Parker's photo

From Bobbi Jo (Donna's oldest daughter): i wanted everyone to know parker and i are doing well. parker is now 5. he has decided to join karate. he is 3/4 of the way to earn his gold belt.

2008 Christmas

Merry Christmas everybody.

Anne & Jerry, Kathy & John, Mom and I did the traditional Christmas eve family thing in Jackson. I got to cook the ham, tortellini, ham/potato & corn chowder, an oatmeal-honey loaf of bread, and a salmon for dinner. Anne prepared the vegetables and Kathy brought along dessert. The spirits were flowing.

Afterwards we had the gift exchange. Mom got a lot of clothes.

For the two nights before the gathering I made crozchiki and took one batch into work Tuesday morning. The other batch got divided in two. We ate one batch Christmas Eve and packaged the second one for Cincinnati. Hey John, make sure Kathy delivers it to you.

Nancy's girls visited her in Florida. And John, Heidi and his girls were home in Ohio.

People were getting a bit freaky with the nice, mild weather we had last night and today. I remember a few Christmases like that, so it's nothing unusual.

I was able to ride the motorcycle this afternoon. It was a wee bit chilly (around 40 degrees) but it still made for a nice ride. You just have to bundle up a bit, that's all.

We have photos from last night on Flickr. They can be viewed at http://www.flickr.com/photos/22036136@N07/sets/72157611593953011/

Have a great New Year's Day!

December milestones

Birthdays:
8: Marcella Meegan
10: Brad Leddick
12: Jerry Gilbert
21: Jimmy Meegan
23: Carole Walsh
24: Donna Meegan
26: Theresa Yackel
29: Christopher O'Donnell
30: Lucy Meegan
30: Ann Michaels

Anniversaries:
4: M & Peter Benando
24: Janina & Donald Bradshaw
30: Ann & Jody Michaels

21: Uncle Pete died

John's visit

John came out from Cincinnati to visit Mom and what did she do? She put him to work!

Actually, John volunteered to buy and put into place plastic shields over the gutter and thus keep the leaves out.

It was a great visit.

Happy Thanksgiving

It seems like we've all done something special this Thanksgiving.

Nancy's daughters came home for dinner.

Anne & Jerry made the trip out to Jackie's

Kathy, Rammer & John came out to Mom's for the day after Thanksgiving. And I got to cook the dinner: potato-corn-ham chowder; turkey & stuffing; stuffed pork chops; steak pinwheels; macaroni & cheese; mashed potatoes; fried corn & apples; green beans with onions. And Kathy & John provided dessert pies!

Among these photos are cupcakes I made.

Ya gotta have heart!

Hey all,

For the past week and a half I wasn't feeling well and finally went to Kimball to check it out. I was concerned that I was getting close to having a heart attack. A day later and a few tests, they didn't find anything though I have to do a stress test Wednesday. I think it was stress, doing too much, that sort of thing, that caused it. But I'm fine and home and back to doing a few things, trying to reduce the stress.

Larry

November's milestones

Birthdays:
3: Pat Williams
4: Derek Sotherden
4: Gary Lefferty
5: Betty Ann Vobril
5: Aunt Kay would have been 86
5: Aunt Bessie would have been 96
6: Stephanie Hall
9: Mary Suarez
10: Cameron Johnson
11: Shannon Walsh
12: Annette Meegan
14: Max Cuper
16: Kelly Meegan
19: Bobbi-Jo Rowan
19: Donald Hall
20: Alfreda Watts
21: Ethan O'Donnell
22: Brandon Meegan
25: Sandra MacFarlane
25: Parker Rowan

Election 2008

Okay, it's all over but the counting. Mom and I got out to vote around 6:30 this morning. There were more people at the polls than I'd ever seen before, yet we were out in about 10 minutes. There's no question about who we support. Even the pup supports Barak Obama.

Mom is home

Okay, sorry I'm a couple of days late but it has been a bit hectic for me, what with Kiwanis and work and keeping an eye on Mom as she recovers.

Dr. Patel performed an angioplasty late Wednesday afternoon. By early Thursday afternoon I was driving Mom home from Jersey Shore University Medical Center. She is getting stronger each day and even walked to the end of the block with Anne & Butch. She said she felt better than she did a week or so ago when the same walk tired her out.

She will have to go back in about six weeks for another angioplasty on the other side of the heart.

She's had visitors. Nancy flew up for the operation and returned home Saturday. Kathy & Rammer came out Saturday and drove Nancy to the Philadelphia airport for her flight. Anne & Jerry stopped by this afternoon. And Mom's friend Dolores stopeed by to deliver Communion.

Mom's operation

Mom's operation went great! So well, in fact, that Dr. Patel says she will probably go home Thursday. He'll examine her in the morning and give me a call.

Butch got the chance to say hello. We got a "head's up" call from the nurses that Mom would be transported from Kimball to Jersey Shore University Medical Center between 12:15 & 12:30 in the afternoon, so I asked Butch if he wanted to go for a ride. He's always up for that. We got to Kimball around 11:45 and had to stand around till about 1:15 but they finally wheeeled Mom out and he got to say "hi!"

The folks who were not in the know weren't quite sure what to make of it, having a dog around the entrance of the ER. And they just happened to have a county emergency drill going on at the same time so we made sure we didn't get in any one's way. For the most part Butch sat at my feet just watching. Security wasn't too happy with us, but then again, if it went smoothly we wouldn't need them now, would we? And a man who worked at the hospital came over telling me that he has a Pug also. And then he brought out a bed pan with water in it for Butch. At least, I think it was water. Must have been 'cause Butchy didn't complain.

Anne and Nancy found out we could use cell phones in Jersey Shore so after the operation we placed a couple of phone calls with my speaker phone. Mom talked with Kathy & John, John & Heidi, Mom's friend Dolores and Mom's sister Aunty Jenny. Later on I called Pat in Arizona and Ray in Michigan.

Dr. Patel found one of the blood vessels was 99% blocked so he opened that up and put a stint in there. There were a couple of more blockages, one @ 90% that is in a bad location and they will probably treat that with drugs and another at 80% blocked that they will have her come in in about six weeks to open up. They said there was too much stress on the heart and too much dye so it would be best to give everything some extra time to stabilize. I'll have her raking leaves by Saturday!

Anyway, thanks for all your prayers.

I'll write again when she gets back home.

Mom's heart attack

Hey all,
Mom had a heart attack on Friday morning, a mild one. In fact, she didn’t even know she had one, saying there was no pain when she had it. She just slumped down to the floor and passed out. I found her on the floor a little later and called 9-1-1.
After running some tests they determined it was a heart attack. According to one of her doctors women often don’t have the same symptoms of a heart attack as men have. For Mom it was a feeling of indigestion for about a week. Cousin Pat said she had a pain in the neck for a few days that even with the strongest of pain killers wouldn’t go away.
Mom goes to Jersey Shore University Medical Center Wednesday for catherization and probably angioplasty. Hopefully they won’t need to do a bypass.
The poor pup, he's lost without Mom. He just mopes around and wasn't eating. The cat on the other hand, he's pretty independent. As long as he gets his food and can torment someone (me) to let him out at 4 a.m. he won't even notice. I have a plan to have butchy see Mom as they shift her to the ambulance for the transport to Jersey Shore.

October milestones

Birthdays:
1- Shawna Jenkins
2- Anne Meegan
2- Richard Meegan
5- Michael Meegan
5- Maddie Meegan
13- Dolores Meegan
14- Betty Skinner
14- Larry Meegan (not me)
21- Liz Irvin
24- Patrick O'donnell
29- Michael Meegan

Anniversaries:
7- Barbara & Robert Gocinski

28- Aunt Mary died

Laurita Winery

After seven years or so my friend Randy and his business parnter Ray opened Laurita Winery to the public yesterday. The rain held off for the whole event and everybody thoroughly enjoyed themselves. Thanks Rand & Barb for inviting me.

A lot of friends were there, some I hadn't seen in a long time.

A couple of friends helped him out with the final preparations for the opening. Sue Langford decorated the interior. What a change from the last time I saw it. Two years ago my god daughter Rebecca was married to Anthony in the place and all it was back then was a few beams on a concrete foundation. And here is my great god daughter.

Daine Black is now running the B&B for him. She calls it her "ideal job," something she has wanted to do all her life. Another dream fulfilled.

This has been a real passion for Randy and I'm so glad that he has seen it work out so well. I missed the opening comments because I was cooking for the annual Jackson PBA Pig Roast, but I was told he got so choked up in his opening comments that he was unable to finish. Randy, we friends share in your joy.

I took a couple of photos, but not too many. I felt it was intrusive. I also took about 130 photos at the Pig Roast. But here are a some of them.

Sophie & Lucy

Sophie has taken one of those big steps kids take without realizing just how significant they are: she lost her first tooth. Wonder of wonders, huh? Here she is with Lucy marveling at it in a case. When John told her that the tooth fairy was going to give her something for that, she asked if the tooth fairy could give Lucy something, too. Cute, huh? John says she lost her second tooth the other day. She keeps that up she'll start looking like Dad did.

John also took the girls and their friend Donovan fishing It seems they were skunked and so he mentioned it to the old fisherman (me, or maybe I just smell like one) so I suggested he go to a smaller hook (a 10 or 12.) Sure 'nuff, their next time out they caught their first fishes.

Way cool!

September milestones

September birthdays

Sept. 2: Valerie Meegan
Sept. 10: LeRaine Jenkins
Sept. 14: Barbara O'Donnell
Sept. 15: Sophie Belle Meegan
Sept. 25: Nancy Hout

cruising the night away

I took Mom on what was supposed to be a fireworks cruise Thursday. It was a fund raiser by the Circle K group that I am involved with. Well, the fireworks were cancelled because the wind was blowing in from the ocean and last year a little boy was killed when an canister from a fireworks show drifted onto the beach. New rule, they don't have fireworks under those conditions. It was the second time the fireworks were cancelled on us. So this time, instead of a fireworks cruise, we spent two hour (just like the Minnow of Gilligan's Island fame) off the coast going as far north as Asbury Park and as far south as Lavallette.

Memorial service for Eddie & Carol Yackel

Mom and I went to the memorial service held at The National Cemetary in Farmingdale, NY for Eddie and Carol Yackel. Their cremains were placed in the ground where their still-born son was also buried. On the Kuch side attending the service were Betty Ann and Charlie Vrobil, Peggy Walsh Suarez, Patty Walsh Casper, Mom and myself.

August Milestones

Birthdays
10: Grandma Mary Meegan (117-deceased)
25: Larry Meegan (deceased)

Anniversaries
8: John & Heidi Meegan (10 years!)
15: Jim & Alfreda Meegan (1953)

Kathy's graduation party

We had a great time at Kathy's graduation party Saturday (June 5) night. Great food. Great friends. Great refreshments, or so I'm told.
Here is one of the photos from the party. I posted 40 more photos on Flickr. Here is the link: http://www.flickr.com/photos/22036136@N07/sets/72157606013877185
Larry

July milestones

Birthdays:
6-Billy Walsh (Kuch)
8-Aunt Alfreda
9-Jack Hayden (Donna's husband)
13-Heidi Meegan (John's wife)
18-Eddie Leddick
21-Aunt Mary O'Donnell (deceased)
26-Tony Pokora (Kuch-deceased)
28-John Rammer (Kathy's husband)
30-Aunt Flo Leddick (deceased)

Anniversaries:
6-Dotty O'Boyle
13-Tim & Geraldine Meegan (17 yrs)
26-Kathy & John Rammer

Other events:
25-Carol Yackel memorial service on Long Island

Butch keeps guard

Butch keeps guard over the family.

Kathy graduates

After 12 years of night school Kathy graduated with her BA in business. Way to go Kathy! Not only did she graduate, but she graduated magna cum laude!

'gator wrestling

So Sophie confides to Dad: "I growled at him to make sure he knew who was boss."

Welcome

Okay, today's the day for starting blogs. I did one for the Kiwanis Club of Jackson. Now I'm doing one for us Meegans. Feel free to comment!

Larry