IS IT REALLY APRIL!!???

Yes, she went there!  My goofy red-headed minister friend stalked a Trump rally!  Nuff said!
It's supposed to be April, but I heard they had snow flurries at the Monument 10K run in Richmond this morning.  The daffodils have already bloomed and gone and we have frost warnings tonight!  Al and Ben have hung beautiful baskets of flowers on their porch....only to have to bring them in at night.
Easter was lovely.  Better yet, Edyth, Cass, Ellen, Allie & Ben were down last Friday night for dinner and fun.  The Pruitts had been to NYC on a junket, so they spent the night with us on the way home.
I've been enjoying doing some things around the house bit by bit.  I've been cutting back about 6-8feet of the driveway each day so that it won't envelope us this year.  The pool is up and running also...just need to beat back the bushes down there also.
Allie and I have met and eaten together at Venus de Milo in Colonial Heights several times.  I love going to that little restaurant.  Love the food and it reminds of of all our friends in Nablus.

Saba called and invited me to hear ARUN GANDHI, grandson of Mahatma Gandhi at Deep Run High School last weekend.  Bought a couple of the children's books and he signed them.  Also bought his book and had him sign Fr Ibrahim's name....will give it to him this summer.  John and I are reading it first .
Our sweet little Daisy kitty passed away.  She had been with us since Allie was in the 7th grade.  Sweet little rescued kitty.
I hope the weather calms down.  I really want to go outside:(

It's A Good Day For Sleeping

I guess there is a lot going on....my list keeps growing longer and longer.  For every one thing I check off , I add two :)  It's all good though, just my brain doesn't multitask as well as it used to..

 I am tap dancing as fast as I can to raise the money for plane tickets for ten of our Palestinian friends.  I set up a go fund me site, but lots of folks aren't savvy when it comes to gifting online.  I'm getting a chance soon to do another presentation on Palestine.  It will be for the Wesley U.M.C. youth group and any other interested parents.  It is a church that is deeply committed to hosting the Nablus group once they get here.  So many strong friendships have been formed between these two groups.  I received word that Sami's mother passed away this week.  I have to guess when I see the Arabic online...Allie fills me in.
Allie & Ben are enjoying their life together.  I Facetime with Allie several times a day when she is with little Zoey.  Her Reiki happening was postponed in Roanoke.  Her instructor's dad had a stroke.  I'm sure she'll hear something again soon.  Ben is working days for three weeks so they are excited to not be ships passing in the night with different work schedules The new ID bracelets arrived the other week for summer workcamp.  I believe we will do the t-shirts in yellow this year because yellow was Charlie Curtis' favorite color.
Jeffrey just completed a school bus ROAD-EO in Louisville, KY . He had lots to jabber about on the phone yesterday.  I miss seeing him during the year.
I plan on going to the florist today to pick up a palm frond so that I can weave some crosses for John's folks at First Christian for Palm Sunday.  Will post a picture of one.  It's relaxing to do while I watch a couple shows in the evening.
John and I watched "THE HEART OF THE SEA" , a movie loosely based on Herman Melville's "Moby Dick".  Good movie!  The daffodils are blooming early this year.  Picked a bunch for Al to take back up to her house the other day.
Better get busy.  My list is calling me:)

GOOD DAY!

Here's a picture of Allie and Ben's lovely old home in the Chestnut Hill area of Richmond.  It might look like this literally after tonight....it's midnight and the snow has started already.  It's only supposed to be a sprinkle, but....
Paige called this week so I am meeting her Saturday for lunch at a restaurant called "Food For Thought".  I'm hoping Allie can come also, but she may be tied up with her Reiki.
A big weight was taken off my shoulders today...Chris Cromer from workcamp offered to pull our new website together.  I was so thankful because I have been wrestling with it for months now.  I was so used to the old program and the new program and I were not making friends!

 
These photos are from when Allie and Ben first got the house last year.  It is such a wonderful place!  They have really begun to fix it up and it is so homey!
John and I celebrated our 31st wedding anniversary.  We just stayed home for a quiet evening with a movie.  We really enjoy watching EVERY VCU men's basketball game!  EVERY GAME!!
I've been really productive this past week and it feels good to have some major things under my belt.  I'm ready to jump headlong into the next week!

THE WHITE OUT

It has been snowing for 2 days.  Not just spitting flakes....I MEAN SNOWING.  The storm was big enough that they named it....JONAS.  I made it out today to the drugstore & P.O. but couldn't make it up the drive and had to leave the Toyota at the bottom of the hill in our driveway.  Here's

  Here's a picture of Ben & Allie's house in Richmond.  Don't know when we are going to get out of our houses.  I think we all agree, two days is enough.  I can't complain though.  

We woke to really painful news this morning.  DONK's THEATER in Mathews collapsed under the weight of the snow & ice on the roof plus forcing winds.  I don't even know what to say about it.  It has been such an integral part of so many lives including our family's.  Jeffrey, Lynda and all are in shock.  

Thank God no one was in the building.  I have so many photos and wonderful memories of special times spent there. Jeffrey was a regular every show.  

Other things have happened.  We sent Jennifer (Long) a floral bouquet for her first day of student teaching in a NC elementary school.  Comcast is hopefully going to run a cable to our house so we can get rid of the evil Verizon.  Ellen has decided to stay and finish out her undergrad at W & M instead of moving to a smaller school.  

Oh....and I have got to figure out how to raise $14,000 for the Nablus group from Palestine to come to WORKCAMP 2016.  My brain is "fuzzy, snowy".  

KEEPING MY PROMISE TO WRITE

Yes....heaven is getting a bit crowded.  We found out yesterday that Sister James Regina aka Sister JR passed away in December. We really miss the ladies in blue at camp.
I went to Toano to visit Sheila and it was wonderful.  We had a wonderful visit....laughing - crying - eating.  Time flew.  I hope that I can make regular visits there....I love her company.
Allie has an appointment with Crater Hospice next week.  Apparently the group has a Reiki person on staff, but they possibly need another practitioner to do both volunteer and paid sessions.  Exciting.
Also exciting, more and more refugees from Catholic churches are registering for Workcamp 2016.  Covert operations by parents and others are getting them in.  It's really amazing.  And I am thankful for trusting people.

A FAREWELL OF SORTS

It gives me such joy and happiness that my Allie and Ben are together.  If any two people were meant for each other, it was them.  This pic was taken last Christmas (I can tell by the garland in the window).  Now they are married and snug as a bug in a rug!
Today was a bit challenging.  It was the memorial service for Glenn Plott.  Years ago I could hardly have imagined this day.  I just knew that he and Sheila were going to be around forever.  When I walked into the church I was so glad to see Linda W, Jerri S, Christina and the gang waving me in to sit with them.  The service still wasn't quite closure for me....I am sure once I have some one on one time with Sheila, that will happen.
John has First Christian tomorrow....I plan on meeting Al for grocery shopping or whatever. She now has an official FB page for her Reiki practice.  It's very exciting and I am so very proud of her!
It's good to be quiet for the rest of the day and evening.  I have to admit, Glenn's service was emotionally difficult.  As Allie says tho.."it's a funeral!"  Tomorrow I'll be packing up our "Christmas tree de Mexico".

A WEDDING, BABIES & A NEW YEAR

I vow to write on my blog this year.  There have been too many precious things that have and are happening.  The main one....I have a new son!  Yes, Allie and Ben had the grandest of weddings on November 7, 2015.  I am so thrilled to have Ben in our family.  He is a wonderful young man.  

The two of them now have a home in Richmond Virginia.  It's a beautiful old Victorian home and as soon as I can get the pics off my phone I will post them.  Ben is now employed by Afton Company in Richmond and loves his work and job.  Allie has completed all of her schooling and is now in a Reiki apprenticeship to begin her own practice.  She babysits little Zoey Portyrata while she goes through her apprenticeship.  Again, more pictures to see in following posts! I'm thrilled they are so happy!


John is serving as interim pastor of First Christian Church in Petersburg and enjoying it.  It is a fine change from "that church before" and he is loved and appreciated so much by the congregation.
Workcamp is beginning to take off for 2016.  There have been a few changes. the biggest being the Catholic Diocese of Richmond has decided after 28 years to no longer participate.  Long ugly story, but to be honest, I am glad it worked out this way.  Most of the kids are coming to camp next summer under the umbrella of another group or church.
This past year was one of great loss for our family.  Those that passed away:  my uncle Bill Morton, dear friend Roger Green, Allie's loving mentor Ethel Marie Lee, my dear old high school friend Mohammed Ihsan,  Katie Barksdale's little baby girl, handyman &; friend Charlie Curtis and the biggest blow of all - Glenn Plott.  We will be attending his memorial service this Saturday in Williamsburg.  I really want to spend some time with Sheila.
Lots of baby news this past year.  Brad & Sarah have little Sadie, Al & Ben's little niece Zoey, Holly's little Frankie, Jess's little Sawyer and pregnant awaiting are Joseph &; Leah, and Rose & Dan!  Quite a growing clan of little ones!
Our dear friends in Palestine are facing difficult challenges as the Israeli government continues pushing down the brutal road of Zionism.  I now have a page where I just publish news from the other side of the wall.  I will publish the link in a following post.
So, this past year has been full of ups and downs.  I am thankful for both and cherish what is about to happen in 2016!