SAYING ALOHA TO 2011 WITH ALBARRANS

Long Boarders

Marisa Relaxes

Granny and Her Grandson

Beth Working in Her Office

The Boys Coating the Chicken

Another lazy morning, as its 9:40, the boys are still sleeping and the rest of us are sitting around, watching TV, surfing the Net, sipping coffee and trying to figure out our day.  Obviously, we have nothing that has to be done.  We are going out for sushi tonight, a special dinner for all of us at the Albarran's favorite restaurant, Kazu in Norwalk, CT.

Yesterday, we did very little, as the girls went off to TJ Max shopping, so I took Marisa and the dogs off to the playground, watched Little House on the Prairie with her, made soup, and just hung out with the kids here at home.  Mitch had buddies over for long boarding, Tyler worked on an essay for English, Rami added up his receipts for the year.  We were all tired out from doing nothing, so we had BLT's for dinner, simple but good, then all of us but Rami watched Warriors, a fairly recent movie about ultimate boxing, one where two estranged brothers end up fighting for the championship.  A fairly predictable ending but a high action and intensity movie.

We are heading back to Chautauqua tomorrow morning the 1st, as the weather looks to get worst on Monday and traffic should be at a minimum tomorrow during the day.  Rain not snow is predicted which is fine just as long as it avoids freezing.

HAPPY SIXTIETH TO MY LITTLE SISTER ELLEN

Happy Happy Friday in Darien

Lettie and Marisa walking the dogs

Marisa and Baba at the Darien Library

Slept in till 7:00, if that's sleeping in and only Rami was up.  It's now 8:30, Marisa and I are watching a kids' show and Evie's in the kitchen making crepes for all the sleeping Albarrans.  It looks like it's going to be warmer today, in the high 40's, partly cloudy, a good day to be outside.

Marisa and Granny at Weeds Beach

Yesterday, we relaxed at home with the kids, though Tyler was off at a friends house jamming with three buddies on their guitars.  Beth and Rami were off shopping part of the day and the rest of us went off to Weeds Beach with the dogs, three of them, to romp in the sand and enjoy the spectacle of the ocean, so different from our Chautauqua Lake.  Unfortunately, it was bitter cold and windy, a biting cold that went through your clothes, so we did not last more than 30 minutes but it was good to be outside and enjoy some brisk air.

The rest of the afternoon was taken up preparing for Ramiros' deep fried chicken extravaganza.  He had bought whole chickens, so he had to cut them up into pieces, soak them in buttermilk for a couple of hours before coating them with a spice rub, soaking them again in buttermilk, then once more in the spice mixture.  While this was going on, the rest of us prepped the rest of dinner, potatoes, macaroni and cheese and coleslaw, while enjoying guacamole, chips, and white wine.  A good way to spend the late afternoon.

The Chef butchers the Chicken

Around 5:00, we got the fryer going outside but had lots of trouble regulating the heat as, at first it was too hot and literally would not go down, even if we turned the heat off and added more room temperature oil.  After about about a half hour, we got it down to a manageable temperature but then had trouble heating it up to the recommended 325 degrees.  Meanwhile, batteries on thermometers failed, Itouches and Iphones were used, and we finally got things done by 6:30.  The chicken was tasty and everyone devoured it, as were the fix ins on the side.  I am not sure the drama of it all was worth it but Rami seemed to enjoy the 'doing' despite the hassles.  He's made it before and never had this trouble so I am sure they will do it again.

Cody, Bella, and Linus relax

Marisa went to bed around 9:00 and Beth, Tyler, Evie and I watched Moneyball.  Evey one else ended up going to bed.  Surprisingly, everyone enjoyed the movie, more interesting and compelling than I thought a movie could be about a baseball general manager.  Brad Pitt was actually good and I even forgot it was him playing the role, the way I felt when watching BABEL, his last really good movie in my estimation.

In Darien, With the Albarrans, Lettie, and Three Dogs

Marisa in the Morning

Marisa in the Evening

A busy morning as we are all up, sitting around the TV, some on Ipads, others on computers, trying to figure out the day.  Everyone went to the Mission Impossible movie last night except for Marisa, Beth and me.  Beth wasn't feeling well, went to bed early, so Marisa and I stayed up,watched a movie about a Dolphin who loses it's tail, then Storage Wars, before she went off to bed.  Everyone came back around 10:00, most liked the movie though it was long, then off to bed, exhausted after our drive.  Rami's sister Lettie is her for a few days, with her two dogs, Bella and Linus.  She lives in the city and  brings them out to CT on the train.

The drive yesterday was easy, much shorter than I thought, as it took us just over six hours, from Bristow to Darien, just as Drew thought. We had little traffic, even when we got near NYC, and only one toll, five bucks to cross the Tappan Zee.  Last year, when we took 95 and the Garden State Express Way, we paid over 30 dollars in tolls and it wasn't any shorter.

Today looks cold(in the low 30's but partly sunny, so we can hopefully do some things outside, like go to the ocean with the kids and dogs, or for a nice long walk, or jump rope with Marisa.  I know we will have to hit the various stores, perhaps Stew Leonard's in the next few days, perhaps Costco for our usual shopping fix.  The day is obviously wide open.

Farewell to the Bissells, Off to the Albarrans in CT.

Drew and Hayden on tractor

Carving the Turkey

The Reader

Happy Girl

Playing with Barbies

Play Room

We have quite a drive ahead of us today, depending on weather, traffic, and which roads I decide to take.  I am going to avoid Interstate 95 and try to head up to the NYC area the back way, through PA, into NJ, saving on tolls even if it takes a bit longer.  It should take about seven hours plus but I will no doubt take eight since I always take longer than most people,

It's hard to leave the girls; they have been such fun, happy and fun to be with, few tears, no tantrums, just great kids.  Every time we see them they seem more grown up, especially Hayden who seems mature beyond her years.  Halle, too, is quite a character and is beginning to get into books like Hayden.  Evie has spent lots of time with her reading and she seems to have improved in just a week or it's our imagination.  Whatever, she is really starting to enjoy reading.

Yesterday was spent mostly inside, the girls playing in the basement play room as the pictures suggest, Drew and Jill out shopping, and Evie and I relaxing, getting organized, and enjoying the girls.  We had lemon chicken for dinner, watched Anne of Green Gables with the girls, for the tenth time at least, and it still is fun.  The girls love it, of course, especially Hayden.  Some of Jill's friends came over for a drink; both grew up in Wooster, Ohio, and spend at least a week of  their summers at Chautauqua, so we had a lot in common.  He's the technical guy for the Army Band, travels with them all over the US.  Interesting job for someone in the Army.

Final Day with Hayden and Halle

Evie and Julia prep

New dolls from Aunt Ellen and Uncle Walt

Post Christmas Dinner

Els and Halle cut the Peppermint ice cream cake

Because we babysat last night for Jill and Drew, who went off for the day and night, I ended up sleeping with Coco the dog on my bed, his routine I  guess, and Hayden ended up in bed as well, both creating book ends as I slept, or sort of slept.  I guess you can get used to it.  It's a gray day, as Halle and Evie are up as Hayden sleeps in. My new best friends, Halle next to me, and Coco on my lap, watch as I write this blog.

We had a great time yesterday at my sister Ellen's house.  We got there about 4:00, had a tasty lasagne for dinner (Hayden's favorite by the way), and headed home about 8:00 as we thought the girls we tired.  Both Hayden and Halle were on their best behavior, quiet almost to the point of timidity most of the visit, very unusual for them when they are around us.  They spent a good part of their time playing with Julia's amazing doll house, as the adults caught up on things.  It was good to see Julia and Brooks, both looking good and doing well, Julia at grad school in North Carolina, Brooks as a division manager for Best Buy.  Besides lasagne, we had a peppermint ice cream cake and cake balls(compliments of Julia) for dessert.  We laughed pretty hard about their stories from the previous evening with the Lange's, cousins from Maryland.  Patsi got a new camera for Christmas, Walt a computer, so they are set for the year from a techno point of view.  As I mentioned, we left about 8:00 because the girls seemed tired and were so quiet during our stay.  Once they got into the car, however, they went wild, reawakened or free to be themselves, so it was a noisy ride home, an understatement.  It was a fun evening, always great food and company, always fun to see Ellen and Walt and their kids, Julia and Brooks.

Twenty First Century Modern Family

Norman Rockwell

I was inspired by Norman Rockwell's portrait of the American family in the 1950's to emulate it with a modern version, albeit my daughter Jill's family her in Bristow.  I didn't get it quite right but it was fun to try even if the kids, as usual, hated it.  C'est la vie, cocuklar (children in Turkish).

The Bissells 2011

Post Christmas Blues

Prepping for Christmas Dinner

Deep Frying the Turkey

I'm up at 6:15, the only one up, strange for the Bissell house since Drew is usually up by 5:00 and off to work  but today, he's sleeping in as is everyone but me.  The eastern sky is slowly lightening, and I can see dark clouds silhouetted against the lit morning sky. It looks like another nice day her in Virginia, a good day for enjoying the girls and later, heading off to my sister Ellen and her family for dinner, about a 30 minute drive to Herndon, VA.

Mom and Daughter

Yesterday, Christmas, was the usual as in most house holds with kids, filled with presents being opened early, then the great breakfast, followed by the sounds of some game on TV as the children play with their various presents, either in their rooms, on the living room floor, or outside if, in Hayden's case, you got a new bike. And Evie spent lots of time with the girls in their rooms, rearranging with all their new gifts, making them cosy and warm.  Phone calls were made to various relatives or friends, in this case, Marisa called Hayden on her new Itouch and the two of them talked for at least an hour.  Marlena wrote to Hayden about her Christmas, and Evie talked with her Dad and family in Scottsdale.  All seems right in the world on Christmas Day.  About 3:45, Drew and I went out side to start the boiler, heat the oil, as we were deep frying the turkey. We dropped it in the boiling oil about 4:20 and it was done by 5:20, quite fast for a fourteen pound turkey.  Jill carved it and together with the mashed potatoes and stuffing, we had a great meal.  The turkey was delicious, moist and tasty, about as good a turkey as I have ever had.  It might be worth investing in a deep fryer if you were to use it more than once a year.  Once you buy the equipment, the only real expense is the oil which can be expensive, depending on how often you have to change it.  Anyways, it was a great way to have turkey, our first deep fried bird, and I would easily do it again.  After dinner, the girls and Drew and Jill and I went for a walk once again, looking at all the lights in the neighborhood, as Evie volunteered to stay home and do the dishes.  When we returned, we watched Will Farrell in ELF, something we have done the last few years, along with Christmas Vacation with Chevy Chase.  The girls love the movies; we had our pumpkin pie with whipped cream, as we watched and the girls went to bed easily, right after, tired but happy with their Christmas Day.  Every one went to bed around 10:00, too tired to stay up and watch much of the NFL game.

And it's now 7:00 and nobody is up yet! Jill and Drew are off for the day and night, probably into to DC to enjoy shopping, eating out, and having a day and a half to themselves. We, as I mentioned, will go to my sisters for dinner, enjoy the girls today and tomorrow, and leave on Wednesday, the 28th.

ONCE UPON A RIVER: BONNIE JO CAMPBELL

For some reason, this novel reminds me of a couple of other books about independent women, The Beans of Egypt Maine and Bastard Out of South Carolina, both popular in the 80's, 1980's that is and written by women.  Both have hard headed, single minded woman, much in tune with the natural world, like the heroine in this story, Maggie or Margot Crane, seventeen years plus, who lives with her Mom and Dad at first, till the Mom ups and runs off and her father ends up getting shot for accusing their neighbor Cal of raping Maggie (which he did sort of) though Maggie isn't even sure herself.  Set in poor and rural Michigan, Maggie lights out on her own(just 30 miles or so down the river), like Huck, ends up living on a raft, making friends with a number of men, some with whom she sleeps and conceives a child, others whom, like Huck's Jim, end up befriending her and loving her for what she is, a natural woman.

Her heroine is Annie Oakley and she models her life after her story, becoming an expert sharpshooter and basically making it on her own, without the need of any man, though she's attracted to them.  The novel follows her travels, first attempts to survive without a family, then find her Mom, then finally realize that she must make it on her own, that she cannot depend on others.  Others do help her, though not family, and they end up her being her best friends, especially Smoke, an old curmudgeon, dying of cancer, who sells her his houseboat for 100 bucks(and deeds her his house when he dies) and his friend, Fishbone, a black man who is Smoke's best friend.  She finally finds peace and herself, alone, on this boat, anchored off a neighbor's farm.  For an eighteen year old, she's mature beyond her years, with a skill and ability to survive that  dwarfs most of us.

Not a great book but a good read, as you cannot help but like Margo Crane, sympathize with her mistakes, admire her determination to be her own women, and enjoy, as she does, her tentative connections with others.

Merry Christmas from Bristow, VA, with the Bissells

Christmas Eve with Coco

Christmas Morning in their New Chairs

The girls were up early, I think, though I did not hear them until they came in an woke Evie and I around 7:15, excited, with a plea to come downstairs.  As we got down, we could see a bike and Hayden wondered if it was for her or her Mom (it was for her).  They proceeded to open their presents with abandon but they made it fun as no matter what they opened, it was greeted with excitement and thanks...nothing seemed to disappoint them.  The highlights for both girls were watches, clothes from the Justice stores, like skinny jeans, an Itouch for Halle, a bike for Hayden.  I would say they had a pretty good Christmas.  After breakfast, we went upstairs with the girls, helped them to set up their Itouchs and reorganize Hayden's room, as she had to put her pink chair in there somewhere.

Jill and Drew went out shopping for a couple of things they forgot for dinner (I think they just wanted to get away for a few minutes from the madness).  Later, we'll have appetizers, then deep fry the turkey in the backyard, and have a feast on Christmas Day.  We miss all our family and friends, wish we could all be together.  In fact, tomorrow we get to go to Walt and Patsi's for dinner, so we are excited about that.  It's cold, a frost on the cars and grass this morning but sunny and clear, a great day for a walk in the woods, or to look at Xmas lights after dinner.

THE CUT: GEORGE PELECANOS

A new series by Pelecanos, about Spero Lucas, private investigator in DC, the usual haunt for Pelecanos books.  Spero is a Greek, adopted, living in the city, near his Mom and brother, a Iraq vet, trying to find his way after his tour.  He's a fixer, so to speak, for various people, in this case a lawyer who is representing a drug lord.  The drug lord lost mucho moolah and asks Spero to help him find out who has taken the cash and he'll get 40% of what he recovers.  This seems to be his speciality, recovering what someone has lost.  It gets complicated when the two young drug dealers whom Spero is working with get murdered, seemingly not drug related.  Spero is told to leave it alone, then, by the drug lord but, of course he cannot...he kind of liked the two kids.  So, he pursues it, finds out there's a crooked cop involved, his father (with a long record) and he ends up unraveling the plot, which leads back of course to the original drug lord.  The end reminded me of a Reacher story; three guys in a building, waiting for Spero to come, with weapons, but because of his experience in Iraq, he takes them out easily and the problem is solved...no sweat.  The most fun is the context, the background, the city of DC, the people Spero meets, a young aspiring film student, a couple of gals whom he beds, his brother and Mom on Sundays for dinner, a regular guy who just happens to kill people occasionally to right the wrongs of the world.  I will read the next one.

NFL Saturday or The Day Before the NBA Season (or Christmas)

Dinner at El Rio

Drew went off at 5:00 AM, with a  trailer, to pick up a lawn mower from his parents house in Lexington, VA, about two and a half hours from here.  He should be back by 1:00 so he can watch the Kansas City Chiefs game.  It's dark still as I got up around 6:00 to a quiet house; let's hope the girls sleep in for awhile as they could use it.  It's been a busy few days for them.

Drew and Jill with Drew's brother, Colin

More Cookies

Yesterday, we hung out here at home, as Drew made about ten batches of cookies, with Evie's help, Jill wrapped presents, and I sat around reading, kibitzing, helping when needed, and took the dog for a walk.  The big event was the changing around of Hayden's room, a big change for her, as she loves her  room and it's immaculate most of the time.  But she talked with her Dad and he mentioned that he used to change his room around when he was a boy which gave her the idea.  So, everyone helped rearrange it and she ended up quite happy, I think.  Everything has it's place and its filled with books and things she's collected over the past 11 years.  It's amazing how colorful and stylish all my granddaughters rooms are, so different from my room when I was young, or my sister's, which were functional and plain, basically a bed and desk and dresser and if you were lucky, it was painted once during your first 18 years.  Now kids pick out colors, bed spreads, curtains, desks, wall hangings, and the rooms look like something out of Pottery Barn.  I have to admit they are attractive and the girls love them.

Coco

We went out for Mexican for dinner at El Rio's, a restaurant about five minutes away; it was  busy and quite good, lots of choices and cold beer and icy margaritas.  After dinner we stopped at Hayden's new favorite spot, Zynga I think it's called.  It's a frozen yogurt take off on Coldstones, quite unique.  There are eight or nine self serve choices.  You grab a bowl, fill it with the frozen yogurt of your choice then top it with a myriad of choices, almost anything you can think of.  When done, take it to the cash register, weigh it and pay it and then enjoy it.  The girls love it.   We got them to go and then drove around the various neighborhoods looking at lights for about a half hour.  By the time we got home, the girls were tired, I told them a 'bad boy story,' and they went to bed easily.  We adults sat around with our computes and Ipads occasionally talking, watching a bit of TV and went to bed early as we were tired from the day.

It's colder today though it won't snow, perhaps a bit of rain.  No big plans, just enjoy the girls, make sure everything is ready for tomorrow, especially Christmas dinner, and enjoy the moment as it were.  It's hard to do if you are a little girl and tomorrow is Christmas!

Sunny and Clear, Perfect for Making Cookies

It's 7:30 and all are up except Jill,  young Hayden, talking up a storm as usual, Evie and Drew on their IPads, Halle on Jill's Ipad, the happy household in the morning.  Where's Norman Rockwell to paint the picture of the modern American family on an early tech morning.  It's already 47 outside, sun shining brightly, a perfect day to enjoy making cookies inside.

Decorating Cookies

Yesterday, the girls were off at noon and Drew came home early.  So both Jill and Drew went off shopping and Hayden had a girl friend over, Kate, to decorate cookies, though they ended up dancing to the 'music' out on the back deck it was so nice out.  After a dinner of farfalle, sausage, and peas, Jill's specialty, the girls and Evie and I went out for our evening walk, to look at the lights, despite the fact that it was raining.  Coco was soaked by the time we returned, so we had to dry him well with a towel.  Jill and Drew went off to a neighbors for a small gathering, and Evie and I put the girls to bed, watched some TV and went to bed.  As we were trying to get to sleep, we heard a scratching at at the door, the dog Coco.  We opened the door, went back to bed, and he popped up on the bed, snuggled between us, on the pillow, and settled in for the night.  Fortunately, Jill and Drew soon came home, so he jumped out and went off to them.  I think he found another bed for the night, as he seems to alternate between the girls beds and Jill and Drew's.  Now he also has ours.

Hayden and Halle and Kate on Deck

It's hard to believe Christmas is in two days because it's so mild but it looks as though it's this way across most of the US.  Not too many White Christmas's this year.  The girls are excited, of course, and cannot wait for Christmas.  They, like all our grandchildren, seem happy and excited no matter what they get making for a fun Christmas Day.

First Day of Winter, But Not in Bristow

Hayden at Her Desk

Halle Before the Dentist

Halle After the Dentist

Tomb of the Unknown Soldier at Arlington Cemetery

Up at 6:40 for coffee and just as I sat down, I heard footsteps on the stairs, and there came Hayden, to grab a blanket, come to the couch, and snuggle up next to me as we begin to read through some of the Blogs, especially her cousin Marlena.  It's still gray and wet outside though it may clear, with a high of 61, so it does not look like we will have a white Christmas, alas.

Yesterday, Drew and I went into Washington, to visit Arlington Cemetery.  The last time I was there must have been in 1953, when I went with the local YMCA.  Unfortunately, it was a rainy day though we were able to walk for a couple of hours.  We went in through the Ft. Myers gate, and viewed all the amazing houses(mansions) where the high ranking generals live, like Petraeus and Odierno.  They are carefully closed off to the public for obvious reasons but because of Drew, we were at least able to drive by and view them from a distance.  The cemetery is much larger than I expected though I am not sure what I expected.  There were  funerals going on, usually on and off all day, some more formal than others.  The Old Guard is responsible for the making sure all men and women are buried with appropriate honor.  The one major burial included about 40 marching soldiers, six men on horses, a riderless horse, a casket pulled by horses, followed by numerous cars, obviously the family.  As we walked we could hear rifle shots, another sign of someone being placed to rest.  We meandered mostly, though we made sure to see JFK's memorial as well as the tomb of the Unknown Soldier.  If it had been nicer out, we would have walked longer.  Other families or tourists wandered about as well.

We then went into Old Town Alexandria, had lunch at a pub Drew knew called Michael Collins, where I had a Shepherd's pie, Drew a burger.  We then fought our way home through traffic, slow moving and crowded, the norm for DC at almost any time.  We got home in time for Drew to go for a run, me to take a nap.  Evie and Jill spent the afternoon at the girls' school, helping out.  Because it was wet, the girls spent the afternoon inside playing.  After a great dinner of spiral sliced ham and mac and cheese, Evie and I and the girls went for a walk in the neighborhood, looking at all the Christmas lights, something which seems to becoming a nightly routine. The girls are talking about doing it again tonight and it's only 7:45 in the morning.

Today the girls get off at noon, so we will have the afternoon to enjoy them.  Not much on the agenda other than hope for good weather so we can enjoy the outside.

CLOUDY AND WARM IN BRISTOW

Baba and Halle

School Party

Ella and Halle Bissell

Up around 7:00 to voices downstairs, came down to find Drew and Hayden in conversation, talking about Drew's old boyhood, whether it was painted because Hayden wants to move eventually to the basement, where she will have her own room and bathroom.  Drew chose to live in a closet when he was young, just so he didn't have to share a room with his brother so it sounds like Hayden's of the same stock, wanting to move downstairs when she gets older, though she has her own room now.  As Drew said, she will probably move downstairs just as she doesn't want her on her own (a teenager).  I am glad I'm a grandparent and don't have to worry about these sorts of things.

It's cloudy and warm, 50 degrees, with rain expected.  Girls are off in a bit though Halle has to go to the dentist for a brief procedure.  Evie and Jill go in to school to mann the welcome desk.  Drew has taken the day off and has offered to take me into Arlington because I have never visited the military cemetery.  We will go in around 9:30, visit it and have lunch in Old Town Arlington which sounds great.

We had a great meal last night, strip steaks, mushrooms, and salad, Evie's favorite dinner.  It was a nice afternoon for the girls to roller blade as well as cook out.  I have to say I don't mind the mild weather because being outside, walking the dog or kids to school, is easy.  I just hope the rain holds off till afte we visit Arlington.  Tonight it's spiral sliced ham and macaroni and cheese, yum.  Then, we'll have lots of left overs for sandwichs, perhaps scalloped and potatoes casserole, one of my favorites from my boyhood days.

I've spent lots of time with Drew talking about Iraq and neither of us is sanguine about  what's going on there.  We both think a civil war may be in the cards but hope not.  He's much more aware of the politics there, the rift between Shia(supported by Iran, with all their class anger at the Sunni control over the past 100 years) and the Sunni's and throw the Kurds into the mix, with their military force and power and you have a recipe for disaster.  If our politicians cannot even decide on a bill, just imagine how in the world the Iraq politicians can decide on anything which might be fair to all sides.  No way.  And the recent decision to target a Sunni vice president as a terrorist, and take out a warrant on him, suggests things are getting political fast, a day or two after we left.  If things to get worst, I am sure the Republicans will use it, blame Obama for a hasty retreat, even though Bush signed off on it three or four years ago.  Everything is political here as well as in Iraq...we have our own version of the Sunni/Shia hate...here it Democrat and Republican, fueled in both cases by the religious conservatives in both Iraq and the US(and add the Tea Party to the mix here).  Scary for both countries.

Bristow Morning With the Girls: Hayden and Halle

Coming Home From School

Roller Blading with Granny

It's about 7:10, partly cloudy but warm outside, as I sit here, drinking coffee, as the girls sit on Evie's lap, laughing at videos she took the past year on her Ipad, mostly of the girls this past summer, but some at both Beth and Tommy's house.  Drew was up and out of the house by 5:00, the girls up at 7:00 and Jill has yet to get up, the sleeper in the family.

The view out Jill's sliding doors is mostly their deck,  pine trees, and sky which is nice. The deck leans off their second floor, so its about 15 feet above ground.  They have neighbors on either side but out the back, they have mostly trees, a narrow forest that runs down to a creek.

We arrived yesterday about 2:30, having left around 7:20, so it took us the usual seven hours, an easy drive, a few stops, sun most of the way.  We met the girls at school and they were excited as you can see.  The afternoon was spent catching up, playing outside, and  going for a long with them on their roller blades, looking at Xmas lights at dusk.  For dinner, Jill made fish tacos, with a great chipotle mayo sauce which gave them the right spice.  I gave Drew a bottle of Jack Daniels to celebrate his promotion to colonel, and we had a bit as we watched the football game.  The girls went to bed easily, read some with Evie and laughed the night a way.  

Today Halle's class has a Christmas party, which Evie will attend at Halle's request.  We will be walking them to school soon, about 8:30, with all the neighbor kids, often their Mom's and of course all the dogs, quite a procession each morning and afternoon. It's neat to not take a school bus and see everyone walking, families together.  So different from Chautauqua where kids at our end of the lake live so far apart they need to be bused.  Only in Jamestown do I see kids walking to school.  No agenda for today other than go to Hayden and Halle's school and pick them up at 3:30 and, of course, walk Coco.  

Farewell Chautauqua, Hello Bristow, VA

Thunder Bridge, Chautauqua Institute

Dusk, 4:45 PM Sunday

We head off to see Jill and family in a bit, about six and a half hours from here, depending on the weather.  Right now there's some snow on the ground but it's supposed to get warmer, so I assume it will be rainy and wet most of the way. We are looking forward to our visit as we have not seen the girls since August.  Hayden's been calling every day so I think she must be excited, to say the least.

We did lots of organizing and packing yesterday, had the car packed by the time we went to bed but did manage to get a walk in at the CI around noon.  It was snowy, a bit icy, so we cut it short but it still was nice to be outside in the cold and snow.

It's a bit warmer this morning, about 31, so the ride to VA should be wet but not icy, at least I hope.  I know rain is predicted, not snow.