Jeanine is Engaged

Our daughter Jeanine is now engaged to Dave Smith, a Prince William County police officer. They are planning a wedding for May 26 here in Virginia. This picture was taken at Jenn and Terry's house on Thanksgiving day. Unfortunately, Dave had to work that day, which is why he was in uniform. And, NO, he is not drinking alcohol in uniform. Our daughter on the other hand is having a glass of Chardonnay. Since Dave loves Jeanine and Barney, we know he is ok. Congratulations you two and best wishes for a long and happy marriage.

One Day Till Christmas--I Think We Are Ready

One Day Till Christmas--I Think We Are Ready

The Carolers are in the window.

The naughty nutcrackers are on the table.

The living room big tree rotates and has a train that runs around the tree.

The army of Christmas bears are guarding the stairs.

The poinsettias are in the kitchen window.

The Christmas cookies are baked.

The German creche is on the kitchen island.

While the blue and white creche is in the dining room.

Christmas Will Be Here Soon!

Christmas Will Be Here Soon!

Newsflash: If Christmas arrives on Christmas Eve that means we have just 8 days to get everything done. Wow! Time sure flies between Thanksgiving and Christmas. Hope all of you are getting your Christmas act together. We are now getting lots of Christmas cards which makes me very happy. And I love that most folks include a photo of themselves or their children or their pets.

Few More Pics Of Thanksgiving

Leukemia Update

Leukemia Update

Last week I did four days of chemo and on Wednesday I went to the Prince William Hospital outpatient center for blood transfusions and for platelet transfusion. To have the transfusions you need to go in the day before to register and have blood drawn for testing.

Now this is where things get interesting and strange. Jack and I arrived at the hospital around 4:00 P.M. last week and discovered at least four Manassas police cars and one canine unit at the front door. When we got out of our car a lady in the parking lot warned us not to go up to the door because there was a confrontation between a group of young Latino men and young African American men. Everyone was yelling and screaming. It sounded like about 25 people yelling but I counted only about 12 people including the police. Well, Jack and I had to get inside to register before closing time so we quietly and quickly circled around this group at the front entrance and went inside. Later when we came outside the young men were all gone but several police officers were still on the scene. Strange, strange, strange! I can see a confrontation taking place between two groups at a bar or a school or even a shopping center but not at the front door of a hospital. We never did find out what was going on, even when we returned on Wednesday.

So I guess this is a mini mystery.

This week I finished up my seven days of chemo on Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday. Yesterday I spent resting on the couch. The chemo kinda wipes out your energy.

Oh No, Another Shooting At VA Tech

Oh No, Another Shooting At VA Tech

Another shooting at VA Tech! Part of the problem is that it is too easy to buy a gun in the state of Virginia. As in some other states it is easier to buy a gun than to vote. Seems to me it should be just the opposite. I also worry that some parents with students in high school will not want to send their kids to Va Tech now even though VA Tech is the college in Virginia to attend if you want to be any kind of engineer or veterinarian.

Yes, It Does Snow In Arizona

Newsflash: Yes, It Does Snow In Arizona

Jack got a message from his sister Barbara that Willcox, AZ right off interstate 10 between NM and Tucson got around six inches of snow this week.

Today Is The 70'th Anniversary Of Pearl Harbor Attack

Today Is The 70'th Anniversary Pearl Harbor Attack

I was able to visit the Pearl Harbor Memorial In 1969 while making my way home from teaching on Okinawa. At that time oil was still oozing to the surface from the sunken USS Missouri. I heard on TV this afternoon that this will be the last gathering of the men who survived the attack that killed over 2000 military folks. There are only about 150 survivors still alive. When Jeanine went to Hawaii last year she shook hands with some of the survivors who were there then. Most of these vets are in their late 80's or early 90's.

Happy Thanksgiving!

Happy Thanksgiving

Hope everyone has a safe journey to their destinations for Thanksgiving on Thursday. Enjoy the weekend away from your jobs. This is the weekend that kicks off the Christmas season, so I eliminated all my regular songs on PLAYLIST and brought up the Christmas songs. I may add more Christmas songs later.

Jack Pulled Up The Yellow Hostas Yesterday

Jack Pulled Up The Yellow Hostas Yesterday

We have had a frost that yellowed our green hostas so Jack pulled up all the yellow hosta leaves yesterday. Don't worry. They will come back up in the spring nice and green. It suddenly is beginning to feel like November with the grey skies and the foggy mornings. Days are getting so short. I admit that that I don't like. I like light. But the days will not gain light until after the winter solstice in late December. By the end of January there should be a little more light at night.

Scenes Of Fells Point In Baltimore, Md

Scenes Of Fells Point In Baltimore, MD

This is where the water taxis bring tourists to Fell Point from the Inner Harbor

The old cobblestone streets are still there.

So are the old street car lines that are no longer used.

A nice looking brick building in Fells Point.

The Menu From Duda's Tavern In Baltimore

The Menu From Duda's Tavern in Baltimore

Eating In Fells Point In Baltimore, MD

Eating In Fells Point In Baltimore, MD

Jack and I spent two days last week in Baltimore, MD. It seems like every time we go go Baltimore we have seafood---crab cakes or oysters. This time we also had them. The oysters were at the Oyster House where Jack had a great oyster soup. We usually have the crab cakes at Phillips Restaurant at the Inner Harbor in Baltimore. The Inner Harbor is where a lot of museums are and it caters to tourists as well as locals. But on this most recent trip we had the crab cakes at the Tremont Hotel where we shared a meal. I think these were the best crab cakes I have ever eaten. All crab, no filler with a just a hint of Old Bay Chesapeake seasoning. Yum,yum!

Now I want to tell you about a restaurant that we discovered on a corner in Fells Point. The place has been in business for over 6o years in the same location. It is called Duda's Tavern and it was founded way back in 1949 by Walter and Pauline Duda to cater to blue color workers. In the 1980's when the Inner Harbor was developed the owners added a small kitchen to the tavern. Well, to make a long story short Jack and I discovered a fall lunch special on the menu that got us very excited. Sausages (brats and other types) served with mild sauerkraut and hot potato salad. Weordered that lunch special and were pleasantly surprised. The sausages were were good, the sauerkraut was good but the star on the plate was the hot potato salad. It was the best hot potato salad that I have ever tasted. Yum, yum!!!

The food at this simple tavern was so good that I had to ask our waitress for a menu to add to my large menu collection. The waitress obliged us and even gave us a golden sticker to add to the top of the menu. The sticker was for the tavern's 60 years of being in business in Fells Point.

Come back tomorrow and I'll show you a photo of my latest collected menu.

What To Do With The Fallen Leaves

What To Do With The Fallen Leaves

Some folks rake them into piles and then put them in plastic bags. Some folks like Jack use the lawnmower to pick them up and place in the trash cans. Our dear neighbor Dickie whose Dragonquilter blog is down below on the right has a fancy dancy device that sucks up the leaves into an attached bag that can be emptied into the trash cans. Dickie notes on her blog that to her the bummer is that not all the leaves fall at the same time. That means you can get the leaves picked up in some fashion one day and by the next day or week your yard is again filled with fallen leaves. For Jack and I the last trees on our property to lose their leaves are our three Bradford pear trees that are just now approaching full fall color. Two of our neighbors who have a certain type of oak tree, which does not lose its leaves until mid spring when the new leaves emerge from the trees. Now for me that is the real bummer. Picking up the leaves in the fall is one thing but doing it in the spring is no fun at all when you are thinking early spring flowers emerging and blooming.

Lazy Sunday/ I Slept In

Lazy Sunday/ I Slept In

Have a good day everyone.

Watch your favorite football team play ball.

Redskins lost again. So what else is new.