Charly’s 2009 Christmas “CARD”!

[Left to Right: Ray, Steve, Chas, Carol, Kim, Drew.]

The Whole MILLER FANDAMILY is FYNE! Since Steve’s been working in Colorado Springs (part of his new Texas Roadhouse Executive gig), ALL of us end up TOGETHER in ONE PLACE much more often these dayz.

Be AFRAID!Be VERY AFRAID!

[If you don’t know WHY you should be so Very AFRAID of when we’re ALL in ONE PLACE,
Plz visit the following Photobucket of 48 Pix:
Steve SurpriZes Carol at her Sep Birthday Dinner, AND the
Oh-Dark-Thirty CHAIN SAW DEBACLE!]

[Chet in Jan of 2008, with ZONI, when he was just a kitten!]

My Gude Friend CHET and her sister, MARY, get me out to a movie about twice a month. Chet also often takes me to Theatrical Productions at the University’s Johnny Carson Theater. (She signs us up to USHER, and we get to watch the shows for FREE!)

[Mary & I at the MS Walk in April, 2009. (Chet had to direct some NETV thing that day.)]

My KATZ occasionally VISIT AUNTY MARY at Lancaster Manner!
We simply ACT like we’re legitimately licensed “Pet Therapy” folkz ... and WALTZ RIGHT IN!
(One of these dayz I’m gonna get PIX of our Aunty Mary visits, dammit.)

My Bestest Friend for Hundreds of Years, SUSAN, TiVos our favorite TV shows. So, we get together about twice a month to watch them ALL on ONE day (zipping past the ads!), while noshing on the delicious INDIA FOOD she cooks.

Hey! Susan is only an inch or so shorter than me.
BOB (her hubby, and my other BFF) is freakishly .. er .. GORGEOUSLY TALL!

AND! Every other month or so, my Musician/Ren Friends get me out to a POT LUCK DINNER & PICKIN’ PARTY. (Hello! Pickin’ INSTRUMENTS – not NOSES!) We take turns hosting these group parties throughout the year. The pix HERE are from the Pot Luck Pickin’ Party I hosted in DECEMBER of 2008.

There were NINETEEN of us, spread between THREE TABLES.
After dinner, the folding table was dismantled and MUSIC ENSUED!
[Oh what fun it is to sing TWISTED Christmas Carols!!!]

I am BLESSED with the most
Fantabulous Friends on the PLANET!!!

You may recall that, at the end of 2008, I’d just received notice that I was being SUED by a Must-Remain-Unnamed-For-Now Doctor in Texas. Thanx to UNCLE PUNKY (Auntie Lainey’s Hubz), I enrolled in PRE-PAID LEGAL SERVICES in January of 2009. They found a Texas Attorney to represent me there – and that case is STILL ONGOING! (Hell! It’s FIRST HEARING isn’t scheduled until 2010!!!)

As for EMS WERK in 2009:
Apart from forwarding the occasional restraint asphyxia Expert Witness gig Email to JJ Wohlers, all I’ve had to do is answer a few Emails containing miscellaneous EMS questions!
None of my EMS TEXTBOOKS needed revision work in 2009. But, both of them likely WILL need it in 2010. Happy Me! I’ll be making JJ do the bulk of that work, since he’ll officially become my CO-AUTHOR with the next editions!

The WORST thing that happened in 2009: My darling SYLVIE died on February 23rd, due to complications of her Diabetes. She’d just reached her 16th birthday.

Sylvie – like Luper & Jelly – will FOREVER live in my heart.

[BELOW: An early 2006 Kitten Pic of Ginny with Sylvie, atop the Ladder in our HABITAT]

Three days after Luper died (Nov of 2005), I went to the Humane Society and GINNY jumped into my arms! The fee for GINNY in 2005: $120.00! Why? Because, besides “fixing” Kittens & Puppies, the Humane Society also CHIPs them now! When Sylvie died, I didn’t have that kind of money. So, we waited for someone to FIND US!

On the 14th of April, a 7-month-old kitten was discovered
HIDING UNDER OUR DECK, waiting to COME IN!!!

CHLOE was the BEST thing that happened in 2009!

Click HERE for the 2009 KAT PIX PAGE! Read all about Chloe’s story and her many hilarious ADVENTURES! … Learn about our Pet Therapy trips … Find out why Jean Pierre is scowling at right (like he needs a reason), and what kind of contraption he’s IN … It’s FUN! – I Promise!

Here comes the Renaissance Faire Stuff! The 2009 Nebraska Ren Faire (NRF) was held on May 2nd & 3rd. The 2009 James Arthur Vineyard (JAV) Ren Fest was on May 16th. (Plz take a moment to wish TEDDY, myne Titmouse, a MERRY CHRISTMOUSE!) [Oh, admit it! You LUV that I’m such a silly person!]

The 2009 Nebraska Pirate Fest was scheduled in OCTOBER … but was CANCELLED due to bad weather!
So, the two MAY Ren Faires were the only ones I attendedeth in 2009.

Because stuff at Ye Olde Lust Muster Poynte was pretty much the same at both these Faires, the pix here are ALL from the NRF. At right is our Core Group o’ WENCHES: Nancy, Janet, Leeenda, Moi, Kat, Patty, Pama. [There are OTHERS! They’re just not in this pic!]

For Those Who Don’t Already Know:
The Lust Muster Poynte (LMP) is a place where Wenches (or Ladies!) and their various hangers-on can gather to relax and make merry – when not shopping, of course! Our hangers-on consist mostly of Himbos and Minstrel Krampes; although various Lairds, Louts, Scoundrels, or Rogues frequently present themselves and petition us for attention.
[‘Tis oftimes exhausting to deal with all their demands! SIGH.]

[Pama, Greg the New Guy, Charlie, and John]

“The Banished Misfortunates” is a Ren Faire Band who’s members are our personal friends, and who can be found at the LMP when not playing. But, we welcome ANY and ALL PERFORMERS at the LMP! Even if they don’t stick around to socialize, they’re welcome to simply store their instruments with us. Happily, most of them DO stick around! That’s why MUSIC is almost always emanating from our area!

For Folkz attending the Faire we offer FREE Hair Ribbons (from a self-serve rack!), and FREE RUNE FORTUNES! The Rune Fortune table is always our most popular offering. Folkz pick a stone out of a bowl … the Rune on it dictates their “Fortune” … and, if they want, we PAINT that Rune on their face (or hand … or the occasional bodice-bursting bosom bit)! My niece, Lady Anna (green gown) and her friend Kristen didst right finely help us out at the NRF on Saturday.

BLESS YOU Mistresses Janet and Leeenda!!! Janet and Leeenda were the ones who MOST OFTEN ran the Rune Fortune Table … or helped ME run it … so that I wasn’t STUCK THERE by myself for HOURS on end!

This PIC is too PRICELESS not to MENTION!

Master Minstrel Krampe, CHARLIE, supervises Manly Men at some Cement Company. One day at work, he mentioned that he would be attending a Ren Faire on the weekend. Whereupon, all and sundry made SNARKY NOISES, and called him “SILLY!” He endeavored to explain the virtues & perks of going to Ren Faires … but, they just didn’t GET IT. When I heard about this conundrum, I decided we needed to take a PIC of Master Charlie that would DEMONSTRATE the virtues & perks of attending a Ren Faire – something Master Charlie could POST in the MANLY MEN’s BREAK ROOM. At RIGHT is the pic we took for him to POST!

I strongly suspect that we’ll be seeing HOARDZ o’
Manly Cement Men at the 2010 Faires!

I never managed to get a DIRECTORY PAGE o’ PIX from the 2009 Nebraska Renaissance Faire (or James Arthur Vineyard Ren Fest) posted on my REN WEBSITE. But, here is a link to the PHOTOBUCKET that contains ALL the 2009 NRF PIX FOLDERS
[Once you arrive at that Photobucket page, look to the LEFT for the Albums list.
There are 14 Albums of 2009 NRF Pix!]

For those who’ve never been there, here is a LINK to MY REN FAIRE WEBSITE!
[I humbly admit that it’s a pretty darn IMPRESSIVE collection of Ren INFO & Pix.]

One Last MUST-MENTION 2009 Ren-Related THING!

Mistress Janet couldn’t be with us for the 2008 NRF because her Gypsy Horse mare, SAINT ROSE, was busy giving birth to a Baby Boy (handsome little TULLYMORE) on that weekend! Happily, although Saint Rose was PREGGERS AGAIN in 2009, she didn’t show signs of eminent delivery on the NRF weekend – nor on the JAV Ren Fest weekend! Darling Miss Domino Rose waited until 1 am on May 20th to be born. [At left is Baby Rose when only 12 hours old!]

Leeenda & Mike, and Me & Chloe(!), visited Miss Domino Rose and her lovely Mum on May 23rd. [There’s a hilarious pic of 1-year-old Sir Tullymore meeting 8-month-old Miss Chloe on the 2009 Kat Pix Page!] To see ALL the pix from that visit (including Mistress Leeenda giving Sir Tullymore a GRAPE DIVE – without the GRAPE!), Click HERE!

[Three-Day-Old Miss Domino Rose]

THE 2009 HALLOWEEN SPOOKY PORCH!!!

Thanx to fantabulous weather, we had a RECORD YEAR: 250 KidZ!!! Besides all the werk done to set up the gig (3 dayz – including Halloween day), everyone labored non-stop from 6 pm to 20 minutes past closing time (9 pm). Leeenda and Chrys (seen in next pic) helped me at the end-poynt. Although Chrys’ mustache clearly marked him as a GUY, they both were Clowns with gigantic BOOBZ. I dubbed them our “Lactating Clowns” – Yes! Disturbing! CHET – aka the Tweety Bird o’ Terror – expertly managed the Gauntlet Entrance; giving Leeenda, Chrys and I, the time we desperately needed to RESET the final “SPOOKY Effect” before another bunch o’ Kidz was sent to us.

Although only 11 people appear in our Grope … er … GROUP pic, we had 16 Folkz in our Cast o’ Kreepy Characters! They werked their butz off all night … shepherding kidz past the various displays … and providing entertainment when kidz had to wait in line. THESE FOLKZ are what make this gig bigger and better, funner and funner, EVERY YEAR! To see a Directory with links to ALL the 2009 Spooky Porch Pix, CLICK HERE [No return Link!]

2009 A NOVEL HOLIDAY NEWZ!

I’ve been working on Harry Potter Places for the past YEAR, with TONZ o’ help from my incredible friend, Dina C. Carson. Having Dina with me on this project as a co-author (aka: whip-cracking EDITOR – Ya-HOOOO!) has not only significantly improved the writing and content of my HPP travel guidebook – it has enormously expanded and improved the entire A Novel Holiday travel guidebook concept!

EVERY STEP in My Entire LIFE has been BLESSED by the FRIENDS I’ve found!
(Y’all KNOW who YOU ARE!!!)
Yet, it still Astounds and AmaZes me how much HELP the LordGoddess seems happy to provide me,
by always sending NEW FRIENDS to me at precisely the moment I most NEED them!

Around the 25th of May, 2009, a woman named TARA found my A Novel Holiday website. She’d already spent weeks researching Harry Potter sites to visit during her 2009 July UK trip. But, intrigued by the HPP samples posted on the ANH website, she decided to Email me some questions about them – and SUGGESTIONS for OTHER HP SITES!

Soooo! Tara and I quickly became Great Internet Friends while sharing Harry Potter Places research info throughout the month of June.

Tara lives near Toledo, Ohio, and is a “Lead IT Auditor” for a Big Name Tire Company. Her company periodically sends her to audit their foreign factories and offices. And, one of Big Name’s tire factories is in southern England, very close to LACOCK – an extremely important Harry Potter Place!!! Although she was being sent there to WERK, Tara took EXTRA TIME-OFF for that trip so that she could do some personal travel. And, two young friends accompanied her to be companions during her Harry Potter Holiday!

[Samantha, TARA, and Brittanny]

During their July 3rd to 21st trip; Tara, Brittany & Samantha, snagged several photos that I desperately needed for my Harry Potter Places travel guidebook, while they visited London, England, and Scotland!!!

I needed their help because there were TONZ o’ pix I hadn’t managed to take during my 2008 trip!

But, Tara not only captured several MISSING PIX for me … She also managed to do a bunch of RESEARCH for me –
research I didn’t know needed to be done until LONG AFTER I’d returned from my HPP trip!!!

[Conny’s creative pic of Sorcerer’s Stone’s Guy The Gorrilla at the London Zoo!]

Then … In July of 2009, a German guy (who is attending school in Glasgow, Scotland) was planning an AUGUST trip with his sister, and wanted to include visits to a few Harry Potter Places during the 3-days they’d be in London. He also was researching Harry Potter Places to visit during a SCOTLAND trip he planned for later in August! Like Tara, CONNY found the ANH website and HE sent me several MARVELOUS SUGGESTIONS for my Harry Potter Places travel guidebook. Conny and I also became Great Internet Friends! He captured many other Missing Pix for me, and performed More Site Research during his Scotland trip!

THEN! Tara was sent back to England in early DECEMBER! During the 2 dayz she had off on the weekend between her 2 weeks of Big Name Tire werk, Tara went to London and did a TON of new HPP research and pic-taking for me!!! FOR INSTANCE: Armed with a few screencaps from the Deathly Hallows preview released with the Half-Blood Prince DVD, Tara found 2 more Harry Potter film sites in London! Again! I never cease to be Astounded and AmaZed by the Friends I am Blessed With!!!

[That’s TARA, snuggling with the Crest Bear!]

One last Harry Potter Places Note:

Because I sooooo very much LUV my travel guidebook werk, I waited way too long to get started on this letter.
And … I HAVEN’T even STARTED XMAS GIFT STUFF YET!!!
Local folkz will probably get their gifties the day before Christmas.
Those who get their gifties via the MAIL probably won’t receive them until just before New Years!
PLZ forgive me for being so TERRIBLY TARDY!!! LOL

Oh, OK. One more LAST NOTE – since many of you will probably ask!!!
NOPE! I don’t know how much longer it will be before Dina and I
FINISH the first edition of Harry Potter Places!!!

I wish I did. Brother Drew is close to strangling me because I keep taking $$ out of my “Retirement” IRAs. But, bills must be paid … the Katz and I gotta eat! AND, I know that the HPP travel guidebook will be extremely successful as soon as we can start SELLING it. So, I’ll just replace all the retirement $$ once I actually have an INCOME again!

Happy HanuChristmaKwanzaa To YOU & YOURS!!! MERRY NEW YEAR in 2010, and LUV to ALL!!! BSK, CHAS!!!

If you have suggestions for, or comments about, my X-MAS LETTER,
or YOU JUST WANT TO EMAIL ME!
– WebMistress Chas! –
Click On This LINK:c-d-miller@neb.rr.com