A Social sunday

Yesterday was a very social day for me. In the morning Walker and Hallie and Joseph came to celebrate Walker's birthday. I had prepared a spinach and cheese keech and fried potatoes and yogurt and nuts. Rick went to the eight o'clock Eucharist service and I stayed home and cooked and read some of the newspaper. When they arrived Joseph was asleep so I did not get to play with him too much. But before they left he woke up and we played for a bit. He is growing bigger and bigger. It is quite amazing to see him change in such a short time. Walker actually took some pictures which I will put on my next entry since I have not yet put them on the computer. I just remembered he took them. I the evening I had the Burns and the Davies for dinner. I made potato salad and baby tomatoes and mozzarella cheese salad. I am trying to use up all the food in the refrigerator before we leave for France. I also took some brochures from Colorado down to Dan Wiggens because when I saw him at the Sports club he told me they were going to spend two weeks in Colorado and some of the time in Crested Butte. Rick went for a long bike ride after Walker and Hallie and Joseph visited I took Rudy for a walk. He is going to spend a few days with us. Bradley called when we were having dinner. I was glad to hear from her since her phone is always busy. I am going to include a picture of Rudy since he is visiting me. He is out on the porch. I have finished a knitting project. I think tomorrow I will go to another knitting class.

Chopping Down our Tall White PIne

Jim McWilliams cut down the tall white pine right outside my computer window that the woodpecker was destroying. He spent a good part of the afternoon in the tree with his electric saw chopping it down piece by piece. The other workmen are outside now cleaning up the debris. Jim has a machine that shreds all the limbs and green. He put the big stumps in the back of his truck. I took a picture of him in the tree and maybe later I will put it on the computer. I sat in our rocking chair and knitted and watched just to see how he did it. The scariest part was when he sawed off the very top and threw it on the ground. Griffin sat on the porch. IT is a gorgeous day but a bit chilly.

This morning I took Griffin over to the vet to get a form so He can go with Tucker on an airplane to California. HE will use the same dog house that Bradley sent Kamila to us in.
I was surprised at how big the vet's office was. IT looked like there were ten veterinarians on the staff. Avery nice young women worked with me whose grandfather started the clinic. Tucker is flying from California tomorrow.
I am going to make cheese souffle for dinner because we have lots of eggs and cheese in the house.

White Pines Reshaped- Aiko and The Mouse

Jim McWilliams and his helper where here all day taking limbs off the two trees at the top of the drive way. Jim is the man helps Rick with our yard work. Both trees now have very strange shapes but they are still there. They also cleaned up all the debris that was in big piles around the yard and also cleaned up the yard and the driveway so they now look decent. I did not take any pictures but maybe I'll take some tomorrow since they will be back to cut down what I call the woodpecker tree. I can see it right now out the window behind the computer. There are large and small holes the woodpecker made for at least twenty feet up the tree. At the bottom of the tree is a pile of bark that the woodpecker took out of the tree. Jim Mcwilliams told me that when a tree is old beetles live in the tree and woodpeckers go after them.

Last night after we went to bed and were just about asleep we had another adventure. Aiko kept crawling around the bed making lots of commotion. She would not settle down. Finally, I decided to turn n the light. Low and behold there was a dead mouse on our bed spread and Aiko was staring at it proudly. I screamed. Rick woke up. He wrapped the mouse in toilet paper and threw it outside. Aiko has brought other dead mice to us but never to our bed. I finally went to sleep.
I worked on a picture album. One of my goals right now is to look through old album and put the pictures in safe archival albums and write in these albums. I am not very good at keeping records of family events and this is one of my new resolutions for the New Year.
I called my brother later in the day. He told me he had been to the doctor. He has to go to a skin doctor tomorrow and have some moles removed I told him my story so that he would not be nervous. He told me about visiting Mary Anne and eating at her house on Sunday.
I am going to add a picture of Jim McWilliams doing tree work. Even though it is not from today.

The Ice On the Lake Has Melted

Thursday morning our view of the lake was half ice and half water. The geese were walking around on the lake but I was not quick enough to get a picture. Today the ice has melted completely and we can see windy water. The water level is high because so much debris has collected near the spillway. I am going to include a picture of hundreds of geese on the water when the lake was frozen.I took it sometime this winter.
I have the classical music channel on in the background. It is my favorite way to listen to music. Whatever I listen to is a surprise but it is always classical. IT seems to be lots of Bach and Chopin.
Yesterday afternoon Rick and I went to see Avatar. It is the number one movie at the box office and is suppose to win the Academy award for best picture and we did not want to miss it. We both liked it because it had an engaging story with beautiful scenery. I almost felt like I was in one of the forest in Northern California which my daughter Bradley loves so much. The story is very philosophical since it was about one group of people (us) the American military complex trying to annihilate another group who were from another planet The story takes place one hundred and fifty years from now when we supposedly will be able to take our space ships and visit this planet of Pandora. It was 3D and you felt like you were living in this enchanted forest with the characters. They had strange bodies with flat noses and large pointed ears but it did not matter.
Any moment now we will become grandparent to our second grandchild so this is always in the back of my mind. Tucker is going to come this next weekend and he might take Griffin which will make me very sad.

The Watercolor League at the Cavalier Inn

Monday after tennis I went to the Watercolor League Meeting. The speaker was a professional and she critiquing paintings othe the different members. I brought a painting that I had done with Trilbe. The painting was a bunch of daffodils in a kitchen vase. I kept it on the seat beside me and never had it critiqued. I am mad at myself now. I ws embarrassed because I thought it was such a simple subject. That was silly since many of the subjects were much more amateurish than mine. The theme of the group this year is going from Amateur to Professional. I need help on this topic.
I just looked out the window and saw our neighbors, Peter and Mary talking to Charlie Rivers. They stoped and chatted for awhile and then resumed their walk around the lake. There dog stayed longer but now he is gone too.

I have a load of wash in the washer. I was going to go to knitting but decided I had too much to do here.

The most difficult thing about watercolor is the transparency. You are suppose to see some of the previous colors underneath what you paint. The water gets real runny too. I am going to try and paint and think about colors everyday and maybe I will master it.

What Happens after the Snow Storm- Buying A New Car

This weekend we purchased a new car, a real surprise for me because it happened so quickly withoout too much discussion
My Freelander which I have driven for about seven years was parked at the top of our driveway during the snowstorm so I could leave the house if I had to. Rick's was parked there too so he could leave for work. During the storm the snow piled on top of the car and a gigantic branch from one of the white pins fell right across the whole car. When he was out shoveling snow on Saturday morning Rick saw what happened. He told me. He had already pulled the branch off the car when I went outside. We both started shoveling and pushing snow from our cars. There was so much snow to deal with we did not notice the dent on the hood and it was even later I saw the dent in the roof. When I went to find out how much it would cost to repair the attendant ask me if I saw the other big hole that was in the roof. To make a long story short to fix the car we had to replace the hood and the roof. I wanted to just knock the dent out but Rick did not seem to think that solution would work. Rick told me to drive to Car Max and find out what the car was worth. While they were making the estimate I looked at small SUV's. The salesman Hans told me where to find them. Then he came out and we looked together. I found a Jeep Compass that had only three thousand miles on the speedometer. It was a great color, silver and just the right size. Later, I told Rick about it. He did not say much but after his nap on Saturday he said let's go to car max and look at cars. We looked at several and then looked at the Jeep. He thought it was a good deal but thought we should comparison shop. We spend the rest tof the afternoon looking at other car dealers, KIA, Subaru, Hyundai, When we talked to the new sales person Joe he told us when Carmax opened on Sunday. We pretty much decided the Jeep was the best deal. We took two cars to church, Rick went to the office to get a check and we drove out to Carmax and bought the Jeep. It tood about an hour.

Expecting another storm

We are suppose to have another ten inches of snow today. We had flurries for about two hours but now it has stopped. This will be our fourth snow storm this winter. The one over the weekend was beautiful. It was very wet and very dense and made our lake and surroundings look like a winter wonderland. I would like to add pictures but I don't know if I can add more then one. It shut down Charlottesville.
When you walk or drive through West Leigh there are lots of Tree limbs everywhere and our neighbors lost one tree which fell across the Road. Walker and Hallie were with out power Saturday night and all day Sunday. We invited them to stay with us but they wanted to wait it out and finally got power doing the super bowel. We talked about going to the Powell's to watch the super bowel and we also talked about inviting neighbors over but in the end we just watched it together. It was an exciting one. The New Orleans Saints won with and unproven quarterback named Drew Beers.
We had a storm last Weekend too but in the end we got out. We went To ST. Pauli's Memorial church to hear the first women of the Episcopal Church ( Jeffers Shear ) give a sermon. I am going to add a picture the take Griffin for a walk and then do another post.

planing pacem

Tomorrow I have to buy all the food at Sam's for the Pacem dinner at Wesley Memorial Methodist church. I was in charge of organizing parishioners to bring food for tomorrow night. I will go to Sam's and buy the salad and dessert. Supposedly, fifty men show up. Part of my motivation to help is to get organized and have a set time and day to do something. Dave, the minister is in charge of the whole week I am just in charge of one night. I also want to help he homeless since I think about how cold they must be at night.
I took Griffen for a walk this morning. I am trying to loose at least twenty pounds and If I walk every day this should help me. I also am suppose to eat fiber but I am not sure of everything that is fiber.

Theresa called and we had a long talk about our brother Joe who is still bulking about moving out of the house on Briggs street. When they met the realtor he told the person he was not yet ready to move. Emily is the one who called and made the appointment with the realtor. I am not sure of the particulars but I do know there was tension and an outburst at the meeting.

My overall goal is to organize all the dressers in the house but I also want to organize everything especially the pictures. Today I looked at old CD's I found, One was a cruise we took in 2006 on the Regatta. We cruised to the Virgin Islands. There were also pictures of our trip to Chicago and pictures of a trip to California. It must have been when Bradley first moved there or first bought her house. We have pictures of the big storm and pictures of us walking over to Patrick's point State park after the storm. I talked to Bradley yesterday and she bought a new cell phone. I do not know whether this is good or bad since she gets uptight if she has too talk to too many people.

This past weekend we went to Williams burg for the 120th meeting of the Virginia State Bar. Rick went to several meetings. I took my knitting . WE had a productive weekend since we shopped and bought Jonathan Brytus a wedding present and some clothes. I went to the step aerobics class which was lots of fun since I have not done this in a long long time.

Wine from Water

We went to church this morning. We prayed for the Haitians and I put money in the collection for Mike Dickens who is in Haiti. He has done a mission trip there for several years working at a hospital. I have learned there are several groups that volunteer in Haiti. I did not know so many people in Cville are doing this kind of service.
The sermon was about the Marriage Feast of Canna. Paul ask the kids in the Children's homily what there favorite food was . They said all kinds of things like, oranges, cake, barbecue. He got around to saying that adults like to have wine at there parties and Dave's sermon was going to be about Jesus turning water into wine because there was not enough because people had drunk too much and were not good stewards.
I also went to Sunday School and learned about the Homeless ministry and ask Andrew to pick up the chili that Betty Edwards is preparing on Soup Kitchen Day.
I took Griffin around the lake twice. the second time because she stunk and we I had to tose the ball in the creek to get her to bathe. It is always fun to walk with him because he has so much fun just chasing and jumping for the ball.

Rick and I were talking in his study about an article he read in Conde Naste about biking in the Red Woods. which we would both like to do some day. I have been reading about energy efficiency. I want to look at the videos they mention in the article.

West Leigh Tea

I had eighteen women in our house for the West Leigh Club meeting this morning. The topic was "Image." Debbie Crosby an image consultant came and talked about how to dress, what jewelry to wear. and how to make use what to have in your closet so that you make the most of your wardrobe. I never thought we would get any one to come. I thought the ladies would consider it a frivolous topic but lots of women showed up. Even Betsy Looney and Edwinna Blankenbaker came. I served the brie cheese I had bought for Christmas with a Cranberry sauce on the top. I also served banana bread and and rum balls that Rick brought home from the office. Inge brought over some fruit on skewers. It turned out well and everyone had lots of fun. Of cource Sally made it fun with her costume. She came dressed as a snow man. She said she wanted to hide the size of her boobs. I took pictures which I don't usually do but it goes along with my mission of being more conscious of what I am doing. Melodny Nichols is organizing the meetings.
After the meeting we talked some with Debbie She was talking about a women who does this same kind of thing for the University of Virginia and makes quite a bit of money.

I am going to take some checks to the bank and then take Griffin for a walk around the lake.

A Cold Sunday

It is still freezing cold outside. Rick said it was 12 degrees when he went running. He always checks the thermometer.
I have a busy couple of days. I go to my watercolor workshop at 1pm today and then tomorrow I have the West Leigh ladies come for a meeting and social. We have and image consultant coming to talk to us. I am serving some of the leftover food from Christmas but also want to go by and buy some sweets and napkins. I received an invitation in the email to attend a reception for the new president of the University at Newcomb Hall at 4pm. I want to attend that before coming home. I have to get the house looking respectable. I did my homework for art which was to draw four objects on a large piece of paper we are going to use the wet on wet technique today.
Yesterday we went to church and Sunday school too. Rick does not often go to Sunday school but I think he liked the sermon which was current about the article Brent Hume wrote urging Tiger Woods to become a Christian. He was criticised thoroughly by other reporters. Paul explained his interpretation of the whole incident. The sermon was about Justification by Faith. He said the big word is nothing but the later he talked about Mission. I need to look up the song by Bob Dylan then I will write more. We also went to Borders and Lowe's.

Catching Up

I just finished a walk around the lake with Griffen who is staying with us while Tucker and Liz look for a new house in California. Griffin always takes a tennis ball and I throw it as we walk. It is still freezing cold. I stopped by a couple of houses and ask the neighbors to come to the gathering I am going to host on Tuesday for the West Leigh Club.

I want to write more about Christmas before I forget. We have only heard from Bradley once since she returned to Trinidad. When she called She said that she was using Brad O's cell phone when she called. Her birthday was January 3rd and we tried to call then. Rick and I both wondered about this relationship.
Her phone is not working. I probably called twenty times now. I keep hoping that she will get it fixed.

They left early Saturday morning the 26th, the day
after Christmas. We were probably up at four thirty because Rick wanted them to leave by six. They both wrote us nice thank you notes. Bradley left her note for me in the Dishwasher. Brad O left his on the bed. Rick fixed them both a turkey sandwich and an egg sandwich so they had plenty to eat. He gave them good directions so they would not get lost. It can be confusing close to Washington because there is so much traffic and you can miss a turn very easily. He was worried about getting on to 28. I let Rick drive and he is very alert and attentive. I am reading and article in the Post right now about traffic lights and how efficient they are.
Bradley put David Quinn in the car at the last minute and he was sound asleep when they left. I think their trip back had fewer glitches then getting here.

I stayed home almost every day this week and it was such a treat not to have to worry about getting things done or any kind of schedule except the one I want.
I am going to look at my calendar every day that is one of my New Year's resolutions. If I do that and write things down often I know I will be more organized and efficient. I put most of the pictures on the Kodak Gallery site but I still have the ones from my camera. Looking at the pictures helps me remember what we did over the holidays.
One of my Christmas gifts to Bradle and Walker was an album with them as the feature person and things that they did growing up. It took a long time to search through old pictures then organize them into some kind of sequence. I used two different scrapbook idea books to help me. Both books gave me ideas and support when I read them.

the big Snow Storm of 2009

I have lots to write about since I have not written since before Christmas. Bradley, David Quinn. and Bradley O'Leary arrived on Friday December 18th right when flurries were starting to fall on our drive way. They had had a two day ordeal getting here because the plane they boarded in Arcata could not land in Sacramento so they had to come by way of Crescent City, where they spent a day, and then from San Francisco flew a redeye, an overnight to Philadelphia before they transferred and landed in Washington D.C.
I was so happy to have them arrive before the big storm which was forecast the whole week before. It snowed all night, all the next day and even some on Sunday. We were house bound and everything in the whole area was cancelled including all the church services. We ended up with 24 inches of snow. Rick used a measuring stick when it finalled ended to measure it on sunday evening.
David Quinn loved the snow which he had never experienced before. I wonder what he thought. Outside our house was a complete white blanket and the flurries just kept coming down. His favorite thing to do was pick it up in his hand and eat it. He kept opening the kitchen door and putting more in his hand which he ate. I loved watching his every move and listening to him talk. He could say lots of words but when he couldn't say a word he just made sounds and acted like I understood exactly what he was saying.
Bradley O'Leary, our Bradley and Rick spent most of Saturday shovelling the white stuff off the drive and then off the side porch. I got tired just watching them. it was probably too much to be doing right after their flight and led to a later calamity. It was interesting to see Bradley O'Leary shovel since he had a pattern to his method. He is a soccer star and coach and I thought in some ways he enjoyed it just for the physical experience.
I spent a lot of the next few days playing with David Quinn. I bought an orange ball that we threw to each other. I also had bought some coloring paints and some books which were for Christmas but I thought I should just give them to him since I knew he would get lots on Christmas Day. He made up his own games just running from room to room laughing or pulling the table cloth from me and putting it over his head and hiding from me. After the snow plow had come around the lake once Rick and the two Bradley's went down to the work room and got Rick's old sled and took him on the hill across from us. I went out and took some pictures. In fact I took a lot of pictures and might try to add some to this site.
One of the big events of the week was to take David Quin down to the barber shop for a hair cut. It caused some confusion since Bradley O'Leary at first did not want to take us but I think we felt more comfortable with him driving. Monday morning he was making soup and Bradley and I were making Christmas cookies. Out side the snow was everywhere and the roads were a mess and the news people were saying not to go out driving unless it was an emergency. Rick was the only person in his office but was anxious for us to come. Low and behold Bradley O'leary decides to take us.
Ed was cutting hair when we arrived. He is an eighty year old man who has been cutting hair in Cville at his shop for years and years. He cut Grandpa's hair and that was the reason it was a big deal to our daughter and to Rick. Bradley remembers getting her hair cut at the Barber shop. I remember her crying when Ed or Wilbur cut it too short. David Quinn was very well behaved and loved looking in the mirror. We all got in the dodge and drove to the parking lot. We met Walker at Timberlakes for lunch. I ordered a toasted cheese Sandwich. It is a bit of a tradition to have lunch at Timberlakes, a drug store right on the mall. I think Rick and Walker both have lunch there a lot when they are working. It is a very traditional , old fashioned kind of place with a bar and revolving seats and always home made pies for sale by the cash register. This might have been the beginning of too much family for Bradley O'Leary. On the way down the mall to the ice Rink is when we had a family calamity. Bradley wanted to buy a new had for David Quinn who did not have his winter coat and had fallenin in the snow and was all wet. Bradley wanted him to be warm when we skated. Rick only thought about the money. I thought what is the big deal sine the hats were beautifully hand made by the people in Tibet. They always have a table full of these hats when we go down to the mall. There were words screamed by both Rick and Bradley. I think Bradley O"leary was very embarrassed. I know I was. I purchased the hat and we continued to the ice rink. Ice skating was lots of fun. I could got straight and stay steady. The two Bradley's both were able to sake fast and backward with lots of skill. there were lots of people skating, kids and old people and everyone was having a good time.