T h e R o z e l l F a m i l y

Holiday Newsletter from the Love Shack

Hello friend, and hope that 2010 was good to you. The big story here at the Rozell compound is that the children once again allowed themselves to be photographed in front of the house on the first day of school, and this time you can tell the difference from year to year. In the progress of the house, that is.

Dad hired another competent builder to help him along and navigate the world of subcontractors and materials reps, which left Dad time to do some finish work, as you see in photos (J Builder in loud phone discussion with the Andersen Window rep: “why don't you come up here and see the problem, so I can ram your head through it”). The interior guts are completed and we are insulated and ready for sheetrock. For context, we poured the slab ourselves three and a half years ago. Three times longer than your worst nightmare, but

think of the savings!

It was a very dry summer and that allowed Dad to also rebuild the stone spillway over which our pond waterfall is now raging. Since it is a quarter mile down the driveway from the house, we only see it twice a day, but the neighbors and the taxman love it. No swimming was done this year due to algae issues but it is flushed and clear now. Too bad it is 3 degrees as I write this.

Dad is really proud of the Christmas tree this year. A Norway spruce came down three weeks before Christmas in a raging Nor’easter and fell right across the driveway. He lopped the top off of this literal windfall and voila! Mom chuckled and made a sly remark about a certain male affliction of the Charlie Brown Christmas tree variety. Anyway it appears that this may be the last year of hauling the tree up the stairs. Dad only swore 14 times during that process, little Mary counted, though I did not think she would count the ones uttered under the breath. Kids hear everything.

Well, it’s two am and not a creature is stirring again except a Dad with a deadline he’s not possibly going to meet, but at least this year’s newsletter is begun. As the first year of the second decade of the new millennium draws to a close, we would like to wish you all the best for a wonderful 2011 and invite you to share in what made 2010 a special year for the Rozell family in Hartford, New York.

VOLUME 11 HOLIDAY 2010

2009.

Page 2 Volume 11 Holiday 2010

What we did this year...

On July 4th, Mary posed next to a tree at camp her father had carved his name into exactly 35 years before.

The other big news is that Laura abandoned the family for ten days this summer and went off gallivanting in the Caribbean with her mother. Their cruise ship was captured by fierce looking pirates from the Philippines. This one let her return to her fantasy life of living in the wilderness and catering to the needs and whims of her family.. She is spoiling herself, as evidenced also by the fact that she also splurged on a new vacuum cleaner.

Ned is friends with the last WWII Medal of Honor recipient in NY and New England, Frances Currey. Yes, the special edition GI Joe he signed for Ned is 19 yr. old Frank! Thanks Mary Murray for finding the doll!

Co-Dad Ted took us to NYC for the Mets and the aircraft carrier USS Intrepid. The heat was tough on Mary, and Dad loves Emma’s T. The girls later modeled the really special T-shirts from Provincetown.

Pretty stylin’. Thanks Ted and Kate!

The reading room, on the roof, of course... Bingo and Mary on the Big Screen at the drive in with Super Ultra Blow

pops.

We always have a heads up when boyfriend Shane is coming over-

the house is no longer a mess.

Page 3 Holiday Newsletter

Cousin Kelly wants in on the action.

Matt and Laura’s college alma mater did a cover story in the alumni mag this past fall. Go to teachinghistorymatters.wordpress.com to see it.

April 15th, 2010. We have arrived. Flashing red and blue lights illuminate the tunnel through which our bus is emerging, announcing to the citizens of our nation's capital that we are arriving, like conquering heroes returning home after a great victory. Traffic comes to a halt and people stop and wonder as the motorcade of police cars and busses pass through intersections and boulevards on our way to a national ceremony at the United States Capitol Rotunda. The motorcade slows at it approaches Capi-tol Hill, and the buses slowly maneuver and dock at the sidewalk. It is a beautiful April morning; the pistons blast as the bus drops gen-tly and the doors open. Emerging slowly in the April sunlight are elderly men, many with decorated caps and most with canes or clutching the arm of a close relative. In a very real sense, 121 old soldiers have returned home after a great victory, nearly sixty five years after the last battle was fought. Sparkles illuminate the eyes as the veterans pose for photographs and are escorted slowly through the entryway of the grand building. I follow the veterans, humbled to be a part of this day with them for a special ceremony com-memorating the Holocaust and the end of World War II and espe-cially honoring these men, the liberators of the death camps of Nazi Germany.

You see, I am here because I am a teacher. In fact, I am the only teacher in the entire United States of America specifically invited to take part in these events, having been formally recognized earlier in the day for my work with veterans and survivors of the Holocaust. And into the Rotunda strides General David Petraeus, who will now address us. –from the forthcoming book

Matt and Laura went to DC to be honored in April. Matt also received the Organization of American Historians national Teacher of the Year award. In July he was invited to speak before an audience at CitiField in NYC that included the owner of the NY Mets and helped to raise $50,000 for the Holocaust Museum in DC. Mr. Wilpon was very gracious and re-marked on how good the kids were. (He should have been in the car on the way down.) We even got to watch the Mets lose in 13 innings

from the skybox suites. The Washington County Historical Society also gave Dad a special award in October. Matt has some ideas about education reform. For starters, we’ve achieved this much in spite of the paper pushers and bean counters

in Albany telling us what we have to do. *(Then please stop tying our hands!)

Waiting for Superman?*

THE ROZELL FAMILY HOLIDAY NEWSLETTER

2010 5630 COUNTY ROUTE 30

GRANVILLE, NEW YORK 12832

Phone: 518-632-5063 Email:

Matt- marozell@gmail.com Laura-laurarozell@gmail.com

teachinghistorymatters.wordpress.com adkbuildingalone.blogspot.com

Summer Fun in Martha’sVineyard

Ice cream with Tom, our good buddy and gracious host, who wonders who the hell these kids are.

Rock ‘n’ roll.

More ice cream. Dad, please don't...

The President vacationed with us. The First Lady’s lunch in Edgartown tied up traffic and closed shops for two hours. The Secret Service trapped

Mom in a jewelry store where she made her contribution to

the Island’s economy.

Two days of a Nor’Easter means the beach is yours.

Sorting seashells

by the seaside.

Waiting for the ferry to the Vineyard. Mom is already hitting the wine.

Have a happy, safe, and blessed holiday season and a peaceful New Year!

~Matthew and Laura, Emma, Ned, and Mary~

~Kitty, Molly, Lilly, Mozey, Rainman