Tuesday, August 23, 2016

The Big Clear

In order to make room for some summer purchases, I had to purge several shelves in my storage room.  I went through lots of stuff but only some could be kept and moved to the attic. The rest I put in the recycle bin. Here are the results:

Kept:

1966 program from my first opera - Don Giovanni at the old Met
1973 World Series and National League Championship programs (NY Mets)
Some of Moody's  and ML's childhood books
1978 Opera News with Beverly Sills on the cover as Thais
My transcripts and recommendations from Columbia University (several professors wrote that I was "exuberant"!)
MBTI materials and books
3 typed sermons from 1978 written by Moody on the reserection and eternal life
Book on medieval feasts, a few souvenir pamphlets from my 1972 trip to Europe

Recycled:

My SF 171 and personnel folder from my 30 year career with the Federal government
Many awards from work and press for my publications releases
Many files with articles that were helpful to my research on physician and emergency medical utilization
15 year old cell phones

Given to Public Library:

Books not previously disposed like Follow the River, The Frontiersman, Stonewall Jackson
Some of the books written by cousin Julia Davis
Anthologies of English Literature (Norton's type is too small for my eyes to read)

It was fun looking at this stuff that will be totally meaningless to whoever has the go through my stuff when the roll is called up yonder.  There are still plenty of shelves that can be tackled and I will soon. I have a whole raft of stat books that should be given away, hard copies of all my publications, and many books on embroidery, smocking, and quilt making. I also have tons of music for my various instruments including vocal, piano, mountain and hammered dulcimer, guitar, violin, etc. Then there are my hymnals, bibles, and prayer books.  We won't even mention all the VHS tapes!

Progress nonetheless, I now have space for my dozen juice glasses for holding gazpacho, and new paisley chargers in turquoise and white, and devices for serving stacked food in various shapes.  Looks like party planning is in my future rather than scholarly research.

Sunday, August 21, 2016

Home Again!

After returning from Nantucket, Patti and I enjoyed a week with visitors. Mary Pringle came the night after I got back to NH. Ned and Royal came over and we attended 2 Opera North performances.  Jeff and Sim arrived.  John, Carol, Molly, Matt, Vi, and Marty came for the weekend. We went to see Lee, Richard, and Laura in Brookfield Sunday morning.  I went to the craft fair multiple times and I stayed within my budget (one necklace and some pottery)!  I also finally got to King Arthur Flour and only bought some mixes and semolina.

Sim and I left Sunapee on August 16th and traveled via Albany to Sue and Steve's home in Garnet Valley PA. She prepared us a lovely dinner and we watched some of the Olympics. The Brazilian rum cocktail, Caipirinhas,  was a great addition to the fun (rum, sugar, and lime). The next day we stopped to visit Anna and Elbert on our way across Kent Island. We had Popeye's chicken in Richmond and made it home by 6 pm.

Everything at home was good and the dogs are happy to get out of the back of the car.  I'm getting ready for the new sliding glass doors by making space. In the meantime Arlo is now in his big boy bed and Lyle has turned 7 months old. I have my plane ticket to visit them in November. Can't wait!



Caprese salad with added peach slices!


Caipirinhas, Braziliam rum cocktail

Lyle at 7 mos.

Wednesday, August 3, 2016

Nantucket

I took busses and a ferry to reach Nantucket for a week. I met up with Catharine and the Chamblees in Hyannis and we shared the Weille cottage on Highland Ave. This is the house my aunt and uncle rented every August. It is my 50th anniversary of first coming to this cottage and Nantucket. I have only missed a few Augusts in all this time.

As might be expected, there are more cars, houses, and people on the island than when I was last here in 2012. We have been to the beach, concerts, movies, etc. And played hearts and salad bowl. Deb and Jeff have been great at cycling down for donuts each morning, though today we made blueberry muffins.  Every morning at 10 am, we have been playing tennis at Jetties. I met up with a friend from St Andrew's who moved away about the same time we moved to NC. I also met up with a former colleague from NCHS in Hyannis. I have had Boston cream pie, Portugese bread, and BLT's, and sushi by Yoshi just for the record.  The last day I was there we all went to Siasconset for the walk. Then we had a sunset swim and sandwiches at Steps Beach.  Below are some pics. 



















Tuesday, July 26, 2016

Lake Sunapee

Several weeks have past since my last blog post.  Patti and I have been having a great time with da girls.  There's always something going on. This week we have a visit from Judy, Diane, and Hailey. Hailey, Patti's great niece, is looking into colleges up here for next year. It's fun having folks from down home!

I visited my former neighbors, Mary and Ed, in Burlington and visited Ned and Royal in Mt Snow.  We had a 33 1/3 anniversary party for Patti and Jeff. We go down to the lake with da girls every day and often play Mexican Train Dominoes with Jeff's cousins. We've also been making greeting cards for special occasions, using fancy papers and circles punched from paint chips. We started off watching Wimbledon, then the RNC, and now the DNC.  I'm so proud that we have the first woman presidential nominee from a major party!  It's about time!

I'm off to Nantucket on Saturday to visit the Guiher/Chamblees. It is my 50th anniversary of going to Nantucket in August. I've only missed a handful of years. There will be pictures to follow. In the meantime here are som recent pics.

Breakfast at Wimbledon

Mary and Ed's back flower garden

Party food for 33 1/3 party

Happy Anniversary to Patti & Jeff

ice cream sandwiches and cookies for 33 1/3 party

Patti's handpicked blueberry pie

Card we made for Betsy and Willis' 50th Anniversary

Paint chip art




Royal introducing the VLOG concert in Wilmington


Hailey and Patti on the Kearsage dinner cruise


Sunset on Lake Sunapee

Hailey, Matt, Molly, Anna, Patti,
Judy & Diane

Tuesday, July 5, 2016

Justin & Nicole's Wedding

Sim's granddaughter, Nicole, and Justin were married on July 4th in Brookfield Vt.  It was a lovely day with sunshine and cool breezes. Nicole's daughter, Ellie, almost stole the show. All of Sim's children were there and all but one grandchild. Lee did all the food and Richard was the officiant as JP of Brookfield! We met Noah's girlfriend from San Miguel, Sol, who came up for a week. Below are pics.




Ellie



Joe and Laura walking Nicole down the aisle


Alex and Joey
Alex & Christa



Nicole ans Sim

Ellie and Justin

Ric, Amanda, Lee, Richard, Cathy, Nicole, Sim, and Sandy