New Year’s Eve 2023

 We just came from the Perriello New Year’s Eve Party. There was plenty of food for adults and children. I ate two slices  of roast beef and lots of cookies. 

Linda had plenty of food and people to serve and clean up. The teenagers were in an upstairs room. I went there for the last year party but not this one. The house is very large and decorated with lovely furniture. The Christmas decorations were spectacular. They were everywhere;  on book shelves, on tables on the fire place mantles. I should have taken pictures. If we are invited next year I will. I Sat with Sonia Smith who has lots of money according to Rick. She donates her money to various causes.  I told her about teaching at Jackson Via when  it was opened in 1969??? 

Her personal story was: She told me she was 64 and talked about balance. I told her I was 81. She was surprised. 

Tonight we go to Walker’s house. Joseph is going to serve us a French meal. I have been trying to learn some French words and phrases and I Dress like a Frenchman.

Two of my children were at the party.  Walker and Catherine Bradley. She looked lovely in a red dress. All three of Walker’s children were there. Bess's teacher was there but I did not know her. 

The decorations were impressive. Many people I talked to commented on them. I also talked to the president of the Board of Supervisors.Anne Mallick. 

Paige’s husband took a picture of us at the end of the party. He is a doctor and I was impresses at how intelligent he was. He talked about AI WHICH IS A FAVORITE TOPIC OF CONVERSATION.No one understands it. We all want to learn.

At Gidian Ridge in North Carolina

 We are at a lovely Band B in the mountains of North Carolina celebrating our 55 Aniversary.

I came to the central area hoping to watch the Sunset but there is too much noise and commotion so I am going to go back to our room. We drove along the Parkway this morning but before that went to Blowing Rock. The town is named for this Rock formation. The whole B and B is decorated for Christmas. 🎅 this morning I found a book Plain and Fancy. I am going to take it with me it is all about sewing. 

Went to movie about lenny Bernstein

 This famous co poser had a very complicated life. But he was well educated. He went to Harvard and the Boston Latin school. He was a Jew. He was a homosexual and he had three kids with his wife Felicia.

I just ate a delicious egg sandwich made by my husband. I put a load of black wash in the washer before we sat in the jacuzzi. When we got in we heard a loud, loud train so we could not talk. We just listened. I thought about noise. What is music and what I’d noise. It starts with the beat. That is what most people hear first when they listen to music. When they hear the beat that makes their body move. Right now Imam listening to the Halleluah voice by Handel. It took a couple  of minutes for that person, composer to come into my head. 

Today Walker and kids will come to decorate tree. I bought a ginger house for them to put together. 

I bought two. 

We listened to Hallalula choirs at the Paramount conducted by Steve Layman. Did I start a new page.

Walker brought his kids. I took a picture of this. The theater was packed with people. Inadto save seats for them.  We were in the Balcony. The concert was free. 

Went to see Saint George and the Dragon

 It was at the community center in Nelson County. I took lots of pictures of Eliza. She now attends school at North Branch School. A private school with about 100 students. All the students were in it beginning with the very youngest. I will add some pictures.

Winter solstice

Today is the shortest day of the year. I went outside and took a picture of the sun rise. I came in and ate four sausage bites. When I first woke up I read all about Taylor Swift the Person of the year on Time Mgazine.

She wrote most of her own song, many when she was 14 and 13 years old. She did home schooling but went to lots of writing workshops with other people. Her mother and father were stock Brokers. Her grandmother was an opera singer. She wrote grandma was her role model. She took acting lessons too in NYC.

The biggest event this week was Eliza’s performance in “Saint George and the Dragon”  at community Center.

She played the flute, played the bells  and sang. She also did banging with a stick. Rick and I sat in  the front row so I could  take pictures easily.

The preformance was at 1 pm. We came home and went to the BHSC. I exercised on the running machine and also the weightlifting machines. 

Again I had trouble sleeping because of my tingling feet. I took sleep medicine 💊 andI Eason  salt sat in a hot  bath. I also did yoga poses. Both my writing teachers do yoga. I am going to pay more attention whenI stretch and beginning

 yoga poses. 

Senior lunch with Paul Zack and friends

 We ate a delicious lunch prepared by Elizabeth. There were favors on each table which I 9owill share with grandkids. There was candy and hot chocolate balls. Paul Zach was quite emotional when telling stories about the music. Right now I am on our sofa. I had a friendly day. I met two artists at Michael’s. I bought a Pour kit and had another long talk with the check out lady. The orni g was traumatic because Rick wanted to change time of illumination. He did change but then changed back. We will meet Wendy Thielbar at Boar’s Head on Thursday and have Bob and Patsy on Friday.

I just finished a note to Cetta’s I ate some cheese when I first came in the house. I looked in the toy store when I went to the bank. I deposited $60:which I got for selling the Bacus Lamp at Circa. I had a difficult time finding Circa. Bill has become my senior friend.  He used to work at the BHSC Rackets. 

I am experimenting with print size.

Reading old journals

 I am reading my journal from 1997. I was working at the Learning Center. I writ  about Anne McGann.

Last evening we went to Matt Murray’s party.  He had family pictures covering one wall. There were pictures everywhere in his house. I talked to him. I suggested he go to Ireland. He was pleasant then just left. The pictures bothered me because there were so many.

We came home and watched the neighborhood meeting on Zoom. The neighbors approved of having an engineering group fix the dam. The cost will be around $650,00.19people approved. 5 sad no .  The neighbors also approved being assessed 10,000. Steve Hiss was in charge. I sat by Rick for awhile but the lay on one of the beds and listened. Rick told me I was not allowed to sleep on the

bed that is his. It has the quilt I designed on it. 

My goal for today wa to clean the family room. I am still organizing it. I read the newspaper about UVA. 

Students whose parents who make $150,00 can now go free or almost free. I want to show this article to David Quinn since he wants Togo to UVA. 

I wrapped Christmas gifts. I selected picture to include in my book. I ordered another Storyworth book.I took all the trash to the top of the driveway after emptying all the trash cans. I ate half o the left over sadwhich and an avacado and an orange. I ate cake and ice cream for desert. 

Helping clean up the Yard

 Rick is outside cleaning up the yard. Tonight we go to Monticello. We gon an hour and a half.

Walker called me whe I got woke up and ask me if I could come and watch Bess because she was sick. I had a nice visit. We played two games. She won both but I leaned lots just watching her. She is self assured. The first game was a game about the states and their names and Capitol. We had to look at the words carefully and make decisions. Then we played another game about cheese. It took. Awhile to set up. But she was very patient. She made a round ball with yarn. And also played her violin. They got new tall chairs that are red. Hallie got her hair cut but did not talk about it. The news is depressing. The UN just on Humanitarian cease fire in Gaza. I need to finish wrapping the gifts I am going to send Tucker. 

Went for a Walk aroun the lake

 Bradley came by to pick up the check for her fence. She ask me if I wanted to walk around the lake. I was hesitant but then I said okey. We walked the whole way. We talked about real-estate and stories she remembers about houses and friends. The Atkinson lived in the Robinson’s house she talked about getting a horse out of a whole in the adjacent property.

She was on her way to Staunton. It had something to do with Real Estate. Rick wants to be very evasive when he talks to her and also to me. My neck hurts so I want to put the heating pad on it. I am charging the vacuum sweater. I hear a click. 

I just ate an avocado bagel sandwich. This morning I ate two ham biscuits from our Guild party. I also ate apple and cheese pieces. 

We passed two neighbors while we were walking, Mary Robinson and Mr. Milligan. I hear a plane over head.