Year in review: July - December

Leftovers from the house and sheds

July
New beginnings at St. Paul's - Lots of inside and outside work at the parsonage - meeting the neighbors - Shakespeare @ CU - Helping Aunt Joyce move to Kansas.

five tons of mulch

August
Charles created Piet Mondrian-inspired shed art - the backyard is completed with five tons of mulch - Driveway completed with 2.5 tons of gravel - First Annual Open House at the parsonage.

Church of the Resurrection

September
Charles goes to Kansas for a seminar on the future of the UMC - reunion with Jackie Alkula - Boulder experiences - We join OLLI (Osher Lifelong Learning Institute).

All aboard!

October
Judy & Leon come for a visit - train ride in the mountains - October snow - Arvada fun - Clergy session in Estes Park - Evensong at St. Aidan's Episcopal Church - Belinda goes to the Mountain Sky Conference UMW gathering in Salt Lake City. 

Time at Magnolia Café with Nancy Harrell

November
Belinda goes to Texas to visit friends - Charles' art is in two exhibits in Boulder - Belinda is part of PEO again - Our 22nd anniversary & new tires! - The "Big Snow" (20").

Christmas on Gillaspie Drive

December
Painting ornaments for the church - Finishing touches at the parsonage - First Christmas Eve at St. Paul's.

Year in review: January - June

A mild month

January
We find out Patches is a girl! - Charles gets to return to UM for one more semester - A wee bit of snow.

Patch spends time each day with Charles

February
The "big snow" dropped 36" on the Bitterroot Valley. 

March
Charles goes to Colorado Springs for a Pastoral Center for Clergy Excellence seminar - more art is being made on campus.

A chilly Easter

April
A chilly Easter morning - Charles reaches the two gallon goal with the Red Cross - We announce the move to Boulder, CO! 

Farewell, Mo

May
Wrapping up Charles' UM art experience - The passing of Mo - Charles is part of an alumni art show - Patches joins Monty at Lisa Menery's - The packing pace picks up - Fifty-three paintings are donated to the Bitterroot Humane Society.

Moving day in Stevensville

June
Annual Conference in Billings - Visiting with Patches & Monty - Final Sunday at Stevi UMC - Move to Boulder, CO - Clearing the deck at the new parsonage.

2019 Button Report

Buttons from Christmas/birthday 2019

It was a HUGE year in the button room with 451 buttons being added to the collection bringing the tally to 8,506. Twelve new donors have joined the list bringing the number of contributors to 219.
The collection moved from Montana to Colorado this year and found a new home in the parsonage basement. The collection has been full display now in ten states and two overseas locations (Japan and Cornwall). The collection is broken down in to eight major categories (with numerous sub-categories): Businesses, Causes, Holidays, Miscellaneous, Music, Pets, Politics, Sports, and Tourism. Donor List:

1	Alkula, Charles	2,162
2	Alkula, Dale	1,349
3	Alkula, Belinda	1,248
4	Condell, Joan	734
5	Alkula, Jackie	392
6	Alkula, Joe	276
7	Wilkowski-Galle, Laurie	194
8	Alexander, Linda	185
9	Boda, Sandy	154
10	Storkson, Anna	117
11	Swaar, Warren	114
12	Davis, Kristen	104
13	Alkula, Jody	99
14	Jungk, Heather	87
15	Hall, Jeannie Patterson	82
16	Clark, Judy	79
17	Fritschel, Don	66
18	Hammitt, Mo	61
19	Alkula, Mom	57
20	Weston, Sue	56
21	Goffe, Carol	44
22	Chase, Gary	26
23	Winston, Toba	25
24	Chang, Helen	24
25	Kelch, Vicki	22
25	Trapani, Tony	22
26	Dulaney, Denise	21
27	Grice, Dee	20
28	Baumbach, Don	19
28	Lynch, Julie	19
29	Bailey, Diane	18
29	Hatch, Stacy	18
30	Swaar, Kathy	17
31	Stickley, Russ	15
32	Herritt, Donna	14
32	Stickley, Lucy	14
33	Prather, Marcia	13
34	Barlow, Bob	12
34	Broadhurst, Lorraine	12
34	Fish, Paulette	12
34	Ronge, Mollie	12
35	Alkula, Staci	11
35	Diers, joey	11
35	Rodd, Jacque	11
36	Harpster, Jean	10
36	Harrell, Nancy	10
36	Kilmer, Mary Ellen	10
36	Roylance, Bertha	10
37	Condell, Shirley	9
37	Gable, Brian	9
37	Pillsbury, Pef	9
37	Speak, Kathy	9
37	Tucker, Terri	9
38	Dye, Judy	8
38	Hanford, Sue	8
38	King, Stacey	8
38	Muckle, Pat	8
38	Sparks, Craig	8
39	Alkula, Dad	7
39	Edgar, Cammie	7
39	Krans, Glen	7
39	Rowan, Dan	7
40	Alkula, Jason	6
40	Freeman, Clay	6
40	Hult, Dennis	6
40	Quick, Austin	6
40	Wilhite, Neil	6
40	Wilkie, Clark	6
41	Akinwale, Judy	5
41	Chang, Terry	5
41	Davis, Kristen	5
41	Drapper, Rilla	5
41	Hansberry, Bill	5
41	Moshier, Gail	5
41	Thies, Vickie	5
42	Boyd, Sean	4
42	Dupree, Tim	4
42	Gordon, Pam	4
42	Johnson, Torrey	4
42	Kelley, Jennifer	4
42	Kephart, Roy	4
42	Pua, Ria	4
42	Schaffer, Kathy	4
42	Schuttler, Kevin	4
42	Townsend, Charles	4
42	Walton, Ruby	4
43	Anderson, Wanda	3
43	Balfour, Carrie	3
43	Baumbach, Edie	3
43	Brown, William	3
43	Ferrell, Ed	3
43	Flading, Verla	3
43	Gatewood, Tim	3
43	Green, Stephanie	3
43	Harn, Anne	3
43	Kenyon, Betty	3
43	Koelling, Marvin	3
43	Krans, Faye	3
43	Matthews, Steve	3
43	McElmurray, Jean	3
43	Rogers, Maggie	3
43	Smith, Hazel	3
43	Troop, Dot	3
43	Witcher, Mary	3
44	Browne, Mary	2
44	Byrd, Helen	2
44	Cat, Nick the	2
44	Craft, Dolores	2
44	Daulby, Peter	2
44	Faciolli, Jim	2
44	Fish, Cameron	2
44	Forbis, Josie	2
44	Hodson, Luella	2
44	Hunter, Bob	2
44	Johnson, Carol	2
44	Mellgren, Ginny	2
44	Petty, Norma	2
44	Ross, Allison	2
44	Saussey, Carol	2
44	Schrock, Ava	2
44	Shaver, Mike	2
44	Thaxton, Becky	2
44	White, Barbara	2
44	Wiegert, Betty	2
44	Witcher, Jim	2
44	Young, Brigham	2
45	Alkula, Alex	1
45	Alkula, Joshua	1
45	Anderson, Howard	1
45	Armbruster, Julie	1
45	Austin, Kendrick	1
45	Baldauf, Julie	1
45	Barlow, Sean	1
45	Barrett, Rhonda	1
45	Beaber, Jerry	1
45	Beck, Sarah	1
45	Bickford, Lisa	1
45	Bird, Lois	1
45	Black, Berry	1
45	Boykin, Becky	1
45	Bronson, Karen	1
45	Cavanaugh, Shelly	1
45	Chicott, Emma	1
45	Clausen, Amanda	1
45	Collins, Piper	1
45	Cook, Sandi	1
45	Counts, Dave	1
45	Curtis, Tim	1
45	Damwitz, Britta	1
45	Daulby, Marie	1
45	Dinkel, Bea	1
45	Dougherty, Guy	1
45	Eiichberger, Eileen	1
45	Escobedo, Theo	1
45	Farrar, Lydia	1
45	Fisher, Gail	1
45	Garner, Peggy	1
45	Garner, Shirley	1
45	Gebhardt, Debbie	1
45	Gonzalez, Elba	1
45	Hackett, Molly	1
45	Hancock, Helen	1
45	Hansen, Marsha	1
45	Harcus, Missy	1
45	Hayes, Robert	1
45	Howells, Layouna	1
45	Janke, Rose Ann	1
45	Jenkins, Ada	1
45	Jessen, Brenda	1
45	Johnson, Lea	1
45	Kelly, Claire	1
45	Kennedy, Shareese	1
45	King, Anastasia	1
45	Kirkley, Ed	1
45	Lang, James	1
45	Lawton, Dennis	1
45	Lee, Jeannette	1
45	Leifer, Jane	1
45	Levin, Ashley	1
45	Lunn, Jennifer	1
45	Marshall, Cheryl	1
45	Matos, Anthony	1
45	Matthews, Sheri	1
45	McDonald, Lisa	1
45	McKelvey, Shirley	1
45	McLarnon, Sharon	1
45	Meschko, Melinda	1
45	Milord, Fabian	1
45	Minnini, Silas	1
45	Moise, Dorice	1
45	Nansen, Tyler	1
45	Nelson, Karen	1
45	Nelson, Mike	1
45	Odom, Gloria	1
45	Paddie, Shay Lynn	1
45	Paulson, Connie	1
45	Petty, Chuck	1
45	Phelps, Dorothy	1
45	Prince, Paula	1
45	Quarles, Duke	1
45	Reed, Kelly	1
45	Riegler, Mark	1
45	Robertson, Tana	1
45	Rowan, Marilee	1
45	Schneider, Bev	1
45	Schrock, Dusty	1
45	Schultz, Kevin	1
45	Stone, Sam	1
45	Thayer, Shirley	1
45	Thompson, Pat	1
45	Underwood, Betty	1
45	Vecchio, Bob	1
45	Vernon, Verla	1
45	Walton, Mary	1
45	Weindel, Julie	1
45	Wiley, Rob	1
45	Williams, Nancy	1
45	Wright, Tim	1
45	Wylie, Bonnie	1

Wesley's year-in-review

Deer tracks in Stevensville

Preparing to move away from Montana

Lots of places to enjoy in Boulder

Always time for a nap

First Christmas in Colorado

The third member of our family is Wesley, the seven year-old cat that shares our abode on Gillaspie Drive. 

From watching the deer, squirrels, and turkeys at the parsonage in Stevensville, MT to watching the joggers, dog walkers, and geese in Boulder, CO, Wesley has had a busy year!

End-of-year in the studio

St. Paul's UMC (Boulder, CO) Mixed media

Koskenlaskijan morsiamet (The Rapid Rider's Brides)

Ett ensamt skidspår (A Lonely Ski-Trail)

Charles wrapped up a productive year in the studio this week with three pieces. Over the course of 2019, Charles completed eighteen works including ten done during his final semester at the University of Montana.

The first painting was a reclamation project, using a photo puzzle of St. Paul's UMC that was about to be disposed due to a missing piece. Charles applied acrylic to the sky (using a paint knife and a sponge), transforming the photo into a multimedia work.

The second painting, Koskenlaskijan morsiamet (The Rapid Rider's Brides), is a triptych ( 6x6x6 triangles) using acrylic on canvas.

The final painting is Ett ensamt skidspår (A Lonely Ski-Trail) 20x30, is also acrylic on canvas.

Christmas at home

"The stockings were hung by the chimney with care"

Wesley is ready!

"...And pizza Christmas Day"

Birthday boy!

Wesley approves!

We had a nice Christmas Day at home, sleeping in, exchanging presents, and celebrating Charles' birthday!

Christmas Eve at last!

Waiting for Santa!

Setting out luminaries

A nice service at St. Paul's

We had a relatively quiet Christmas Eve with some last minute wrapping, reflecting where we've been on Christmas Eve over the years, placing 100+ luminaries at the church, and of course, our first Christmas Eve here in Boulder.

Wesley is in the mood

Wesley has really enjoyed the various views afforded by the parsonage windows! From watching the bunnies in the backyard to watching the parade that is the constant stream of bikers, joggers, and dog walkers, there is seemingly always something happening. This week, the treat for him is a large gathering of Canada Geese on the recreation field across the street!

An evening of fun

We joined a number of our church members tonight at the home of Dennis & Marcia Hult for the annual Dinner Circle Open House. This event gathers members of the three dinner circles (social groups that meet for dinner at various homes). 

A night out

We went tonight to Fairview HS for the annual winter concert from the community chorus, Generations. At least nine of our church members are in the group.

Out and about

We took advantage of some of the area holiday cheer today, first visiting the Longmont  Artisan Market and then the Freezie Fest on the Pearl Street Mall. A light dusting of snow this afternoon returned the feeling of winter to Gillaspie Drive!

A colorful projecct

Waiting for the excess paint to drain

A colorful assortment

Ready for the public

We've been working on a new project in the studio, painting plastic ornaments, from the inside! Belinda found them at Michaels and Charles supplied the acrylic paint. The idea is to give them out at the church this coming Sunday following the "Christmas pageant in-a-bag!"

More to do

We are happily making the parsonage a home we can enjoy with today's task involving patching some holes in the ceiling, the result of taking light fixtures out and putting the ceiling fans in.

A night in Loveland

We went north to Loveland this afternoon with two members of our church to attend a concert of holiday music offered by the Loveland Performing Arts and Ernie Haase + Signature Sound.

A drive to Elbert

Rob & Belinda

We had a nice drive to Elbert (Colorado) today where we had a nice visit with Belinda's brother, Rob, and his family. On our way back we stopped in the town of Elizabeth for lunch at the surprisingly good Catrina Mexican Grill Burrito!

Wesley's seasonal pause

We've been enjoying the dining area and the Christmas tree in our new home. Wesley, too, finds the room most restful!

Office decor

Thanks to Belinda's suggestion, Charles has a "pencil" Christmas tree in his office!

Holidays, ahoy!

Getting the cards ready!

Our holidays got off in grand fashion with decorating the parsonage for the holidays.