Tonight

Cold and clear...a quiet night of homemade pizza and watching old movies...we are all tired from the week.  After dinner Nancy went to bed and I read Bear from a book written here nearly a century ago called "The old man and me" about a grandpa and a young boy growing up in coastal NC maybe around the early 1900s.  So much of it rings true in its homey parlance about hunting and camping with life lessons interwoven with local color.  Bear fell asleep after two paragraphs but I read another page or so just because.  Anyway, afterwards I put on my coat and went down to the dock to reflect on the day.  The reflecting I would have done though was eclipsed by the brilliant night sky of 10 million stars reflecting on the still waters of the slough.  It takes my breath away each time I see it.  Not a sound other than the waves crashing on the beach...no other light than that of distant houses and maybe one or two street lights a mile away.  I can see the pulse of the Oak Island lighthouse 10 miles to the East, occasionally something jumps and splashes in the water near our dock.  I am reminded of the brevity of our life, the importance of family and friends, the immenseness of the universe and the beauty of our small home here.  I know that it will not last and that makes it even more precious.  To bed now and to sleep...God Bless.

Bear stuff

So tonight in the car my 10 year old son Bear asked me about health insurance.  Specifically he asked what health insurance we had.  I asked him why he cared and he said that when he grows up he wants to know what the right choices are for insurance, banks, ect.  I was of course interested and again asked him why and he said that since we were doing okay he wants to do well also.  I laughed but then he asked me if they ever taught that stuff in school and I said no they don't really.  Bear then asked why they don't teach you the stuff that you need to know to get by in life...thats pretty sobering if you think about it.  Maybe we need to rethink what we are really teaching.......

News Flash:

Okay so not really a news flash because it happened a couple of weeks ago. 

A baby was born in the little town of Mankato December 20th.  The mother Jade and the baby's father, my son Matt, wrapped the baby in swaddling clothes (actually onsies) and laid him in the arms of all the friends and family present over the holidays.

The significance of this event may not rival that of 2000 years ago but it was still pretty precious to us.  It also made Nancy and I officially grandparents!  Even though I held off when I turned 50, I may now have to join AARP just on principle.

We are back Oak Island where it is warmer than Minnesota but this is not saying much as my deep freezer is warmer than Minneosta right now.  We succumbed to the rigors of travel and hanging out with family and we all now have the flu...anyway we will repair in a few days.

Happy New Year!

Happy Holidays from the Von Horns!
It has been an amazing year, full of change.
We left Minnesota for coastal North Carolina in August.  After living in MN for most of our adult lives, we both had portable jobs and just had to see what life in another locale would be like.  We drug Bear, our 10 year old and our dog, Bandit, to Oak Island, NC.  Nancy and Bear had never seen the house until we rolled into the driveway, August 2. What can we say, the house and the island defy description as far as views go.  This is small town living with only 7,000 or so full time residents.  Bear is acclimating to the school and pace and we feel like the youngest non-retires in the area...lol.
We do miss our families back in the frozen north and the familiarity, but we enjoy learning about a new area and love the southern charm, especially being called “honey” and “sweetie” by the locals. Some highlights have been seeing baby sea turtles hatch on the beach and watching dolphins swim right by our house. You can’t beat the great weather, incredible seafood (caught right off our dock), and the ocean at our backdoor.  Who knows where this will take us but you have to scratch some itches sometimes. 
Nancy's work with a startup online education company has been on again off again but it is on for now and she likes her work as a career strategist Jeff is working for a software services company and has been a quick study in a new role. Our dog, Bandit, is in puppy heaven, running without a leash on the beach and swimming in the ocean.  Bear enjoys skateboarding, taking Saxophone lessons from an 83 year old Jazz musician and making the townie girls crazy.

Our big kids are all on journeys of their own.  Meghan is in Milwaukee and is the queen of yoga and healthy living, working several jobs and enjoying a free style life after college.  Will is in Eau Claire and is 1 year into a new degree in Engineering.  He will be likely relocating to the Twin Cities next fall to continue his studies.  Matt is working in Mankato and he and his girlfriend are expecting our first grandchild at Christmas.

Nancy's Mom and Dad are doing okay although age and Parkinson’s are taking their toll on Bud, Nancy's Dad.  Jeff's dad is living in St Paul and is active in the Church and local community.
We are grateful for this year of adventure and opportunity.  We miss our many friends and hope to hear from you in the New Year.  We are reminded of your love and friendship and wish you peace and prosperity in 2014.

Love,
Jeff and Nancy Von Horn