War heroes on Memorial Day, 2010

Here is my WW II hero...... this handsome young man (19 years old) is my dad, Leon Johnson.  I honor him today and all vets who have  served our country with valor, humility and love of the U.S of A.

Take me out to the ballgame........

Day 1 of our Memorial Day weekend found Jim helping our neighbors with home improvements and fix-it jobs.....digging out stumps, trimming bushes and repairing a broken outside shower pipe.  Later, we went with friends to a Shorebirds ball game in Salisbury at Perdue Stadium.  Here is Sherman their mascot giving out baseballs to the kids, and after the shorebirds win over the Blueclaws, a fireworks display!

Here they come!

We ate lunch at Hemingway's yesterday, voted by Eastern Shore magazine as the seafood restaurant with the best view of the Chesapeake Bay Bridge.  With the Memorial Day holiday fast upon us, this bridge is already crowded with visitors traveling east, wanting to soak up some beach sun as summer officially begins.  Crowds like this will continue to come and go until September, when once again peace and quiet will prevail in our quiet little resort town.

Strawberry-rhubarb pie

Gotta say I am proud of this pie!  Made with fresh rhubarb and local strawberries, it is yummy-o.....a real rival to the ones I remember my grandmother baking.

Dining at Victoria's

Had lunch with some of my retired co-workers today in Rehoboth at a lovely Victorian restaurant on the boardwalk.  It was cool and so very foggy that we could not see the ocean.  Food was yummy!  Pictured is my lunch: a bread bowl full of crab, tomato, bacon and cheese all on a bed of what makes this healthy....greens!

Guys and girls

This weekend we went to the cove to spend the weekend with Dave, Ann Marie, Layne, Eva and Jack.  We watched soccer games, took long walks, attended a strawberry festival, saw Jack discover a turtle's hiding place, did guy things (getting the sailboat ready to launch), and girl things (a wine tasting at a nearby winery). Great weekend!

New boardwalk

Took a bike ride to the boardwalk this morning, following Jim who was running.  A new boardwalk is being laid at the bandstand and in front of some of the shops.  The boards have been specially treated to resist splintering (good for those bare beach feet). I'm guessing these improvements will be finished by next weekend....Memorial Day.

Summer's coming......

Sure signs of summer arrived this weekend.  From now on until mid-October we will need to post our parking permit in our front window to park in town.  Those not lucky enough to live in Bethany Beach will pay the meters to park.  Revenue for the town!  Of course there are other options: walking, biking and/or riding the trolley....a quarter a ride!

Newest wildflowers

Jim went on a field trip with the Coastal Camera Club yesterday to take pictures of lady slippers (the pink flower) in Assawoman Wildlife Refuge.
  Along the way he saw a turtle (got away) and an egret.  Wondering if the woman who was crawling around in poison ivy to get her pictures is scratching today?  Found 2 ticks crawling on him last night.

Thanks to my kiddos........

BEST Mother's Day gift

All of us together in one place....what an amazing M.D. gift!!!!  Here we all are *all 15 of us* and looking at the camera with its unmanned blinking light!  Now the best part of this is that Ella (Mommy Lisbeth holding her) had just split her chin, requiring 5 stitches at an urgent care facility on the way home!  And still she is a trooper for the family picture!
Best of days!!!

Mother's Day camping trip

This weekend we planned a family camping trip at Tuckahoe State Park in Maryland.  What a weekend! The weather was breezy and cool and staying in cabins was a good idea...snug as bugs.  Here I am with an amazing pillow Eva made me with a computer and her sewing machine. Look at all the words she used to describe me.

T

Premier performance of "The Seven Cousins Children's Choir" singing praises to Lisbeth upon her graduation from Loyola University. 

and more.......

These pictures were taken by Valerie.
We had never ridden through Central Park in a carriage and this was a good afternoon to do it.  It was the only time we had the luxury of not walking.  Fred had his pedometer on and when converted to miles, our steps added up to 22.5 miles in the almost 3 days we were in NYC!  So of course no one felt guilty about the good eating we did!












Love this famous landmark!

More Big Apple

I have enclosed my favorite pictures taken while we were in NYC.  First is one Jim took and I like it because I am always impressed with the height of NYC skyscrapers, loving to look UP!
























I took this picture......

Warm spring days in the Big Apple

We spent a few days in NYC with Fred and Val.  On Fred's itinerary was a visit to the taping of a DR. OZ TV show which is done in Rockefeller Center.  Show should air in 2 weeks and will be announced on the website.  We all participated in this and had a lot of laughs as we learned how tedious a process this is.










We ate lunch on our first day at a market housed under the Queensboro Bridge.  The roof of this market is made of shiny cream-colored brick.














Whenever we go to NYC we like to watch a part of the Today Show when the stars come outside to talk to the audience and to tape part of the show in front of this audience.  Today it was about rescued dogs and Meredith Viera professes to be a dog lover. (Love her shoes!)

Elevator day at The Melting Pot

Elevator Day celebrates 25 years of knowing our friend Don Benjamin (we met on an elevator).  Deb Koehler (right front) and I were on a committee to find a pastor for our church.  One of the candidates was Don (with Cindy in this picture) and we met for the 1st time on an elevator in NJ. After that initial meeting and a long Presbyterian process Don became our pastor.  Better friends we will never have than the Benjamins!

Happy Birthday, Dad!

We traveled to Rochester this weekend to help my dad celebrate his 88th birthday!  Fred and Val helped us and as usual, Dad was happy with the spoiling we did. Ate great burgers and subs, cheesecake and homemade ice cream....all Rochester-style and yummy.
Went to the Rochester Public Market....same place I remember going to with my grandfather years ago. This time we did not bring a puppy home, but I bought parsnips and a lavender plant promised to grow into a beautiful bush.
And since it is springtime and Rochester is known for its lilacs in Highland Park, we visited some of them as well.
And, oh yes, temps were warm and unseasonal and who remembered that it had just snowed there on Tuesday?