Here We Gooooooooooo

So much is happening. I'm thinking of even adding more onto my plate, but that's another story! Tomorrow we pick up Bob's truck & trailer, load Al's stuff and head to Richmond! The photo above is of the house she, Jill and Elle are moving into. It is big and old and spacious and has quite a personality. Their landlord is terrific...There will be more stories to tell as the year goes on.

John has decided to start a Fall/Winter Bible study in our home on Tuesday nites. We have invited a mixture of people, so we'll see what the turnout will be. I hope it's a small group. Al of course says I have to clean the house more carefully before they come. Boy, I can't wait until she is in her 50s and she remembers all the things she tells me!

I have been piddling around the pool getting it ready for Labor Day. We are having a last hurrah before school starts, so family and friends are coming for a picnic and swimming on the holiday. Can't wait to see everybody!

Folks are already trying to register for next year's workcamp. I am struggling with the website...it is just not cooperating with me for some reason. It's the pitter patter of these little things that makes me nuts!

I finally replenished my hummingbird feeders. The little things kept coming to our bedroom window and looking in. I LOVE hummingbirds.

I also love sitting on the screen porch now that it's comfortable and the nites are getting cooler. Al & I go down to the pool and float at nites. I am going to miss her when she leaves, but everything is so good for her! Alicia has been away, and then she now works part time up at May Memorial Baptist Church in Powhatan, so I see her less and less. She is helping moving day....not sure about Ellen tho. She is having her wisdom teeth pulled tomorrow!

Last but not least, I had a big fender bender the other day getting onto Washington St from I95...and yes, it was my fault. The fellow I ran into is a minister and is the chaplain out at Central State....really nice man and we had a great conversation while waiting for the police.....Just another day in my life....Aghhhhhhhhhh!!!

Home Sweet Home

It's good to be home....even tho it is much hotter here! Allie & I went to see the movie "EAT PRAY LOVE" . That may just be my new favorite movie now! Al went to see it again with her girlfriends a second time in Richmond.

Al signed the lease and she moves into the old historic house with two other friends on August 31st. It's in Church Hill in Richmond....Hmmmm....next post I will put a photo of it on the blog.

This weekend is Lynda Smith's show at Donk's, but we are passing on it. We went down a couple weeks ago to the Mullins Sisters show and it was awesome! Alicia has been at Camp Kehukee all week with a children's camp and I miss my partner in crime! Will be glad when she is out of camp mode.

The top photos are of Allie & her cousins - Melanie, Al, Valerie & Deanna....

The second photos is of Allie and her Aunt Gracie (John's sister)

I am fighting with the website program for workcamp....it's making me a little nuts, but I hope to have it remedied soon. I know all you kids want to see the photos.

Hhhmmmmm.....maybe some genealogy today!

Back From NY

Well, we're back to the land of heat & humidity! We left last Thursday for upstate NY to spend time with John's family and attend a couple of happenings. First the yucky.....TRAFFIC! In all of my life I have never seen traffic on I95 like it was coming back...both north & southbound lanes. There, I'm done!

We arrived mid afternoon on Thursday....unpacked at John's brother, Vic's. He & Betty had dinner waiting and Grandma Harriet came over to join us. The next morning, John used Vic's car to tool about visiting old friends and golfing while Al & I took the van and drove about. We had breakfast in Groton; drove to Freeville to see where Grace used to work and visit a small Christian commune there; then drove up the finger lake 50 miles to Willard, NY. It was there that we sneeked onto the grounds of the old abandoned state hospital where Rita Romaine, John's mother passed away. Al has turned into an incredible photographer, so she took some great photos. She has always felt a special connection with her grandmother even though they never met.

On the way back down the other side of the lake, we stopped in Seneca Falls for some coffee & street music. We drove thru miles and miles of Amish country.

We arrived back at Vic's just in time to get cleaned up for a family cookout at Val's (Al's cousin)....it was only two doors down from where we were staying. The top photos are of some of the family there. It was so much fun to reconnect with everyone. As the sun went down, we had a fire and roasted marshmellows....the kids ran around while we sat by the fire and sipped wine. It was a terrific evening.

The next day, the three of us went down to Joe & Amy's restaurant for lunch. John met up with a couple that he knew years ago at Elim Bible College.....Saied & Esther Adour. It was a quick lunch. John went home to nap and Al & I hit a couple of antique shops.

Then, we headed to a place about 5 miles away called THE CASCADES. About 15 of John's old high school classmates from the Class of 55 - Moravia Central School had gathered for dinner & conversation. John enjoyed it immensely and it was fun for Al & I to watch!

We are back in VA now. Al signed her lease yesterday, so she moves in with Jillian & Elle to their historic home in Richmond on September 1st. Alicia is running a children's camp out at Camp Kehukee this week so Tuesday tonight I plan to go out and enjoy the evening entertainment.

Mr. Lilley (Paige's father -in-law, Grover's dad) passed away while we were gone. Al & I hope to attend the funeral on Wednesday. John's newest great grandbaby was born last week....Isabella "Bell" Corrine Leone.

We are rejuvinated, yet it's hard to go back to the grind and the pitter patter of workcamp loose ends!

Long Hot Summer!

It is so hot....we are huddled back in the bedroom while the air conditioning man is in the basement trying to make sense of it all. Last Thursday, the storm knocked out our electricity for several hours....when it came back on, our air conditioning did not. And that's all I have to say about that! Just pray!

Camp is over....it was one of the best years ever. If I can figure this out, I can give out a link to the photos for this summer. They are incredible!

It was so good to spend time with old friends and new. I can't begin to express how much it means to have all these people in our lives. They are good, good people....giving people...funny people.....godly people....

We are trying to make the most of our summer before it all disappears. Allie is moving back to Richmond on the first. She, Jillian & Elle are moving into an old house in the up & coming CHURCH HILL section of Richmond. It's a wonderful place...wonderful landlord...going to be quite an experience for them. Al says it's only one year for her and then she is moving on. She wants to use the year to decide whether to go back to school, ....really just figure out where she's going and what's she's doing. I'm so proud of her.

She & I went down to the old Pottery for a day of gathering things for her new living space. We went in the antique mall also....it was a good day. We had wanted to surprise Glenn & Sheila on the way home, but we were both whipped....and hadn't announced our traveling to them.

We leave for upstate NY this Thursday. We're off to see John's family and he is attending his 55th high school reunion dinner on Saturday nite. We love going up there....I know there will be plenty of pics to share from that excursion.

The pool is great, but almost too hot to get in during the day, so we float around in the evenings with the Scudders and listen to the owls.

John awakes each morning and is typing on his laptop before golf. He's full of ideas and thoughts....and his messages are so good...

Al & I had wanted to go to London the end of November.....Edith is getting older and we miss Tim and all of them over there so much. I have airmiles saved for my flight, but am short about 14,000 for Allie's ticket....to fly economy it would take 80,000 air miles and I have something like 66,000....so, we'll sock away some $$ and plan on going over in February. Crossing our fingers.....Wish we knew Richard Branson! We LOVE to fly Virgin!

I'm trying to get the website up and running with the new photos.....I'll post it when I get it figured out.

Stay cool.....stay cool.....stay cool.....

P.S. The photo is of Allie & Delaney......2009