Fall 2009

So Far, Fall 2009 has been absolutely beautiful. The Corn Fields behind my house have been picked and mowed. The Dogs and I have been walking the perimeter everyday...enjoying the fresh, crisp air, and light breeze. I have noticed that the fruit trees are heavy with fruit. My aging Uncle, next door says that it is a sign of a hard winter. The Persimmon Tree, Pecan Trees, Apple Tree, all are loaded with fruit; to the point that the limbs are straining to not break.

I have so enjoyed sitting on the deck in the mornings, drinking hot tea and reading...lol..and dozing...

I leave for NYC on Wednesday, Oct 14, to visit my eldest son for about 9 days. I've been keeping track of the weather and it looks like it will be very nice for my visit...Highs around 60 and lows in the 40's. I'm looking forward to a couple of days on the beach...reading...and napping.

Fall 2009 (Sept 30, Oct 1 - 3 )

Wow....What beautiful weather we are having here in NC. The days are in the high 60's /low 70's and the nights are in the mid 50's. Absolutely perfect temps. The windows are open...and fresh air is pouring into the house.

Hands down, Fall is my most favorite season. The Crisp Air, the bright blue sky, the trees so filled with color....How can anyone doubt the existence of GOD. Only the Almighty himself could be this artistic and creative. Thank You...Thank You GOD for such beauty and splendor.

I must say, I have enjoyed the last days off as much as any days in recent YEARS....I, actually, had my normal 3 days off from American Express and at the same time, 2 of the days, I was off at my part time job at Pier One, as well.

On Thursday, I washed windows and did some very thorough deep cleaning in my family room, kitchen and bedroom. It felt so good to have it done. The house looks quite nice at the moment...LOL...The Children haven't had time to mess it up yet ! On Friday, I did Laundry, and made Lasagna for the kids and Rodney. Ah...the mention of another man !! Hmmm! Who is Rodney ?! I'm not telling, yet ! I can say he is a very, very good friend...lol...My current "Man-Friend ! I'll leave it there for the moment.

We had dinner on the deck...It was quite enjoyable..I really like having the family time with the kids and having Rodney there. Rodney, Jessica and I went to see a movie...."The Invention of Lying"....The critics give it a "B" rating. I think a "C" is more accurate. It just didn't do all that for me.

On Saturday, I took Andrew to a wrestling tournament at his high school...His mom and her husband, Mike came, as well. I sat for 3 1/2 hours waiting for Andrew to wrestle...Finally, I left at noon. Mike texted me at 2 to let me know that he just wrestled the first time. After getting home, shortly after noon, I took the dogs for a walk in the freshly mowed field....came back and sat on the deck and read for a while....I'm reading a really good book...."The Six Wives of Henry VIII" by Alison Weir. It's very well written and I get lost in reading. Rodney stopped by at 2:30 and asked if I would ride to Raleigh with him for a bit. I was happy he invited me and I accepted the invitation. We had a really nice afternoon. I got home around 6:45...jumped in bed...surrounded by the "pups" and napped till time to come to work.

It was just nice to have a couple of days off and not think of work...just work around the house...cook...find time to read..nap and spend time with the family and people you love....Doesn't get much better than this !

Delicious autumn! My very soul is wedded to it, and if I were a bird I would fly about the earth seeking the successive autumns. George Eliot

"I cannot endure to waste anything as precious as autumn sunshine by staying in the house. So I spend almost all the daylight hours in the open air.- Nathaniel Hawthorne

TED KENNEDY

A very good pictoral of his life by the Boston Globe....

http://www.boston.com/bigpicture/2009/08/senator_ted_kennedy_19322009.html

Where Did the Time Go ! Mid-July, August, September

I cannot believe that October is just next week. Where has 2009 gone ? I think because it's been such a busy year, it's made the time go by even faster.....Therefore, I'm going to try to update what's been going on over the last months:

July

July was a busy month, but a good month. Andrew was in Cleveland for most of the month. He left in late June to spend about 5 weeks with his granparents and friends there. He came home on Wednesday, July 22, and we left Thursday, July 23, for NYC to visit Elliot.

Jessica spent 10 days in Cleveland in July and seemed to have a good time, but was definitely ready to come home. She likes her life here.

My schedule at American Express changed on July 6, after the layoffs kicked in. I started a new schedule, giving me Wed, Thur., and Fridays off. It's nice to have one weekend day off, but it has been a difficult adjustment. I'm just thankful I have a job.

Jessica, Andrew and I left for NYC to visit Elliot and Nong on Thursday night, July 23. It was a long drive...but a good drive. Jessica drove most of the way. I didn't drive until we got into New Jersey. It was nice to share the driving with someone.

It was so cute watching Andrew's face as we crossed from New Jersey into NYC. He was wide awake and excited to see all the tall buildings. Jessica, too, was bright eyed, even though she had been to NYC once before. We got out to Freeport on Long Island and unloaded the car and went to bed , while Elliot headed to work. The kids and I got up around 1 and decided to go get a bite to eat at the local diner. As we were heading over, Elliot texted to say he was joining us....What a nice surprise ! His boss sent him home for rest of the week, being Elliot had us in town. How nice of him ! I have no way of remembering everything we did while we were there, but I can hit the highlights: we went to the beach most every evening to walk and talk as a family. I was in heaven, having my whole family together. During our stay, we went into the City about 3 or 4 times. It was way fun...and expensive. In the city, we rode the Staten Island Ferry, rode the subways up and down the city, saw Temple Emanuel, St. Patrick's Cathedral, shopped in China Town, saw a movie in Chelsea, spent time in Central Park, people watching ! I still think my best times of the whole trip, were when we were together as a family at the beach.

Another highlight of the trip, was visiting Victor, Amy, Savannah, Sue and the new baby. We all went to visit Amy, Victor, Savannah and "Grammy Sue", before the baby was born. We had such a nice evening, chatting and catching up. It's so nice to still be close to a few of Linda's relatives...I spent so many years with them, I just can't turn off my feelings of family toward them. Likewise, they have been close to me, as well, and very welcoming.

JULY NEWS: Walter Cronkite of the CBS Evening News died on July 17. He was the TV Anchorman I grew up with...."And that's the way it is"...was the famous line I heard every night when he finished his newscast.

AUG

August began with us in NYC. We came home on the Aug 5. We stayed a couple of extra days so we could visit with Cousin Sue's other daughter, Cathy. She was driving in from Cleveland to visit Amy and the new baby. I hadn't seen Cathy in about 5 years....way to long...so it was a thrill to stay a couple of extra days to visit.

When we left, I drove us into New Jersey, where Andrew took up driving...the first time he had driven in 2 weeks...No way was I letting him drive around NY...way to crazy. Anyway, Andrew drove from New Jersey till the lower part of DC, until Andrew almost bought us a bumper off a BMW...That's when Jessica took up driving the rest of the way.

After getting home, the countdown was on for Jessica to move on Campus at UNC G. It was not nearly as traumatic as I had imagined. Alot of it has had to do with Jessica coming home frequently. She pops in around 3 - 4 times a week. LOL....Not sure why, but I'm not going to complain.

Andrew has started 10th Grade and seems a little more serious about studying this year. He is quite aware, there will be no driver's license and no talk of a car if his grades are unacceptable.

In addition to all the children's lives being busy, I met someone towards the middle of August. A very attractive and sweet man. He could be seeing anyone, but for some reason, he is interested in seeing me. I must admit, I am insecure because he is so attractive, but he has such a sweet personality.

AUG NEWS: As far as I'm concerned, the big news of August was the death of Senator Ted Kennedy on Aug 25. I was glued to the TV in the days following...watching history before me...It was just incredible the amount of people who loved and respected him. His funeral was just incredible...not only was it regal, but a true tribute to him as a man, husband, father, grandfather, brother, uncle, friend, senator and Christian. I was so moved to hear his children pay tribute to their father. I have to say in all honesty, I never had that type of relationship with my dad, and can't imagine paying that kind of tribute.

Princess Diana died 12 years ago on Aug 31. It seems like yesterday.

SEPT

The kids are well. Jessica and Andrew have settled into their routines at school. Elliot's job continues to keep him busy. I've decided to take a trip to NYC to see him in Oct. I'm going up mid-month and staying for about a week. Got my tickets with the ole reliable Jetblue.

Andrew has settled into his Wrestling practices and really seems to like it. Jessica has a BF. Kaleb is his name. He's a cutie...very nice young man.

My guy and I are still seeing one another. We really have a great friendship. However, there are some things occurring which are giving me concern, which will not be discussed here....just yet !! :) . We have been enjoying going out weekly on our 'dates'...consisting usually of dinner and a movie. I'm really having to guard my heart..I know I could fall for him.

Also, I was put oncall for the first time for the software that I support at my office.....It was a months rotation....It really wasn't to bad. It could have been much worse.

SEPT NEWS:

William Hoffman, An American Novelist, died Sept 12. He had done a reading at my old church, Christ Church, years ago. I was a big fan of his work and have several of his works.

Patrick Swayze died on Sept 14. He was best known for playing in 'Dirty Dancin'. I was quite impressed he had been married 34 years to his high school sweetheart. He died of Pancreatic Cancer. The same horrible cancer that took my Aunt Katy.

Also, Sept 11, 2009 was 8 years after the World Trade Center, Pentagon, and Pennsylvania field tragedy...Still unbelievable. As I watched the news, reliving that day, all the emotions still come to the surface. It was an unbelievable time in our country's history.

What a Week !

What a busy week ! I transitioned into my new schedule, which meant working 6 days straight, 10 hours a day. Fortunately, Tuesday night ( which is now my Friday), there was enough staff here that I could leave early and get a head start on my sleep. For some odd reason, I woke up after about 5 hours asleep at 9 AM. I knew my mom and my cousin, Kaye, were going to my Aunt Dot's home, to start packing it up and being I had the day free, I decided to help. I'm hoping by helping pack up Aunt Dot's house, I will be able to have a sense of closure to this part of her life and embrace the new phase of her life in an assisted living facility.

I get to her house around 10 AM ; mom is already there and Kaye arrives shortly after. I don't think any of us really wanted to start going through her belongings and begin discarding trash, setting aside things we wanted to keep or give to family, or set aside for the yard sale we are having in the fall. Finally, we went into the Living Room and began packing up the items that Aunt Dot and mom had picked out for specific family members. Most of the items were cut glass candy dishes (very very nice, I might add) or figurienes. All of them had a post-it note under or inside them, to let us know what item was to go to whom. We carefully wrapped each item, and most went into my car to take to the relatives out at the farm. After packing up the living room, we went back to the guest bedroom and started going thru the Lane Trunk that Aunt Dot is giving Jessica. Most every thing inside was related to knitting, but at the bottom, we found a treasure. We discovered 3 very old quilts. Kaye and I called mom back to the room and when she saw them, she recognized them as her mother's (my grandmother's) quilts. There was one for each of us....but in the end, Kaye and mom decided to leave theirs in the trunk and give them to Jessica, as well. I was so touched.

Aunt Dot has already given Jessica her 2 Wing Backed Chairs in her living room, because Jessica has always loved them since she was just a little girl. They will have to be recovered, but they have good "bones". She, also, has given Jessica 2 pretty Milk Glass containers that used to sit on her dresser. Aunt Dot has already given me her Bedroom set. It is absolutely beautiful... Solid Mahogany, 4 Post Bed, with a beautiful solid Mahogany Dresser and Mirror.

After all the packing and grabbing lunch with my cousin, Kaye and my mom, I went and visited Aunt Dot at the Assisted Living Facility. She has a bright room. She shares a room with another lady. She has a nicer TV than me. It's a large flat panel TV in the corner. Work it Aunt Dot ! We had a nice chat. She mentioned how she had such a small room and a big empty house and how she should just go back home. I tried to rationalize with her, but I found it to be more important to let her vent and talk about how she was feeling. I can't even fathom what is really going on in her head....She's lived 55 years and almost a month in the same home...and now she's been uprooted and moved into a strange facility, even though they have done their very best to make it look as "homey" as possible.

Later, My Mom and I went to see the movie, THE PROPOSAL. It was outstandingly funny ! I laughed through the whole movie !! Sandra Bullock and Ryan Reynolds were outstanding.

Afterwards, I needed to drive home and deliver the things that Aunt Dot wanted the family to have. I dropped mom at home, and cried all the way to the farm. I just think the stress from packing Aunt Dot's house had to be released....Packing up someone's belongings of 55 years is just so sad to me. I delivered a fine china set to Uncle Fred and Aunt Helen for my cousin, Pam. I gave Aunt Helen a candy dish that Aunt Dot had picked out for her. Afterwards, I stopped at Uncle Harvey and Aunt Margaret's house and delivered their Candy Dish. It was a long, emotional day.

On Friday, we worked at Aunt Dot's house further. We cleaned out books upon books. We categorized the books in the 3 categories; religious, fiction and cookbooks. I chose a couple of old cookbooks of Aunt Dot's. One was published in 1943....called "MODERN DAY COOKING". I got such a kick out of it. We discovered Aunt Dot's old Bible...given to her in 1946...and found my great Aunt Lou's Bible from 1943. I am thrilled to keep them in the family.

We were exhausted by the end of the day. I couldn't believe how much trash we could dispose. I think Aunt Dot saved every Christmas and Birthday card she ever received ! LOL ! We threw away empty boxes of boxes.

In the evening, I had a friend for dinner....and we watched SLUMDOG MILLIONAIRE. It was a very good movie.

Jessica comes home Sunday Afternoon !! Finally !!! 10 days without my Baby girl !! Andrew is still hanging out in Cleveland until July 22.

Elliot has bought a Grand Piano...He's spending alot of time refurbishing it....The Pictures look great ! However, it appears to take up most of the Dining Room. I can't wait to hear him play again.

In 2 weeks we will have already been in NY for a day. I can't wait to see the boy. It will be great to have the whole family together for 2 weeks. I just can't wait !!

I HAVE NO TIME TO POST ! UPDATES

Wow....Life has surely been busy...I hardly ever have time to post any more. Since Graduation, my office has done a layoff. Fortunately, I was not impacted except for less staff. Also, I have a new schedule. For 8 years in my dept, I have worked Wed- Sat or Thur - Sun. Now, Saturdays are my "Monday"...I will be working Saturday - Tuesday, with Wed - Friday off....It will be the first time in 8 years that I will have Friday nights off on a regular basis. Maybe a social life will follow suit !! NOT !!

Right after graduation, Jessica, she left for the beach with her friends. They spent a week there.

I went to NY in the middle of June to see Elliot's surprise. I had guessed that he had moved into an apartment in the city. How wrong could I have been? lol....Actually, he bought a house in the little village called Freeport. It' right on the southern shore. He lives about 5 - 10 min from the beach. He has the cutest house. It was a repossession. A little 2 Story house, with a basement, and postage stamp yard.

I loved my time in NY. It was so cool....no humidity...and we had the windows up alot. I had lots of downtime with by Grand dogs.

When I returned back from NY on June 17, Andrew had flown out earlier that morning to Cleveland for 5 weeks ! :( He is visiting his grandparents (ex wife's parents) and friends, and his girlfriend. He'll return at the end of July, and be home for 1 day before we leave for NY for 2 weeks.

Jessica left this past Friday for Cleveland, with her Step Dad. They are going to up to meet up with my ex wife, Andrew, Grandparents for a vacation up there. So, I have no children at home...with the exception of the dogs and the 20 something chickens of Andrew that need feeding daily !!! It is the perfect time to do my transition to my new schedule, being I have to work 6 days straight.

In the middle of all this craziness, I've been helping my mom, move my Aunt into a Assisted Living Facility. Poor thing; the Parkinson's Disease has been progressing and she's becoming increasingly weaker. It's really sad....I think she had lived in her home for like 55 years.....My mom has had a really hard time with making the decision to put her into a home. It is difficult to know that this is the final stages of her life...and leaving the home that she lived for so long.

At the end of July, the kids and I will be heading to NY for 2 weeks to spend with Elliot...Finally, the whole family together. Life will be good !

Graduation 2009 - Congratulations Jessica !!

Wow ! What a week !! It's been a whirlwind !

On Wednesday, June 3, Jessica performed in her Senior Showcase @ Weaver Academy. On the way there, the most horrible storm came up. It was absolutely horrible ! It was the worst storm I had been in years. I have attached a link, so you can see some of the mayhem in left in Greensboro. Jessica's concert had to be postponed for about 45 minutes, while the maintenance crews HVAC'd the water that got into the building near the stage. However, the concert did go on...and it was wonderful....Of course, i got all teary !

http://www.myfox8.com/wghp-pg-june-3-storms-090603,0,3923815.photogallery

My beautiful Daughter, Jessica, graduated from Weaver Academy for the Visual & Performing Arts on Thursday, June 4, 209 at Odell Auditorium at Greensboro College. It was absolutely beautiful ceremony. She had a graduating class of 63 kids.

I had cleaned all day and cooked for about 15 members of the family and friends who would be attending after graduation. As we were walking out of the auditorium, my 82 year old aunt fell in Odell Auditorium's Foyer. She had a wound on her elbow and her back hurt. Therefore, rest of my evening was spent in an Urgent Care ! I don't want to appear totally childish, but I was totally disappointed. I couldn't believe, on one of the most special days of my daughter's life, I was not celebrating at home with her. Instead, my ex wife and her husband, basically, hosted my party at my house....and I did all the work for it ! Don't get me wrong...they were great. I was just totally disgusted I couldn't be there. It wasn't anyone's fault...It was just an accident. However, it totally ruined the evening. I, finally, get home around 11 PM. The kids' friends were still there, so I sat up and ate while they played cards and chatted. However, to add to the nights fesitivities, it stormed all evening, and my kitchen sprung a leak !! I have lived in that house 20 years and have never had a roof leak....but of course....tonight will be my lucky night !!

However, with all the Drama....I can't be any prouder of my daughter. Jessica graduated "Cum Laude", and we didnt' even know it, till that night. She didn't even know it !

I LOVE YOU , JESSICA !!