Well. A lot has been going on here at the Woods Edge which is one of the reasons I haven't written in a while. Life is coming at me fast and furious!
First of all - Paul got me a new camera to replace the one that was stolen in Florida a couple of weeks ago. God bless him. He's such a dear. I really appreciate that man. A week ago Saturday, we went to Sam's Club and the 2014 version of my 2013 camera was there. He bought it for me, on the spot. Just like that.
Hey - the camera takes good pictures! It's a little different from the 2013 version. I'm learning. One thing I wish it had that the other one had is a disc that you can upload to your computer. Unfortunately, the manual is on the computer. I can work that pretty well. Sure wish it came in a hard copy, but I guess these new cameras don't make them any more. I have an 800 number to call with some questions.
Nancy and two mathematician work-friends came for an overnight visit this Saturday (the day before yesterday.) They are attending a mathematics conference at Cornell University in Ithaca.
Elizabeth teaches in Virginia. She is originally from Australia and has a beautiful accent. It's so nice to listen to her speak . She had been at Nancy and Dan's wedding ten years ago. I remembered her.
John is an American mathematician who presently lives in Germany with his family. It's interesting that Nancy knows so many people from all over the world.
As usual with flying, their flights were a delayed, one way or the other, so we had a late dinner, but it worked out fine. Sunday morning they walked some of the Catharine Trail, a popular hiking trail in our area, and then left before noon to get to Ithaca.
Nancy's college roommate from Columbia, Tara, will be at the conference. Tara is coming in from Scotland where she works and her family lives. They'll be sharing a room together at the hotel.
*****************
Cousin Carol has her son, Eric, visiting her in Venice. I saw a Facebook picture of Bill, Epril, Bob, Paul and Eric at the Moose Club having Sunday Breakfast. That was so nice that they could get together. Carol is resting at home and getting ready for some more medical procedures. I'm sure she appreciates Eric being there.
Monday, June 23, 2014
Wednesday, June 11, 2014
We're back!
We were in Gainesville, FL for Paul's grandson Brenan's high school graduation.
We left on Friday and came back yesterday, Monday. The flights were into Gainesville from Elmira which meant we spent all day on planes. We left at 6 AM from Elmira to Detroit to Atlanta to Gainesville. . . . arriving around 4:30. We had planned to go to our hotel, but our plane from Atlanta left later than usual, so we left from the airport and went directly to Greg and Noi's so we wouldn't miss graduation. It was a very full day.
Brenan's school is one of the largest schools in the city, with 500 graduates this year. They held graduation at the U of F - inside the a/c'd field house. We sat waaay up high in the bleachers along with literally thousands of others. Cell phones are great - Noi called Brenan, so he knew where we were sitting and we could wave as he processed in. What did we ever do when we didn't have cell phones? Life certainly wasn't much simpler then! Now it is so easy to keep in touch.
Before we left, NeeNee and Brenan left in separate cars. So, the grownups: Greg, Noi, Jeff, Dorothy, Brenda, Paul and I went in Greg's van.
There was a lot of traffic snarled in and out of the campus. The parking garage was quite full, so it took us quite a while to get there and to get back. Noi says she refuses to go to a football game because of all the traffic. They watch games at home. I don't blame her.
Don't you find when you're away, time goes differently? We were busy the whole time. It was so nice to be with family. A lot of the time we sat out on the porch and talked. It was hot - but the fan gave us a cool breeze.
********
I had my camera stolen on Saturday at Micanopy.. It was all my fault, of course.
The majority of the tourists were like us. Not the kind to do something like that, but it happened, so obviously there was someone there who fit the bill. Somewhere, some time, I put my camera down. We couldn't find it - we retraced my steps. We all looked and looked everywhere, but it was gone. I left my name, telephone number and Greg's telephone number also at several places. . . . just in case.
Of course I had tons of pictures with which I hadn't done anything. That's what I'm really sad about. Well, I just have to get over it. It is what it is.
The thing about it was - we were at such a nice place - Micanopy, a little old one-street Florida town with lots of antique stores that we could wander around in. You could see one end of the town from the other. We had a nice lunch outside on a covered porch of a little café. Between the two roads were large old oak trees with Spanish moss. Under the shade of the trees they had little benches to sit on and rest. I liked this town and I hope we do go back sometime.
For Brenan's graduation, his parents got him tickets to the World Cup in Brazil.. He got picked up at noon Sunday at home. We all saw him off and gave him a hug. He's going with three people: his friend, his friend's sister and his friend's father, who is Brazilian, and he'll be their chaperone. He's a seasoned traveler and goes to Brazil on business quite often.
Brenan got a complete lecture about Brazilian tourism safety and how careful he needed to be. Brenan knows about traveling outside of the United States because he has traveled to Thailand, China several times with his family, but he took notice about how different it is in Brazil. He better have. Note: Don't be like Grandma Jeanne and lose your camera or other valuables.
Sunday we went to a flea market at the neighboring town of Waldo. It was junky but fun. Lots of open-air buildings to poke through with lots of "stuff" to look at. We found some ice cream which we ate quickly. It was hot. They advertise they use God's air-conditioning.
********
Monday we got up at 3:30 for our 6 AM flight out of Gainesville. And then the day went very much like Friday. We got home around 3, and went and picked up Gracie from our dog sitter. She was one happy dog to see us! She does loves it there.
Usually when we take Gracie anywhere, Paul drives. This time, I drove my car and he was the passenger and she sat on his lap. Well, Gracie couldn't understand all this. She had her tail down. As soon as I gave her my hand to lick, her tail came and curled right up. She is so attuned to certain things and that was not the way things should be.
I had an eye doctor's appointment this morning in Corning. It was a follow-up to one I had a week or so ago. He had me come back because I was experiencing double vision (when my eyes were tired.) Everything is okay. He gave me an exercise to do. The double vision is disappearing. I just have 74-year old eyes, he said. It's a good thing the rest of me isn't that old.
We left on Friday and came back yesterday, Monday. The flights were into Gainesville from Elmira which meant we spent all day on planes. We left at 6 AM from Elmira to Detroit to Atlanta to Gainesville. . . . arriving around 4:30. We had planned to go to our hotel, but our plane from Atlanta left later than usual, so we left from the airport and went directly to Greg and Noi's so we wouldn't miss graduation. It was a very full day.
Brenan's school is one of the largest schools in the city, with 500 graduates this year. They held graduation at the U of F - inside the a/c'd field house. We sat waaay up high in the bleachers along with literally thousands of others. Cell phones are great - Noi called Brenan, so he knew where we were sitting and we could wave as he processed in. What did we ever do when we didn't have cell phones? Life certainly wasn't much simpler then! Now it is so easy to keep in touch.
Before we left, NeeNee and Brenan left in separate cars. So, the grownups: Greg, Noi, Jeff, Dorothy, Brenda, Paul and I went in Greg's van.
There was a lot of traffic snarled in and out of the campus. The parking garage was quite full, so it took us quite a while to get there and to get back. Noi says she refuses to go to a football game because of all the traffic. They watch games at home. I don't blame her.
Don't you find when you're away, time goes differently? We were busy the whole time. It was so nice to be with family. A lot of the time we sat out on the porch and talked. It was hot - but the fan gave us a cool breeze.
********
I had my camera stolen on Saturday at Micanopy.. It was all my fault, of course.
The majority of the tourists were like us. Not the kind to do something like that, but it happened, so obviously there was someone there who fit the bill. Somewhere, some time, I put my camera down. We couldn't find it - we retraced my steps. We all looked and looked everywhere, but it was gone. I left my name, telephone number and Greg's telephone number also at several places. . . . just in case.
Of course I had tons of pictures with which I hadn't done anything. That's what I'm really sad about. Well, I just have to get over it. It is what it is.
The thing about it was - we were at such a nice place - Micanopy, a little old one-street Florida town with lots of antique stores that we could wander around in. You could see one end of the town from the other. We had a nice lunch outside on a covered porch of a little café. Between the two roads were large old oak trees with Spanish moss. Under the shade of the trees they had little benches to sit on and rest. I liked this town and I hope we do go back sometime.
For Brenan's graduation, his parents got him tickets to the World Cup in Brazil.. He got picked up at noon Sunday at home. We all saw him off and gave him a hug. He's going with three people: his friend, his friend's sister and his friend's father, who is Brazilian, and he'll be their chaperone. He's a seasoned traveler and goes to Brazil on business quite often.
Brenan got a complete lecture about Brazilian tourism safety and how careful he needed to be. Brenan knows about traveling outside of the United States because he has traveled to Thailand, China several times with his family, but he took notice about how different it is in Brazil. He better have. Note: Don't be like Grandma Jeanne and lose your camera or other valuables.
Sunday we went to a flea market at the neighboring town of Waldo. It was junky but fun. Lots of open-air buildings to poke through with lots of "stuff" to look at. We found some ice cream which we ate quickly. It was hot. They advertise they use God's air-conditioning.
********
Monday we got up at 3:30 for our 6 AM flight out of Gainesville. And then the day went very much like Friday. We got home around 3, and went and picked up Gracie from our dog sitter. She was one happy dog to see us! She does loves it there.
Usually when we take Gracie anywhere, Paul drives. This time, I drove my car and he was the passenger and she sat on his lap. Well, Gracie couldn't understand all this. She had her tail down. As soon as I gave her my hand to lick, her tail came and curled right up. She is so attuned to certain things and that was not the way things should be.
I had an eye doctor's appointment this morning in Corning. It was a follow-up to one I had a week or so ago. He had me come back because I was experiencing double vision (when my eyes were tired.) Everything is okay. He gave me an exercise to do. The double vision is disappearing. I just have 74-year old eyes, he said. It's a good thing the rest of me isn't that old.
Tuesday, June 3, 2014
I am still grinning from ear to ear. . . .
We now have two cars in the garage - as of last Friday. I am so pleased.
After I signed the papers and we left the dealership, nobody could see me grinning ear to ear as I drove my beautiful new red Hyundai Sonata. But I was. Paul followed me in the SUV. It's really just what I wanted.
The Sonata is a mid-size four-door car. Mine has some bells and whistles including a back-up camera, which I really really wanted. It amazes me how much easier it is to see what's behind me when I back up. We have quite a long drive-way here and the camera helps a lot.
It's easy to keep in the middle of the driveway and not back-up into our mailbox on the left. (I never did that - except once, at my friend Ruth's - and earned me the nick-name Crash-bang . . . . C.B. for short. Her husband, Wes, calls me that all the time.) It's wonderful in parking lots like Walmart.
So, again there's been a lapse in my writing. I've been busy, but nothing to write home about. LOL.
Written after I've finished: Good Heavens - that's a lie. There's a lot of stuff going on! :0)
My red sonata has gold/tan seats. I didn't think I'd like that interior color, but it has grown on me. The rest is black inside. Paul teased me he said the NY orange and black license plates would clash with my red color, but now the license plate balances out with the car seats! Gold, mustard, tan - same color group.
********
We spent Memorial Day in Corning with a BBQ. It was good to see the folks there. We hadn't seen them since we got back. Everything is well. Lue also came. It was nice to see her. The BBQ was a spur of the moment thing. We were glad to be able to go.
Friday night we took my beautiful car to the Montour Moose Club Fish Fry. We hadn't been there in a couple of years. What a disappointment. The fish was terrible. We're so glad Paul's joining the Elks in Watkins Glen. It's like night and day.
The next day, Saturday, we were invited to Sharon and Dave's church for dinner. Sharon put on a mac n cheese with fish stick dinner (the fish sticks were 100% better than Friday night's dinner) with a movie afterwards. The food was delicious. Sharon makes the greatest mac n cheese. There were 30 (?) people. (Small church.) Ida told me that she helped with the cupcakes, and made the signs: chocolate with chocolate, chocolate with vanilla, vanilla with chocolate, vanilla with vanilla.
They used the sanctuary for the movie - Because of Wynne Dixie. Someone had rigged up dark black plastic curtains to keep out the light. Some of the kids brought their sleeping bags and lay up front. The movie was cute. A dog story. I remembered it somehow. I may have read it a while back. It was a nice way to spend a Saturday evening.
Sunday, we went to Ida's soccer game.
Their manager brought donuts to bribe them.
They've been having a problem with winning. Those donuts looked great and it worked. As Paul said, the team has improved since last year. And we were very happy that we were there to see the first game they'd won this year.
The game was held in way in the back of B.C.Cate K-2 School where Ida went. There's a nice fairly new playground and I'm hoping I remember that when my grandkids come for a visit in August. It doesn't seem possible that Ida will be in 6th grade next year. Where has the time gone?
Brenda's on vacation now from school. She flew from California to Florida yesterday and is now visiting a friend in Englewood. From there she'll go to Gainesville for the next part of her Florida trip. It's the start of our family exodus down there for Brenan's high school graduation this coming weekend. It's wonderful how Paul's children get together for celebrations. . . it doesn't matter where they are, if it's at all possible, they go.
I have Brenda's travel plans on my calendar for this summer, and they tire me out. We're pleased she'll be flying in from California to see us, later on, via Washington D.C..
Speaking of Florida:
I've had a couple of phone calls with my cousin, Alice, in Venice. I called her Saturday and last night. My cousin Carol is having neurological problems. So - she spent a couple of days and nights with Alice. BUT Carol says she's been away long enough and wants to go home. So perhaps she's there, or on her way. Her son Eric, who lives on Long Island, was going to call Carol last night at Alice's, just after I hung up. It's not easy for him being so far away. Carol and Alice went to four doctors yesterday. God bless Alice.
Paul just received an e-mail from Mike and Edna's daughter - she and her husband will be coming to the family reunion on July 12th. Good! They'll be staying for a couple of days more and wanted to know of things to do in the area. On the top of my head . . . Wineries, fishing, Corning Glass, Rockwell Museum. . .
This week Nancy's "home alone" with her mother-in-law, Jane, who is helping out with the kids. Dan is at a conference all this week. Jane just retired from teaching in St. Louis. How wonderful that worked out!
Did I mention that Nancy got a promotion? She is now the Associate Dean in the College of Graduate Studies and Research at North-Eastern Illinois University, effective June 1st. I am so proud.
Paul put a wood oak floor in our kitchen/ laundry area. It is simply beautiful. What a difference that makes from the white linoleum we had down. He's doing the finishing touches now. Every time I walk in the house from the garage, I marvel at how good a job he did and how wonderful it looks. I guess I shouldn't marvel - he always does a good job. But I do. Every time.
Speaking of carpentry:
Paul's been wanting to do for Habitat for Humanity for a long time. . So Wednesday morning he went to Montour Falls and joined the workers working on a little house off the main road. Paul says it's about the size of our garage. I agree. We saw it on Thursday after lunch with Lue, Ruth and Sharon P.. (We have a big garage. But I could see it from the size of it, it could be a small house.) . They can certainly use his expertise. Wouldn't you know they were working on subflooring - after he's been working on our floor for so many days. His back was aching after that.
I just got a phone call from my good friend Marcia in NC. It was good to talk with her. Hal's going through health problems. I guess that's par for the course at our age. I can thank our lucky stars that we're both in good health, or am I jinxing us by saying that??? Knock on wood.
So - I guess I did have a lot to talk about.
Paul's heading out tonight for his Watkins Glen Elks Club Dinner and Initiation Ceremony.
Right now he's still banging in the kitchen floor.
It's funny - Gracie walked on the wood part of the floor the other day while he was putting in some of the flooring. She could feel the banging vibrate under her. I've never seen her scramble so quickly to get off it and hide under the table in the DR. She had no idea what was going on under her feet. Paul had to pick her up and sooth her. She's more used to it now. It doesn't phase her.
After I signed the papers and we left the dealership, nobody could see me grinning ear to ear as I drove my beautiful new red Hyundai Sonata. But I was. Paul followed me in the SUV. It's really just what I wanted.
The Sonata is a mid-size four-door car. Mine has some bells and whistles including a back-up camera, which I really really wanted. It amazes me how much easier it is to see what's behind me when I back up. We have quite a long drive-way here and the camera helps a lot.
It's easy to keep in the middle of the driveway and not back-up into our mailbox on the left. (I never did that - except once, at my friend Ruth's - and earned me the nick-name Crash-bang . . . . C.B. for short. Her husband, Wes, calls me that all the time.) It's wonderful in parking lots like Walmart.
So, again there's been a lapse in my writing. I've been busy, but nothing to write home about. LOL.
Written after I've finished: Good Heavens - that's a lie. There's a lot of stuff going on! :0)
My red sonata has gold/tan seats. I didn't think I'd like that interior color, but it has grown on me. The rest is black inside. Paul teased me he said the NY orange and black license plates would clash with my red color, but now the license plate balances out with the car seats! Gold, mustard, tan - same color group.
********
We spent Memorial Day in Corning with a BBQ. It was good to see the folks there. We hadn't seen them since we got back. Everything is well. Lue also came. It was nice to see her. The BBQ was a spur of the moment thing. We were glad to be able to go.
Friday night we took my beautiful car to the Montour Moose Club Fish Fry. We hadn't been there in a couple of years. What a disappointment. The fish was terrible. We're so glad Paul's joining the Elks in Watkins Glen. It's like night and day.
The next day, Saturday, we were invited to Sharon and Dave's church for dinner. Sharon put on a mac n cheese with fish stick dinner (the fish sticks were 100% better than Friday night's dinner) with a movie afterwards. The food was delicious. Sharon makes the greatest mac n cheese. There were 30 (?) people. (Small church.) Ida told me that she helped with the cupcakes, and made the signs: chocolate with chocolate, chocolate with vanilla, vanilla with chocolate, vanilla with vanilla.
They used the sanctuary for the movie - Because of Wynne Dixie. Someone had rigged up dark black plastic curtains to keep out the light. Some of the kids brought their sleeping bags and lay up front. The movie was cute. A dog story. I remembered it somehow. I may have read it a while back. It was a nice way to spend a Saturday evening.
Sunday, we went to Ida's soccer game.
Their manager brought donuts to bribe them.
They've been having a problem with winning. Those donuts looked great and it worked. As Paul said, the team has improved since last year. And we were very happy that we were there to see the first game they'd won this year.
The game was held in way in the back of B.C.Cate K-2 School where Ida went. There's a nice fairly new playground and I'm hoping I remember that when my grandkids come for a visit in August. It doesn't seem possible that Ida will be in 6th grade next year. Where has the time gone?
Brenda's on vacation now from school. She flew from California to Florida yesterday and is now visiting a friend in Englewood. From there she'll go to Gainesville for the next part of her Florida trip. It's the start of our family exodus down there for Brenan's high school graduation this coming weekend. It's wonderful how Paul's children get together for celebrations. . . it doesn't matter where they are, if it's at all possible, they go.
I have Brenda's travel plans on my calendar for this summer, and they tire me out. We're pleased she'll be flying in from California to see us, later on, via Washington D.C..
Speaking of Florida:
I've had a couple of phone calls with my cousin, Alice, in Venice. I called her Saturday and last night. My cousin Carol is having neurological problems. So - she spent a couple of days and nights with Alice. BUT Carol says she's been away long enough and wants to go home. So perhaps she's there, or on her way. Her son Eric, who lives on Long Island, was going to call Carol last night at Alice's, just after I hung up. It's not easy for him being so far away. Carol and Alice went to four doctors yesterday. God bless Alice.
Paul just received an e-mail from Mike and Edna's daughter - she and her husband will be coming to the family reunion on July 12th. Good! They'll be staying for a couple of days more and wanted to know of things to do in the area. On the top of my head . . . Wineries, fishing, Corning Glass, Rockwell Museum. . .
This week Nancy's "home alone" with her mother-in-law, Jane, who is helping out with the kids. Dan is at a conference all this week. Jane just retired from teaching in St. Louis. How wonderful that worked out!
Did I mention that Nancy got a promotion? She is now the Associate Dean in the College of Graduate Studies and Research at North-Eastern Illinois University, effective June 1st. I am so proud.
Paul put a wood oak floor in our kitchen/ laundry area. It is simply beautiful. What a difference that makes from the white linoleum we had down. He's doing the finishing touches now. Every time I walk in the house from the garage, I marvel at how good a job he did and how wonderful it looks. I guess I shouldn't marvel - he always does a good job. But I do. Every time.
Speaking of carpentry:
Paul's been wanting to do for Habitat for Humanity for a long time. . So Wednesday morning he went to Montour Falls and joined the workers working on a little house off the main road. Paul says it's about the size of our garage. I agree. We saw it on Thursday after lunch with Lue, Ruth and Sharon P.. (We have a big garage. But I could see it from the size of it, it could be a small house.) . They can certainly use his expertise. Wouldn't you know they were working on subflooring - after he's been working on our floor for so many days. His back was aching after that.
I just got a phone call from my good friend Marcia in NC. It was good to talk with her. Hal's going through health problems. I guess that's par for the course at our age. I can thank our lucky stars that we're both in good health, or am I jinxing us by saying that??? Knock on wood.
So - I guess I did have a lot to talk about.
Paul's heading out tonight for his Watkins Glen Elks Club Dinner and Initiation Ceremony.
Right now he's still banging in the kitchen floor.
It's funny - Gracie walked on the wood part of the floor the other day while he was putting in some of the flooring. She could feel the banging vibrate under her. I've never seen her scramble so quickly to get off it and hide under the table in the DR. She had no idea what was going on under her feet. Paul had to pick her up and sooth her. She's more used to it now. It doesn't phase her.
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