Gunpowder & Lead Part 2

It's hard to believe it's been a year since we started the tradition of heading out to the cut fields to target shoot at Aunt Janets after Christmas. It looks like it is going to be a long standing tradition. All of us girls shot a real shotgun for the first time! One kicked so much it was named "THE MULE"!

We all just ate, looked at photos and hung out in Horsepasture, VA. Uncle Doug & Aunt Janet showed us a little "two step" to some fiddle music on TV. I did get a speeding ticket in Danville coming home. :(

The bowling alley at Fort Lee is reserved, the wristbands are here, 15 crews have been adopted for lunch and Jonathan the Juggler has been booked for each week! The houses and residents are trickling in at just the right speed.

I went to LabCorp Friday to have routine bloodwork done. When I was in the bathroom there, I dropped my cellphone in the toilet.....I will say no more except that I received another by FedEx today!

Al's subbing jobs are trickling in also.

We have officially booked our flights to LONDON! Leave March 28th....come back April 7th.

Jeffrey didn't get to go to the mountains with us.....hope to see him soon!

I must snooze......sleepy!

P.S. If u want to view ALL the photos from this weekend, go to:

http://www.thepetersburgromaines.shutterfly.com

Houses & Genealogy

My visit to possible workcamp houses today was a reminder why I do this. I has escorted into a small neat but cluttered home by a beautiful young lady that had just come from a job interview. She was one of 7 children living there with her mom. She was a good hostess as she gave me a seat in the kitchen, opened the oven door and lit the stove so I wouldn't be chilly. I noticed a detailed cross reference chart over the sink....each child's name and their chores for the day. I loved this mom and I hadn't even met her yet. The house had no heat source except a woodstove in the kitchen and a kerosine heater in the small room where she led me. The young beautiful daughter introduced me to Tyler, her little one month bundle that arrived Christmas. This family if wonderful and I can't wait for teens to spend a week with them. They are a wonderful, caring, loving family living under a cloud of hardship. We will take some wood by for their kitchen woodstove soon....

I "met" a new "cousin" through Ancestry.com......we had a lively conversation on the phone...she is in California and we have much information to share! Maybe I can get to the Richmond library soon!

Heartache in Newport News and I really don't even know how to write about it. Brooke is Jeffrey's love for a year. She is a lovely person with three beautiful children. Her ex, a very angry, sick man....committed suicide Sunday evening.......there are no words.....

Oops...must stop typing.....THE DAILY SHOW/Jon Stewart is coming on!! :)

This Is A VERY Fast YEar!

The pictures are of today at Kathleen Kuthy Temple's baby shower. We were invited to Divine Dinners where we all put on aprons and put together recipe/meals for when the baby comes. I met Allie there and we had a ball! You can see all the photos at our shutterfly page.

JR & I are watching the football playoffs. I've really been into ancestry.com lately....looking at things I haven't looked at in a long time.

Finally got John's podcast to work (can't remember if I wrote about it on here or not!) You can now hear his messages at his blog.

So pictures: http://www.thepetersburgromaines.shutterfly.com

JR's messages: http://www.jiromaine.blogpot.com

Too Fast!!!

This picture is from last year....haven't had the 4 wheeler out this winter yet. This week is buzzing by much too quickly. Cried thru Obama's speech last nite in Tucson. Still have Christmas odds and ends to go on the attic. Getting started back on the residents list. Al teaching in Colonial Heights today. Gotta get busy!

Bizarre Day!

This has been a most bizarre day! I just received an email from childhood friend Betty telling me that "Shorty" Arehart ( Pam's Dad)passed away Saturday. This is his photo from when I visited Pam's house for the 1970 Christmas get together. So glad I was able to go next door and visit. First of all, Allie came home about 3am because the heat went out in their house in Richmond....

The news is full of the violence that happened in Arizona and the shooting of Rep. Giffords.....just ugly.....

Went to print out copies of all the 941 stuff I was doing for workcamp and the printer ink ran out....OK...will do that tomorrow.

Al and I started out...usual route,...postoffice, bank, ...slipped in the Salvation Army store so she could look at the furniture selection for when they'll need a sofa...

Went by the Colonial Heights Schools city office so that Al could fill out VA witholding tax papers that they had FORGOTTEN to give her to sign for her paychecks.

We split a sandwich at Panera's and just as we were leaving, JR called and said that something what happening with the propane tank at home....leaking gas.....couldn't get thru on the phone to them, so we raced home...it was a bad situation....The gas people were there in minutes ....fixed, but I am SURE glad that John didn't walk down the yard to light his pipe!!!!!

We had more errands to run....by the time we got home, sent her off to Richmond with a space heater and elec blanket, I was POOPED! Phooey...my little electric blanket isn't working!

Thank goodness tomorrow isn't MONDAY again!

Happy New Year!

This year has started off at full throttle. First of all are workcamp registrations. It started JAN 3 and by that afternoon, the second camp was full with places left open only in the first camp. Now the first is closing slowly. I predict that both will be full by the middle of February.
New Years Eve here was quiet of course. A few days before, Chuckie & Bookie across the street had a neighborhood/friends get togther. Those happenings are always fun! All the Mortons are heading to Horse Pasture on Jan 29th for a big family get together at Aunt Janet's. Jon is bringing his shotgun this time, so expect some good photos of us girls on the hill shooting! It's turning into a big family event!
Yes, I still have the Christmas tree and decorations up. They will be taken down this weekend. Al said my excuse was that we were going to leave them up until Epiphany! Well, Epiphany came and went.....
My New Year's Resolution.....just to be more BALANCED. Like the movie, EAT, PRAY, LOVE.....balanced in every area.....fun/work......good food/bad food.......cry/laugh.......u get the picture....
Jeff gave us the "BONES" first season series for Christmas, and JR & I have been watcing one episode a day....really getting into it.
Paige & Grover are in Tennessee with Christy & family. I'm going to check out the website Shutterfly.com at the suggestion of some friends for storing phtos this year. I did get many of the printed out and put into albums last week.
Everyone LOVEd their ROMAINE/SENECAL video I did for Christmas. Still looking for airmiles...sadly relatives don't share.....
Well, I am sitting here looking at the big green and red plastic tubs. The Christmas tree is calling my name! We'll haul it into the woods and the little birdies & squirrels will have a new place to play & hide!
Having trouble loading in photos....Hhmmmmmm.....