Happy Fifth of July, everyone!

 What a beautiful day it is up here. 

We had a quiet Fourth with just the two of us and Gracie.  It was nice. We cooked a steak outside, and we put the big umbrella up and sat outside for our cocktails. Perfect weather.  I'm happy to say that Gracie is unaffected by fireworks or thunderstorms.  BUT have our smoke alarm go off and she shakes and shakes. 

 Okay - this is about family and friends: We wondered how our family and friends were making out - due to the hurricane coming up the coast. 

Thursday night, we called Marcia and Hal who live close to the Outer Banks.  No answer on their home phone, so I tried their cell phone.  They were in  Greenville at a motel.  They had battened down the hatches at home, made sure their boat at their marina was suitably prepared also, and left for Greenville.  Hal had a musical performance he was in on the Fourth, so they just pulled up stakes and left.  They were fine. 

We heard Washington, D.C. was fine.  We were concerned because. . .

Sharon and Dave and the kids borrowed Paul's van to go to Washington, DC.  (That's 5 people).  Brenda flew in to Washington, from California, to see Lina (her German  exchange student who visited with Greg, Noi and NeeNee in Florida.

  Greg and Noi were in Washington for a Peace Corp reunion.)  So they all met in Washington for the fourth of July weekend.  Brenda will be coming back up here with Sharon and family.  Thus the needed car space. (6) Lina has tickets to fly back to Germany from Florida and Brenan is coming back from the World Cup in Brazil, so Greg, Noi, NeeNee and Lina weren't able to come up this summer. 

We're anticipating a lot of people coming next weekend for our Family Reunion on Saturday,  so it was nice to have this quiet weekend here at the Woods Edge.  So far, we have 30 people coming.

   Paul's daughter-in-law, Dorothy usually writes and asks what to bring.  She's a big help that way.  That started the ball rolling. We've begun to make lists and checking through the house for "stuff" that we don't have to replenish.  We found hundreds of plastic cups.  Really.  Amazing - we've really accumulated them.  Plus plastic utensils.  And loads of plates.  This led to cleaning out the computer room closet.    Paul will rent tables and chairs. 

We're pleased that we've heard from Bob, Edna and Mike, Alicia and Howard will be coming to the reunion!  That's great news.  We're hoping Bonnie can come.

My brother Bob is back in Florida from Alpharetta, GA, getting ready to get his house put on the market. Because  the house is his major concern, and rightly so, he doesn't anticipate any plans to come up north until the end of the summer   It takes a lot of work. 

Talked with Bill and Epril - he's been very busy with work.  He's working at his transcription job and also some work for two other firms.  Epril continues to work at the nursing home.  She makes a lot of Filipino friends and Bill and she enjoy socializing with them.  They also go to a Filipino church nearby that has been very good to them. 

Nancy is back in Chicago with her family.  They're into their summer routine - of day camps, day care (Short Stuff. . . I love that name).  I understand the day camps that Vincent goes to will be varied and interesting.   Nancy's enjoying the short travel to day camps. And Vincent has the chance to be re-acquainted with some of his old friends from his old school because that's where the camps are. 

 During the school year, Vincent has to travel quite a distance.  Dan puts him on the  bus in the morning, but Nancy picks him up in the afternoon. It ends up being an hour and a half or more - depending on traffic.  Now, during the summer, it takes only a half hour.  His present school now is either the best in Chicago, or one of the best.  His last one was very good too, but this one is better.  Vincent will start third grade in the Fall.   (where has the time gone?)

Cousin Carol is back in the hospital and has begun her dialysis.  Alice said it was going well.  Our thoughts and prayers are with you, Carol. And Alice.

I've been working on researching the geneology of my family - both my father and my mother's sides.  It's a lot of fun - like detective work, discovering one person leads to other people.  Births, deaths, siblings, children, husbands, wives.

 I even found a Walter William on my mother's side born in 1847.  (Nancy's youngest child is named Walter William.  And unbeknownst to us, until I discovered this, this ancestor has a family name that has been passed down through Nancy and Vincent).

Paul's son, Greg, got me interested in learning about family a couple of years ago.  He has done a wonderful job.  I don't think I can do as well, but I try.  Paul showed me a beautiful bound book that Greg gave him a couple of years ago.  Paul said Greg's gone back even further now. 

Paul went to Sharon's to do some chores she asked him to do, and he stopped at the annual fourth of July Antique Farm Show on route 14.  He had his lunch there, so I don't have to think about that.  He's downstairs hammering away. . . Just as happy as can be.  When he's finished we'll have a room to be used by company or himself.  As a Man Cave.  Who knows.  He's so happy working on it.

I AM getting hungry.  I'm on a wheat-free diet.  Which is not why I'm hungry.  It's 1:00.  It's not as hard as I thought it would be because there are a lot of gluten free foods around.  So - I'll get some soup I made the other day.  It's really good.  It was recommended to freeze it flat in quart size bags.  I did and it takes up less space in the freezer.