Many people have read my newsletters & gone on to lead normal lives! Vol 19 2006 ©
SPEED FREAK … Ashley babe is a junior this year! … She has her learners permit and prudently uses it to out run every cop in Western PA … Whips in and out of the lanes with the truck drivers … Soda in one hand, cell phone in the other it’s a wonder she even remembers where the steering wheel is located … Sitting as her passenger on the way to early morning seminary is the high light of my day!? … Wooooosh, a little burned rubber left here and a little road kill left there … Hey, I’m signed up as an organ donor so I’ve nothing to fear – right?!! .. That’s if you like a little heart in your throat for breakfast that is!!
LEIH HOU SAI LEIH … (You are awesome)… Cameron wrapped up his adventure in Hong Kong and is a better man for having experienced a mission! … His Cantonese is incredible; one of the most bizarre sounding Chinese dialects I’ve ever heard. It’s fun listening to him chit chat with local Chinese folks and friends in the know … He enjoyed exceedingly powerful yet humbling experiences as he helped bring countless souls unto Christ … And he made a lasting impact on many … We have loved the letters, emails and phone calls from people expressing their love and appreciation for Elder Christeson … But most of all we admire and appreciate the depth of testimony he continues to cultivate and his wealth of knowledge and experience which has blessed our family as a result of this magnificent experience; but even more so we admire the incredible man in the making! … We were spoiled having him home again loving every moment of it but that ol’ revolving door of life is meant to endlessly turn so once again he is off making his mark in the world.
AHAAAAA, MY LITTLE PRETTY … A Valentine’s Day surprise for moi … An afternoon at the theater for two attending the Broadway musical ‘Wicked’ … Jon whisked me off for lunch at one of our fine dining favorites and then on to the matinee … I adored it! … Elphaba, the Wicked Witch of the West never sounded sooooo good … And holding hands with my sweetheart is about as close to Heaven as I’ll get in this life time!
Live, love, sing… Ashley inhales music like the rest of us do oxygen! … School chorus/band trip to Chicago last spring for adjudication was fab … She had a blast running around the city seeing the ‘Ferris Bueller’ (movie) hot spots and enjoying the musical ‘Wicked’ in between chorus competition … She enjoyed being in the spring musical ‘Hello Dolly’ … Is in both concert & chamber choir’s and was also selected for Madrigal choir so her days are spent in perfect harmony ... In addition, for one of her pieces at her voice recital she sang ‘Memories’ from Cats as a duet with friend Marc … It was MEOWarvelous!! … She has enjoyed several opportunities to sing solos in church and along with her daddy for our ward musical missionary open house; a very spiritual experience … She wrapped up 2006 with chorus concerts, the Madrigal dinner program & was the only female PHS student selected during district competition … Applause for Mr. Deluce, Ashley’s creatively innovative chorus teacher & mentor who guides her progress!
Now into her 4th year of private voice with Mrs. Steele, whom she adores, her technical ability and execution continue to blossom … Ash benefits greatly from Bridgett’s wisdom & expertise … With her last rehearsal at the Pittsburgh Opera under her belt and enduring a delayed flight from Chicago we finally got our little song bird home and into bed at 2:00 a.m. only to arise at 5:00 to hit the road again traveling to Ohio for the national vocal competition Bridgette enrolls her most promising students in each year… Competing a Capella in the classical and musical theater divisions with other high school and college students was incredible! … It was an eye opening experience as judges from various universities and music schools provided written critiques for each participant which was exceedingly helpful for Ashley! If a single note is not sung precisely or ones breathing or rhythm is off they catch it! … She was told that she has a beautiful voice, which we are all aware, but also specific areas wherein she can improve … She now has a divide and conquer mind set as she looks forward to next years competition at NATS!
POSITIVELY FOURTH STREET … We kidnapped Jon and headed to Cleveland to the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame for his birthday surprise! … To view the special particularly nasal Bob Dylan exhibit of course, lol … Jon the die hard Dylan fan enjoyed every electrifying moment of it! … Artifacts, film, recordings … The legend lives on … In Wayfarer sunglasses, scruffy beard and devoted fans like Jon who appreciate the man who helped influence the verb of rock.
ANCORA IMARO (I am still learning - Michelangelo) … Hey dude … He’s back in college and tirelessly training to once again return to top form once NCAA regulations have been ironed out … The UofU eliminated their men’s track team while he was on his mission so he painfully made other plans … He enjoys his classes focused on international business, hanging out with all of his returned missionary friends, other college buddies and a gazillion blond girl friends, bottle dyed and otherwise, haha … Loves being able to see family and enjoy his western roots once again … Hates not having a car and having to rely on the good will of others never wanting people to feel he is imposing - but on especially bitter, cold days it sure helps to have a ride to transport groceries; so bless the hearts of those who help him! … And of course he delights in razzing the local culture … Ski junkies, plaid shirts, campers and “Hey dude, let’s hop on the quad and go out to the sand dunes!!!” … But hey, he grew up here in the land of gum bands, Yunz and people drinking beer at the Steelers games out of their Heinz catsup caps via an IV attached directly to their liver … So whose to say which neck of the woods is more bizarre as both have their own endearingly, unique charm!
SWEET SIXTEEN … The magic age to begin dating in our home … Wow, what a roller coaster ride it is! … She looked like a fairy princess in her tea length, powder pink tulle Homecoming gown a mid a sea of girls dressed in black … Jeans and band t-shirts rule when watching her dazzling drummer drum during a show … Running here there and everywhere with friends is great fun of course … Guys wanting to teach her everything from dirt bike racing, down hill skiing to driving a stick shift … It’s an entertaining, wild ride minute by minute … Oh the drama of it all!
CHINA … What a surprise it was to learn that Jon would be enjoying an adventure of his own flying off to mainland China on business and a little R&R … Captivating experience! … Beijing, Shanghai and Xi’an … A country where the communist government requires all neighborhoods to participate in daily group exercise, only one child per family is still the allotted number and the entire younger populace as a whole are agnostic looking upon ones ancestors religious beliefs (Buddhism, Confucianism) as being their parents fantasies and fairy tales … Jon was mesmerized as he walked on the Great Wall, toured the Forbidden City and enjoyed exotic musical & dance performances … Dined in the lap of luxury to the polar opposite at a peasants farm on baby eel soup, fresh skinned rabbit and fish that looked liked ones worst nightmare from the black lagoon … He was spellbound by centuries of history, rich culture and a country steeped in patriotism which looks forward to opening its window to the world via the upcoming Olympic Games in Beijing … Jon brought home keepsakes consisting of miniature china tea sets for our future grandchildren, jade chop sticks and other Asian delights … It was a once in a life time experience!
YO, WALKING KEN DOLL … Abercrombie & Fitch’s mark up is easily 200 percent! … Ripped and tattered attire that sells for more than our thirty year mortgage … Folding and refolding after teenyboppers hurl their non selected rejects every which way but Sunday … But for a college guy trying to earn some bucks to pay the bills you learn to grin, pose and rack up the sales! … The opposite end of the spectrum found Cam working for a landscaping outfit on the off days … Pitching mulch, mowing lawns, pulling weeds … Hot, humid, physically exhausting … But a guys gotta do what guys gotta do - right?! … If this doesn’t convince young adults that further education in all of their forms leads one toward more rewarding and lucrative careers I don’t know what will … Oh wait, maybe dressing up like a rooster for the local fast food joint or attempting to conduct mall surveys with tired, hostile shoppers?! … Hummmm …
MAY I HAVE A BOWL OF KIBBLES WITH THAT WOOOOF … Goodness gracious, we’ve turned into those kind of people we always snickered about! … Doggie fanatics … The kind who call their pets ‘sweetheart’ and ‘snuckums’ and dress them up in bat wings for Halloween and Santa hats for Christmas … And who are clueless otherwise that the beast is an animal and NOT a human being!! … Missy Belle Buttons surely rules the roost in this chicken coop! … The Homecoming Hound dog and her mommy Ashley even wore matching pink tulle gowns ala pre-Homecoming dance lol … Well, for all of ten seconds anyway before wildly running round and round in circles in an attempt to dislodge herself from the beads and bows and frilly little tutu! … One of Ashley’s teachers commented, “How inhumane!” just kidding of course but friends thought she was kibblicious! … To bad we didn’t spring to get her hair and nails done as well
UNSTRESSED, REFRESHED, INSPIRED but not yet RETIRED … Power Point, √ (check) … Lecture materials, √ (check) … An inordinate array of profiles, instruments, dialogues, hands on activities, visual aids, team building games, prizes and other zany motivational paraphernalia designed to challenge, educate, enlighten and entertain the masses enrolled in my professional development training workshops, √ (check) … Christeson & Assoc. continues to rock and roll training delightful employees from diverse work levels, businesses and industries! … But what I really want to know is if I will get an opportunity to do it all over again like back in the day in my twenty-something, size six, wrinkle free body minus the richer deeper voice, clear line bifocals and orthopedic shoes designed for the ‘seasoned’ female professional on the go lol ?! … Nope! … Did I hear you right? … Major downer dude!
GPA’s and SAT’s … Hey all y’all … Ash spent a wonderful week with Cam at college … She missed her brother so much we shipped her out … Attending his classes and his singles ward … Hanging with his friends … Going to a ‘Dashboard Confessional’ concert as well as touring BYU combined with a Q&A meeting with the vocal performance department while there … And of course never finding anything to eat in his apartment along with dealing with the guys mounds of dirty dishes and clutter piled sky high … But she loved it!! … She spent fun time with her cousins especially enjoying time with Brooke sharing a lot of girl talk … She had soooooo fallen in love with the college life we could hardly entice her back home! … So where will she ultimately decide to go to school? Too soon to tell … But no matter where, just click your ruby reds three times Dorothy and say, “There’s no place like home.” … “There’s NO place like HOME!! … Now just tell that to Ashley who thinks it all comes with a hassle free platinum charge card, rent free living and roommates that you will surely see eye to eye with at all times!? Haha … Wake up! … Party’s over babe … A week of pure bliss is nothing like the real thing! … Lack of sleep, cramming till 4:00 a.m. for an exam, cat fighting roomies and food fund run dry mid-month … Buy hey, one’s new found freedom and chance to explore a myriad of possibilities in life rocks so it’s worth putting up with putting up! … Isn’t that right Cam?
HERE WE GO STEELERS HERE WE GO … Steelers DONE GOOD goin’ to the Super bowl! … (Of course this season is an entirely different story?! In one word, ‘HOCKEY’!!!) It was a literal hemorrhage in the burg as everyone bleeds black and gold in Steeler territory … One for the Bus and as always everyone decked out in their football regalia swinging terrible towels! (note Jon’s picture taken with the Super Bowl trophy ) … There is nothing more fun than watching the home town boys doin’ their thang.
STRINGS & KEYS © … Cam, a lyricist in the making … He has a knack for putting pen to paper and pick to guitar string … Ash then develops the melody and sings his pop/emo music and voila, they create pure magic! … He especially enjoys writing for and then performing his music for friends … While Ash was visiting Cam they entertained college friends packed into his apartment while performing some of his original songs and some covers … What a cool, creative outlet for a brother/sister musical team who I like to call my Silver Lining … Memories à la mode.
LIFE’S THE PITTS (burgh) AND THEN YOU DIE … Attitudes are contagious but mine might kill you!! … That’ssssss it! … Jon flew off to Ft. Lauderdale on a business trip, with a little golf and a quick dip in the ocean thrown into the mix … And Ash zoomed down to North Carolina with friend Kelsey and family for fun, frolic and a major girl friend gab fest … And the pooch and I stayed home to hold down the fort … Is this fair I ask you? … No way Jose!!!!! … I’m thinking if February doesn’t find me on a beach somewhere or at a major theme park I’m pitchin’ a fit, throwing down the frying pan, abandoning the laundry, bagging the car pool and suing for back pay! … Nashville, Nantucket or Newport Beach I don’t care where … Be there or be square! … Anyone game to go??
LEAVE IT TO BEAVER … Oh my goodness! … It’s florescent PINK! … Jon actually painted the entire kitchen NEON, in your face PINK! … Well, sort of … It was actually supposed to be a stunning shade of barely there peach blush with one wall highlighted in a deeper shade of sunset … But I swear, it looks like it could flag down the mother ship at any moment! … ET could sure phone home from our just this side of the Las Vegas strip, mega watt, in your face, look at me I’m brighter than the noon day sun, beam me up Scotty, freaking kitchen!!!!!! … Missy adores it! … But then dogs are color blind so what does she know?! … Ashley thinks it’s meant to compete with the local ice cream parlor and Cam has decided that with just one look it’s a great place to have your head ricochet off the walls like a pin ball machine if you’re looking for a good reason to get a headache … Hey, all I can say is you LOVE the PERSON even if you DISLIKE their BEHAVIOR – right? … So what’s next for this Picasso of ours? … A bathroom done in vomit green with yo, peace man, purple haze polka dots??? …. Well, Jon your time’s up … I’m taking away your paint brush and sending you to your room without any supper! … Oh, no … better not go there or we could end up with an electric blue nose bleed bedroom highlighted with canary and cranberry trim! … On second thought, I think we’ll send Jon over to YOUR house to play for a while! … Ya think?! … PS I Looovvvvvveeeee you Jonalan & our cheerful kitchen!!
“Passionately INHALE life and EXHALE gratefulness!” © … It’s true … And we love you … Every last one of you! … Enjoy this wondrous and sacred time of the year as we celebrate our Savior’s birth. How blessed each of us are to be surrounded by dear family, good friends and religious freedom in the most remarkable country in the world!
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