November 2022

 With the holidays I got a little behind on the blog.  Let me spend today getting caught up!

Thomas and Brennan were home over Thanksgiving and once earlier in the month as well. It's always good to have them home.  And the dogs enjoy it too!

Bailey and Brennan

Remy, Thomas, and Brennan

We had a great time celebrating Thanksgiving with the Borowskis and Towsleys.  Our friendships go back about 30 years, when David and Scott were at Ga. Tech together, and when we were all new in our careers at Cummins.  With 7 kids between us, 3 are out of college, 2 are about to graduate, and 1 is going into the Peace Corps next month.  It's fun to get the gang back together.

We also got to celebrate Ginger!  With a Thanksgiving birthday, she doesn't get to celebrate much so we took her out for an afternoon with the ladies.

I joined my friend Lisa and her mom in West Virginia for an overnight trip to the Blenko glass company in Milton, WV.  We had a great time shopping and catching up. 

We stayed in Huntington, WV and toured Marshall University.  This is the site of the memorial to the football players and staff who perished in a plane crash in the early 1970s.

And here I am with very big hair.  Cindy, Laura, and I dreamed up a Dolly Parton party in honor of her latest album that came out - Diamonds & Rhinestones.

We went overboard on the decorations, the hair, and the FUN.  The evening included a choreographed dance that a bunch of us ladies rehearsed with our choreographer friend Rhonda.  Another fun night with friends.

Cindy, Bonnie, and Laura

 Part of the 12 person dancing crew - Brittany, Bonnie, Cindy, Laura, Karen, and Violet

And we joined the Hacks for Trivia at Luciana's one night.  Our success story was one for the trivia books - we started well behind all the other times and came back to win.  Incredible :)  It doesn't hurt that Gene and Laura are educators.

July 2022

 

July is always a great month, time with friends, enjoying the beautiful weather, and a lighter schedule.

Thomas and Brennan are in classes and working this summer so they are busy but we had a chance to see them a few times.  

Here are some highlights!

Karen and Bob had us over for dinner - a fun night with friends (Laura, Karen, Cindy and spouses not in the photo).  Bob is an amazing chef and Karen decorates for every occasion.  It was a beautiful evening at their home.

Cindy and Eric had us over for their annual fireworks evening.  QMIX puts on a great fireworks show each year and Cindy's and Eric's front yard is great for viewing the show.  This year they had a local ice cream truck come.  So fun!

(David and Greg enjoyed a cone)

My attempt at a healthy option below

Bailey and Remy enjoyed the pre-show and then we took Remy home.  The crowds and fireworks are not his speed.

But Bailey has always loved a good fireworks show!

The boys both came for the holiday weekend.  One of the things we started doing during the pandemic was all cooking a big meal together.  It's a ton of fun.  We made a big 4th of July feast.

Thomas got fancy filling the deviled eggs. 

For Laura's birthday we went to the Brown County Music Center (what a GREAT venue) to see a Queen cover band.  They were actually incredible!  We had a big group go for Mexican and then the concert.  A lovely night in Nashville, IN.

Gene and David with their pints

David and I joined part of David's team for a United Way bowling event.  We clearly need to bowl more - maybe this winter!!
 

Bailey was sleeping on the fireplace tile so I took my phone out to take a photo and he jumped up to pose.  He LOVES having his photo taken and always poses for me.

Thomas came home one evening and I made a big meal.  I also made my mom's walnut pie.  Instead of a typical pie, I made the pie in individual ramekins topped with ice cream instead of whipped cream.  It was so good and was a great memory of my mom.

David and I went to see our community theater put on "The Twelfth Night" (that's Brennan's 1st grade teacher in the lead role!).  We knew several people in the show.  Mill Race Players did a great job and this was the first time I had seen the play.  I had also never read it.  But I did remember that David gave me his senior portrait years and years ago and on the back he wrote a quote that he liked.  I remember looking up that quote and it was from Shakespeare's Twelfth Night so it was great to see this finally! I also found the photo :)

Seeing Willie Nelson in concert has been on my bucket list for years.  It finally happened on Saturday after two cancelled concerts due to COVID.  We went with friends to Riverbend Music Center in Cincinnati (which we loved) to see the Outlaw Concert which is Willie Nelson, ZZ Top, and usually 3 or 4 other bands.  We had an incredible time and Willie was so so good.  I put several video clips of him singing on social media.  At 89 years old, it is incredible just how great he played and how he sounds.  Two of his sons sing and tour with him.  Micah was at this concert and sounds so much like him.  It was a great way to end the month.

Thanks Cindy for the bandana loan!

Me with Ginger and Laura

ZZ Top (they've been a band since the late 1960s!  They were huge when I was in high school).

Willie - looking 89 but sounding like 29!

Hugs to all of you!

May 2022

 We had a fun time at Luciana's for Cinco de Mayo!

Also in May I took Bailey and Remy to Bernheim Forest in Kentucky for a day of hiking and exploring. It's such a cool place to visit!

There is a hike to explore the giants!  They were very cool!

The boys were home for awhile for Mother's Day weekend!

We went to lunch together for Mother's Day and the guys got me some fun gifts.

Our co-ed book club celebrated our 100th book in May!  We discussed "The Silent Patient".  It was a terrific night!

I made a quick trip to Mississippi and got to spend time with my dad and sister Shelly.  

On the way home I saw some interesting landmarks including Tennessee William's birthplace in Columbus, Mississippi.

And famous Sound Studios in Muscle Shoals.

But the guys waiting for me after a long drive home was super special!

Brennan was with us for a couple of weeks in between semesters.  He's now getting ready for summer classes and an internship with Conversight.  We had a great time with Brennan!

Speaking of Brennan, I went with him back to West Lafayette and we Marie Kondo'ed his apartment (at his request).  It looks great and he's ready for a new semester!  2 years to go!

Two great movies in May - the Downton Abbey movie which I loved and Top Gun: Maverick - what a great movie!!

I shared this photo on social media.  It's from June 1986 after our friends saw "Top Gun" the first one.  We had a sleepover at my friend's house.  

And then in 2022 (at dinner wtih my friend Laura and a big group of friends).  We all went to see the latest movie together after dinner and we loved it.  Such a fun night!

Bailey!

Finally, I've had time to go on some walks with friends.  Here are some scenes from Brown County on a beautiful Sunday.

Happy Summer!