Thanksgiving 2009

While we all have our own, we always enjoy going to Bob and Marge's the Saturday after Thanksgiving to share the day together.

After dinner, the men went outdoors to take down the "dish". Question of the day: How many men/boys does it take... While Jon appears to be working, the rest are standing around with their hands in their pockets.

There's always lots of good food, good company and fun playing, or just sitting around and chatting.

Thanks for a nice day of fellowship and, of course, Thanksgiving!

Fall Get-Together

Another successful Fall Get-Together. Our annual Fall Get-Together was October 10th at Tim and Dee Dee's. A cool, crisp day -- just perfect for a hayride and wiener roast.

It's always good to see everybody and catch up on news. A few people were missing -- Mike's family and Terri's family. We missed all of you, but had fun talking about you behind your backs. JK

Lori, Jason and Jessi were there, but Scott had to work. Jessi brought her boyfriend, Kyle. These kids are growing up way too quickly!

It was fun to watch the little ones, i.e., Dylan, Zach, Lily, Kyle, Allie, Kelsie, John, and Rose run around and play together like the older ones used to. Katie and Cody both had friends there. Little Ben is so cute and he'll soon be running around with the rest of the kids.

We all appreciate the effort that Tim, Dee Dee and family put forth. Everybody always has a good time and we all look forward to next year.

2009 OBX Vacation

Our vacation this year was in Corolla, NC on the Outer Banks. What a beautiful area of the country! After driving to Williamsburg, VA, we, and Lori's family went on a Ghostwalk of the historical village of Williamsburg. We're not sure whether we saw a ghost or not, but one of my pictures has a image or two on it that shouldn't be there. See below.

Our guide, John, told good "stories"? of ghosts that had been seen in various houses/buildings in the city. We also visited a small cemetery where we met "Emma". She was buried there over 100 years ago and had deteriorated somewhat as you can see.
We ended up at the Raleigh Tavern where we had dinner with lots of colonial ambience, historically dressed waiters and strolling minstrels. Very quaint and enjoyable.








Then on to Corolla! Since our house wasn't quite ready when we arrived, we went to get groceries at Harris Teeter. After receiving a call that the house was ready, the women and children went to the house while Charles, Mike, and Scott stayed and shopped for groceries. We managed to take pictures of the house and rooms before taking the luggage in and messing up the newly cleaned rooms.


First object of business, of course, was to check out the pool and the ocean. We were at the ocean every day, but we also spent a lot of time in the pool, especially Allie. The pool table also was used a lot during the week. Jacob was, I think, the 9-ball champion and Mema did well on 8-ball until Mike came along and challenged her -- and won.

Charles, Lori, Jessi , and I went to see the outdoor play, "The Lost Colony" which we had tried to see the last time we were in OBX but got rained out. It was really a pleasant evening and we all had fun. When we got home, Jason was suffering with severe itching from his sunburn the day before. After trips to the pharmacy and placing cold towels on him, he finally fell asleep. The next day he was back to normal. Jody had some experience herself with the same malady and was very helpful and supportive.

We all had a lot of fun and the week passed much too quickly. All too soon, it was time to pack up and get ready to leave for home.

An Up-and-Down Day

Saturday, May 23, 2009, was an up-and-down kind of day.


First, we attended a memorial for Fred Leckie, the CEO of NCS Corp. where Charles is president. He passed away on April 11th at the age of 86. Fred wanted to be cremated and his ashes placed in a "coffee can". His children live in Minnesota and Virginia and his grandchildren do not live locally, so they scheduled his memorial for Memorial Day weekend. It really was a nice memorial with the family, and anyone present who wanted to, speaking about their thoughts and rememberances of Fred. There probably wasn't a dry eye at the gravesite, but there were many moments of laughter and quiet understanding, too. After the service, the family hosted an open house to anyone who wished to go back to Poverty Acres, Fred and Jane's home in Madison County, one more time. We all miss Fred -- he enjoyed life to the fullest and made anything he did fun for him and those around him.


After going home and changing clothes, we left for an open house and graduation ceremony for Travis Scott, son of my niece, Terri Scott and her husband, Jon. Travis graduated from John Glenn High School in New Concord, and plans to prepare himself for a career in law enforcement. Travis is a special young man (as is his brother, Ben), handsome, intelligent, polite and very down-to-earth. We wish him the best in his future endeavors.


As you can see, it was an up-and-down day. We were happy for the new graduate and sad about the passage of a dear man who will be truly missed.

Happy Mother's Day 2009

What a beautiful Mother's Day! The weather was sunny, a little cool , but better than the rain we've been having.

We all met at J Liu's in Worthington at 10:00 AM for a Mother's Day buffet. If you went away hungry, it was your fault. Lots of breakfast items, lunch items, salads, roast beef and ham and, of course, desserts.

We hadn't gone out for Lori's or Charles' birthdays, so we celebrated the birthdays and Mother's Day together. After the buffet, everyone came back to our house and opened presents and shared a large chocolate chip cookie (as if we needed anything else).

Andrew had a final soccer game so they left for the game, but Lori and the kids stayed and chatted for a while. That evening, we went to a "Broadway Across America" production of "The Color Purple".

Hope all of you had a great Mother's Day. I certainly did!

Columbus-style Ships in Stuart, Florida

Today, we went to see two Columbus-style ships anchored for a week in Stuart. David told us about them when he called earlier this week. Laurel , David, John and Rose are visiting Laurel's aunt and uncle in Vero Beach, which is only about 35 miles from where we are on Hutchinson Island.

As we were walking toward the ships on the walkways, David had started to say to John, "You'd better hold onto your ... " when the wind plucked John's hat off his head and into the water. Since there was no way to retrieve it, we continued on to see the ships. John was very good about losing his hat and didn't whine or cry at all.

One guide told Charles that the ships really don't have a permanent dock, but sail around to different cities (although on one of them it said "Nina - Wilmington, DL"). The crew slept below in small bunks and the captain had an area with two bunks and a small desk. Ceiling height was only about 5 feet. Guess men must have been shorter then or had lots of backaches.

On our way back to land, we all kept looking for John's hat -- especially John. David spied it among some rocks on the shore. (See blue hat by the rocks.) There was an open spot at the end of the railing, and David climbed down. He removed his shoes and crawled along the rocks and finally reached the hat.

After throwing it up to Laurel, he then proceeded back the way he came and with a little help climbed back up to the walkway. John was really glad to get his hat back, but I'm surprised that we

didn't get caught.

After all that work, it was time for lunch. We went to a place in Stuart where we've eaten before. It's on the waterfront and you can watch the boats and seagulls. John tried some calamari and shrimp. Rose seemed to think the calamari was really good. After lunch, we went back to the condo and Rose napped while David and John hit the pool.

It was good to see the Derry's, but it's funny we have to go to Florida to do it. I think all of us will sleep well tonight after being out in the sunshine and wind most of the day.

Lordy, Lordy, Lori's Forty!

April 9th was Lori's 40th birthday! It never seems possible when you bring those precious little bundles home from the hospital that someday they'll be as old as you think you are!! Lori's had a rough year healthwise, and we think being out of her 30's might just might be good for her. We all wish her a Happy Birthday and a healthy and prosperous year ahead.

HAPPY 40TH!!

AN INTERESTING DAY

On our way to Florida, we had a rather interesting day. We were on I-77 just north of the I-85 exchange in Charlotte when there was something in our lane that we couldn't miss. It looked like boards, but something became wedged underneath the Tahoe and we had to pull over. It turned out to be a rod of metal about 4 ft. long and it wedged between the left front tire, over the axel and on out towards my door. We finally got it out and started to pull ahead when he thought he'd better check the tire pressure. It was 16 pounds and going down fast. We got OnStar on the line and they were arranging for someone to come and check on us, when a yellow truck pulled up behind us. It was a NC highway truck that had been dispatched to check out what was in the road and the driver offered to help us. He put the spare on, but suggested that we stop by Tire Kingdom and see what the damage was. Long story short -- they could not plug the tire -- hole was too big. So, we had to purchase a new one and have it put on and the spare back underneath the truck. Just getting the spare off the truck and back on was an interesting adventure in itself. We arrived in Port Wentworth, Georgia, two hours late, but safe and sound!!

ETC., ETC

It's Sunday, March 15th, and we're on our way to Connecticut for the week. We usually go here once or twice a year. We used to go out to dinner with some friends of ours while in New London, but Pat, the wife and the person Charles worked with at Millstone, passed away a year ago last December. Really miss seeing both of them. We'll be home for a couple of weeks and then go to Florida April 6th through the 27th. So, we'll miss Lori's birthday, Easter, and Charles' birthday. Have to celebrate when we get home.

Lori has steroid injections scheduled for March 16th and 30th. The back is healing fine, but the sacroillac became inflammed as a result of the way she walked when she had the back problems. Will it ever end?? She's been having problems since a year ago January. The surgeon feels these injections will take of this newest problem.

Hope all of you have a nice Easter with your families and that Spring comes soon. We're all ready for it!!!!

Sunshine and Warmer

We're on our way to Dothan, AL after staying in Athens, AL last night. Although the south has been chilly lately, today it's sunny and warm and with promises of high 60's and low 70's for the rest of the week. I was having a sick-of-gray-skies February and this trip should do the trick. I'll try to bring some of it home with us, but can't make any promises. Meanwhile, you can find me out by the pool!

John and Rose

This last Thursday and Friday, I helped babysit John and Rose for an hour or so each day. Rose wasn't feeling well on Thursday and slept most of the time. John and I played checkers (with instructions on how to let him win, if I wanted to), put a puzzle together and drew pictures. He sent the picture home with me, but asked Pubaa (sp?) if he could use his copier to make a copy for mommy and daddy.

On Friday, Rose was feeling better, but was still a bit tired from the day before. We snuggled in to watch Stuart Little and Rose crawled up on my lap and quickly fell asleep. Mom-mo (sp?) had said she didn't want her to take a long nap because she wouldn't sleep that night. So, after about 20 minutes I woke her up gradually. She is such a sweet little girl and rarely gets upset (at least the times I've been around her) and is generally laid back.

John is always entertaining and really seems to think about things and sort them out in his head. When I got ready to leave, I asked him to tell me how the movie ended when he saw me the next time. To which he replied, "But that might not be for a long time, and I won't remember by then." Out of the mouths of babes...

We hope David and Laurel had a good time in Savannah. We had a good time in Columbus!

Superbowl and Mike!

The other day, I was thinking about how Charles and I and a friend of ours watched Superbowl I on January 15, 1967. I was pregnant with Mike and the due date was February 20th, but less than a month after the superbowl, he arrived at 2:59 pm on February 11th. I can always remember which superbowl it is by adding one year to his age.

Every birthday, I call Mike at 2:59 pm to help him celebrate or maybe so he won't forget. Then sometime around our birthdays (mine on January 28th and his two weeks later on February 11th) we all go out to dinner. So, this Sunday, February 15th, we plan on celebrating once again. (Lori is thankful I don't call her at her birth hour and minute since she was born at 1:43 am.)

Happy Birthday, Mike

Update, Update

Lori is feeling better and will return to work half-days Monday, February 9th. The following week, she'll return to work fulltime. It's been a long time since she's felt well enough to be at work all day, so things are progressing. She has really appreciated all the good wishes sent her way. Let's hope this is the last of her problems!

And the Winner is...

Our annual Chili Cook-Off on January 24th brought out five entries (actually six, but Mike came after the vote). After resorting back to a tried-and-true method of voting for your favorite chili, the winner was Laurel! Charles came in second and George finished in third place. This is Laurel's third win; while George came up short (5 wins) of tying Charles (6 wins).

Since we haven't seen Jeff's family for a while, this was our first chance to meet both Lily and Ben. Lily is a very sweet little girl and of course, Ben is adorable. Both Dylan and Zach have really grown and matured. Kids seem to do that!


The little kids (and some of the big ones) enjoyed the jacuzzi tub as well as the lodge swimming pool before they had to close it when someone became ill. I won't go into that any further.

We, of course, had to have a game or two (or 15) of euchre. Some people ,who shall remain nameless, sat in the same spot for hours. Not sure of the outcome of the games, but I'm sure there will be a rematch in the future.

The kids all seemed to have a good time and this time no policeman came to the door. Allie M., Allie T. and Kelsie now have a secret handshake, but if you ask they'll be glad to show it to you. The boys all had fun running around and doing things that boys do.

Of course, we had plenty to eat with everybody bringing something. Not as many desserts this year, but we took care of them in pretty short order. Yes, this is a time when you can just eat all day long. There's lots of food on the table and plenty of chili in the crockpots!

We always enjoy the day with family members -- good food and good fellowship --with just a little heartburn thrown in for good measure. Next year's date is January 23rd. We'll see you then.

Allie is Six!!

It seems like only yesterday that a little (?) 10 lb. 5 oz. baby girl joined the Myers Clan. On January 13th, 2009, Allie turned six. She celebrated with us with ice cream and cake and presents from us and Aunt Lori, Jason, and Jessi. As you can see, she got a new bike. But she'll have to wait until all this snow disappears to get a chance to ride it.

Allie is thoroughly enjoying half-day Kindergarten and would probably gladly go all day, every day, if she could.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, ALLIE

UPDATE

Lori got home Friday morning and is feeling better; however, she's still taking pain medication. She is not supposed to lift more than 10 pounds, bend, etc. for a month. Their new puppy weighs more than 10 pounds, so she is having to stay in her cage a lot. I'm trying to go up each day and help with the puppy and do some lifting, etc. Jason and Jessi will be there this week, so they can do things for her and watch the puppy. She sees the surgeon in about 10 days and he'll give her a date to return to work. We're hoping she has enough short-term disability to allow her to work half days for a week or so.

Surgery Again

Lori had surgery on her back this morning at Riverside Hospital. She'd been suffering with pain in the lumbar 5 area since October. She had tried steroids with no improvement, so when she went to the surgeon yesterday he decided it was time to do something to aleviate the pain and hopefully take care of the problem permanently. This surgery was not as invasive and the recuperation period should be about 2 weeks. Since we're on our way back from LA, Scott updated us saying everything went fine and she might come home this afternoon or evening if she feels up to it; otherwise, she'll be home tomorrow. She's had this particular pain off and on for about 7 years, so hopefully this will be the end of neck/back problems. Keep her in your thoughts and prayers. Will update later.

On The Road Again!!

Greetings from near White House, TN!

We're on our way to Saint Francisville, LA. We're staying in Memphis tonight and driving on in tomorrow. Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday nights we'll be at Butler-Greenwood B&B. See http://www.butlergreenwood.com/. Charles doesn't normally service River Bend Nuclear Plant, but had to pick it up this time for Kevin who is unavailable. Going south when we're having a week of snow showers can't be bad!