This Rocks!

THIS ROCKS!

A week on Hilton Head Island, SC is a great get away.  The cast of characters was Jim, Deanna, Greg, Alicia, Allen, and Reagan. We flew out of St. Louis on Saturday morning, had a layover in Atlanta, and then on to Savannah, where we rented a car for a relatively short drive to Hilton Head.  We originally thought about flying into Hilton Head.  That thought was very short lived, once we checked on the cost.  They are very proud of that little jaunt.

After checking out our condo/apartment, we headed down to the beach.  Allen immediately did a little writing in the sand.  This Rocks.  Then he summed it up with "I Love Summer Vacation!"  That about says it all.



I Love Summer Vacation!

It was a relaxing week away from everything.  The fine white sand was great for long strolls, or just sitting and gazing out over the water while listening to the roar of the waves. 



As I strolled along the beach at dusk, we were trying to get a "Footprints in the Sand" picture.  We failed. 

The sand was great for digging and buiding sand castles.  Allen happened onto this hole someone else dug. 



The Island has one winery. So of course we had to check it out. We all agreed that the wine was pretty darn good. 

We all thought the "locals" were somewhat snobbish.  They weren't very friendly and at times were downright rude.  It was like they resented the touristy presence, and yet their entire economy depends on tourism.  It was very confusing.

Hilton Head Island is known for its fabulous golf courses.  We even played a round of golf.   As far as we were concerned, it wasn't anything to write home about.  Maybe that is because it was put-put type golf?  It sure was fun.  I had forgotten how bad I am at that game.  Reagan started out slow, but by the time we were nearing the end, she was giving us all a run for our money - including Allen.  It is amazing how quickly kids figure these games out, while us grownups kind of plod along.

We toured Savannah, GA on the hottest day of the week.  In hindsight that was a mistake.  We all ended up a bit tired and cranky by the end of the day, and called it quits before we had done all of the sight seeing we had wanted to.

We were in awe of the architecture and beauty of The Cathedral of St. John the Baptist.  We were lucky enough to get there just as a tour of Girl Scouts was leaving (the Girl Scouts were founded in Savannah, did you know that?).  Just as we were leaving, another tour bus showed up. 

Did you know that Forrest Gump was filmed in Savannah?  The bench where Forrest sat telling the story of his life to anybody who would listen, sat right outside Chippewa Square (there are many squares in Savannah).  The bench has been moved to a museum.  What we found strange is that Savannah doesn't seem to capitalize on the Forrest Gump presence at all.

Since they didn't replace the bench with a replica for us to sit on, Greg and I positioned ourselves in about the right place.  I was trying to tell Greg that "Life is like a box of chocolate..."  But then he already knew that.  Another tourist actually had a freeze frame shot on his phone of Forrest sitting on the park bench.  That way he knew where to stand to have their picture taken.  We followed their lead and had ours taken there too.

 Because of the heat, we didn't see near what we thought we would. The beach was calling. 

We all promised each other that we wouldn't post a bunch of tasteless swim suit clad pictures of each other.  But I don't think Greg and Alicia will mind this family picture.  They look so happy.  I believe we were at Harbour Town when this one was taken.

Dolphin watching was on our agenda, and we did see a lot of Dolphins.  They were especially active when a small fishing type boat would happen by.  They know where there is food... they are smart like that.  They are also smart enough to not pose for pictures.  I'll spare you the black humps of a back, tail fin, or snoot sticking out of the water. 

It seemed that within a blink of an eye, the vacation was over.  The kids were troopers from start to finish.  It was so much fun to see their faces as they played in the sand or "rode the waves" on their boogie boards.  Now, where are we going next, kids?



Rust be gone

When we bought our antique bird feeder at my Uncle Ivo’s auction, one of the things that attracted me to it was the vintage look. It was weather worn and had a little rust around the edges. We began to notice that rust was growing and had to accept that without a little intervention, our treasured bird feeder would be, well… a pile of rust.

So we did what any Grandparent would do, and called for help. Help! After a few late night discussions, we decided Dakota was the perfect candidate for this job. We called him to offer the challenge and he accepted. What a kid!

First step was to go to the hardware store and get a wire brush that “fit his hand perfectly” (so Grandpa said) and was small enough to get into all of the small crevices.

Good thing that rock was there…

A larger brush for the top. Did you get that spot on the side there Dakota?

Pride in a job well done. Thanks Dakota for my new bird feeder!

We ran out of paint, so the second coat was done later. Bird feed was added and now the squirrels birds have their rust free house back.

My love, My life

I would say that, by most standards, forty years is a long time.   If that is true, why does it seem like it was just yesterday that this man of mine and I became man and wife?  Why does it seem like all we did is blink and poof, here we are?





Jim and Deanna - June 17, 1972



Maybe it is because we married the right person and have held on tight as we shared our lives together.  We found strength in each other to help us face any struggles, burdens, sorrows, and heart breaks.  We've held on to our happinesses, joys, successes, and loves.  We celebrate each day together.  All of these things could be the reason that 40 years have flown by in the blink of an eye.  I am very blessed to have had Jim standing next to me as I am traveling this journey called life.

June 17, 2012
Tessa, Deanna, Jim, Julie, Greg

Our children, their spouses, and our grandchildren did everything possible to make this day very special for us. 


Saturday we they got everything ready.  The plan was to host a cake and punch reception at church after Sunday morning Mass.  Then just family (and our pastor, of course) was going to have a good ol' fashioned BBQ at the house.  That meant the metal lawn chairs had to be retrieved from the garage storage and cleaned off.  Since there are 18 of those things, that is a job all by itself!  The menu was BBQ Pulled Pork, fully loaded baked beans, potato salad, deviled eggs, Mex-Tex Dip & Chips, left over cake from the reception, and home made ice cream.  It was PERFECT!

Anniversary Cake
Center Cake has the names of everyone in the family written around the border
The two side cakes include words that describe our life together
As I read the cake, it didn't take me too long to tear up - because that is what I do... It was beautiful!

Front row:  James, Cara, Jim, Deanna, Allen, Reagan, Austin
Middle row:  Anna, Tessa, Emily, Alicia, Dakota, Julie
Back row: Bill, Greg, Travis, Doug, Cody

 We took tons of pictures.  So, of course, I made a video.  The song used in the video is John Denver's "For Baby".  We sang that song to each other on our wedding day, so it seemed appropriate to use it. 

With that, I will leave you with the words to "For Baby" and a link to a video of our 40th Wedding Anniversary. 

"For Baby (For Bobbie)"

I'll walk in the rain by your side,
I'll cling to the warmth your hand.
I'll do anything to keep you satisfied,
I'll love you more than anybody can.

And the wind will whisper your name to me.
Little birds will sing along in time.
Leaves will bow down when you walk by,
And morning bells will chime.

I'll be there when you're feelin' down,
To kiss away the tears if you cry
I'll share with you all the happiness I've found;
A reflection of the love in your eyes.

And I'll sing you the songs of the rainbow;
A whisper of the joy that is mine.
And leaves will bow down when you walk by,
And morning bells will chime.

I'll walk in the rain by your side.
I'll cling to the warmth your tiny hand.
I'll do anything to help understand.
And I'll love you more than anybody can.

And the wind will whisper your name to me.
Little birds will sing along in time.
Leaves will bow down when you walk by:
And morning bells will chime.

by John Denver

My Guy

He knows how to make a girl feel special.

For 40 years he has protested he doesn't know how to cook.

He never ceases to find ways to get to me.  So I guess I shouldn't have been surprised when I came home from work and found my man puttering around the kitchen as if he belonged there.  I mean, don't get me wrong, he does belong there - but usually as the Sous-Chef.  The one I give commands to.  "Do this, do that, chop this just so, please get the spice I can't reach out of the cabinet." He's the one who cleans up after I make the meal.  Or at least he was.  I believe a new tradition has been born. 

He did remind me that he is the one who grills burgers in the summer and used to make a mean pot of soup on the wood stove when the kids were little and off school for snow days. But that doesn't count as "cooking".  Does it? 

He found a recipe for fried apples.  I didn't know there was such a thing as a recipe for fried apples...  I just throw in a little butter, brown sugar, and cinnamon in a skillet with the apples and wala! His were unbelievably good.  Maybe I'll use his recipe the next time I fry apples.

Brown Sugar and spices for the apples... a little more butter, please...

 As he was building a fire (yes, we had a roaring blaze in the background as we dined), he happened onto a recipe in the newspaper he was using to get the fire started.  It was for a honey mustard glaze for the rib eye steaks he was already planning on grilling.  Oh my word they were good!

Honey mustard glazed rib eyes on the grill



A bottle of Nobelis Chambourcin Wine - perfect!

Table for two - candles lit, wine poured, salad ready to go



What do you think?  Did Whiskey get a bit of fat from those steaks?

 Of course Whiskey did not get left out.  We shared tid bits of our meal with him... but only tid bits.  He has a muscle body to maintain, you know.

No matter how romantic the setting, time has to be set aside for the nightly ritual of catch the toys.

Two out of three ain't bad

The evening ended with the sound of much needed gentle rain coming down.  What a peaceful sound to go to sleep by, safe with the new found knowledge that he does know how to cook.  I wonder what's for dinner tonight...

Thank you Jim for a wonderful day after Valentines Day.  I love you.

Up next... what he gave me.

Now I know

I've been spending my time labeling posts so I can make some rhyme or reason out of things when I begin choosing posts to include in the blog book Tess and Bill gave me for Christmas.  I so wish I had used labels when I first began blogging.  Shame on me!

As I (rather slowly) have been backtracking,  I come across drafts that were never published.  Sometimes I wake in the middle of the night with a head full of thoughts and write a few sketchy phrases on my computer and then go back to bed.  And then the next morning I find myself scratching my head, thinking "where was I going with that thought"? 

I came across this post entitled "Now I Know" that I started over a year ago.  Here is what it said:

cousins dying
never understood why mom would tell me when a cousin of hers I didn't know died
over 100 cousins both sides
now I know why

It didn't take me long to figure out where I was going with these thoughts. 

Although my immediate family is not large - two brothers and one sister, their kids, spouses, and of course my own husband, kids, spouses, grandkids, etc.  The numbers quickly begin adding up, but they are nothing compared to really large families.  My parents came from families with 8 and 13 children.  The number of relatives is huge.  I have hundreds of cousins.  Many I no longer know.  I could pass them on the street and not recognize them.  But that doesn't mean I don't care.  I know of them and I mourne them when they die.

And that is where the thoughts of this post started.  Quite a few aunts and uncles and a number of cousins have passed away over the past few years.  This includes my own dear parents.  When someone dies, I always feel compelled to call my children and tell them.  For the most part they don't know these people, other than sometimes with a faint recollection.  When I tell them somebody died, they say things "What did she look like?" or "Was he the one..." 

My own mother would always call me when one of her Aunts or Uncles or Cousins would die.  And I was like "Was she the one..."  And I would wonder,"Why is she telling me about these people I've only heard of and don't know?"  And now I know.  It is because they are important.  They are part of our heritage.  They are relatives, whether we "know" them or not.

So to my dear children, the next time I call you to tell you that someone you don't know died, just smile or act saddened (whichever feels right at the time ) and indulge me.  I do believe it is just something that a generation must do when they get to this time in their life.  Just wait.  It will be your turn next - and your own kids can roll their eyes at you.

Another thought now pours through my head.  The numbers continue to decrease.  Where I had hundreds of first cousins, my own children have 12 first cousins.  Their children already have more than that, but not by much.  Is this a good thing (reducing the population of the earth)? Or a bad thing?  I have no answers.  Just questions - and a compelling need to pass unnecessary informataion on to my children.  Love you guys!

Birthday Shopping

She's bubbly, beautiful (but don't tell her) a total space cadet (in a good way), smart as a whip, sweet as the milk shake she had for lunch, and she turned 12 today!  Happy Birthday to my sweet Granddaughter, Cara.



Cara peeking out of one of the MANY dressing rooms she spent her day in.



We spent the day shopping at the Lake.  Thank goodness Tessa went with us.  This shopping with an almost teen can sure get confusing.  Too tight, not tight enough?  Too short? (yep)  Need another jacket? (no way!) How funky is too funky?  It is enough to make this Grandmother's head ache.  In a good way, though.  We got some really good deals and had a lot of fun to boot!



Cara's funky feet



 Her cute feet kind of reminds me of the 60's Nancy Sinatra song about boots and walkiing... Ok feet, start walking!  Me?  I'm pooped!

One goal down

Todays' temperatures were cool - only in the low 40's - but the day was oh so pretty.  The skies were overcast, but no rain or snow in sight. 

When we got home from Church this morning, we decided to pack a thermos of the "good coffee" (Harry & David's Moose something or other) and head out for a little Eagle watching.  Since we were basically on a Sunday afternoon drive and staying close to home, we really didn't expect to sight any. 

My insomnia had kicked in again last night, so while Jim drove, I laid my head back and closed my eyes (aka fell asleep).  I was rudely awoken with an exclamation from Jim, "There's an Eagle".  I'm sure it is!  See that white head?  That's no hawk, that's an Eagle!"  Of course by then it was too late for a photo op.  Never mind the fact that I was rubbing my eyes, adjusting to the light.  Never fear!  Jim turned that car around, hit the flashers, and rode the shoulder of the road back to the site of the sighting. 

And so today I saw my first Eagle ever!  I'm so excited!

Hey Eagle... don't you pretend you don't know I'm down here!  Gotcha!

Just because your majestic white head is the same color as the sky, I can still see you.  Yes I can!

 After harassing this guy, we headed on down the river road of Hwy 94 towards Portland, MO to walk along the Katy Trail.  We didn't go far before another Eagle took flight out of a tree above our head.  This is exciting stuff.  If you live in this area and want to walk a beautiful part of the trail, the section beginning at Portland runs parallel with the Missouri River for a long way.  I'm looking forward to seeing it in the Spring, again in the Summer and then especially in the Fall.

The Eagles perched on the trees in the photo below were on the other side of the river.  As we walked along the trail we could hear their shreik in the distance. 


Positioned ready to swoop down on fish in the Missouri River



Me taking a photo of him

Him taking a photo of me

A beautiful section of the Katy Trail - Portland, MO

We are going to go to Clarksville later this week with high hopes of seeing and getting more pictures of Eagles - the symbol of our Nation and Freedom.

Now, about HIS box.  I am curious.  What do people think might be in that box?  Any guesses?  Come on, humor me....  Make a guess!

And guess what?  I get to take Eagle watching off my goal list already!

That’s Amore

   
Our bunch had a great time several weeks ago when we came together for a Pizza Party. 

I’m talking home made dough, fresh ingredients, build your own type pizzas. 

The kids really got into the act of rolling out the dough and deciding which toppings were appropriate and which were not.  We did insist on one adult pizza, complete with onions, green peppers and mushrooms. 

With our tummies already yelling STOP!, we dug into whipped cream topped pumpkin and warm apple pie with vanilla ice cream.  Oh my gosh.  Does it getting any better than that?
Of course it gets better than that.  A few stretched out on the floor and couch for a nap.  I won’t post those pictures.  You’re welcome.

The rest got caught up in a rousing game of Apples to Apples.
Jim took so many pictures and as I looked through them, a song kept going through my head.  So, I will leave you with my version of “That’s Amore”.   (Forgive me Frank Sinatra and composer, Harry Warren.)  Just hum along as you read the titles under each photo.

When the family arrives to make pizza pie,
That's amore;

When the smiles are so wide as secret cards slide,
That's a - more.


Ingredients will swirl, flippy slip-a-tip-a-twirl, slip-a-a-twirl
And you'll sing "Vita bella."

Hearts'll play tippi-tippi-tay, tippi-tippi-tay
Like a gay tarantella.

When the old and the young come together as one
That's amore;

Here it is the clue, whatcha gonna do?

Family is love;

When you talk and scheme and you know you're living a dream, signore,


'Scusa me, but you see, back in old Mizouri, that's
amore.