Will's new bike, Red Rider - Test drive

Day after

Top picture is from the bethany beach cam....look at those icicles!

Bottom picture is before we began shoveling out......

Christmas with the grands......

Jim made it around to everyone with his Pop-Camera.......(from top: Eva, Will, Kylie, Keelyn and Ella, Jack and Layne.) This is the bunch that makes everyday so special for us.

Big snow....part 1 & 2

So, here comes winter...again!  Here is the view from both our front and back steps as the snow storm revs up.  12-18" are expected here as the coastal storm involves the beach in its snow dump...... most of the time it looks like a white-out.  Good day to watch the fire, read a book and to keep the birds fed.  Stay tuned.......

It is now 4:30 p.m. and it is still snowing and blowing!

First snow

On December 16th, our first snow of the 2010 winter fell....about 2".  Here Jim is getting our squirrel feeder filled with his corn.  If we keep him busy and fed, he leaves the bird feeders alone!

Snow in Rochester

We attended my dad's Christmas party this past week in Rochester where we found about 4-5" of snow....a winter wonderland!  This is a picture of Fred and Val's house with decorated trees and twinkling wreath on the door....quite beautiful!  Note the snowy front yard......

Rockefeller Center Christmas tree

We were in NYC this week for the lighting of the Rockefeller Center Christmas tree.  Despite the heavy rain yesterday, we did a lot of walking and took in the sights of Times Square and Rockefeller Center.  A good beginning to the holiday season!

Turkey day

 Here is the story of David's perfectly fried turkey: Ready for the fryer, out of the fryer after about 40 minutes, let it rest for 30 minutes, and carve.  Meanwhile the family waits at the table.........yummmmm.

Maple leaf cookies

The cookie baking in this house has officially begun with these maple leaf look-alikes for Thanksgiving.  Just getting warmed up....many to follow!

Lovely Sunday

We are spending a few days on Kent Island with our Girlies while LisBob are vacationing in Puerto Rico.  Kylie was away at a youth group retreat all weekend while we hung out with Keelyn and Ella and their bears.  This picture was taken at the little beach at the end of their street.  The Chesapeake Bay Bridge is in the background.

Beautiful Mom

I remember being told as a child that 

I looked just like my mom.  I wondered how a little girl could look like an adult?

Now I am the adult and find myself with mannerisms and conversation reminiscent of hers.  Deja vu, for sure.  This is good as it reminds me how close she stays to me and all of us...when she's not busy chatting, people-watching the other angels in Heaven and baking goodies.  I miss you lots, Mom. 

Will at tumbling

We have had the pleasure of being with Will for a few days while Mommy is working at a conference at National Harbor's Gaylord Hotel.  This morning was his tumbling class which he enjoyed immensely.  After that we went to Johnny Rockets, one of his fav hamburger joints where we fed the jukebox nickels and listened to Oldies.

More beach wedding

Kathy and Jack with Don.....nice November beach day....perfect day for a wedding.

Beach wedding

Yep, that's a wedding dress hanging in the pink bedroom.  Our friends  Kathy and Jack are being married on the beach tomorrow and Kathy is using our house to change in.  Hopefully, the rain will stop as Kathy wants to be married on the sand and sunshine would be a great touch.

Me and my dad

Just back from a trip up to Rochester to see my dad.  He is just about the sweetest guy ever!  We have fun together reminiscing about days gone by and I usually learn something new about me or him.  His apartment is full of pictures of his eight great- grandchildren of whom he is very proud and he loves hearing stories of their latest adventures.

Busy weekend

Grandparents' Day yesterday was delightful.  Both Ella and Keelyn recited for us.  Keelyn had memorized the scene from Macbeth where the three old women are stirring their boiling cauldron....."Double, double toil and trouble, Fire burn and cauldron bubble!"  Ella portrayed the sun in a solar system sketch.  She wore a yellow shirt and designed the sun to wear.
We watched Keelyn play field hockey this morning while Kylie tried out for a lacrosse goalie position.  Busy girls!

Day at the Newseum

Today found us in DC at the Newseum, a wonderful museum dedicated to the news, its content, reporting and most importantly for us, its photographs.  My favorite exhibit was the Pulitzer prize winning photographs of the past few decades.  Also enlightening was reading today's front pages from many of the nation's top newspapers.  A great day!
(The pictures of each of us on top of the building on the 6th floor are overlooking Pennsylvania Avenue.)

Birthday bash weekend

This past weekend found us traveling to Calvert Cty to enjoy time with Dave, Ann Marie, Layne, Eva and Jack.  We watched both Eva and Jack play soccer, ate lots of yummy stuff, including my birthday apple pie that AM bakes for me, went antiquing (the girls) and to Cypress Swamp Nature Center (the boys), and to cap it all off, gathered with EVERYone else at Homestead Gardens to buy pumpkins, ride ponies, and follow a maze.  Then off to Mike's to eat and enjoy birthday cakes!!!

Today we are enjoying time with Will, Jenni and Larry and locating another cemetery for Jim to photograph for a camera club project. What fun!!!!

Getting ready for Halloween

The skeleton is on the bench, cob webs in the trees, and the cemetery grave stones are lighted .......think we are ready for Halloween!   BOO!

Yosemite Day 3

What a busy day!  We were up very early to grab breakfast in a little deli in front of a roaring fire (cold out this morning), then on to our photo tour which was fun and very informative (photo 1). We rode a while to the Mariposa Grove of giant Sequoia trees and had  a tram ride through trees which were 270 feet tall and thousands of years old (photo 2).  Trying to catch Half Dome at sunset, Dad took amazing pictures of it as the clouds and fog rolled in (photo 3).  What a day!

Yosemite Day 2

  We are standing in front of Yosemite Falls on a very cool Fall morning.  Temps stayed in the 50s today and drizzle and clouds at sunset kept us away from those pictures.  Hopefully tomorrow.  Saw lots of different views of El Capitan today....here it is while sun was still shining.

Yosemite Day 1

Bridal Veil Falls

 We arrived at Yosemite by going through low wet clouds. It started clearing late in the afternoon but left enough clouds to create some wonderful scenes. The landscape is just breathtaking.Just one small problem today.......car keys were locked in the car at one of the overlooks.  A good Samaritan family from Hawaii drove us to the GARAGE in Yosemite Village where we met Kevin who drove Jim back to the car and unlocked the car!Thank you, White family.                                                                 

Pie and Alcatraz

 On one of  our outings yesterday Chuck

bought olallieberry pie, only sold in the area as this is where the berries grow.

Yummy!  

Today we took a ferry out to Alcatraz, then spent the afternoon exploring the island and the penitentiary.   Interesting and a little creepy.

More San Francisco

Another beautiful and busy day.  We visited Purisima Creek Redwoods this morning and hiked a bit amid the cool, dripping trees.  Later we ate lunch at a biker restaurant, ALICE'S RESTAURANT.
A trip to the Pacific Ocean capped off the day.  As you can see, it is lots more wild than Bethany Beach's Atlantic Ocean!

Our time in San Francisco has been marked by good weather, a reunion with old friends and trips to places we have wanted to see.

We have been to the Golden Gate Bridge, wineries and vineyards and today we trooped through the city and saw cable cars and Chinatown.

Tomorrow we shall be looking for redwoods and the Pacific Ocean.