A Quiet Christmas

Since Jimmy has been out of town building a house for his niece and her husband, it has been quiet around here. Putting up a tree and Christmas decorations seemed like too much this year since I was the only one here to enjoy them. At the last minute, my grandchildren came to stay for 3 days. Then I was sorry the tree wasn't up. Next year I'll try to be more festive. I don't want to be like so many "old" people and just get out the ceramic Christmas tree and plug it in! I missed the Bubba Tree...and the Living Room tree with the ornaments from my childhood and special things collected for over 40 years. I did do a fair share of baking including the old family recipe for Applesauce Cake and mailed all the gifts in time for them to arrive before Christmas. So all is not lost. But next year will be different!

An American Classic--A True Story

I just read Secretariat. Coming home last Monday night I was listening to NPR. There was a quick little announcement that Kate Chenery Tweedy would be giving a lecture at noon on Wednesday about Secretariat's Meadow, her new book, at the Virsgina Historical Society. WOW! I checked it online and told Jimmy that I was going. I couldn't think of anyone else that would be interested in going (Jimmy showed no real interest) so I would go alone.

I knew when I got there early and had to go to the parking deck and wait in line that there was going to be a crowd!

I had a great seat. The Museum Director had a real smooth introduction. He's definitely the right man for the job. Then they played a recording of the horns announcing Post Time. Nice touch.

Kate is about 4 or 5 years younger than me....salt & pepper hair cut short and not nearly as tall as her mother. She was very nervous. She confessed that she'd delivered this material to other audiences a number of times and never fumbled. She considered everyone in this audience to be experts. Kate had spent a couple years in the greater Richmond area doing research for the book and felt her statistics, etc. might be scrutinized. She's a lawyer and wanted it to be accurate and perfect. You can't blame her. There were a bunch of academics in that audience of the Virginia Historical Society. Everything she said went along with what I'd read in the other Secretariat book. She had exquisite photos of Secretariat and of life at the Meadow the way it was. That was my favorite part. Most are in her new book, Secretariat's Meadow. At the end, she showed us a short film that was assembled by Penny's brother. It featured video clips of Secretariat in his paddock at Claiborne Farm. Audio clips from the track--the announcer calling the race, voices, newsmen, etc. had been added and was syncronized to Secretariat's movements running and turning. Very nice. She said we were the only people who had ever seen this film other than some close friends in Denver.

One of the fascinating things she said was that Riva Ridge is never mentioned in the new Walt Disney movie. When confronted with this omission, the Disney people said it wasn't good for the movie to have more than one star!!! Keep that in mind when you see the movie. Riva Ridge won the Kentucky Derby and the Belmont in 1972--the year before Secretariat won the Triple Crown. Riva Ridge was horse of the year in 1972. He, too, was a horse out of the Meadow Stable.

I'm fascinated with how Penny Chenery Tweedy rose to meet the challenges of running a racing barn and program in the middle of a man's world. She was dauntless. She never considered that she couldn't do it even though she knew she had a lot to learn--and fast. According to Kate, Penny was a great mom and wife but when the call to action came to run the stables, she was ready and able. (Kate was about 20 years old then.) There is a scene in the movie trailer where Penny is sitting at a dining table and they are trying to tell her that this was a "Men's" Club. It didn't phase her at all. I think that is true to her real character.

Fascinating family. Great horses. History. And an age that has passed!!! And our Virginia and national treasure, Secretariat. What a fabulous horse!

I'm glad I went.

Herbs Galore

For around 30 years I've been attending an annual herb sale at Maymont Park in Richmond. The first few years it was held behind the gorgeous stone stable with the slate roof. At max there were maybe 10 vendors selling just herbs. As good ideas will do, the venue grew and grew. It is now held on the large field in front of the stables and who knows how many vendors participate--lots. This is still "the" place to purchase herbs for the summer, but many other vendors are selling perennials, trees, vegetables, homemade goods (such as honey, soaps, wreaths) and garden accessories. Every year it is held on the last Saturday of April, rain or shine. Yesterday started off with early morning showers and gray skies so we donned clothes that were suitable for the wet and cool weather. We lucked out and the sun eventually showed its happy face.

This year Jimmy went with me. We met Carey and Reagan at Joe's Inn at 8 A.M. and had a big breakfast. In past years, the pancakes were yummy but now the carbs are not my friends so I bypassed the pancakes for the standard egg breakfast.

Even with the iffy weather, the event was crowded. Carey and I headed for Amy's and bought our heirloom tomatoes. Then we searched other sellers and found 3 varieties of healthy basil. As a bonus, I purchased some wonderful herb markers from my friend Cathy Chain from the Herbs of Happy Hill in Chester. We browsed the various tents and enjoyed people watching. Reagan got a cup of chocolate gelato and then we called it a day. These little piggies had gone to market! Another year, another Herbs Galore!

The Yard is Smiling!

I spent several days combing through the beds and pulling weeds and wiregrass (aptly named!). There is one fellow that has mulched most of the neighbor's shrubbery and we got a price from him. He's weedeating the beds, spraying with Roundup and mulching. He said anything that pops through the mulch he'd hit again with the Roundup. He's about half way through and we are looking fine!!! Now to get Jimmy to cut the grass and we'll look real neighborly! Last year the weeds took off. This year they are my challenge.

Spring Muscles

Finally a day of sunshine and warmth. It feels good to soak in the vitamin D. Our yard is showing neglect so I spent the whole day yesterday cleaning out the beds. I didn't finish but at least it looks like somebody cares! After cleaning up and putting everything away, I took out the second pizza dough and put together a scrumptious pizza with artichoke hearts, chicken sausage, fresh spinach, fresh mushrooms and mozzarella. Boy was it good! No sooner had I eaten 2 small slices, I was overcome by exhaustion. That was when Jimmy came home from fishing. He and Lewis came in and finished the pizza. (I detest leftovers--glad they ate it!) I got up in the middle of the night feeling muscles ache, took 2 Motrin and felt pretty good this morning. Ready for another round with the rake.

Spring Around the Corner...I Hope!

This winter has been cold, dreary and gray. More snow and freezing temperatures than I can remember. Today was sunny and nice if you were sitting on a window seat looking out. Outside if the wind touched you, your face was cold like a marble slab. But there are signs. The willow tree across the lake is signaling that spring is in the near future. Its bare branches are getting thicker and there is a slight twinge of color....at last!

The Family Tradition

Both my father and brother were fighter pilots. On my recent trip to Denver, my brother showed me a photo of him taken in Thailand while he was in the Air Force. Roland flew Phantom F-4C's and F-4D's on night missions. It's amazing how much knowledge he has about every facet of his flying career. I took his photo and created layout commemorating this time in his life. Like my Dad before him, he is so thorough to a fault. But that's what kept him alive!

Heritage Fotos is one of the favorite classes I teach. I guess I just have a soft spot for those classic photos and portraits from yesteryear. My favorites are the pre-50's photos. It's like a piece of detective work looking at the clues--hair styles, clothing, jewelry--and seeing if I can come close to dating an image accurately. I've been lucky having recently acquired scans of old family photos. Those faces from the past are trying to share their messages. It's fascinating!

Picture Perfect

Reagan loves her camera. I've allowed my grandchildren to use my Nikon camera and try to help them understand the value in taking a good image. They are each on their own journey and the skill of taking good photos will go a long way in helping them understand who they are and where they've been.

Salt Lake City and Denver

The ScrapGirls Convention in Salt Lake City was terrific. I sat at a table with Brandy Murray--a very talented designer, 3 other digital teachers and 2 other ladies. The presentations by the "Purple Shirts" were very informative. Apparently the guest speaker from Canon canceled out on us (tacky) but another photographer came to the rescue with an informative program. I think it was the friendliest group of women I've ever been associated with ever! Ro, V, and the entire staff did a fantastic job organizing the programs and putting the educational presentations together. My hat is off to all of them. Ro said there will not be a gathering next year due to the economy. Let's pray that the world is a better place in the near future so that we can all grow and prosper.

Right now I'm at my brother's home in Denver, CO. Three out of five of us has had the flu this week. I've been washing my hands religiously, brushing my teeth and using Listerine. I do have a bad habit of touching my face which is a no-no when it comes to spreading germs. I'll try to do better. Tomorrow morning I board the great silver bird and fly home. And as the saying goes...There's no place like home!

Breast Cancer Awareness

Our Digi Crop Club meeting at Memories Galore will feature a "Pink" layout in honor of Breast Cancer Awareness Month. I lost my mother to this dreadful disease so it didn't take much convincing when several of the girls wanted to change the format for October. This month's lesson will be "Tearing Paper". Plus we'll look at an alternate photo technique. It's a great technique I use often.

If you haven't already, check out www.ArmyofWomen.com that is working towards finding the causes of Breast Cancer BEFORE they occur. I joined last year. They are active with researchers and post various opportunities to get involved at a local level.

Let's put Breast Cancer in the past!

Can't you see the excitement in his eyes? The grease paint under his eyes was a big deal for this 6 year old. He pointed it out to me 3 times to make sure I recognized how cool it was!

Locked Out

For some strange reason, I have tried to post several times and couldn't. I tried tonight and figured out what I was doing wrong. So I'll try again!

This year I have felt the seasonal shift more than any other year I can remember. Maybe that is a sign of age, who knows. The leaves haven't changed their colors yet but I can feel the winter's howl right around the corner. My grandson is playing flag football and loves running all out on the field. I included a layout of his first game.

Reagan's soccer team gave her a nickname. They call her "Smiley". The name fits. She has a gorgeous smile. It's an appropriate nickname and I hope it follows her for a lifetime.

Last night I whipped up a pot of White Chicken Chili. Jimmy had some for breakfast and lunch. He said he didn't want it for dinner so I made paninis with pork roast, roasted peppers and swiss cheese. It was good for a change.

As the World Economy Turns!

The world HAS changed. Too much greed surrounds us and has seeped into the upper levels and corrupted our everyday way of life. Years ago I would take my little insignificant stock vote and spend an hour or so trying to extract from the stock report what exactly I was voting for. (Notice that they never exactly direct you to that information.) I'd always find some sort of "incentive" for the board members or selected corporate big guys buried in there somewhere and I'd vote against it. My brother, a financial planner, said I was just wasting my time...my vote was hardly noticable and it wouldn't really mean anything. But to me it was about the principle! If everyone had the same desire to see a cooperative attitude and not see their role as a personal opportunity to pull the financial wool over everyones eyes, maybe some of this elitism wouldn't have taken such a deep hold...Maybe the economy would be healthier. Maybe.

A Valerie Challenge-Dad & Mom

The "November" layout posted is actually a wallpaper screen. It was a freebie from ScrapbookDimensions.com

Fall

It's been a pretty busy Fall. I've been teaching digital scrapbooking at our local scrapbooking store all year. I don't want anyone else to go through the frustration I had several years ago when I started scrapbooking. That was awful. I thought that since I'd used other Adobe product for years, Photoshop Elements was going to be intuitive and a breeze....WRONG! Today there are lots of tutorials on the web that are available that weren't there when I started. But, the people who take my classes have the advantage of all I have learned in my trials and tribulations. I wish I'd have someone to show me some of the things I didn't discover for a year or two of active scrapping!

I love digital. Clean up is a breeze. If you get caught in the middle of making a layout--no problem. Just Save and Exit. Pick it up later and finish it. No paper, glue and scissors (not to mention a thousand other little things) to put away.

I'm doing a fairly simple style right now. More graphic in nature. Christmas is around the corner so I need to get to work and make some mini albums, calendars, etc. for gifts. I love personal gifts that are made by someone--cookies, photos, crafts. Maybe with the economy like it is people will be more resourcefull without their Visas and share something special.

Thanksgiving is Thursday. I am so thankful to have the wonderful family I have. We will truly miss Fax who won't be coming home from school. But the rest of us will gather in Charlottesville to celebrate at Scott and Lou's home. They do the annual get-together and do it up big with style. I'm the official pie maker. I love to spend Thanksgiving morning rolling out crust and filling and baking. Baking has always been a favorite interest. Enjoy your family, holiday and your pie, too!