Family Meals

It's a beautiful cool crisp fall day.
We've had a crazy wonderful scary week.
Last weekend our daughter decided she needed a break from her masters degree classes in SF and so we got together some of our frequent flier miles and she flew home over night Tuesday from the West Coast.
We've been having family dinners, and shopping, and visiting friends, and relatives.
And taking in each moment with her because she doesn't get home often.

And taking care of a sick little Bailey in the middle of all of this.
He's on some liver medications, and being weaned off the pheno which may be causing the liver problems. On Monday eve he got into the barricaded room in which we are doing construction...and ate a full box of Decon, mouse poison. A call to emergency vet told us what to do. The next morning another trip to the vet for a Vit K shot, and then the next 48-72 hours would be touch and go.
He got really sick the second day, but has rebounded and is still with us.
He's just had a really hard two weeks.

Speaking of our renovation and construction. All the prep work has been done, and some repair to a brick wall and on the side of the house, caused by the demo part.
The new door to the basement is in, and deck/porch posts ready to be poured.
All you out there who have done this know that things always take twice as long and 3 times as many dollars as predicted. It's just been two weeks and I want the mess and anxiety over.. soon.

My husband's ready to get his fifth shot in the rabies shot series, and then heading back to India for hopefully the last part of this long four month project.

The red and yellow leaves are dropping off the trees, the nights are colder, and I smelled someones wood fire burning last night for the first time this season.
Fall is definitely in full swing.

Sept 11,2001

Early morning, Sept 11,2001, this is the view we saw as we drove from the airport to our bed and breakfast, Ireland.
But wait, what is that we are hearing on the radio.
We listened in disbelief, and drove as fast as we could to our b and b.
We'd left the night before, Sept 10.2001 from Newark airport,our car parked there in long term parking, flown overnight, and were exhausted. But suddenly, we were fearful.
Would we be able to fly home a week later?
This was a long time planned trip to celebrate our 30th anniversary, the past May, but hadn't been able to get away due to D's travel schedule, and taking our son to his first year of college.
So here we were in wonderful beautiful picturesque Ireland.

That first day, at the b and b, the TV in the lounge was on, and people were quiet in respect.
It was a shock and the dinner theatre we were scheduled to see that night, was cancelled, as most people sat quietly in pubs, or their homes, listening to the horror unfold.
I will write more this week about our trip in Ireland.
Although it was beautiful, it was horrifying as we learned more.
Our college kids called us that night, and that first day,and for a few days, we didn't know when we would be able to leave on our ticketed date, due to the flight restrictions all over the world.
This is the kind of event, that one remembers forever.
Forever emblazoned in our minds.

Picnics, summertime, barbeques

Picnics, summertime, barbeques, fire in the fire pit for smores, and the tiki torches burning. All things of our summertime picnics in our backyard.
This morning the air feels cool, almost crisp, even though it was warm during the day yesteray and is supposed to be high 80's today.
But there are some dry leaves dropping off the trees, and a lot of the plants look like they've had their best growth.
So my patio has probably seen it's best use this summer.
And somehow when it gets cooler in the evening, and dark much much sooner, it feels like summertime is coming to a close.
It's not because I have children going back to school, because mine are grown and off involved in their own lives.
But the bus goes down the street and in the evening, the neighborhood kids aren't outside playing as late.
Fall is defintely trying to make it's appearance, and the cooler air is somehow more rejuvenating.
But for this one day their will be another picnic and another fire in the firepit and candles burning on the picnic table.
Summer is not quite over today.

Reflecting and Wondering

The summer started with us thinking we'd be going back overseas for about a year.
Then plans were abruptly changed and my husband is doing a short term project in India over a 4 month period.
We started the summer wondering where we'd be living. Then we started readjusting our thinking and started planning and scheming about being here and continuing to work on our fixer upper(kind of) house.
We did outside work and landscaping and the heat of the first part of the summer overtook us at times.
Now as the days are shortening and the coolness of the fall is starting to seep into our days and nights, we are readjusting and planning and scheming again of projects around here.
Right now a builder is drawing up plans for our back porch, so that hopefully soon that building project can be started.
We decided to put off our window replacements until after the back porch is completed, in order to be more precise and careful and not have to redo anything.
So plans are cooking away, and we are reflecting over the summer months and wondering what the fall will bring.

Another One

Here is another one from yesterday.
My family will probably put on my tombstone 'she loved sunsets.'
But you know that isn't such an awful thing is it.
I get my love of the weather and the time of sunrise and sunsets from my dad.
He is going on 89 and still calls me and informs me of the weather and the time of sunrise and sunsets.
He doesn't use the Internet so this information he gleans from newspapers and watching the weather channel.
Although he and my mom now live in a small apartment in a retirement community, he has a little spot on the grounds behind the complex where he gardens.
He just yesterday shared tomatoes and zinnias from that space.
Growing up in the Midwest, in corn country where it was very flat, and we could see for miles, the topography was much different than here in the mountains.
But the interest in weather, and geography, and the seasons and love of the outdoors and gardening and plants, I learned it all from my dad.

Birthday bouquet

Yes it's true today is my birthday.
Lots of celebrating with friends has been going on at different events all week.
Last night my son took me to the new Kevin Costner movie,'Swing Vote' and to dinner.
It was a pleasant surprise; parts of his alcoholic character weren't fun to watch, but overall I thought is was much better than anticipated.

Today will be breakfast with my parents at their retirement complex.
Then I will enjoy the day with my errands of farmer's market, library, bank and maybe another movie or a visit to B and N to buy a book I've been wanting.

So the day is starting out cooler and somewhat stormy with thunder, and the anticaption that we might get rain.
This means I might get to do some baking I've been wanting to do, but haven't wanted to turn on my oven for weeks due to the 90+ temps.
Some neighbors of mine are asking(begging) for my walnut chocolate chip oatmeal cookies, so today just might be the day to do that.
I am looking forward to a very good day.

I better get organized

This is my daughter's apartment entryway in San Francisco.
I just realized Patrick is going to be with her this weekend for the 4th of July weekend.
Last year we had just purchased the house we now live in but held a very impromtu 4th of July party here on our front yard.
I better get organized and start thinking about Friday's holiday if I am having a party this year.
Our house sits on a hill looking East toward the Massanutten range. The town we live in has fireworks and because of the location of our house, we can look from left to right and not only see the town fireworks but many other little fireworks that small companies or families put off after dark.
So our front yard is a perfect place to sit and enjoy the evening and the views.
Somehow with all that has happened this week I had put off planning anything or calling friends.
Looks like I better get started.

And I am resting today

This is a beautiful old church in Sonoma CA taken a few weeks ago when we were visiting CA.

And since Sunday is a day of rest I am certainly resting today.
I am tired and aching and today will be family day and of course starting with my 2 mile walk, then reading the Washington Post and coffee and more coffee.

Other than that I don't plan to do much more than read, relax and of course a nap.
No outside planting digging or weeding.
Thankfully it rained last evening and that helps out some of the things I moved around in the flower beds. I know I know I shouldn't be doing that in this heat, but it's the way I've always gardened: when the desire or mood hits for another plant, or to move it to a better location.
I hope this finds all of you have a wonderful Sunday.

Orchids, travel and adapting

Orchids were our flower of choice in Singapore. We grew them on our balcony, we bought them at the grocery store for our vase on our dining room table, we gave them as gifts. They abounded.
For the past 5 months we were anticipating a short term work related move back to Singapore, where once again orchids would proliferate around us.
Unfortunately that is not going to happen now.
Several weeks ago we learned the project we would be moving for wasn't going to happen.
Within the same week, however, we learned my husband has been assigned to another project, this time in south central India.
This is considered a business trip not a relocation, thus the spouse is not included in this trip.
That would be me.
So in a few weeks my husband will be departing for the new work assignment for a 4-5 month period.
This brings me to my point of adapting.
Hmmm...let me think about that for awhile.Adapting and adjusting take time and for each person it can be a different method to switch our mindset.
So that is what I am in the middle of.. switching my thinking and trying to figure out how to make this work for me.
Maybe it's time to remodel our kitchen, or put on our back porch,
or maybe I need to think about coming out of semi-retirement and get back to work.
I will keep you posted.

Life in SF

Here is Megan driving the Scion we rented when we visited her several wks ago in SF.
We'd always wondered how they would ride and it was a pleasant car to have driving through the Golden Gate Bridge and up to Sonoma and wondering through wine country.
I'm thinking of her a lot these days as she is starting a two year intensive program for her masters in nursing and just this wk starting her third week. It will be strenous as it is a 24 month program with no breaks.
Hopefully a long weekend or two so I can slip out there again to visit her in the midst of studying.
Here's to you Megan!

Dog days of summer

Dog days of summer says it about all for around our house.
Enjoying the heat, working out in the yard and garden, fixing our garden umbrella and teak dining sets. More work outside that is routine and mundane but still part of upkeep and care of patio and garden space.
Hanging out with friends and family; entertaining and grilling and picnicking at friends' houses.
Meeting up with friends for meals,cooking, baking, and grocery shopping.
Just thinking and planning about our upcoming family camping weekend in July and generally enjoying the hot summer days.
And spending time with Bailey indoors relaxing, reading good books, playing pool and ping pong and watching movies.
Summertime and all is good.

Hiking on Skyline Drive

When Megan was here from San Francisco several weeks ago we were able to drive to Skyline Drive, and eat breakfast at Big Meadows. Patrick was our tour guide as he is the resident outdoorsman and loves his hiking, rock climbing and other adventure sports. He picked a short hike on the N end of Skyline Dr. After our hike, on a fairly clear but hot day, we were able to picnic before heading back to the interstate and back home.
Have any of you out there either driven on Skyline Drive or hiked there? A unique experience and I have been reading a lot lately about President Roosevelt's funding and the CCC camps which enabled the Skyline to be built,starting in April 1933. It is a unique history and an intersesting place to travel/visit.

Happy Father's Day

A Happy Father's day to my dad who is the best and to my husband who is the best father to our two kids.
A lazy hot Sunday with a brunch this noon to celebrate the day.
A day for eating and relaxing and reading and enjoying time off from working and doing.
Just being.

Get to going

Well after 8 days of fun and travel and relaxing and shopping and playing games and cooking and hiking and driving and picnics and dinners and movie it is hard to get myself going today.
After taking Megan back to Dulles in that horrible storm that hit DC area around 3:15p.m. and then spending almost 3 more hours getting back home yesterday afternoon, I can say I basically am taking the day off today.

I have laundry and lawn mowing and house cleaning, and grocery shopping and cooking and flower bed weeding and numerous other household chores to do.
But what I have been doing is listening to music and finishing a book I started before Megan arrived 8 days ago.
But since I only see her twice a year I figured to end out my vacation with her today by taking a slow day here at home.
And it is to be 90+ so on the air conditioner will go for the first time this year.
I can do my work some other day.

Crazy Busy

It's been a crazy busy wonderful week with our daughter home.
I take her back to Dulles tomorrow to fly to SF.
Dinners, a quick trip to PA, shopping, movies, pedicures, playing dominos, Cosmos,hiking on Skyline drive,family picnics, sewing, and hanging out.
So I will be back soon.

"Til death do us part"

May 29,1971
37 years ago today

Homecoming

In honour of our daughter arriving today from San Francisco here is a picture of the Golden Gate Bridge from our visit there several weeks ago.
I've been busy the past weekend finishing all of the outside yard work and flower beds.
Then I switched to inside refinishing a pine wall cabinet, including staining it and a coat of finish wax. After that cleaning and putting a vase of peonies in the guest room. My daughter and some of her friends will be here for dinner tonight, so soon I will begin some dinner prep so that by the time she arrives we can relax and do some errands.
Always glad when she arrives for a week several times a year. The time goes too fast.

3 wk Wilderness expedition

After being in WVA for a 3 wk wilderness expedition as an assitant Patrick will be back today. That includes being rained out and having to ford a stream and find a new home, find a laundry mat to dry out all of their clothes and gear.
It will be good to see you Patrick and hear about the trip. Can't wait.

Thanks

Thanks for hosting us Megan and showing us your life in Sf!
Congrats on getting accepted to your MSN...starts soon.
Boy that trip is exhausting but you think I wouldn't mind it after Singapore and Tokyo...eh?
Here's to you Megan

Off we go to San Francisco

It's been 18 months since I was there so tomorrow we head to SF for 5 days of family and sightseeing and hopefully some relaxing as things have been hectic here for the last 2 months.
Haven't been on vacation since the S of France last year in the lavender fields for a friend's wedding.
This will be more lo key as we will be downtown Sf and renting a zip car for Sat and then for Mother's day Sunday will rent a zip car to either go N to Napa or S to Monteray.
Here we come Megan.