[SANSDADDY] 2009 Christmas Holiday Greetings

Below is a copy of my annual Christmas Holiday Greeting email which I usually send out. However, since some of you who used to receive them are NOW on Facebook, I'm not sending you an email cause I'm basically stating the same thing. (There might be some emails which slip past me though.)

From: gregory edward johnson
Sent: Friday, December 25, 2009 3:00 AM
To: gregory edward johnson
Subject: [SANSDADDY] 2009 Christmas Holiday Greetings

Hi All,

I just wanted to wish you a very Merry Christmas and the happiest of Holidays as well as a great start to 2010! What a year it has been...especially with all of the celebrity hoopla with deaths, affairs, etc. Also, a new decade is upon us. Weird, isn't it??? Just saying TWENTY TEN sounds so futuristic. Oh well. Time certainly flies when you get older.

Speaking of which, it's hard to believe that it's THIS time of year again...and I'm still breaking a tradition of mine and NOT sending out a long email (post on the blog/notes) since some of you are on Facebook, Twitter, etc. and can read up on what's happening in my life there. (Same goes for the blog. I've also been in contact with practically all of you this past year too in some form.)

Here are the web sites of my blog, Facebook profile, Fotki (photography) site, etc....

http://rettaman.blogspot.com (which isn't updated that much anymore since I'm on Facebook more)

http://public.fotki.com/rettaman (the same photo site which I've been using since 2003, but I've been uploading photos to Facebook more lately)

http://www.facebook.com/rettaman (FACEBOOK really has changed my life, especially how I've contacted people lately! It's rare that I send email now. In fact, I've trimmed my email list now since quite a few people on the list are part of my FB contact "friend" list. Maybe I should try to send them emails again??? Nah.)

There also have been other holiday traditions this year which have been broken, but not what I planned on. Fortunately, some traditions which were broken last year are coming back this year...and there is ONE tradition which will hold true and it's me spending time with my Grandma Thelma (Mom's mom) who's 94, still going strong mostly, living in her own house, and doing as well as she can at her age. I know she'll be cooking something as she always has. My Mom told me that Grandma did cook several things even though she is aging and not as agile as she used to be. It's good to be able to spend another Christmas with her because I know that these Christmases will be fewer as time passes.

Also, I know that some of you did know that a few days after Grandma turned 94 this past April, she fell and it was a very nasty fall. She had a bad gash on her forehead, lost quite a bit of blood, and fractured her left wrist. She was in the hospital for a week. My Mom spent the better part of two months with Grandma (at Grandma's home) tending to her and just helping the best she could. It's a miracle that Grandma is still here with us!!!

As far as my job, I'm still with the same company I've been with since May of 2008. I still am doing photography on the side as a personal hobby as well as a "business" (which has NOT grown as much as I would like for it too) and a ministry for various churches, etc. I am not quite as disciplined at doing some aspects (more like the editing and uploading) of the photography as I used to be. But, I still am glad that I am still doing it even though I was almost tempted to take a break from it in 2010.

Well, I need to close for now. (I think my long emails might be a thing of the past???) Anyway, take care of yourselves, enjoy fellowship with family & friends, and be safe if any of you are traveling! (Hope to hear from you!)

Sincerely,
Gregory E. Johnson

PS - As I mentioned to several of you previously, September 30th marked the five year anniversary of my Dad's death from brain/lung cancer. Hard to believe it's been FIVE years, but it has.