After Christmas

Annie got into the mints again this year.

 We had a great Christmas this year. Like last year, we didn't travel, but unlike last year, we actually celebrated with some family. We spent Christmas Eve with Ward's family and Christmas Day with my family. On Christmas Eve, the weather was warm (50s) and sunny, so we were able to sit out on our porch and visit. Then, we moved inside for the meal and had a sit-down, family-style dinner. All except Theo that is. He was not comfortable removing his mask around his grandfather, so he chose to eat separately. 

The gloomy clouds never cleared as forecast on Christmas Day, so we stayed inside. Both days were low-key, and it was fun to visit with family again. Someday, we'll be able to have the entire family together, but we'll take what we can get at this point. 

Wally was also visiting for a few days and said he wanted to walk around the yard with me. We did this more often at our old house when I was doing my Second Looks. I was surprised that I still found some color amongst the grays and browns of winter. I've shared pictures below.

Wally has now gone home, and we're all back to work, but we are still enjoying the Christmas decorations and the good feelings that come with the season. We are trying hard not to look too far into the new year when so many things will need our attention. For now, "The present is the present."

Until next time...

Camellia 

Phlox

Spirea

Anemone 

Mums

Nandina berries

Pansies

Turnips

Happy Birthday, Mother!

My mother at 8 years old

Today is my mother's birthday. She would have been 92 if she were still with us. My mother was one of those people whose birthday was always lumped with Christmas. I don't remember her complaining about that, but when we were in college, she declared that her new birthday would be March 26, (the same day but a different month), so she could actually have a birthday celebration separate from Christmas. She chose March because that was usually when we were home for spring break. She didn't ask for any gifts. She always said that she just wanted to look at us and that was gift enough. I always thought that was weird until my children were no longer living at home. However, that's not to say that my mother didn't enjoy opening a gift as much as the next person.

So today, to remember my mother and to celebrate her actual birthday, my sisters and I are having Andes mints, a favorite candy of hers.

Happy Birthday, Mother! You are greatly missed and lovingly remembered.

The celebratory mints 

Merry Christmas!

 

Merry Christmas!

^"Glory to God in the highest, and on earth 

peace and goodwill towards men."

"...And that's what Christmas is all about Charlie Brown."

 "A Charlie Brown Christmas" 

Christmas Eve

 I thought I'd take a few minutes to check-in before the flurry of activities begins for the day. Later, several of Ward's family members will be joining us for Christmas Eve lunch, some of which we haven't seen in a few years. I'm not sure how many because COVID has skewed my sense of time. Things are either pre-COVID or now. Let's just say some of the relatives we haven't seen since pre-COVID. Also, I appreciate the efforts the visitors are making to make this gathering as safe as it can be. 

Yesterday we figured out how we were going to accommodate the group for lunch because we have turned our dining room into an office and our eat-in kitchen is not big enough. Ward made a table top to go over a banquet table which we have set up in the living room. I've always thought the living room was bigger than it needed to be, but on these special occasions, maybe not. 

We planned the menu (ham, mac and cheese) last week and are in pretty good shape as far as that goes. Of course, several things can't be made ahead of time, so there will be the standard last-minute flurry in the kitchen. BTW, we are having some of my family over for Christmas with an entirely different menu (smoked pulled pork) and we worked on that yesterday.

Wally arrived last night and has some work that he needs to do today, and I anticipate that Theo will get a slow start today after working for 12 hours yesterday and many 10 hour days before that. I think that means that Ward and I are up for the last-minute house straightening that still needs to be done. Since some of the visitors have never been here, we will be giving house tours.

I'm done with my wrapping, but I think others have some gift wrapping that needs to be done before the crowd arrives. Now if we could just find the bucket of bows. The gift wrap, both every day and Christmas, lives under the bed in the guest room. Always has. With the paper, was a bucket of bows that are yet to be seen this year. They'll probably show up somewhere around the first of February. :)

I think it's time for me to move on to other things now.

Merry Christmas! Wishing you health and happiness in the new year.

Until next time...

Christmas is coming...

"Christmas is coming, the goose is getting fat..." Or at least someone is getting fat with the abundance of holiday goodies.  That song is one of my Christmas earworms - and I don't mind it. :) 

A poinsettia from last year is blooming. Yay!
They usually don't make it to the next year, let alone bloom.

Things are falling into place here as far as Christmas preparations.

--the decorating is done both inside and out (except for a couple of bows I want to add to flower pots), 

--the cards are written and mailed (except for a few local ones)

--the baking is done (except for Christmas dinner bread and desserts), 

--the gifts are done and wrapped (except for the dog bones I want to get for my sister's dogs), 

--the gifts for coworkers and neighbors have been delivered (except for the one for the neighbor who never seems to be home),

--the details of family visits have been ironed out with some family joining us for Christmas Eve (except for the email I just got proposing an extended family outdoor gathering Christmas afternoon), 

--the favorite Christmas shows have been watched, (except White Christmas), 

--big light displays have been visited (except for one we just heard about this past weekend), 

--so to say it another way, Christmas plans are going well (except for the ones that aren't.)

How are things at your house?

Tuesday 4, Names

This week the Tuesday 4 asks questions about your name. Join me if you'd like.

Answering these questions may be a challenge since I only use aliases on this blog. However, I'll give it a go, having my actual name in mind, and see what I can do without revealing it. :)

My grandmother, Yula Ombra.

 1. What name would you take if you had to change your name?  That's a hard one. I won't say that I have ever loved my name, but it works, and I don't know that I would want to change it. However, a couple of names come to mind that I have liked. The first is Maria. I just like the sound of it. Next, is Ombra, which was my grandmother's middle name. Also, I like Leannah which was Ward's grandmother's name.

2.  What is the meaning of your name.. how about your last name, do you know it's meaning?  There are several variations on the origins and meanings of both my first, middle, and last name. But basically I am a joyful sheep who brings peace in the form of a bird.

3. Do you think you fit your name and it's meaning? Your guess is as good as mine. :)

4. Were you named after anyone or given your name for a specific reason?  How about your kids? I was named after a neighbor, so the story goes. I was the third child after two girls and my parents were sure they were having a boy. So much so, that they didn't even have a girl's name picked out. After about a week, they were told that they had to pick a name or my birth certificate would say "Baby." So, they decided to name me after a neighbor and friend whom they liked. Many years later, it was an honor to meet her.

My kids both have the middle name of my last name, which BTW, I didn't change when I got married. In my generation, my surname is not continuing, so I am honoring it in that way. Not only do my kids have the same middle name, all of their cousins have it, too. My sisters and I all used our surname as our kids' middle names. And, oh, speaking of sisters, when my parents had their fourth baby, they had given up on having a boy and didn't even have a boy's name picked out which worked out just fine because they had another girl.

Until next time...

The Holiday Season

The cats are happy living in the moment.

The Holiday Season is in full swing now with Christmas being less than two weeks away. The house is decorated both inside and out. The gifts, while not completed, are under control. The COVID complicated holiday plans are starting to fall into place. All good stuff.

Then why do I feel melancholy? After reflection, I think it is because the holidays remind me of what will be no more. It reminds me of those who came before me who now only exist in my memories. Generally, as I reflect each year on where our decorations came from, I am happy as I remember the stories behind them. But this year, it was different. It seemed like I was living too much in the past and it was time for something new. It's a fine line to walk between memories, tradition, and today. As I try to sort this out, I think about a quote I read once, "It's okay to look into the past and the future, but just don't stare."

So what am I going to do about this? Nothing except pay attention to today because, "The present is the present."

Until next time...

Tuesday 4, Books and Movies

 Time for another Tuesday 4. This time it's about books and movies. Join me if you'd like.

1. Is there a hero or character on TV, in a book or a movie .. or even on all three, that you are especially like? What do you find attractive about them?  I'm sure there are characters that I admire if I could only think of them. Scanning my bookshelf, I see three books about people I admire. They are all nonfiction. The first one is Educated by Tara Westover that tells of her overcoming a severe childhood to be successful in the outside world. The next is The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks by Rebecca Skloot which tells the story of how Henretta Lacks's cells became one of the most important tools in medicine and how that affected her family. The third is Animals in Translation by Temple Grandin where Temple uses her autism perspective to understand animal behavior. All of these women did extraordinary things even though they had one form of handicap or another. I marvel at people who have the strength, talent, and determination to do that.

2.  Was there a book that was better in movie form? How about a movie you thought didn't live up to the book? Once again, a blank. We don't watch that many movies, but I did watch the trailer for the Temple Grandin movie. And while the actress seemed good, she did not really get the style of Temple. I have seen Temple talk in person a couple of times and she is very distinctive.

3. When you choose a book, program, or movie, which subject it is most likely to be: science fiction, mystery, romance, comedy, documentary, etc.?    What draws you to a particular book or movie? I don't always gravitate to a particular book genre like my friend who is an avid mystery reader. In general, I like more character-driven stories as opposed to action-driven stories. Most of my selections are based on recommendations from friends. For movies and shows, I am first attracted to comedies, and then mystery and romance. And a well-done documentary is always interesting no matter what the subject. I generally don't read or watch science fiction like the rest of my family but have read some that I liked. A well-written book can tell a good story in any genre.

4. How important is the title or picture on the cover of a book?   How much importance do you place on a movie because of the actors who are in it? The title or picture on a book is not important to me. In fact, I sometimes don't remember the title of a book even when I'm reading it. Also, I don't choose a movie based on the actors in it. However, if an actor makes mostly a certain style of a movie and I like that style, I am more likely to watch another one of their movies.

More Sightseeing

Recently, Ward and I took a trip to western WV to celebrate our wedding anniversary. Most of it was spent enjoying the mountain scenery and trails, but we spent a little time also exploring man-made things. 

Here are a few more scenes from our recent trip.

On the way there, we stopped at Lonaconing Park in MD. The park was centered around a coal and iron furnace that was built in 1837. This is one of several furnaces in the area that is rich in iron ore and coal. BTW, this was the first furnace to use coke instead of coal for smelting.

Also, on display was this old coal mine car complete with the track.

And right on cue, a coal train went by. 

After one morning of cold hiking, we had a look around the nearby town of Thomas (population 550). This building greeted us as we entered the town.

Across the street was this carved Pegasus. 

We visited the local library. It was a small, but friendly space that served not only the community but the nearby school.  And yes, we did come home with a couple of books from their book sale. 

The first stop on the way home was a visit to the Fairfax Stone State Park.

There wasn't much to see, but I wanted to visit because I had heard about this surveyor's stone all of my life. The first one was laid in 1736. This replacement was erected here in 1901. The stone marks the boundary between West Virginia and Maryland and had been part of land disputes and court cases for many years.

We followed another road sign to this chapel which claimed to be the smallest chapel in the lower 48 states. The grounds and the inside of the chapel were very pretty.

On our way to our next planned destination, Cathedral State Park, I was intrigued by this old stone tavern. Unfortunately, it was a private residence, so I could only admire it from afar.

This trip proved once again that if you take the time to look around, there are always interesting things to see.  (Of course, "interesting" can have a very broad meaning depending on who defines it.)

Until next time...

Celebrating

Ward and I recently celebrated our wedding anniversary by going to Blackwater Falls State Park in West Virginia. That's where we spent our first night as a married couple many, many years ago. When we got married, Ward was working in New Orleans and had only been at his job a few months. He hadn't earned any vacation time but his company gave him a couple of personal days to come to WV to get married. Because of time constraints, we got married on the Friday after Thanksgiving. Following the wedding, we drove 3 hours to Blackwater Falls to spend the night.  The next couple of days were spent driving to New Orleans where Ward returned to work and I immediately began a new job. 

We have visited the Falls since then, but more as a passing-through stop than to stay, so we decided it was time to have a longer visit. We rented a small cabin and when we weren't working puzzles or reading, we spent time exploring the park. The weather was cold and ice and snow covered most of the trails. Even though the the snow was not deep, footing could be treacherous at times especially considering all of the roots and rocks to maneuver around. There were a few slips, but no falls. Yay! 

Below are pictures from our hikes. 

Deer outside our cabin.

I didn't think there were many pay phones around these days,
but we found one in the woods.

 

Shopping on Saturday

and Other Things

So Ward and I lost all of our common sense and went shopping Saturday afternoon. We knew it would be crowded and tried to get into the right frame of mind to handle that before we set out. And our expectations were met. There were people everywhere getting ready for Thanksgiving. Parking lots were full and check-out lines seemed to stretch for miles. Despite all of that, we were able to maneuver through the crowds with success. 

And why did we not choose a different time to go out? Well, we've been waiting for extended family to figure out whether or not they would be joining us for Thanksgiving dinner. There were many moving parts to consider before deciding that we won't have any extra guests for that day. So as soon as we knew how many we'll be feeding (4) and what our menu was, we headed out to shop before the shelves were empty.

Our menu started out featuring smoked ribs, but that got changed when Theo was given a big turkey at work. We are going to try a new-to-us cooking method for it. Basically, you heat the turkey for an hour at 500 degrees and then turn the oven off and let it sit in the warm oven for the next 5 or 6 hours. There is almost a cult following on the internet for this method. We'll see if we're able to produce the browned skin, meat falling off the bones everyone is raving about. I think the hardest part will be not opening the oven or lifting the lid on the turkey to see how it's doing.

Back on the homefront, we have had a few surprises in the yard. Our camellia tree is blooming! We planted it last spring and it is a variety that is supposed to bloom in the fall. However, we didn't expect it to bloom the first year, so when it hadn't shown any signs that way, we weren't surprised. But we were surprised when after several frosts, we saw our first bloom.

There are a couple of other things that are braving the cold weather and still flowering. What a treat for this time of year. 

Camellia

Spirea

Cosmos

Dianthus

Until next time...

Tuesday 4, Home Sweet Home

 Today's Tuesday 4 asks questions about where you grew up. Join me if you'd like.

An aerial view of my town when I lived there. You can see that the business part of the town was built in a valley but most of the people lived in the hills surrounding the downtown, including me.

What was your hometown like?   Or home state or both! I've talked here about my hometown and state many times. As most of you know, I grew up in a small town in West Virginia. My parents continued to live there until they passed away a few years ago, so I was able to keep up with the town and the people there. I haven't lived there full time since I was 18 years old, but I still get the weekly newspaper. So you might say, that I have a deep connection to where I grew up.

So what was it like? The town was the county seat of a county of about 14,000 and the town had about 3000 people. We had one stoplight in the middle of town, 3 grocery stores, and a movie theater (built in 1907 and one of the oldest continuously operating movie theaters in the country). The main employers were a state mental hospital and a plant that made hockey pucks and shoe soles.

While you might not know everyone, you knew most people, and things were done on a personal level.  One story I like to tell is that one summer I went to Girl Scout camp with a friend and after camp, another camper wrote a letter to me using my friend's address because she lost mine. However, the post office delivered it to my house. 

It was a town where my parents did most of their business by talking to people when they saw them instead of calling an office, and most local elections were determined by what people thought about the character of the person running rather than what they promised they would do.

My town was a place where you greeted everyone you met on the street. I lived in town and walked to school and most everywhere else. Friday night football games and Sunday church were a big part of the social life for many people including me. (I was a cheerleader, so I was at most of the sporting events by default.)  

Did you enjoy where you grew up?  Why? I did enjoy where I grew up because of the sense of community. It was also small enough to be able to get involved in many things. More than once, my parents told me that I had to cut back on my activities in both school and the community because they were taking up too much time. I would drop out of a couple things, but somehow a few months later, I'd be right back where I started. Luckily, I was able to keep up my grades and home responsibilities (Mostly. I won't say that I always completed everything on the worklist in the most timely manner but the important stuff got done.)

How much did where you grew up shape you? I was greatly influenced by where I grew up as I think most people are. I learned to value hard work and be genuinely friendly. I learned to appreciate the simpler things in life and the importance of being responsible for yourself. These were values not only present in my family but ones I saw around me.

What were some of the best and worst things about where you grew up? I think I've covered many of the good things, but one of the bad things about my county was the schools were not in great shape. At one point, money was misspent from a school bond issue and people had a long memory of that. No school bond issues passed the whole time I was in school and the top two floors of my high school were condemned. (Note: The pro votes were often over 50%, but they had to pass with 60% of the votes.) I had many classes in termite-infested portable buildings that another county got rid of. But it wasn't as bad as it sounds. They were just fine except in the spring when the bugs swarmed. Then we'd meet outside. However, I had some great teachers along the way and competed quite favorably with others in college who had gone to much more privileged schools.

This is a topic that is hard to cover in just a few paragraphs, but this will have to do for now because the cats are calling me.

Until next time...

Tuesday 4, November questions

 Today's Tuesday 4 asks questions about the month of November. Join me if you'd like.

We're having a warmer fall than normal, but we're getting frosts most mornings now like we did this morning.

1. Besides Thanksgiving is there anything about November you like/dislike? As for likes, November is the time of my wedding anniversary. I got married the day after Thanksgiving so there's a lot to celebrate at the end of the month. As for dislikes, we changed the time at the beginning of November this year and I don't like that it gets dark at 5 pm. That means it's harder to find time to do things outside and there's more night driving.  

2. How is November weather where you live? Does it suit you? November weather is not great. It's colder with regular freezing, and when it rains, it's a cold rain that chills you to the bone. This month marks the final transition from fall to winter and I begin my winter hibernation under a fuzzy throw with a cat on my lap. 

3. When do you plan for Thanksgiving? Eat home or out? Menu? This year, like last, Ward, Wally, Theo, and I will have a small celebration without extended family. The menu is still undecided. I think I'll have everyone pick an item for the menu and we'll go from there. While everyone enjoys the traditional Thanksgiving menu of turkey and dressing, no one is married to it. Ward may smoke some ribs.

The Charlie Brown doormat goes
out right after Thanksgiving.

4. When do you begin your decor and plans for Christmas. It "officially" begins after Thanksgiving and the Macy's Parade when Santa arrives at the end. I start thinking about Christmas in September. I think about any gifts we might want to make and how much time they will take. However, we don't draw names for gift giving within the extended family until October, so it is in the planning stages until then. I start working on the Christmas letter and card in November, so they can be mailed out in early December, and we put up our outside lights on the first good weather weekend after Thanksgiving. The inside decorations usually wait another week or two. 

What are your plans for this November?

Until next time...

Good and Bad and Bad and Good

Yesterday, Theo gave me four questions to answer, two of which involved finding both the good and bad in a situation. Later, he shared this parable with me that illustrated the concept well. It has been around for a long time and the author is unknown.

Maybe, Said the Farmer

Author unknown

Once upon a time, there was an old farmer who had worked his crops for many years. One day his horse ran away. Upon hearing the news, his neighbors came to visit. “Such bad luck,” they said sympathetically.

“Maybe,” the farmer replied.

The next morning the horse returned, bringing with it three other wild horses. “How wonderful,” the neighbors exclaimed.

“Maybe,” replied the old man.

The following day, his son tried to ride one of the untamed horses, was thrown, and broke his leg. The neighbors again came to offer their sympathy on his misfortune.

“Maybe,” answered the farmer.

The day after, military officials came to the village to draft young men into the army. Seeing that the son’s leg was broken, they passed him by. The neighbors congratulated the farmer on how well things had turned out.

“Maybe,” said the farmer.

Theo's Questions

In the style of Tuesday 4, I've asked Theo to give me four questions to answer with essentially no parameters. Just like with Ward, I gave the example of asking, "What did you have for breakfast?" And just like his father, he came up with a completely different set of questions than I suggested. Which by the way, require more thought than Ward's did. Here it goes. Join me if you'd like.

My mother was in a nursing
home at this point.

1. What's one good aspect of something bad that happened recently? The first thing that comes to mind is that I spilled something on the kitchen floor. Very annoying, but when I was done cleaning it up, the floor was cleaner than it had been. A good aspect of a bad thing.

On a more serious note, my mother suffered from dementia during the last years of her life. It was a heart-wrenching thing to watch as the changes happened. But also while watching her, I learned that there is happiness to be had during all phases of life. Even when she was no longer able to communicate with words, she still expressed happiness in everyday things such as the warmth of the sun or the smell of bacon. She would do this with a little smile or a glimmer in her eye. Definitely a very valuable lesson in a difficult situation.

In general, bad things provide an opportunity to learn, always a good thing.

2. What's one bad aspect of something good that happened recently? About a year and a half ago, I got a new position at the library. The new position gave me an increased salary, as well as the ability to do more creative things. However, now I  have to work some nights and weekends, making it harder to coordinate time with Ward.

 3. What was the last new or novel thing you saw?

When we were visiting Annapolis last week, we found parking meters where you could only pay with an app on your phone. Cash or credit cards were not accepted. We couldn't get the app to load, so we had to drive around until we could find another place to park. During this search, we saw more parts of the city than we might have otherwise. I guess this is another example of a bad thing/good thing.

Last year, our first good snow was in Dec.

4. What is something you haven't seen for a while?

I haven't seen snow in a while, and that's a good thing. But that may change soon.

In general, I found these questions difficult to answer. They don't sound that hard, but I drew a blank on every one of them, I thought about them for a full day before I could come up with any answers. That makes me think, I'm not a good observer of my everyday life (I just realized that's the tag line on my blog. That needs some more exploration.)

And not to mention, I got confused with the first two. I switched my answers a couple of times before I got the right combination of bad/good, good/bad. Sometime, I will have to write my own questions and I will start with, "What did you have for breakfast?" :)

Until next time...