This is the archive for the ‘friends/family’ Category

2010 is under way!

January 16th, 2010

Well, the holidays are over and school has started. My first classes were yesterday. Right now I’m headed to VA to my Mom’s to dedecorate her house and to celebrate her birthday! My decorations at home are down except for greens around the door but it has been too cold to deal with that.

We’re driving down the Delmarva peninsula and it is still cold, but I hear it’s already over 50 degrees in Virginia Beach. So that’s good! Here the ponds are frozen and the fields which will soon have green things growing are all brown and stubbly but the sky is full of birds in “V” formation—I wish flying to Canada but that won’t be until around March. Yeah, I know, in Philadelphia, I still have to deal with Feb. and March but the days ARE getting longer and stuff is starting to grow. Really!

Get’s me making plans for my garden— the catalogs have been coming for almost a month now and we have been having snows that melt slowly watering the ground so I hope there will not be any dry spells this summer to turn my world into a dust bowl.

My back yard has a place that needs seeding but other than that it’s pretty ok—just maintenance and veggies. But the front – under the living room window, is a shady place that is just a mess of pacasandra and a stunted azalea bush that need work. There’s a project to think about.

Or perhaps along the side walk—we could revisit that as well. I like to plant seasonal things along my way from the house to the car. Then, if I’m busy at work and don’t have time to wander my garden, I don’t miss the changes.

2010—we’re counting on you!

December 28th, 2009

Christmas came and Christmas went and we did get the cards finished—mostly, and the gifts purchased and wrapped—mostly, but the food was gathered in and everyone seemed to enjoy . . .

We still have some friends to celebrate with tomorrow, Bob’s best friend from the “dirty knees days’ and his wife, Linda, (whom I doubt ever had dirty knees!)

We had a terrific time hosting the faculty party for Design + Media—I’m so lucky to work with such wonderful and interesting people! and we always enjoy the “rude” dinner. Debbie, you’re the rudest!

New Years is in the offing and then we struggle with when to un-decorate. Bob would leave it up to the 4th of July. He’ll say not but he might.

So Happy New year to all and—2010, we’re really counting on you!

It’s December 22 . . .

December 22nd, 2009

Well . . . it’s December 22 and that means 3 days until Christmas. This year we went to Kevan and Erin’s for an early holiday since they were here last year and this year is her family’s turn. That’s fair, I guess.

We had a wonderful time—even with (especially with) the BIG snow that blanketed the east coast. Lots of time with the guys, good food, gifts and shoveling! and shoveling!

We stayed an extra night to give the various areas’ snow plows time to do their bit—pretty amazing—only unplowed street between Washington DC and Philadelphia was mine. It was great how the city dug out the “Linc” so the Eagles could win, however. I’ll give my street to that! (It has been plowed by now.)

A most wonderful event was that when we got home my neighbor and cousin, Susan, had seen that our sidewalk, driveway and walk to the door were clear. Very wonderful as this was a 23 inch snow and all our shoveling muscles were done in from the snow in VA.

Down side of all this is that I really need that weekend before Christmas to get ready for Christmas and no matter how many lists I made and great plans and charts I made—the cards are still not done, and the gifts are still not wrapped, some not bought and the food not “gathered in”. And it’s December 22.

Jonna’s Home

December 11th, 2009

My nephew Jonna just touched down after a 28 hr. plane ride from the mountains of Afghanistan!
Welcome home Jonna!!!

Happy Thanksgiving

November 26th, 2009

Just about my favorite holiday! Good friends, family, good food, time to reflect and get ready for the wild holiday ride of the next month.
Wishing the same for all of you, especially my sister, Nathalie, who just came home from an operation, my nephew, Jonna, who is in Afghanistan, and my friend, Dennis.

Ruthie’s Garden

September 7th, 2009

Spent the weekend at my Mom’s in VA Beach. Her garden is the view from her balcony. Between the boats and the birds she comes up with enough intrigue to keep anyone busy. Her favorite birds are a pelican named Braveheart and an egret named Fan Fan.

Rudee's Inlet

Ruthie’s Garden

Mom is a painter but for a number of years due to being a caregiver for my Dad and her own health issues she hasn’t been able to work. Lately she has been wanting to get back to it so we helped her dig out her supplies, order more paints and set up a studio space.
Go Mom!