Gingerbread Castle

The nice thing about this blog is that all sorts of relatives can keep up on people and events that they would normally miss. That’s why I like posting photos. Relatives who want to can see how nieces/nephews, sisters/brothers, parents/aunts/uncles, sons/daughters, grandchildren, etc. are doing.

Today’s photos are courtesy of Liane. The first two are from her trip up to see Uncle Mil and Aunt Bobbi after she left Dad and Dottie’s. I have a photo of Kyle when he was nine months old and I see it often, so that’s how I remember him! But he’s seven months older than Anthony — Anthony who has a job and is old enough to drive. Time passes! I also noticed how much Liane looks like her mother and Anne looks like her mother!

Now, the last photo. The first time I saw it was when it arrived in my e-mail. It was taken in April of 1969. Going from memory, because I’m too lazy to look at my e-mails: I spent the night without the family at Liane’s on the occasion of the birthday party for her 12th birthday. I was still eleven. I remember a birthday and staying overnight. The following day apparently, we went to Gingerbread Castle. http://tinyurl.com/69ky9d

When we lived in New Jersey, we often (it seemed, anyway) did things with our cousins, and Gingerbread Castle was one of our spots. We probably went there at least once a summer. I have fond memories of that. As to the photo, note the lovely hair ties! Those were yarn rope-things. They were comfy. Remember this was 1969. I don’t understand the thing that looks like a mouse that I’m holding (that’s me in front, followed by Liane and Janet). Liane knows what it is.

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I got my back-to-school letter in yesterday’s mail. Still no contract. So I go back on Monday but have no paperwork?? I’ll have to call the district again! Bummer

A bit behind?

Liane and Cherissa (with Dottie in the back)

Carina and Raina

Tim

It’s been a busy time! I arrived home from Wisconsin on Wednesday. On Thursday, my cousin Liane came from California (to my father’s) with her husband and daughters. The last time I saw them in person was years ago, but most of us have been in touch in some form or another.

I have to tell you a story. My last year of teaching in Jefferson, Mrs. K said that I should do the things I’d always wanted to do but hadn’t. I’d always wanted to have people from the community come in and talk to my class — to make their world bigger.

It was a totally awesome experience. We learned that the little angels thought Judy (the administrative assistant) was Mary’s (the principal) boss. A parent of a student I had in a previous year came and talked about plants and garden centers (stores) and had them planting. A grandmother came in and made a quilt with them (I hope it’s still hanging in the school office!) and talked about quilts (and helped make the awesome quilt the school gave me when I left!). Denise and her husband came to the class and talked of their recent trip to Ghana. One student’s father came and talked about working for a major newspaper. I picked someone who wrote the sports section at the local, smaller paper (and it turned out that he went to SJB and I was probably the only person in the building who didn’t actually already know Jeff!).

With this as a background, one day the mother of a new student said her children’s uncle was coming to town and asked if he could speak to the class. Honest, I had a lot on my mind. I said yes, of course, but I had no actual clue what the man was going to talk about and was too embarrassed to ask. No matter — we liked anything that made our world bigger!

So the man arrived and spoke to our class as well as Alex’s sister’s class. He was talking about biking, and said something about a recumbent bike. My first thought was “Hey! I know what that is! Tim rides one!” Well, I started paying more attention — and there on the screen, in one of the slides — was Tim! This man who came to this little Wisconsin town was my cousin’s husband’s partner in a cross-country bike race! Had he arrived a year earlier, Alex and his sister would be in a different school. Had he arrived a year later, I would have been in a different state!

Anyway, back to the visit. While they were here we went swimming and out to eat. Tim and I played a couple games from the set that Donna left there, and then someone joined us — I think Carina. Mostly we talked. I vaguely remembered going to a party with Liane where we went scuba diving in a pool and someone took pictures. It was nice that she remembered it too, and even has a slide from the photo taken of her at the time. It was also great getting to talk to the girls in person!

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One of the other 4th grade teachers found out that our class lists are on-line, so I got to finally see who my students are going to be this coming year. I don’t think I actually know any of them, but it’s possible that I knew them and just didn’t know their names. The list is also sort of fictional. Last year I got a list right before school started and five of the names on the list were people who never did come to school. On the other hand, I did get a few kids the first two days of school who weren’t on the list.

not much

This is the picture on my desktop now. I discovered that I could use a photograph if it hasn’t been resized at all. Otherwise they come out blurry. This was taken the night of the firepit fire and roasting marshmallows. I like that you can see the farm not far from there.

Other vacation pics:

This was at the zoo — part of a huge climbing contraption for kids.

The lake across the street from the zoo — where we had the picnic lunch

I’m In!

Yessireebob! I got the official word that I have my financial aid. Thus I start this Master’s program on August 5!! Woohoo! It’ll be a lot of work, but it’s easier to do work when it’s something you want to do and it’s interesting! OK, I’m hoping it’ll be interesting! This http://tinyurl.com/657yup is the program I’m going to be in.

Well, I got one hour of sleep my last night in Wisconsin, but what the heck. Sleep can’t be all that important, can it? (Um, yeah) I slept part of the 45 minutes of the first flight and that’s about it. Got a short nap when I got home, but I was really too exhausted to sleep. I went to bed early, though, so I’m fine today.

The longer flight back was interesting. The girl next to me was deaf, but she could speak for the most part. Let’s just say that I know more Spanish than American Sign Language, since I only took one year of Sign and that was in the 1980s. Still, between us we managed to communicate most of the trip, which was nice. We saw the moon, which is fascinating when you seem to be parallel with it. At one point we were looking at the scenery and trying to guess where we were. My guess was Colorado, so I asked the stewardess. She asked the pilot, and I was right! Yeah me!

Liane (my cousin), Tim (her husband), Carina, Raina, and Cherissa came to visit from California (at my father’s). They leave Saturday, so I’m going back tomorrow (and I’ll take pictures then). Liane would know the last time we saw each other, but I’m thinking it was at my father’s when he lived in New Jersey. I’m thinking the last time I saw them, Cherissa was ten — but I don’t know how long ago that was!

A year ago today, Dad and Dottie moved to Arizona!

It’s weird to be back in the heat, although it doesn’t seem to really be that hot and it’s muggy because it’s the monsoon season. I’m looking forward to seeing John and Lisa and Anthony and Betty in October!

Oh! I lost my phone today! I had things to bring to Dad and Dottie, plus their suitcase, plus my swimming stuff. My hands were full. Then I noticed that I couldn’t find my phone, and I won’t drive without it if I can help it. I looked everywhere, like three or four times. And I couldn’t call myself to find it! Finally I e-mailed my father and sister (not knowing who would get their e-mail first) and told them to call me! So my father did, and I followed the ringing. When I came back in the house to find the phone, I’d come in the back door. The phone was right outside the front door!

Pooped!

Yep, I’m one tired cookie! But it’s been a great vacation! Today I went to the zoo with Carla, Julia, and Betty. We took a lunch break across the road at the lake. After zooing, we went to Carla’s house where she and Julia made cookies. Later I went with John to the park to play chess. I won 3 games, but my oldest opponent was eleven. Minor detail!

It’s easy to write a list of the things I did this vacation: going to SJB, Sue and family coming here, roasting marshmallows over the fire pit, playing Mall Madness with Betty & Lisa and chess at the park, helping Julia’s baby doll shop for clothes, etc. But the list doesn’t really cover the great time I’ve had! It’s been a relaxing week spent with great people. We read books together, played together, watched movies together, ate together, went for walks together, and just enjoyed each other’s company. And it wasn’t like going to someone’s house in an unfamiliar place, even though I’d never been inside this house before and only saw it from the street last time I was here. I’ve spent a lot of time in this town and parts of it are as familiar as Jefferson. It really was like coming to a second home! (The cats are cute, too!)

I leave at the crack of dawn tomorrow morning (Wednesday), but I’ll see some of these folks again in October and the rest next year!

Monday

I started a post but don’t know where it went! Last night I dreamed about the floods in Jefferson. That was pretty weird. Today I had a tea party with Julia, who’s 3. That was fun. Then Carla, Betty, Julia and I went to the mall. Malling is good! But dang, I was pooped! I came home exhausted, but didn’t take a nap until a little later. Had a great supper (John’s a great cook!) and then we sat around the fire pit roasting marshmallows. A great end to a great day!

Hard to believe that tomorrow night is my last in Wisconsin! But it’s been very fun and relaxing. Also hard to believe that I go back to work officially on the 4th of August! I certainly look forward to a steady income, though!!!!!

Mt. Horeb pics

For those of you who don’t know, Mt. Horeb is big on trolls. Yesterday Carrie and Jim and their daughter Daisy came, and we walked to downtown Mt. Horeb for the annual art fair. While we were there, I tried to get photos of some of the trolls. Then we went out to dinner at Solo Sopore, which apparently has quite the colorful history. This afternoon, John and I went back to the art fair to pick up Lisa, and so on the way back we did the photo op thing with another troll.

I love the art fair. I saved a lot of money by reminding myself that I don’t want to have to take things home on an airplane! Otherwise I would have spent a lot more money!

This morning John drove me to Jefferson so I could go to church at my old church. That was great! There were roads closed on the way, but those are apparently for repair and not flooded. According to Jacob, though, FEMA declared that Jefferson had the worst flooding in the state.

I got to see many of the people I wanted to see, but there wasn’t really a lot of time. Afterwards I thought “I barely got to talk to Heather! Or Mrs. Z!” And then I think Carissa said hello in the parking lot and I didn’t even know who she was until we were driving away! So if you live there and you see her, apologize for me and tell her that I was just being clueless, not rude! Next year I’ll try to be out there longer. I wasn’t even sure if anyone would be that interested in knowing I was coming, so I didn’t tell that many people. But everyone was very nice, and I had a great time! But geez, the kids all grew a foot I think!!!

Then we drove down to Burger Corner because I wanted to see the damage (and I got to see the new WalMart as well). It was stunning to see a building so far from the river really with a water line half way up its side!!!! That was some flood!

Then John and I went to lunch at Lazy Jane’s in Madison. It was a great place! We ate upstairs, where it was like eating in someone’s living room! They had lots of couches, etc.

Saturday

Good morning! It’s funny: I was only away a year, so when we were landing in Minnesota and the Arizonans were commenting on the green-ness, I could remember thinking the same thing, but it didn’t strike me as much this time. But what did get my attention here in Wisconsin is the trees. Huge, full green trees that are at least twice as tall as houses. I do remember that being stunning when I first moved to Syracuse as well. Trees are amazing. But I am not without the desert — on John’s counter is the cactus I gave him for his birthday.

We went for a walk last night — up hill both ways. There is this one hill that’s nasty! But I am sitting here writing, so I obviously survived that! I imagine it gets easier on subsequent trips!

Last night Betty and I watched “Penelope.” They were watching it when I arrived on Friday, but I didn’t get to see all of it. It took two tries last night (went for a walk in the middle of it) but I did end up getting to see the whole thing. Christina Ricci is born with a pig nose because of a curse, and her mother is trying to marry her off so that the curse will break, etc. Reese Weatherspoon is a hoot, and aside from a few things that are predictable because of the genre, it was a fun movie.

Sammy the cat and I are buddies. He likes to crawl on my shoulder and lay across the back of my shoulder like a shawl … while I’m typing.

The art fair is in town today — I picked a great weekend to come! So today’s events include the art fair and dinner out tonight.

More pics

Went over to see Carla and Julia (and Amanda, Carla’s sister) for a little while until Sue got there. Julia talks clear as a bell and is a sweetie. She showed me her new shoes, which are pink Dora shoes. I told her that pink’s my favorite color, and it’s hers too!

When Sue and Joe and Annie came, we went to lunch at the Grumpy Troll. The food was great! I had something with a silly name but it’s really a mushroom swiss burger. I also had Grumpy Chips or something like that, which were also tasty. Then we walked around beautiful downtown Mt. Horeb. OK, not for long. But still, it was great to see each other!! I gave her the birthday presents that I didn’t send in February (oh, and the card) and I got to see Joe’s graduation photos. It’s nice that I’ve been in touch with them over the course of the year. It was great fun to see them again!

By the way, I’m writing this with a cat on my shoulders and the back of my neck. Sammy insists on laying there while I type! I keep moving him off, and then he climbs back on again. In the meantime, Betty is in bed sick.

Good morning from Wisconsin!

Betty posing with the quilt. It totally matches the room!

Mandy in the best spot in the house (if you’re a kitty)

Annie sneaked into the bedroom while Betty and I were talking. So I took her picture before chasing her out again.

The trip out was not … uneventful. Of course. The plane was supposed to leave at 12:20, but just when they started loading people they made them get off again. After a while they told us there was some mechanical problem and the mechanic had to come look at it but he was at another plane at the moment. Then the pilot came and told us three things that were wrong, including a fuel pump. I’m sure he said fuel pump, because of what he said next. He said that how soon we could leave depended on whether the mechanic signed off on the things or repaired them first. Hey! You don’t just “sign off” on a fuel pump!!!! But, judging by the time, he did!

Then when we took off, the plane shook a lot before we even crossed downtown! I’m sitting there thinking “geez, folks! The fuel pump is the least of your worries! We’re about to lose the whole back end of the plane here!”

And of course while we were sitting there in the airport, my first thought was “my bad luck” but then I thought “Hey! Why is it my fault! That’s not right! We’re here because of someone else’s bad luck! I wanted to make an announcement and demand a show of hands to see whose bad luck was causing the delay, but airports are kind of noisy and it’s hard to hear, so I didn’t.

Nice thing about having a long layover scheduled, though, was that I didn’t miss my connection in Minneapolis to Madison! That trip was a lot less eventful!

I had made a sandwich at the folks’ the night before and brought it with me, which was good. They only served soda on the first flight unless you wanted to buy a snack pack, and not so much as a cup of water on the second!

John picked me up and there weren’t a lot of people in the airport that late at night (8:30-ish) so he was easy to spot. Remember the old days, when people could come meet you at the gate?

Actually, John being at the airport is one of those “things” that made a difference when I lived in Syracuse. Whenever I’d go to my father’s by train or to my brother’s by airplane, it was the same thing: When you arrive call us and we’ll try to find someone to come get you. So you had to make sure you had enough coins for the pay phone and you had to call around until someone could come get you, and then you had to sit and wait. But when I’d arrive at the airport in Madison or at the train station in Croton-Harmon (or Croton-on-the-Hudson — same difference) there’d always be family there waiting! Differences like that are a big deal!

Of course it goes without saying that Anthony and Betty are taller, but it’s great to see them and Lisa again (who I don’t think is taller because adults don’t tend to grow much). It’s like I’ve just seen them a month ago, not like these are people I haven’t seen in forever! That’s nice!! My nephew and niece are both older as well, of course — having just turned 16 and 11!

The quilt looks awesome on Betty’s bed and totally matches the room! Seeing it on the bed shows that it came out just the way I wanted it to!! I’ll add pictures later so you can see. Of course there’s a cat on the quilt — cats do love that blanket! They have three cats and two birds, so I won’t be cat-deprived on vacation!

Note to any readers in Jefferson: I’ll be at 10:30 Mass and then my brother is picking me back up afterwards (around 11:45-ish), but if you happen to be at that Mass I can say hello!