Joanna Waves Hello!

Five thirty AM! - and on my way to the polls!

2008-11-04T05:28:00.002-05:00

OU - The Quick Trip

2008-09-03T08:08:00.002-05:00

Here are three videos from last weekends Road Trip to Oklahoma!

A Test

2008-08-24T08:22:00.001-05:00

Your result for The Perception Personality Image Test...

NBPC - The Daydreamer

Nature, Background, Big Picture, and Color

You perceive the world with particular attention to nature. You focus on the hidden treasures of life (the background) and how that fits into the larger picture. You are also particularly drawn towards the colors around you. Because of the value you place on nature, you tend to find comfort in more subdued settings and find energy in solitude. You like to ponder ideas and imagine the many possibilities of your life without worrying about the details or specifics. You are in tune with all that is around you and understand your life as part of a larger whole. You are a down-to-earth person who enjoys going with the flow.

The Perception Personality Types:

Take The Perception Personality Image Test at HelloQuizzy

Sometimes I feel like this is so true .....

2008-07-30T06:07:00.002-05:00

12 Timeless RULES

2008-07-21T06:05:00.001-05:00

12 Rules to Live By - Robert Louis Stevenson - I found this list on another blog and it really seems like a perfect list. If you can do all these things you will be happy.

Make up your mind to be happy. Learn to find pleasure in simple things.
Make the best of circumstances. No one has everything and everyone has something of sorrow.
Don’t take yourself too seriously.
Don’t let criticism worry you. You can’t please everybody.
Don’t let your neighbors set your standards; be yourself.
Do things you enjoy doing but stay out of debt.
Don’t borrow trouble. Imaginary things are harder to bear than actual ones.
Since hate poisons the soul, do not cherish enmities and grudges. Avoid people who make you unhappy.
Have many interests. If you can’t travel, read about places.
Don’t hold post-mortems or spend time brooding over sorrows and mistakes.
Do what you can for those less fortunate than yourself.
Keep busy at something. A very busy person never has time to be unhappy.

A Universal Problem

2008-04-30T08:39:00.006-05:00

It seems ROSE IS ROSE is expressing a universal problem. Click on pictures to enlarge.

This branch makes a handy seat!

Nothing is to hard to get to!

Tag team! Drop it down!

And further insult to our property. Even the pickup was not safe from maurauding geese during a recent rain.

Easter facts you probably didn't know!

2008-03-10T15:08:00.001-05:00

Easter is always the 1st Sunday after the 1st full moon after the Spring Equinox (which is March 20). This dating of Easter is based on the lunar calendar that Hebrew people used to identify Passover, which is why it moves around on our Roman calendar.

Here's the interesting info. This year is the earliest Easter any of us will ever see the rest of our lives! And only the most elderly of our population have ever seen it this early (95 years old or above!). And none of us have ever, or will ever, see it a day earlier! Here's the facts:

1) The next time Easter will be this early (March 23) will be the year 2228 (220 years from now). The last time it was this early was 1913 (so if you're 95 or older, you are the only ones that were around for that!).

2) The next time it will be a day earlier, March 22, will be in the year 2285 (277 years from now). The last time it was on March 22 was 1818. So, no one alive today has or will ever see it any earlier than this year!

This is fun!

2008-03-07T09:46:00.001-05:00

HowManyOfMe.com

There are
6
people with my name
in the U.S.A.

How many have your name?

Field Trip for Volunteers

2008-01-15T22:31:00.000-05:00

Here is the History of several of the places we visited last Saturday on our Field trip of Henrico County properties. I'll include pictures in a few days.

Happy Birthday Christine

2008-01-09T07:24:00.000-05:00

Happy Birthday to Christine! I won't disclose her age, as it would only make me feel old!!!! At any rate, today is her day, and I hope Michelle and Brian have cooked up something exciting for her.

The New Year

2008-01-05T08:08:00.000-05:00

The New Year has come and gone with a quiet passing here, but Eric and I are going to a party this evening here in the neighborhood. This couple is from Germany, though they have lived here many years, They are actually one of the first CrossRidge residents we ever spoke to, as they were outside one day when we were driving through and trying to make a decision. Almost three years ago now! We have no idea who will be there, and hope Eric doesn't get buttonholed with HOA questions.

I thought I would share a few family links from Grandma Walter's family. This is the home page for one of my cousin Mary. I saw here when in Portland, and she promised to share pictures with me. Mary and Bert Evens Home Page and Mary and Bert's Christmas letter are here for your enjoyment. Pictures she took during the reunion at Ray and Jo's house are here. One person i didn't see was my cousin David, and he and his son Drew are in this picture. So mom and dad, I hope you enjoy looking through these pictures too!

It's been bitter cold here, as in most of the country. It was 2 8 last night, up from 19 and 16 the two nights before. We are supposed to go up to 69 on Monday, and in the mid 50's today, so we are warming up some. Probably a temporary thaw! We are still very dry, with not much chance of rain till late next week.

Yesterday I visited with Becky a few hours. She has been busy sewing pants for Jake from wool sweaters and knit tops. She is doing great! I played with the kids, and she and Jake took a mini nap, right there on the couch. Zack showed me the in and outs of Webkinz , and Maddie drew for me and told me all about Nutcracker and who danced.

Kleenex and Me

2007-12-21T08:28:00.000-05:00

Somehow, somewhere, someone is out to get me. Just when I though I was over my cold, out of the blue another full blown head cold struck yesterday afternoon. One of those weird ones, where one side of you sinuses runs, and the other clogs up. Nasty. I went to bed early, and woke up feeling better, but my head feels like it is stuffed with cotton. Hopefully it won't linger. At least I am caught up on holiday activities.

This past week has been great fun, as Skyler was here visiting. Her Cone grandparents brought her by plane. When she and Maddie saw each other it was like long lost pieces of velcro, they latched onto each other and the 4 days here, were inseparable.
I had them over twice to play and bake. Monday they came and made cupcakes (Maddie's choice) for the birthday party for Maddie later in the evening. Tuesday they came for sugar cookie baking. I was pretty impressed with them both; they had cutting out cookies and decorating with sprinkles down to a fine art form. Of course, the kitchen floor was well decorated too.

I'll post other pictures of her visit, but now think it is about time get out of my PJ's.

Sights from Washington and Oregon

2007-11-27T17:49:00.000-05:00

Here are the photo albums I have put together of my trip to Washington and Oregon. If anyone has any memories or corrections to make to the picture captions, please do.

Each of the lines of Text below are a link to a web album of photos.

Grandma Walters House, now a Coffee House for the Neighborhood Church

Pictures of Riverview Cemetery, Milwaukie, Oregon

Walter Family Gathers

Trip to Friday Harbor, Washington

Quilt Retreat, Orkila YMCA Camp, Orcas Island

Crescent Lake

2007-11-24T14:45:00.000-05:00

The year I was 14 or 15 we went to Orcas Island for Vacation. We camped not far from this lake, and Dad came here to fish. While he rented a boat and went out fishing, Mom sat in the car, and Mike and I spent time on the beach. As often happens, a storm blew up in the afternoon. If I remember the story right, Mom got sea sick, from the car, watching the waves!

Trip in a Nutshell

2007-11-24T08:34:00.000-05:00

The past two weeks in the Pacific Northwest were like a time travel adventure backwards. I will only cover a few high-lights here, some I think my Dad and Mom will enjoy. I intend to upload an album of pictures later today and will give a link to them when I have them ready.

The first day I arrived in Portland, one of my first adventures was to go to Milwaukie Oregon to see the house where my family lived. This was home for us from about 1956 until 1961. I was in second grade when we moved here, and Mike must have been about 2. Although I had been back here about 10 years ago, I didn't have a camera then, so took no pictures. The amazing thing to me is how small a place looks compared to one's memories. Although most of the neighbor homes are the same, the streets and houses seem much closer together than I remember as a child walking though the neighborhood on my way home from school, etc.

A second memory jolt was the week before on Orcas Island. We camped here when I was a teenager, probably about 13 or 14 years old. I remember my dad renting a boat to go out on this lake to fish, while Mike and I played on the beach, and mom sat in the car. From the parking lot, she could see all of us. An afternoon storm blew up, and mom got sea-sick from seeing the waves on the lake!

Take me with you, please ....

2007-11-05T12:14:00.001-05:00

Silly has caught on the fact that something is going on, and it involves going somewhere. She is either trying to stay close, so she can keep her eye on the action, or else, she is making a bid to go with me. You notice she is sleeping nicely though in all the pictures, one would not want to loose sleep what ever is going on.

Have a good week!

2007-10-29T12:39:00.000-05:00

The Weather

2007-10-22T21:51:00.000-05:00

So, I am sure you all know we are still in a drought. Probably tomorrow night the local government will vote to put us all on water restrictions. For the year, we are over 6 inches below normal, and for October, which normally recieves 2.6 inches, we have had a whopping .01 of an inch. It was in the 80's today. Eric is still in shorts. So there, you know how much like summer it really is. The plants think it is spring, some are blooming again. Very weird.

National Folk Festival - We love it!

2007-10-14T06:58:00.000-05:00

Be sure and click on the title for more about the festival than the links below. The clips take time to load, so be patient!

One of my favorite groups was Vishten from Prince Edward Island in Canada - this was my favorite song! See why below!

Mariez – moi
Paroles / Lyrics : trad.
Air / Melody : Emmanuelle LeBlanc SOCAN

Marie moi donc ma petite maman, je veux me mettre en ménage
Voyez vous pas qu’j’arrive à vingt ans, je pense que c’est le bon âge
Toujours tourner, toujours filer, c’est un métier qui me ennuyer
Si vous ne me marier pas, ah non je ne filerai pas

Refrain / Chorus
Toujours tourner, toujours filer, c’est un métier qui me fait ennuyer
Ah, si vous ne me mariez pas, ah non je ne filerai pas
Si vous ne me marier pas, ah non ah non je ne filerai pas
Ah si vous ne me mariez pas, ah non, je ne filerai pas

Si qu’à vingt ans, j’suss pas mariée, je vous le dit oh mère!
J’voudrais qu’mon fouet serait réduit en cendre et en poussière
Et que ma quenouille, ma quenouille sur les tisons
Qu’elle soit réduite en cendre, en cendre et en charbon

Fillette rencontre son amant, lui raconta son histoire
Marions nous maintenant que j’ai fait consentir ma mère
L’amant pour la récompenser, lui donne pour gage un doux baiser
Marions nous, soyons heureux et tu fileras si tu veux
"
What did I like about this song ? The lyric ..... "si vous ne me mariez pas, ah non je ne filerai pas" - "If you don't marry me, Oh no, I am going to stop Knitting! " ..... Desparate woman do desparate things!

Today we are going to see D.L. Menard and The Jambalaya Cajun Band, his back up band.

Greetings

2007-10-06T18:11:00.000-05:00

This week was Rebecca's Birthday, and as ususal the kids made her a cake and special gifts. This year they put together and painted birdhouses, both reflecting their current interests. Zack made a pirate ship, and Maddie a castle.

On the home front, it has not rained in over 3 weeks and we are 4 inches below normal now, the plants are pretty stressed. On top of that, it is supposed to be 90 tomorrow, so our temperatures are way above normal too. Last week we cleaned out the zennias from the beds and planted panseys, of course, if we had know it was going to be this hot this weekend (yes Mike I have heard of 7 day forecasts) - we would have waited. But, fall is in the air. at least the trees are starting to behave like it is fall, and next week the forecasters

2007-09-22T05:32:00.000-05:00

We finished a "Fitness Week" here at Crossridge, and in spite of very poor turnout, it was very well done and those of us who went to all the activities heard some brilliant speakers talk on health and ways to improve our health, as well as maintain where we are at. A few even promised we'd be rejuvenated! LOL! The underlying theme of most was drink more water! How simple.

The funniest incident (or most telling) though was on Thursday when a friend and I walked to the pavilion for lunch to hear a talk on Alzheimer's. When we got there, the talk had been canceled. I asked it they had called to alert everyone and they said yes. With a puzzled look we questioned not getting a call. Turns out we had NOT signed up for it ... Just thought we did. Now did we need that talk? I felt even worse thinking if we had signed up, maybe they would have had enough to hold the talk.

Friday my Yoga partner and I gave a one hour demo of Yoga for newcomers. She and I worked a couple weeks on it, made posters, etc. and we had only one person show up. Disappointing. But we have all the stuff done now, and think we may just do it again in a few months. The advertising for this was very poor, and what was done was confusing to many. Of course that's another issue, not to be confused with the fact that many just don't care about being proactive when it comes to health. Those that did participate were at nearly every talk.

Next week I'm going with a group to see the Capitol Building and the Governor's mansion. The Capitol was renovated these last few years in anticipation of the Jamestown celebration this past summer, and of course the Queen of England came to visit here. We'll eat downtown at the Capitol Ale House.

Ages and Ages

2007-08-29T13:46:00.001-05:00

Well I may win the award for the longest times between posts, if there is one. I still don't have much exciting to tell, but I do have a picture to share.

I love the view from my sewing room, and still do not like the thought of obscuring it with curtains. However I came to notice that there was a good bit of glare, especially near the top of the windows where the sky was in full view. Last week, Pam called to plan a "Thrift Store" invasion in Fredericksburg, where we meet once in a while. As she taught summer school this year this was here first time off. We always start the morning with breakfast at the Cracker Barrel, (we share a breakfast that has eveything) .... and then we hit the road.

This year we haunted some new places, and at one I found two valances for my windows. Both in perfect condition (only needed washing). They were Martha Stewart stuff, nice cotton with embroidery. And since I wasn't totally sure I would like any covering, the price was perfect. $3.00 for the pair. How can you beat that?

I couldn't resist!

2007-08-19T08:51:00.001-05:00

One of the side benefits of being a grand and great-grand parent! Be sure and click for a big view!

And a added note to the post about the storm we had the other night - Dominion Power said there were 38,500 lightening strikes during the 6-7 hours of the storm. That translates to one a sec. It was QUITE a show.

Ditto

2007-08-17T21:15:00.000-05:00

Not much new is happening here on the home front. We are coming up on two years in the house, and it seems like we have been here forever. I have to really think back to remember life about AKK.

This week we had two events that made us thankful we are no longer on the boat. Yesterday afternoon we got a phone call from the man who bought the boat. He was having battery problems and issues with the AC pump. Eric talked with him quite awhile about both, but when he hung up, he and I both said, isn't in nice that is not our problem anymore! Then last night we had a terrific thunderstorm. It lasted (the lightening) well over 5 hours. Being aboard would have been loud and a worry, with that much lightening and the tall mast! We did lose power for about 6 hours, but it really wasn't an inconvenience, we finally just went to bed. The biggest problem (for me personally) was I couldn't finish the Harry Potter book as I had planned. Candle power just wasn't really strong enough to read by.

We got the house pressure washed (part of the provided maintenance) a few weeks ago and that was nice to have everything looking clean and shiny again. The storm blew lots of leaves an limbs into the yard, and we are still uncertain if they will come and pick them up or we will have to. Maybe tomorrow we can find that out. I hate to throw them into the wetland. My compost pile may have washed away, or else it is very compacted. I need to get down there with a rake and see if it is still there, or it floated off.

Well, nothing new under the sun here. Even with 2-4 inches of rain, we are still dry here.

Happy Birthday Mike

2007-07-27T06:35:00.000-05:00

Today is my little brother's birthday, HEY MIKE! Happy Birthday!!!

There isn't much exciting going on here. After last week and all the activity, this is nice. I took care of the Glen Allen Three yesterday for mom to go on a grocery run, and other than Yoga class, have been pretty close to home.
The Knitter met to dye with more natural stuff and have a pot-luck lunch. We had more luck with lunch that the stuff in the pots brewing! We tried blackberries, and though the color was acceptable, I'd have liked them better cooked up in Mom's cobbler! LOL.

Eric had his dental surgery on Wednesday, and if recovering well. Just a tiny bit of swelling, but no pain at all. I'm amazed at what they can do. The verdict is still not in on whether the loose tooth can be saved; it might have a fracture in it. So, time is needed here and until later, he just heals and carries on.

Neither of us have been upstairs working on train scenery, though it is time for me to start working on the third panel of a series of four going up on to the left of the window, along the side of the rail yard. So far, I have in a Creamery and Ice House, and in the distance homes and hillsides. I'd like to do cows (lol) but am not sure I can pull that off.

We've had a bit of rain, but still not enough. This weekend though we have a prediction of two days of possible showers. Hopefully that will happen.

Jake is 5 Months Old

2007-07-20T22:10:00.000-05:00

Here is a group of pictures of Jake taken this week - he turned 5 months old on Wednesday. Jake spent every morning with us while the others went to church for Avalanche Ranch - VBS, Z and M had breakfast each morning before going off.

Be sure to watch for the surprise ending to the video!

Parsley

2007-07-06T16:05:00.000-05:00

Last year I planted parsley for us to use in cooking. The swallowtail caterpillars dined on it and we didn't, at least not until late in the season when they were gone. This year, I planted again, and they came again, only this time, they have not left anything to speak of, if there is a second crop it will be a miracle.

Friday Night Forecast - No rain

2007-06-30T07:28:00.001-05:00

Last Night

2007-06-27T19:04:00.000-05:00

This picture was made by Tom the last night Mom and Dad visited in Virginia. There are four generations here, great-grand parents, grandma, daughter and great-grand children! I am sure everyone recognizes us all!

Jake is Baptized

2007-06-24T14:52:00.000-05:00

Latest news - Hot off the Needles

2007-06-13T06:32:00.000-05:00

What happens when you dial the wrong number?

2007-06-11T20:02:00.000-05:00

Zack called and left a message this morning about 8:40 and said he wanted to have breakfast when he came over. He, Maddie and Jake were coming for their monday morning visit. I didn't bother to call back, as I knew they'd be over soon.

About 30 minutes later, a very flustered Becky arrived, with a sheepish Zack. The first thing out of her mouth was, "You need to change your phone number". It seems, when Zack dialed the number (he is learning to dial himself) he hit one of the numbers wrong, so he hung up. He then dialed and left the message I heard. In the meantime, Becky got into the shower. A few minutes later Zack came to the bathroom door and said, "Mom, there is a man at the door." Becky was expecting the contractor who is doing their garage renovation, so she told him that was ok, she'd be out in a bit, don't open the door. She continued her shower, but when she got out and opened the bath roon door, Zack was standing there with a worried look on his face. He said, "Mom, the man is still there, and he's a policeman."

Well, Becky hoped into her clothes, ran downstairs, and opened the door, and two patrolmen were about to walk around the house and try to get in, since the kids wouldn't open the door. There first question to her was, "Is everything all right?"It seems, when Zack dialed my phone number, which begins 915 - he actually dialed 911, and then hung up. He knew that wasn't right. She said the fact her hair was dripping wet seemed to convince them the story was right. What a morning!

I've been working on the railroad

2007-06-01T20:39:00.000-05:00

1. Mix and stir, 2. Your turn, 3. Stir, stir, stir, 4. Glue, more glue

Celebrate

2007-05-31T20:16:00.000-05:00

My Birthday was today, (50+++++++++ if you want to know) and my family - DH, Daughter and Son-in law, and my three sweet DGKids helped me celebrate in style. I had calls from my parents and son too!

First the day started with some of this:

I came home after a wonderful class (I do recommend Yoga for anyone looking to increase balance, flexibility and strength) and worked some on this:

Of course there were cards and flowers:

And gifts from the grandchildren, who have pronounced themselves ready to learn how to knit. The orange is grandson's FAVORITE color, and of course, the granddaughter picked pink (though she usually says green when asked for her favorite). Grandson says he wants to make a scarf, and granddaughter a blanket.

The evening was capped off by dinner out and I pronounced myself blessed. It was a perfect day.

Trains

2007-05-27T19:15:00.001-05:00

I know, it has been ages since I have blogged here. I am embarrassed to even look and see how long it has been. Hope you all will forgive me. I guess it's a good thing I don't do this for a living, right?

Virginia has been having wonderful weather, and we have enjoyed having the windows open and not having to use the Ac. All that ended this evening, when we finally had to turn it on, today was almost 90 and tomorrow is supposed to be the same. We are having the Edicola's over for a BBQ tomorrow, so our Memorial Day will be full of fun and activity. I am sure some will involve working on the trains.

The trains are actually the most news we have to report. I'm posting a few pictures so you can see the progress. Things are moving slow, thought that is mostly due to parts and pieces for track (switches) that have been on back-order for over a month.

This piece of blank bookcase:

Has become a freight yard:

And the construction crew:

Has produced this:

Click on any of these pictures for a full size picture.

And the winner is!

2007-05-19T16:35:00.001-05:00

You could have blown me over today, because I won first place in the Spinning Guild's Fiber Challenge. Remember, I have only been spinning about 10 months, and some of these people have been spinning for decades, and decades. Back in January we were each issued a 1 oz hunk of pink wool roving. To make a long story short, I worked on that roving, I dyed, I carded, I blended, ..... you get the picture I think! Today 21 of us brought our finished skeins to be judged. Seriously, there were some that were much more interesting than mine, or at least I thought so. Of course that may be because I have been looking at the stuff for months. I worked hard on the one page write up we had to have, and also on the final presentation - how it all looked. And who knows, maybe it was the candy? I tried to cover all my bases!

Only a mother would love this face

2007-05-16T14:33:00.000-05:00

Mr. and Mrs. Mockingbird and the 2 little M & M's have left the nest. It appears that sometime yesterday evening they decided it was time to venture out. No worry, I guess, that the wind was blowing so hard even the cat wouldn't sit outside. So, we think they are in the hedge around the transformer in the front yard. We see Mom M in the bush chirping to someone who is answering. Our next question is, will she nest again and will we have M & M II. Have to wait and see we guess.

Newest Addition

2007-05-02T08:43:00.000-05:00

Here's what's newest at our house.
Move your mouse over the picture and see who appeared yesterday. Mrs. M (Mockingbird) has been very busy. I don't know what happened to egg #3, there may be three in the nest. I didn't have permission to linger long.

Look Carefully - See that beady eye?

2007-04-25T21:00:00.000-05:00

Mrs. "M" as she is know around here, is sitting on her nest inside the holly tree. Can you see her eye and beak? Click for a larger view if you have trouble seeing. Inside her nest are three small eggs, no bigger than those tiny wrapped chocolate Easter candies. They are brownish in color and speckled, as best I could tell in the quick peek I got while she was off looking for food.

How to build stomach muscles

2007-04-21T07:11:00.000-05:00

This little guy has found a system, he does curl ups and grabs a handful (or paw-full I guess) and then leans back down to eat!

Pickles Scores Again!

2007-04-14T10:01:00.000-05:00

A week ago Monday, before Easter was Bunco. I've been playing with this group for over a year now, and won once before, way back at the beginning, second prize. This month, I won first place! $30.00 to ad to my "mad money" which is basically used to fuel my bad habits, knitting, and buying gifts for small children. Anyhow, April must be my lucky month, because this morning I got an email from a knit blogger in England named Julie. I had entered a contest she had on her blog and won 2 books and some KnitPicks yarn that will be perfect for socks. So, I am a happy camper!

Today Eric is working on making two blocks for the loom I am preparing for a class in June. I purchased an additional heddle for this loom in order to be able to weave finer fabric. The blocks on the existing heddle are too small, so rather than sand them and spoil them forever he'll make me a set that will replace the originals when I switch heddles. This way, should I want to do a looser weave, I just change the blocks. I am sure that is clear as greek, but believe me, it is going to work nicely. It would be nice if he had a band saw, it would make this all easier, but he doesn't, so in spite of a few problems, he should have a pair soon.

Egg hunting, 2007

2007-04-11T14:08:00.000-05:00

I just got pictures together for a collage of Easter Egg hunting by the grandkids. Looks like they all had a wonderful time, don't you think? If you click on any one of the pictures you will be taken to Flickr, where you can see larger pictures.

A Home in the Holly Tree

2007-04-10T21:31:00.000-05:00

A mockingbird has been diligently building a nest in the holly tree in our front flower bed. At first I thought it was going to be mighty uncomfortable, even for a bird. Lots of twigs and pointy sticks. Today I decided to take a quick picture, and what to my surprise, the nest has been transformed into a pretty cushy pad. It seems my dusty miller in the back yard has been appropriated to line the new nursery. I must say, they picked a nice soft plant to do the finishing touches. I wonder when we can expect eggs?

Silly and Eric make the news

2007-04-09T17:10:00.000-05:00

Silly has been sending in ideas to the Pickles creator, Brian Crane. Too bad Silly doesn't get paid better. This is Eric and Silly to a T.

Happy Easter to Everyone!

2007-04-08T00:05:00.000-05:00

Spring?

2007-04-07T07:03:00.000-05:00

So, where were we?

2007-04-04T15:32:00.000-05:00

I know it's been ages since I have had any real news or stories to relate .... and I can only report that there isn't much new here chez Cole's Point Way. But, here we go .....

Last Saturday I spent the day with a group of the Clothos Spinners at Maymont. We had been asked to demonstarte spinning for the crowds of children and their parents visiting the farm for Barn Days. There were lots of kids, and not all of them were children, yes, the Cashmere goats had three kids and they were adorable.

Monday was celebration day at Chuck E. Cheese for Zack's birthday party! Lots of fun, pizza and kids. Tom's parents Mike and Mary were there as they came for Easter and the birthday. The kids really had a good time with the games, and the closed circuit TV studio. Most of Zack's friends were there from pre-school and also his long time friend Owen. Maddie had friends too as some of Zack's friends have siblings her age.

During the past few months Eric has been hard at work on plans for his train platforms. He has finally finalized the plans and has been busy busy building. The following slideshow is a quick look at the results.

And finally, a short visit today from grandson #2 and mommy.

Happy Birthday Zack

2007-04-03T21:48:00.000-05:00

Five Weeks Old!

2007-03-26T16:12:00.000-05:00

Who is that handsome guy?

Spring Has Sprung At Last

2007-03-25T20:43:00.000-05:00

.... and not a moment too soon.

Art Celebration

2007-03-11T14:24:00.000-05:00

This clip was made from photos and videos taken last weekend when Eric and I took the grandkids to the Art Celebration at the Cultural Arts Center in Glen Allen. It's a bit long, so grab a cup of coffee and enjoy.

Ah, the sounds of Spring

2007-03-02T09:29:00.000-05:00

Last night, just at dusk as I was sitting down to begin watching the news I could hear a noise outside. I opened the back door, and it was as if every bug, frog and what ever else outside in the wetland that is capable of sound had decided that winter was over and was celebrating. I could not believe the racket! The darker it got, the louder they were and you could hear them from the kitchen through the closed doors and windows. Of course, Eric and Silly are cosponsoring a "It is getting warm" party themselves, so I guess I shouldn't be surprised.

Zack and Maddie came for lunch as Becky took Jake for a weigh in, and he had gained 3 oz since Monday. So all is well in the eating and gaining weight department. The kids agreed we could have Jake over, but he couldn't stay. So they are being a bit less possessive, but are still quite adamant that he is theirs.

Tomorrow is the Sewing Guild at Meadow Farm . We are beginning the rag dolls we prepare for the craft activity for Sheep to Shawl. In the afternoon I am going to go to The Cultural Arts Center of Glen Allen for their spring Arts Celebration and will take Zack and Maddie with me to see the puppet shows and other activities planned. Several of my Clothos friends (the weavers) will be there for a weaving demonstration.

We are supposed to have a total eclipse 5:44 pm of the moon tomorrow night! Cool.

This is a great cartoon, once again Silly kitten has been sending material to Rose is Rose, it's just too bad she doesn't get paid better for her work. Click to see a better view.

Sunday - Rainy and Cold

2007-02-25T17:29:00.000-05:00

This past week has been a whirlwind - it is hard to believe that one week ago, everything seemed to be calm, with nothing looming on the horizon out of the ordinary!

So this week, we have baby Jake, who Maddie has informed me can not go visit me at my house, because he is theirs, and I can't have him. I guess she is attached to him, you think? She and I went out for a swim date yesterday and had ice cream too. I think she was still in CIRCUS mode from last Monday, because she picked Cotton Candy as her flavor. I actually think she was attracted to the color, which was bubble-gum pink! Click on the word CIRCUS and see all the pictures from that trip from last week.

This past week also sent me back to the dentist for a crown, and a prep for another. I also had an appointment for new glasses, so I should be in good working order here soon! It wasn't planned this way, as the glasses broke last week after yoga, and I was forced into going in since repair was out of the question.

Today I knitted new toes into a pair of socks for Eric. He had worn the bottoms out. I read my noted from when I made them, I had reinforced the heels with wooly nylon, but not the toes. Lesson - reinforce all his foot with wooly nylon!

This week the knitters come for a visit, and I have hopes of working on Jake's quilt. I finished the cradle blanket Becky didn't get done, and will make a small flannel crib sheet for the Moses Basket he sleeps in downstairs. There is just enough fabric left from the blanket.

We've had a cold wet rain, off and on all day. Not the nicest weather, but at least not snow. Hopefully it will be clear tomorrow, we plan a trip to SAM's and Kroger's on Tuesday. Very exciting, no?

Jacob is now at home!

2007-02-24T09:33:00.000-05:00

Jacob is now at home!

Jacob Michael

2007-02-22T16:51:00.000-05:00

Newest Addition to the Family

2007-02-20T12:31:00.000-05:00

Here we are welcoming Jacob Michael, first encounter for me, Zack and Maddie. He is a cute little guy, just .3 of a lb short of 6 lbs and is 18 3/4 inches long. He'll be in the step down NICU unit for a few more days until he is eating well enough to go home. Being 4 weeks early he is slow to eat, he'd rather sleep. There are more pictures HERE .

Hazardous Weather Outlook

2007-02-06T07:28:00.000-05:00

TODAY AND TONIGHT...

VERY COLD AND DRY AIR WILL HOLD OVER THE REGION TODAY...WITH
TEMPERATURES OVER MUCH OF THE AREA IN THE SINGLE DIGITS
EARLY THIS MORNING. WIND CHILLS WILL RANGE FROM ZERO TO TEN DEGREES
ABOVE ZERO THROUGH MID MORNING.

A QUICK SHOT OF SNOWFALL WILL DEVELOP LATER TONIGHT INTO WEDNESDAY
MORNING AS A SHORTWAVE MOVES OVER THE REGION. ALTHOUGH MOST AREAS
WILL SEE SNOW ACCUMULATION UNDER AN INCH...SOME SHORT LIVED SNOW
BURST MAY ALLOW FOR SOME LOCATIONS TO RECEIVE UP TO AN INCH.

February Already?

2007-02-04T18:36:00.000-05:00

I can't report a great deal of action going on here in Virginia. We are having a pretty cold spell lately, with temperatures this week scheduled to be 16 tonight, and 8 tomorrow! Sillly has an answer to the new cooler temps:

Yes that is the desk area in front of my TV. She discovered this is a warm place, what with the cable box being on the shelf underneath the table. We have now moved her bed here, so she is even more comfortable. And, when she is feeling extra lazy, she can still see the birds outside by turning around and to face the window and rests her head on the side of her bed.

I also made "Warm Windows" for the 5 back windows of the house. This is a gread product, and though not the easiest to handle, has defnitely made a difference in the overall temperature in the Florida room and my sewing room.

This past Satrday I met with the sewing guild at Meadow Farm and we finished up the quilt project we have been working on for the last few months.

I promise more soon, as it is late now and almost dinner time. Hope all is well with everyone!

The bread recipe - A great loaf of Bread

2007-01-22T08:36:00.000-05:00

I promised this recipe last week, and never got around to pulling it up again and transferring it to the blog. We are still enjoying the first loaf of this bread, eating the last of it as toast. The crust is still chewy and wonderful, and the crumb very moist. The title above is a link to other sites showing the bread, remember to click your back button to get back here.

Recipe: No-Knead Bread

Published: November 8, 2006
Adapted from Jim Lahey, Sullivan Street Bakery
Time: About 1½ hours plus 14 to 20 hours’ rising

3 cups all-purpose or bread flour, more for dusting
¼ teaspoon instant yeast
1¼ teaspoons salt
Cornmeal or wheat bran as needed.

1. In a large bowl combine flour, yeast and salt. Add 1 5/8 cups water, and stir until blended; dough will be shaggy and sticky. Cover bowl with plastic wrap. Let dough rest at least 12 hours, preferably about 18, at warm room temperature, about 70 degrees.

2. Dough is ready when its surface is dotted with bubbles. Lightly flour a work surface and place dough on it; sprinkle it with a little more flour and fold it over on itself once or twice. Cover loosely with plastic wrap and let rest about 15 minutes.

3. Using just enough flour to keep dough from sticking to work surface or to your fingers, gently and quickly shape dough into a ball. Generously coat a cotton towel (not terry cloth) with flour, wheat bran or cornmeal; put dough seam side down on towel and dust with more flour, bran or cornmeal. Cover with another cotton towel and let rise for about 2 hours. When it is ready, dough will be more than double in size and will not readily spring back when poked with a finger.

4. At least a half-hour before dough is ready, heat oven to 450 degrees. Put a 6- to 8-quart heavy covered pot (cast iron, enamel, Pyrex or ceramic) in oven as it heats. When dough is ready, carefully remove pot from oven. Slide your hand under towel and turn dough over into pot, seam side up; it may look like a mess, but that is O.K. Shake pan once or twice if dough is unevenly distributed; it will straighten out as it bakes. Cover with lid and bake 30 minutes, then remove lid and bake another 15 to 30 minutes, until loaf is beautifully browned. Cool on a rack.

Yield: One 1½-pound loaf.

And if you want a visual - here it is!

Click the button on the slidder to watch.

And Here are excellent step by step pictures of the whole process.

And here are more tips for this process. Click on "Fine Tune Your Bread".
Fine Tune Your Bread
I think I am on my way to make another loaf!

Bread

2007-01-16T22:38:00.000-05:00

The Bread Click on the words, The Bread, and you will be taken to a slide show of this fantastic bread. Yes, it is good enough to eat!

Sunday Surprise

2007-01-14T12:48:00.000-05:00

Yeterday's field trip was a great experience; we had a pleasant bus trip, a delicious meal, and absolutly wonderful weather, in the high 60's. As I wore several layers, being unsure if the bus would be heated if it were chilly, I was totally comfortable all day. Even went without jacket and sweater at times! It was a spectacular day in all ways. One of the things I had forgotten about Chippokes Plantation is that it has the honor of being one of the oldest continuously farmed properties in the US. It has been operating since 1619. It is bounded by 2 other plantations, two creeks, and the James River, so it's size, 1403 acres, is unchanged since 1646 when the original 550 acre grant was expanded. This feature of being unchanged also makes it unique. This is the view, towards the James River, taken from the front door.

During our tour of the museusm and the mansion, we were told to look upstairs at the fossils of Chesapecten jeffersonius. The docent told us, if we visited the river beach, and if we looked, we could hunt for and possibly find specimens of this fossil, and could take ONE. Well, you know me, beaches and shells! That was almost a challenge.

Meet Virginia's state fossil, the scallop Chesapecten jeffersonius! It fittingly honors one of the state's most illustrious citizens -- Thomas Jefferson. This mollusc lived in the shallow waters of the continental shelf during the Late Miocene and Early Pliocene Epochs, some 4 - 5 million years ago. I am amazed at the size of the one I found, and that it is intact, both shells still connected. Many found halves, broken, or a few smaller ones, melded together. I was the only one to find one that looked as nice as the one in the mansion on display. To say the least, I was thrilled.

Long Overdue

2007-01-10T12:05:00.000-05:00

It has been ages since I posted. So what excitement can I report?

The most important news on the home front is that the gutters are finally back on the house, so repairs to the roof after the big "tree" falling are finally complete. It only took four months and four days to get it back together again. Who would have ever though it would take so long? Eric was infinitely patient with them, but they still took their time.

Out weather has been like a ping pong tournament. One week warm, next week cold. We have set records for warmth, and unseasonable temperatures. The men that know (???do they really know??) say that next week we will be normal. Whatever that is? I see banners outside houses proclaiming "Let it Snow", but really do not know if we will have any this year or not. I know the plants are very confused, I still have petunias on the front porch that are alive.

This weekend, on Saturday, I am going on an Appreciation Day field trip with other volunteers from Meadow Farm. We are going to Chippokes Plantation. This is the same place Eric and I visited 2 winters ago for their Christmas Outdoor Sale. The Plantation has a very large museum, so this will be part of out itinerary for the day. Lunch is going to be in Surry. It should be a great time, and the weather is supposed to be "mild" according to the guys in the know.

2006-12-28T08:46:00.000-05:00

Thursday is here and it's hard to believe. The few days since Christmas have been quiet, except for the sounds of Kleenex being ripped from the box and the constant honking of me blowing my nose. Last night was the first night in a week I slept through the night without being up every hour like a child checking to see if Santa had come! But today seems to be the beginning of the end of this cold, I'm thrilled to report.

This morning we are at 31 degrees, right now, at 9am. I am sure we were in the 20's overnight. Silly has bravely gone out to sit in the sunshine, so she must think things are improving.

Not much is happening, here in this lull between Christmas and New Years. I have not been out to the stores to see any of the sales, and doubt that I will. Rebecca went out yesterday to return things that didn't fit, and even thought I didn't feel well, I don't think I could have braved that chaos even if I had felt up to a trek to the mall. I know she was gone longer than she thought she would be.

Today we are going to change out a ceiling fan in the Florida room. One night about 6 weeks ago one I could hear this loud humming in my sewing room. I checked out all the electronic things in the bookcase, and the sound wasn't coming from there. I went into the living room and figured out it was the ceiling fan. During the yearly warranty period an electrician was here for another reason (bathroom light) and he told us it was the fan itself. Eric had already checked the wiring and thought the same thing. So, on the word of the "electrician" when we called the fan company they agreed to send a new fan. So today is the day. I get to hold Eric on the ladder .... hopefully this will be a simple task!

I can also report that the squirrel has managed to climb to the top of the bird feeder. He does lovely flying lunges from it to the pole. So far, he seems most content to eat off of the ground. If he gets too greedy then we will try the soda bottle trick. At least all the birds and the squirrel are keeping Silly occupied in the morning. She sits and supervises them quite well.

A Family Recipe for Friends - Coconut Macaroons

2006-12-23T09:38:00.000-05:00

We are having guests today, Jennifer from Baltimore is coming and bringing her friend Chris. Since this is Christmas, I decided to write to Jen's mother Linda and see if there was something I could make that would surprise Jen, something that was a family favorite. Linda responded immediately with the following recipe. Linda said this is one she made every year, and in fact was from her own teenage years in 4H. I admit, I had never seen a recipe for Macaroons with corn flakes in it, but in spite of how it might sound, they are delicious and easy to make too!

Coconut Flake Macaroons
2 egg whites
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup sugar
1 tablespoon flour
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
1 cup shredded coconut
2 cups corn flakes
Add the salt to the egg whites and beat until foamy. Add sugar, about 2 tablespoons at a time, and continue beating after each addition. Beat until the egg whites form peaks that tend to bend over a little when you draw out the egg beater. Fold in flour and vanilla. Add the coconut and fold in gently. Add corn flakes and mix in lightly. Drop by rounded teaspoonfuls, about 2 inches apart, onto greased cookie sheets. Bake in at 325 degrees about 20 minutes. They should be a delicate brown. Makes about 30 macaroons.

Birthday - Birthday

2006-12-23T07:45:00.000-05:00

Today is a double Birthday, two special people in my life celebrate today: Madeline (Maddie), my grand-daughter, and Sally, my sister-in-law. Maddie will be three today, and Sally 29 or something! Sally and her family celebrated earlier this week, as Brian and Christine and Michelle were in Florida visiting. Maddie will have her family party today at two. So Happy Happy Birthday Birthday, to both of you! Here's a look at Maddie, taken about a week ago. I promise a birthday shot or two later!

Cookie Exchange

2006-12-14T16:01:00.000-05:00

It's always reassuring to know that you are doing something fun, and not totally "old fashioned". According to Google, where there are over 250,000 hits for Cookie Exchange, and our local paper, Cookie Exchanges are all the rage. Last night I held my holiday cookie exchange with my friends. It was lots of fun, and we had an amazing selection of cookies to share with each other. There were no duplicates, and each kind is just begging to be tasted. We had iced cookies, chocolate (dark and light), cookies with and without nuts, and cookies with and without fillings. Just too yummy. We had a fine evening, sharing stories and experiences, and of course, exchanging our cookies!

Toffee Almond Sandies

2006-12-11T16:42:00.000-05:00

Today was my baking day for the cookie exchange I am hosting on Wednesday evening. We are each bring Six dozen cookies to exchange. I chose to make Toffee Almond Sandies, a recipe I received from Julia the day we tied the quilt at Meadow Farm. This recipe came from Taste of Home, 1999 (page 127) and as promised by Julia is delicious. I must admit, my sampling proved her right. Here's the recipe in case you would like to make a few .... which the way I made then turned out to be about 10 dozen.

Toffee Almond Sandies

1 cup butter (no substitutes), softened
1 cup sugar
1 cup confectioners’ sugar
1 cup vegetable oil
2 eggs
1 tsp. almond extract
3-1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup whole wheat flour
1 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. cream of tartar
1 tsp. salt
2 cup chopped almonds
1 pkg. (6oz) English toffee bits
Additional sugar

In a mixing bowl, cream butter and sugars. Add oil, eggs and extract; mix well. Combine flours, baking soda, cream of tartar and salt; gradually add to the creamed mixture. Stir in almonds and toffee bits. Shape into 1-in. balls; roll in sugar. Place on ungreased baking sheets; flatten with a fork. Bake at 350° for 12-14 minutes or until lightly browned.

Yield: about 12 dozen

My variations: Roll some in ground almonds rather than sugar, also into center of some, press an M & M.

Blog News

2006-12-11T11:25:00.000-05:00

Blogger has added new features, and changed some things with the new Beta Version. I am not sold on every new change, and think it will take awhile before I learn how to do some of the things that no longer seem to be available. Nothing new is without some difficulties though! One new feature you will notice in the sidebar is LABELS. If you click on a label, you will be able to bring up all the posts that I have tagged with a label. Obviously, since this blog has lots of posts, I may not go back to the very beginning to label each and every post. However, I am labeling each new post, and have added labels to the most recent posts. How does it work? Click a label, like cooking, and you will see each posts that have something to do with food, cooking, recipes, etc. Looking for something specific about family, then click on family! Simple, right?

Making Cookies

2006-12-07T13:51:00.000-05:00

Wednesday kept us busy, making and baking Christmas cookies. We did Eric's favorites, snickerdoodles, sand tarts, and candy canes. Next week, I will make date nut pinswheels, and a new recipe, almond toffee cookies. Don't these look good? Come on over and we will be glad to share. In fact, my cookie exchange is on the 13th, 7pm. Bring 6 dozen of your favorite cookies and we will swap!

Decorating for Christmas

2006-12-04T14:22:00.000-05:00

Monday night I hosted the monthly Bunko group that I joined. With lots of help from DH Eric, we docorated the house for this event and to start the holiday season off. This weekend we plan to add the tree and then we will be finished unless I decided to change some of the houses into table top displays. We are really enjoying our new house, and the chance to celebrate the seasons.

Caramel Corn

2006-12-01T22:43:00.000-05:00

1. Popcorn, 2. Syrup, 3. Caramel Corn

We have had a busy week, Eric and I. Monday (day after tomorrow) is Bunco night and my turn to host the other 11 ladies who play once a month. Getting ready for company is not a big deal, as the house is still pretty straight from Thanksgiving. However, there are things to be tidied up, and on top of that is decorating for Christmas. And food, food for 12 ladies. The past months of Bunco have seen lots of different senarios as far as food is concerned. Some have obviously worked for 3-4 days cooking up things. Others have taken a more simple route. I am somewhere in between, choosing a simple menu of snacks and finger foods. After all, the main reason we get together is to play Bunco, food is a sideline. The picture above shows the magic progression of sugar and popcorn into caramel popcorn. I had truly forgotten how good the recipe I have is. It's one from Onva, a friend on my mom's. Eric popped up the corn, and I cooked and stirred, and we have a wonderful batch stashed away. We had to hide it, because it might not make it to Monday if we kept in reach.

Later this week I'll attempt to show our decorations outside and in. So far, we think the holly tree with the red and green lights is our best effort.

Family and Friends, thankfulness

2006-11-22T14:10:00.000-05:00

Well, it's turkey time again for everyone. But more than that, it's time to be thankful. I'm so thankful for all you, my family and friends. Your love and support over the years has been such a gift. I'm so pleased that my family was able to be together a few weeks ago in Texas. This past year has also connected me to new and old friends. I can't express what it means to know them and to share with them the events of our lives.

I hope everyone has a wonderful day tomorrow. I'll be thinking of each and everyone of you as we sit down to have our dinner of Thanksgiving.

Fall in Virginia, changing views!

2006-11-19T11:15:00.000-05:00

Last Thursday, on the 16th we had torrential rains, probably more than we have seen since moving in a year ago. This is the view taken from my sewing room window of the area behind our house. Do you wonder why they might have called it a natural wetland?

Here's what a difference four days make. This is the red maple, taken Nov. 13th, three days before the rain picture above was taken.
Move your mouse over the picture to see the red maple one day after the rain, Friday the 17th.

Color Options Workshop

2006-11-13T07:08:00.000-05:00

I just spent an incredible weekend in a workshop with Patsy Zawistoski. She was a guest of the Clothos Guild and presented a 2 day intensive class about using color dyed and painted roving to their best advantage. In the course of the 2 days, we made nine different type of yarn, using only one colorway. Naturally, they all blend beautifully, but each has it own special character. To see these done by such a wonderful spinner and teacher was very exciting for me. We made the following yarns: a random candy stripe (very basic), a solid Navaho ply, a tri color, a spiral slub, a neutral, a cable, a 2 color transition 2 ply, a faux cable tweed, and a faux boucle. Then using fibers other than our Targhee wool, we did a boucle with mohair, a slub with soy and wool, and a stretched Merino cable. We have wonderful sample cards with our control and finished product and of course, class notes. I wished I could have taped the entire process. If there had been two of me, I could have made short movies of each technique. She made it all look so easy! I'll try to work up a bit of a photo mosaic of what we did to post later this week.

I had borrowed a wheel for the occasion, and don't know how I could have possibly done without it. Sunday morning before I left for class, I checked eBay and saw an Ashford Traditional Wheel offered. When I got home, I made 2 bids and surprisingly won the auction. I don't know if the other bids were just friends and neighbors trying to get bids or what, but I paid just over the reserve and got it for a very nice price. Until it gets here, I am going to practice all the techniques again as soon as possible, so I don't forget how.

Visit Home

2006-10-27T06:18:00.000-05:00

I've been home in Virginia a week now, but the trip to Texas was and is still my biggest news. As most know, we all went to Texas to surprise my parents on their 61st wedding anniversary, Oct. 27. They were expecting their two grandsons, their wives and daughters for the weekend. Instead, and In addition, they also got Mike, Sally and Anne, and myself. We flew to Houston, rented a car and drove to Lufkin, surprising then on the night before their anniversary. We had a wonderful time, the weather was perfect and the company was excellent! I don't think any of us will forget the time we had. There were lots of firsts, Mike and Anne met Michelle, Brian and Christine's daughter, and I got to meet Christine. We talked, ate, shopped, knitted, it was fun for all!

Street Tree

2006-10-25T19:28:00.000-05:00

Today our street became a boulevard of trees. We anticipated the arrival of the trees as we had plenty of clues. One, they planted trees the next block up recently, and secondly, the Utility companies were out in force yesterday marking utility lines. So, not only do we have a lovely Elm tree (a Bosque elm for inquiring minds), we also have lovely multi-colored lines all over everywhere. Internet research states that this tree is well suited for street plantings, poor soil, and the other less than optimal climate characteristics found here. So, hopefully, in a few years, we'll have a lovely tree to look at.

Inside, the warranty work finally began to "right" the "wrongs" on our end of year checklist. Biggest was the master closet door that opened into the closet. I am so happy, I can now open the closet door and see everything! If nothing else gets fixed, I'll still be happy with this improvement. They also sent a yard crew that dug up the ruts in the side and front. Some were caused by Eagle, and some by the tree men, but none the less, we will have new sod soon and maybe things will be more level. They haven't touched the back yard yet, but at least this is progress.

We are anticipating rain this weekend, so it will be good for the tree and the sod. Just the right foot for them to start on.

Mom and Dad will be celebrating their 61st Wedding anniversary this Friday. Brian and family, and Russell and family, their two grandsons will be in Lufkin to help them party! I am sure with two little girls, both under 3 it will be lots of fun. They will no doubt enjoy having both the grandsons, their wives and 2 of their great-grand children with them. Happy Anniversary Mom and Dad .... I may have to wish it to you again tomorrow and the next day .... but why not start early!

Some things are accomplished

2006-10-18T14:01:00.000-05:00

As you know, are carpet is installed. If you run on over to the house blog, there is a short movie showing the attic room as it looked on Monday night.

Since then, we have started bringing up things from out of the garage ..... Don't ask how many times Eric has done this! We are putting away things as we sort thought them again, discard, and repack. We have all the books upstairs now, and all of the decorations for the house for any and all seasons. I found my US flag again, so some things are appearing that had been "relocated"! At least maybe for Veterans Day we will be able to fly our large USA flag.

Eric has been putting up shelving, and as this is the third set of this stuff we have bought, he is getting pretty quick at it. The installation is easy, once you get the upper track in place. He measured before the men put up the sheetrock, so he would know where each and every stud upstairs is. Clever no?

We are setting up a small play area for the kids, their kitchen, and all the assorted food, trains, blocks and things that are best set up in a larger space will relocate up there. We'll leave books, play-dough and "quiet" activities like games and puzzles downstairs. I am going to scout around for some kind of shelving for their things.

Our weather is really pretty. It is warm again, and just perfect. The rain we received has greened up the lawn, and it looks like some of the top dressing we did will actually help. Time will tell on it. We were told when we bought seed for the grass to wait and put it down just before the first snowfall. Something about it getting good soil contact and moisture. Sounds good in theory anyway.

The man from Eagle who was to begin our warranty work didn't show up today. He said he might be delayed due to an illness in his family, so we will just have to wait a bit more. We have plenty going on with getting the garage straight again, so it really doesn't matter if he comes right now or not.

Whoa there .... slow down

2006-10-12T20:44:00.000-05:00

Too much progress going on here ..... not really, but things are looking up. The carpet installers are due here on Monday at 8. A person is coming to look at the roof and give an estimate tomorrow. Next Wednesday Eagle will begin the 12 month list of repairs. And Eric got a haircut today.

Late breaking news is that Silly the cat is convinced the sky is falling as she can feel the curtain of cold falling on her ears everytime she goes outside. Her remedy for this terrible event is to just hide out. Maybe winter will pass through and not stay. Meanwhile, we really didn't need the top drawer of the desk did we?

Uphill battles

2006-10-09T14:42:00.000-05:00

This is my before picture of the upstairs room - before carpet. If you haven't heard, we still don't have carpet because the carpet measure person wrote down the wrong numbers. So, there is no AFTER picture. The installers walked into the room and took one look and said, "We don't have enough carpet" and they were right. So, we are waiting to hear from the expediter from Home Depot. Today, tomorrow, someday this week. We'll see.

So what else is new here ? - The rain finally stopped after a soggy soggy weekend. Not without a good bit of worry for us too, as there is another red maple with a really crooked lean to it in the same location as the tree that fell. Of course, if it just fell straight down, it would land between the houses. We don't think that will happen. So, we have called the county, and the Corps of Engineers is supposed to send someone over to look over the situation, being as today is a holiday, when is uncertain.

The fiber festival I hoped to attend was pretty well muddied out. Some brave souls did attend, but I read and heard that many had to be towed out of the field where they were stuck. That didn't sound like fun to any of us who planned to attend, so we have scheduled an alternative field trip some other time.

Tomorrow I go to the Podiatrist again, a new one. I am hoping he is going to tell me what is going on, and if he says all is well, then I am just going to have to grin and bear it. Somehow, I don't expect that answer from him. Tomorrow I will know. Hopefully he won't send me home in a boot.

Happy Birthday Rebecca

2006-10-04T20:41:00.000-05:00

The grandkids threw a birthday party the other night .... for their mom. They could hardly wait. The kids were so excited by the upcoming Wednesday birthday they even baked the cake, five days ahead. Tom reported that while shopping at Party Plus he was informed by Zack they didn't need streamers, there were some at home. They were definitly into party mode.

Maymont with friends!

2006-10-01T15:04:00.000-05:00

I had a great weekend with the people in this picture! I am sure some of you know and recognize them from Lufkin. They now live in West Virginia, and came for a visit so their oldest at home son could run in the McDonalds Cross Country Festival at Maymont. Before the race, we ran the little ones around so they could expend some energy. I don't think it fazed them, but I was tired after the treck down into the Japanese Gardens. This is a beautful place, and the setting was perfect for a fall day. The race drew about 1500 runners, and a crowd of about 7,000. Quite the event.

I don't have anything of great interest to tell. I have taken more pictures of the upstairs, and one day this week I'll get them up on the house blog.

So where are we ....

2006-09-27T13:09:00.000-05:00

We have managed (DH and I) to not kill each other the last 9 years. I think the card DD sent says it all:
You've shared the same cabin,
You've shared the same galley,
You've logged
a great distance together.
You both really know
how to keep things shipshape
And navigate well in all weather.
You've show that a pair
can remain right on course,
And today
it can truly be said ....
You're perfect as mates ---!

As we start year 10, we are both thankful to be together. Thanks to all the family and friends who sent greetings! Also, thank you for reading the blog and keeping up with our adventures. Now in the house with more space .... it will make the next 9 years a breeze!

It has been a busy week

2006-09-22T17:50:00.000-05:00

The upstairs room is starting to look like a room. Well, it has always looked like a room, but now there are none of the holes in the ceilings that you can see in this picture taken on Monday! The sheet rock men finished up their painting and spackle repair on Monday. Since then we have had a steady stream of men in and out. The electrician came twice, he is almost finished, and will be here to complete his part on Monday. Eric hung the fans with a bit of assistance from me. He also got all the grills up covering the holes for the Ac/heating ducts.

The whiz kids who did the speakers/internet came and hung speakers. Then they came back and re hung speakers (because we changed our minds). They also spent the majority of today trying to get something to work that is beyond my comprehension, and obviously theirs, as they will have to come back to finish. Eric is a bit peeved with them because they would not, and did not do what he wanted them to do. Their big boss is in Ireland, out of touch, and of course there is a lots on non continuity going on. They didn't work on the original system, tried to use equipemnt that is not MAC compatible, etc. etc. Eric has spent the last 3 hours fixing what they didn't do right and stewing about their ignorance. I am sure he will give the boss a piece of his mind when he gets back from his vacation! In all those comings in and goings out, the carpet man came to measure. He probably was in and out the fastest of any of the guys, but at least that is a step in the right direction.

If you want to see what else I did this week you'll have to visit The Knitting Blog. This picture is a hint! Oh yes, there is no progress on getting the roof repaired yet. All those folks are "getting back to us". Yea, right!

It was a dark and stormy night .....

2006-09-18T20:27:00.000-05:00

Three years ago tonight. Looking back, it is hard to believe so much time has gone by since Isabel. Eric remembers we were without electricity for 42 days. I know we got water back before too many days, but the electricity took forever to be restored to Southhall Landings. Isabel was a real Turning point for us. On the 20th of September we bought our truck. We never wanted to be in a position where we had to evacuate without a vehicle again. I think Isabel was the true beginning of the quest for us to move ashore, at least in my mind. So, if you have forgotten about Isabel, click the link above, there is plenty of information there. I'll leave you with this picture, one taken of our dock access at Southhall. The power of mother nature is truly amazing.

Finally Friday!

2006-09-15T16:48:00.000-05:00

In more ways than one, this has been a very busy week. Monday the tree came down, and everyday since then, the sheet rock guys have been diligently working upstairs, with a goal of today as the finish line. I have to admit, neither Eric nor I thought they would finish up. Remarkably, they have shown us to be wrong. I'll post pictures on the House Blog of the different stages of the week.

Also, Monday morning early yard tractors were back, roaring up and down the street aerating the yards. Regrettably, Wednesday in a fit of computer file cleaning I wiped out those pictures, but then, you have all seen a tractor before, right? All the little plugs of dirt are everywhere, and I suggested we go rake them up and use them for fill! Not!! After the tree removal their caterpillar tractor (you saw it in the movie) left more ruts to contend with. The delivery of sheetrock had made a few too. So today, in a lull in the action Eric went to Southern States and bought bags of tops soil and seed. We'll tackle that this next week some time. As I was saying, the yard crew came by, luckily after the tree crew had left.

After the guys left this afternoon we went up to sweep and vacuum. There are still bits of mud (the white stuff they use to float seams) on the floor that we will have to scrape. On Monday they are going to come back to touch up, so at some point in the weekend we will go do the blue tape mark system of showing where the missed spots are. We'll mark on the floor, don't want to take any chances of pulling off paint. They didn't paint the doors, but then we assumed they would and it was never really discussed. Not a big deal, we can handle that.

We also have to go and shop for floor covering sometime this weekend. We thought we had decided on wood, but after listening to them clump around the last two weeks we have decided carpet will be a better option.

So, I am now going to go sit on the porch and have a celebration margarita. Pictures will be up soon, I promise.

Chainsaw!! Tree goes boom .....

2006-09-14T14:42:00.000-05:00

Got a Tree down, then Call - Call Tree Service

2006-09-12T07:23:00.000-05:00

At last the troops arrived to take down the tree. Mr. Mack Call himself came, apparently he doesn't go out on the job much anymore, as he is almost retired. He supervised from the sidelines while 4 guys did the heavy work. One on the roof, two to hand carry the logs and limbs to the front yard and chipper, and one who ran the catapiller which lifted the tree. It's always interesting to me to see the physics involved in machinery and moving something as large as this tree was. They did a great job, even raked and cleaned the yard, and it was a relief to see everything gone. I missed the final cuts where then the tree righted itself down in the wetland (I was dispatched to look for tarps at Becky's house) but all that remains of the tree is a stump cut low to the ground, even the root ball settled back unto the ground. We saved a large piece of the base of the tree for a scratching post for Silly (who has already given it a 4 paws up) and a small piece that I hope can be used for a spindle whorl. I'll have a movie of the action later this week for those of you sho love the sound of chainsaws.

September Sunday

2006-09-10T07:22:00.000-05:00

I'm looking out the sewing room window and can see the tree limb in the back yard. It's leaves are dry and lifeless now. When Zack was here I made a comment about the poor dead tree; Zack wanted to know if we could go and water the tree to keep it alive. He couldn't quite understand! Tomorrow if all goes well, the tree man will come and clear the tree away and get it off the roof. Then we can finally get a good look at the full extent of the damage, and get that estimate process underway. The sheet rockers will be back to start sanding and doing the final things they do before the paint can go on! They say that they will be done by Friday. Let's hope so, Eric is so ready for this all to be done.

At 11 this morning I'll be heading over to Meadow Farm for the Civil War afternoon. I have gray yarn all ready to start a sock and help do my part as a "lady left behind the lines" trying to cope with the war and shortages brought about by the war. The drama we will take part in will last until 4pm. The weather had been beautiful, so I am looking forward to a pleasant afternoon. I'll bring my camera along and hopefully be able to shoot a few shots before I have to be in character and reflect the appropriate time.

Yesterday morning the church had their rummage sale for Haiti. The sale was a huge success, and there were throngs of people in line to get inside. In fact, there were so many people that you could hardly walk around. Eric wanted me to look for a set of portable phones that he will use upstairs to contol the trains. Don't ask me how, but somehow they are hooked into the system. Anyway, he wanted two, with chargers .... and I found the set for $1.00. Both work, now was that a bargain or what? Becky managed to find some games and puzzles for the kids and I found a Playschool Kitchen as soon as I walked in the door. It was my big purchase, $5.00. This kitchen is exactly the one Becky had as a child, and I'm not sure who was more excited to see it, the kids or Becky. We'll put it upstairs later in the kids play area. I picked up a few nice flower pots, children's books, and a brand new canner set for use with dying wool. In all the day was fun.

I've been working on the quilt for the baby, and for the most part, that is all the news from here! Becky called from the beach and they were there safe and sound. I have fish duty this week at her house, and a few other chores to do. The subdivision is having their 5th anniversary part this week, so we have a FUNCTION to attend on Wednesday. Such a social agenda!

Wednesday - What's new?

2006-09-06T16:40:00.000-05:00

Tuesday morning bright and early the sheetrock crew arrived after the long weekend of inactivity. By the end of the day, they had the ceiling and a small part of the walls in the main area finished and all of the small storage room completed. Today they finished up the skylights in the main room, all the other walls and the furnace room. Thursday they will take out scrap, and start taping and mud work! Very exciting progress to be sure! They are really nice guys, and Eric has enjoyed listening to them talk about the work, and their hunting adventures on their breaks. They love sitting on our front porch. By the way, they all drive Ford pickups, so when I came home from the pool Tuesday it looked like an ad for Ford! At one point there were 5 parked in front of the house (counting ours).

We finally got a bid on the tree removal Tuesday afternoon late and a second one Wednesday. By far we liked the second guy more than the man who came yesterday initially. Something about the first guy just struck us both wrong. The guy we will use is the one who came recommended by Becky's neighbor Betty after Isabel sent a tree though her roof. So, as far as I know, unless something changes, this guy will be here Thursday to take the tree off the roof and get everything out of the yard. It appears the stump will have to be a permanent reminder of the storm, as being within the wetland, can't be removed or messed with. Everyone seems to think it will right itself back into the hole, we'll see.

I do know Silly will be a bit disappointed when the limbs are gone, she's been feeling like queen of the jungle back there amid the tree branches.

It's Labor Day - so we'll do it ourselves

2006-09-04T16:50:00.000-05:00

We're taking things into our own hands today. Still waiting for the tree man, but then after all, it is a holiday! We were a bit concerned about wind causing branches to scratch the big windows, so today Eric cut the offending branches away. Because of this we also got a better look at the damage. I climbed a ladder and took a few shots and movies, more for insurance than anything. The boards exposed are above the gutter, normally covered my siding and shingles.

And here is "THE TREE"

2006-09-02T19:56:00.000-05:00

The calm after the storm

2006-09-02T19:23:00.000-05:00

It is always ironic how beautiful the sky is after a storm. Of course, every bit of polution has been blown far far away, so I guess it is a natural result. (I wonder if the skies of our childhood before polution were this blue?) Anyway, this was taken today through the leaves of the downed tree. We are still waiting for a tree man to come and give us an estimate. It could take awhile, as there is a good bit of damage in Richmond and the surrounding areas. Of course USAA has some restrictions on quotes, etc. and we know we need someone with a crane. So, time will tell how long we'll have the tree as a guest. It actually makes lovely shade on the patio and florida room. Silly would love to climb it. I look at it like this, it's one less tree to worry about when we have the next storm.

Ernesto gets close and personal

2006-09-01T15:54:00.000-05:00

Here's the tree that fell on the house this afternoon. Funny, when we first looked at those trees Eric thought there was a potential for this to happen! Crossridge is supposed to be sending someone over to check it out and get it off the roof.

Sheet rock and Sheets of rain!

2006-09-01T04:42:00.000-05:00

Yes, I am up and awake at 5 in the morning. What's worse is I have been awake since 4. Once in a great while I have these insomniac mornings, and have found it's better to just get up. Silly is with me, purring away, so at least she is not running wildly and loudly meowing through the house thinking it is time to go outside. She is all rilled up because it is raining and she can't sit out and watch the world go by.

I can hear a steady rain outside, and checking the local forecast, I see that Ernesto has considerably weakened. Our inland winds should be below 30 MPH and that's not bad. North Carolina is taking the punch out of the storm for us, though the governor has declared a state-of-emergency, as flooding will be probable and the national guard can better respond. Since downtown areas flood in light rain, the 6-8 inches they expect could cause some big problems.

Did you all enjoy yesterday's sheet rock movie? I hope you found it entertaining! I was glad it was not Eric having to heft those sheets (or me on the other end of one of them.) The guy upstairs catching the pieces was doing a pretty good job too. He's the main contractor, his son was the small guy taking the sheets off of the trailer and handing them up to the two helpers who hefted and sailed them through the open window. Here's a view from upstairs. Today they should be back to start putting the 65 sheets up!

Up Up and Away!

2006-08-31T15:03:00.000-05:00

A picture is worth 1,000 words it's said. So a movie must be worth 10,000 words. Here's how you get sheetrock in a second story window! Being young and srong sure doesn't hurt either!

These sheets are 4 feet by 12 feet, and each weighs about 60 pounds. Even the lift off the trailer would be difficult, not to mention the lift over their heads!

Good news got even better!

2006-08-31T07:32:00.000-05:00

We had rain overnight, at least one half of an inch! The gully washer we had Saturday night was not nearly as nice a rain as this shower. It seemed to be gentle and steady, which is very good news. Ernesto is scheduled to make an appearance here today and tomorrow, with up to 4 inches of rain and maybe more. Even that would be good.

But the best news of the day is that the sheetrock men showed up (What a relief) as scheduled, and they had 25 sheets of sheetrock already on the truck and tucked nicely inside of a big blue tarp. Better yet, the rain had stopped! The men got all that load upstairs through the window (which I missed seeing) and have now gone back for a second load. The plan is that these two loads will give them enough to work on today and tomorrow, and then they can decide exactlly how much more (if any) they need. Those sheets will be cut downstairs and brought up the stairs. So far (it's almost noon) the rain is holding off.

Naughty Me

2006-08-30T15:03:00.000-05:00

Yes, we are still here. Life is in a pretty set routine now. Not very exciting or news worthy!

Most days I am at the pool by 8:30 am, trying to stay in shape by swimming, water aerobics and yoga. It seems to be a pretty good combination, and I am feeling like I am in better shape, even if I don't think I look thinner. My feet are making more progress too, thanks in part to some Teva kayak shoes that I now wear in the pool at all times. After almost a year of constant pain and or at the least discomfort, I actually find a few days now where my feet feel normal.

Eric has been busy with the attic area. If you look closely you can see that the room in the second picture has insulation in the ceiling, and now the area is completely enclosed. Through the doorway he has framed in an additional "found" area, so we will have plenty of storage up here. The sheetrock man is due tomorrow. Hopefully he will have finished up the job he is on now, and will start on us. I know Eric is anxious for it to all be over, and I don't blame him in the least. This will finish up the final phase of the whole moving experience for us. In 30 days, we will have been in the house a year. One nice thing, the sheetrock crew is also going to do all the painting and trim work for us, all we will have to do is put down the laminated wood floor.

If I had a today picture, the room would be empty. Eric has had to being everything down to the garage again, until the sheetrock is up. Zack and Maddie were a big help, they carried all the small odds and ends down and were quite proud of themselves. This was during their weekly monday morning visit at Nana's while Mom goes to the grocery. They really enjoy coming, and I am sure Becky appreciates the help.

Silly is still the same, loves the outdoors and keeping her personal staff busy.

I'll try to get more news up, and pictures as the work progresses upstairs. As always, check the knitting/crafty blog for all things fiber related. I am most anxious to decide on a quilt pattern for the new baby so I can get going on it. This is always the hardest part for me. It needs to be special enough, but not impossible!

So, stay tuned, more news will be coming .... Ernesto is due here too. I have taken some beofre pictures in the back, just in case we get lots of rain and have more erosion. I am certain Eagle will have to attend to it eventually, but until all the house uphill from us are finished, I don't expect them to address the issue.

Let's see ....

2006-08-09T14:02:00.000-05:00

First of all, there is a short Update over on the house blog. It's about news unrelated to what's going on here in the house.

The Henrico County Building Inspector came today and we have this news!!! We were pleased to see him, and it turns out he is the man who did all the first inspections on our house. Eric has been concerned the county would not allow him to sheetrock the two storage areas, as there is no fire egress (window) from those two areas. Someone previously had told him that any room that was "habitable" had to have a window. Since the two storage areas would be sheetrocked, heated and cooled, then they MIGHT be used for sleeping, and so needed a window in case of fire. This guy said, no problem, this is obviously a storage room. Duh. Poor Eric, all that worry for naught. So, now we wait for the insulation folks!

Butterfly Detectives

2006-08-07T14:40:00.000-05:00

My creation
Originally uploaded by Jobanna.

The kido's came for the morning while mom went to the grocery store. Though she reported she went down the aisles slowly and got to read labels, the kids had more fun. No butterflies were harmed in this great hunt.

Happy Anniversary

2006-07-28T16:01:00.000-05:00

I wish my sister-in-law Sally and brother Mike a wonderful anniversary! I do hope you both are celebrating tonight, and enjoying some of the wonderful cake left from yesterday's birthday celebration! What a busy week! We wish many more years to come for both of you!