What does one do on a snow day?

Yesterday afternoon at 1:04 it started snowing. By the time I got off work at 4:30 the snow was about about 3" thick (seemed like 4" but the ruler proved otherwise). We Southerners (do you like how I called myself a Southerner?) don't know how to drive in the snow and I'm not sure the city even tried to treat the roads. I think this storm surprised them. I don't know where all the people came from but it was bumper to bumper traffic in all directions and the fastest anyone was driving was 15 miles an hour. At times we were stopped still in our tracks for minutes at a time. My gas tank light came on shortly after leaving work telling me I that I needed to fill the tank. Fortunately with everybody moving so slowly there weren't any accidents that I heard of, though I saw people sliding and did a little slip of my own. What normally takes me 10 minutes to drive took me about an hour. I was happy to get home with a little bit of gas left in my tank. One co-worker who's commute is usually about 20 mintues was on the road for almost 3 hours trying to get home.

The snow had quit falling by then and no more snow fell during the night but it's almost the end of the day today and plenty of snow still remains. It got up to 37 degrees today so we've had some melting goin on. Tonight it's going to freeze so it'll be icy in the morning. We're going to stay home until it thaws. I expect all the snow will melt completely tomorrow as it's supposed to get up to 48 degrees.

So, no yard work today and I wasn't inclined to go out. So what should I do? Make soap, of course!

Well - maybe not "of course" but that is what I did today. This is something I've been planning to do for quite some time. I have been gathering the tools (a soup pot here, a roaster pan there, etc) and ingredients. This particular recipe called for lye, olive oil, coconut oil and shea butter. It was time to take the plunge!

My teacher is a book called "Smart Soapmaking" by Anne L Watson. She lays it all out simply and easily; explaining what's going on chemically (not too technical), suggests a starter recipe but includes several others and gives step by step instructions. It took me a couple hours but most of that was prep time and clean up time. The actual soap making took about 20 minutes. With practice, the prep and clean-up will go much faster. I'd love to show you photos but that will have to wait for another time. I was home alone while making it so there was no one to take pictures. :-(

I can show you pictures of the snow though.

It's been 33 years

A week ago today we had a visit from a friend from our youth - Jim Redwine. While we've stayed in touch through our parents (pre-internet; well actually - pre-computers, I think), later via email and later still via yahoo groups and Facebook, we actually hadn't seen each other in 33 years. We were so privileged to have several hours together. Jan and John came (John's taking the picture) because they go back that far with us. (Poor Judy was home with a cold and was selfish about sharing her "fun". We missed having Bud and Lacey too).

Jim is very interesting to talk to as he has done so much in his lifetime, lived so many places and has so many interests (and stories to tell). I think we could have talked for days.

Thank you Jim for coming! Next time, bring Caryn... and the kids.

Brrrr Cold

Sorry - no photos but I just wanted to say "It's cold"!

I've heard of cold winters in these parts but this is the coldest it's been since we've lived here. I suppose that's not saying much since this is only our 4th Winter but still. Even the "natives" are saying this December was colder than usual and now that we're into the first week of January it's even colder. Yesterday it snowed - just enough to put about 1/4" of snow on the surface of things - but then it froze. A good bit of that 1/4" is still here tonight. Today we had a high of 22 degrees! Yes, I said "high". I thought we lived in the South!

The Big Day

January 1st, 2010... "The Big Day" finally arrived. Dad & Millie got hitched!

I'm sure it was a tough decision but they decided to get married in our home. I believe weather was a big consideration for this and it turned out to be a good decision - at least for those of us in the South - because there was 8" of snow "back home" and more on the way. Here, we had a beautiful day; very cold with temps in the low 30's, but blue skies none-the-less. Whatever the reasons were, I feel quite blessed that we were able to be in attendance.

I didn't think to count how many were here while it was happening but I do believe there were 15, counting Dad, Millie and Walter, the preacher. There were 7 more (if I count correctly) in attendance via the phone as well. We had this idea to call anyone available back home and let them listen in on the ceremony. I hoped they could hear okay.

Millie prepared a small feast that could have served twice or three times as many people as were there. It was all yummy, especially the potato soup she made.

Don't they look happy? (Did you notice that the bride and groom on the cake top are sitting down?) So cute (both couples, that is).

Christmas 2009

Merry Christmas everyone!

This Christmas was good in so many ways. Larry finished most of the indoor projects just in time to clean up and decorate. On Christmas Eve we (including Dad) went to Ben and Laura's house. Ben had to work but was able to join us before the evening was over.



On Christmas Day Dad, Ben, Laura and Abi came to our house (after Laura got off work and Abi finished her nap). We hung out together, ate some and dumped our stockings. Abi unwrapped a couple gifts too (us grown ups don't exchange gifts anymore).


Abi is old enough this year to enjoy family time and the food and, of course, the gifts (though she is still learning about the gift giving thing). Another great thing this year is Dad being here with us. I'm sure his heart was elsewhere (I wonder where?) but we were happy to have him with us this year.

Kitchen upgrade

Here are some before and after photos of our kitchen. As you can see, the biggest changes are the countertop and backsplash. Eventually we'll replace the vent hood with a black one. Larry would like an all black oven too (this one has almond edges) but that's a lot of money for a slight change in color.


Larry did all the remodel work. He replaced the formica butcher block counter-tops with a formica marble look. We considered all kinds of options include granite but formica is fitting for this house in this neighborhood. Here's the sink area. Larry got creative and did some custom work with the tile.


All three of the "after" photos are closer in than the originals but it really shows in the fridge shot. It's not really any bigger than the old one. The dishwasher was replaced shortly after we moved in. The fridge was too but we had a used "filler" model for a while. We often wondered what day it would finally quit. It made funny noises from the day we got it. We finally got the fridge we really want.


If you'll look carefully in the fridge photo you'll also see that we have a different floor. We took out the parquet and replaced it with the same hardwood that now covers the living room, dining room, master bedroom and hall.

There one more set of photos I didn't include because Larry is still working on it. The "after" phot doesn't exists yet. I'll share that when it's done. It could be this week or it might be several weeks from now. We'll see.

Dad & Millie are engaged!

It's official! Dad and Millie are engaged to be married. The big day is on the big day of New Year's Day. They'll be married in Chattanooga and then move to Pennsylvania. They are both very happy and make a wonderful couple.

This photo is taken at my cousin Linda's house in the Atlanta area. We were all there for Thanksgivings (a big crowd!).

Dad's calendar is marked with count-down days. It won't be long now!

A typical, yet not so typical, day in the yard

It's quite typical to find me working in the yard on any given evening or week-end (weather permitting - which means, not in the rain and not in the heat of summer) but to find Larry and Dad working outside at the same time is not so typical.



On this particular Saturday, I was transplanting the holly tree (the same one the bees visited this last Spring) plus planting some other things purchased during the last 4 weeks of rain. This is the first Saturday in at least a month where it hasn't rained!



As you know, Larry has been working really hard putting siding on our house. He's been spending every spare moment (and some found moments) installing the siding. This Saturday was no different. He's working on the tight areas under the roof line that is tucked up tight in a corner. This is the last step before beginning work on the fascia (the really hard part) due to the necessary ladder angles.

So, here we were, both working in the yard (though doing our own separate things) when Dad came to join us. He took it upon himself to "mow" the fallen leaves. I should have taken a "before" photo because the leaves were so thick it was almost impossible to see the grass underneath!
It felt rather strange to have all of us working outside at the same time so I thought photos were in order. It's just a "Slice of Life" kind of thing.

Lady Bug Abi

Abi brought her Mom by on Halloween. I think she really just wanted to show off her Lady Bug outfit. Isn't she just cute as a bug?

Grandma just has to brag a little.

Home Improvements

The house has been a work in progress for so long that I don't realize how much it's changed. We now have hardwood floors in the bedroom, living/dining room, kitchen and hall. Only the two other bedrooms have carpet. We've also painted the living room and hall walls. Most are a muted green but one wall is a golden yellow which helps brighten everything up. Larry has fixed a gap in our kitchen cabinets plus built a new section of base cabinets (drawers to come later) and we have countertops ready to install and then a new tile backsplash to put up.

But... first, while the weather is still nice, Larry has been covering the house with vinyl siding. We bought the vinyl in early Spring (or was it last Winter?) and it's been waiting in the garage for nice weather. While I wanted a sage green or a mocha color we ended up with this beige because we had an opportunity to buy at a really super price. We took what we could get and it's turning out okay.

Larry has made much progress in the last few

weeks; about 99% single-handedly. He has painted the soffitts white because we'll have

white trim when it's all done.

Silly me - I only took photos of this one wall - probably because I was nervous about him being so high up on these ladders that I worked outside and stayed within shouting distance in case he needed me.

We have new burgandy shutters, which are also made of vinyl, and have painted our front door to match. One of these days I'll photograph that too. He has three sides now covered and is working on the back where the deck is. That takes a bit more prep. I'm proud of his for all his hard work. He has saved us a bunch of money and has done a great job (as usual). What you can't really tell from these photos is, this part of the house is over the garage so he's about 25' up on that ladder. I still don't know how he managed to reach the peak (I didn't look for that part).

And, just so you know... I haven't been totally lazy. I continue to work on the yard.

Last May, it was looking fairly tidy. After avoiding the heat of summer for several months, I'm now back in the yard trying to tame it again.

Bermuda grass has taken over a few spots and weeds are rampant. But, things did grow up some while I looked the other way.

Oh! The raspberries have been wonderful. I sure didn't expect to get raspberries this year when I planted them in spring but they've been steadily producing for months now. The blackberries, on the other hand, are making long runners but will wait until next year to make fruit. If you click on the Oct photo and look behind the cottage you'll see the blackberry vines.

I just harvested the Sweet Potatoes that took over the garden this summer. They made a wheel barrow full! Now, each day I'm cooking them so they can be made into Sweet Potato casserole and a dozen other things. I'm even thinking about trying my hand at canning.

The other thing I'm doing is transforming the grassy area North of the cottage (AKA rental) into a woodland. I killed the grass in Spring and covered the area with leaves from last fall and compost. Then, the huge rains we had in September washed everything away leaving me with raw dirt. I was fortunate to be the recipient of wood chips from a tree service. They dropped off 2 dump truck loads full. It's not the best stuff because it's fresh (as opposed to aged) but it does cover the dirt and that's great.

Dad has news

As you know, Dad has been here since July 31st. The transition from the time Mom passed away until he got here was so intense that when he finally got here he settled in and took it easy, doing all the things he loves - mostly reading and spending time on the computer. He has been mowing my lawns regularly which frees me up to do other things in the yard. I'm sure the neighbors appreciate his efforts as well since the lawns looks manicured rather than wild. :-) Doesn't he look happy?

Well... he didn't look this happy a month or so ago. He was lonely. I was feeling badly that I only spent time with him a couple times a week. I'd make time to visit with him one evening during the work week and then we'd all (him, Larry, me, Ben, Laura, and Abi) often get together on Sunday afternoon. But, he wasn't enough. There were just too many hours in the day by himself.

So, being the computer geek that he is, he went to eHarmony and completed a profile only to be told there were "No Matches" for him. Imagine that! That led him to a christian matchmaking website that he joined for free for two weeks. He completed his profile and waited.

He waited only 3 days and was contacted by a lady in Pennsylvania. They emailed back and forth and found they had a lot in common - most of all their strong faith in and commitment to God. Emails progressed to phone calls, and let me tell you, these two were like teen-agers, talking late into the night as they got to know each other. I enjoyed teasing him. I threatened to bang on his door and yell, "Turn off the lights and go to sleep!". I didn't, of course, but thought about it. :-)

I don't remember now the date this all began but I can tell you that they have spent more time talking in this short time than most couples talk in a year! I have even had the pleasure of emailing a little bit and even spoke on the phone with her. They are both convinced they're a match made in heaven. Get this... her name is Millie!

Last week Dad took a trip to Pennsylvania to meet his new Millie. He had a wonderful time and got to meet Millie's family and friends. They also visited some sites in the area like covered bridges. Pennsylvania is a beautiful state and he got to see it dressed in Autumn colors.

Next month, Millie is coming to Chattanooga for a visit. She'll be here for about two weeks surrounding Thanksgiving! We're looking forward to meeting her and Dad's looking forward to doing the tourist thing in Chattanooga with her. (The Aquariums, Rock City, Ruby Falls, The Incline on Lookout Mtn, and more.)

Before I finish this story, let me say that I am thrilled for both of them. They seem well suited for each other and as Dad says, "It's a God thing".

Stay tuned for more updates!

Abi update

It's been way too long since I've shared Abi with ya'll. She's getting to be such a big girl. She understands a lot and has a few words in her vocabulary that we can understand. She has a lot more words and even sentences that we don't understand at all but love to hear her said it anyway. She is 16, going on 17 months old now. Her hair is starting to grow in back and on top but it's blond (like her Mama) so it's hard to see.

She is such a delight. Here's a video of her on the little rocking horse. Enjoy!

Vacation to Hot Springs, AK

Lately, it seems I'm catching up on the blog rather than keeping up with it. Even though it was weeks ago now I ought to capture the fact that Larry and I went on vacation. His work slowed down so much that he could take the time without using vacation (which he hasn't earned much of yet anyway) and I had hours I needed to use.

It was a trick figuring out where to go. We decided on Hot Springs, AK because we found a "resort" for an inexpensive price. It turns out the resort was a 3.5 star trying to masquarade as a 5 star. It was nice enough though.

Hot Springs is about an hour SW of Little Rock (capital city of AK). The area is wooded and there's a big beautiful lake there. Also, as you can imagine, there are hot springs. Check out this fountain. It's steaming and we were there at the end of August! There is a rich history surrounding the hot springs and, as you may know, we love seeing history in person. Believe it or not, there is a National Historic Bath House from the late 1800's/early 1900's. Here are a few photos. I left out the pictures of tubs and showers because there's nothing exciting there but there were a few surprises. First is the exterior of a couple bath houses in Bath House Row. Then, a fountian in the mens steam room. There was an exercise room as well as a music room Who knew?! Back in the early 1900's (before modern medicine as we now know it) there were lots of experimental and alternative therapies going on here. It may be the beginning of chiropracty too (don't quote me on that). All sorts of "machines" and contraptions were used to stretch, twist, and otherwise manipulate people in an atempt to ease their various aches and pains.

The other major item of interest, as least for me, was Gavin Gardens (woodland botanical gardens). I won't bore you with the details but here are a few items of inspiration for me.

Really Huge Event

During the blog silence the last couple months, a really huge event took place. I can't let it slip by without blogging it.

Dad moved to Chattanooga!! Though he was ready and anxious to do so, it was not easy. In a matter of just a few weeks he did long over-due house repairs and (with lots and lots of help from family) sorted a lifetime of "stuff" for a gigantic yard sale. In the process he had to decide what to move with him. After that, he was in limbo for a couple weeks while waiting to leave (the little house here wouldn't be available until August 1st).

Finally, he made the long trek across the US. Along the way he visited family in CA, AZ and NM before arriving in Atoka, TN to stay with David and family for a two or three days. The final leg from there to here was only 5 or 6 hours.

He arrived July 31st - a Friday. He spent Friday night at our house and was able to move into his little house next door before the next day was through. He settled right in and was finally able to relax.

He has found two churches and is trying to decide between them. I think he knows which one he prefers but likes the other for extraneous reasons (like the Asst Pastor lives nearby and stops to visit while on his walks around the block). He has lots of time to decide. Until then, he's been going to both services.

We have visited the TN Aquariums (both of them) and Point Park - a National Historic Park on Lookout Mtn (with cousin Linda, Casey, Jamie and Joel). There is still a lot more to explore which we will in time. I'm very excited about him being able to enjoy Autumn here. I can hardly wait for the trees to turn color.

Too much of a good thing

If you're one of those people I stay in close contact with then you'll know that you haven't heard much from me the last couple months. If you aren't then you didn't miss me anyway. :-)

But... did you notice the blog posts stopped as well? If you had asked me a few weeks ago why, I would have replied that I've been busy. That is true.

Six weeks ago, in spite of knowing better, I volunteered with McKamey Animal Center to train a dog. It turned out to be a great little puppy named Howler. I did this because a local dog training company donated 4 classes to McKamey who then asked for volunteers. I was one of four people who took a dog to class each week and also went to the center each day to spend time training. Howler was a very shy (apx) 4 month old mixed breed pup who blossomed with the training. I loved it but it took a lot of time out of each day. It was a challenge to complete my commitment but I did enjoy doing it. That's why I thought I hadn't had time to do much else.

But... it was more than that. It seemed that my life was completely out of whack and whatever it is that turned my life upside down happened in June. I had to ask myself "what happened in June?". It wasn't because Mom passed away (that was May) and it wasn't because Dad moved here (that was August). I don't think it was training Howler - at least, not in and of itself. That's when the lightning bolt struck me. It was Lincoln! I got Lincoln in June!

It was time to admit it. This lovable cat was driving me crazy with his lovable needs. I adored this kitty. He was there to greet me when I woke up in the morning (so much so he often woke me at 4:45am - my alarm doesn't wake me until 5:30). He hung around me the whole time I got ready for work right up to when I left. When I was in the bathroom he would use his litter box, when I was in the kitchen he would eat, when I was in the living room he would climb his tower, when I dared sit at the computer he would play with Larry's papers, the computer wires, climb on my lap, then climb onto my keyboard, etc, etc. It appears he slept all day but then be waiting for me when I arrived home and despair when I left again for McKamey or small group or whatever. When I was home for the evening he would be on my heels. In fact, he heeled better than Howler! He needed company! I would change into my kitty clothes (because his lovely soft fur would fly while being petted) and snuggle into my recliner with my kitty who would purr and hum and cuddle for about 2 minutes. Then, he'd jump down and lay down near my feet. Does this mean his needs were met? Noooooo, not by a long shot. He wanted to be close all the time! If I got up to work in the kitchen he would be right there (though he almost never jumped on the kitchen counter). He wouldn't leave me alone! I tried playing with him - dragging his kitty toy around the floor. He would pounce and jump for 30 seconds or a minute and then lay down and watch me entice him. I was getting more exercise than he was! I'm sure he enjoyed it.

When I opened my eyes to his needs, it was plain that he needed much more companionship that I was able to provide. Even with Larry working at home different portions of the day it was not enough for him. He either needed a playmate or a home where people are home all day. We weren't about to get another cat or a dog so I finally decided it was time to give him back to the organization I got him from (it was stipulated in the contract that way). It was a tough phone call to make because I loved Lincoln and enjoyed his company.

They came and got him the same day. Really, they were too hasty. I didn't even get a chance to say good-by (though that would have been for me, not him). He ended up going to a home of one of the rescue cat people that I also am not happy about. She has about 100 cats (no exaggeration). He needed some company but not that much. But then, I had no say in the matter. He was no longer my cat when I made that phone call.

I won't miss the cat hair and I won't miss the cost (equipment, toys, food, vet bills, etc) but I will miss Lincoln. (The violin playing will fade out soon.)

You should be seeing more posts now. I can sit at my computer again for as long as I want without too much interruption (it depends upon if Larry is home or not). :-)

There are some things to catch up on which I will post soon. Check back again soon!

Lincoln

When this week-end started, I had no idea where it was headed. This being the second Saturday of the month I had planned a couple hours of stamping with local members of the Tennessee Stampers. Lori and Myra came and we stamped and chatted. It wasn't long before our conversation turned to my fake kitties. The upright one needs batteries to meow, purr, blink, turn it's head and who know what all else (I bought him at a flea market for $3.00. He was meowing in the store and continued his antics for a couple hours before running out of battery. I couldn't find an on/off switch.)

Anyway, I told the gals about my history with dogs and how it isn't fair to have a dog while we don't have a fenced yard and we work all day. Besides, Larry really likes not having dog hair on his clothes. I said if there were a cat that didn't shed I would consider a cat.

That's when Myra told us about a cat rescue she works with that just got several cats of the Ragdoll breed. I don't know a whole lot about cat breeds but I am familiar with Ragdolls. I read an article years ago about them I told myself if I ever got a cat it would be a Ragdoll. When Myra mentioned these Ragdolls, Lisa and I both said Oooooh. Then Lisa suggested we go see them (they were not far from my house.) We did and that's when I met Lincoln.

He is the most wonderful cat. Friendly, gentle, soft as all get-out, and the epitome of a Ragdoll breed; which, by the way, gets their name from the way they go limp when you pick them up.

So anyway... I fall in love with Lincoln but figure the odds of us getting a cat are so slim I might as well not get my hopes up.

Even so, when Larry comes home from playing handball the first thing I do is tell him about Lincoln. Much to my surprise Larry's first response is to say, "Let's go see him".

You can tell from the pictures how this story ends. Larry completed surprised me by being totally agreeable and almost even anxious. I couldn't believe it. Larry is agreeing to a cat? Not just a cat but a cat that must stay indoors (they're so gentle they have a hard time defending themselves so indoors is best).

Larry has been awesome. He and I went shopping for all the cat paraphernalia (carrier, bed, litter box, food, dishes, a climbing tower, toys, and even claw covers so he won't scratch

our furniture).

May I brag just a little about how blessed we are? Ragdolls typically command a price of $600 - $1,200. The local rescue "Cats are Totally Special" charged only $150 and Lincoln is already spayed and has his shots. Wow.

The trick now is for us to learn how to live with a cat. The idea of Lincoln sleeping on our bed takes some getting used to. We never let our dogs do that. Lincoln stepped on, and even laid down on some of Larry's paperwork on the floor next to his desk and Larry only mildly objected. It's a good think Lincoln weighs a whole lot less than a dog. He didn't see to do any damage to the papers.

If the library were open today I'd be there checking out a bunch of books. I think he was a little lonely this morning as he was walking around the house meowing. This is the first time he's been an only cat and I think he's rather lost. Those fake cats just aren't filling the bill.

Trip to California

Photos of family have been posted here:

http://travelingturtles.myphotoalbum.com

If you're not family you probably won't care as they're mostly group photos (which only those who know each other care about).

David and his youngest daughter Sarah arrived in CA before I did. They and Dad had tackled areas of the house that needed going through and made great progress.

Wednesday and Thursday were busy days as we had the internment and memorial. On Friday, we took a break and went to Pt Lobos and then to lunch. David and Sarah went home Saturday and I went home Sunday. It was a fast trip.

Dad has determined a long time ago that he if outlived Mom he would move to Chattanooga. Things were happening so fast around the house that I asked Dad about his timing. He thought August 1st was a reasonable date. So, that's what we're shooting for. We've given our tenant notice and Dad's working fast to get things ready. I'm excited about him being here. I think it is especially great that he'll get to meet Abi and be a part of her life (not to mention the rest of us).

It's count-down time! As of this posting there is only 8 weeks to go!

Mom has passed away

Today, May 19th, about 6:20 Pacific time, Mom left this earth and moved to Heaven. She will make her permanent residence there. Someday I will move there too (she just beat me to it).

A new chapter in our lives is beginning - one without Mom. We'll miss her but we're happy for her. She is finally set free from her many limitations and lives in the land without corruption.

Do you know the lyrics to "I Can Only Imagine"?

I can only imagine
What it will be like
When I walk
By your side

I can only imagine
What my eyes will see
When your face
Is before me

I can only imagine
I can only imagine

[Chorus:]
Surrounded by Your glory,
what will my heart feel
Will I dance for you Jesus
or in awe of you be still
Will I stand in your presence
or to my knees will I fall
Will I sing hallelujah,
will I be able to speak at all
I can only imagine

I can only imagine
When that day comes
And I find myself
Standing in the Son
I can only imagine
When all I will do
Is forever
Forever worship You

I can only imagine
I can only imagine