Well, shame on me. I have no excuse for not upadting my blog, but I don't think too many of you have been updating your own, either!!
There's not too much to add ... been working (both of us). Christmas shopping online (a little annoying but the traffic was non-existant.) Got to play in the snow and make a snowman (with a girl's hat) .. sorry no picture, yet :-)
Working on plans for this coming week ... eat, sing, eat, wrap, eat, trim, .... I better be careful; don't want to undo those 18 pounds!
Since my last post, Jeff and Amanda have purchased the house they live in .. we are so excited for them! A place to call their own with room for a music studio, too!
See you after Christmas ... don't forget to worship Him!
Saturday, December 19, 2009
Friday, October 30, 2009
Well, it sure was a quick summer, if you can call it that! Just two weeks of hot weather was not enough for me. I really needed more swimming time and the vegetable garden was just too wet. I'm sure in a few years, when we need the rain, I'll think back on this summer.
Fall fell quickly. The colors were not as brilliant this time around, but beautiful nonetheless. It's been quite rainy and I'll try hard not to complain but I can't help wondering if all of this precipation continues into winter; the cold, COLD winter, what will winter be like? :-)
Bill and I are enjoying our retirement to the max. I'm subbing where I want, when I want and am just thrilled to help out old friends, meet new ones and see "my" kids from yesteryear as they grow through the grades at the other schools.
We enjoy cooking and have showed off a bit: Bill with his Blueberry Grunt and me with my Apple Pie which took 3rd place at a contest.
At church I am volunteering a few times a week, sing in choir, am on the music committee and head up the Drama team. Once a week I get to play with our granddaughter, Isabella, which helps out her mommy as she bathes their show dogs, works on her painting and other things that need attention from grown up fingers, not little ones!
Bill is now on the board of dirctors at Sacandaga Bible Conference where he has been voluteering this past summer. He's working P/T with the Montgomery Co. Sherrif's Office, still and continues to help out at SBC.
We managed to sneak away at the beginning of fall ... to find the last vestiges of summer down in NJ, DE and MD.
Bill and Julie are busy at work in New Jersey, but come up very often to help out at Sacandaga Bible Conference as the cooks. Granddaughter, Erika and granddoggie, Dito sometimes come to spend the nights with us. This makes Grammy and Papa very happy! 
We were able to purchase another 12 acres of land attached to ours which will give us a measure of privacy as the Avery's begin to sell off their Christmas Tree farm here in Meco. Bill has been clearing out some of the overgrowth in a few areas and we should have some nice little trees of our own. This clearing out has given us fuel for some bonfires in the back yard. Mmmm S'mores!
It's been a quiet time of life for us and we really like it this way! Family, friends, a little work a little play ... a lot of God who sustains us in all we do.
Tuesday, August 18, 2009
Summer is Here!
Wow! It sure took it's time but summer is finally in full bloom around these parts. The pool is so inviting, we just might take a late night plunge ... still so humid outside. Water temp is 83.
Yesterday was Bill's dad's 90th birthday. We had a fine celebration for him with all the fixin's! Cold cuts, salads, ziti and a beautiful cake (made by my daughter in love, Julie!) Lots of friends and family sure made the day special.
Bill read an essay he wrote just for his Dad ... he choked up at the end when he tried to say Happy Birthday, Dad. Whew ... everyone else was swallowing their tears, as well. Amanda, another daughter in love, wrote a cute song and sang about 1919 and events that took place at that time. Bill's brother Jim read a letter from their sister who is in the Philippines with her husband as missionaries.
Standing room only and no one wanted to leave the air conditioned building :-) Lots of nice presents and balloons. One bunch from Aunt Barbara and Uncle Bob in Virginia had a balloon that read: "I demand a re-count!" Granddaughter, Isabella had a grand time chasing balloons and "falling" down ... she is SO two! She had everyone smiling and laughing. Erika, our other granddaughter helped serve the cake, along with her cousins. Such a grown up little girl! I'm not allowed to call her "little" anymore :-( She did agree to let me call her a "little, big girl." *sigh*
I hope to upload pics soon, but for now, here's a video clip that we made just for the special occasion. It better work .. I spent HOURS and HOURS on this thing!
Yesterday was Bill's dad's 90th birthday. We had a fine celebration for him with all the fixin's! Cold cuts, salads, ziti and a beautiful cake (made by my daughter in love, Julie!) Lots of friends and family sure made the day special.
Bill read an essay he wrote just for his Dad ... he choked up at the end when he tried to say Happy Birthday, Dad. Whew ... everyone else was swallowing their tears, as well. Amanda, another daughter in love, wrote a cute song and sang about 1919 and events that took place at that time. Bill's brother Jim read a letter from their sister who is in the Philippines with her husband as missionaries.
Standing room only and no one wanted to leave the air conditioned building :-) Lots of nice presents and balloons. One bunch from Aunt Barbara and Uncle Bob in Virginia had a balloon that read: "I demand a re-count!" Granddaughter, Isabella had a grand time chasing balloons and "falling" down ... she is SO two! She had everyone smiling and laughing. Erika, our other granddaughter helped serve the cake, along with her cousins. Such a grown up little girl! I'm not allowed to call her "little" anymore :-( She did agree to let me call her a "little, big girl." *sigh*
I hope to upload pics soon, but for now, here's a video clip that we made just for the special occasion. It better work .. I spent HOURS and HOURS on this thing!
Saturday, May 30, 2009
Spring has Come and is Almost Gone!
Where have I been? Really .. someone tell me!! Retiring in January, you'd think I would have time to update this blog ... but that's what happens when you start really digging into your hobbies. Ancestry.com had me in it's grips so badly that I suffered from tendonitis for months. Awful, really. Had trouble lifting, pulling, grabbing. Housework suffered, but that's one of those things that will wait.
Subbing for the local school districts has been a great adventure; lots of fun meeting new kids and reuniting with "old" ones from my Pre K days at Warren St. School. I can't believe they remember me. I've been quite busy subbing; some weeks working every day.
The family is fine ... hard to believe Erika will be 9 this summer and "baby" Isabella will be 2. She's been practicing for a while ... talks up a storm and repeats EVERY thing she hears :-) Mom an Dad Pitcher are doing well. Their birthdays this summer will have them 86 and 90 respectively with a wedding anniversary of 66 years, too.
That's it .. just a quick update. Enjoy your summer and share your pictures!
We are making plans to celebrate our 35th wedding anniversary this June ... a party here at the house, renewing our wedding vows in church and then a 2nd honeymoon to parts NORTH.
Subbing for the local school districts has been a great adventure; lots of fun meeting new kids and reuniting with "old" ones from my Pre K days at Warren St. School. I can't believe they remember me. I've been quite busy subbing; some weeks working every day.
The family is fine ... hard to believe Erika will be 9 this summer and "baby" Isabella will be 2. She's been practicing for a while ... talks up a storm and repeats EVERY thing she hears :-) Mom an Dad Pitcher are doing well. Their birthdays this summer will have them 86 and 90 respectively with a wedding anniversary of 66 years, too.
That's it .. just a quick update. Enjoy your summer and share your pictures!
We are making plans to celebrate our 35th wedding anniversary this June ... a party here at the house, renewing our wedding vows in church and then a 2nd honeymoon to parts NORTH.
Friday, January 23, 2009
Wonderful Winter
I really thought I had updated this blog :-) WRONG! I remember trying to upload pictures and having it fail over and over again ... I lose patience rather quickly when that happens! After typing this, I found my "draft" that had never been posted. I found TWO of them that had not been posted. No clue!
I didn't change anything on this post to reflect the "new findings" so some of this will be old news. Oh, well! Here goes:
Lots of newsy stuff ...
With Bill (and his Harley) safely home, I started thinking of Thanksgiving and decided to prepare a simple dinner ... which doesn't sound like me, but we always have so much to eat and I would much rather spend time with family than be fussing in the kitchen. I figured I would start early and have everything ready to be cooked or baked ahead of time ... we invited our kids over for breakfast (not knowing who could come for dinner) and Bill took over ... MY KITCHEN! So much for preparing ahead, BUT I did get to visit with Chris, Kristen and Isabella, Bill, Julie and Erika that morning while we ate eggs, bacon, homefries and pancakes and Jeff and Amanda during our dinner of turkey, stuffing, smashed potatoes, gravy, creamed onions, carrots, broccoli, squash. The pies came from Chatham with Mom and Dad Pitcher, Christina, Jim, Heather, Amber and Wesely. All in all a delicious day filled with chatter... just the way I like it!
We pretty much had a repeat for Christmas ... Christmas Eve was spent at church with Julie and Erika, (Bill drove up late) and Christmas morning found us eating a creation of my husband's... not even sure what he calls it, but he makes homefries in a cast iron skillet, polish saugsage in another, some peppers ... scrambles some eggs... puts in all together in another skillet and bakes it. I think he has cheese in it, too ... quite delicious and all his doing! Those who couldn't eat breakfast with us, got to have dinner of roast beef, smashed potatoes, carrots, cottage cheese, creamed onions and lots of gravy....
We got to have great visits with all of our children and niece, Cindy and her husband Brandon and "the boys." I love our family!
Isabella is growing taller and taller ... walks and talks a storm. She loves her "cracker bears" and we do, too! (Teddy Grahams) Papa ate the rest of the box she left here, but not to fear ... we will get some more to replace them!
Erika is growing, too ... such a beautiful girl from the inside out! I love spending time with her. We have fun and I know how to make her laugh ... Grammy and Erika can get silly as only Grammy and Erika know how!
I have to tell you about our Church's Christmas program ... just a bit ... Bill was the Angel Gabriel ... complete with wings and halo. However, the wings just were not ... apporpriate for someone the size of Bill .... Dear friend, Anne, said, "Bill has to lose those wings .. he looks more like the tooth fairy!" She was right ... and then undertook a mission to make Bill look more like Gabriel ... a man's angel ... a man with wings that could be used for flying or for taking out adversaries in one swoop! Thank you, Anne! You are a gem!
I didn't change anything on this post to reflect the "new findings" so some of this will be old news. Oh, well! Here goes:
Lots of newsy stuff ...
With Bill (and his Harley) safely home, I started thinking of Thanksgiving and decided to prepare a simple dinner ... which doesn't sound like me, but we always have so much to eat and I would much rather spend time with family than be fussing in the kitchen. I figured I would start early and have everything ready to be cooked or baked ahead of time ... we invited our kids over for breakfast (not knowing who could come for dinner) and Bill took over ... MY KITCHEN! So much for preparing ahead, BUT I did get to visit with Chris, Kristen and Isabella, Bill, Julie and Erika that morning while we ate eggs, bacon, homefries and pancakes and Jeff and Amanda during our dinner of turkey, stuffing, smashed potatoes, gravy, creamed onions, carrots, broccoli, squash. The pies came from Chatham with Mom and Dad Pitcher, Christina, Jim, Heather, Amber and Wesely. All in all a delicious day filled with chatter... just the way I like it!
We pretty much had a repeat for Christmas ... Christmas Eve was spent at church with Julie and Erika, (Bill drove up late) and Christmas morning found us eating a creation of my husband's... not even sure what he calls it, but he makes homefries in a cast iron skillet, polish saugsage in another, some peppers ... scrambles some eggs... puts in all together in another skillet and bakes it. I think he has cheese in it, too ... quite delicious and all his doing! Those who couldn't eat breakfast with us, got to have dinner of roast beef, smashed potatoes, carrots, cottage cheese, creamed onions and lots of gravy....
We got to have great visits with all of our children and niece, Cindy and her husband Brandon and "the boys." I love our family!
Isabella is growing taller and taller ... walks and talks a storm. She loves her "cracker bears" and we do, too! (Teddy Grahams) Papa ate the rest of the box she left here, but not to fear ... we will get some more to replace them!
Erika is growing, too ... such a beautiful girl from the inside out! I love spending time with her. We have fun and I know how to make her laugh ... Grammy and Erika can get silly as only Grammy and Erika know how!
I have to tell you about our Church's Christmas program ... just a bit ... Bill was the Angel Gabriel ... complete with wings and halo. However, the wings just were not ... apporpriate for someone the size of Bill .... Dear friend, Anne, said, "Bill has to lose those wings .. he looks more like the tooth fairy!" She was right ... and then undertook a mission to make Bill look more like Gabriel ... a man's angel ... a man with wings that could be used for flying or for taking out adversaries in one swoop! Thank you, Anne! You are a gem!
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