Catching up

I'm going to try to do a quick catch-up post here.

First a picture of Dick from a week ago.  We met at Denny's for "breakfast" after work.  Here he was having dessert - hot apple crisp with vanilla ice cream.  I was having trouble with my stack of banana pecan pancakes, so I just ordered a scoop of vanilla ice cream for dessert and put it on top of my remaining pancakes.  Yum!   (Can't eat like that every day, that's for sure!)

Last Saturday we had snow most of the day, and I stayed home, stayed in my robe all day, and got all my songs and PowerPoint slides ready for leading the worship at a women's retreat at Camp Hebron the first weekend in March.   I need days like that once in a while.  I also started prepping another song for my praise team at Houserville - Lord, I Need You, which includes the chorus of the old hymn, I Need Thee Every Hour.  Another one we recently started doing is Build Your Kingdom Here.  They both are such good songs!

At Fillmore last Sunday, in spite of the weather, almost my entire choir was there, and we did Amazing Grace/My Chains Are Gone.  Wow, did they sound great!

I spent more time than usual with Austin this week because of activities Anthony and Lori had going on.  He was here Sunday afternoon as usual, then Monday evening and Thursday evening I stayed with him at their place.  He LOVES playing dodge ball in his play room and has a really good arm!  Thankfully the ball he was throwing at me wasn't very hard!  I took this picture of him last evening.  He's growing quite a head of curls!

Yesterday morning I got to see the place Anthony and Lori are buying for the first time.  I'm really excited!  It's on the side of a mountain with an amazing view from the large screened-in porch.  The cute little barn is a big draw for them - Anthony has lots of ideas for his business.

Grandma Mary came back from Florida yesterday.  What a shock to return to our below-freezing temperatures!  But she said she slept good in her own bed last night.  Last Sunday Lisa, George, and Sophie drove down to Sarasota to visit her.  I loved this picture of Sophie and Grandma Mary - almost the same height!

Sophie has been waiting and waiting to be able to start track at her school.  Fourth grade is the earliest they can be on the team.  So finally she's in fourth grade and the season has begun.  Is she ever making her mark already!   This week in the 100 meter dash, she came in first in her heat and over all 6th out of 40 kids - in grades 4-7!  I think she's on her way to the Olympics!  I wish I could post the video I shared on FB, but it's not a YouTube video, and I can't see any way to share it.   Here is a picture of her doing the long jump, which was also quite amazing.  

On Wednesday morning I had my regular hair appointment.  I decided I had given the "growing my hair out" effort a good run (over a year), and I was sick of it.  My hair is just so thin, and the only time my hair looked ok was right after I fixed it.  The minute I moved around or had my coat on or whatever, the hair down over my ears just poofed out like dog ears.  If I happened to glance in a mirror I would either try to flatten it down or loop it behind my ears, where it would never stay put.  So as of Wednesday, I'm back to my same old look.  I can't say I'm thrilled, but I think I'm past caring that much.

I've been enjoying an exercise class that is held right after work on Tuesdays and Thursdays.  It's called Strong Women and is led by my friend Peg.  It's a really fun group of women.  I warned them that they might end up on my blog one of these days!

I also now have a partner in my church office.  They have hired a treasurer, my friend Kris.  Remember when we went to her wedding last fall?  She is a ton of fun, and it makes my lonely days there so much more bearable.  

I guess we're not going to travel anywhere this weekend, although I'm feeling really ready for some time with Destiny, with Bjorn, with Sammy and Bianca.  And I surely would love to see Jada.  At least I get to see pictures of her on Facebook.   I thought maybe we would go see one or more on Sunday right after church, but now I think they're talking about ice and snow on Sunday.  Ugh.  No interest in another horror story to tell.  One of these times it WILL be Spring!

This week in February

In the telling of our fun weekend followed by the scary snow adventure in my last post, I missed mentioning Jeremy's 35th birthday, which was on Sunday.  I treasure the memory of his birth at home, a truly beautiful night.  This picture was taken a week later by Glenn Eshelman, founder of Sight and Sound, who had a photography studio at that time.

You may remember that I mentioned a few weeks ago that Jeremy has changed jobs.  He is now working as Creative Director for Moso Graphics, based in Portland, OR.  They do signage and wall art for furniture stores.  He'll need to travel to Portand on a monthly basis, so last week he was out there, flew home Saturday, then spent the first few days of this week in High Point, NC.  He's working on the campaign for Trisha Yearwood's newest endeavor, as told in this People Magazine article, developing the in-store signage for her collection.  A tremendous opportunity!  I'm so glad he no longer has to drive all over the Baltimore/DC area anymore as he did with his previous job, but I do miss the phone calls he so often made while on those long drives.

Winter continues in full force this week.  It is -3 right now and windy!  We had quite a squall last evening, and I was glad to be home.  I took these photos out my windows. 

But I'm cheered by the fact that each day is a bit longer!  One evening I got home at 6:30 pm and there was still daylight on the horizon!

Have a good weekend!

Great times at Sam and Jenn's and with Dick's parents; Scary, snowy road trip

I'm very glad to be sitting in my warm house on this record-breaking night.  It is zero degrees right now, and they say it could go down to -10 tonight, which would break the -8 temp set on this date in the early 1900's.  I feel truly sorry for anyone that needs to be outside for any reason or does not have enough heat in their house.

On Friday evening we got to Sam and Jenn's a little before 8 pm, and even though it was freezing cold, Sammy did what he always does - came running out to the carport, without a coat on, to give us his enthusiastic welcome.  I couldn't get myself out of the car fast enough!  He was squealing, "Get out of the car, Mahna!!"

When we got inside Sam came to greet us, carrying Bianca.  Of course I could hardly wait to hold her, so he gave her to me.  She took one look at me and started to CRY!!  Dick decided to try his charm and took her from me.  And THIS is what she did!

Little stinker!  She loves men, haha!  And she is CRAZY over her daddy, which is so precious.   Dick sat down on the recliner with her, and in no time at all she was sleeping!

Sam and Jenn left then for a date night.  Bianca slept for a long time in Grandpa's arms, then later in her crib.  I had a lot of fun with Sammy, as usual, until he went to bed.

We had a slow, lazy morning.  I wanted to make pancakes, but there were no blueberries or chocolate chips in the house.  Jenn said they had fresh strawberries, and I found chocolate syrup, so I made a somewhat pathetic attempt at making Valentines pancakes.  They tasted better than they looked!

Sam and Dick went to Reading to pick up Destiny.  

As I was doing my hair in the bathroom, Sammy was having fun filling the sink to the very top.  I showed him the overflow drain, which fascinated him thoroughly.  He filled that sink over and over and over.  Before I knew what he was doing, he began scrubbing the sink with his toothbrush!  But that's not the worst of it.  Before I knew what he was doing, he was brushing his teeth with that toothbrush!!!!  Oh dear!!

Then I made cream of tomato soup and grilled cheese sandwiches for lunch.  The guys were back with Destiny by that time.  Here are pics we took throughout the morning.

Sammy was sacked out on the chair when we left to visit Dick's parents.

On the way to Grandpa's house we stopped at a grocery store to get a brownie mix and some pans.  Destiny and I had intended to make brownies together for her to take home, if she had come to my house as planned.  So this was our plan B.  At Dick's parents' house Grandma Arlene and Destiny had fun mixing up the brownies.   Then Destiny wanted to play a game.  So we pulled out the card game Waterworks and had a good time with that.

Of course we invited Dick and his dad to play too, but they were happy to just sit and talk.

I had to take the above shot twice, because after I took the first one Grandpa asked if I saw what he did.  No, I had not.  When Dick saw the picture he said, "And you wonder where we got it?"  He might be almost 90, but he still has his sense of humor!

We sampled the brownies, looked through some old photo albums, and then around 4:00 or so, said our goodbyes.  It had been a really fun afternoon together.

After we got back to Sam and Jenn's, Dick took a short nap.  Sam blessed us by agreeing to take Destiny home for us.  I snapped this picture before they left - both of them checking something on their phones.

Sammy and Jenn were snuggling on the recliner together.

We didn't get to see Bianca before we left - she was napping in her crib.   Dick woke up, we loaded our stuff, said our goodbyes, and were on our way by 6:15.

All day long I had kept checking the weather - for Manheim, for Lebanon, for Reading, for Harrisburg, for State College.  Despite mention of snow, there had been none all day long.  There was mention of the possibility of white-outs and high winds, but it seemed like nothing they were saying was actually happening.   But that was about to change.

After we got around Harrisburg it began snowing lightly, and then, in an INSTANT we were in the midst of nothing but white.  Snow was flying fast and furious right toward our headlights, and we could see nothing else.  We were at a place where there were two lanes going in the same direction with concrete walls on either side - NO WHERE to pull off!  Dick felt safer in the passing lane because he could see the wall better on his side as a guide.  At one point we passed a jack-knifed truck with several other vehicles stopped as a result.  I was breathing prayers, sometimes praying aloud.  My insides were shaking.  My whole body was shaking.  We think we must have driven about eight miles like that.  Gradually it eased up a bit, then we crossed the river at the Clarks Ferry Bridge, and stopped at our favorite Sheetz immediately afterward to gather our wits and get some food.

This is a map of the area we were in.  I will never drive that stretch again without remembering this and thanking the Lord that we got through it safely.

While at Sheetz we started getting text messages from church friends, cautioning us about trying to get home.  The white out was over as we headed in the direction toward home, but the road was snowy and it was windy.  Traffic was going about 35 miles per hour.  

We kept in touch with our friends as we drove, finding out that church services for the morning were cancelled.  Great big sigh!!  How we wished we could somehow have known that and stayed at Sam and Jenn's.   We were told that the roads near our home were drifted quite badly, so we knew we would not try to get home.  At one point we were told that Seven Mountains, which must be crossed to get to State College, was closed.  

We have friends in the countryside of Milroy (just before crossing the mountain) that were extending a very warm welcome for us to stay at their place for the night.  We thought we would do that, although we wondered what the country roads to their place might be like.  When we got off at the Milroy exit and started driving toward the little town, we were suddenly blinded by a straight wind blowing snow all around our car and we couldn't see a thing.  I tried calling them, but my call did not go through.   That was enough.  There was NO WAY I wanted to be on country roads we are not familiar with in swirling snow without phone service.  

We turned around and went to the hotel near the exit.  It was the GREATEST relief to get inside and know we were safe and sound and warm.  

This morning we took our good old time getting ready, enjoying the continental breakfast.  Our drive home was uneventful.  It was a beautiful, sunny, very cold day.

We met up with Anthony and Austin for lunch at Hoss's, then came home for naps.  Later, after Anthony came to pick up Austin, Dick and I finally unloaded the car.  It was absolutely BITTER out there!  

And right now, as I finish up this post, it is -4.  Again, I am so very thankful for our warm little house with good, tight windows and doors.  And I'm thankful our plan A did not work out.  As much as I would have loved to have Destiny here, I'm so thankful I do not have to take her home tomorrow.  God knew best.  

Have a good week!

A Happening Week!

This was a HAPPENING week!   Good happenings.  

Anthony and Lori's house was for sale all of four days during which time they had SEVENTEEN showings and 3 offers!  On Thursday they accepted one of the offers, and now they await all the behind-the-scenes work of house buying and selling. The plan is for a mid-April settlement.  I'm dying to show pictures of the place they're buying, but I'll hold my horses.  It ain't easy, I'm tellin' ya!

Dick had a PET scan last week and a follow-up visit with his oncologist this week.  Everything looks good and he doesn't need to be seen for six months.  Woohoo!  His white blood cell count is low, however, so they'll be keeping an eye on that.  

In the midst of house showings I had given my key to our house to Anthony and Lori on Monday evening, so they would have a place to eat. (I had to teach piano lessons at Houserville when I left their place.). Well, you guessed it - we forgot to get that key back to me!  

On Tuesday evening I left my exercise class after work and went home.  Dick was already at The Mommy Shoppe where he volunteers on Tuesday evenings. It didn't take long for me to realize my situation.  It was COLD!!  I had my slip-on casual shoes on my feet (I'd forgotten my sneakers for exercise class, of all days!). We keep an extra key somewhere that required walking through very deep snow. Ugh!!  As I plodded along, my right shoe kept coming off every time I lifted my foot. Then I'd have to put my foot back in the hole in the snow and into my shoe and try again. I kept thinking, "Just take it slow and easy."  I had this horrible vision of breaking a leg or something and freezing to death before help could come.  I did have my phone in hand, which served as a flashlight when I searched in vain for the key. Double UGH!!  So I called Dick, thankfully he answered and gave me instructions where exactly to feel for the key. YES!!  I found it!  Back through my holes in the snow I slowly went, got to the front door, and alas!!  It did not work!!    I was on the phone with Dick, and we decided it must be the key for the side door. So around the house I went again, and AT LAST got inside!   I was FREEZING!!!  When I took my shoes off it looked like I had white (snow) inner soles in them!!  Dick got my key back from Anthony and Lori before he came home later, and I really didn't suffer any damage, haha!!

We are now on our way to Sam and Jenn's. We haven't seen them for a whole month.  

We're also going to spend tomorrow afternoon with Dick's parents. 

Somewhere in there we're hoping to spend time with Destiny too.  My plan was to take her home with us tomorrow evening since she would have off school Monday for Presidents Day.  But I guess they've already had too many snow days and are using Monday as a snow make-up day.   

I had also hoped to finally see Bjorn for the first time since before Christmas, but he's on a youth retreat with Manheim BIC for the weekend. I know he'll have a great time. 

Now a few pictures.  Sammy's daycare had a Valentine's ball today.  Look at this handsome little man!

Can't wait to see him!  And this little girlie who greets me with her bright smile when I turn my computer on at work!

Have a good weekend!

Good food; remembering Dad; house for sale!

It was a dreary Monday here in State College, not cold enough for snow, just occasional drizzle.   We DID have some cold weather this past week, however, and snow quite often.   When we came out of choir practice Thursday evening I knew it was COLD, so I checked the Dark Sky app on my phone.  This is what it said.  BRRR!!

One morning as I looked out the front door I saw a rabbit hopping hesitantly along our snowy street.  It would stop and look around, then go a few hops forward, then stop and look around.  I felt sorry for it.  I might even have fed it some flowers if I had any, hahah!!  Seriously, as mad as I get when rabbits eat my flowers in the summer time, I felt really sorry for that rabbit.  Frozen snow covering everything.  Where do they go?  What do they eat?

This week Lisa posted some really special pictures on FB.  This is a collage of Sophie and her friend Maggie over the years.  It gave me tears when I looked at it.  Children are little for such a very short time.  These girls are so sweet at each age.

Here's a picture of Sophie with a carload of birthday gifts, HER birthday gifts, which by her choice were for the homeless dogs at Humane Society of Tampa Bay.  She has done this before.  I love her giving heart.

Yesterday after church we ate lunch at Olde New York with Austin then came home and had the best kind of Sunday afternoon napping - all three of us sacked out in the living room with a low-volume sports game on TV, nowhere else to go later in the day.  I woke up now and then, but was so comfy I would just drift back to dreamland again.  At one point we were wakened by Austin's LOUD proclamation that he had won the WHOLE tennis game.  I sleepily asked him who he had been playing with, but he didn't know.  Before long he was sleeping again!

In the evening I finished what I had started Saturday evening.  I rarely use my cookbooks, because most of my favorite recipes are saved in my computer or are in notebooks, and when I want new ones I get them online.  But this weekend I pulled out two old favorites, and I made Split Pea Soup and Bran Muffins.

When our children were young this meal was a real favorite.  On Saturday evening I started the soup with a big old ham bone and the dried split peas.  Sunday evening I took the bits of ham off the bone and added shredded carrots and onions and seasonings.  And then the muffins.

Oh my goodness!!!  This meal was every bit as scrumptious as I had remembered!  I told Dick, "I feel like I'm in East Petersburg!"  That's where we lived when I most often made this meal.

There are very exciting things in the works around here.  A few months ago Anthony and Lori discovered a property for sale that would enable them to pursue some dreams and visions.   I won't say more than that until it becomes theirs for sure.  At this point they have an accepted offer on the property and have been getting their house ready to sell.  It hasn't even been listed on the realtor's website yet, but they've had three showings and one offer already!  Here are some pictures.

From the street their house looks like any other rancher.  I took this one last fall.

But seven or eight years ago they got rid of the walls that gave it the normal small kitchen, living room, and dining room and turned it into a modern, open living space.

The green tape will be coming off.  They are in the middle of a project that is turning out really cool.

This is the basement family room.

And Austin's cool playroom.

Today my dad has been on my mind a lot.  We would have been celebrating his 92nd birthday today.   Sometimes it's hard to imagine that he's gone, even five years later.  His presence and influence in our lives was so incredibly profound.  I cannot tell you how often I long to have a good talk with him.  Like my brother said on FB today,  "So many questions, no one to ask."   I love this picture of him a few years before he died.  I like to remember him robust and healthy.

And now, like always, I have music prep to do.  Thank God for music!  And for good friends to do it with!  I really am thankful for the musical opportunities God has given me in this "Plan B" part of my life.   

Lots of work and snow, and some Super Bowl fun too

Last week just kind of runs together in my mind.  Lots of work at all my jobs and lots of snow.  Some highs and some lows.  

A high was seeing this picture that Jenn posted on FB last evening.  She just got her first teeth - two lower ones, after being sick for a week or so.  She's a happy camper now!  I can't believe little Miss Bianca is almost 6 months old already!  I hope we'll get to see her soon.

I was delighted to notice one evening recently how daylight it still was at 5:45 PM.  It gives me hope that we will survive this winter.  Actually, I haven't minded winter too badly this year.  I got new tires on my car this fall, and I feel much braver when driving now.  

Every year since we live here I always wish we could have people here for the Super Bowl.  A lot of our friends are not into football.  I'm not either, but Dick certainly is, and I felt bad the past few years when Dick watched the game by himself.   The most avid football lovers I could think of are our Fillmore pastor's family.  I figured they would already have plans, but a couple of weeks ago I asked if they could come to our house to watch.  They were glad to!  So on Saturday evening and Sunday afternoon Dick and I were busy bees, cleaning and prepping food -  BBQ'd wings, Buffalo Chicken Dip, 7-layer Bean Dip, hot Spinach and Artichoke Dip, guacamole, peanut butter rice krispie treats.  

Pastor Calvin, his wife Trina, and their daughters Kelsea and Canaan came.  Anthony, Lori, and Austin came too.  Trina added a bologna and cheese tray with mustard to our menu.  Canaan brought a brownie football she had made.  We had a great time!

Some of us played games too.

This is Austin's game face!

I never knew Jenga could be so much fun.  Austin LOVES this kind of game. 

Have a good week!