Family Time

We had our "family fall getaway" the week of October 16th this year. We started out doing a weekend...then an extended weekend...and this year we made it for almost the whole week! Jeremy was fishing in the last FLW series tournament of the year at one of his favorite places -- Lake Guntersville, Alabama. So we decided we'd get a cabin and tag along to support (and feed) him.


We've been getting away together this time of year for 8 years now and we have gone to a variety of places and had a variety of weather to deal with. The year we went to Pigeon Forge, TN, it was downright hot; and the year we went to Blue Ridge, GA, it was cold and drizzly and we spent the whole weekend snuggled up in the cabin. This year we had a little bit of everything as far as weather was concerned. The first two days were unseasonably warm and the kids loved playing basketball on the court next to the cabins. And Jeremy enjoyed practice fishing in the beautiful lake. It was also great for a bonfire after dark and making S'mores.

Jodi was home schooling the kids that week, but that means field trips are an acceptable way to spend the day. On Tuesday we went about 45 minutes northwest to Huntsville to the U.S. Space and Rocket Center. That was very educational...for all of us. Grandpa and Emery got to see what it was like to ride in the nose cone of a rocket. They were hitting all the switches, but didn't come up with the right combo to get them launched into space. Good thing or not? We report -- you decide.

By Wednesday, a cold front had come through and changed the weather dramatically. We just stayed hunkered down in the cabin all day and Jeremy got his boat ready for the start of the tournament on Thursday. We went down to see him weigh in and the lake was choppy and cold. All the fishermen were saying it had been a miserable day out there.

But by Friday it had moderated and was just very nice fall weather. Great for relaxing in the hammock with Aunt Jess and a better day on the lake. We took another field trip on Friday. This time we explored a huge cave...at Cathedral Cavern State Park which was just up the road from where we were staying. It was neat and we got done just in time to go to the weigh in. The kids love to go to see daddy weigh in his fish because they get to go up on stage with him and get to be "interviewed". The get to say their name and give an opinion on whatever is asked. They aren't intimidated because it seems like a small audience there -- but they forget that they're on TV and the internet. They just have a good time...and so does dad.

So the family fall getaway for 2011 is now one "for the books"...the scrapbooks, diaries, blogs and photo albums. We look forward to it for so long, it's hard to believe it's here and gone already. Can't imagine where next year will take us.

On the Road Again

When Jerry and I went to Amicalola Falls for our anniversary trip in mid June, we were wishing we could share the beauty of it with the family. Little did we know then that an opportunity to do just that would arise soon.

Jessica's boss, and friend, Sally, has a time share at Big Canoe resort not far from the falls. She was unable to use it this year and wanted to know if our family would like to go up there for a week. Well, yes!! It was looking like all the kids would only be able to stay from Friday till Tuesday...even though we had it for a whole week. But Jess was able to get one more day and stayed till Wednesday. And once they got up there, Jodi and Jeremy decided to extend their stay, too, and did stay till Friday. We had a great time.

One of our favorite things at the resort -- in that we went there every day -- was the "swim club". This is a beautiful (everything there is beautiful) water recreation area. They have a very nice salt water pool, a white sand beach -- with a dock for jumping off of --paddle boats, and a natural-looking rock water slide that is a blast. Emery never tired of building sand castles, forts, dams, etc. on the beach.

Jeremy also enjoyed a couple of the 3 golf courses there and he, Jodi, Jerry and I went to the driving range one morning. We also ate out a lot, rented and watched several movies, and Jeremy, Jodi and I played a lot of Rummikub and Monopoly Deal...till the wee hours a couple of times. :)

Besides a side trip to Amicalola Falls one day, Jodi, Jess, Savannah and I had a girls' trip to Cleveland, Georgia, to Babyland General Hospital...birth place of the Cabbage Patch kids to get Savannah a baby doll. She was so excited, and we all had a great time. I've never been there before and the place (a new one) is gorgeous! We got to see a "live birth" and adopted a little baby girl that Savannah named Ella Rose. When we got back, Emery was disappointed that he didn't get a little brother. But he got used to his little sister right away.

So our annual family getaway -- which is usually a fall affair -- took place a little early this year. It was a great trip and we thank Sally very, very much for sharing her time share and giving us this opportunity for fun in the sweltering Georgia sun. It was fantastic!

Table Rock

We enjoyed our first vacation of 2010 by going with Jodi and the kids to Table Rock Lake in Missouri. Jeremy had a fishing tournament there and the "school of York" just happened to be on spring break. We've been planning it for several months and Jodi was particularly excited about a week in a beautiful cabin in the woods down by the lake just relaxing. Well, we got off to a rocky start. After a LONG day's driving, we were tired and ready to get to the cabin south of Branson. Jodi found it on line and it sounded ideal. Two new cabins on this property boasted 600 acres of forrest behind. They didn't say what was in front! Poor Jeremy was exhausted after driving all night the night before and fishing all day. All he wanted was to get to the cabin and take a nap before we got there. When he arrived, he found the cabin "nestled in a dad-gum trailer park!!!" (His words). After having a no nonsense conversation with the owner and getting our money back, he had to find a place for us to stay that night...as well as all the next week. He found us a very nice suite at the Ramada for Saturday night. That meant we drove an additional 20 to 30 minutes. But once we got settled in, we got some sandwiches and the kids showed us how to relax in style.

Sunday morning was spent on the computer and phone trying to find a place for the week. Jeremy found us a cabin right in Branson. It didn't feel like we were in town because it was one of many cabins in a resort. But since it was very much PRE season for Branson, we about had the place to ourselves. This worked out well because the weather was less than cooperative and this resort had an indoor pool! So we went and got new bathing suits and the kids were in the pool for part of every day that we were there. The resort also had a list of daily activities for kids. One day I took them over to learn how to make tie dye tee shirts. They enjoyed that and got a great souvenir to take home. They were the only two there, so it was a good opportunity for hands-on instruction. The activity director told me she will have about 35 kids in there once the season is in full swing. Something to be said for pre-season vacationing!

It was nice for Jeremy to come home after a long (and cold!) day of fishing to home-cooked meals, a little time for Rummikub and even to relax with one of Savannah's "spa treatments". And since we were there for the weigh-in, Emery got to go up on stage and be "interviewed". He loves to have a microphone put in his face, so when asked who his favorite fisherman was, he proudly -- and loudly -- proclaimed, "Daddy!"

There is a Bass Pro Shop in Branson, but we went 30 miles up the road to Springfield, MO, to see the "grandaddy of all Bass Pro Shops". A shrine of sorts. While we were shopping there, I told the kids I'd get them a stuffed animal. Savannah lovingly chose a sweet baby puma cub. Emery, on the other hand, decided on a long, lanky monkey whose hands and feet have Velcro. It's been lots of fun seeing it hanging from everything possible. When we got back to the cabin, Savannah discovered that the clothes she had packed for her American Girl doll fit the monkey perfectly. After a day or so, Emery started calling it "King Julian". I asked Jodi who that was and she said it was a character from the movie, Madagascar. I asked if he looked like that and she said, "You know....he kinda does!" And King Julian is still hanging around.

It was nice to have a relaxing time with the family. Jessica was unable to get the time off from work and we missed her. (She stayed home and took care of the cats.) The week ended with another long drive home. We broke this one up into two days of driving, but each one felt as long as the one going up there. But it was great and we have lots of fond memories (and tons of pictures -- as you can tell).

Communication Sherwood Be Good

We were eating lunch yesterday and the phone rang. Jerry answered it. I heard him giving someone directions to our house. When he hung up, I asked him who it was that needed to know how to get here. Here's how the conversation went:

Jerry: "It was Sherwood Forrest. They need to make a delivery."
(Note: Sherwood Forrest is a miniature golf course here in town.)

Me: "What kind of a delivery would Sherwood Forrest be making? Are they bringing you a new putter?"

Jerry: "I don't know."

Me: "You didn't ask what they were delivering?"

Jerry: "No."

So a short time later there was a knock at the door. He answered, I heard him say "Thank you" and then he came in...with a funny look on his face and a flower arrangement in his hands.

Ooooohhhhhh....Sherwood FLORIST! It was a beautiful spring arrangement from my cousins who were here last week! And my kitchen looks bright and sunny with them sitting on the table, even though it's raining outside and soaking the roots of all the spring flowers in the yard. Thanks, Cathe and Melissa! It Sherwood be fun to get together again soon!!

The Gift Quilts

Most years recently, somebody has gotten a quilt as a Christmas gift from me. This year I made two of them...one for each of the grand kids. Now I realize that no 3 or 6 year old is going to climb up on Santa's lap and say they want a quilt for Christmas, but I do hope they will enjoy using their quilts. Some time ago I had asked Savannah if we should make her a pink and white quilt. I had already been collecting some pink fabrics. She said, "Oh, yes. And purple (okay) and red (stop right there). So I made her a pink and white and purple quilt. And, actually, when she opened it she was very happy with it. We were sitting on the floor and she wrapper it around herself and curled up in my lap and said, "It makes me want to go back to sleep." That's as good a reaction as I could hope for. The other day we snuggled up in it on her bed for a photo op.

Emery's quilt is a bunch of fish bowls. It was a lot of fun to collect all the different fish and mermaid and underwater fabrics for this one. He was pretty busy with superheros, toys, games and candy on Christmas morning and didn't pay much attention to it. But when we got it out to look at it the other day, he was pretty fascinated. It's like looking in a lot of little windows at the aquarium.

I Didn't Even Know it Was His Birthday

We had the grand kids for the weekend, and that's always fun...and interesting. On Saturday they were both busy for quite a while. I was vaguely aware that they were getting out all their favorite toys from one end of the house to the other. That's normal. Then, after a bit, they came in and announced to Grampy that it was his birthday and they had set up a party for him -- with surprises. All that was required of him was to close his eyes so they could lead him to where they had set up the festivities.

In this first picture, you can see that along with a couple of plates of plastic food, Emery is "gifting" Grampy with a small, fuzzy white evening bag. In the background, Savannah is getting the little Sammy Sosa bear fitted with his Cubs' hat. What becomes more clear in this second picture is that the whole shindig took place in our bathroom! You can see more party food set out on plates on the toilet...and heaven only knows what Savannah is showing him in the "surprise box".

Maybe it's me. Maybe I misunderstood. Maybe they said they were having a "birthday potty". I guess I need to play closer attention when I'm baby sitting.

Happy Birthday, Jodi!

Today is Jodi's 37th birthday. Seems like another lifetime that she lay to rest (in a wheel barrow) under the Christmas tree. She has sometimes not been happy to have a birthday on Christmas Eve. She has often felt overlooked. She never liked having to wait a whole year to get a present. But since she chose to make me wait 3 weeks past my due date, I've not had a whole lot of sympathy for her. I did, however, get a kick out of walking into my mom's house that Christmas Eve..."great with child"... suitcase in hand and contractions becoming regular and announcing that I was going to the hospital because, "there was no room at the inn." But for those of you who get to celebrate a day just for yourselves at another time of year, let me point out a few things. Only if you have a Christmas Eve birthday do you:

...need to remind people to wrap your gifts in birthday paper (instead of the Christmas wrapping paper just because it's handy).

...need to have a birthday party with your friends that's not on your actual birthday, because they won't come otherwise.

...hear people say, "Thanks but I really don't want any birthday cake. I'm full of cookies and fudge."

But now that she's all grown up and realizes all the gifts she has in her life every single day, and has so many people to share the joys and celebrations with, I think she's taking it all in stride.

A Bit of Christmas Bling

Several years ago I was at my friend, Gail's, house and had admired one of her Christmas decorations. Her mother had taken old jewelry and cut it apart and glued it onto a red fabric background in the shape of a Christmas tree and then framed it. It is very cool.

When my mom died this past June, my sister, Karen, was asking if anyone in the family wanted any of mom's jewelry. I told her I would take everything that nobody else wanted. She said she suspected a craft project (she knows me well).

So my plan was to make 3 of these Christmas trees...one for me, one for my sister, and one for my brother. I wanted to have them finished to give to my siblings on December 14th because that was my mother's birthday and she would have been 90 years old this year. But I found that although mom had lots of jewelry, she didn't have much of the silvery and shiny pieces that I wanted to use for the trees. By adding some that my mother-in-law had passed down to me many years ago, I was able to make one tree. Since it was from both of them, that tree is mine.

Then I took most of the gold pieces that she had and made an angel for my sister. By now I was down to the plastic pieces...but still some lovely things. Mom had a long necklace -- the kind you loop around twice -- that was made of shiny green beads. For each two round beads there was one sort of pointy bead. That pointy one made me think of a holly leaf. So brother Chuck got a wreath.

And thanks to the gift that is retirement, I actually finished them on time! Even in time to mail my brother's to him in St. Louis.

Fun Fall Weekend #6

For the past 6 years it has been a somewhat new "tradition" to take a weekend in the fall and get away together as a family. We have stayed in state parks and mountain rental cabins. This is the first year we have gone to a place where we've been before. We went to F. D. Roosevelt State Park in Pine Mountain, Georgia. The reason we went back there is because of the things there are to do nearby. When we were there in 2005, we went to the Wild Animal Safari park. Emery was just a baby and Savannah was not quite 3. We all liked the park and knew the kids would really enjoy it at the ages they are now. And they did. Emery, especially, loved feeding the animals from the bus. He didn't mind holding the food in his hand and letting all kinds of yukky tongues lick it from him. We all enjoyed the giraffes putting their heads right into the bus windows to come for the food. Jodi had to finally pull the hood up on Emery's sweatshirt because the giraffes were drooling all over him! Savannah just wanted to watch from a little safer spot inside the bus.

When we were there 3 years ago, we noticed that we missed the opening of the Fantasy of Lights at nearby Callaway Gardens by just a few days. So we went a week or so later this year and included that. It was wonderful. They had just opened a few days before we went and since it's early and we were there on a Monday night, there were no crowds and the weather was cool but not terrible. It put us in the mood for Christmas which is, after all, just around the corner. The next day, on our way home, we went to Callaway one more time and went to the butterfly house.

When we weren't out enjoying these activities, we were at "home" in our 3-bedroom cabin. We built a fire and roasted hot dogs and made s'mores. There was no TV (oh, my!) but luckily Jeremy (who was going into withdrawal) had his projector in the car and when he hooked it up to his laptop was able to show movies on the wall. "The Artist" -- formerly known as "Savannah" -- recorded it all in drawings. If you give her a blank piece of paper and a pen, you have a happy child. And she's very good at remembering and recording what she has seen.

And each year I draw someones name and they win a Christmas quilt. This year's winner was Emery! I posted a picture of this year's quilt on September 21st, when I finished it...but here it is again.

An Oldie But a Goodie

Happy Birthday, Grandpa! Or "Grampy" as the little ones have decided they want to call him. Today is Jerry's 65th birthday. We had his party last night, though, because I have a quilt guild meeting tonight. It just wouldn't be right for me not to show up...since I'm "the program". But after 65 years rattling around on this planet one has to learn to be flexible.

So everybody got together yesterday. Savannah helped me make the cake -- that way she was first in line when it came time to lick the beaters, etc. She also came in handy when it was time to set the table, make place cards and tell everybody where to sit. I don't know how we managed to celebrate before she came along! Maybe she'll grow up to be a "community organizer". Hmmm. Emery was very helpful when it came time to open the presents. And it was so nice of him to show up wearing a John Deere tractor shirt...Grampy's favorite.

During the gift opening and cake eating festivities, Savannah made sure Grampy had a crown to wear. She didn't want anyone to forget who the star of the show was. When she was taking orders as to who wanted cake and Jessica politely declined, she told her it was "chocolate...and has 3 eggs in it". Still couldn't talk her into it, but that's okay. Just left more for the rest of us.

We love you, Grampy!!

Continuing the Tradition

I must have been about 5 or 6 years old when my mom and my aunt took my sister and I to Chicago to see the Ice Capades. I still remember it clearly. It was the most beautiful thing I'd ever seen. I vividly recall being awestruck by the graceful skaters doing amazing turns, jumps and spins...all the while the lights glistened and sparkled and little beams bounced off their sequined costumes. These amazing skaters just basically showed their talents, but in a very spectacular way. I remember the wheel type formation where the ones in the middle would hardly move, but the ones on the ends of the "spokes" would have to skate like crazy to catch up! I remember the clowns, too, and the barrel jumpers. To say I was wowed would put it mildly. I got to take home a souvenir program and I would look at it over and over again and relive all the glitz and pageantry.

My girls were probably about the same age when my mom and I took them to Chicago, too, to see the spectacle. Jodi says she remembers it well.

So it was with great pleasure and excitement that I bought tickets to Disney on Ice when it came to Phillips Arena in Atlanta this past weekend. I had planned to take Jodi, Jess and Savannah. But Jessica had a weekend retreat with her Sunday School so Savannah got to take her friend, Reese. They had a wonderful time. This show still features the skills of many talented skaters, but the kids just mainly see characters they are familiar with...The Little Mermaid, Tinker Bell, The Lion King and the Cars...but they are still fascinated. The girls were on the edges of their seats through most of the performance. The most fun for me was watching their faces as their beloved princesses, etc. glided across the ice with fantastic sets, music and lights. I think it's harder these days to impress kids because they are constantly stimulated from birth with bright colors and images and beautiful music...in movies, on the computer, and everywhere they turn. But the girls were "wowed" and that made my day.

Savannah tried ice skating last winter for the first time and she did it the way most 5-year-olds do it. Clumsily and with a lot of shuffling and falling down. I asked her if she was going to skate like Ariel when she gets on the ice this year. She said, "Oh, yes." And I smiled; because growing up in Illinois I did get to ice skate every winter. And even though I was always clumsy and inept, in my mind I was just like those stunning stars in the Ice Capades that I had seen so many years before.

Week in Review

Okay, okay. I've had some comments (complaints, too) because I haven't posted for a week. What can I say? I've been busy just being retired. Following my nose around most days, just giving into my adult ADD. I didn't think there was much to write about. But looking back, I guess it was a pretty good week.

On Monday we went with the Yorks to the Pumpkin Patch in Watkinsville. That's just south of Athens, so Jess and I went up earlier in the day and went clothes shopping at the mall...then met up with the rest of the family at the Patch. It turned out to be a very nice warm and sunny day. There was lots to do besides pick pumpkins. Emery and Grampy are pumping water into the pvc troughs to race their ducks. There was a cow train ride, a big slide, a petting zoo, a hay ride, a bale maze (similar to a corn maze, but easier and less scary for the little ones) and pig races. Savannah's pig won the race, so she got a pig nose as a prize. After the Patch, we ate dinner at Rafferty's...always a treat.

On Tuesday I finished piecing the fish bowl quilt that I'm going to give Emery for Christmas. I started it back in April at the retreat. Tuesday night we had Batty Babes and I took it to one of my friends there to machine quilt it for me. Then I spent a lot of time in the sewing room the next few days working on Savannah's pink and purple that I also started last April. I want to hand quilt this one for her for Christmas and I need to get on it!!! I also finished a wall hanging that I made for a friend for Christmas. It's the same as one I made for myself last year, but the border fabric is different.

On Wednesday we had some good friends over for dinner and played cards. It was fun. I don't know why we don't do that more often.

Then yesterday I dug into a new craft project I've had on my mind. I can't go into details here (more Christmas presents), but I will tell you that there is a HUGE mess on the dining room table. But I like the way it's coming along.

So there you have it. My week in review and it was a good one.

Going fo the Gold

Well, we had our Olympic extravaganza in the pool on Sunday as planned. Good thing we don't get rain -- ever -- in Georgia so we can pretty much plan on doing our outdoor activities. The official part of the program here at "Beijing South" began with the performers waiting patiently behind the scenes to be introduced. (No...we did not have "opening ceremonies")

In their excitement to perform, we had a few false starts and the synchronized backward free fall wasn't quite as "synchronized" as we had practiced. But they had a wonderful time showing off for their audience. Since watching the Olympics on TV, Emery has decided he likes someone (or everyone) to chant "USA...USA...USA" while he swims now.

Savannah was awarded the gold medal...for bravery more than anything else. While Emery has had courage enough to put on the "super suit" and jump off the diving board repeatedly, she needed the lure of the gold to make her try that. But she did it...stopping on her way while swimming the length of the pool to announce: "I'm going for my medal!"

Our version of closing ceremonies was a hot dog, potato salad and baked beans cookout. Okay...a little less than what they'll be doing in Beijing...but worth every penny of the price of admission!

Olympic Fever -- Catch It!

A few weeks ago I was playing in the pool with the grand kids and they were saying their usual, "Look at me!", "Look, Nanny!", "Lookit...lookit...lookit!". But I only have two eyeballs and no matter how hard I try, I can't "lookit" in two directions at the same time! I thought to myself, "what these kids need is an audience". Now picture a light bulb above my head. I had them sit down and focus for a minute (no easy task) and I started to tell them that in a few more days there would be something on TV called "The Olympics". They are both very competitive (you can't walk down the hallway in the house without a "line leader") and so their little eyes danced when I told them it was a big, huge contest to see who could run the fastest, throw the farthest, swim the fastest, dive the best, etc. I told them lots of people would be watching. Then I told them we should put on an Olympic-type water show. They got excited about that. They have learned SOOO much in the pool this summer. So they started practicing some of the things they want to show their audience. Such daring and death (by drowning)-defying feats as "cartwheel diving", "the human airplane", "the spiral corkscrew" and the "synchronized backward freefall" to name a few. After swimming that day, while Emery took his nap, Savannah and I made up invitations to this show starring The Amazing Savannah and The Incredible Emery. She addressed envelopes to mommy, daddy, Grandpa and Aunt Jessica. They were then sealed with a lot of stickers.

This extravaganza will be held this coming Sunday afternoon at 4:30. Since I figure the show will last approximately 12 to 16 minutes, I've included a cook out and pool party following.

I'm So Proud

When your daughter announces to you that she is a slob...that she has, in fact, been "named SLOB of the month for August"...how can a mother not swell with pride?

As you've probably noticed by now, I use my blog just to ramble on about whatever happens to be on my mind. But my girls are more into it than I am. They actually network with other bloggers all over the country and check on each other on a regular basis. One of Jessica's favorite blog sites is by the guys in the Christian band called Mercy Me. She gets a kick out of the videos they play and she even has taught Savannah how to get to their web site and she has her own favorites that she plays.

A little while back, the Mercy Me guys started what they called SLOBs (stands for "Spectacular League of Bloggers"). They were having a lot of fun with it and getting people to write in suggesting logos for tee shirts, etc. Last week they announced they were starting a new feature: SLOB of the month. They wanted to celebrate the individual that sent the most people over to them from their own blog...and they named Jessica as the first SLOB of the month. You can check them out at http://www.mercyme.org/ and then click on their blog and see some fun videos.

Congratulations, Jess.