Greetings All from Shenyang, China!
As I write this, it's the afternoon of New Years Eve here in China...by the time some of you read this, it will already be 2011! Wow, where did the year go?
Many of you know, Rod and I were able to go to the US for Christmas, and what a wonderful, albeit short, time we had visiting friends and family. As my FB friends know, we were saddened by the passing of my uncle Harry Hill just before Christmas. A fine Christian man, after more than 10 years suffering from the disease of Alzheimers, he was finally released from that prison of Alzheimers. God bless him and his family. There were many highlights of the visit...but I'll only mention three here in this note: 1) I was able to attend a surprise birthday party for my best friend Joellen (we've known each other and been friends since we were both 5 years old!) Her daughters were able pull off a party and I was able to attend. The venue, a lodge in Veterans Park in Hamilton Ohio was particularly beautiful that night with snow and Christmas lights! We had a wonderful time!
Veteran's Park lodge in Hamilton, OH
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| Sarah Miller and Joellen Cummins...an embrace of friends |
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| Sarah Miller and Joellen at her surprise 50th! |
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| A snow-covered Veteran's park lodge at Christmas |
Sarah Miller and Joellen Cummins...best friends for life!
2) the second highlights was to go to the Christmas eve service in the little country church where I attended church as a child with my father. The Christmas pageant has changed yet stayed the same over the years...this year, it was very similar to when I was a kid. I seemed to always be an angel..my shining hour was to be Gabriel...but obviously my acting career really never took off...I guess I wasn't very good a standing still though all the verses of "Oh Holy Night" with that tinsel halo scratching my head and my aluminum foil wings weighing heavily on my shoulders!
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| St Paul Lutheran Church, Chatham, KY |
St. Paul Lutheran Church, Chatham, KY in Bracken County in the snow on Christmas Eve. (Chatham is a bump in the road...no post office or stores there anymore, just a community of houses, 2 churches and 1 nursing home)...but it will always be a special place in my heart). This was the first time I had been back since my Dad passed away in 2008. He was indeed there in spirit.
3) The third highlight was to see our little grand daughter Olivia. She is almost 21 months old now, and adorable!
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| Olivia with Nana Sarah |
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| Pappaw Rod with Olivia |
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| Olivia with Nana Sarah |
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| Olivia with Pappaw Rod |
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| Olivia Miller in her Panda hat |
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| Rachael, Olivia and Christopher Miller |
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| Olivia, Sarah, Angela Miller Hamilton and Rod Miller |
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| Hope, Sarah Angela John |
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| 3 Millers: Angela Rod and John |
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| 3 Generations of Millers: pappaw Rod, Olivia and Christopher |
Our trip back to Shenyang was uneventful...and I'm grateful we came back when we did...because when we landed, it was lightly snowing and cold! Today, I went out to watch the snow removal...
There is a crew that shovels the sidewalk and puts in the road, and another crew that comes by with a truck and wagon and shovels the road snow into the wagon.
I guess when you have over a billion people in the country and need to keep everyone employed, it's OK to have snow crews like this...I've only seen big snow plows on the airport run ways...I would think they are other places...but I haven't seen them! All I've seen are these shovel crews...amazing!
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| Snow removal, Shenyang style |
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| Have wheels will travel! Cold and snow? No problem with my scooter equipped with mittens! |
But, here in Shenyang just because it snows, it doesn't stop the traffic or the need to move!
Notice the mitten type things that are attached to the scooter to keep your hands warm...these people have an amazing sense of balance..ice and snow doesn't mean no go! By the way, it has warmed up here...High today was 21F with a low of 6F...I don't think many of us reading or writing this note would want to brave that and get on the scooter
So, with my last update of 2010...I wish you all a Happy New Year and may we all enjoy good health, prosperity and wisdom to see all God's blessings in our lives!
Keep those emails and prayers coming!!
Rod & Sarah
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