The Governor was in Blair today.Dan and I hosted a reception for them down at Jake’s.

Kathy Smith made some great food and we invited people to come down and just meet him and his wife Sally.

They are SUCH nice people.

Blair’s Mayor, Jim Realph and Senator Mick Mines.

And former Miss Nebraska, Brooke Matthews, with Megan.

Took a little treat to the cast and crew of Blair High School’s one act "Everyman". They are competing Tuesday, so this was a big dress rehearsal.
Here’s the before and after of the pizza.

The kids were all very nice and polite and ate everything. I included apples because I want them to have some nutrition!!!

Oh, and a few snickerdoodles can’t hurt, either.

I bought our greens today in Omaha. Now, I have to unroll them, put lights on them and get them ready for hanging. The HunTel Handymen are coming Wednesday afternoon to help me, so I gotta be ready.
I kind of like that traditional look for our house….kind of old fashioned. Even though it’s a new house, it’s made to look old. So, I don’t outline the house with lights. We hang REAL greens and add green and amber lights for a muted effect. The neighborhood has a wonderful party on Saturday after Thanksgiving and we all turn our lights on and enjoy some soup and fun.

In the meantime, Dan and I are hosting a party Tuesday night for the governor at Jakes. I don’t have to do anything but show up!

And, Thanksgiving is HERE on Thursday afternoon and I can’t WAIT to cook! I had a trial run a few weeks ago and it went pretty well. I already made a kickin’ turkey stock for the gravy, so I can do that ahead of time. I think I’m going to utilize crock pots to keep stuff warm……we’ll see.
I picked up an organic fresh turkey today from Whole Foods.
Potatoes too….so, I’m set!

Cute hubby and I went to big "tooodooo" at the Holland Center tonight. It was a Symphony Gala and the preformer was Tony Bennett!
Oh, the place is so beautiful. Dick and Mary Holland were there….they donated alot of the money to build this gem of a building……..and I wanted to just thank them.
Thank them for being so generous with their money.
Thank them for supporting the arts.
And isn’t it neat that they are still alive to see this happen?!

Blair needs "A Place".

Just a place for the Arts.
Right now, there is no place.
No place for a community theater to store expensive and valuable props and costumes.
No place for community meetings to be held.
No place for Miss KraftFairy to hold a class to teach scrapbooking.
No place for rehearsals.
No place for kids and adults who aren’t necessarily athletic.
No place for authors or writers or artists to come and teach and talk and share.
No place for a cooking class.
No place for 4-H or Scout troops to meet.

We have rooms at school and rooms here or there. But no "place" where it is all together.

I need to develop this dream. It has been in my head for so many years. I’m starting to get ready to talk about it. See if other people share this dream of a "place" in Blair for the Arts.

I wonder if the Hollands started this way?
Because I sat in a building tonight that started as a dream.
And now it is real.
It is a Place.

This is the card that came with a lovely boquet of flowers from my parents, brother and wife
and
our long-dead dog.

So nice to have support!!!

The future IS bright!
We have sooo many great ideas.
Good thing the holidaze are upon us.
It will give Dan a little time to think and plan.
Lots is happening!!!

"All changes, even the most longed for, have their melancholy, for what we leave behind us is a part of ourselves; we must die to one life before we can enter another."      ~ Anatole France.

HunTel Systems, Inc., based in Blair, Nebraska, announced the sale of their telephone, cable TV and Internet divisions to American Broadband Communications, LLC, based in Charlotte, NC. The divisions include Arlington Telephone Company, the Blair Telephone Company, Eastern Nebraska Telephone Company, Rock County Telephone Company, HunTel CableVision Inc., HunTel.net, Inc., and its competitive local exchange carrier, HunTel Communications, located in Tekamah, NE.

HunTel Systems is a closely-held, fourth generation family owned business. In recent years, Hugh and Richard Hunt have turned over the management of the operations to their children, Karen Aman and Dan Hunt, along with long-term executive Mike Jacobson. The Hunt Family will retain ownership in their other HunTel companies, which include HunTel Systems, Inc, Bass & Associates, EnSite, HunTel Communications, Inc., HunTel Customer1, HunTel Engineering, Mid America Computer Corporation and Professional Forms, Inc.

……..there’s more.
But that’s the gist.
It’s a secret I’ve been keeping.  This was one of those days.

The phone company started in 1912. For over 90 years, this family has been in the telephone business. That’s a long time. It is WHO this family is…..and yet it is not.
My husband is the 4th generation of a line of smart businessmen.
I’m sure those generations sweated and worried and celebrated.
But you have to seperate the business from the heart.

But how do you do that after 90 years?