A lot has happened since August 2009. Josh returned home and settled back in, while he searches for scarce jobs in the depressed hospitality industry. Seems that luxury hotels don't have too many customers these days, what with 10% unemployment and corporate travel and entertainment budgets in the toilet.

At just about the same time, Sarah went to Israel on a 6-month work/study program. She lived in Ashdod, a coastal community south of Tel Aviv. It is Israel's fifth largest city whose population mushroomed in the early 90s with an influx of 100,000 Russian olim. Sarah told us that her looks earned her a Russian nickname, since any paleface in Ashdod is automatically assumed to be Russian. And before we knew it, Sarah's program was over. We met her at the 5am El Al flight in Newark, first of the day, on January 5th. Yawn. It sure is easy to drive though Newark in the wee hours.

So here it is, February 11th. The most recent snow storm has ended. Only about 12 inches in the backyard. The snowblowers worked. So did the garage doors (had to replace one of them before the storm). It is perfect snowball/snowman snow. The kind that clogs up the snowthrowers so that they keep stalling out. But the birds were out and chirping as we removed snow AGAIN today. Tonight the plows won't come through again. One can hope. Camillo Drive looks like a Currier & Ives painting.

So what else is happening with the Weis clan? The Pocono country house has been used this winter - its fireplace is wonderful. Maybe we get to return for another President's Day weekend. Depends on family - Sarah is leaving for a weekend with friends upstate. Josh is recovering from a bug. Tomorrow night is Carmen at the NJ PAC. After that - who knows. The real Currier and Ives scenes are up there, only 2 hours away from our NJ house. In Lords Valley, PA.