Summer Progress

I made it to New Hampshire in one piece but it was a hard 2-day forced drive. I had a tire blowout on I95 just north of Petersburg VA. I swerved all over the road before getting on the right shoulder. It was scary but only took an extra hour.  A nice man stopped and changed my tire then led me to a tire store to get a new tire. The dogs and I got to John and Carol's just before dark. It took 12 hours all together. Next day took about 7 hours with bumper to bumper traffic over the GW bridge.

We had a very sad Fourth of July as Rosey, Patti and Jeff's corgi, was fatally wounded by a car on Friday.  I now feel I must keep my dogs on a leash when walking down to the lake.  We will miss Rosey very much.  All the dogs are quite subdued. Thankfully, Matt and Molly were here to help during the crisis.

My week at Montreat Music conference near Grandfather Mountain was cut a bit short because I needed to get home to arrange for the summer progress. It was a nice place but very hot -low 90° s. The folks in the group house were lots of fun. Not sure I would go again, however. The rehearsal and meetings rooms had no A/C.

I hope to be seeing Ned and Royal soon and visit my former neighbors in South Hero VT. Then it's back to prepare for Molly's bridal shower. The weather here at Sunapee is wonderfully cool.

Arlo has been having adventures in CA. Below are some pics from ML.

35th Wedding Anniversary

It's hard to believe that Moody and I were married 35 years ago today.  It seems so long ago and yet just like yesterday.  It was hot that day just like today here in NC.  Our recessional was Widor's Toccata and it still takes my breath away every time I hear it on the radio. My choir friends all helped make the refreshments served in the parish hall.  We had 3 dulcimer players in the courtyard hammering out mountain tunes.  I had lots of family and friends there besides the whole congregation.  It was a blessed day.

I have not updated my blog in a while.  Patti and Jeff came to visit over Memorial Day weekend.  We toured downtown Pittsboro and went to my Sunday church service.  We played poker and Mexican Train Dominoes and grilled dinner on the BBQ.  Today is Jeff's 64th birthday.  Wish I knew how to add a music file to play the Beatles song.

Our Voices concert was May 30.  It was wonderful and I'm sure I'll get a link to highlights some day soon.  I went to visit our director, Sue, at her house on Bald Head Island.  We walked on the beach, drove around in a golf cart, looked in the shops, swam in the pool, and cooked a lot of dinners.  It was lovely.

This weekend I am taking it easy after hosting our women's tennis tea last Tuesday.  I'm getting ready to go to Montreat in the mountains of NC for a church music conference; like choir camp for adults.  Folks from my church rent a house there and we will be sharing food, etc.  I think it will be something like Shrinemont. Also, our last Scottish dance group meets this week, we will be off until September.  I have some pics below of some paintings I made for a school project about "Spain" when I was 11 years old. Maybe I should have stuck with painting. I am excited about going to Spain for the first time this October (Andalusia), and a concert tour there with my chorus in June (Northwestern area).

And of course, a picture of Arlo sitting at his new table...

Arlo Fam Bam

We just returned from Virginia Beach where the Bileks threw a huge birthday party for Arlo. Friday night was family and Saturday afternoon was the Fam Bam. That's a new phrase for me but very descriptive. All of Larry's family was there and almost all of Ester's family that live in the U.S. Many of Robert's buddies were there as well. Beautiful sunny weather with a constant little breeze helped make the beautiful Bilek backyard like paradise. It was so nice being with everyone.  There was an antique auto show on the boardwalk which was also fun.

1962 Fiat Jolly designed for yachts

1957 Chevy

Sim carving the roast pig

NYC

Last weekend Sim and I traveled to NYC for my uncle's memorial tribute. We drove to Maryland then took a Bolt Bus to Manhattan. We got there in time to see some shows. I saw The Audience with Helen Mirren portraying Queen Elizabeth II. It is snippets of weekly meetings with her PMs over the last 68 years or so. It was fabulous but the 2 corgis that had scenes in the second act was my favorite. I am thankful to Catharine who got me the ticket.  Saturday night we had dinner with our hosts, Mickey and Bobby at a Turkish restaurants.

The memorial on Sunday morning was very nice being held at Catharine's Second Stage theater. It was followed by a lovely buffet lunch at the Hilton.   It was great to be with John and Carol, Ned and Royal, Courtney, Catharine, Charlie, Christine, and all the Chamblee's.  We took the bus back that evening and drove home Monday morning.

Happy First Birthday, Arlo!

Had to believe that Arlo turns 1 year old today. I'm so looking forward to seeing him next weekend.

Zelda, my hero

Zelda is my hero because she accomplished that which I could not. Zoe chased a rabbit the other night while I was walking them. The reel leash flew out of my hand and followed Zoe as she ran into the woods around the ravine in front of my house. I took Zelda home and put on my wellies and went out to find her. I assumed the handle of the reel leash would get caught on something.

I searched for about an hour until it got dark then went back home. Zoe was not sitting on the porch. I went in and waited a while, going out every few minutes and calling her.  I called Patti and she insisted I go back out in the dark and the rain and find Zoe. So I went out with a flashlight, a knife, and Zelda on a lead. I let Zeda lead the way across the street into the ravine. I used the flashlight to see where to step (over limbs, under trees, around rocks) and all of a sudden, there was Zoe on her leash which was caught. I put her on my other lead and unhooked her as I could not find the handle of the leash. I went back the next day and found the leash attached about three feet high on a tree in a block of trees behind the house of a friend on the other side of the ravine. Zoe seemed no worse for wear.  I'm sure that without Zeda searching, I would not have found Zoe and she would have spent the night out in the rain.

I see I have not made an entry about the week that Lee and her family were here and when Bill and Melva visited. We had lovely visits including a Seder that Sim made for his family. Ron and Rhoda came over to see Bill and Melva. I made them Bestever and Pear and lime jello salad -very retro. We had chocolate-cherry cake for Sim's birthday.  I served tortellini with prosciutto to Lee and Richard, starting with roast shrimp. Below are pics from the Seder, my Easter eggs, and Arlo.

Playa Del Carmen

Sim and I had a lovely vacation south of Cancun, Mexico in mid-March. After I was released from the hospital, I packed and we drove the dogs to Companion Camp then off to Charlotte to spend the night with Sim's granddaughter. The next morning we flew nonstop to Cancun. This was a six-day all inclusive stay at the Wyndham Maya Riviera. I had never done one of these before but it was very pleasant:  big buffet at every meal with a few restaurants to choose from, ocean cabanas, pool with water spirits bar, nightly shows, tennis, catamarans, and a trapeze.

I have been wanting to try trapeze all my life and here was my opportunity. I was prepared to do it when they said I must remove my glasses. I chickened out because I cannot see w/o my glasses. I went every day at 4pm to watch people try. It was very entertaining. Twelve yo kids and young ladies were the most frequent users. Some even were caught by the trapeze expert on the second swing.  Most just put their knees on the swing and hung down, then got feet back down and fell into the net. When you are young you can say, "well maybe next year when I am stronger". But I know that next year I will only be less likely to do it. Very sad.  

We walked to town twice and strolled down Fifth Ave which went on forever. We could have taken the ferry to Cozumel, but decided it probably wasn't much different.  We took a half-day bus tour to the Mayan ruins in Tulum.  It was very interesting, the only ruins found next to the Sea.  They used Cocoa beans for money, but they have a short shelf life so they never saved anything.  Below are some pics from our trip.  Every night the maid would leave a different animal made from towels with little flowers on it. When we left I left her some folded dollar pajamas.

I enjoyed some of the staff we met including Jesus from Vera Cruz who worked the gym and the sports on the beach, Mollie from Sweden who worked the trapeze, and Paulio from Brazil who was the head trapeze director.  Besides  their working all day they also performed in the shows most nights.  One show was a cirque de soleil type which featured Paulio and a 1970s show where the performers lip synced the hit disco music. Jesus performed in the YMCA number wearing some Aztec costume.  They were all really very good. 

View from our room

Trapeze hopeful

Tulum

70's show (Paulio, tall man on left and Jesus, bare-chested)

Mayan folded towel

Dessert at one of the restaurants

At dinner