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Christmas Present

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The Vedeckis family Christmas tree, 2014

Christmas of 2014 was a break from tradition, in that we chose to travel. The reasons for this massive road trip are described in another article, but Christmas of 2014 will be spent in Hammond, Louisiana.

Typically we spend Christmas day partly at home, and partly in Maryland, where my brother lives. In recent years we have spent time with Lisa’s family during the summer months, but this particular year that didn’t happen. So this time around, we spent Christmas with Lisa’s family. Her parents live in Hammond, while her two sisters and their families live in the surrounding area. The Vedeckis home in Hammond will be hosting a large family gathering worthy of Norman Rockwell.

My father-in-law is largely Lithuanian in extraction, and for many Christmases he sets up a traditional Lithuanian-style Christmas Eve dinner. I’ve been to two of these in the past, and they were both great. I suspect this one will be no exception. For my part, I brought some Virginia red wine to go with this dinner. I hope it goes with the entree.

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My father-in-law and son at the Christmas tree.

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Vedeckis Clan portrait, Christmas 2014
Front Row: Caitlin Pugh, Nicholas Farley.
Middle Row: Lisa Pugh, Kathy Farley, Mary Vedeckis, Michelle Bardwell, Zoe Bardwell, Mya Bardwell, Fox Bardwell.
Back Row: Richard Pugh, Michael Pugh, Wayne Vedeckis, Ian Bardwell, Gabriel Farley, Gregg Farley, Darren Bardwell.

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Photo credit: Trevor Dunaway

Christmas of 2015 may be a totally different story.


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Thanksgiving photos, 2014

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We took surprisingly few photographs this year. Probably because we spent most of our time actually talking to one another, rather than pressing buttons on electronic gadgets. (Shock! Horror!) But still, we got a few. This photo shows my mom with her four grandchildren (from left to right): Caitlin, Michael, Connor, and Will.

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My brother, James, managed to get this cute image of Michael playing with one of his birthday presents. Things with wheels, and things with buttons are his favorites. This particular toy has both!

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Views from Mt. Pony

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I work for the National Audio-Visual Conservation Center of the Library of Congress, located just outside of Culpeper, Virginia. The building is a converted Cold-war federal reserve bunker located on – and in – the side of a mountain. This building was selected for the underground storage rooms, which could be easily converted into climate controlled vaults for the storage of nitrate movie film, and other sensitive storage media.

Besides being an interesting building, and an interesting place to work, it offers some unique visuals of the Piedmont region of Virginia.

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This image was taken on August 14 of 2014, from the cafeteria veranda. From here it is possible to see for several miles, especially on a clear day. The mountains in the background are part of the Blue Ridge Chain. The famous Blue Ridge Parkway snakes through those very mountains.

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This one was taken from just outside the main entrance, on October 29, 2014. The interesting light greatly accented the wildflowers.

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This one, however, taken from the same location but with a different angle on the camera, brings out the strange weather pattern that had been visiting the area. If you look into the valley, you will see a full cloud system settled right on top of the town of Culpeper. The driving was very strange that day, given that the town was fully engulfed in fog.

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Finally, there is this impressive sunset, taken from the parking lot on the south side of the building. It was taken on November 19 of 2014, and it was bitter cold out. In truth, the cold may account for why the colors were so brilliant.

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Happy Birthday, Michael!

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On Friday, November 21, 2014, my son Michael turned two years old.

He had a rough start on life. Those of you who know me personally, or see me on Facebook, know about the trials and tribulations he endured during his first year. The invasive surgery, the physical therapy, and so on. For a long time he needed to use an oxygen pump, but he hasn’t needed that for a few months, and it looks like that big machine will soon be out of our house. Hopefully before Christmas, because we’ve got a busy month coming up.

All the difficulty he endured in his first year seems far away, now. Michael is a tough and resilient little guy. When presented with a difficult situation, he either shrugs and keeps going, or he finds another path. That’s a pretty good model to live by.

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December, 2013

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August, 2014

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October, 2014

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November 21, 2014