Over the Meadows and though the Woods

Two more days until my favorite holiday of the year. I think I like it so much because I have so many great memories of Thanksgiving growing up...my dad used to take us to Missouri when we were in high school to my great aunt's house and her porch would be filled with pies that she had baked. She would make several chocolate for my dad and I would be mesmerized by the cherry pie because she would make a lattice crust. The colors of fall were so pretty...And when I was a little girl, we would go to my aunt's house on 20th St. West every Thanksgiving and spend the day playing croquet while my dad grilled the turkey. The best turkey ever was the year he burned it. At the end of the day, my aunt would sit down and play Christmas Carols...funny, back then we thought it was too early for Christmas music but we did it anyway since everyone was all together. Even in Missouri, the Downtown would have all their decorations for Christmas up the day after Thanksgiving...I used to think it was too early....I have neighbors with their Christmas lights up now and it isn't even Thanksgiving yet

A Few More

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Found

Autumn in New England...we spent a few days taking Flat Stanley around all the fabulous places in Massachusetts and Vermont.

We lived on Base in Massachusetts and it is situated between Concord and Lexington. Paul Revere's capture site was 1/2 mile from our residence, Louisa Mae Alcott's home, Emerson's home and Hawthorne's were just 4 miles or less up the road. The Minuteman Trail was my favorite place to walk...Enjoy the sites. Ooops, I forgot, H's little stuffed frog helped with the long drive through Vermont.

Success!!!

Ha! I found this picture from Thanksgiving 2003, well, let's just say the office party for Thanksgiving. I am on the right track to finding my Leaf Peaping in New England pictures.

But, in the meantime, let me tell you about the actual day of Thanksgiving. I was feeling domestic...Thanksgiving is my favorite holiday, I was pregnant which kicks the nesting desire in, life is good, I whipped up a pumpkin pie, opened the oven, set the timer and....the power went out about 15 minutes into the baking time. The power did not come back on...we lived on Base in a quadplex and our fabulous neighbors had a generator and hooked us up. We discovered that day that gas ovens do not work without power, who knew? It took a few days to get the power up, we spent a lot of time coloring a cardboard box from Land's End with H by candlelight. Denny's became our breakfast spot and fortunately, the cold weather kicked in right after they got the power up and running...Now, let's see if I can find those autumnal pictures I have been searching for today!!!

Harvard Hall

I was still searching for my favorite autumnal pictures of New England when I came across this picture. Harvard Hall. This blog entry is for my AL friends who know that I call my vehicle, John Harvard.

Last year, I decided it was time to pick a team to go crazy for during College Football season. I offered my allegiance to the whichever Alabama team with the most devoted fan that could bribe me for my devotion. The best offer I received was a box of teabags to yell "Roll Tide." College Football is the foundation of Southern Culture, Fridays in the fall are colored with cars adorned with flags, people in their spirit wear and year round...license plates with War Eagle, Roll Tide and an occasional Tennessee support. I love my friends, couldn't pick a team, and I settled on Harvard, guaranteed to not give offense to anyone...I'll bet the college's own students couldn't tell you last week's score or even who they played...Ask a Bama fan and you will get a play by play account...so while people here cheer for the Crimson Tide...I just cheer for Crimson and drive John Harvard during chauffeur duty.

PS That would be Mr. M hiding under my shirt.

Chocolate Pudding

I do believe this is one of those pictures that surpasses a thousand words.

Plymouth, Massachusetts, May 2003. We went to Fourth Cliff for a 4 day weekend. We had a great time, we toured the Cape Cod potato chip factory (free samples) played on the beach and went on a whale watching tour from Plymouth. It was fantastic! I don't know why but seeing whales in their natural environment and not in a huge aquarium at Sea World is indescribable.

Wright Patterson NICU

Remember how I told you two of three of my little people ended up in NICU upon their arrival? Did I mention it was the very same NICU? Both girls spent time here even though they were born 12 1/2 years apart and we moved from OH to NM to CA to GA to AL and back to OH.

This is a picture of Little Miss H and Miss Roo hanging out in the NICU. They got along then, not sure what happened.

H and M

I am busy browsing a picture disc from our old computer trying to find the spectacular pictures of fall in Massachusetts we took one day while "leaf peeping." I am not having any luck finding them but I did find this precious picture of my two little people.

When M came home from the hospital, H would pat her lap indicating she wanted to hold him. She loved it, him? Not so much...I will have to remember to bang out a blog entry on how H wouldn't talk to me while I was in the hospital after M's birth. I am not sure if she was angry with me or scared because I didn't look so good. :-)

Santa

When we lived in Massachusetts, the mall had the most authentic looking Santa I had ever seen. When our little H met the man in the big red suit...well...see for yourself.

Roo's First Day Out

Two of three of my children landed in NICU when entering the real world. Two of those three were told not to mingle with people for the first few weeks of their lives...here is child number one making her debut...she was about to be the Belle of the Ball at her first Chapel service. Wright-Patterson Air Force Base.

Bam Bam

M Discovers Drums from Susan Bice on Vimeo.

Not the greatest video but recording M is like shooting at...gosh, can't think of a good comparison. Recording M is a challenge. Enough said.