivers from the McDonnell Gift Exchange this year.

Giver: Receiver:

Kathleen: Patty

Patty: Lois

Tim: Laura

Maggie: Mike Schmidt

Joe: Bill

Bob: Marnie

Bill: Dan Sweeney Jr.

Dan Sweeney SR.: Amy

Dan Sweeney JR.: Kathleen

Patrick: Joe

Mandy: Tim

Marnie: Dan Sweeney Sr.

Amy: Mike Schabel

Mike Schabel: Mandy

Laura: Bob

Mike Schmidt: Maggie

Lois: Patrick

I may give you the "funny" stories that I promised you previously in a later posting.

My Niece Got Married, but I Didn't Receive the Registry List.

At this afternoon's Christmas celebration, we learned that Mandy and Paul got married last week. It was by a judge in Summit County, OH (Akron area).  No family members were present, but I am sure that it was a day to remember.

In addition to Mandy, Paul, Maggie, Mike Schabel, and myself, others in attendance for the Christmas celebration included Kathleen, Tim, Lois, Joe, and Bob.  We expect to see the Schmidts on Saturday for Maggie's Birthday celebration.  Patty and Dan were also planning to come into town (Weather Permitting!) within a few days.  Look forward to all the upcoming highlights.    

McDonnell Family Christmas (2008)

We celebrated Christmas at Mike and Maggie's place in Parma, OH.  We had ham, scalloped potatoes, baked beans with Italian sausage, broccoli, corn, cranberry sauce, and many other items.  Dessert consisted of cookies, pumpkin cheesecake, and nut roll.  We exchanged presents, but some people are still waiting.  I'll be shopping at Best Buy (This gift is from Santa or more likely a present for coordinating the Gift Exchange.)  and Target  (Joe was my Secret Santa.  I also received a coordinator appreciation bonus from "the Committee".) with my Gift Cards.  (By the way, my beloved Circuit City is pretty much extinct in my area for a non-driver.  The nearest one is across from Geauga Lake.  I could go if I visited Dan Sr. or Dan Jr.  Other out of town relatives still need to be researched.)  It was an enjoyable Christmas.  More fun is to come in the coming days.  There will be reports in the coming days.  Later tonight, I will post the Gift Exchange list.     

I Am Done Shopping!

My Christmas shopping is finished. I bought a card at Gabriel Brothers for my Great Nieces at Gabriel Brothers in Middleburg Heights, OH (Near Parma) today. I bought their presents at CVS on Detroit Road in Lakewood, OH. I won't reveal what I purchased, but the gifts should be useful. I had taken care of my assignment in the Gift Exchange on December 5 at a store across the street from Gabriel Brothers. Gabriel Brothers reminds me of Value City (Soon to Be R.I.P.). I go there mostly because their greeting cards cost only $.44. They also sell apparel and some food items (Non-Perishables). It's not Target or Wal Mart, but it has its charms.

The Gift Exchange is going smoothly. There will be more details in a future post. I have some funny stories to tell.

Have a Nice Holiday!

Thanksgiving 2008 and Celebrity Sightings

I spent Thanksgiving at Mike and Maggie Schabel's house in Parma, OH.  We were joined by Bob, Kathleen, and Joe.  We ate most of the usual food associated with Thanksgiving.  During the festivities, we completed choosing names for the family gift exchange.  In addition, we called Aunt Rita.  She seems to be doing fine.  It was a nice and quiet affair.

In other news, Bob and I saw Sarah Vowell at the Cleveland Public Library Auditorium on November 16.  It was so crowded that we were standing in the lobby watching her on a television screen.  It wouldn't surprise me if her talk appeared on either local Public Access cable (Cleveland) or C-Span 2 (Not Available on Time Warner Basic cable locally).  She was quite amusing even when she was reading from her books.  I haven't read any of her books, but maybe I will someday.

Seeing the Love Chef on Live with Regis and Kelly this week, (The show title will be underlined when I use a different browser that supports underlining.  I am presently using Apple Safari.) I was reminded that I saw the Love Chef at Parmatown Mall approximately 15 years ago. I didn't talk to him, but I can say that I saw him in person!    

In closing, I hope that you all had a nice Thanksgiving!

The Election Went Smoother than Expected.

Bob and I went to vote at the Brooklyn Heights United Church of Christ on West Schaaf Road at Broadview Road in Cleveland just before 10:00 A.M. today. (The village of Brooklyn Heights is about a mile away down West Schaaf Road.)  There weren't too many campaigners outside the polling place.  In the hallway, a man asked us for our names.  After finding our names, he told us our precinct (We knew it, but the service was appreciated.).  Just inside the polling room, a lady asked us for our precinct.  She then pointed us to our table, which wasn't too hard to find.  After confirming our identification, we had to wait a few minutes for a voting booth.  I was offered a pen and clipboard, but Bob was able to use a booth.  I carefully double checked my ovals because the ballots were being placed into an optical scanner. After voting, I removed the ballot stubs and placed both ballots, one at a time, into the scanner.  Since the ballots didn't come out of the scanner, they were acceptable. (Bob and I expected the ballots to come out when the scanner was finished processing them.  I guess we were so used to handing our ballots to the poll workers.).  I then went home.  Including a five minute walk each way, the whole experience took us only 30-35 minutes.  Based on the long lines for early voting (Before Election Day, which was new to Ohio) and at other places nationwide today, we expected it to be more of an ordeal.  Even the self scanning went smoother than expected.  Other than the polling place and the ballots, voting was totally different this election.  Even the primary eight months ago didn't offer all these procedural changes.  This will be an election to remember.  This post will be continued at a later date.

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My "38 Special" Birthday

I turned 38 years old today. We celebrated yesterday by going to Mavis Winkle's in Independence. Other than Mike Schabel (It's too hard to make a 7:00 P.M. dinner.) and Patty, (As readers of this blog know, she lives in Lancaster, MA) the cast of characters from our September 8th dinner participated once again. We enjoyed our food for the most part. After dinner, most of us (Mandy passed because she had an early day at work today.) went to my house to eat cake (Chocolate) and pie (Banana Cream (I haven't had any yet because I am not fond of bananas, but I promised to have a slice sometime.)). I then opened presents. Gift cards and lottery tickets were the primary presents. It was a nice event. I hope that the next 0ccasion goes as well.

Today, I went to lunch at Moe's Southwest Grill by Parmatown Mall (Which isn't too far from Dimitri's) because I had a coupon for a free birthday burrito, which was a reward for being in their E-club. Of course, I got the top of the line (Chicken with the Works) . Chips and salsa are complimentary with every meal. Coke topped off the meal. Lunch only cost me $1.61. It was worth every cent.

I then went to the library that was nearby (Cuyahoga County Public Library's Parma-South Branch). I skimmed a few books (Two volumes on libraries and a book on U.S. Catholic dioceses.). Before I did that, I read some new Ohio phone books that all had West Virginia listings included. When I came home, I watched two episodes of Live with Regis and Kelly and ate some leftover Chinese food from East China (On Broadview Road by the Parma-Cleveland border). It was a nice way to enjoy my birthday.

As I am writing this, I am listening to a John Conlee CD. After "finishing" the CD, (The CD from the library had a few rough patches as I played it in the DVD player by the TV. The computer CD and DVD players are not functioning right now. We are in the market for a new computer as our computer is outdated.) I am replaying two songs ("Lady, Lay Down" and "Friday Night Blues"). After I finish this e-mail, I am going to play my 38 Special CD. A 38 Special reference was mentioned at the dinner last night. Whoever said it was thinking of the gun, but the musical group is a more appropriate tribute to my birthday.

Hopefully, I will be posting again real soon.

There Will Be More Howlin' in Howland in April

Dan and Laura Sweeney are expecting in April 2009. It is a total surprise to everyone, especially Dan and Laura. I'm hoping for a boy, (I have three great-nieces.) but as long as it's healthy, it will be fine. I saw Laura over the weekend, and I wouldn't have suspected anything unusual. Of course, details will follow when they happen.

Celebrities in My Midst

Yesterday, Bob and I saw Robin Swoboda as she was taping an episode of That's Life to air soon on WJW Fox 8 in Cleveland, OH. She was at Westfield Great Northern Mall in North Olmsted, OH (West of Cleveland). They were taping at the west end of the mall in front of Macy's. Since Bob and I were walking out of camera range, you won't see us on TV. I believe the show streams at http://www.myfoxcleveland.com, but I don't know all the details at this time. Robin has national exposure working with Ahmad Rashad and Gayle King on short lived programs (Weekly Syndication and NBC Daytime, respectively). She was one of the squares on Hollywood Squares for a week on the John Davidson version that aired from 1986 to 1989 in Syndication. She is a real character and a local institution.

Bob and I saw an even bigger celebrity on MLK Day this year. Angela Bassett was in town to honor Martin Luther King Jr. I'll admit that I wouldn't have recognized her if I didn't know that she was going to be a part of the ceremony, which was held at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in Cleveland. I would have recognized the MC (Leon Bibb, WEWS (Channel 5) News Anchor) when I heard his voice as he has worked in town for over 30 years (http://www.newsnet5.com should have his biography.) He is another Cleveland Institution. I am also blessed that we have the Rock Hall in Cleveland, although I don't think it's worth the inflated admission price which I have never paid. (I paid $2 for the first anniversary celebration and nothing for the rest of my visits which number between 10-15 since 1996. This discount rate is due to anniversary celebrations and participation in the MLK Day Free or Reduced Rate program.) There are other "celebrities" that I have met over the years, but I'll save them for another post.

Happy 90th, Mrs. Sweeney

We celebrated Dan Sweeney Sr.'s mother's 90th birthday today on the grounds of Kent State University. It is really tomorrow, but logistics caused it to be celebrated today. We had appetizers (Mostly Cheese and Crackers, I enjoyed the Smoked Gouda (Thanks, Amy!). Cookies and mini prosciutto sandwiches (Thanks, Patty!) finished the list. The entrees consisted of roast/baked ham, and chicken (off the bone). Various vegetables and a tossed salad topped the main course. A nice cake was a real topper. Soda, beer, and bottled water were among the beverages. The spread was nice. Thankfully, I didn't overeat.

Presents were not opened due to logistics. It sounds a lot like the Kendal party, (See May 25th entry.) despite the 88 year age difference. Both parties requested no gifts, but people do not follow the rules in general (Bob and I just gave a nice card for Mrs. Sweeney. Kendal received a post-party gift card from us that was just "acknowledged" almost two weeks ago. Even Amy Marie "acknowledged" the gifts earlier than this.). In general, too many people and not a lot of space equals no presents opened at the party (Although Kendal was "smart enough" to open a few presents at her party.).

The cast of characters is too large to mention at this time. Who was not there is something that we won't discuss because controversy is something we try to avoid on this blog.

The celebration climaxed with a Mass for Mrs. Sweeney's deceased relatives. It was a typical Sunday Mass until the priest acknowledged Mrs. Sweeney's birthday. It was priceless. Unfortunately, most of the party guests missed it due to other commitments, and not knowing about it until arriving at the event. (For the record, the Mass was held at Kent State's chapel which is adjacent to the Newman Catholic Center where the party was held. It is only about 45 miles or about an hour away from my home. I rode with Maggie and Mike both ways.) In general, I am glad that I was able to make the celebration of Mrs. Sweeney's 90 years of life.

There Will Be Another Wedding in the Family

We had a family dinner at Mavis Winkle's in Independence, OH (http://www.maviswinkles.com) last night. The participants were Patty, Maggie, her husband Mike, Kathleen, Bob, Tim, Lois, Mandy, and myself. The occasion was to celebrate that Patty was in town to babysit her granddaughter, to visit the family, and to celebrate her mother-in-law's 90th birthday. (There will be details on this celebration later in the week.)

I took advantage of the opportunity to see Mandy in person to ask permission to post this announcement:

SHE'S GETTING MARRIED!

The lucky groom is a man named Paul Carpenter. (Last name was added to this post on 10-1-'08.) He is a mechanic at Mercedes-Benz of North Olmsted (Ohio). (They also sell Porsches, Saabs, and Lotuses on the campus.) He lives in Barberton, OH (Near Akron). Beyond that, there is little to report as I have only met him once. Let us hope that they enjoy a long and happy marriage.

The dinner itself was a great opportunity to catch up with family that we don't see frequently. Speaking of family not seen frequently, Patty and I had a nice visit with our Aunt Rita (My late mother's sister). I took them to Bob Evans in Westlake, OH. (http://www. bobevans.com) for lunch. We then took her to a Rite Aid near her home (Also in Westlake) to buy a card for the 90th birthday party mentioned earlier. I personally think she paid too much, but she was happy. Unfortunately, she will not be attending the party, but I'm grateful that she is still the fun aunt that I have the pleasure of knowing all my life.

The next report may include family events, both sad and happy.

TV Blogs and Eat 'n' Park

I was on the web site for WISH. I looked at some of the blogs on the site. I then remembered that WKYC had a great blog that I hadn't checked awhile. I could have gone to my blog or even www.wkyc.com, but I chose to come here and post instead. (Of course, the WISH web site is linked here as well.)

While I'm here, I have remembered many times that I didn't include Eat 'n' Park's Web Site in my last post. Now, finally, here it is:

www.eatnpark.com (By the way, Bob and I ate at the Parma branch tonight. I had salmon, and Bob had chopped steak. I thought it was up to the usual standards. We then went to Dunkin Donuts-Baskin Robbins across the street for BOGO Sundaes. We enjoyed our sundaes very much. It was a climax for Bob's vacation. Other than the tour that commemorated Cleveland's streetcar lines (Before my time), it was mostly shopping trips and eating out a lot f0r this vacation. Maybe, I'll tell you more in the future.

Sadness and Joy

Ten years ago tonight, my mom passed away from lung cancer at age 70.  Since my sister Kathleen had business in the area, she took Bob and me to brunch at Eat 'n' Park in Parma, OH (Across from Dimitri's as featured in an earlier post).  Brunch was fine.  We then did some shopping at Marc's (See http://www.marcs.com for more details. ) and Giant Eagle (See my May 31 post for an explanation.)  Eventually, we visited my parents' grave at Holy Cross Cemetery in Brookpark, OH (near Cleveland Hopkins International Airport).  After that, we had ice cream from Honey Hut on State Road in Cleveland.  While enjoying the ice cream, we ran into the patriarch of Honey Hut, Frank Page.  For those outside the family, you will be surprised to know that I am acquaintance of the founder of Honey Hut,  one of NE Ohio's beloved ice cream institutions.  He is my godfather and a longtime family friend who may also be related somewhere on my mother's side.  We then came home and "relaxed" for about an hour.  In the interim, Kathleen went home.  While we were out, Maggie called us to say that she was going to the cemetery.  Bob called her back to tell her that we went to the cemetery, too.  When she returned his call, I talked to her and had a nice conversation.  

Bob and I had a nice dinner at Panera Bread in North Olmsted, OH (also near the Airport). Coincidentally, they are celebrating their tenth anniversary in the Cleveland area this week. Today's special was buy one  "You Pick Two" (Soup, Half Sandwich, or Half Salad), get the second one for a dime.  It was different, but not really worth the regular retail price.  Before and after dinner, we browsed through the Great Northern shopping area.  We then came home and rested some more.  

The highlight of the day came in the mail.  Amy Marie "sent" us a Thank You note written as she would have written it if she could write (Of course, she's only a little over a year old.).  Perhaps, I will reproduce it after I ask her parents for permission.  It is so funny and priceless.

My next report may be to tell you that I added some RSS sources (Probably some other TV station web sites in the markets already posted here) to this blog.  Tune in to find out.     

     

 

Update to May 31, 2008 Post

Go back to May 31, 2008. You will learn who provided most of the food for Amy Marie's first birthday party. This is courtesy of Laura.

Birthdays and a Sad Anniversary

On June 2nd, the second anniversary of my brother Dan's death occurred. Yesterday, I honored him with a brief pilgrimage to the bridge over Chippewa Creek near where most of his ashes were scattered. (It is near the intersection of OH 21 and OH 82 in Brecksville, OH, which is between Cleveland and Akron. It is about a 15-20 minute drive from my house. For those people outside my family, I do not drive. However, it is approximately half an hour away via bus from my house in Cleveland.) In the moments that I was there, I discovered a young man swimming in the creek below. I don't blame him since the temperature reached the 90s. At least, I didn't encounter a barrage of rain like what occurred last year. (Last year, I did the pilgrimage on the actual anniversary of the scattering, which was June 8, 2006. I would have had to go downtown, which is out of my way for this trip because the bus doesn't do the run up Snow-Rockside on weekends.) (Go to http://www.riderta.com and investigate the schedules of routes #35 and #77F for more details on my route.) What I just said is moot because I came from downtown, but I was doing some light reading at Cleveland State University's library, so it wasn't a major inconvenience. Besides, my brother was not one who wanted people to be inconvenienced, but he appreciated our presence. I'm sure he appreciated my presence yesterday.

On a more pleasant note, Kathleen had a birthday on June 3rd. Kendal celebrated a birthday on the next day. Both birthdays were celebrated at an earlier time and were featured in previous entries on this blog. (By the way, I changed some entries on my report of Amy Marie's birthday dealing with the presence of Dan Sr.'s family at the party.) Tomorrow, Marnie celebrates her birthday. Maybe, it will be reported on the Hayden-Kendal blog which is linked on this blog.

My next report will be another adjustment to the Amy Marie party report. It will reveal the source of the food served at the party. Beyond that, don't expect any postings for awhile.

What a Difference a Day Makes

We celebrated Kathleen's birthday tonight by having dinner at Regina High School's convent in South Euclid, OH (A suburb of Cleveland). (For reference purposes, Regina is an all girl Catholic high school with a powerhouse basketball program operated by the Sisters of Notre Dame.) We had roast beef (?), redskin potatoes, green beans, and salad. It was very appetizing. We then had cake and ice cream (What a revolutionary idea!). Cards and presents were opened during the festivities. It was a joyous occasion with Maggie, Mike, Patty, Dan Sr., Bob, Joe, and many of Kathleen's roommates in attendance. (She is a Sister of Notre Dame.)

The title of this posting means two things. This party was quieter than the last two that I attended. I was also the youngest attendee. (I'm 37.)

Despite two upcoming birthdays in my immediate family, I am done celebrating for awhile. Kendal's birthday was celebrated last week, and her mother, Marnie, lives in Michigan. However, there will be brief reports on each of the next three days with two of them birthday-related. I hope that you receive some insight from these posts.

It Was Really Howlin' in Howland Today

We celebrated Amy Marie's birthday this afternoon (Unlike Kendal, it is today) at Dan and Laura's (Sweeney) house in Howland Township, OH (Outside of Warren). We had breaded chicken on the bone, rigatoni, meatballs, salad, rolls, among other things. Most of the food came from a restaurant that I will reveal as soon as I e-mail Dan and Laura to find out the information. (6-28-08: I only e-mailed Laura and learned that the food came from The Wave restaurant in Sharon, PA.) The food was appetizing.

I believe that the attendance level ranks about the same, if not more than Kendal's party last Sunday. The guest list among my family included Kathleen, Patty, Tim, Maggie, Dan Sr., Patrick, Amy, David, Lois, Mike Schabel, Mandy, Aunt Rita, and her son Johnny. In addition, Dan Sr.'s Mom, two brothers, (Of Dan Sr.) and at least two nieces (Cousins of Dan Jr.) were also there. Not to be outdone, the Graham (Laura's Kin) family was well represented. Outside of relatives, some of Dan Jr.'s co-workers as well as Sue (Laura's maid of honor at her wedding) were present as well.

The weather was nice, though we had some breezes. The party was indoors and outdoors. Thankfully, there was plenty of space indoors, although there were some minor "obstacles" that were partially avoided with shortcuts. I can't imagine all these people at the old house in Chardon, OH (The attendance today outranked Amy Marie's Baptism) since shortcuts were practically nonexistent, and the new house is a lot larger, though I'll miss the old house and its traditional charm.

Speaking of charm, Dan Sr. accompanied the singers on his guitar as we sang "Happy Birthday." Amy Marie had an individual birthday cake. (Kendal also had the same deal last year.) The cake (for all of us) was from Giant Eagle. (Pittsburgh based grocery store chain, but with a large presence in NE Ohio, Toledo, Columbus, and other areas) It met my expectations. Eventually, Laura opened up Amy Marie's presents and cards. It was mostly toys. She received a few of the same things. I had a brief moment of inspiration, but since there are so many toys out there, and people like to shop at a variety of stores, I decided that a gift registry would be quite "mindboggling." However, the value of gift cards has been clearly illustrated. By the way, Bob and I gave Amy Marie a Toys 'R' Us/Babies 'R' Us card. We sent Kendal a Kay Bee Card for her birthday (Bob wouldn't let me send a card without a present. I'll slip the coupons for baby products that I was going to give Kendal at her party in Marnie's birthday card that I'll send her this week. It should be in "safer hands." If you've read the Kendal-Hayden blog, you may get the humor. (This applies to people who don't know Marnie. In reality, she is a wonderful niece.)

In closing, today's party was a really fun event. It allowed me to reacquaint myself with Patrick, Amy (My niece, not the baby), and David, and to a lesser extent to some other people. It allowed me to see the new house. I'll see more of it as time goes on, but I am impressed. I hope that tomorrow's more "adult" party for Kathleen's birthday will be just as entertaining. Tune in to find out.

It May Have Been Hayden's Coronation, But Kendal Won the Crown.

I saw my Great Niece Hayden for the first time today. However, Kendal conveniently grabbed the spotlight as we also celebrated her birthday (It's really June 4th, but thanks to the three day weekend, Mike, Marnie, and company came in from Howell, MI for the weekend.). It was held at Mike's parents house in Medina, OH (about 30 miles South of Cleveland). It was a nice affair with food from Dominic's Pizza in Medina (Same as last year, (Pre-Blog)) and contributions from Maggie, Mandy, Lois, and perhaps others. Maybe the Kendal-Hayden blog could give some more insight. In addition to the mentioned participants, Mike Schabel, Marnie's brother-in-law Tim and his girlfriend, my brother Tim, and Mandy were present, as well as a lot of Mike Schmidt's relatives and some friends of Mike and Marnie. It was your typical child's birthday party with kids running around. A pinata of Elmo as well as Beanbag toss were also featured. However, Kendal opened up some presents when she felt like it before we could gather around to view the enjoyment. She didn't finish the job before most of us left. Eventually, I will let you know about the rest of Kendal's present opening.

There isn't much to say about Hayden except that she cried when Grandpa Tim held her, but it faded soon after he passed her off to someone else. She cried again later in the evening, but Marnie handled the situation. In closing, it was a party to remember.

Let us hope that Amy Marie's party next weekend is as successful.

Family News

A few weeks ago I learned that my niece Amy and her fiance David will be married on May 16, 2009. I expect to see them a week from tomorrow when we celebrate Amy Marie's first birthday. Of course, we will also see Dan and Laura's new house in the Warren, OH area.

Speaking of great nieces, I will be seeing Kendal and Hayden on Sunday at my niece's in-laws in Medina. It will be an early birthday party for Kendal, but it will allow some of us to see Hayden in person for the first time. They are coming in from Howell, MI. The Kendal and Hayden blog is now an "official" link.

If you haven't already noticed, I added some RSS feeds to my blog recently. The one from Boston is my favorite TV station in the market that I haven't seen live in person in almost 15 years. I should be seeing it next year, if not sooner when I go to visit Patty, Dan Sr., Amy, and David, either for the wedding or just to visit.

The Indianapolis one is one that I have never seen in person, but 8 is one of my favorite numbers, although Channel 3 (WKYC) is my favorite station here in Cleveland. (I don't watch Channel 8 (WJW) a lot, although I love most of the sitcoms that come from Fox. I have also peeked at Mike and Juliet, That's Life, (Robin Swoboda's program (Go to http://www.myfoxcleveland.com for details, if you are from out of town.)) Tyra, and other shows throughout the day.) The main reason that WISH is here is because the call letters sound cool.

These sites are my first forays into RSS feeds. Widgets are easier, but these two RSS feeds are worth it. As far as I am concerned, widgets and RSS feeds both serve the purpose of providing outside information to personal web sites. I hope that you enjoy these widgets. There may be more to come.

My next report will deal with the Kendal and Hayden festivities on Sunday. Read the Kendal-Hayden blog for more details, if they are available. Enjoy the Memorial Day weekend wherever you are.

Amy's Engagement

Two weeks ago, my niece Amy was engaged to be married to David Goldberg. The wedding will occur either in the Spring or Fall of 2009. Details on the wedding will be given when I learn them.

There's A Hero in the Making, But the Coach Deserves Some Credit, Too.

On Thursday, Hayden Nicole Schmidt came into the world. I am now a great-uncle of three (Kendal Schmidt and Amy (Marie) Sweeney are the others.). When I first heard the name, I thought my sister Maggie said Katie or Katy, but after reading the Kendal-Hayden blog, I played back the message which confirmed that I misheard. It would have been nice to be named after my second cat, but being named after a cheerleader or coach on TV is just fine. Jane Fonda's ex-husband also comes to mind. Go to http://kendalmarie.blogspot.com for pictures and other statistics, but come back here for "education".

Tomorrow morning, my taxes will be in the mail. They weren't complicated, but Bob (My brother) had to double-check my work. "Commitments" and procrastination are the main causes for the delay. Maybe next year, late January or early February will be the goal.

I'm on the hunt for more "widgets." Please check back for updates. It could be fun.

Family Fun

Easter was a fun event. It was held at Mike (Schabel) and Maggie's house. The participants besides the hosts and myself were Kathleen, Bob, Joe, Mandy, and her boyfriend, Paul. We had plenty to eat. Ham and all sorts of vegetables and appetizers were featured. Dessert was "simple", but we filled up on everything else. Except for Paul, the same cast was in the same place on Bob's birthday luncheon (It was Super Bowl Sunday.) on February 3.

Two weeks after Bob's birthday, we celebrated Tim's birthday at Dimitri's. (See earlier posts for the general location.) In addition to Tim, his companion Lois was at this event. (The cast of characters from Bob's party were all in attendance.) Tim played "catch up" with birthday gifts for Joe, Bob, and Maggie. It's not everyday that other people get to enjoy gifts from the birthday boy. (I was a beneficiary at Amy Marie's Christening a week after my birthday. By the way, I also celebrated at Dimitri's with Bob, Kathleen, Maggie, Mike (Schabel), and Mandy as guests.) We all enjoyed ourselves at this party. It is rare when a family function isn't enjoyable.

In other news, Dan, Laura, and Amy Marie have moved into their new house outside of Warren, OH. I can't wait to see it. Their "old" house was nice, but the "occupancy limit" was pretty close to being violated at Amy Marie's Baptism. At least, the party went smoothly as reported in a previous post.

Marnie hasn't had the baby yet, but it should happen within the next few weeks. I hope that things go smoothly. Kendal needs some more excitement (Just kidding!).

On Easter Monday, Bob, Kathleen, and I visited our Aunt Rita in Westlake, OH. It had been over nine months since I had seen her. She's still the same character that she's always been. We sure enjoyed her hospitality over many Christmases over the years. My mom must have enjoyed having her as a sister. Too bad, Mom's missing all the fun, but so is Dad. They're probably having fun in heaven. Tune in to find out more.

There Will Be No Howlin' in Howland Tonight!

Dan, Laura, and Amy Marie will not be moving tomorrow from Chardon to Howland (Both in Ohio). There have been some technical delays that should be all resolved soon. The snowstorm tomorrow would have made it an adventure anyway. For my readers outside of my family and/or outside of NE Ohio, go to the WKYC widget on the left side of this page for more details. As a happy result of the delay, my sister Patty is staying with my brother and me for a few days. Let's hope that we are not snowed in today.

Howlin' in Howland

My nephew Dan (who turned 34 yesterday), his wife Laura, and their baby Amy Marie are moving from Chardon, OH to Howland, OH (Near Warren, OH) next weekend. His mom (My Sister) and his dad will be coming in separately from Lancaster, MA to help. Meanwhile, I'll be having fun doing all sorts of research on the area. I have seen a picture of the house that my sister sent in an e-mail. It looks quite nice. I hope that they are very happy there.

Eventually, you will hear about my brothers' birthday parties that happened this past month.

New Widget

There is a new Widget on this blog. It comes from the Tri-Cities area of Tennessee and Virginia. Hopefully, there will be more of these. I found this through a link from one of my Internet discussion groups. I was learning about some grocery stores closing in the Washington, D.C. area. The message had a link to a newspaper story. The newspaper's Website had a link to its corporate owner's Website. I chose a TV station at random, and the rest is history. I've never been to the Tri-Cities area (or Houston for that matter), but we can all learn something that may be useful.



The expected post will be forthcoming.

The McDonnells at Christmas

There is a picture of most of the participants at my sister and brother-in-law's Christmas dinner at http://kendalmarie.blogspot.com/ . Read the second comment from the December 31 post for all the details on who's who. For those who weren't there, guess who took the picture based on my previous post. By the way, comments are no longer restricted to Google members, but they are moderated to avoid spam. I will be notified if someone comments. Since I don't have any comments yet, maybe I will make a comment so I can learn the process of acceptance. I hope that it is just like accepting members into one of my Yahoo groups which I moderate. (My Moderator Status is a total mystery to me.) Tune in to find out.

I also promised to reveal the results of the Family Gift Exchange. I hope that you enjoy it. Who's who may be found throughout my blog and within my comment on Kendal's Blog, but you can make a comment if you have any questions (Non-Family Members, Please!)

Giver Receiver

Kathleen: Maggie

Patty: Mike Schabel

Tim: Mike Schmidt

Maggie: Marnie

Joe: Bob

Bob: Lois

Bill: Kathleen

Dan Sweeney Sr.: Patrick

Mike Schabel: Dan Sweeney Sr.

Lois: Mandy

Dan Sweeney Jr.: Bill

Patrick: Laura

Mandy: Dan Sweeney Jr.

Marnie: Amy

Amy: Tim

Laura: Patty

Mike Schmidt: Joe

Kendal and Amy Marie were not participants in the Gift Exchange.

This exercise taught me that " u" allows for underlining, but the old posts will stay the same to illustrate this lesson.