2007 Christmas Letter

December 2007

“What do you do all day?” That’s the big question people ask. “Anything we want . . . or nothing, if we want.” That’s our answer!

At the risk of gloating, we’re enjoying retirement. We’re learning a few things about gardening, taking house tours, learning country line dance, hosting bunco and Mah Jongg parties and learning some interesting curses from the golfers that play through. The Blakely Court July 4th block party was a huge success thanks to hosts Bill and Trish Lemmon and everyone’s delicious food and drinks. Looks like it will become an annual event. Despite the ongoing drought, things are still beautiful here. After all, who can argue with wearing shorts and t-shirts in November?

Vacationing at “off peak” times is a real luxury. In August we attended a conference in Jackson Hole, Wyoming, with Neil and Cathy, Don and Terry. What a glorious place to visit! We spent days touring the Grand Tetons and Yellowstone - so beautiful - impressive wild life, shopping for local crafts, rodeos and cowboys, wild game for dinner, vivid opal pools, sulfurous hot springs. Except for the stomach-turning, over-the-edge-of-the-cliff mountain climbs, the week was perfect. In September we were lucky to be able to spend a week at a friend’s Nantucket house. The crowds were gone and the summer warmth lingered to give us another wonderful vacation week. The mild weather lasted through two weeks at our camp in Maine . . . lobster and fall colors and a pleasant stay with Terry and Don. The old place will be getting some sprucing up next year, to make it more “visitor friendly”. By the time you read this we will have returned from a week in Asheville, NC, touring the Biltmore Estate, enjoying the Smokies and checking out indigenous crafts. To see the photos from our travels and some family shots, go to our Flickr page.

We still see the kids now and then. We head back to Chappaqua, still our official home, but usually for a short layover, where we get to say ‘hi’ as the “twenty-somethings” cycle through. Kate is still doing graphic design. In her free time she is making and showing jewelry [See Kate's work at http://katecojewelry.com/ and http://www.katestudio.net/], running a freelance design business, volunteering at church and investigating buying a house. We’re quite proud of her drive and determination and the success they’re bringing. A bumpy employment year for Rob finds him in the job hunt again. He’s still making baseball bats in the basement and hoping for that big break. Check out his site at www.yarddogbats.com. He and Adam are still having a blast anchoring the infield in the men’s summer softball league. Adam is in his last year at Hofstra with student teaching coming up. The big news (read that as “surprise!”) was his new boxer puppy, Mason. He’s cute, but getting LARGE!

This year consisted of fun and travel, but also some sad moments. In March, just short of her 87th birthday, Dy’s Mom contracted pneumonia and, after a short hospital stay, suffered a fatal heart attack. She was given a warm, heartfelt sendoff by her long-time church friends. Thanks to everyone for your support.

If you're ever thinking of a trip to NC, stop by! The welcome mat is always out.

Wishing you all a blessed holiday and a safe and healthy new year.

Pray for peace.

Diana & Bob

New England - - - Fall 2007

New England - - - Fall 2007

Nantucket (ACK for short) is one of the most beautiful spots in the country. Bob and I were able to spend some time there this fall. Rob and Adam’s softball buddy and good friend, Bruce, allowed us to use his house there for ten days in late September. It was Bob’s first visit, while I’d visited the island several times. Rob and Bruce’s son, Mark, were middle and high school buddies. I was lucky to have been a good friend of Meredith, Mark’s mom, so Rob and I visited there often. Going back was very special for me. While there’s been a lot of building and many changes (read that as lots of new $$$), the island is much the same as it was on our earlier visits. After an overnight in a really odd motel in Hyannis (Read my review), we took an early ferry on a sunny and warm day. After a lobster roll and captain’s platter for lunch, we dropped in at Mark’s sister’s store to say “hi” and then we headed for Madaket to get a good night’s sleep. Next day we explored the island, did some shopping and searched out Meredith; it was wonderful to see her again. We played tourists to the hilt - touring the Whaling Museum, hearing the lectures about the history of the industry and the background story that inspired Moby Dick. We toured the Oldest House, the Old Gaol, the Hadwen House, the Old Firehouse and the Old Mill. We spent an afternoon at the Lightship Basket Museum. My takeaway was a kit and a prayer. I hope to make my own Nantucket Lightship basket. Wish I’d bought one on a previous visit; they cost thousands of dollars now!! What was once a fast food style diner at the airport is now “Alice’s Restaurant” – so-so food and lousy service, but as we met an old friend, Charlotte, for brunch, we didn’t mind the delay. She hasn’t changed – amazing! Madaket sunsets, too, are as extraordinary as I remembered, despite new homes blocking some of the view. Even if we had special-ordered the weather, it may have fallen short of the ten days we experienced. We walked seven of Nantucket’s beautiful beaches and dined al fresco in shorts almost every day. The island’s legendary fog held off until we boarded the ferry for the trip back to the mainland. I can’t wait to go back! Thanks, Bruce!!! (See the photos)

After ACK, we headed to our camp in Maine. We were greeted by evidence of yet another incursion by the neighborhood burglar. A 1:00 am visit by a seven foot tall State Trooper and a little cleanup started our stay on a lousy note, but morning brushed away all the night’s negative memories. What followed was another stretch of glorious weather, startlingly beautiful fall colors . . . and many a delicious lobster dinner. We had a fun evening with the Gaspars and a weekend stay with Don and Terry. (Too bad we had to watch the Sox win.) I took dozens of landscape photos (See them here), because one sight was more beautiful than the last. While at camp we made several big decisions. The kids love the camp. It holds countless memories for them and us. We won’t be selling it. So . . . we’ll be doing a little renovating to make it more usable for the family’s future. We’ve begun the process of adding some space and sprucing up the current interior. Yes, another Borman building project. What else is new? Bob drew plans and contacted contractors . . . and we’re off!

A week in NY allowed us to catch up with the kids and some friends before we headed back to NC. Taking the Chesapeake Bay Bridge/Tunnel was a first for us – no shorter, but the drive was much less stressful than I-95 via Baltimore and DC. We’ll likely do it again, at least to check out the restaurant and gift shop on one of the islands on the span.

Great vacation! Back to Mah Jongg!!!

Mountains, Lakes, Rivers and a lot of Wildlife

Yellowstone and the Tetons:
Mountains, Lakes, Rivers and a lot of Wildlife
or “How I Spent My Summer Vacation”

The Borman men’s attendance at a conference in Jackson Hole, Wyoming, in August provided a golden opportunity for a new adventure. Our first trip to the Jackson area was filled with unique experiences, delicious food, inspiring landscapes, wildlife galore and the occasional stomach-turning activities. We were joined by Bob’s brothers, Don and Neil, and their wives, Terry and Cathy.

We flew into Jackson late on Friday night and were met at the airport by an interesting driver from Spring Creek Ranch, our lodgings for the week, who was helpful and proved to be full of advice on what to see and do in the area.

View from our room (above)

Next morning’s breakfast - eggs Benedict and fresh fruit at the Granary Restaurant on the Ranch property – a short stroll from our room - was delicious, with a view that made us reluctant to move on with our day.

View from Granary (above)

A drive down the mountain and into town showed us why the area is called Jackson “Hole”. The mountains rise up from the valley floor and seem to loom over the town.

The morning’s walk around town netted plenty of souvenirs, including the elusive pink cowboy hat, and worked up a thirst, which we quenched with a local microbrew at the Silver Dollar Bar in the historic Wort Hotel. The Sturgis rally brought waves of bikers and their unique personalities to the town.

With the family assembled from Maine, North Carolina and Washington, we enjoyed a relaxed dinner at Calico Restaurant near Teton Village. Next morning Don & Terry explored the skies via balloon; then we all hit the Teton Village art show where Cathy found just the right art for her walls. Lunch at the Mangy Moose was forgettable, but dinner at the Snake River Grill, provided by the conference, more than compensated. The meal consisted of seven courses of elegantly served local fish and game accompanied by delicious wines and a light dessert. We shared the table with several interesting conference hosts and presenters. Some of us capped the evening watching the Perseid meteor showers in the darkness of the mountains around the ranch.

With the men in the conference room, the “girls” hit downtown Jackson, a touristy place with unique local wares. We all managed to find something we really “needed” to take home. The next day tested our tender-foot mettle with fly fishing and horseback riding. The Snake River Sporting Club hosted another conference related dinner – this time a barbecue served on the golf course and fully catered. The rest of our week found us doing all the touristy things that first-timers do in such a place. Over the mountains we drove – so beautiful – to the Grand Teton Brewery in nearby Victor, Idaho, and then back to have a dinner of elk, bison and trout with Clyde the bison at the Gun Barrel in Jackson.

On Wednesday we breakfasted at Jedediah’s House of Sourdough, housed in Jackson’s oldest structure and site of an impressive chunk of local history. Don regaled us with his memories of his college-age summer job at the Jackson Lake Lodge – and showed us the sights as well. We took the shuttle boat across Jenny Lake and searched out Hidden Falls. My acrophobia took hold on a climb to Inspiration Point so Bob and I retreated to wait for Don & Terry at the bottom of the trail. Lunch at Jackson Lake Lodge was yummy and the view was stunning, but the highlight was a visit by the house rodent – a ground squirrel who is a regular – that caused Terry to show off some interesting moves. More mountains and beauty in the afternoon, then back for the Jackson Hole Rodeo, a real home-town event.

Thursday found us in Yellowstone Park with a list of sights to see and animals to photograph. We saw only a fraction of the beauty that Yellowstone has to offer - Old Faithful, prismatic hot springs and other geological oddities, but we checked off most of the wildlife on Terry’s list.

At the end of a long day of driving, we settled into a second floor table for dinner at the Snake River Brewing Company, which was hopping with locals even approaching 9:00pm - good beer; food, so-so.

For those who haven’t been to Jackson Hole or the Teton-Yellowstone area, the National Parks website describes the climate this way:

The first heavy snows fall by November 1 and continue through March with snow and frost possible during any month. Summer days range in the 70s and 80s with cool nights in the 40s. Afternoon thunderstorms during the summer are common. Mild to cool temperatures through September and October. Raingear recommended during spring, summer and fall. Sub-zero temperatures are common throughout winter and demand multi-layered clothing, hats, mittens and cold weather boots.

Our days were beautiful and sunny with highs in the 80s and nights in the 40s. The final day in Jackson brought our first rain, so we popped in and out of tents at the Jackson Art Show and stores in town, wrapped around a “must do” lunch at Billy’s Burgers in the Cadillac Grille.

We wound up our day with dinner and a presentation of Seven Brides for Seven Brothers at the Jackson Hole Playhouse, whose players also stage a shootout in the town square each night and then hustle back to serve two seatings of diners before the production begins.

With sleepy eyes and beautiful memories we headed for the Jackson Hole airport at 5:00 the following morning. We were lucky to have missed any effects or sights of our infamous VP, who was vacationing at his home in Teton Pines - less dangerous with a fly rod than a rifle. Much buzzing around Air Force 2 on the tarmac, but our flight left without delay. We look forward to the 2008 conference . . . . still so much to see!

Mountains from the plane

To see the vacation photos – both ours and Don’s – go to our Flickr page.

Memory Lane

A recent NY Times travel article so closely mirrored the past that our family lived every summer beginning in the 1970s that a tug on the brain and the heart insisted on it being shared.

Rustic vacation houses in the woods are called camps. As a child of the 1950s, "camp" to me meant a week in a bunkhouse with other youths, sharing starchy meals served up with omnipresent "bug juice", a cross between Kool-aid and liquid Jell-O, completing tacky craft projects, and following the flashlight's beam into an insect-ridden outhouse to answer a mid-night call of nature.

Upscale camps are now known as compounds. Our family’s place is just a camp, filled with household hand-me-downs, cast off furniture, musty towels and joyous memories. We spent every summer, from the day school ended in June until Labor Day threatened in September, in heavenly busy-ness and idleness as we chose. The idyllic seasons made memories in the lives of our family and friends that are the building blocks of the memories we're making today.

I hope you will enjoy the article and the memories it evokes.

Rita Potter - March 10, 1920 - March 4, 2007

Rita M. Potter, 86, a former resident of 119 Ellen Street, Oswego, NY, and the Manor at Seneca Hill died after a brief illness on Sunday, May 4, in the Oswego Hospital. She was born in Oswego on March 10, 1920, to Floyd and Nelda Buske Padden.

Mrs. Potter was the widow of the late Roger G. Potter, who died in 1975. She was a member of Grace Evangelical Lutheran Church in Oswego and the Church Women United.

She is survived by two daughters Diana L. (Robert) Borman of Chappaqua, NY, Nancy (William) Bellow of Oswego, and three grandchildren, Kate E. Borman, Robert G. Borman and Adam K. Borman, all of Chappaqua, NY.

Funeral services were held at Grace Lutheran Church with Pastor Marsha Irmer officiating with a spring burial at in Riverside Cemetery. Contributions can be made to Oswego Health or Grace Lutheran Church.

Read the on line obituary here.

February Sunset

Enjoy the newest photos on Flickr.com!

The End of 2006 . . .

Waiting for the ball to drop to mark the end of 2006 . . .

The last month of 2006 has been hectic but enjoyable. Bob and Diana headed to Chappaqua from Calabash to celebrate Thanksgiving. We ate too much turkey and trimmings on Thursday and then celebrated Bob’s birthday with prime rib on Friday.

The last of November and early December were spent enjoying the brisk breezes of Maine. A couple of days in Portland proved sunny and unseasonably warm. The chop in the harbor made dinner at DeMillo’s floating restaurant “interesting” for Dy, but the haddock dinner was yummy. We strolled around the Old Port in light jackets and finished off some Christmas shopping. Heading for Oakland and a few days with Don and Terry brought a stop at Freeport for L. L. Bean and in Topsham for Village candles and put an even larger dent in the wallet. From balmy breezes in Portland the weather switched to snow and cold on the lake . . . . December in Maine – what else to expect?!? We enjoyed a heart warming breakfast buffet at the Good Will-Hinckley School, one of the facilities that the Foundation supports, and a delicious dinner at Slate’s in Hallowell. Best of all was the lobster on Birch Meadows. Thanks to "D&T" for the warm hospitality.

The following week found us in Oswego for a visit with Dy’s mom and sister. Of course, Oswego had to give us a taste of old time’s sake. Roads and school were closed one morning thanks to a lake effect snow – just like our happy college days! Dy’s mom is doing OK. She and her room mate, Gladys, did a little early Christmas celebrating with a takeout dinner from Canale’s and special “elfwear” and decorations. Dinner at King Arthur’s in Oswego with Nan and Bill was mediocre at best – so-so food, but it was good to see them. The best meal of the trip was Dy’s yummy Reuben sandwich at Coleman’s Irish Pub. The view of the very choppy Oswego River from the Pub was almost too close for comfort.

Back in Chappaqua for the Holmes' annual Holiday celebration . . . thanks to Susan and Randy for remembering us! Still at the Maple Avenue digs for December 11, when we celebrated Rob’s 24^th birthday with chicken parmesan, pasta and, of course, cake. Adam breezed in and out for the next week, sleeping at home and finishing exams at Hofstra.

Mid December found us heading to Gettysburg. We had a cheerful dinner with John Campo, Rob’s former baseball coach, and his wife, Regina, at the Pub on the Gettysburg Square. The Christmas lights and trees were lovely, and the weather was favorable, so we walked around town and took some photos. Next day we headed toward Hershey, getting a little lost on the way, to have lunch with Bonnie and Bill Chambers, old friends from high school (Bob and Bill) and college (all of us). It was great to see them and we hope Bonnie’s mom is feeling better.

Back in NY, Dy and Bob headed into Manhattan for some sightseeing. One day was spent at the Metropolitan Museum fulfilling Dy’s desire to see the Tiffany-Laurelton Hall exhibit and satisfying our curiosity about the new glass Apple building near FAO Schwartz. If the crowds at the Apple Store checkouts are an indicator, Apple's stock will hold strong. A second visit to “the big, bad city” (as Bob calls it) was divided between just gawking at the decorations, the people and the architecture, and a meeting and delicious lunch at Tupelo Grill with Paul, our guy at Smith-Barney. The Macy’s windows won the Borman’s award for the city's very best for all ages with the depiction of “Miracle on 34^th Street” on one side and an interactive circus theme around the corner.

A museum trip and dinner in NYC with Dy’s girlfriends from Greeley never happened, but three of them did get together for dinner and some catching up.

Back in Chappaqua, Dy’s successful first ever home cooked dinner of sauerbraten, potato dumplings and braised cabbage fulfilled Rob’s craving for German food. His friend Megan was very brave and shared the meal with us.

Christmas was quiet with the traditional “eggs and biscuits” breakfast followed by Rob trying on every article of clothing and Adam warming up for his birthday celebration.

Adam’s filet mignon birthday dinner was a success. Apologies to Alyssa for all the cream sauces! Adam is officially “old enough” – at least chronologically – to be considered an adult. Many thanks to all for your gifts!

During the week following the festivities of Christmas, Dy and Bob dined at Ruth’s Chris Steakhouse. Thanks to the kids for the gift card for Dad’s birthday. The meat was delicious, but the tables were too close and the prices were astounding. The next evening’s meal couldn’t have been more different. Bob and Dy joined Jon and Cindy Russell, long-time Chappaqua friends and Kate’s landlords, at MacArthur’s in Pleasantville. It was wonderful to be able to chat with them for the first time in many years. The restaurant was crowded and we ended up seeing lots of friends and acquaintances (and Rob!) pass by our table.

Rob was busy during the week running the sports facility, while other managers were on vacation. Rob and Mom spent several hours revamping the Yard Dog Bats web site, so be on the lookout for the new site soon. Adam will be taking a winter session course in January and then he starts spring semester.

Bob and Dy will be back in Carolina following New Year’s. We’ve loved seeing family and friends; the weather has been tranquil and temperate. There's been much food-related activity. (Lots of exercise in our future!!)

BUT . . . we love it down south!

Happy 2007!