Happy New Year!!!!!!!

Oh my......I didn't realize I hadn't blogged at all in December. Well....I am going to do my best to catch everyone up on the Westcott happenings.



Over Veteran's Day weekend we took a trip to Trujillo in northern Peru. We visited some very interesting pre-Inca ruins. This is the God of the Moche people. He was called the "Beheader God". Human sacrafices included beheading, skinning and bodily mutilation. Sounds like a bad deal to me.....



The four of us went for a hike up this HUGE sand hill next to Huaca Luna. It looked steep before we began and it looked really steep while we were climbing. We made it about half way up before we turned back. It was actually dangerous and not just a Sunday stroll. Note to self...don't wear Keens while hiking in sand as they fill up with sand with every step.



Parque Reserva with Mom and Dad while they visited for the Christmas holiday.



Peruvian hairless dog vs. llama......Pachacamac, Lima, Peru



My empleada, Fidela, and her daughter Kiara. She allows me to do very little and still have a clean house and food on the table. It's a good gig....I wonder if I could include them in my household goods shipment when we PCS next time.



Paracas, Peru for lunch....on our way to Ica, Peru for the weekend. Enjoyed watching a Peruvian duo playing guitars and pan flutes sing "My Way" by Frank Sinatra.



Tacama winery Ica, Peru. We stayed at Las Dunas Hotel and it was great. Very relaxing. I would recommend it. The kids and I got to take a horse ride for an hour out on the sand dunes. The horses actually ran......Ouch....



My new thing....lighted holiday blocks. Dad and I had a great time making them. They made some great gifts. Get ready for next year.



2009's Christmas tree



Heath with his new charcoal starter. Apparently Peruvian charcoal doesn't want to burn very easily.



A very nice Christmas dinner.

Thanks for the great visit Mom and Dad.....we miss you and the house is quiet (well kind of...Garth and Grace are still here). See you in February for the "Southern Peru Trek".

Sports Day Colegio Newton

York, York, York, York...........York rules....even though we got last place. Every year Newton has a Sports Day. When students enroll in the school they are made part of a House a la Hogworts. Being a British style school the Houses are British. We were made part of the York house. Lancaster, Tudor and Windsor are the others. My only request would be that York not be the yellow house. The parents wear the house colors as well and yellow is not my best color. I want to be green (my best color). I think it would be considered poor form to wear the Tudor color of green and claim to be part of the York House....Que lastima.......The theme this year was conservation and living a grean lifestyle. The competitions reflected the theme. There is a traditional Tug-o-War at the end for both the children and the parents. The parents are part of the houses as well. I thought we would be formidable in the Tug-0-War, but we got beat badly. Better luck next year........

Happy Birthday Garth

My first born is 12.......I am a few days late, however, the big day was 11/24. I remember the day Garth was born like it was yesterday. Now my baby is almost as tall as I am, his feet are bigger than mine and he eats a TON. We had a great time at his party. He and 10 of his friends got to play paint ball. GOOD TIMES......Here's to you Garth.....WE LOVE YOU.

Sporting Westcott Style

This past Saturday we had to divide and conquer. I went with Grace to her partido de basket (basketball game) and Heath went with Garth to his partido de futbol (soccer). Before Grace and I arrived at her game she told me that they would be playing a team whose members were 13-14 years old. Grace plays on a team of 10-11 year olds. As usual I thought she had lost something in translation as her basketball coach speaks only spanish. Well...I was wrong. Imagine my surprise when in walks the other team all, "Bras, boobs and braces". Pre estrogen vs. post estrogen, little girl vs. big girl, the short against the tall. Suffice it to say the post estrogenic state lends itself to superior sporting abilities, however, the pre-estrogenic-short-little girls "out scrapped" their opponents big time....BRING IT ON! Newton Colegio RULES

Credit Where Credit Is Due

I have to confess....many of my blog ideas from my friend Rebecca Brown's blog. For example, this new blog background site. You can see her blog by clicking the link I have on my page. So.....Thanks Rebecca. Hope all is well with you in NC. Chow........

To Us.....

As Breast Cancer Awareness Month comes to a close I wanted to extend a "Job Well Done" to all my breast cancer surviving sisters. I feel blessed and extremely lucky to be able to call myself a survivor. I am living a better life because I had cancer and I wanted to say, "Here's to you friends".....I love you- Lynda, Vickie, Julie, Susan, Cindy, Sandie.

Retirement...Watch Out

My friend Marv sent me this joke. I had to pass it along. All you men out there who play golf and are retired....I'd be careful if I were you.

It is important for men to remember that, as women grow older, it becomes harder for them to maintain the same quality of housekeeping as when they were younger.
When you notice this, try not to yell at them.

Some are over-sensitive, and there's nothing worse than an over-sensitive woman.

My name is Jim.

Let me relate how I handled the situation with my wife, Peggy.


When I retired a few years ago, it became necessary for Peggy to get a full-time job along with her part-time job, both for extra income and for the health benefits that we needed.

Shortly after she started working, I noticed she was beginning to show her age.

I usually get home from the golf club about the same time she gets home from work and although she knows how hungry I am, she almost always says she has to rest for half an hour or so before she starts dinner.

I don't yell at her.

Instead, I tell her to take her time and just wake me when she gets dinner on the table.

I generally have lunch in the Men's Grill at the club so eating out twice is not reasonable. I'm ready for some home-cooked grub when I hit that door.

She used to do the dishes as soon as we finished eating.

But now it's not unusual for them to sit on the table for several hours after dinner. I do what I can by diplomatically reminding her several times each evening that they won't clean themselves.

I know she really appreciates this, as it does seem to motivate her to get them done before she goes to bed.

Another symptom of aging is complaining, I think. For example she will say that it is difficult for her to find time to pay the monthly bills during her lunch hour.

But, boys, we take 'em for better or worse, so I just smile and offer encouragement. I tell her to stretch it out over two or even three days. That way she won't have to rush so much.

I also remind her that missing lunch completely now and then wouldn't hurt her any (if you know what I mean).

I like to think tact is one of my strong points.

When doing simple jobs, she seems to think she needs more rest periods. She had to take a break when she was only half finished mowing the lawn..

I try not to make a scene. I'm a fair man.

I tell her to fix herself a nice, big, cold glass of freshly squeezed lemonade and just sit for awhile.

And, as long as she is making one for herself, she may as well make one for me too.

I know that I probably look like a saint in the way I support Peggy. I'm not saying that showing this much consideration is easy. Many men will find it difficult. Some will even find it impossible!

Nobody knows better than I do how frustrating women get as they get older.

However, guys, even if you just use a little more tact and less criticism of your aging wife because of this article, I will consider that writing it was well worthwhile. After all, we are put on this earth to help each other.

Signed, Jim


EDITOR'S NOTE:

Jim died suddenly on May 27 of a perforated rectum.


The police report says he was found with a Calloway extra long 50-inch Big Bertha Driver II golf club jammed up his rear end, with barely 5 inches of grip showing and a sledge hammer lying nearby.

His wife Peggy was arrested and charged with murder.

The all-woman jury took only 15 minutes to find her Not Guilty, accepting her defense that Jim somehow, without looking, accidentally sat down on his golf club.