So, what do you do when you are bored and you are stuck in a car driving for 18 hours?? play the license plate game of course!!
we made a list of the states, without the use of a map..that alone took a bit..we listed about 45 and then got stuck..but eventually we got them all listed..last state was Massachusetts
The States that we saw on the way to New Bern and back to Texas are:
Alabama, Arizona, California, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Iowa, Illinois, Indiana, Louisiana, Maine, Michigan, Mississippi, Missouri, New Jersey, New York, Nebraska, North Carolina, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Texas, Tennessee, Maryland, Arkansas, Wisconsin, West Virginia, and Virginia.
The States we saw on the way to New Bern ONLY are:
Oregon and Minnesota
The States we saw on the way home to Texas ONLY are:
Alaska, Kansas, Nevada, Ohio, Kentucky, and Washington
The States we didn't see AT ALL are:
Connecticut, Colorado, Idaho, Montana, New Hampshire, New Mexico, North Dakota, Rhode Island, Hawaii, South Dakota, Massachusetts, Utah, Vermont, and Wyoming
We did however see 2 plates from Quebec so that ought to count for something.
So,the next time you are in a car, driving cross country...play the plate game..it's fun..
Tuesday, October 7, 2008
On the Road Again
Monday...
what to say about Monday?
Not much..just a LOT of driving.
we left Lumberton at 6:00am and drove into Tyler at 9:30
survived 15hrs of driving to arrive in Tyler during a Tornado Warning, not a watch but a warning...I don't know what the tornado ended up doing, I heard rain and wind but whether there was an actual tornado in Tyler, who knows.
The whole experience was definitely an experience..will I do it again?? I think that is yet to be determined. once my feet quite hurting I'll decide.
what to say about Monday?
Not much..just a LOT of driving.
we left Lumberton at 6:00am and drove into Tyler at 9:30
survived 15hrs of driving to arrive in Tyler during a Tornado Warning, not a watch but a warning...I don't know what the tornado ended up doing, I heard rain and wind but whether there was an actual tornado in Tyler, who knows.
The whole experience was definitely an experience..will I do it again?? I think that is yet to be determined. once my feet quite hurting I'll decide.
New Bern...Day 5
Sunday!! Day of THE concert..the reason for all the rehearsing the last 3 days..
Schedule for the day:
8:30-8:50.. Worship service
9-11:30..rehearsal
12-1..lunch
1-3..rehearsal
4..THE CONCERT!!
5:30..load out
7-9..10th Anniversary Reception
Our Concert Consisted of the Following:
Antiphonal Alleluias..................................... Hart Morris
Sharon's Song................................................ Don Allured
Reunir .............................................................William Payn
March from Nutcracker ...............................Tchaikovsky/William Griffin
Fantasia ..........................................................Cynthia Dobrinski
Fantasy on King's Weston............................ Fred Gramann
Bolero .............................................................Ravel/William Mathis
Song of Peace................................................ Arnold Sherman
Gwerzy........................................................... Clint Hagen
Crossroads...................................................... William Payn
Amazing Grace............................................... Dean Wagner
Carnivale......................................................... Michael Glasgow
Jamican Rhumba........................................... Carol Lynn Mizell
The Stars and Stipes Forever...................... John Philip Sousa/William Griffin
The Concert went fairly well, they recorded the concert so it will be interesting to see how it all turned out. What they didn't tell us was that they were going to turn the air conditioning off in the concert room so it was SO HOT! even the audience was using anything possible to fan themselves.
According to our "guide for the weekend" there were a total of 118 ringers. Ringers from all across the country, even 2 from the United Kingdom. 16 of us were "newbies", "first timers" .
Friends of mine have wondered why I would drive 18hrs across the country to attend 4 days of handbell ringing..and not just your fiddle around handbell ringing, this was serious stuff. Everyone there had expectations of everyone else, that everyone had studied their music, that everyone was there for one reason, to accomplish the concert to the best of everyone's ability.
During the final run through of Carnivale (which is fun piece full of random crazy percussion sounds) the composer and at least one other person ran to the podium and sprayed silly string on David Davidson. It was funny, not something that would happen again during the concert but during the rehearsal it was great to have a laugh.
my personal concert experience went fairly well...there were pieces that I did great, others not so great. One of them I didn't even 100% understand the rythms so I will admit that song was the worst.
After the concert we helped put some bells away, folded some table covers and then got in the car and drove away..just like that, 4 days of rehearsing, a 1.5hr concert and we were done.
Sunday night we drove about 2.5hrs to Lumberton PA and crashed for the night.
Schedule for the day:
8:30-8:50.. Worship service
9-11:30..rehearsal
12-1..lunch
1-3..rehearsal
4..THE CONCERT!!
5:30..load out
7-9..10th Anniversary Reception
Our Concert Consisted of the Following:
Antiphonal Alleluias..................................... Hart Morris
Sharon's Song................................................ Don Allured
Reunir .............................................................William Payn
March from Nutcracker ...............................Tchaikovsky/William Griffin
Fantasia ..........................................................Cynthia Dobrinski
Fantasy on King's Weston............................ Fred Gramann
Bolero .............................................................Ravel/William Mathis
Song of Peace................................................ Arnold Sherman
Gwerzy........................................................... Clint Hagen
Crossroads...................................................... William Payn
Amazing Grace............................................... Dean Wagner
Carnivale......................................................... Michael Glasgow
Jamican Rhumba........................................... Carol Lynn Mizell
The Stars and Stipes Forever...................... John Philip Sousa/William Griffin
The Concert went fairly well, they recorded the concert so it will be interesting to see how it all turned out. What they didn't tell us was that they were going to turn the air conditioning off in the concert room so it was SO HOT! even the audience was using anything possible to fan themselves.
According to our "guide for the weekend" there were a total of 118 ringers. Ringers from all across the country, even 2 from the United Kingdom. 16 of us were "newbies", "first timers" .
Friends of mine have wondered why I would drive 18hrs across the country to attend 4 days of handbell ringing..and not just your fiddle around handbell ringing, this was serious stuff. Everyone there had expectations of everyone else, that everyone had studied their music, that everyone was there for one reason, to accomplish the concert to the best of everyone's ability.
During the final run through of Carnivale (which is fun piece full of random crazy percussion sounds) the composer and at least one other person ran to the podium and sprayed silly string on David Davidson. It was funny, not something that would happen again during the concert but during the rehearsal it was great to have a laugh.
my personal concert experience went fairly well...there were pieces that I did great, others not so great. One of them I didn't even 100% understand the rythms so I will admit that song was the worst.
After the concert we helped put some bells away, folded some table covers and then got in the car and drove away..just like that, 4 days of rehearsing, a 1.5hr concert and we were done.
Sunday night we drove about 2.5hrs to Lumberton PA and crashed for the night.
New Bern...Day 4
Day 4 was technically Saturday and it is now Tuesday..just got too busy to finish in New Bern and then there was a day in the car so I shall finish now, but am going to still split things into separate posts instead of one long post.
So Saturday's schedule was the following:
9-11:45...rehearsal
12-1..lunch
1:10-5...rehearsal
5-7..dinner break
7-9 rehearsal.
luckily Mr Davidson changed up the posted schedule and instead of the above we rehearsed from 1:10 till about 7, with breaks of course. I think he realized that some of us had hit a wall with out ringing and figured if he let us leave for dinner and then come back we would be completely worn out so he gave us a break and then we ran through the concert from start to finish.
For lunch they fed us sandwiches and for dinner we headed down to Morgans Pub.
it was definitely a long day full of rehearsing and not much else.
Some quotes of the day:
"Bill Griffin..its whats for dinner"
"could you play a little louder if I told you I loved you?"
"I need you to be gnats, not mosquitos"
"now you can be mosquitos, let me go get my OFF"
"We're glad you're not dead"
"everybody grunt on one"
"Some of you are leaving the stable a year early"
"I wish now that I hadn't written it"
So Saturday's schedule was the following:
9-11:45...rehearsal
12-1..lunch
1:10-5...rehearsal
5-7..dinner break
7-9 rehearsal.
luckily Mr Davidson changed up the posted schedule and instead of the above we rehearsed from 1:10 till about 7, with breaks of course. I think he realized that some of us had hit a wall with out ringing and figured if he let us leave for dinner and then come back we would be completely worn out so he gave us a break and then we ran through the concert from start to finish.
For lunch they fed us sandwiches and for dinner we headed down to Morgans Pub.
it was definitely a long day full of rehearsing and not much else.
Some quotes of the day:
"Bill Griffin..its whats for dinner"
"could you play a little louder if I told you I loved you?"
"I need you to be gnats, not mosquitos"
"now you can be mosquitos, let me go get my OFF"
"We're glad you're not dead"
"everybody grunt on one"
"Some of you are leaving the stable a year early"
"I wish now that I hadn't written it"
Friday, October 3, 2008
New Bern...Day 3
We have survived another day in New Bern..for those of you who may not know, I am not here alone..I'm in good company. Gini, my mom and I are all in the "girls" room, Arnold & Andy are in the "boys" room.
The schedule for today consisted of the following:
8-10....Rehearsal
10:15-11:50...bass bell rehearsal
11:50-4...lunch and free time
3:45-4..cookie break
4-7...rehearsal
then more free time and dinner.
This whole trip has been an experience..as David has said on multiple occassions, we are making music, not just ringing a bunch of bells.
there are definitely parts that I still don't understand and perhaps parts that I am not playing on but overall things have been good.
I leave you with quotes from the day:
"that was annemic"
"eat your wheaties and play those bells"
"when all this stuff is going, all the ADD people have something to do."
"needs to sound taut..not overwrought"
"we as individuals can not change the world, but music CAN change the world"
"F nat, F nat, NOT F#..its even right in the music"
"'have you played this piece of music before?'...'no..but I have heard it and I don't like it'"
"you are late and you are rushing but other than that, it was GREAT!"
"that sounded like Old Mrs Hanson at the church piano..hat, flower on hat, & a pleated skirt"
I have run out of cleverness for today's posting so I will just say that my feet hurt, my back hurts, but yes, we ARE having a good time"
The schedule for today consisted of the following:
8-10....Rehearsal
10:15-11:50...bass bell rehearsal
11:50-4...lunch and free time
3:45-4..cookie break
4-7...rehearsal
then more free time and dinner.
This whole trip has been an experience..as David has said on multiple occassions, we are making music, not just ringing a bunch of bells.
there are definitely parts that I still don't understand and perhaps parts that I am not playing on but overall things have been good.
I leave you with quotes from the day:
"that was annemic"
"eat your wheaties and play those bells"
"when all this stuff is going, all the ADD people have something to do."
"needs to sound taut..not overwrought"
"we as individuals can not change the world, but music CAN change the world"
"F nat, F nat, NOT F#..its even right in the music"
"'have you played this piece of music before?'...'no..but I have heard it and I don't like it'"
"you are late and you are rushing but other than that, it was GREAT!"
"that sounded like Old Mrs Hanson at the church piano..hat, flower on hat, & a pleated skirt"
I have run out of cleverness for today's posting so I will just say that my feet hurt, my back hurts, but yes, we ARE having a good time"
Thursday, October 2, 2008
New Bern, NC..first Official Day at Distinctly Bronze
I have decided to start today's entry with a little background story (thanks Jayne for asking such a question that would prompt this part!!)
Henrietta is my stuffed Hippo..how did Henri come to be...that's a good story.
Every year at Christmas there is a song they play on the radio, "I want a Hippopotamus for Christmas" (ever heard it?? not the greatest song but it's catchy) Last Christmas there was lots of singing the Hippo song by myself and other friends and even comments made about how a certain handbell composer could perhaps arrange the song for bells.
well, one day at my office a box arrived..it had an out of state return address and was addressed to me..inside was HENRIETTA!! I got my wish..my very own Hippo for Christmas!! (it was determined who sent the Hippo but I'll leave that a secret) I also received two other hippos from a good friend. (no, my collecting has not changed from Donald Duck to Hippos..trust me)
so now you know...the REST of the story!!
On to New Bern...
today we all slept in till about 9 then got up, got ready and headed downstair for the breakfast buffet.
after breakfast we headed out to see some of downtown New Bern, had lunch at Morgan's Tavern & Grill, then back to the convention for the first rehearsal of Distinctly Bronze (DB)
Schedule for today was as follows:
10-2 .. Registration
2:30-2:50..welcome and announcement
3-5:30..rehearsal
5:30-6:45..Dinner Buffet
7-9:30..rehearsal
So we survived the first rehearsal..the first run through of the first song was VERY indimidating..partially because of the song, partially due to the people around me having rung it before and knowing what they were doing compared to myself.
David stated today that we will have a total of 24.5hrs of ringing between now and Sunday..can you imagine? I'm here doing this and I have a hard time imagining
a few quotes of the day:
"that was Wal-Mart...give me Neiman Marcus!"
"those are my bells..give them to me!"
"come on yall you had steak & chicken for dinner, muscle up!"
"some of you are still talking in case you can't tell"
Tomorrow things start up at 8:00 with a rehearsal which means an early morning since three of us have to get ready, get some breakfast and be in our seats by 7:50 if we want to attempt to win a door prize.
like I said earlier, the first song was intimidating...the songs got better, that's what rehearsal is for.
the room is set up like you would see a room for mass ringing at a bell seminar but this experience is totally different, the participants here WANT to be here..we have all taken time from our work, our families, our "non-bell" life to spend 4 days ringing bells...we have marked, we have practiced on our own, we have come prepared...you don't get all of that at a regular "seminar" are some of the participants here a little "over the edge"?? you bet! but would it be the event that it is if that didn't exist? that's the real question.
Till tomorrow...I have music to mark!!
Henrietta is my stuffed Hippo..how did Henri come to be...that's a good story.
Every year at Christmas there is a song they play on the radio, "I want a Hippopotamus for Christmas" (ever heard it?? not the greatest song but it's catchy) Last Christmas there was lots of singing the Hippo song by myself and other friends and even comments made about how a certain handbell composer could perhaps arrange the song for bells.
well, one day at my office a box arrived..it had an out of state return address and was addressed to me..inside was HENRIETTA!! I got my wish..my very own Hippo for Christmas!! (it was determined who sent the Hippo but I'll leave that a secret) I also received two other hippos from a good friend. (no, my collecting has not changed from Donald Duck to Hippos..trust me)
so now you know...the REST of the story!!
On to New Bern...
today we all slept in till about 9 then got up, got ready and headed downstair for the breakfast buffet.
after breakfast we headed out to see some of downtown New Bern, had lunch at Morgan's Tavern & Grill, then back to the convention for the first rehearsal of Distinctly Bronze (DB)
Schedule for today was as follows:
10-2 .. Registration
2:30-2:50..welcome and announcement
3-5:30..rehearsal
5:30-6:45..Dinner Buffet
7-9:30..rehearsal
So we survived the first rehearsal..the first run through of the first song was VERY indimidating..partially because of the song, partially due to the people around me having rung it before and knowing what they were doing compared to myself.
David stated today that we will have a total of 24.5hrs of ringing between now and Sunday..can you imagine? I'm here doing this and I have a hard time imagining
a few quotes of the day:
"that was Wal-Mart...give me Neiman Marcus!"
"those are my bells..give them to me!"
"come on yall you had steak & chicken for dinner, muscle up!"
"some of you are still talking in case you can't tell"
Tomorrow things start up at 8:00 with a rehearsal which means an early morning since three of us have to get ready, get some breakfast and be in our seats by 7:50 if we want to attempt to win a door prize.
like I said earlier, the first song was intimidating...the songs got better, that's what rehearsal is for.
the room is set up like you would see a room for mass ringing at a bell seminar but this experience is totally different, the participants here WANT to be here..we have all taken time from our work, our families, our "non-bell" life to spend 4 days ringing bells...we have marked, we have practiced on our own, we have come prepared...you don't get all of that at a regular "seminar" are some of the participants here a little "over the edge"?? you bet! but would it be the event that it is if that didn't exist? that's the real question.
Till tomorrow...I have music to mark!!
Wednesday, October 1, 2008
Are we There Yet???
YES WE ARE!!! Woo hoo..finally.
We left yesterday, Sept 30th at 5pm..well, 5:05 because we forgot the map and had to turn around and go retrieve it from the house.
6:52pm, 77mi from Monroe Louisiana..getting bored so what else better to do than attempt to name all the states, write them down and the proceed to mark off each state as we find/see a license plate from each state..figured we will do this on the way home too and see how many states we find, perhaps between the trip out here and the trip back we will find them all.
9:00pm, Welcome to Mississippi!! Our hotel for the evening was the Jameston..they didn't have any vacancies so its a good thing we had a confirmation number, especially since after spelling our name 5 times she STILL couldn't find our reservation in the computer. turns out they had spelled the name wrong..gee what a shock!
After dinner at Cracker Barrell we crashed for the night..the beds were hard as a rock and they leaned to one side so that was annoying.
Wednesday October 1st
6am..gee, there really is a 6am..more importantly there is a 5:30am..who needs sleep. We left vicksburg with Gertrude leading us (our navigational system), next stop..Jackson Mississippi for gas.
a wonderful quote from Mom:
"As we drive into the dawn our thoughts turn to the music we have yet to figure out how to play" 10-1-08, 6:19am..great quote for it being so early.
we passed a 18wheeler hauling nothing but chickens..do the chickens actually survive till their destination??
6:54am Gas Break in Jackson
8:07am OH LOOK!! Cresent Restaurant, home of the seafood stuffed eggplant.
8:13am FAIL!!! a partial cup of coffee takes flight and lands on my leg, my sock, my shoe, my hat, pick something.
8:25am Welcome to Alabama!!
10:20am Outside of Birmingham Alabama, gas & food stop
11:00am Talladega Race Track..and it's race weekend.
11:30am Talladega Forest
I20 the entire way across Alabama, 215 miles, apparently you can't buy Fireworks in Georgia, there are tons of stores at the border.
11:45am Welcome to Georgia!!
TIME CHANGE..11:45 now becomes 12:45pm
Interesting signs along the way:
"trucks over 6 wheels must use right two lanes"
Alabama--"up to $1000 fine for throwing trash on highway"
on smoothie King van.."we cater".....why??
1:22pm Welcome to Atlanta!!
1:39pm Gerturde informs us that we dont have another turn for 276miles..its going to be a long day.
"lights on when raining"
Georgia---"up to $1200 fine for trash on highway"
3:27pm see first cloud of the day
South Carolina--"up to $1000 fine and prison for trash on highway"
"bridge ices before road"
4:34pm time to stop for some more gas and something to eat
5:00pm ON THE ROAD AGAIN!
"truck restriction next 16miles" (why?? how??)
Random lady at gas station in South Carolina approaches mom, "are you from Texas??" mom answers, "yes we are" and then random lady says "are you going to be glad to get Ol george back?" um.....X
Hartsville, Home of the Cotton museum
6:13pm we have driven I20 to the end, officially on I95, next turn in 76 miles.
197 miles across South Carolina
6:45pm Welcome to North Carolina!!! WOOT!!
what exactly is Silicon Tetrafluoride? states it is corrosive and an inhalation hazard.
8:10pm turned onto US70, final stretch of road to New Bern!!
Nahunta Pork Center..wonder what they do there.
"pig in a puppy"..what?!!?
8:42pm..tractor crossing beware.
Rear Creek?!?!? no wait, that sign says "BEAR creek"..man, I'm tired...guess that's what 14hrs in a car will do to a person.
"the Barron and Beef restaurant"
9:31pm..welcome to NEW BERN!!! Birth Place of Pepsi Cola (who would have guessed)
now it is officially 12:25am on Oct2nd..I have been up since 5:30 on the 1st..which would mean 19hrs..wow..I better get to bed. Mom is sleeping, gini is sleeping and so is Henrietta!!
Till Tomorrow..
We left yesterday, Sept 30th at 5pm..well, 5:05 because we forgot the map and had to turn around and go retrieve it from the house.
6:52pm, 77mi from Monroe Louisiana..getting bored so what else better to do than attempt to name all the states, write them down and the proceed to mark off each state as we find/see a license plate from each state..figured we will do this on the way home too and see how many states we find, perhaps between the trip out here and the trip back we will find them all.
9:00pm, Welcome to Mississippi!! Our hotel for the evening was the Jameston..they didn't have any vacancies so its a good thing we had a confirmation number, especially since after spelling our name 5 times she STILL couldn't find our reservation in the computer. turns out they had spelled the name wrong..gee what a shock!
After dinner at Cracker Barrell we crashed for the night..the beds were hard as a rock and they leaned to one side so that was annoying.
Wednesday October 1st
6am..gee, there really is a 6am..more importantly there is a 5:30am..who needs sleep. We left vicksburg with Gertrude leading us (our navigational system), next stop..Jackson Mississippi for gas.
a wonderful quote from Mom:
"As we drive into the dawn our thoughts turn to the music we have yet to figure out how to play" 10-1-08, 6:19am..great quote for it being so early.
we passed a 18wheeler hauling nothing but chickens..do the chickens actually survive till their destination??
6:54am Gas Break in Jackson
8:07am OH LOOK!! Cresent Restaurant, home of the seafood stuffed eggplant.
8:13am FAIL!!! a partial cup of coffee takes flight and lands on my leg, my sock, my shoe, my hat, pick something.
8:25am Welcome to Alabama!!
10:20am Outside of Birmingham Alabama, gas & food stop
11:00am Talladega Race Track..and it's race weekend.
11:30am Talladega Forest
I20 the entire way across Alabama, 215 miles, apparently you can't buy Fireworks in Georgia, there are tons of stores at the border.
11:45am Welcome to Georgia!!
TIME CHANGE..11:45 now becomes 12:45pm
Interesting signs along the way:
"trucks over 6 wheels must use right two lanes"
Alabama--"up to $1000 fine for throwing trash on highway"
on smoothie King van.."we cater".....why??
1:22pm Welcome to Atlanta!!
1:39pm Gerturde informs us that we dont have another turn for 276miles..its going to be a long day.
"lights on when raining"
Georgia---"up to $1200 fine for trash on highway"
3:27pm see first cloud of the day
South Carolina--"up to $1000 fine and prison for trash on highway"
"bridge ices before road"
4:34pm time to stop for some more gas and something to eat
5:00pm ON THE ROAD AGAIN!
"truck restriction next 16miles" (why?? how??)
Random lady at gas station in South Carolina approaches mom, "are you from Texas??" mom answers, "yes we are" and then random lady says "are you going to be glad to get Ol george back?" um.....X
Hartsville, Home of the Cotton museum
6:13pm we have driven I20 to the end, officially on I95, next turn in 76 miles.
197 miles across South Carolina
6:45pm Welcome to North Carolina!!! WOOT!!
what exactly is Silicon Tetrafluoride? states it is corrosive and an inhalation hazard.
8:10pm turned onto US70, final stretch of road to New Bern!!
Nahunta Pork Center..wonder what they do there.
"pig in a puppy"..what?!!?
8:42pm..tractor crossing beware.
Rear Creek?!?!? no wait, that sign says "BEAR creek"..man, I'm tired...guess that's what 14hrs in a car will do to a person.
"the Barron and Beef restaurant"
9:31pm..welcome to NEW BERN!!! Birth Place of Pepsi Cola (who would have guessed)
now it is officially 12:25am on Oct2nd..I have been up since 5:30 on the 1st..which would mean 19hrs..wow..I better get to bed. Mom is sleeping, gini is sleeping and so is Henrietta!!
Till Tomorrow..
Tuesday, September 23, 2008
Happy Birthday to Me
birthdays...
when you are a kid, you look forward to them every year..what kind of gifts are you going to get, what kind of party or gathering are you going to have, who is going to be there, where will it be held, etc.
growing up I don't really remember any of my birthdays..of course there was the normal family gathering but I don't remember ever doing much more than perhaps a sleep over with some friends.
favorite Birthday gift? don't know that I can answer that either..I remember getting a cabbage patch kid one year and one year was pretty much all strawberry shortcake. when I was 13 my friend gave me my first barbie..she had white clothes that you could tie dye and long blonde hair.
recently when Catherine turned four, there was a discussion about her mom not really wanting her to have barbies..my mom confessed that she never wanted me to have one either..why?? I don't know.
this year is also the 11th year anniversary of my grandfather passing..he died the day before I turned 21..what a way to spend a birthday..I guess deep down that is what gets to me every year about this time.
I remember this exact day in 1997..it was the last day I saw my grandpa..he seemed happy..I think he knew who I was that day. I remember my grandma couldn't get him to eat anything or drink so I sat on his bed and gave him drinks of water with a straw..he didn't say much but I remember him just looking at me with his shiny eyes and I knew he loved me..then on Friday, 3 days later he was gone..he had been up that day walking around, cutting up like his good ol self and then he was gone..just like that..daniel was there, left to go get something at the store and in the time it took him to just get down the road pa-pa was gone. I miss him..I miss him alot.
and then you have this year...granted it's just another birthday..no great milestone year or anything..just big ol 32..
this saturday I get to be at the church all day hosting/teaching/playing at a handbell workshop..not really how I wanted to spend my birthday. granted I will be with friends, my adult ringing friends but for that to occupy my whole day has me bothered for some reason.
on happy notes, I DO get to go on vacation on the 30th of Sept so that is definitely worth looking forward to.
when you are a kid, you look forward to them every year..what kind of gifts are you going to get, what kind of party or gathering are you going to have, who is going to be there, where will it be held, etc.
growing up I don't really remember any of my birthdays..of course there was the normal family gathering but I don't remember ever doing much more than perhaps a sleep over with some friends.
favorite Birthday gift? don't know that I can answer that either..I remember getting a cabbage patch kid one year and one year was pretty much all strawberry shortcake. when I was 13 my friend gave me my first barbie..she had white clothes that you could tie dye and long blonde hair.
recently when Catherine turned four, there was a discussion about her mom not really wanting her to have barbies..my mom confessed that she never wanted me to have one either..why?? I don't know.
this year is also the 11th year anniversary of my grandfather passing..he died the day before I turned 21..what a way to spend a birthday..I guess deep down that is what gets to me every year about this time.
I remember this exact day in 1997..it was the last day I saw my grandpa..he seemed happy..I think he knew who I was that day. I remember my grandma couldn't get him to eat anything or drink so I sat on his bed and gave him drinks of water with a straw..he didn't say much but I remember him just looking at me with his shiny eyes and I knew he loved me..then on Friday, 3 days later he was gone..he had been up that day walking around, cutting up like his good ol self and then he was gone..just like that..daniel was there, left to go get something at the store and in the time it took him to just get down the road pa-pa was gone. I miss him..I miss him alot.
and then you have this year...granted it's just another birthday..no great milestone year or anything..just big ol 32..
this saturday I get to be at the church all day hosting/teaching/playing at a handbell workshop..not really how I wanted to spend my birthday. granted I will be with friends, my adult ringing friends but for that to occupy my whole day has me bothered for some reason.
on happy notes, I DO get to go on vacation on the 30th of Sept so that is definitely worth looking forward to.
Saturday, August 2, 2008
Jack in the Box?? No!! Cat in the Box!!
For anyone who has a cat, this may not be an uncommon scene. All of my cats LOVE boxes..regardless of how big (or small) they might be. Anakin (as you can see) has discovered the empty trash bag boxes and feels like it is his job to sit in it, keep in mind Anakin is not a little cat..he probably weighs about 13/14 lbs.Not long after I took this picture he got out of the box, probably to go in search of a twist tie from a package of bread, or a ponytail holder, or his favorite thing...a Q-Tip (unused of course)
Wednesday, July 30, 2008
First Born Niece Turns FOUR!!
Where has the time gone?? Miss Catherine Leigh will be 4 tomorrow..I can't believe it. I remember the day she was born, I remember all her birthdays..I remember our every other Tuesday night playing while her parents were both out doing stuff, books we would read, toys we would play with, etc. She has gotten so big, and is so smart, and I love her more and more everytime I see her. The only thing I wish is that she still lived in Tyler. I cherish the time we spend with each other, reading the books I gave her this past weekend, knowing that when she reads them again she will remember that I gave them to her.. some people would probably say there is no way she would remember..yes she will. There is a book I gave her when she was only a few months old but once she got old enough to go get a book she would go get that book. Perhaps it was the way I read it to her, perhaps she knew that I gave it to her, perhaps a little of both..but I love those moments.Happy Birthday Catherine Leigh...Aunt Leslie loves YOU!!!
Cousins
Little Miss Molly T loves to sit on the floor and play, and who better to play with than Haleigh. The two of them (catherine too) all hung out on the floor and played. ..check out the book, Aunt Leslie decided that Molly needed it :-)Monday, July 28, 2008
Molly Sings Along
Haleigh was listening to her ringtones on her phone (no, it is NOT activated, she just takes pictures with it and listens to the ringtones.) Molly decided she needed to make some noise and as you can see, she is starting to attempt to wave at people.
Molly is getting SO big..laughing at people now, loves to stand up and when she is sitting on your lap she constantly has her legs going..watch out Catherine, she'll be chasing you before you know it :-)
Aunt Leslie Bakes A Cake
This past weekend we had a little celebration in honor of Catherine's 4th birthday..not quite here yet, actual day is July 31st. Remembering my childhood birthdays what I remember are the cakes..cakes that my mom made, not cakes that came from a bakery, not cakes that came from some kind of specialty place, but a cake made at home by mom. A few of those cakes I remember, not necessarily what they were, but how they were made. a character pan of some sort and then icing piped ever so carefully on the cake to resemble the character. SO..being the Aunt Leslie that I am, I decided Catherine just HAD to have one of those cakes.
On a mission, I went to Michaels to see what they had...and to see if they still made character pans...I was in luck..they didn't have one or two..they had more like 20!! AAAHHH..now what, which character do I make..so I called Nan-na who was eating with Catherine and asked which she would like the most, Strawberry Shortcake, a Princess Coach or Ariel (the little mermaid for those who are not in tune with their disney cartoons) It was decided that Catherine would like Ariel..So, the fun began.
The Official Cake Pan..Ariel
The food coloring, and supplies needed
Ariel has made it safely out of the oven and the pan
OH NO!!! Where is Ariel's hair!?!?!?!?
Finally finished..isn't she Beautiful??
I just LOVE my Ariel Cake Aunt Leslie..can you make me another one next year???
(oh no, what kind of tradition have I just put myself in??)
Monday, June 16, 2008
Nieces and Nephews
Clarence and Kyle armed and ready for some painball action
Ninian in the car acting silly
Catherine after lunch on Fathers Day
Molly playing in her exersaucer 6/14/08
Ninian in the car acting silly
Catherine after lunch on Fathers Day
Wednesday, June 11, 2008
Poor Scooter Rooter
Texas heat + long thick haired dog = One Shaved Dog
and that's about all I can say about that...however it HAS been more than a week since we got him shaved and I really think he is enjoying having shorter hair, and now that it has grown for a week he doesn't look like he was shaved down to his skin.
Wednesday, May 21, 2008
Ever Try??
Ever try to take a picture of a cat?? I took about 10 pictures and they were all either fuzzy, pictures of backs of heads, or blurs. this is the best picture out of the ones I took..guess I will try again at a later date when they feel like being more cooperative.
Wednesday, May 14, 2008
Little Miss Molly
ok, this is really just a test to see if I can really upload a video to this blog..if it turns out that I can, I may have to do it more frequently.
It's official..we now can USE our new table and chairs!! how exciting. In this picture the table doesn't have the leaf in it so only four chairs will really fit, but the table does expand and allows for 6 (possibly 8) people at the table.
had to put a tablecloth on..wouldn't want anything getting the top of the table dirty.
Also notice that joey (aka Josiah Theodore Russell) is in the background..for those of you who have not met Joey, he would be our turtle..will have to post a picture of him some day. He is a rather cute little turtle, but with all the other pets around here he doesn't get 100% attention..oh well, guess he likes it that way since he's 1.5yrs old now.
Tuesday, May 13, 2008
What's Wrong with this Picture??
After two weeks of waiting, our NEW table and chairs have arrived. After the pouring rain stopped this evening, we went and picked it all up, got it home and started the assembly process. The chairs were already assembled so all that needed to be put together was the table.
Then it was discovered (notice picture above) Clarence got three of the four legs attached, went to attach the 4th and final leg and there are NO holes..no holes..let me say it again, NO HOLES..UGH so now what?? we can't put the last leg on, so we can't stand the table up and therefore can't USE the table. The table we have waited for, the table we were waiting on, the table we have been aticipating... clarence calls the furniture store for options. 1. we can bring it back and they will order a new one, or 2. they can send someone out to put holes in the table so that the leg can be attached. Granted we possibly could have drilled the holes ourselves, but if we had and something had gone wrong, then what? so, tomorrow the furniture man shall be coming to the house to drill some holes. Hopefully the drilling will go correctly and tomorrow night we can eat at our NEW table while sitting in our NEW chairs.
Saturday, May 10, 2008
Handbells, Handbells and more Handbells
How much ringing is too much ringing?? Guess that would depend on who you ask. Ask my husband and he would tell you that he doesn't understand what the fascination is..why do I do this 4 days a week sometimes (most of the time just 3 times). Perhaps it is to get out of the house, perhaps its to have something to do, has anyone just realized that perhaps I enjoy it? Yes, it does have its days, days when I don't want to go, days that I have other options but yet I still choose to go ring, days that perhaps I could do something else instead of ring.
As I told our director when we tried out in January when he asked "why do you like being a member of ETHE?" my response? "because of the friendship, the time spent making music and the overall time spent with each other". yes, the members of this group are older than me..some much older than me but I consider them all my friends. how many people can say that they hang out for three hours a week with their friends? granted if it were not for the groups I belong to I wouldn't even see some of these people outside of church but I"m thankful that we do get to spend time together.
Tuesday, May 6, 2008
Can I watch the girls? You BET!! afterall, I AM their Aunt.
The Morning started interesting, after turning off the shower I hear "the towels are in the top drawer" Catherine (4 at end of July) is informing of where the towels are and I'm in the shower...lovely..so ask her to go play while I get dressed.
then the rain begins..lovely...now not only do I have to get Catherine to school but I have to do this all with a 4month old in the rain. but guess what, we survived.
after some lunch I went and picked catherine up a little early from school and we went and painted some pottery for a mother's day gift...daniel wanted something more than just handprints and footprints so I think the end result was really cute..will post pictures later.
now Molly is sleeping again, catherine is watching some tv and we are all waiting for mom to get to home.
I'll head home tonight but can't wait to come back and help out again..
Wednesday, March 5, 2008
New At This
So why am I doing this? that is the question.
I really don't know.
Tomorrow is Clarence and I's 4th wedding anniversary, where has the time gone? We are going to Dallas with some friends, to a Desperado Game and then to hang out for the weekend.
My parents leave Saturday for a much needed vacation, traveling to the windy city by train, can't wait to see how fun 18 hours on a train really is.
I really don't know.
Tomorrow is Clarence and I's 4th wedding anniversary, where has the time gone? We are going to Dallas with some friends, to a Desperado Game and then to hang out for the weekend.
My parents leave Saturday for a much needed vacation, traveling to the windy city by train, can't wait to see how fun 18 hours on a train really is.
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