AHHHHH!! COOL WEATHER!

Painting by Alexina Romaine Portyrara

 It's October....So much is happening it's difficult to keep track of everything.  John & I have been in a flurry doing things around the house that have needed to be done for ages.  We are slower, but it's getting done little by little.  The deck is ready for staining, pavers powerwashed, pool flocked, chimney ceiling repaired, living room painted....and the list goes on.  I just love this time of year.
Workcamp has started creeping in through.  I am working on the final financial report today because we have a WRAP-UP MEETING on Sunday.  I love this meeting....it seems like years since I seen these wonderful friends.
Allie and I have had a couple days of fun painting her house.  The siding and rails on the porch.  Next is the porch floor.  Their old home is so warm and welcoming.  Ben has become "Mr. Ben" to the neighborhood little boys....helping them repair their bikes.  He helped run a drifting/race event in northern Virginia this past weekend. It is a passion of his.  Al is awaiting word from Ascend Hospice and them using her Reiki.  She and I are photographing one of her friend's weddings this coming weekend in a park in Richmond.

John is heading to New Mexico on the 27th to visit David for a few days at his home in the mountains.  He's been promised horseback riding through the canyons.  This is a huge deal for him...so glad he is heading there for a few days.  While he is gone, Ben and Al are coming down to help split and stack wood.  There are two piles like the one above!
The presidential election is the elephant in the room.  I really don't want to discuss it.  It has become so lewd and outrageous.  Donald Trump is a wicked and evil man.  John, Al and I are going to vote early this week so that we don't have to walk through the people at the polls.  Election day is going to be stressful enough without having to walk a gauntlet.
I love my new endocrinologist.

IT'S A ROMAINE WORKCAMP!

 It looks like we are having a workcamp here on Deer Run Drive.  We are taking care of some things that have long needed attention.  The chimney is finally fixed with NO LEAKS during the rain!  I scrubbed the front bricks with CLR yesterday and it looks beautiful!
We borrowed a power washer and have completed the back deck and house vinyl.  Now just the front of the house and the pool concrete!
Today I will paint the woodstove with the special heat resistant paint and plant my black eyed susans along the front side of the house.
I have the paint for the living room and am looking at some area rugs for three areas in the big living area of the house.
I called Sheila yesterday...it was her 94th birthday!  She sounded good...and I hope to just drop everything and head down to see her sometime.

I do hope to head up to Al's one day soon and hang attick curtains and paint.
During this workcamp break, it really feels good to take care of our own "stuff".  In the middle of all this are all the ugly election posts.  I try to stay above it, but yesterday I just could keep quiet. One day venting isn't so bad for me.  I'm actually surprised and proud of my restraint!
GI Jim brought us a huge load of wood last night so Ben and I will have fun with the log spliter soon.  He is taking a CPR class today for his job.  Allie continues to plant seeds for her Reiki business.  I really feel like it won't be long before it really takes off.  She is SO gifted!
I hope to get the 2017 Workcamp info printed and out before this weekend.  I really want to get ahead of it this year!
Now a little geneaology with my coffee and then back to the house!

GRRRRRRRRRR!!

I don't know what it is with me an any kind of mechanical stuff!  Bobby A was so generous to bring his power washer over for us to use on the house siding.  I was so excited....but it was going too smoothly.  I hooked it up to the front hose coming from the house that hadn't been used us YEARS.  Water spewing everywhere....no pressure getting to the power washer.  GRRRR!!!  Waiting to move it and tackle another part of the house with another hose....it should be cooler this early evening.
OK, enough whining!
I've been uploading lots of old photos from one of Grandmother's old albums,  This is a sampling of them.  Everyone is enjoying them.  I am so thankful that my family took so many pictures.

Grandmother in the1930s

Terry & I with Granny Wray, Grandmother's mom

Dad & Grandaddy on couch on Patrician Drive

Me in the swings at Ferguson's Park in Newport News

THE HEAT IS FINALLY BREAKING!!

 I think this little sign is appropriate in light of the national election campaigning.  Geezzzz!  I can't even watch the evening news without screaming at the television!  Novenber can't come fast enough.
I'm hoping to get down to Toano to visit Sheila soon.  There's also a display in a field near her home I want to see....not going to give this away until I can get down there and photograph it.

Nablus hosts a couple of summer camps at St Philip's.  This is a photo from the first camp.  We had 8 youth and Father Ibrahim join in workcamping this past summer.  Again it changed the perspective.  We had the Workcamp 2016 Olympics since the world was experiencing the regular olympics in Rio.  So much fun!!!!
Allie comes home from Roanoke today. I finished trimming the shrubs in the front of the house.  It involved a 12' ladder.....I am beat from it!  Next I'm going to try to borrow a power washer so that I can do the house, deck and pool area before it gets chilly  This place really needs sprucing up! I put up a new door, painted and added new carpet and plants to the screened porch.  It's finally getting cool enough to sit out there & enjoy.  I also got a new ceiling fan in the spring, but have yet to put it together.  Ben says he'll hang it for me.

BYE BYE MAY FLIES!

Well, it seems to be cooling down a wee bit.  There's more of a breeze and thankfully the may flies have thinned out!  I started trimming the shrubs in the front of the house a couple weeks ago, but had to stop because of battling the flies.  Started again today....with a stronger and safer ladder also:)

Here's the link to the new and improved workcamp website.  One of our young staffers is a whiz and loaded up all of the photos for each year, different links and so much more.  It really looks good and is so helpful!
http://www.tcworkcamps.org

 Our little old Yorkie, Louie, is getting a little slower.  I ordered a set of little steps so that he doesn't crash when he tries to jump up on the bed with us.  Alicia found him roaming around her house about 4 years ago. We rescued him and am so glad we did.  He's so loveable and grateful that he's not on the road anymore:)  I really love that little guy

I visited Al at their home yesterday.  We browsed through genealogy and watched Ru Paul on TV for a lazy overcast day.  She heads to Roanoke tonight for a two day Reiki training session.  So proud of her.

I THINK IT'S GETTING COOLER

I'm an idiot!  I was running water in the pool and left it on all night!  Now we can't flush toilets until the water builds up again.  It shouldn't be long, but I feel really Dumb!

This is a photo of John when the new Carson Fire Station was dedicated  earlier this year.  He was asked to open with prayer.  He meets with the firemen about twice a month and shares being on call with about 6 other chaplains.  He's had to complete courses online through FEMA.  Very proud of him!

This is Allie when she was sitting for her little niece on Ben's side of the family.  Little Zoey turned one last week and had her birthday party at a local pool.  She is quite the little diva!  

This is a throw back picture from last October from Allie's bridal shower at the Blue Willow Tea Room.  Her Aunt Paige hasn't changed a bit through the years.  She is beautiful.  Lives in Newport News.







I guess I will catch up little by little.I have neglected to write regularly for so many months!  I planning to head to Richmond today to spend the day with Allie.

I JUST DON'T KNOW WHERE TIME GOES....

This is crazy!  I don't know where the hours go.  Right now I am enjoying time after WORKCAMP 2016.  The heat is such a killer though that I am blaming it for not really getting anything done!
Allie and Ben are doing great.  She is dedicating herself to her REIKI business.  If you want to reach out to her you can be clicking on REIKI by ALEXINA

Camp was amazing this year.  I was concerned about the low number of campers for the first week, but it actually was a positive thing.  The camp was more intimate and less chaotic.  Ben was a handyman first week, so I got to see lots of him and Allie.
I wasn't feeling well at the beginning of the first week.  To make a long story short, I am on a low dose of insulin daily now.  Am feeling much better and am looking forward to seeing an endocrinologist in October.  Gotta get this old bod in shape!

We had so much fun with our friends from Nablus.  There were 8 youth and Fr Ibrahim.  It adds such a rich dimension to camp!  

Ok...already I have to stop!  Al is on the way down!  More in a later post!