Stranded in Bristow, Virginia (sort of)

We have hardly any snow in Bristow but we are probably putting off our trip to Darien until tomorrow, as the roads in New Jersey, NYC, and CT are pretty bad, lots of snow, winds, drifts, and they won't open up until later in the day.  Drew is off to the DMV to register his car, Hayden's still sleeping, Halle's engrossed in her game, Evie's making breakfast, and Jill's taking a shower.

I talked to Beth early and they have over a foot of snow and its very windy though its supposed to get better later in the day.  Chello's flight to Florida has been put off till Thursday, so if Jill and Drew drive north on Wednesday, as planned, we will have a full house to the night. I have the feeling we could leave today if we went in the early afternoon but it does not seem worth the chance, when tomorrow is supposed to be sunny and clear up the entire coast.  And Evie already has scoped out where the nearest TJ is so we will have something to do today...shop. We will explore the area and see what's around here, as we haven't really had time before.

Jill and Drew and the girls have left for Lexington, to visit Drew's parents.  We are at sixes and sevens, kind of worn out and wondering what, if anything, to do with ourselves. Fortunately, Patsi emailed me and they are willing to drive out this way and we will get together for dinner at the Asian Garden, supposedly the best restaurant around here.  We will head to Darien tomorrow and hope for the best.

Overall, a lazy day, like the air was let our of our balloon.  Neither one of us felt like doing much and just laid around the living room, watching TV or surfing the net.  I did go for a brief walk about it was so windy I didn't enjoy it much.

Waiting for the Blizzard to Hit or Miss

Sunday morning, the day after Christmas, and all is amiss, as the weatherman sings of storms to come, travel plans ruined, airports crowded with stranded passengers, and we sit here warm and happy, not needing to go anywhere till the storms over.  I hope I can be patient enough not to venture north till the storm passes but who knows, I don't like to wait around.  I want to hit the road again, keep  going, get to the next city, stop, rarely happy to stay in one place for long, as long as there is another place to arrive on the itinerary.  Why can't I just enjoy where I am at, as the mantra says:  To travel is better than to arrive.

It's 9:00, Drew and I have been up since 7:00, Halle 7:30, Evie around 8:00.  The other two lazy bums are still sleeping, including Coco whose preferred home in the morning is Jill's bed.  He hates to lounge around with us early risers when he can be in a warm, comfy bed.  Halle did bring Coco down when she got up but he soon found a gap in the kitchen door and raced upstairs.  I cannot say I miss him!  I didn't say that girls.

It looks like, if the weather mavens are correct, we will put off our trip for a day, heading to Darien on Tuesday rather than Monday, at least that's the way the weather seems to suggest.  Drew and Jill will head off tomorrow for his parents' house and we will stay here one more night, then head off, weather permitting on Tuesday, alas, most likely, missing a brief visit with Eric Gustavson and family on the way.  I guess this is the benefit of retiring; you don't have to be anywhere tomorrow, just in your head.

A few flurries and it's already 6:00 in the evening, so we are not going to get a blizzard in this area, just an inch or so, though I could eat my words tomorrow morning.  I think it gets worst the more you head north, especially in NYC, CT, and north of there.  Beth was just getting some snow around three though they were expecting much more  tonight and tomorrow morning.  We'll just have to wait and see what the night brings.  Spent the  afternoon watching the Browns lose, as the girls had friends over, and Drew and Jill went off to do some errands.

Christmas in Bristow, VA, with the Bissells

It's 9:00 and Christmas is over for the girls; the presents are opened, the various games/clothes/gadgets are spread all over the house and everyone seems happy with their morning.  The girls were amazing, excited over every gift they opened, as if it was just what they wanted.  Hayden's Ipod touch was the big gift for her, along with an Ipod station, various 'real girl' clothes, books, and pillow pets.  Halle's big present was a DS game/gadget, along with clothes, a Squinky, and a pillow pet.  She, too, is really excited about everything.  Drew's big gift to Jill was a Nikon camera; he got various shirts, jackets, books, things like that.

The egg casserole is in the oven; we are all hungry campers so we are just going to have to wait.  I don't think the girls care but Jill is hungry, as usual.  Hayden's upstairs with Evie, putting stickers we gave her on her walls, actual mirrors that you can place as you wish.  She is excited.

From The Writer's Almanac:

There's been a lot of advice from writers about Christmas. As for gifts, former Ladies' Home Journal editor Lenore Hershey advised: "Do give books — religious or otherwise — for Christmas. They're never fattening, seldom sinful, and permanently personal."


Novelist Oren Arnold (books by this author) had the following Christmas gift suggestions: "To your enemy, forgiveness. To an opponent, tolerance. To a friend, your heart. To a customer, service. To all, charity. To every child, a good example. To yourself, respect."


Journalist W. C. Jones wrote, "The joy of brightening other lives, bearing each others' burdens, easing other's loads and supplanting empty hearts and lives with generous gifts becomes for us the magic of Christmas."
Agnes Pharo said that Christmas is "tenderness for the past, courage for the present, hope for the future. It is a fervent wish that every cup may overflow with blessings rich and eternal, and that every path may lead to peace."


American writer Washington Irving (books by this author) famously said: "Christmas is the season for kindling the fire of hospitality in the hall, the genial flame of charity in the heart."


And it was 19th-century American poet Henry Wadsworth Longfellow (books by this author) who wrote:


"I heard the bells, on Christmas Day,
Their old, familiar carols play,
And wild and sweet
The words repeat
Of peace on earth, good will to men."

We actually have had some snow flakes this morning, though none have stuck on the ground.  The excitement level has mellowed and the girls are now playing with their games or Barbies.  Hayden laid out all of her new clothes on her bed before deciding which to wear for the day; then, she put everything away in its place, as here room is always immaculate, a bit different from Halle's though she, too, is getting more conscious of keeping her room picked up.  I wonder who this comes from?  Jill? Drew? Granny?  Certainly not Baba!

Relaxing afternoon, with the  girls spending time on their gadjets, downloading music and taking pictures, and watching UP, a Disney movie on Netflix.  Now I'm watching the Lakers and Heat, as the prime rib smells fill the room.  Just cut the brussell sprouts off the three foot stalk, Evie's got the popover mix ready to go, and all will be done around 6:15.  It's been mostly cloudy all day, though my walk was invigorating, a bit cold but it felt good and there was little wind.  Who knows what tomorrow will bring.

A great dinner, especially the popovers, some after dinner conversation (my new strategy), some Apples to Apples, to please Hayden, then off to bed for the kiddies.  I hope we have the energy to watch a movie but I doubt it.  

Baking Cookies All Day Long

Today, Christmas Eve, is Drew's cookie day, so both he and Evie started about 9:00 and didn't finish till about 3:30 with their baking.  Then, we had to begin dinner, our favorite, lemon/oregano chicken, with creamed spinach and rice. So, it's not been much of a day of rest and recovery, rather one of getting organized for tomorrow.  The cookies were as follows: peanut butter with a reese's cup in the middle; butter almond crisps, peanut butter cookie, pecan bars, chocolate chip, banana walnut cookies, and ginger molasses cookies.  After they were all made, Drew wrapped them up, put a Christmas card on each, with the girls' picture, and drove off to deliver them, as Jill stayed home awrapping with Evie.  I, of course, took a walk, read, and helped out with dishes as needed.  Before dinner we are going to listen to John Henry Falk's 'A Christmas Story,' a NPR radio broadcast from the early 80's that I loved, about a boy who cherishes a Christmas because he received an orange.  A good story and available online if you just google it.

The  girls' needless to say, are excited about tonight; in a moment of candor, Halle told me  that she saw a Barbie and Pet Shop present in our closet.  She must have looked through the wrapping because they were all wrapped.  I told her that if you sneak a peak ahead of time, you often don't get the presents, which shut her up pretty quick, and she began explaining how she's not sure what she saw.  What a  kid.

Listening to the story was a failure, as it was too difficult for the kids to follow and, I think, they are not used to listening carefully to a story unless it's accompanied by visuals.  I know my students at Reserve had a hard time just listening to an audio recording; they had to really concentrate to follow it although I remember them vividly laughing to NPR's story Squirrel Cop.  I wonder if the kids would like it.  I don't think so.  Anyways, it's time for lemon chicken and the works; the  girls did open a present before dinner, matching Xmas pj's from Old Navy.  They loved them, of course, and had to immediately put them on, though Hayden excused himself to change in her room.

Last Night's Dinner with the Bottiny Family

Well, we had a great night at Jill and Drew's, as all the Bottiny's managed to make it, since Julia was home from school and Brooks works in this area.  It was great to see everyone, especially the kids, as they are often too busy to come to the lake or Cleveland.  Julia looks great and seems to love school, though it sounds grueling, especially during exams.  It's nice for her to have some time off before heading back.  And Brooks keeps moving up at Best Buy and has become their expert on home theaters, high end types of combos.  He now has his own apartment in Alexandria, the cool part of the city, so he really enjoys the area and having his own place.  They both seem so grown up, no longer kids or coeds, but the working class (though Julia is back in school).  It's hard to believe that little baby who helped us celebrate our new Chautauqua home is now thirty one years old. Of course, it's just as hard to believe I'm 67 and Patsi's almost sixty.

Walt took the day off and he looks the same, putting all of us to shame with his self discipline and workout schedule.  He and Drew have lots in common, having run the Marine marathon in the fall and keeping in great shape.  Patsi, as usual, was her thoughtful self, bringing the girls  beanie babies, which they loved, and proceeded to take upstairs and put on their beds.  And she brought us a purple martin gourd house, something we have been wanting.  Patsi always seems to know what's just right.  We did get a crappy gift for Brooks and Julia, some chocolate blue berries from Trader Joes!  Big deal, right, but the thought was sort of there.  I figured they already had an Ipad.

We had Jill's recipe for crostini for appetizers, along with some brie, and dinner was a spiral ham, with scalloped potatoes, green beans, and Evie's rolls.  Pumpkind pie and Christmas cookies finished off the night.  It was fun for Jill and Drew to have everyone over to see their house and celebrate in their dining room with a great dinner.  They are great hosts.

And it was fun for Jill and Drew to get to know the Bottiny's as I don't think they had seen each other since the wedding, eleven years ago.  Perhaps Jill has seen Ellen and Walt  but Drew has always been busy with the Army and has rarely been around in the summers.  All the Bottiny's were surprised at how grown up Halle and Hayden were, no longer little babies.  Julia seemed to really connect with Halle  Unfortunately, Hayden wasn't feeling well so she spent most of the night upstairs in bed.  O, I forgot that rascal, Coco, the new puppy, who was his usual annoying (but lovable) self, barking, getting in to the presents under the Christmas tree, driving her parents nuts.  More reasons why I don't want a dog.

We talked quite a bit about both Brook's and Julia's lives and Walt and I talked about changes in his department, how the budget seems to be effecting part of the IRS, his corner,  but not others.  He has an interesting job, working with multi national companies on their taxes, both negotiating and prescribing. It's a very different part of the IRS from what most people know but it serves an important purpose: bringing tax dollars to the government that might otherwise be lost.

Patsi and family are going to Bob and Carol Lange's for Christmas, as Thanksgiving was at the Bottiny's.  It will be nice for them to Jill and Drew around as well, to get together occasionally, though it sounds like Jill and Drew were talking about hitting some of the hot spots with Brooks and Julia.

It was a good night, one of many more to come we all hope.

Up Watching the 'Wizards of Waverly Place' with the Girls

Nothing is worst then the junk on TV for kids, like this show and Hannah Montana, but I guess the girls like it.  It's strange to see these shows once or twice a year, when we visit, and the girls want to watch these in the morning rather than the news.  I have to admit the news is just about as boring.  Both Evie and Jill are still sleeping, I've taken the dog out for a brief walk, and we are sitting here surfing the channels looking for the next show.  It's definitely colder and windier today, as the weather may be changing, with a rumored front coming in over the weekend.  Ellen and Wally and family will be coming for dinner and the girls are excited to see their cousins.  I am not sure they have ever seen each other since Jill and Drew have been quite a distance for most of the  girls' lives.  They were expecting kids their age I am afraid and are surprised they are 'grown ups'.  Halle wants to know if Brooks has a girl friend so I told her to ask him when he arrives. She's begging me to go down and wake Evie but I want to let her sleep in a bit, as she has had busy days.  Coco heads to Petsmart this morning for a grooming so he looks nice for Xmas.  The girls colds seem better this morning, though Hayden still has a cough.

Skipping School for the Kiddies

Both girls are up, neither feeling up to snuff, with coughs, so they are staying home, the good life.  Both are sitting on the couch now, bugging Evie to do this or that, as Jill and I sit here surfing the internet on our computers.  It looks like a partly cloudy day, filled with little girls, cookie making, getting ready for the Bottinys and no doubt the trip to the store for something you forget to get yesterday.  Halle is way to peppy this morning, Hayden a bit more subdued.

It's late afternoon and Hayden's still on the couch, under a blanket, feeling blah though she still wants to go out tonight and look at lights, with hot chocolate and popcorn.  Drew came home early again, and Jill is still taking a nap, after our rough afternoon of sushi and shopping.  Life can be tough this time of the year.  It's actually been a fairly nice day, with the sun coming out most of the afternoon and it's not as cold.  However, it looks like an Easterner may be heading our way for Xmas and the weekend, making travel difficult for those in the air and on the roads.  Let's hope it misses the Washington to New York corridor so we are able to head north on Monday, the 27th.

Chicken barbecue for dinner, with coleslaw, then off to look at lights with the kids, with hot chocolate and Coco.  Now it's time to settle them down and get them to bed as both are tired and still not feeling great.  Good luck.