Beach (Monday)

A second sunrise on the patio. Ocean City Boardwark lights are low on the left; Atlantic City lights are taller buildings on the right.

Most of the others went off to the OC Boardwalk in the afternoon; seemed too cold and windy for me!  In reality though, we had good weather, dry, highs around 60.  Robert had planned ahead and prepared a bunch of breaded eggplant; there was enough room in the kitchen for others to make spaghetti, garlic bread and salad. We feasted!

Sisters

My aunt gave me these when we were visiting last month.

c. 1968

To the outside world we all grow old. But not to brothers and sisters. We know each other as we always were.

c. 1971

We know each other's hearts. We share private family jokes. We remember family feuds and secrets, family griefs and joys. We live outside the touch of time. Clara Ortega

Easter on the beach

Robert and I were up at 5:30.


We sat on the deck to watch the sun rise.


Far more amazing than any formal "sunrise service" could be.


We had our first glimpse of the dolphins that swim just beyond the surf. I could have spent the entire five days here, never moving from this spot.


Trevor and I went for a morning walk on the beach.


Weather was plenty nice for mid-April; not a lot of people around. We were at a more remote stretch of the beach, which was perfect for this time of year.

Barb and Dave took off to Atlantic City for the day. Janet and Alex and family would be coming later in the afternoon.

We'd already decided to join worship at a local church that used to be part of the Calvary Chapel network. We specifically chose the last service so we wouldn't be rushing in the morning. It's always a little unnerving to think about visiting a new church. We didn't have room to pack any kind of dressy clothes, but our shorts and jeans were entirely within what everyone else was wearing. Great message; Calvary Chapel-style teaching is like no other. We have such a longing to be part of a CC church again, but our local church is definitely not the one, and the Lynchburg church is just so far.

Afterwards, we went driving around on a hunt to find horseshoes. We ended up outside of Atlantic City, no horseshoes yet, but absolutely starving. We ditched our previous (and sketchy) dinner plans, ending up at Chili's. Back at the condo, we met up with everyone else, with some of us going on another walk.


A totally different Easter than usual, but good for the four of us, reconnecting, relaxing, and just enjoying being out and together.

VACATION!!

Robert's sister Barb and her husband Dave rented a house on the beach at Ocean City for the week. We joined them along with Dave's sister Janet, husband Alex, and kids, Gwen and Nate, who are each a few years younger than Holly and Trevor. Dave and Janet's dad also joined the party. Many, many thanks to the generosity of Barb and Dave, we've vacationed with them twice before, two years ago also at Ocean City, and four years ago in Williamsburg!

We packed everything into my Prius, a job worthy of a televised reality show challenge. We didn't just have luggage for four; we also had linens and towels, a box of books to read, two boxes of food and drink, and a box of things to give Barb. We got off to a two hour late start, haha.

Virginia has several wildfires burning right now, and we saw this one a day or two before we heard it on the news.

Cove Mountain fire has burned about 60 acres

It's a seven hour drive, and we finally, finally, finally made it to Ocean City, driving the last half hour in the dark. On the plus side, they had beer waiting for everyone, including the kids.

Birch beer

Just in time to see the full moon rising on the ocean. We couldn't see much, but what a view!

Off to a wonderful start!

One of Trevor's "best days ever"

A particularly sweet and jubilant victory in first week of the season. We beat a former coach former teammates 1-0 in the last minute of the game.



Trevor signed up to be a line judge this season and received his first paycheck ever. Very exciting!

Spring in my yard

From the end of March:

". . . and then my heart with pleasure fills and dances with the daffodils."

Daylilies

Tulip magnolia

Stunning trees, but I can't capture them at all. I don't know if it's my camera, or if I'm being lazy, but I can't seem to get a good focus on my close ups. That branch is sure sharp and clear though.

(also fuzzy) bleeding hearts

Hmm. Some kind of fruit tree. Robert says apple, but this doesn't look like apple blossoms to me. Whatever it is, it's beautiful! Anyone?

Spring

Backtracking a few weeks. Everyone on the East Coast is used to seeing the redbuds each spring, but this gal from the West is always completely struck by their beauty. This was early on, just as they began to blossom.



Winter around here . . . eh. But spring. It rains warms again, these trees pop, and everything starts looking beautiful again.

Start of spring soccer

Oh, the best time of year is the start of each soccer season! We have several players new to our team this year, and even the first practice seemed quite promsing!



Trevor, unfortunately, missed out due to a cold, but he came out to support his teammates.



I sat around in my usual dreamy state, taking it all in and visiting with my friends . . . my social hour.

A few more pictures from Pennsylvania

We drove past my Aunt Ann Marie's house. This was the house my dad's family had lived in since he was a teen. After my grandparents' deaths, it became Ann Marie's house. She passed two years ago, and now someone else lives here. It's a little weird, a little sad; this is the house of all of my memories of my grandparents. But the new owner is young, enjoying it, and friendly with other family members, which makes me happy.

1529 Elliott Avenue

On our last night, we all met at my Uncle Joe's house. The men were all so sad until we brought out the camera and promised to take pictures of them.

Trevor, cousin Tom, Uncle Al, Uncle Joe

Lots of pictures.

Uncle Joe, Trevor, Holly, Kristine, Aunt Loretta, cousin Tommy

It was a nice trip. I am so glad to now live close enough to see this side of my family again. When my sister and I were little, my mom had aunts that we used to visit regularly. I look back now so fondly on that time and the feeling of family I had and have from that. I am grateful that I can give my kids the same opportunity.

Uncle Al, Uncle Joe and wife Kathy, Trevor, Holly, me, Sr. Loretta, Tom

Early morning conversation

Kristine: Ohmygosh, I wonder if I'm having a hot flash. All of a sudden, I am so stinkin' hot. (Fans self.)

Robert: You look really cute.

Kristine: Thanks!!!

Robert: You actually have some color in your face. I think you're flushed.

Recipe -- Turkey Burgers with Mushroom and Blue Cheese

While in Pennsylvania, we visited the amazing Allentown Farmers Market. This isn't just a few fruit stands set up in a big parking lot. We're talking more than 60 stands, 90,000 square feet of indoor shopping, produce, deli meats and cheeses, Pennsylvania Dutch and European baked deliciousness, food for now, food for later, an incredible assortment of everything one could possibly want--all at prices comparable to my local grocery store.

Included among the peperoni rolls, the strudels, and the pickled eggs, we saw Blue Cheese Buffalo Burgers. It brought back memories of the many times I used to buy these in Colorado Springs. I was inspired.

Trevor and I also ate veggie burgers that had been prepared earlier by my cousin, a noted vegan chef. The burgers were wonderful, but the literally hours-long preparation was not for me. Still, I was further inspired. When we returned home, I found this recipe.

TURKEY BURGERS WITH MUSHROOM AND BLUE CHEESE

1 lb. lean ground turkey (I used 99%)
8 oz. fresh mushrooms, finely chopped
1 onion, finely chopped
1. T. oil
2 T. soy sauce
1/2 t. kosher salt
1/4 t. pepper
4 oz. container crumbled blue cheese

Mix all ingredients together. Form into patties. The recipe calls for 4 patties; I was able to make 6, but we use small buns.

Instead of bbqing, I pan sauteed at just over medium heat for 6 mins. per side.

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Trevor's friend declared them "awesomely delicious." When he was done, I told him there were mushrooms in the burgers. He was floored; he refuses to eat mushrooms. Trevor loved me more than he ever did before. Robert thought they were really good. Holly. Well, Holly took one look, said she didn't feel well, would eat later, and left. LOL.

I froze the remaining patties, but I think it would be best to cook them before freezing. (Wouldn't the mushrooms get soggy by being frozen?)

Delicious, healthy, feel-good about yourself meal.

Hope and change

Robert got this back as change last week.



Robert says instead of hope and change, there's now truth in change.

LOL.

Visit to Clinton

One of our planned trips was to visit Clinton, NJ, where my sister and I were born. Clinton was a sleepy little town then, and while it still isn't big, it's on the western edge of the New York City Metropolitan Area. But we moved to California in 1966, and I've never been back.

The Red Mill

My parents moved here from California in 1962. It was a familiar area to my dad, who was from Bethlehem, just over the state line. My parents both worked for Lockheed, my mom in Plainfield, my dad in Metuchen, each on the other side of the state. Although my dad was taking night classes at Rutgers (close to Metuchen), this still must have been quite the commute in the early '60s.

South Branch of the Raritan River

They bought their first home in a then-brand new development adjacent to Lingerts Pond. Appropriately, our street was called Lingert. It was a bit sad to see it is now one of the less kept-up houses on the street.



We circled the block, with Holly taking pictures, and then we headed downtown.



My Aunt Loretta came along for the ride. We dressed according to the weather forecast--high 60s. Buuut it was 20 degrees cooler! I'd scoped out several restaurant choices a few weeks ago, and we settled on The Clinton Towne Restaurant, which turned out to be a fantastic choice!

After lunch, we ran across the bridge (in an unsuccessful attempt to stay warm) so I could get a few more photos.


The weather definitely changed our plans to walk in the town and visit the different shops. Instead, we headed back to southside Bethlehem, to see the house my Grandma lived in as a child. My dad lived here too as a child, and currently one of my distant cousins lives here.



We drove past St. Cyril & Methodius, our family's church since its inception in 1907. (Okay, really, how cool is that?)


The building was cleaned last year, and you can see that there was some problem with the stones weeping.


A really neat day; I'm so glad we had the opportunity to have my aunt give us a real tour. I hope that by memorializing some of this by blogging, my kids will remember this for decades to come. I hope they have the same opportunity to share this with their own kids.

Amazing, never before seen photo!!

A bit of a health fanatic, my Uncle Al never eats red meat or sugar. And I mean NEVER. But he goes to his favorite coffee shop every day for coffee, and in honor of our visit, he brought home a dozen of the WORLD'S BEST DONUTS for us.

Mary Ann Donut Kitchen has been around since the '60s. Krispy Kreme? Blue Collar Joe's? They've got nothin' on this place, don't even come close.

To further honor our visit, Uncle Al even ate one. I got my camera to memorialize this amazing event. They sent the photo to their own kids, who otherwise might never believe it happened.



Great donuts, great family . . . not necessarily in that order though!

Moms can never exhale

The kids and I drove up to visit family in Allentown/Bethlehem last week. You can imagine us flying up the highway, enjoying our six hour drive.

Except that when Trevor pulled his ear bud out of his ears, one of the buds stayed in. The cord came out just fine though.

He was so stunned that Holly was the one who broke the news to me.

He could feel it moving around just a bit, but it was about to fall out.

I am thankful that he's 13 and could tell me what happened. (Don't we all know a little kid who didn't tell and later had to have surgery?)

I am thankful that he could sit still in the car, not freak out, and not stick his finger in his ear in a useless attempt to get the bud out.

I am thankful for a random CVS in a random town, for a pharmacist who is a mom first. She could totally relate, eased my stress considerably, and provided directions to a nearby walk-in clinic if I could not get the piece out myself. I bought a pair of tweezers to try first.

I am thankful for a son who continued to remain calm under the circumstances and could hold his ear up just right so I had a straight shot in.

I am thankful that the bud had edges that were easy to grab. And that I GOT IT on the first try.

Yes, I should have put a penny next to it to show its actual size.

And I'm thankful that that was the extent of our excitement on our drive.

Recipe -- Dinner Roll Sandwiches

Using leftover dinner rolls, I made these delicious little sandwiches for lunch. They would be quite appropriate as a party appetizer or to take along to a potluck.

DINNER ROLL SANDWICHES

1 pkg. of 24 dinner rolls (Hawaiian rolls or otherwise; I used leftover potato rolls)
thinly sliced deli-style meat, such as ham, turkey, or roast beef
thinly sliced cheese, such as swiss, mozzarella, pepper jack
1 stick butter or margarine, melted
3/4 T. horseradish
1 T. mustard
1 T. Worcestershire sauce
1 T. poppy seeds
1/2 T. garlic powder
1/2 T. dried minced onion (I crushed to powder form)

Preheat oven to 325.

Taking care to not separate the rolls, slice in half horizontally. Place bottom half of rolls in pan or baking dish. It's best to fit them to the pan, but there can be extra space in pan, if necessary.

Layer with meat, then cheese, and put on top half of rolls. Brush with butter mixture. Bake for 20 mins., until cheese is melted. Slice through rolls and serve.
Keeping rolls

Last weekend

Trevor left Friday morning and spent three days with friends at an alpaca show.

Holly took her SATs Saturday morning. And survived.



Robert and I took her out to dinner that night.

On Sunday, Holly and I drove to Charlotte, NC to attend a large college fair.



I don't think she found anything too interesting, but it's always good to keep options open. It was a beautiful day for a drive too.



It was the start of daylight savings time--a busy weekend, cut short by one hour.

An early bedtime fits in perfectly. Yawn.

Love is in the air

I love this time of year. The days are longer, the sun is brighter, and I get to look at curriculum choices for the upcoming school year. Trevor will be using My Father's World Ancient History & Literature next year. I'm piecing it together from different sources to save $$$, but this is the portion I ordered directly from MFW. I can't wait to dig into the Guide and watch how the year come together.



The thrill of choosing never gets old.

Speaking of my Prius . . .

Left the house today and got gas. Drove to Roanoke and back, a combination of highway and city miles. I didn't use the ECO mode (makes the car drive like a Yugo); I drove at or above the speed limit; and my tires are not overinflated (which improves Prius gas mileage).

Yep. 64.7 mpg. It won't last for the full tank of gas, but it's fun to see. Most tanks of gas average 57 mpg. I really do love this car.

Spring

As long as I bundle up, it's been warm enough to walk. Trevor is a great motivator for me and can usually get me out of the house. This is my favorite view when we are heading toward home.



We first drove down this road three years ago. I fell in love with the street and wished we lived here.

My kids are homeschooled.

I drive a Prius.

I ate tofu last week.

I voted for Ron Paul today.

Exactly how in the world did I end up like this???




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The Ron Paul thing is almost understandable. Only Romney and Paul are on Virginia's ballot, no write ins allowed. I loathe Romney and found a bit of joy in voting against him today.

Mirrors

Floor mirrors!! I saw these in photos of an online friend whose home is for sale, and I fell in love with them.


And that light switch there on the wall? We realized last month that it connects to the two lamps on either side of the couch. There's a matching light switch at the other end of the room, and we found out it connects too. We've lived here for almost two years. I think my mindlessness is rubbing off on poor Robert.