Mid-Summer Thoughts

Zoe and Zelda received special gifts from Patti in the mail today.  Zoe nicely posed with hers.  Thank you, Patti, woof, woof!

 I had a dinner party last night and made Salade Nicoise for 7.  I chose it because I could assemble in advance.  I only needed help with getting the extra leaf in the table.  Now I need help to get it back out!  My newly sharpened knife cut through the sushi-grade tuna like it was butter.

We began with roasted sweet onions with blue cheese and pine nuts.  Second we cleansed the palatte with watermelon with coconut vinegar.  Then came the Salade Nicoise followed by.... Oeufs a la Neige.  Moody would have loved it!

Last Wednesday evening, Stan, Irina, and I performed at an open mic at a coffee house in SE Durham.  Robert, Colin, and Sean came to cheer us on.  I thought it went well.  We sang "The Water Is Wide" and "Killing the Blues".  I've started back with fiddle lessons and learned a hornpipe last Thursday.  Need to practcice more. Mostly I watched Wimbledon Tennis this week because it was too hot to play though Tuesday was lovely.

We're in the final stages of rehearsing for the Voices concert July 13.  We are memorizing several of the pieces, including the small group song and dance I'm in - Gershwin's "Stairway to Paradise".  I'm off to the Beach at the end of the week - it's only a 3.5 hour drive.  We'll see how I do.

Mid-June

I'm trying to find a life after Moody.  I've been attending a Grief Support group run by UNC Hospice in Pittsboro.  I'm not sure the exercises we do really help but I'm fully participating.  The tennis has been really fun and I am improving with the clinic sessions.  I have been substituting so have been playing about 3 times a week.

Our Pollyfonix group performed Yiddish and Jewish songs at the Havurah Dinner Tuesday night.  We were well-received and it was fun.  The Voices rehearsals are in full swing for the Faure Requiem and other "heavenly" songs.  That concert will be July 13.  Soon after that I have my summer progress to New England with Zoe and Zelda- it should be fun.  I also had my first rehearsal with Irina to sing duets at various open mikes.  We have a rehearsal Wednesday with the guitarist, Stan, and plan to go to an open mike that evening in Durham. 

Tonight I went to a Swing Dance in Carrboro.  There were lots of people there and a live jazz band.  While no one asked me to dance, I asked several folks to dance and held my own.  I left after about 2 hours.

Tomorrow is Sunday so I will go to Chapel in the Pines, then in the afternoon I have a Voices board meeting in Chapel Hill where we will discuss all the finance and budget stuff (using the report I prepared).  Later in the afternoon I'm going to Pittsboro for a beginner fiddle jam session.

In the meantime, this week I had a nice dinner with Robert and Kathy P who were visiting the area.  I also paid off my mortgage, met with a financial planner, had my knives sharpened, weeded the garden, and walked da girls multiple times every day.  Robert said my calendar was extremely busy and he is correct.  I imagine I have bit off more than I can chew.  Thursday was Moody and my 32nd wedding anniversary.  Seems like yesterday!

June is Busting Out All Over

Lovely weather here today and predicted for all next week.  I have very much enjoyed playing tennis again.  I take a tennis clinic on Thursday mornings and Tuesday mornings I sometimes get to substitute in women's double games.  Starting in the Fall I'll get a regular rotation spot for the Tuesday morning games. 

My neighbors have been very nice about inviting me over for cocktails or dinner, such that it's seldom that I need to cook dinner here.  I do miss the kayaking that Moody and I did and hope I can find some folks with which to do that soon.  I don't think I should go alone.  Water aerobics starts up Monday morning at the pool and I'm ready for that. 

The Voices Summer chorus started last Tuesday evening and we had a huge turn out to sing Faure's Requiem.  The concert is July 13.

Memorial Day Visitors

Lisa, Adam, and Drew were here for the weekend.  We had quality time at the pool, plus some dog walks, bike rides, and BBQ.  Drew espeicially enjoyed the Wii games and Mexican Train Dominoes.  Lisa and I sang in the pick up summer church choir for Pentecost.

Pics from the past - guess who?

Happy Mother's Day

Below are some "Mom" pics.

Isabelle and Cathy, 1999

Isabelle, 1963

Cathy and ML, Patti and Molly, 1984

The message at church this morning was one building bridges of inclusion rather than walls of exclusion.  We are here to tear down walls not build them.  Good message!

Drivin' down the road

I've been doing a lot of driving lately including a trip to Charleston, WV and one to Cherokee, NC.  Each were about a 5-hour drive.  In Charleston I attended the Black Diamond celebration of the 100th anniversary of the Girl Scouts.  I attended an alumnae tea with several former troop and Camp Ann Bailey staff and campers.  We then went over and sang at the sing-a-long at the Civic Center.  I also got to attend the CLOG's production of "The Color Purple."  It was great seeing Patti, Jeff, and Uncle Jim as well all the girl scouts.  Patti's garden was sporting some magnificent peonies.

Reunion of Camp Ann Bailey friends at the alumnae tea

Patti's Peonies

This week I represented Chapel Hill Chapter of NARFE at the NC Federation Conference in Cherokee.  On the way over I had lunch with Karla Woggin in Hickory.  The conference was not all that informative and I didn't want to visit the casino so I just took a walk along the creek that separated the hotel from the casino.

Cherokee, NC

While I didn't learn much useful at the conference concerning NARFE, I did learn the wonderful Cherokee story of wisdom about the two wolves so please click here to hear the story.

My roses are now all spent but below is how they looked before I went to Cherokee.

My roses

My roses

More my roses