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...