A fantastic gift

I'm still wishing desperately that I had real time to devote to genealogy, but it makes me happy to know that I'll have something to do when both of my kids are no longer living at home.

 Just a small sampling

My (mom's brother) Uncle Jimmie sent a package today.  He was closer to several of his father's siblings than my mom or Sue. He included different packets for my grandfather, two different great aunts, and a great uncle.  The packets include a variety of random family memorabilia, including original marriage/birth/baptismal certificates, military information, death and burial papers and more. 

There are also a dozen or so correspondences between the siblings--some just brief notes in sympathy cards marking someone's passing, others are several pages, handwritten, revealing much about the relationship between the writer and recipient. Also included are dozens of photos, including some which are personal to me and never seen before: a family gathering including my mom, a photo of my great-grandmother with her two oldest children, and a photo of my Welsh great-grandfather as an older man (see the top center photo above). 

Back: Grandmother Florentine Connor Thomas, great-uncle Ellis Thomas, 

great aunts Isabel Thomas Smith and Helena Thomas FauVel. 

Front: Isabel's son Peter Thomas, my mom, my uncle Jimmie Thomas.

It was completely unexpected, and as I opened each envelope, I stood at the counter for an hour, looking though everything briefly for the first time.  I'm overwhelmed with awe and gratitude that Jimmie gave these to me. 

Tree is up!

It was done in bits and pieces but is DONE!  At Holly's request, Robert set it up before Thanksgiving, because she wanted to decorate it, but her part of it never happened.  ;)  We have four boxes of ornaments, including one for each of the kids. I put up the first two, as Trevor was going to hang his with me while I hung Holly's.  That changed at the last minute when he ended up spending the night at Kurt's, so I did both of their boxes too, leaving just a few choice ones out for Trevor to hang.  Robert finished off with just a bit of tinsel.  I love hanging up those ornaments each year, remembering from where/who they came--even if my memory is a bit blurred on some of them.

Don't try this at home

Another spectacular sunrise on my way to work this morning.  If I would leave just THREE minutes earlier, I would be able to find a fantastic vantage point, stop and take real photos.  Snapping randomly from my phone while paying attention to driving just doesn't work at all.

Old reliable

My mom and Mike bought me this little food processor literally decades ago, 1988? 89? 91?

I use it several times a month. It's great for chopping up cranberries, canned artichoke hearts, garbanzo beans, corn flakes and more. I use it to make mayonnaise. It has a little grater attachment that I mostly use for carrots (carrot cake!) and cheese.

It's small (compared to other processors) and doesn't have a lot of useless attachments, so it's easy to store.  It has just a couple of parts, and all of those are simple to toss into the dishwasher.

And every time I pull it out, I think about how much use I've gotten out of this gift, and how long it's lasted.  I am pretty sure that I could never find a similar replacement.  And honestly, I'm terribly impressed that any small household appliance has lasted this long. They aren't made to last anymore.

Because they are cats

Holly brought her fish home at Thanksgiving, and she'll take it back with her in January. 

The cats, naturally, are fascinated by it.

Book Reviews

God's Story, Your Story: When His Becomes Yours by Max Lucado

Typical, easy to read and encouraging Lucado. Comfort food.


Waking Up in Heaven: A True Story of Brokenness, Heaven, and Life Again by Crystal McVea

A pretty good story, mostly about Crystal's life before finding Jesus, and how her life changed after visiting heaven when she died in a hospital.

The Mark of a Christian by Emlen S. ("Charlie") Garrett

Judy first "introduced" me to Charlie several years ago, and I've followed this pastor for several years on Facebook ever since.  When I found that he'd written a book awhile back, I bought it.  It was a very encouraging read, with each chapter addressing a topic often misunderstood/misinterpreted in today's church.  I loved that I could hear Charlie's voice in his writings.

Charlie is one of the most gifted teachers I've ever heard.  You can follow his daily devotional here.  He teaches one verse per day, going through an entire book of the Bible.

Judy and I say that one of these days, we'll drive down to Florida and visit Charlie.  It wouldn't surprise me at all!

Scrooge

Trevor and I went to see the play Scrooge.  It's put on by a local church, which has been doing it for 10+ years.  It's held in the performing arts center downtown, four shows during the first weekend of December. The facility seats over 2,000 and was filled to capacity on the night we were there. 

It was incredible. We've been to the church a few times, and I can't believe a church this size could put on an incredible production like this.  The stage sets took my breath away; the acting, singing, and choreography were professional quality.  Even when the sound glitched for 30 seconds, the actors continued like nothing was wrong.
 

I was thinking, oh, it's just a nice little church play, it will be over in an hour.  It went for two hours! I rushed home and made homemade tomato soup--nothing at all, thankfully, like any yuck from a can. I've made it before, but I don't know if anyone else ate it. Trevor and Robert both thought it was wonderful (but of course by that time, they were starving).

TOMATO BASIL PARMESAN SOUP


1 c. finely diced carrots
1 c. finely diced onion
1 c. finely diced celery
1 t. salt
1/4 t. pepper 1 tsp. dried or 1 T. fresh oregano
1 T. dried or 1/4 c. fresh basil
2 14 oz. cans diced tomatoes, undrained
4 c. chicken broth
1/2 c. butter
1/2 c. flour

1 c. parmesan cheese
12 oz. can evaporated milk (I use non-fat--can also sub in 1/2 and 1/2)

 Heat about 1 T. of oil in large pot to medium high. When hot, add in carrots, onion, and celery, and cook, stirring often, until softened but not browned.  Salt and pepper to taste.  Add in crushed oregano and basil, tomatoes, and half of chicken broth.  If you'd like your vegetables smaller, take out a cup or two at a time, process in food processor, and return to pot.  (Be careful you don't burn yourself!) Heat to boil, reduce heat and simmer. 

Prepare roux by melting butter and then whisking in flour.  Continue to cook to let roux brown a bit.  Add in remaining chicken broth, slowly adding in 1/4 to 1/2 c. each time, whisking well before adding more broth.  Slowly whisk this sauce into the rest of the soup.

Stir in the parmesan cheese and the evaporated milk.  Heat very gently on low until warmed through (you don't want to curdle the milk).


Original recipe, including crockpot directions, here.

Some cool stuff

I love that Holly goes to school in DC because of the unique opportunities the location affords.  Laurie Robinson is one of Holly's profs this year (this semester and next).  She's been the U.S. Assistant Attorney General--twice.  Earlier this week, the President appointed Robinson co-chair of the new Task Force on 21st Century Policing. Another Honors professor is physicist James Trefil, author of 30 books and known for his teaching of science to non-scientists. 

Tonight, Holly attended a lecture for extra credit in her criminology class. Michael Hayden was the guest speaker. He was the Director of the NSA (1999-2005) and the Director of the CIA (2006-2009).

There have been almost a dozen class speakers this semester, including lobbyist Jim Morhard, with his incredible personal story; B. Todd Jones, Director of ATF; and Jim Burch and Geoffrey Laredo, both of whom hold high profile positions in public offices.

It just thrills me, and I'm noting this so they aren't forgotten by me down the road. :)

Holly's Chinese assignment

End of Thanksgiving week

We packed up the cooler with food for the next two weeks: French onion soup, buffalo chicken, Husband Delight, Chicken Stuffing Bake, pizza, chicken tenders, lettuce, cheese, salami, fruit--and some yummy treats, candy, jello, coffee creamer, egg nog, soda. (I forgot to get the chocolate chip pancakes Robert had made for her. :(  )

I was a little concerned about so much driving on the busiest travel day of the year. The morning drive up was a breeze, gorgeous out, traffic was good with noticeably fewer trucks.

When we got to school, we unpacked the car and put things together back at her room, then grabbed Indian food on campus.  Parking is a constant juggle.  5 Minute Unloading Zone, 30 Minute Free Parking, $3 per hour in the parking garage, and the two more 30 minute parking spots at different areas.  It's crazy, it's expensive, and I'm paranoid now about another parking ticket.

We went back to Holly's room, and she strung Christmas lights up all around her room.  They looked great, and we had the perfect amount of lights!  Luckily, there was a small step ladder out in the living room, which made hanging some of the hooks possible.

While Holly maneuvered the lights around her room, I decorated her table top Christmas tree with the balls, owls, and snowmen she picked out. It's a fiber optic tree that changes color--so cute!

We went back to rescue the car, stopping at Starbucks on the way back.  We hung out in the bright and comfy but always empty lobby before I left.
 

Oh, the drive home was far different than the drive there!  Leaving DC Metro area was (surprisingly) a breeze.  Traffic backed up for a mile waiting to get on I-81 southbound.  Once on I-81, it took 30 minutes to go 6 miles.  Over the next 150 miles, there was a lotta, lotta stop and go, two small fender benders, and that part of the trip took four hours.  It was almost a party at times. Window rolled down (hey, it was warm outside), turning on the light to find my snacks, hanging out and waiting for traffic to move yet again. Talked to Robert a few times, but it was good, no awful wrecks.  We were both wondering when she went back last year though!

Two more weeks for Holly, a couple of presentations and papers, then three finals, and then HOME for five weeks over Christmas!

So thankful

Kids both home for Thanksgiving. I don't take that lightly, as I know that won't always be the case.

A relaxing day, watching some tv, fixing food, sitting by a fire.

Dinner.

Jello pretzel salad, gravy, spinach Madeline, 

mashed potatoes, cranberry sauce, turkey, cranberry nut bread

Our little family.

So blessed.

First SNOW of the season

Waaaaaay too early!  It began snowing before dawn, and by the time I left for work, we had an inch on the ground. It was a big, fat, wet snow, just like spring (which can't come too soon for me!).  It was only slushy rain from the interstate to the rest of the way to work.

I came home at noon to several inches.

Trevor had plans back in town with a friend, so I grabbed him and headed back out.  Still just wet in town.  After dropping him off at the movies, I ended up hanging out with his friend's mom, grocery shopping together, and she then treated me to coffee.

Back at home, we had Pizza Hut for dinner, and I hung out with the kids and watched tv.  Lovely Thanksgiving Eve, low key, low stress.

Getting ready!

Holly said she wants to decorate the tree when she's home for Thanksgiving.  We're ready!!  (Wow, the tree looks awfully naked!)

This is the first time she's been home since she left three months ago. Although I've been up to see her several times, I am SO EXCITED that she's coming home!!!

Pulling out SCRABBLE

I love playing games with Trevor (well, with either of my kids). The biggest problem is that I forget about the games unless they are sitting out where I can see them. 

Although I hate to lose, I am very proud of him when he beats me--which is most of the time. 

It doesn't get any closer than this. He won, 255 - 254.

Trevor

He has always been a comedian. Even when he was little, his jokes were sophisticated. He sometimes had not-so-funny ones, but for the most part, he's never been afraid to show that side of his personality.  As he's gotten older, his comments will be dry and very matter-of-fact, and it's easy to miss his quips if you're not paying attention.

Recently, Trevor and I discussed briefly--because he's 16, right?--a friend who was torn between a previous commitment with Trevor and an invitation the friend had received from a girl.

Trevor lamented, "Whatever happened to brethren before wenches?"

He may be playing too many medieval video games.

Quick rundown of the week

A usual week, work and school.  I was coming down with a cold on Thursday, started sucking zinc cold meds, and was back to good on Saturday night.  I never came down with it full force, and it never got worse than the first day with a sore throat.  This is consistently my results with the zinc meds--they make  EVERY difference!

Nothing super spectacular, although there was this sunrise today.

On Friday night and Saturday, I fixed another couple of weeks' worth of meals for Holly: Greek Lemon Soup, beef in bbq sauce, rotisserie-style chicken, lemon pasta, brown butter rice, chicken and swiss casserole.  I also sent along a bunch of chopped up lettuce, an avocado, and pomegranate seeds, all ready to eat, plus a frozen Sam's pizza, and the chile rellanos Robert made earlier in the week.

It was Kurt's birthday party, so we all spent the evening over at his house.  Early on, eating and playing games before the last few people arrived.

Most parents didn't stay, but we were invited to (!!).  The men stayed in the kitchen, and us four moms stayed in the living room.  I had a hilarious time with Amy. 

Just got this pic from Judy. Surprised at how ghastly I look, thanks to a recent horrible haircut. I need to get that fixed asap.

Robert and I left after the cake, and Trevor spent the night.

Robert just left this morning to take stuff up to Holly. I am glad he's going, glad he feels good enough to go (just getting over a sinus infection). It's gorgeous out, and while he got what would be a late start for me, he's not as set about getting home around dark as I am.

The whole morning to myself at home . . . I hope I don't waste all of it!

Bonfire Weekend

On Saturday night, I took Kurt and Trevor to a "homeschoolers' bonfire.".  LOL.  It was an open invitation for any homeschooled teen to come. We didn't know the hosts but we have several mutual friends in common and were passed along an invitation.  We later found out that the family had coached our 6-8 soccer team several years ago, and even though it was at the same time Robert was coaching 13+, we don't remember them.

Kurt's parents are out of town, so we went down to pick him up and then drove back up to Fincastle for the bonfire.  It was definitely the coldest night of fall so far, and I was worried about that, but it turned out to be perfect weather to hang out by a hot fire.

There were about 60 people there, spread out in a couple of different areas.  While I was worried that there would be swarms of 13 year old girls and just my two bored, shell shocked 16 year old boys, I didn't need to fret.  They were approached immediately by one friend who exclaimed, "You're late!!" Another friend found them, and the four of them hung out until they were joined by a couple of girls.  There was another similarly sized group of older boys too, but we didn't know who they were. 

We stayed mostly by the bonfire. Others, including many of the younger kids, stayed near the human foosball court.  A group of parents hung out by the snack and s'mores table.  I found an old friend from the library who I knew would be there, and we chatted and caught up all night.  Facebook's got nothin' on face to face.

We had a nice time, not thrilling beyond all imagination, but it was fun to do something a little different, and I imagine we'd go again next year.

On Sunday, we picked Kurt up again and brought him to our house.  The boys get together every Sunday afternoon to study for the Logic class and work on homework together.  Kurt's mom's goal was to give them a taste of what they can do in college, meet up with a classmate, bounce ideas off of each other and work together.  Instead of being in Trev's room like usual, they sat out at the kitchen table.  Wow!!  It was everything we could have hoped for--listening to them read the questions, discuss answers, reviewing talk out the answers, debate possibilities, and settle on an answer. It doesn't have to be the same answer, as long as they can justify their position.

Kurt stayed for dinner, and at Trevor's request, I made green chile chicken (I've only made it for Holly really so far), a fantastic black beans recipe, Chipotle-style rice, and pico.  We finally broke out the other half of Holly's ice cream birthday cake for dessert, and the guys all thought I was the best mom (or wife, in Robert's case) EVER.  :)  I'm pretty good with that.

BOO!!!

So I guess this is the 8th anniversary for my blog. Wow.  There are not many things I've been super consistent about, including posting.  But I am SO very glad that I've kept this up, posting about the hundreds of small things we've done, a few of the milestones, and the pictures.   Some things haven't been posted, lost in a time crunch, or along with photos that I never got to.  And some of the posts have my skewed or wishful perspective.  But that's okay.  It's all been good, and it is SO cool to have done this.  It makes me happy to see how it has worked out. (Nope, not a "this is the end"of it either, just me commenting!"

Again, no trick or treaters for Halloween.  After having not one single person last year, I can't say that I was surprised.  We now have a good dozen kids on our street.  I don't know where they go.  It started raining lightly last night around 6:30, so I hope they went someplace dry.  Any less than perfect Halloween weather reminds us of when the kids were little, the snowy, cold, icy trick or treating.  We always made the best of it, and those were usually the more memorable Halloweens!

Robert came up with this.

I'm not sure what was underneath the black drape, but the whole thing stood about 5 feet tall.  He carved this face into the pumpkin, which looked pretty cool when lit up through the mask.  Gosh, those white pumpkins are pretty and unusual!

 Trevor tried a couple of very detailed, intricate carvings, which didn't turn out.  He's used to easily turning out masterpieces.  I took a stab (HAHAHA!) at the other side of the pumpkin and came up with this.  I was pretty pleased with how it went.  There was a big hole in the back of the pumpkin, so Robert covered it with foil. But in the candlelight, you couldn't tell.  It just looked more fiery.

I brought sushi home for Trevor for dinner, we all hung out while it rained outside, and watched tv. We'd pretty much eaten all the candy that we'd bought, so that probably all worked out for the best anyway!

Missing Lucky

(I haven't posted yet about losing our sweet dog Lucky, but when I do, I'll back date it.)

Lucky has an old dog friend that comes by occasionally.  They have been a perfect pair, our half-deaf old dog, and this lumbering, graying Golden who lives a few doors down, two geriatrics who enjoy each other's gentle company.

Several months ago, Lucky got in the awful habit of barking, just once, every few minutes when he was outside.  For the longest time, I thought it was because he was ready to come in.  More recently, I realized he would bark with his back to the door, facing the yard.  He was barking, looking for his friend.


The day after we put Lucky down, his friend came looking for him. 

He wandered around this section of the yard and where Lucky used to hang.  He gave his deep, raspy bark a few times, just like Lucky used to give.  After five or ten minutes, he headed off back towards his own house.

It about broke my heart, not so much because he was looking for my dog, but because I wished Lucky had lived longer than this guy.

Fall

Gorgeous day yesterday, upper 70s, the last breath of summer.  Robert and I took Kota for a walk at sunset.

The sun had already set behind this hill, and this was the best I could do with my camera.

Probably the last night we'll have several windows open in the house. 

Goodbye, summer!  I loved you and can't wait to see you again!!!

This happy guy . . .

offered to ride to the grocer store with me the other day.

I love the cutoff Batman pj pants

He wasn't really mad, it's just a look he's practiced after watching Sawyer on Lost for many months.

But he's getting awfully good at it.

Throw Back Thursday -- Family Photos

Incredible photos sent to me by my Aunt Sue.

My mom's mother's parents, Bernard Connor (1878-1928) and Rose Droppelmann Connor (1881-1960). They don't look very old in this photo. A friend pointed out that this photo must have cost them quite a bit of money back in that time.  Isn't it amazing how their faces are lit up by the fire?

My mom's father's parents, Helena Gaelick Thomas (Elena Gallich) and William Henry Thomas, with their two oldest children, Helen and Bill.  I have a book written by two sister of my great-grandmother Elena Gallich, detailing their travels between Ukraine and Canada.  She met Bill in Calgary, and they moved to Seattle, where he became a street car conductor. She's stunning. The only other photo I have of her was as a child in a family photo.   

Helen and William went on to have more children, including Ellis.   I wrote about Ellis last month here.

I am thrilled beyond words at the gift of these photos!!

Soccer Banquet!

Another season ending!

We had a great night at Bellacino's, our long time, go-to soccer banquet place.

What a great group of kids we had this year, not just our 13+ team, but the 6-8 and 9-12 kids are so wonderful and sweet, and their coaches are such a wonderful group of Godly men.  The league definitely has its issues, but our team is special, and I'm grateful.

The restaurant blocks off half of their space for us. Each family orders off of the regular menu, we push tables together into big groups and eat.  Every family brings a dessert to share, and we snack before and during the giving out of awards.  (How nice is the restaurant to let us do that too?)

Customary photo of Robert with Trevor during awards.

And one of the coolest things was a dessert one of our moms brought.  Occasionally over the years, someone will do something really fancy, but it's always for the younger teams. This is the first time anyone has done anything spectacular for the big kids!

It was a great night, fun way to end the fall season.  This is Trevor's 13th season of soccer, just three more to go.

Meeting up with Laura in Charlotte

Laura and I have been internet friends for years and years, since 2003.  Actually, I thought it was a few years longer, but that's when she joined our loopy group.  We've met in person before, when she was living in Colorado, and our family mini-vacationed in Glenwood Springs in 2004.  Laura and her girls drove in and we went out for ice cream together.

Look at that!  Laura's oldest is married, two of our girls are sophomores in college, and her youngest is in missionary school in Florida.  Only Trevor is still being homeschooled, and he's taller than all of us!

Wow.

Fast forward to this week.  Laura joined her husband on a business trip into Charlotte. 
I've only been to Charlotte once, a couple of years ago with Holly.  It's a three hour drive, and there's a scary 6 mile section with steep grade that is terribly susceptible to heavy fog.  The colors were gorgeous, an indication of the elevation.  There was some fog but nothing too scary.

It was an easy drive right to her hotel downtown.  I should've gotten a picture of downtown; it has a few skyscrapers that are quite unique; just lovely.

Based on the weather (rain predicted), we made what seemed like an odd choice for a destination:  The Billy Graham Library.  I don't know too much about Billy, but I grew up in the age of the televangelist:  Jim Bakker, Hour of Power, etc.  Not exactly models . . .  Laura was a bit skeptical too, but it was ranked the #1 tourist destination in Charlotte by Trip Advisor, it was close to her hotel, and it was free.

The grounds are gorgeous. The "library" (really a tour/museum) is housed here.  We didn't really comment on the building, but once we were inside, there was mention of coming in "at the foot of the cross," which we thought was quite clever and lovely.  It made me see the entrance through entirely different eyes.

After being warmly greeted and stopping at the information desk, we began the tour with others who had arrived at about the same time.  There were more than a dozen rooms to move through, some with videos to watch, others with displays and memorabilia. 

You went through pretty much at your own pace, but you also stayed pretty much with your group, as some of the rooms had you stop to watch a larger video.  It sounds a bit odd and forced, but it worked, and we felt neither rushed nor slowed.

It was quite well done. The focus was not on Billy Graham but rather on how God used a man to spread His Word and to bring Him glory. It was a tour through Billy's life, his childhood, his marriage and family life, his international travels, his presence in the media on talk shows, etc.

The end of the tour, with a mural by Thomas Kincade.  Odd now, but also oddly appropriate . . .

Laura and I tried our hand at more than a few selfies, failing miserably.  Hilarious!! There is definitely a learning curve which I don't think either of us will ever master.

Bathrooms.  It was my first stop in the building, not surprisingly.  These were the biggest bathroom stalls I have ever seen, and first one (and last?) where I've ever taken a picture!  Look at this, no squeezing between the door and the wall here! 

The sinks were even awesome.  Who wouldn't want one of these somewhere in their house? Basement? Dog wash? Baby --heck TODDLER-- bath?!

(Wiped off the smeared lens.)

As we were conscientious of the time, we opted to stay there for lunch.  Lovely eating area, sweet servers in the food line, good food, and we spread out in a large booth and chatted for an hour and a half--

--before remembering we still wanted to visit the bookstore and Billy's childhood home, which was also on the grounds.

We again attempted a few selfies, then waited for someone young enough to walk by who could take a picture with a cell phone.  (Hahaha!!)

I easily could have stayed for another four hours. It was SO much fun, and I had a really, really great time.

I dropped Laura off back at her hotel and headed for home.  I unexpectedly hit some of that scary fog at the pass. I did slow waaaay down, and the visibility was quite low.  As we were going uphill though, it was far less dangerous than driving in the fog going downhill.  (Every few years, there is a horrible pileup with fatalities on the downhill side.)  I just drove with my flashers on, making sure I could see far enough ahead. As I came over the top of the hill--SUNSHINE and blue sky, the first I'd seen all day!

It was an absolutely gorgeous drive home, and I wish Robert had been with me to appreciate the foliage (and take pictures).  Breathtaking.

A super fun day, so glad we were able to do this a second time, and hopefully it won't be ten more years before we do it again!

Holly's belated birthday

We drove up yesterday to celebrate Holly's birthday.  The drive started out drizzly and foggy, but it gradually cleared and showed the beginning of spectacular fall colors.

We unloaded coolers and packages and cards at school, and Holly unpacked and opened everything.

She chose Chili's for lunch. They have a revamped menu, which happily still includes the 2 for $20 deal that we like so much. We were quite impressed by the new plating.  And look at Robert's fajitas for one person!

The unspoken rule is no face photos

We ran through Walmart and loaded her up on groceries to last the next few weeks. We stopped at DQ to look for an appropriate small birthday cake, but they had nothing--so next time, I'll bring something up. It's always nice to spread a birthday out a bit!

Back at Holly's apartment, we unpacked groceries and headed over to Starbucks to drink and chat some more before leaving for home.  It was a nice day, fun for all of us to visit and be together.

We were blessed that the rain held off all day and for the drive home.

Happy birthday, baby girl!  Hard to believe we've celebrated so many October 4s!! We love you more than you can ever imagine, and hearts are overwhelmed and so very proud of the generous, loving, kind, tenderhearted, brilliant, beautiful, and thoughtful young woman you are.

(And now Mom cries.) 
 ❤ ❤