New Car

It was time...time to get another car. And JJ is sooo happy. He just loves to ride in it.In the photos the car colors are sort of hard to differentiate. The old car is black and the new car is gun metal grey. It's got Blue Tooth for hands free cell phone calls when I finally get it all figured out. I kept the same license plates CLN 017 which happen to be my sister's initials: Catherine Liddell Nelson. MLM

Victorian Tea a la 2010

I've never been so uncomfortable in my life and had so much pleasure fun at the same time. We ate cucumber sandwiches and sweet cakes and drank raspberry tea and discussed the Victorian/Edwardian novels we had read. I presented a newly printed version of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde with many old illustrations of the period. Kathalee, our hostess, made the dress she wore which had a Scarlett O'Hara look about it.
I took pictures of all the brave souls who wore costumes - note that one lady came dressed in a black satin cape as Sherlock Holmes.
I was so amazed when I looked in the mirror with my hat on how much it resembled my dear mother who always wore hats during my growing up years when she went out.
I can't seem to move the pictures around on this blog so you will have to look for me in my purple outfit. Bye Bye Dec 19, 2010

Georgetown HS Band Comes to Town -Dec 4-2010

The weather was perfect. No rain. No frost. No ice. No snow. Sunshine, yes! Balmy, yes!
The reverse of last year's event. And they looked so smartly marching along. And they had 5 huge silver tubas. And Jack came out to watch!!

First trip to Chicago in early October 2010

They've got flat land all around, BUT they've made their own mountains..the hundreds of skyscrapers! Just amazing. And Lake Michigan is like the ocean it's so large. Very nice weather the week we were there. Friend Jim Robert acted as our tour guide, and we never got lost like when I drive in a new place. Jack got a lot of free rides with the wheel chair. Two ball parks: Wrigley Field home of Chicago Cubs and second oldest park in US; and US Cellular home of White Sox. Went aboard a German Sub in the Museum of Science and Industry. Huge room of working electric trains; really astounding.
We were set to go up in famous Sears Tower, but the waiting line was two hours long. Forget it!! That's a picture of it with the two white towers on top of it in the water cruise picture. That picture of the ornate water tower in downtown Chicago is a famous landmark - it survived the famous Chicago fire.

Summer 2010 and trip to So Padre Island, TX in Sept

We got through the heat of August mostly by going outside in the early morning or late evening and staying inside the house and car with the air conditioner while the sun shone so sizzling down here. When September finally came, it was down to the Gulf at South Padre Island - but not before a rainy blowing drenching hurricane came out of nowhere. The last hundred miles down to SPI, I thought I'd never see the road. We were floating in tons and tons of water. On the island, the water was all gone. Hot again, but beside the fantastic lapping waves and gorgeous sunrises and sunsets from the 8th floor of the condo. Pelicans and seagulls flying by. Helicopters. Beach patrol cars. Not so many people because it was the off season. I took my three-mile walk almost every morning and looked for shells. Shells mostly in pieces but lots of sand castles people had attempted. Jack fell in the water because the sand kept moving under his feet. Up again in a minute and waving from the picture you see here. Bye for now, Mariyn

More about the Washington DC visit: It was pure joy visiting with everyone. All the kids are so cute and funny and full of energy.
We all visited the Kennedy Center the last evening we were there. By this time, Grandpa Larry Wilson had arrived to be with us too. The kids had unlimited places to run and explore.
We flew over the oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico on our return flight from Orlando to Austin. They took the airplane up to 40,000 feet on that leg of the journey. Not usually flying at that altitude. You could still see that muddy grayish brown mess for many miles. We had two women for pilot and co-pilot for that part of the trip. I don't know if I've ever had women pilots before this; but it's worth mentioning that the landing was so smooth that everyone clapped. Vive les femmes!
MLM

Telling about the pics in DC visit in June 2010

I couldn't figure out how to put labels on the pictures. So...I will tell you what the pictures are in this narrative:
First is Nikolai and Luke at the "spray-ground" - the kids can press a control and turn it on whenever they want to...they love it
The picture of Mary holding Hazel is taken at the sprayground too.
The picture of people throwing the ball: that's Mary throwing the baseball in the pitchers warm-up area at Washington Nationals new ballpark.
The picture of Mary and I in the room with the chairs is the pressroom at the ballpark.
The picture of all the kids and adults at the table is at the Olive Garden Restaurant.
The picture of Eva on the couch alone is showing off her pretty nightgown from Ireland.
The picture of Nikolai and Luke and Grandpa Larry and Grandpa Jack and Grammy Marilyn is on the couch at the Hare home.

Visiting the Hales and Hares in DC in June 2010

May 26th: As you can see, the back yard is getting a face lift and the front yard has a prize yucca bloom to balance things out. We haven't had any rain to speak of for weeks and weeks. If it goes on like this, summer will be rationing.
We're doing "good". Life is treating us okay...
Love to all, Marilyn

Yucca blooming in the front yard

Easter time

It's Spring again. What a nice change from cold wind and rain. The cross vine is continuing to bloom like never before. MLM 3-4-10

January 1, 2010

Another year I wish I could get back and repeat.....but no magic power...sorry.