Autumn 2011

A view from the window where we have breakfast every morning. The trees literally glow as the morning dawn comes through from the east. the yellows are the Big Leaf Magnolia, the reds are sourwood and the pink and gold is from the dawn

Sunbathing

What a wonderful day out on Steve's boat with Lauren and John and I. The whales were awesome and huge and many and feeding, playing (two even coming straight at the boat and as they ran out of real estate dove under the boat as emerald green shadows) and breaching and blowing and burping. they were loud!! Thanks Steve for an awesome experience!!

Best Guy with the Best Seats

We are on the Champs Elysees - Paris, France - the last day of the Tour de France. Hooray for us We did not sit in the biege seats, those were actually across the street. We sat in the red chairs at a table right in front not 7 feet from the bikers whizzing by, the motorcycles and team cars driving by, the sponsors and all the hoopla going by in front of us while we ate and drank and made new friends with the Wongs and the Aussie Twins who knew so many of the Aussie bikers - being bikers themselves - who had rented a white camper van and followed the Tour for a week. all by themselves???

Orange Umbrellas

Here we are in Giverny France. I painted this scene on a sunny day with lots of people and lots of umbrellas when with Pat Fiorello in 2008. Painting was 4' by 3' one of the big ones. I loved the orange umbrellas and the blue chairs. It was rainy and cool when John and I visited this past July. this was my favorite place to eat or have a drink in Giverny. We ate across the small street in the restaurant (and had a drink) Spent the day there, taking the train from Paris and bus from Vernon. one of the best days in Paris among many best days.

Hurry Up

Here we are at our first stop. Take the picture and let's get inside. Denise, Jason and John at Chandon in Napa. creek is swollen, it has been raining for days.

CA Chandon Winery

Here we are in Napa with Jason and Denise (other photo) ready to enjoy a day in the wineries even though it is raining, actually because it is raining what better place could we go. Jason and Denise are members so we had a grand time tasting all the different champagnes. and then we are off to the castle at Via Satui up the road

Irene's Thank You

Irene set up this gift table for PaPa as a thank you and some presents (involving golf and massage were included) It was not only swett but a total surprise for him and the chocolates were tasty.

Tired Girl

Laying next to Papa on the couch, not really watching TV, just content to do nothing but absorb body heat

remember??

Potholes in Highlands at full force, spring runoff. exciting just to hear as we stood on the bridge. better days are ahead, carl and dorothea!! love to you

Tody

This is for Mary Hill whose dog Tody has died. Such a good friend to us during this last rather hard year. Sensitive to when we needed a boost. Thanks Mary

Hilton Head

This is a wonderful vacation, Judy gets me the paper, (both of them, USA and Island Packet, makes me coffee and life is wonderful!!! We had a great time, Judy and I in the pool, John Judy and I in the ocean day after day and biking and talking and eating and talking and playing cards and talking.

Vacation Judy??

In beautiful Hilton Head guests of Jonathan and Judy Charneskey, but wait Who's on vacation??

Down the Falls

Up the Falls, Highland NC

Vacation in the Highlands with Carl and Dorothea, everything is looking up. Carl felt good enough to drive and there we are halfway down or Up the FAlls. 130 steps. We went down without counting but up Carl said, let's count the steps. I lost count (after 11 - got distracted) but Carl counted every single one. We are amazing. Dorothea and I slid down the Sliding Rock Falls. Hey, If little kids could do it we can too. wonderful time.

here we are again

In Boston at the Patriot's Stadium where the family from out of town was staying. We had a good time even though the three of us were in one room. It worked out much better than Irene or I expected.

In Boston

Here we are at the hotel, ready to go to Lisa's Syrian Nite before the wedding at her Mom's house in Norwood. Irene looks spectacular.

Retirement doesn't look good to him

This is the last post for a while. he has taken a "job" that takes him out of town for three days on the first day of "our" retirement. (a figment of my imagination) too bad for me, i guess.

give me that ole sunshine

We need the heat, we need the sunshine. when we moved down to GA (john's idea) I told him I never wanted to hear these four words "its too hot here" I never did but this winter IS TOO COLD AND I DON'T CARE IF I AM FROM CHICAGO, IT IS TOO COLD. and too expensive to heat this house. Let there be heat.

Lance and Beth's wedding

What a good time we had. Lance and his Mom Saundra had a solo dance to Dancing Queen. Heisters were there from MD and we had a nice chat and Rebecca said. Let's have the same table as at Tianna's wedding. So we had the Valdivia's with their kids London and Jackson and Christian and Brianna, just like at Tianna's and then Cameron Lehman sat at the table. He is a chef at Union Restaurant and he and John talked shop for a while.

It's been a month

We have gone to Tianna's wedding, which was great here in Roswell. Caught up with Christian and Brianna and this afternoon we will go to Lance and Lauren's. Countdown continues and he has already applied for social security. So does our retirement start with his first check in March? or his last check from Ron in January??

6 blessings highlands

this is the original house on the farm on Buck Road. painting with Dorothea and enjoying the spring in the highlands with our buddies

Hey I am working

I can see he is working hard. Can't beat the commute and the dress code. countdown to feb 1 continues.

highland buddies

this is Papa x 3

fla vacation