March 2010

David and I were married 25 years ago this last March. Our family threw us a party to celebrate, complete with a silver-trimmed cake and many silver gifts.












Sarah, Jill, David, and Rebekah, March 2010










A sweet sentimental gift from my mom - the sterling silver candlesticks she used for about 40 years.









Then a caravan of us headed down to VA to see Rebekah in the play, An Inspector Calls. It was a morality play set in about 1912 Britain. It was so good! Of course, Rebekah shined! Afterwards, her director and teacher for 4 years took David and me aside. He told us that she was the best acting student he'd ever had, that there was never anything artificial when she was in character. Wow!





Our lovely Rebekah, as Sheila, a newly-engaged upper-class young lady













The adoring fans - L-R: Nanny (Winifred), Papaw (John), Ben, Rebekah, David, Jill, Noah, Grandpa (Gary), Erin, and Grandma Brenda

What a busy month we've had! It all started with Noah's Book 1 Suzuki cello recital. I enjoyed getting the house ready for this musical soiree. I laid out cookies, fresh vegetables, nuts, crackers, and hot herbal tea, as well as coffee. I also collected various bloom from our yard, and put them in the candle vases I have. I thought they looked very nice for the occasion. His teacher, Miss Barb arrived early so that she and Noah could brush up on his encore, as duet of French Folk Song. Soon all the guests arrived - David's parents, "Nanny" and "Papaw, my parents, "Bubbe," "Grandpa" and "Grandma Brenda." Also, my sister, Gayle, her son, Michael (Noah's best friend), my brother, Steve, and my two little sisters, Erin and Robin, plus their guys, Brian and BJ. And of course David, Ben, and me. So it was a nice gathering, but not overwhelming. And of course, we were an easy crowd to work, clapping for most any little thing. And some big things, like Minuet #2, or Happy Farmer.
Next came Easter, and then a very big event: Noah's learning to ride a bike! He and David put it all together, and then, 2 weeks later, off came the training wheels! Noah learned in a snap. He's enjoying his bike so much now. I just took him to the park today.

In the midst of all the busy-ness, I did get a picture of the back yard from our balcony. I'll nver tire of all the color - the dogwoods, redbuds, and azaleas all blooming at the same time.

Mighty dog

Here's Cosmo. He often looks out the window this way, scanning for interlopers. I feel so much safer knowing that my whimpering little 20-pound dog is protecting me.

Diet

David and I are on the Mayo Clinic Diet. This means:

• No sugar
• Whole grains
• LOTS of fruit and veggies
• Moderate meat
• No eating in front of the TV
• Regular exercise

The ban on sugar has been the hardest. I am using Splenda, but as David hates artificial sweeteners, he is at a loss. He won't budge on iced-tea, his "elixor of life." But as it only has a scant 1/4 cup of sugar per 1/2 gallon, I don't think it's too too bad. The example couple on youtube lost about 9 lbs each after the first two weeks. I hope that happens for us!

Rebekah came home for the weekend, bringing her "biggest fan," Krystal. She had a local audition, which she did well at. We had fun on Saturday. We went to a snobby little tea shop, and then an artsy gift shop my friend, Faith, had shown me a year ago. We especially liked the Alice-in-Wonderland type furniture.

Shrinking

My family is shrinking. Sarah's married off, and Rebekah and Josh are away at college. It's just the four of us now - David, Ben, Noah, and me. And of course the dogs, who count for one adult human being when it comes to food and mess-making. So I guess it's more like five.

I put on a meal and find I have leftovers. I make a batch of cookies, and there are still some in the cookie jar three days later. The kitchen stays a little cleaner. David and I can have private conversations more often. The house is oddly quiet much of the time, especially if Ben is out with friends. It's weird. I don't know if I like it. Well, maybe a little.












I helped with Noah's Valentine's party yesterday. There is something endearing about second-graders passing paper hearts with clothes-pins in their mouths, to win a game. Or holding hands in a circle, singing "Make new friends, but keep the old, one is silver and the other gold..." Later, they were anxious to decorate little bags and fill each other's with Valentines.












Tomorrow I help with the bowling field-trip. This will be entertaining. I'm bringing my camera.

Off to Illinois!

Sarah and Praveen returned from their honeymoon on Sunday, opened some gifts, and headed to Illinois Monday. I miss them soooooo much!





Back from DisneyWorld










Time to move into their own little nest.

Praveen and Ben

Rebekah, Sarah, and Jill

All done packing

I feel so good right now - I just finished packing Sarah's breakables. Becka packed her clothing. I thought we were almost done until I picked up some dishes from my mom, thinking they were ready to roll. But then I checked them, and they weren't, having been stacked without any packing between. I made good use of the bubble-wrap my sister gave me from her job. Good stuff that. What did folks do in the 1930's when they moved? Probably packed their breakables in their clothing.

Well, anyway, she and Praveen are ready to go to Illinois. I guess this packing was the last step in the wedding/move. I will miss Sarah sooooo much! And I will miss getting to know Praveen better faster. But over time, we'll get together. I suppose Sarah and I will talk on the phone a lot, but it's not the same...

Becka and Ben are bothering the daylights out of Cosmo. He's sleeping and they keep whining at him, "Cosmo, wake up and play! You've been sleeping all day!" Then Ben talks in Cosmo's voice which is male, but kinda whimpy.

I'm done with my job on Sunday. So Becka and I need to boogie on over to Banana Republic before I lose my 50% discount. She's really impressed that I even want to do that: "We never go shopping - that's like a normal mother-daughter thing." It's funny. Ever since I started working this job, whenever I fold the girls' clothing, I think of Becka, and wish I'd been able to take her shopping more as a little girl. But that seemed to be my mother-in-law's thing. We were always strapped, and Nanny enjoyed taking the girls out shopping. If it wasn't for her, they'd have had half the clothing, and most of it from Walmart. So they're grateful! I remember once, I did buy brand new dresses for the girls. It was very special, and they were about $20 each. I remember putting them in those coodinated dresses and feeling so good about buying them. The girls looked so cute in them! I'll have to find a picture of them. They weren't fussy. More like playdresses. They were striped and had appliques of little kitties or some such on them. It's funny the things we remember.