John Stanko

I have been a lazy blogger the last few weeks.  We had a great Christmas, joined here in PIttsburgh by Diana, my sister-in-law.  Yesterday I had our annual PurposeQuest International board meeting and today I am off to an early board meeting with my friend Tim Blanarik, who founded a group called REACH.  Then tonight my wife and I attend a debutante ball of sorts at the William Penn Hotel sponsored by the Jack and Jill organization.  Our friend, Karla Byrd, has her daughter, Catherine, in the ball and we are going to celebrate with them. I had to get out my tux for this one, and my wife had to let out the waist -- just a little.

Tomorrow we are off to New York City where we are going to see our son and deliver some of my mother's furniture for him to have and use.  We will only be in the City for two days, then it's off via Amtrak to Washington DC to visit my favorite mother-in-law.  (She always reminds me that she is my only mother-in-law, but then I respond that if I had 100 mothers-in-law, she would still be my favorite!).  We will be there for a few days and then it is back to Pittsburgh to get back into the swing of things with the post-holiday blues.

One of our highlights of the season for us was our neighborhood get together prior to Christmas.  Since we are living in a new subdivision, all of us are new neighbors, so we thought we would take a chance and have an open house.  Of the 17 households we invited, 13 came by and we had a great evening by all accounts.  My wife set a great table of desserts and everyone mixed and talked with ease.  We hope to do it again next year.

Our Christmas was simple, with both children not able to make it home.  It may have been simple, but it was still a grand time, although we certainly missed my mother with this being the first Christmas that she wasn't here.  So that's the news from the Stanko household.  I hope you are enjoying the season and we wish you  a belated Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year in advance (one late and one early, oh well).