More from December, Part Two

Taking ornaments down from the Christmas tree, I was struck by such a wave of sadness when I came across the ones Georgia gave me years ago.

I was there for Christmas in 1988.

Sweet Star, 1988

 For as long as I knew her, she loved animals--from strays she would turn into pets, to the bears she'd hope to see when visiting Glacier National Park.

And I was there for Christmas in 1989.

I was there for 1990, too. It was the last Christmas I would spend in California.  I don't think I have an ornament from her that year.  It was her baby's first Christmas, and I know she would have been so busy with him!

I wasn't there for 1991, but she still sent me this--a last and perfect addition to my small collection.

So bittersweet.  I'm so thankful  have these to pull out every year. I've always smiled and remembered earlier times when I see these. But now there will be an underlying sadness too, for my wonderful friend whom I miss so much . . .

Christmas Day

(Catching up and writing this almost six months later. While I had blogged a few notes and save, it's still a rather pieced together and disjointed post.)

The annual Christmas Eve photo.

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(Robert's mom is here with us for Christmas.)

8:30 a.m.   Jean: "Well, it's not like when the kids were little on Christmas morning!"  Robert, Jean, and I have been up for more than an hour, but the kids sleep on.

On the plus side, I can take advantage of this time to prepare some of the food for later today . . .

?? Begin opening gifts.  Trevor opens the first present.  As he begins, I see that it's a package of socks for Holly.  I stop him and ask him to check the tag.  Yep, it says it's for Trevor.  I wrapped it; I wrote the tag. I'm off to a great start this morning!

Lakota--aka The Princess--has claimed her spot on the couch, complete with a pillow for her head.

Lucky in his favorite spot, on his favorite cushion, where he can see everything going on.

Holly opened a box of candy from Aunt Barb and Uncle Dave.  She lifted off the top and found this.  So cute and clever!

Apparently, it's been an exhausting morning for some!

12:00 noon Present unwrapping done, kids looking at various things, Trevor and I ate lox and bagels for breakfast; Jean, Robert, and Holly had pastries.

1:00 p.m. Ham cubes -- done.  Now to begin jello pretzel salad.
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Conversation between me and Jean.

Jean: I don't know why they'd do that on a Sunday.

Me: Except that today is Monday.

Holly, from the other room:  Um, today is Tuesday!

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Listening to the epic Bing Crosby White Christmas CD, the best Christmas CD ever!

4:30 p.m.  Ha, I guess I should have started the meat an hour and a half ago.  We'll see how this turns out.  Late, in any event!

We have collectively talked to Barb and Dave, my Dad and Sherry, Mike and Valerie, and my mom.

7:30 p.m. Dinner of standing rib roast w/horseradish sauce, swiss chicken bake, new red potatoes, cheesy mashed potatoes (at the kids' request), spinach madeline, corn, cranberry nut bread, and raspberry pretzel jello salad.  Adding in the chicken casserole seemed odd, but the kids weren't super interested in the prime rib, and it actually turned out to be a marvelous addition.  We need to keep this in mind and do it again.

Good thing it's cold out on the sun porch, because not everything is fitting into my refrigerator!

Merry Christmas!

More from December, Part One

We've had the most amazing sunrises this year.

Participated in my loopy friends annual ornament exchange.  Sharon sent me this cute little sled and a sweet card.

A small section of our dining room table centerpiece.

Holly's Chinese writing.

Morning mist and jet trails.

Robert's mom came out for Christmas. She was here for two weeks or so.

Holly and Trevor's annual Christmas-by-the-tree pic

Sad week

GEORGIA LEE JONES BIASCA 

8/15/63 - 12/18/12 

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6/81

Besties before it was a word.

undated/late 80s Christmas

undated/late '80s Christmas

undated/late '80s Christmas

undated/late '80s Christmas

undated/late '80s summer

6/88? 6/89?

Beautiful bride.

12/89 Christmas

Debbie was pregnant; Georgia was too, although she didn't know it yet.

8/90

I visited Debbie after Stacey was born in June. Georgia's Matt was born mid-September.

12/90

The last Christmas we were together.

12/94

Debbie and Georgia came out to see baby Holly,

leaving their own babies at home to come and see mine.

D, G, and I spent a day up in Breckenridge.

12/94 

Right before they left to fly back home.

 Holly and I flew out to California in the spring of 1996.  We stayed one night at Georgia's, and it was so much fun for all three of us to be together with all of our kids. That was the last time we were all together.

We kept in touch by phone only after that, although there was a period of a few years when I couldn't speak to her.  When I finally called her again, she picked up like nothing had ever happened.  She was like that.  She loved to talk about the old times, and between the two of us, we could piece together many memories.

Debbie, Robyn, and I have acknowledged that we knew this phone call would come. So while not a complete surprise, still such a shock.

Georgia lost a lot of battles here.  But that's not the end of her story.  Talking to her two years ago, she told me that she believed in God, believed everything in the Bible, and that she believed Jesus came to die for her.  Because of her mobility problems, she had difficulty going to her church on her own, but I know there were times she would read her Bible at home.  I can take some comfort in knowing that she is walking easily, dancing and running even, pain free, again smiling genuinely from her heart--and she is FINALLY AT PEACE.

Oh, God, we are going to miss her . . .   ::crying again::

CRAZY day

3:00 Holly has Chinese final, an online interview with teacher but is unable to access website. Hysteria and panic.

3:01 Trevor unable to find dress blues shirt for CAP Christmas banquet. Panic and mayhem.

3:02 Robert has to leave for Charlotte to meet Jean's plane. Flees the madness at home with everything in a panic.

3:03 I leave work early (as planned). I sit in the parking lot to return a call to JMU admissions. The admissions counselor tells me that Holly needs one more credit in upper level math to be competitive.  He says that because she is homeschooled, she has the flexibility to get this done, which would not be the case if she were in public school.  He says she can begin in January and that he would only expect her to complete a majority of the work.  After all, he tells me, public school classrooms don't necessarily finish their books.  He says that if she is still interested in JMU, that we can decide what curriculum to use and let him know by mid-Jan.  Meanwhile, Holly's early admission application will be turned over to regular admission.

I took this all as a good sign.  He was very nice, and if they weren't interested, they certainly could have just denied her application.  He also told me that he appreciated the 26 page course description that I attached to her transcript, that they frequently end up contacting parents to find out more about their curriculum.  This was nice for me to hear.

4:00 On the way to Charlotte, Robert gets a call that the rental house has a leak under the kitchen sink.

4:15 I get home.  Holly was able to get through to her teacher finally and complete her interview.

4:16. I find Trevor's shirt and throw it in the laundry.

Holly and I drop Trevor off at his CAP banquet, eat dinner at Cheddar's (yum!), and wander the mall until it was time to get Trevor.

9:15 We get home.

9:16 Holly checks email and learns that she got a 95% on her Chinese final!

9:17 Holly opens an email from University of Denver congratulating her on being accepted into their class of 2017!!

ROLLer coaSTER of a day!!

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(Holly got her first acceptance last week from George Mason.  Exciting times!!)

Recipe - Pumpkin Soup

No, it does not include the cat.

I've made this several times over the past few months.  It's pretty easy, and it's healthy.  Trevor and I scarf it down (although Robert and Holly won't eat it).  I've tweaked the recipe finally to where we like it, so I'm writing it down to replicate it next time.

PUMPKIN SOUP

1 generous T. oil (1 turn of the pan)
3 T. butter
1 bay leaf
4 ribs celery, diced
2 medium yellow onions, diced
salt and pepper
4 T. flour
1-3/4 t. poultry seasoning
1/2 t. ground coriander
2 t. hot sauce, or to taste
7 c. chicken stock
2 cans cooked pumpkin puree (15 oz. cans? Whatever one pie uses.)
12 oz. can evaporated milk (I use fat free)

Garnish:
freshly grated nutmeg
craisins

Heat a medium soup pot over medium to medium high heat. Add the oil and melt the butter. Add bay, celery, and onion. Season with salt and pepper. Cook 6 or 7 minutes until tender. Add flour, poultry seasoning and hot sauce to taste, then cook flour a minute. Whisk in chicken stock and bring liquid to a bubble. Whisk in pumpkin in large spoonfuls to incorporate it into the broth. Simmer soup 10 minutes to thicken a bit then add in evap milk.  Reduce heat to low and keep warm until ready to serve.

Garnish with nutmeg and craisins.

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This recipe was adapted from Rachael Ray's Pumpkin Soup Recipe.

Past week and a half

Trevor was sick, Holly caught his cold, followed by Robert.  Robert used to have a super-charged immunity to stuff like this, but that's been one downfall with a change in his meds a few years ago.  The irony is that I have not caught this cold (or most others), despite being around germ-spreading little kids three days a week.  I'm not complaining though!

Trevor ended up with a load of math homework, while Holly worked diligently to wrap things up before the end of her classes in the next two weeks. This meant a lot of late nights on the couches with computers; it was kind of nice to watch. 

Lucky seems to be going through an older time right now (it seems to come and go). Instead of sleeping a lot, he's been more watchful.  Such a sweet old guy. We've been so blessed to have him as our dog. He still thinks he's a puppy.

Lakota has stopped herding the cats but still continues to torment Pumpkin.  I don't know what the deal is; she'll sleep on the same bed as Vader and leave him alone. She was out front with Robert yesterday, saw the cat across the street, and bolted.  She FLIES. The cat jumped up a half-story retaining wall, with Lakota jumping right behind her. She finally treed the cat, springing repeatedly six feet off the ground.  LOL

We finally gave Duck Dynasty a try.  Trevor's comment was that it was just like setting up a video camera in Callaway, and after watching an episode, I had to agree. 

The start of December brought a few days of lovely summer weather. We celebrated appropriately with summer barbecue food. And I pulled my flip flops out of my summer shoe box (and wore them)!

We have been pulling out Christmas decorations slowly. Lights are up outside, and we're getting ready for Jean's visit in 10 days.

We paid Holly's dual enrollment tuition today.  $1755 for three classes in spring semester, and that's not counting books.  (falls over in a dead faint)  Virginia has one of the costliest community college systems in the country.

Holly and I shopped at the mall today, picking up a few clothing items for her, along with a Christmas present (darling shoes!).  It was nice to just wander and hang out with her for a few hours.

More from November

 Two very different pictures to add!

Another stunning sunrise.  I've said it before, but one thing I missed while living in the woods was seeing the sun rise.  We were surrounded by trees. I desperately missed THIS and am so thankful so see it again!

Someone in the family passed on this older photograph.  My grandmother was one of five girls and two(?) boys. I had the privilege of meeting all of the sisters and knowing several of these wonderful women.  I don't know when this picture was taken; they always seemed old to me, and this is how I remember them.  However, since my great-grandmother died in 1960, it was taken at least several years before I was born.

My grandmother, Florentine ("Turpy"); Genevieve ("Auntie"); their mother Rose Droppelmann Connor; Kathleen, the oldest; Virginia ("Ginger"), the youngest; and Gertie.  Gertie was the last living sister, passing at the age of 99 last year. 

Past Week (or so) Highlights

Holly registered for next semester's classes: Chinese 102, Intro to Sociology, and Russian 101.  Russian was a last minute choice, so she's not 100% committed to it, but it will be easier to drop later than add.

I've been off of work since last Monday and don't go back until Wednesday.

My dryer died a sad death the day before Thanksgiving.  We bought a new dryer that won't be available until next Wednesday.  Merry Christmas to me!  (At least it wasn't my washer, dishwasher, or microwave, and at least I can get a new dryer.)

We had a lovely Thanksgiving at home with just the four of us.  I made Alton Brown's turkey, which cooks at a high temp for a short time and then continues to roast at a moderate temp.  It cooked quickly and tasted great.  I think it was the first turkey that we haven't stuffed, but I made our tried-and-true dressing, which everyone liked. We also had Make Ahead Gravy, mashed potatoes, Spinach Madeline, Pretzel Jello Salad, and tried a new recipe, Orange and Lime Sherbet Cake.

Friends came over for appetizers Friday night.

Robert and I finally chose AND HUNG artwork for above our couch.  This was a record for us, as we've lived here for (just) 2.5 years.  Usually we can never agree/find something we like, and the wall is naked forever. And the best part was that it was less than $40 total.  (Merry Christmas, Robert!)

We have old friends (who are in reality quite young) from Colorado who are now living in Pennsylvania.  They spent Thanksgiving in Charlotte and stopped by today for brunch on their way home. Such a blessing to see Dan and Christine (and Sam!) after five years!  I wanted to be sure to have something for everyone (especially Sam!).  We ate: bagels and cream cheese, quiche, banana bread, grapefruit, and had a Swiss granola bar.  We were thrilled that they stayed for a couple of hours, as they are in the middle of traveling with a six year old.  So enjoyed catching up and reconnecting in real life!

Unfortunately, Trevor was sick and didn't make an appearance.  This was his "bad" cold day, and I'll spare the public details.  :/

Some nice days and good times, but in general, a not-so-great month. :(

Sunday Date

I bought tickets a few weeks ago to see The Homecoming, the original Earl Hamner screenplay that was the basis for The Waltons TV show. Friends of ours were in the play, and I figured between that, the fact that the play had a Christmas theme, and knowing that Robert likes The Waltons, it wouldn't be too hard to drag him along. We've never been to anything put on by The Bedford Town Players.

In fact, the last time I went to any kind of play was when Robert's mom had season tickets to The Little(ton) Town Players. I'd agreed to go with her for season. It ended up being a lot of fun. She had a set date, and I enjoyed our time out together.

 The Homecoming was held in a wonderful theater that is part of the Elks Home campus in Bedford. Tickets were reasonably priced, and we had wonderful seats in the fourth row on the end. The play was terrific, and I appreciated knowing the characters from the TV show. It was a blast to see our friends in the starring roles (Olivia and ClayBoy), along with their quiet daughter as one of the noisy Walton children. The Elks Home puts on an amazing Christmas light display, and they were already in the thick of preparations.

We stopped at Walmart, where I spotted my first sun dog. I've heard of them before but never seen one in real life with my own two eyes.

We've been wanting to eat at Liberty Station--for several years! But it will have to wait, as we found they are closed on Sundays. We headed for Mexican food instead. Gorgeous day, changing leaves.

Sun going down.

Fall in Virginia is beautiful.

Fall

Election Day!

What a fun day!  (Night was a different story, but whatever.)

I dropped Holly off at her English class and went grocery shopping.  I had decided that we needed to celebrate the first time Holly got to VOTE! with a special, patriotic dinner.  She's been waiting for this day for a couple of years, excited to know that she would turn 18 just weeks before a presidential election.

After class, we stopped at the polls. 

When Holly got her passport last year, we first had to get her State ID updated through the DMV.  At that time, unknown to us, the DMV included a space in our last name, effectively changing it from "McGowan" to "Mc_Gowan."  Based on this information, her passport was subsequently issued with the name "Mc_Gowan."  This was eventually brought to our attention earlier this year when Holly returned to the DMV to get her learner's permit.

Although the DMV acknowledged THEY had changed the spelling of her name in 2011, and THEY were the reason that her passport name was essentially misspelled, they were REQUIRED BY LAW to use the name on her passport.  Their only saving grace was that they acknowledged the ridiculosity of it all.

And Holly's name would not come up at the polls.  She was directed to another table, where the Election Judge made a telephone call to Some Person Who Held All Power.  They asked Holly for her Social Security Number.  Seriously? What 18 year old knows their SSN?  At some point, it dawned on someone to use a space in her name, and PRESTO, she was able to return to the first table, where they pulled up her misspelled, space-filled name.  They checked her off, gave her her piece of paper to exchange for her vote, and sent her across the gym.

Then one of the pollworkers shouted, "First time voter!" and all of the pollworkers began clapping and cheering.

I was thinking, You have got to be kidding!  To her credit, Holly continued walking, totally ignoring them.  Poor girl!  On the plus side, she will never be a first time voter again!

Our patriotic dinner later that night was lovely:
Blue cheese burgers with red onions
Red, white and blue potato salad
Blue tortilla chips with red salsa and white queso
Cherry limeade 
and Strawberry ice cream with fresh sliced strawberries for dessert

Just as we have since the kids were little, we watched the news coverage at night, coloring in our  printed maps with red or blue crayons as each state's winner was announced. It was a fun day and a nice family celebration, despite the really crappy outcome.

Chinese

Holly's work in her Chinese class.  She says it's easy.

More from October

Going back through photos and backdating these pictures from October that I didn't blog earlier.

Annette made cupcakes to mark the first year anniversary of Joyce's passing.  It was such a sweet idea!

I took advantage of the beautiful fall days to get photos while waiting for Holly at a few of her classes.

Beautiful fall foliage

Gorgeous downtown Roanoke

The end of the soccer season and the team photo.

A few pictures from the soccer banquet.

Wonderfully creative soccer field dessert that someone brought. (Not me though!)

Pumpkins for Halloween.

Trevor's vampire

Holly's Ang