Trip to Pennsylvania, Part 1 of 2

Our Summer of Driving continued earlier this month, as Holly and I traveled to Bethlehem to share in the celebration of my Aunt Loretta's 60th Jubilee (the anniversary of when she entered the convent).  With everything else going on, it was purposefully a short trip.

We got in late Saturday afternoon and stayed with Aunt Barb. The mass was held in the chapel at Monocacy, and the reception next door. There was such a large crowd that many were seated in the overflow room, viewing the service via Skype. (Keep in mind that this is basically a retirement home for nuns, who are more technically advanced than one might initially suspect!)

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I haven't been to a Catholic mass in years, and this was Holly's first time.

My beautiful girl

There was a candlelighting ceremony, and the celebrants renewed their vows.

Things have changed for the nuns since I was a girl.  I well remember the full habit Sr. Dorothea (as she was known back then) used to wear.  As time went on, the dressing relaxed to wearing just a habit in public, to now wearing regular street clothes. Even for the ceremony, the sisters had freedom in what to wear (as shown in the head coverings--or not--in the photo above).

Sr. Loretta

The reception hall was beautifully decorated, and the food was quite amazing. There was a salad bar (that Holly and I never managed to visit), and three long tables set up with delicious food.  There was also an entire dessert table with kiffles (not as good as our family's!!), different cookies, and at least two different cakes.

(Notice I managed to find one with a lot of frosting.  I know some don't care for it, so I made a mighty sacrifice.)

The was a running Power Point presentation spanning the years of the celebrants' lives.  .  (Remember, I said these nuns were tech-savvy.)  I stood by and took pictures of each of Sr. Loretta's.

About 180 people shared in the celebration.  Since my sister had been there ten years ago, I knew to look for Willie, my grandma's mailman from (at least) the 1970s.  Willie's sister entered the convent with Sr. Loretta 60 years ago; the friendship goes back a long time.  Lori and I well remember Willie coming to deliver the mail, being invited to sit down and have lemonade, visiting as we all gently rocked in the porch swing.

We were rather lax about organizing photos, although we managed to get in a few.

Holly, Uncle Joe, Aunt Loretta, Aunt Barb, me

It was a lovely and special celebration, and I'm so thankful that we were able to share in it with this side of my family.

Birthday

When I came home from work on Friday, these were waiting for me.

Judy had brought these lovely flowers. There was also a big helium balloon, which you can see underneath the glass table top. It was floating when she brought it but was taken out by our ceiling fan.

Ugh, there's that "F" word

And she brought me a giant birthday cake too, which we saved for Saturday! More birthday to come . . .

Kitchen!

I liked the tile backsplash that Robert put in our kitchen in Callaway so much that I begged him to do it in this house.  We shopped for and bought it last summer.  It wasn't easy.  Our countertop has a lot of gray and sage green in it, but the green wasn't something we wanted to highlight.  This tile is mostly browns, with a few greenish brown clear glass tiles, and some silver/stainless tiles mixed in too, to mach the appliances.

He put in undercabinet lighting and added in three more outlets along the two walls. He separated the canned lighting from the light over the sink, and then put dimmer switches on both of those and the undercabinet lights. The backsplash worked out well, since the walls were all cut up from the electrical work.  (lol)

It's gorgeous.  Every time I come down the hall and see it, I just love it all over again.

Oops! And update.

Soccer begins next week, and Robert sent out his annual "Welcome to the team!" email tonight.  Conversation at my house between me, Holly and Trevor:

Kristine: I didn't get Dad's email about the team. Did you guys get the email?

Trevor: Yep.

Kristine:  Holly, did you get the email?

Holly:I don't check email.  But no!

Kristine: You didn't???

Holly: I'm not on that team anymore. Remember???

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Oh, yeah. That's right.

Holly leaves in nine days.  We're about finished with buying what she'll be taking up next week to move in to her dorm. We'll have to start opening boxes, washing linens, and unwrapping smaller thigs to make the move as simple as possible.

So far, so good.  I haven't been overly emotional, although I've cried the last two days when talking privately to Robert.  I cried over how amazing all of this has been, our homeschool journey, how God has brought our kid to where she is now.  And I cried when remembering a conversation he and I had  12 years ago, when I told him that THOSE days of little kids would be the best days of our lives, that we needed to know that we were living them then.  I am so thankful for being at least semi-aware of that over the years.

Oops.  Weepy again; time to turn that off.

And we have a comedian

Holly:  I burned my hand really bad last night.

Me: How?

Holly:  On my hair. I was straightening my hair.

Trevor: Oh, you think your hair is that hot?

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My proud mama moment

As we neared the Franklin County line on our way back from the beach, Trevor spotted this gem.  He really wanted us to go through the drive through to buy two ice cream cones, pay with a penny and then demand change.

Great catch on the signage error, truly a boy after his mama's own heart.

As he was trying to take a photo and make sure he caught the sign at the right time, Robert inadvertently photobombed the shot. 

I didn't know about it until I uploaded my pictures.  Pretty amusing!

Last day at the beach

I decided to sleep in just a bit and missed the sunrise.

Everyone dragged out a bed a bit earlier than they wished--we had plans to hit the famous Britt's Donuts just next door on the small town Boardwalk.  It lived up to the hype. Although they only served glazed donuts, they were the best I've ever eaten.  We bought a bag full of a dozen and headed for the beach.

Holly and I went for a quick walk.  The day was already smokin' hot; it was definitely going to be warmer than the day before.

We saw more pelicans. They are so amazing!  Watching them dive straight down into the water to catch fish--I've seen it on tv a dozen or more times, but nothing compares to watching them in real life.

Oh! Seeing this photo reminds me:  As Holly and I were walking on the beach the day before, the tide was coming in.  We were walking along the edge of the waves. One came up much higher than I'd anticipated and literally knocked me right off of my feet.  I shouted, "Shit!" as I went down.  The biggest surprise is that I didn't hurt myself, and I don't even know how I managed to fall.  Both Holly and I found the whole thing absolutely hilarious.  I came up laughing, and a sweet woman watching close by made sure I was okay before she laughed at me too.  The worst part was knowing the other people had seen me, a tad embarrassing!

We checked out at the last minute and headed for home.  There is no easy way to get home quickly. We drove some interstate (I-40), some two lane back highways, and finally on a four lane state highway nearing Rocky Mount and back in familiar territory.

(Robert and) I'd been squirreling money away for this trip for quite a while. Barb and Dave gave us hotel points, which gave us a lot of freedom in where to go.  It was a sweet trip, knowing that Holly will be going off to school in three short weeks.

Beach trip!

I woke up Tuesday morning at sunrise and sat on the balcony.

I'd grabbed a blanket, but it was already in the mid 70s.  Everyone else slept through this, my favorite part of the day.

I could sit here and take pictures forever, never tiring of the view.

The weather literally changed before my eyes.

Robert came out in time to watch another squall blow through. 

After the rain passed, we woke the kids, and Robert and I went for a walk on the beach.  We rented a couple of beach chairs and an umbrella on the beach--which turned out to be a lifesaver, as the day was really hot, mostly overcast, and a bit muggy.

Holly, Trevor and I went for another walk.  (There's our hotel.)   

Most of my kid pictures look like this:

I grew up on west coast beaches.  I've been to east coast beaches several times now, and east coast beaches win.  The west coast beaches are prettier.  But the east coast has dolphins swimming in the surf.  Pelicans flying overhead, dive bombing into the water. (Really, though, can any beach be bad?!)  I loved seeing that most others on the beach were as fascinated by the dolphins and pelicans as we were, with everyone stopping what they were doing, pointing, and showing their young children.

We hung out on the beach for the afternoon.  Holly and I took another long walk, where we watched a kid pull in a sea turtle on his fishing line.  There were several fishing from the beach, and a crowd had gathered to watch when they realized he'd caught something larger than planned.  I don't know what they were fishing for, but someone came along to help the kid, cutting the turtle free from the line. 

At night, we drove into Wilmington and ate a Brazilian restaurant.  Robert and I had remembered this kind of cooking from a restaurant in Littleton years ago.  Holly and Trevor enjoyed the salad bar and the various kinds of meats that came past our table, hand carved for each person.  A memorable dinner.

We drove to the Kure ("Kure-ee") Beach Pier.  A friend had seen sharks at twilight swimming around the pier, and we were hoping for a glimpse, although we arrived far to late to see anything. 

Hey, more kid photos!

We walked to the end of the pier, past all of the fisherman.  It was definitely a place for the locals.

We headed back to our hotel, and then went out for ice cream just down the street.  Another hot night, waiting in a line that backed out to the sidewalk.  A fun, full day, packed with everything I think we wanted to do and see.

Beach getaway!

Our Summer of Driving continued with our quick trip to Carolina Beach.  I'd researched quite a bit online, and we were grateful for Barb and Dave's gift of hotel points. We stayed at a Courtyard right on the beach--9th floor with an outdoor balcony overlooking the ocean.

We ate dinner at a local restaurant, Hang Ten Grill, on their covered patio.  It was spectacularly warm and damp out, and it rained a bit while we ate.

Nice first day, with the small exception being I realized that I had left all of my shirts at home.  YIKES!  Thankfully, the trip was short, I had a dress, and I had the shirt I was wearing.  If I was going to forget clothes for a trip, this was the time to do it!  For the rest of the night, we enjoyed relaxing in the hotel room during the rain, just hanging out and watching tv.

A rainy day on the beach beats a great day at home every time!

Uncle Tom

The last time I went up to Pennsylvania, I was given several dozen photos that were taken from my aunt's house when she passed three years ago.  The majority were pictures of Lori and me when we were little, most of which I'd not seen before.

I came across this one of my Uncle Tom at John and Jeannette's wedding.  My dad, Tom, and John were best friends in high school. Tommy died in 1962. Growing up, he was somewhat of the mysterious uncle, the one who would have also moved across the country to California but was instead just a blurry face in a faded photograph. (You know, the one in the white tux in front of Grandma's flower hedge that served as a backdrop for all of the important pictures over the years.)

Anyway, I finally sorted through the pictures, sending half to Lori.  Awesome to see these photos.   Truly great stuff, family treasures.

Spellbound

Kota is possessed, and I'm pretty sure that the cat in the foreground is responsible for this.

Library directory

Dorothy snapped my picture while I was protesting the need for my photo. It actually worked out pretty well. I didn't even know she'd taken it until she tucked her camera away.

Eye'll be seeing you

This is the second time this summer that Trevor has had a friend over for biology dissections.The first time, they dissected a frog.  I seem to have lost the photos, and I'm pretty bummed about that (really).

This time, they each had their own cow's eye.

Trevor and Jason took biology together last semester, but there was only time for a fetal pig dissection in the classroom.

I was able to order these online from a homeschool science company at a very low cost.  Each kit came with all the supplies necessary, including a styrofoam tray, various necessary tools (scalpel, scissors, etc.), and a guide.  All together, I bought one 7" frog, two cow eyeballs, and one sheep's heart, which cost less than $40, including shipping.

I never would have done a fetal anything at home.  Holly's class got to watch a cat dissection, but I wasn't having any of that either.  (BLECH!!!!)

Fun stuff to do at home, at least from my more distant vantage point.  The boys enjoyed it too.

Pouring rains

Another afternoon of crazy rain.  3.16 inches fell in Daleville in a short period this afternoon.

We've not had to water our grass the entire summer.  You can see that our tree is sitting in its own little lake.

Small banks slid down onto Catawba Road, and a river of water washed across it.  The neighbors' pool is filled to the brim with muddy water.

We're steaming this summer.

The Big Toe

Fed up with Trevor, Holly's giant toe smacks him in the head.

School shopping

Holly and I started her dorm room shopping today, and Trevor came along. We went to a few places to search out bedding and ended up at Bed Bath & Beyond. She'd seen something there several weeks ago that she liked and was stuck on. I agreed that it seemed perfect for her (black and white, covered with the names of international cities). However, it was only available as a duvet cover, but just before we'd left home today, I checked out IKEA online and found great prices on duvets. Problem solved! She also found bath towels that she liked.

She treated me and Trevor to Starbucks.

Robert grabbed a microwave yesterday at a great price, and she bought a tv for herself.  And so the pile of moving stuff has begun.  It's in our dining room though, and with 37 more days left, I think we'll be moving it into her bedroom for awhile.

A sweet and fun and special day.

Precious puppy

Trevor and I were talking about Lakota a few days ago.  Trevor commented, "God must have done something to your heart so we could have this dog."  Oh, isn't that true?! 

I am so glad I have this sweet dog to love on!

New shower

When Holly and Trevor were at NC, Robert planned to replace their shower faucet. He went in through the access panel in our closet, the handle broke off in his hand, and when he then tried to go in through the faucet itself, the shower surround cracked. Isn't that the way things happen?

We had to decide between tiling the shower or replacing the surround.

 

Although we knew which one was easier, it wasn't a hard choice.

We shared our shower with Holly and Trevor for four weeks, but it was worth it.

It even makes me look forward to the day when we eventually tile our master bath shower.

New Homeschooling section at our library!

I am beyond pleased that our children's department now has its own Homeschool section!  While we had a handful of books collected from the regular library shelves, it was a privilege for me to be able to pick and choose the books that would be purchased for this new collection.

I also took a spare cart and will be highlighting different subjects every month or so, displaying various books from the regular collection. It's my hope to encourage homeschool moms to seek out "living books" to incorporate into their teaching.

Really exciting to be a part of this change!

Holly's cat

She's always made it very clear when the water bowl needs to be refilled.

She really is kind of cute.

New place for coffee

There's a new coffee shop that opened in our little town. It was a perfect excuse to meet up with an old friend. Robert met Peggy and her husband Jim six years ago the first time he went to Calvary Chapel here in Roanoke. They have always been so sweet and kind--the kind of people I would like to be.

They live very close by, but this is the first time I've seen Peggy in person in several years.  She  doesn't believe I'm antisocial. I've had 50 45 years of practice at pretending otherwise.

I like this place much better than the other local coffee shop, and not just for the awesome patio and view. I need to spend more time here, even if it means seeing people.

Foggy mornings

Lots of these this summer so far. Lots more rain than usual too, it seems.

Lucky

We worry about him quite a bit, his health, how he's feeling.  Sometimes he spends a lot of time sleeping, and sometimes we can tell he doesn't feel well. He has cataracts clouding his eyes.

But I'm wondering how much of this is real and how much is fake.

Robert and I were gone a few weeks ago, and Lakota twisted out of her collar while outside.  Holly brought Lucky onto the front porch, thinking he might be able to entice Lakota to come home quickly.

It was sprinkling outside, and he whined at the front door, wanting to come in.

But then he saw a squirrel--in a neighbor's yard across the street.  And he was GONE.

It's hard to believe you see something like that and take off if you're blind, sore and tired.

Our sweet, beloved, silly dog.