Redbug Rendevous

Garden Showstoppers

Hello Again Everyone!   After my "Women Going To Work" post, I got sucked into 50 hours a week quickly, and it's taken awhile for me to get my head above water.   I can't promise I'll do blog posts OFTEN, but I will try to be better about staying up to date.   While I've been absent from the blogs, that doesn't mean the camera hasn't been busy... primarily with Garden Delights.  Each year the garden is different, and each year Dan and I get so much enjoyment walking through it, many times in the morning, and almost every evening when we both get home from work.   This year, I've discovered my Kodak Easyshare takes remarkable close-ups.  We've been enjoying this feature, sometimes you can see things in the pictures that you don't even notice in real life!  I will add to the Garden 09 Photo Album, but for now here are a few "Showstoppers"!

This is actually our 2nd Tigridia, barely open, you can see the petals are still unfurling.  On the right is a Rainlilyand if you look on the petals, you can see the dusting of pollen from the stamen.

Lace Cap Hydrangea... we have several varieties of these.  And our first large Gardenia... I love this, reminds me of a vintage wedding dress.   Tonight I'll add more garden photos to the album, so be sure to check it out! 

We also enjoyed an evening over at Tio and Nancy's recently, and I was particularly thrilled to see the deer.  I love deer (gardeners don't!), and it's usually a stroke of luck to see a deer in the wild, it's a flash and it's gone.  Because Tio and Nancy actually FEED the deer, they come ambling out from the woods around their house every morning and every evening.  We enjoyed watching them in the yard for a good hour at dusk the night we were there.  Here are a few treats for you:

And of course, the best "Dears".... last but not least, it's been pretty exciting around the neighborhood lately.... Both of Bryce & Sue's girls had baby boys in May!   Sarah had her 2nd, her 1st is Lane, her 2nd is Tate... he was born on Mother's Day!  Meghan had her 1st, Ellis, one week earlier. Here's a really cute photo:

That's Ellis on the Left, and Tate on the Right... and Lane in back!   So though my neice Stacie is long distance with her 2nd boy, Owen... I get close-up views of what it must be like having baby boys around!  Maybe one day soon, we'll see our own little Luke running around in OUR garden!

Going Back to Work

 

So tomorrow brings another change in my working life... yes, I'm "going back to work" ~ for someone else!  As I keep telling Dan, I already DO work ~ for myself!  But the livelihood of a Self-Employed Interior Designer in today's economy, is, unfortunately, a bit like NOT working at all!!

So the time has come for me to let someone else tell me what to do for awhile!  It actually won't be so bad... I'm going to work for Thomasville Furniture, as a Designer.  This is what I did for  Ethan Allen as well.   It's basically doing what I do now, only getting paid for it!  The cons ~ restrictive hours.... I'll have Thursdays and Fridays off, but will work the other 5 days, including every Saturday and Sunday.  But Sunday is only 12 to 5, so that's not too bad.  The pros ~ getting a regular paycheck (!) and also, getting benefits, which start immediately!  Medical, Dental, and 401K with a company match ~ you can't beat that!   So I'll transition out of "my time is my own" ...into, "my time belongs to someone else".... but hopefully, it will be worth it, and this decision will be a very good thing in the lives of Dan and Lynne ;-)  Wish me luck, and I'll certainly keep you posted on how it goes....  

"IN OTHER NEWS" .... Wow, what an active couple of weeks it has been!  Many of you know my sister Jan and I travelled to AZ to meet up with sister Chris, and the 3 of us gave a serious facelift to our Mom's kitchen.  I"ll post a photo album later today (hopefully) with lots of pictures, but here's a quicke "Before and After":

  Stripping wallpaper, new paint, light fixture, window treatments, art, ... it all added up to a good time and a great "new" kitchen for Mom!

While I was gone, we got an e-mail from Jake and Rachel, letting us know that poor Luke ended up with a broken ankle when Rachel took a slip on the stairs while holding him!  Rachel got a nasty bruise on her back as well.  Hopefully everyone is mending nicely, and Jake wisely sent a picture to calm our hearts with this news... look at that cute kid, he's a trooper!   Finally, we had friends over last night, we figured it might be the last time

we entertain for awhile, until I get used to  my new hours on the job.  Plus, we have that great fireplace, and it's been raining for 3 days and in the 30's here!!! Where is SPRING?

But we are making the best of it with fires in the fireplace.  We had a nice time last night, it was good to enjoy each other's company.

 

Dan, they all promised NOT to talk politics!

In Like a Lion!

That's how March began in Raleigh, NC!   After cold, dreary, rain for 2 days, it switched over to snow last night.  The snow is heavy, wet, and "powdery" ... no big flakes floating through the sky, instead it's been like a fine mist of white powder.   It snowed all night, then off and on through mid-day.   Now we have a brief period of sun, which is so awesome, everything looks so beautiful!  But there's been some melting, temps in the 30's, and down to 15 tonight!  So all that melted snow will freeze... tomorrow morning will be dicey as well, but into the 40's by afternoon and clear sailing after that.  And just to show how volatile March can be around here, it's supposed to be 70 by Friday!  Here are a few pics to document yet another "Snow Day" in NC!

 I actually got out and took a walk around mid-day, when the sun was coming out.  I took lots of pictures from inside, but the light was so pretty, I thought I just had to get out there and check things out!   Dan still had to work... he's got that big truck, after all! ;-)

   

 

   

 

I walked up and down the street, but then got adventurous and actually walked around the tennis courts and the park in back of our house.  There were some awe-inspiring sights....  sun and blue sky, shining on snow laden branches... beautiful light & shadow... snow and ice drops melting...  it was a lovely walk!

 

       

"In Other News"... we went over to Jan and David's to celebrate David and Dare's birthdays on Saturday night... I'll let Jan fill you in on the details of that, but here are a few pics from that evening.... what is it about me that makes kids want to jump on me?!

     

I told David, Dare, and Brett (who's 40th was last week), that  we were giving them "Recession Gifts" - meaning low-cost, but  creative!  Each got an airplane-size bottle of their fave beverage, and Candy to reflect their personalities... Dare got "Smarties", Brett got "Goobers" and David got "Hot Tamales'!   It was good for a laugh, anyway!

So it was an event-filled weekend, as most of them seem to be.  We haven't had significant snow this late in the year, though, for as long as I can remember.... I'm ready for Spring!

Cozy Cats

It's still Winter around here... to be sure, we have our "Spring like" days, only to give way to another round of cold, dreary, rainy, drizzly, Winter days.  The cats always manage to find the warmest places:

  Dan's closet makes a warm, and private, place for Cappucino... don't ask me how he got in there!

 

A robe thrown on the bed makes for a warm, cozy, sleepy Highrise!   Which is preferable to a new favorite "place in the sun", laying on top of our new printer... I don't think the paper feeder will last long if he does this too much!

 

The lazy warm cats make you feel all cozy just lookin' at 'em.  Wish I had a pic of Cappucino's nightly routine with Dan after dinner, while Dan is reading the paper Capps stretches the full length of Dan's lap.  With his tail against Dan's stomach, his head ends up between Dan's knees and his paws stretch all the way to the ankles!  A "cat blanket", if you will.   These are the images of those days of Winter that seem to go on forever....

It's Coming...

My least favorite season is Winter, although even that has it's advantages... fires in the fireplace,  hot chocolate, and holidays... but after a few months of it, I'm done.  So it's fortunate that I live in North Carolina, where we have very definite Winters, but just when you start saying "I'm really sick of Winter", signs of SPRING pop up!  Yes, Spring is Coming!

   

January 20th.................. ....February 7th

January is our coldest month, and the last 2 weeks have been really cold (for us ~ I know you Michigan and Wisconsin-ites laugh!), in the teens at night and not getting out of the 20's some days.   The house is cold, the car is cold, everything is cold, cold, COLD!  And Gray!  Fortunately, I'm married to a Gardener, and after years of watching the garden bloom, I know the order of things...  Daffodils and Crocuses come in February, Thank the Lord!  They are a visible sign that the days WILL get warmer.... and longer... and that Spring is just around the corner.  We are by no means done with Winter.... it always goes this way, we'll have a week or two of beautiful weather... it's supposed to remain in the 70's most of this week.... and just when you think you are DONE with Winter, there will be another cold snap - or two.   So I know there will still be some wintry days ahead, but I also know that very soon they will be consumed by the sunshine of Spring.  Such a hopeful season!  One of Dan's favorite Bible verses is "Teach us to Number our days, Oh Lord, that we may gain hearts of Wisdom"....  I think approaching Spring re-inforces that message... that if you take things one day at a time, you will appreciate each day for what it is, and really appreciate those beautiful, colorful, warm, and sunny days, when they get here.

           Now, this may seem like a clunky seguey, but the other thing that is dominating our lives these days is this course that we are taking at Church:

We're on our 3rd week of this class, and I highly recommend it.  The books are great, but if you can find a class to attend, it's even better.   The course is 13 weeks, and while we can't be debt-free at the end of that time, we are being given HOPE that we will be debt free eventually.  The course really gives you the tools you need, and with chapters like these, they grab your attention!  At the very least, taking this course, together, promotes communication about money... between couples, if you are married, and if you are single, it helps you take responsibility for your actions, and also encourages you to develop a mentor in the area of money.

   

Most of us know what to do to be financially healthy... the problem is, we don't do it!  "Insanity is doing the same thing over and over again, and expecting a different result".   The course is facilitated by

a couple at our church, but the major component of the class is a video session by Dave Ramsey each session.  He is very entertaining as well as brutally honest.  Then there is a discussion afterward.   We'll keep you posted how this goes, but we are very encouraged that we are taking the right steps for our future.

So after a week of cold and gray, I am enjoying seeing the sun and the crocuses popping up, and I'm looking forward to our class tonight!

Happy Birthday Jake!

Jake is my younger stepson ~ 32 today.  I've only been privelaged to have him in my life for 8 or so of those 32 years.  And I've seen his life change drastically in the past 2 of them.   After many years of study at NC State, Jake got his Doctorate in Physics, got a great government job, moved to D.C., got married, and had a son!  

  Jake has handled all these changes with grace.   As we watch him assume all these responsibilities, I guess I just want to let Jake know how very much he is loved.  How proud we are of him.

 

Families aren't always perfect... in fact they rarely are.   So it becomes more important than ever to appreciate the family you have, and to let them know  that.    Happy Birthday Jake!  I hope in your very busy, full of responsibility life, you have a few moments to put your feet up and relax.  I wish I was there to fix you a drink ;-)  but for now, birthday wishes will have to do.  We wish you a very happy one! 

 

D.C. Trip

Wow, it's hard to describe this trip in one blog post and keep it reasonable in length.   So let me just start out saying, look in the LUKE photo album for pictures of our visit with Jake, Rachel, and our "rockin' grandson", and look in the "Travel 09" photo album ( new one I'll be posting) for pictures of the rest of the trip.  Which makes it sound like it was a long trip - and it was only an overnight!   The purpose of the trip was to have a birthday celebration with Lucas for his 1st birthday.  His actual birthday is January 7th, and we wanted to get up sometime during  the month of January to see him.  It is also Jake's birthday (today!) so that was a bonus, to get to see him around his birthday too.   Our visit was on Saturday, between naps for Luke, so we got to Jake and Rachel's place a little

  after 11 am and left around 1 pm for the drive home.   Luke is just a delightful kid.  He's walking now, and really happy about it!

Like our visit with him in December, he didn't whine or cry, just kind of "assessed" us for awhile, but decided we were okay, especially when we started giving him presents!  Which he then would give to his mom or dad (generous!).  He still seems fascinated with how things work and how things are put together.  We gave him a little hammer with lights and sounds when you bang it, and a little drill with lights and sounds when you "pull the trigger' on it. 

   Then later a toy that you put balls in the top and they go down a maze type thing and come out the bottom.  He liked that!

 

Like our visit with him in December, Luke took a little while to "assess" us, but no whining, crying, or hiding behind mom or dad.  He just went about his business of walking and exploring, eating lunch, and didn't mind it too much if I picked him up or held him on my lap.  He's a happy, secure, and curious child, and for that, credit goes to the parents.   Happy 1st birthday Luke, we sure are happy you're here!

We decided to try to take in some sights since we were coming up to D.C.  We came up on Friday and checked in to the hotel shortly after 2 pm.  What a GREAT recommendation from Jen and Brett, who had come up a few weeks earlier.  The Grand Hyatt was in the heart of downtown D.C., and literally 3 short blocks from the Smithsonian Portrait & Art Museum, which we wanted to see.  The hotel itself was great, the rooms very comfortable, and the staff very friendly. The price was right at $89 a night ~ imagine how great that felt when we talked to the concierge and found out that earlier in the week, the rooms were $650 a night with a 4 night minimum for the Inauguration! :-)   So the hotel was absolutely great, we'll definitely stay there again!

 

The Smithsonian was FANTASTIC!  There are several buildings, I know, we wanted to go to the Portrait Museum primarily because of the Lincoln Exhibit which is there, which is great, but not as big or as much as I would have expected.  But the other thing is that all the Presidential Portraits are housed there, and I thoroughly enjoyed seeing them.  And so much more!   The building itself is a work of art!  So be sure to check out the photo album (Travel 09) which I hope to get posted today yet.

  It was really interesting seeing the different portrait styles.  George Bush's portrait has a casual feel and looks like he could be talking to you in your living room.

JFK, on the other hand, is an impressionistic style that is very striking.

I took pictures of quite a few of the portraits, they're in the photo album.  Which was another thing that surprised me about the museum, the only areas you couldn't take photos in were the special exhibits (like the Lincoln exhibit), and even at that, I got a few photos before anyone stopped me ~ I really didn't know I wasn't supposed to, but I took most pictures without a flash, so that kept it unobtrusive as well.  The Smithsonian was just a great experience, we spent about 3 hours there.   While there are a lot of places within walking distance for dinner, it was cold, and our feet and legs decided maybe it would be better to just have dinner in the hotel this time.  We can explore another time!  So that's what we did, and it was good.  Back to the room for a movie and an good night's sleep on the comfortable king size bed, and all in all it was great being in D.C. at the END of Inauguration week,   enjoying that good night's sleep for about $550 less than those who were there earlier in the week!   It was a great trip, that felt like we did much more than a mere 24 hours worth.

Frosty Day

Inauguration Day was a different day around here for another reason ~ Snow in Raleigh!

 

At this point it was still snowing... you see the birds in the bird feeder, and obviously this was more than just a "dusting!  It's still around today, but a lot of melting is going on... 18 tonight, Brrrrr!  Here are a few pics for your enjoyment.

 

Close Shave

Take a quick look, because it won't last long.... this is probably the closest to "Clean Shaven" that any of us will ever see on Dan!  His "No Moustache" look will be history soon, as he lets it grow back in.  I tried to convince him to completelyshave everything, just for one day, before letting it all grow back.... this is the closest I got, he couldn't quite go "completely clean"... but this gives you a very good idea!

 

Doesn't he look HANDSOME??!!   And younger, too!   So here are "the 3 faces of Dan"... which do you like best?

 

The "Amish" or "C. Evertte Koop" Look...

 

Then there's the Dan we all know and love, the Van Dyke beard & Moustache...

Let's face it (no pun intended!).... Dan is handsome any way you look at him.  This whole "Change" thing can be pretty scary... but one thing is for sure, once you jump into it, you'll definitely learn something!

Weekend Update & More...

I thought all the partying and carrying on were supposed to STOP after the Holidays!?  Wow we had an active week and weekend to start off January, and here I'm into mid-week already before having  a chance to update.  So here goes!   A Hurricanes game on Tuesday, Bible study Wednesday, and having a friend over for dinner on Thursday, we had Friday night "off".  Saturday we were invited to a "Black and White" party hosted by our friend Shirley, for our Sunday School class.  Shirley had wanted to have us over somewhere around New Year's, but Saturday was the first chance she had.  So we had a sort of "12th Night" celebration.  12th Night is sort of a cross between Mardi Gras and New Year's celebrations for other countries.  We were to dress in Black and/or White, and have all Black and White food and drinks!  Not as easy as it might sound!  We had Chicken with Mole' sauce, white rice, cauliflower, black beans, and white cake with chocolate frosting and vanilla ice cream with chocolate chips.  For drinks we had white soda, champagne, and black and white russians.   Here are a few pics:
     

The dinner was lots of fun, we all enjoyed the meal and great conversation, so it was wonderful to get together.

Sunday night we hosted an impromtu gathering with quite the eclectic group... Daniel, who was in Michigan visiting Frank and Jen over New Year's, so we hadn't seen him since Christmas... Randy, our friend and Dan's plumber, and Jen and Carly.  Brett took James to an Indian camp dinner or something or other.   That was a fun night too, Daniel made a great meal, and we all had a nice time, although I think Carly had the best time of all!

     

She's a little charmer, and managed to get attention from each of us, including Cappucino!  Ya gotta admit, that cat is a great sport!

 So today we were at the Hatch's, doing some finish-up work... Dan installed and painted the Headboard he made.  I must say, the Bedroom and Bathroom turned out beautiful, and it's rewarding to both of us because we know this remodel will make such a difference in their lives.  This older, retired couple moved from an upstairs bedroom, to the newly remodeled bedroom and bathroom on the main level.  Here's a couple before and afters for you!

   

 

Dan made and painted the cornices as well, and did all the tiling in the bathroom as well as everything else!  Dee took this picture of us today... she said she wanted a picture of us in their bedroom, since we had a picture of them in ours!  (Dan was doing their Kitchen re-model when he proposed to me 7 years ago, and used polaroids of that project to pop the question!)   Hope all of you are off to a great week.