Mike & Ron Johnson

Reese and the pumpkins

2010-10-15T16:46:00.000-04:00

New Mini-blog

2010-10-10T18:27:00.002-04:00

Because I've been so far behind in posting here,I set up a new blog primarily for iPhone pix:
Ron and Mike and all

Grand Birthdays

2010-09-07T09:12:00.001-04:00

From June 15 to August 15, all four of our grandchildren have birthdays. With birthdays come parties.

Parker Rose started the season.

In one of her first modeling turns for print media, Parker Rose is featured on the invitation to her first birthday party.

PR watches as the guests pour in.

As the house fills, Nana provides the security only a grandmother can.

Parker Rose's dad, Nate, chats with her great-grandmother, Grammer.

Pleased with the selection of gifts, Parker Rose leads a round of applause.

Finnley came next, hosting a party at Jump Zone, an indoor "Party Play Center."

Finnley flew down the slides.

Finnley appears to pause for a rare contemplative moment in the midst of hilarity.

Finnley, his cousins Cole and Max, and schoolmates and neighbors gather for a photo op.

Back home, opening gifts, Finnley enjoys a birthday card.

With MeMike looking on fondly, Finnley explains the significance of this particular Ben 10 figure.

Just over a month later, Reese continued the party season with her own party at Jump Zone.

Reese stops running and bouncing for a second to watch partygoers arrive.

The jumping stops again long enough to get a group photo of Reese and her sweaty brother and neighbors and friends.

Things turned serious at the party when the pizza appeared.

MeMike enjoys helping Reese with a package while Reese enjoys MeMike and Reese's daddy enjoys watching her enjoyment.

This is what a Happy Birthday looks like.

Max finished out the season with his pirate-themed party in Athens.

Notorious pirate Captain Maxwell Arden Johnson welcomes party guests.

Max moved through an impressive pile of gifts with a little technical help from his mommy and clerical assistance from MeMike.

During a lull in the happy pandemonium, Max's mommy, Anna, chats with celebrity guest David St. James, best man at MeMike and Pops' wedding almost 42 years ago, now better known for his recurring role as Mr. Howard on iCarly.

Max's dad watches as Max's mom mediates a disagreement involving toys.

A happy pirate captain prepares to devour his ship.

Finnley's Baseball 2010

2010-08-25T12:10:00.001-04:00

Finnley played baseball this year at Newtown Park in Alpharetta. The coaches pitched to the batters and most of the players had a parent with them when they took the field.

Here is Finnley showing his form as a hitter -- a solid double this time.

Gabe (first base coach) congratulates Finnley on a single.

A determined look on his face, Finnley heads home from third base.

Finnley rears back for a throw from center field.

This view of filial appreciation was too good to resist.

Finnley gets his trophy at the end of the season.

The team and the coaches.

A Picnic with Parker Rose

2010-07-16T17:45:00.002-04:00

On a lovely Friday afternoon, we went to Smyrna and whisked PR away for a picnic in the park near her home. She entertained us with athletic performances and with discourse in what appears to be a new language.

First, though, a snack.

Parker Rose and MeMike play quietly for a while.

Toys are examined.

Then the sport begins ....

In the course of adventuring, PR examines Pops's iPhone as he uses it to record her.

Slightly fatigued from the adventuring, PR looks for her future in the crystal ball.

Back at the house, it appears all the exercise has left PR famished.

Grammer's new apartment

2010-05-28T08:56:00.000-04:00

Here are some pictures from my phone of Grammer's new apartment.

Here is the entertainment section of the living room. To the right, out of frame, is a door out to the patio, and farther to the right, inexplicably omitted from this photo shoot, is a couch with end tables and lamps.

This is the view from the living room -- the sunflowers came with the place.

The dining room.

Entrance hallway; entrance on left.

One side of the kitchen.

The other side of the kitchen.

The bedroom.

The bathroom.

The bedroom patio.

View from the bedroom patio.

2010-04-20T16:42:00.004-04:00

Family Picnic 4/17/10
It's not so easy for all the Johnsons to get together, with busy lives our norm, but it's always fun! We met Saturday after Finn's soccer game and had a Pizza Picnic complete with a river view and playground entertainment. It was such a treat for MeMike and Pops to have all four grandkids with us at once!!! Their parents are fun to hang with, too.

2010-04-20T16:07:00.000-04:00

Finn's Soccer & Reese's Gymnastics

2010-04-20T14:58:00.014-04:00

Richmond Visit

{Mike is trying her hand at adding some copy and photos. Here goes!}

At the beginning of April Ron and I visited Mema and Papa in Richmond. We met Bannon, Darrick, Olivia, Brooks, and Zach & Amanda for dinner our first night there.

Before church on Easter Sunday we posed with a vase of beautiful flowers sent by Uncle Gordon to honor Mema & Papa's 63rd wedding anniversary.

For lunch we joined Aunt Joyce and Uncle Bob and my cousins Bobby, Donny, and Chris, with his fiancee Karen, for an Easter feast shared on a beautiful, warm, back-porch-kind-of-day.

We rounded out the fun with a ladies brunch, timed for my visit, with cousins Joan, Patsy, Jackie and, Joyce. What a treat!

Our whole visit was delightful and we also found time for photo albums, computer lessons, a hair

appointment, too many delicious meals and about 40 games of Skipbo. Thanks for your hospitality, Mom and Dad.

Catching Up -- a long string of the last month's pix.

2010-03-25T13:36:00.003-04:00

Mike and I went with Finn's class to a nature center on a cold day in February.

Reese at Fernbank on 2/27

Finn and Reese and Mike on our way out of Fernbank.

Princess Reese at Thrasher Park in Norcross on 3/6.

Memorial Park in Athens has a section called Bear Hollow with, what else, bears. And other creatures. We went there with Max and Ben and Anna on 3/13.

Here, Mike gets photographic assistance from Max.

Almost 5 years of marriage behind them and they still hold hands.

Max got a little tired between the animals and the playground.

Max just looking sweet.

Hanging around on the playground which was thoughtfully decorated for the day

with Max's color scheme.

More hanging.

On the way back from Athens, we stopped to see Wahn and Gloria and Adrian and Kaitlen, shown here with Mike.

The next day, we travelled to Smyrna to see Parker Rose and her parents.

PRose was far and away the most stylish child in the park where we went for a walk.

Nate's comprehensive recordation of Parker Rose's life (see their blog) has taught her to be cooperative with photographers.

Back home, PR tries to figure out how the stuffed animal swallowed a flashlight.

Beth restrains Parker Rose from rushing to join us as we leave.

On 3/16, we took Finnley to his swimming lesson.

Reese looking at her MeMike while Finn swims.

Finally, Finn is stylish at poolside in his madras shorts and dark goggles (just in case fans recognize him).

Parker Rose on a Sunday afternoon

2010-02-23T10:59:00.003-05:00

We went to Smyrna to spend some time with Parker Rose and her parents and marvel at their beautiful new home. After lunch, we took PR for a walk in the wonderful park that is only a couple of hundred yards from their house.

Max at a park

2010-02-23T10:55:00.003-05:00

On a beautiful February Saturday, after a yummy breakfast at Cafe Marigold, we went to a park in Winterville with Max and his parents.

Finnley and Reese recently

2010-02-23T10:48:00.001-05:00

Okay, I've been a bit slow on the blogging, so here are pix of Finnley and Reese over recent weeks.

Snow Days

2010-02-23T10:01:00.000-05:00

A rare snow event for Atlanta, 3 inches!

Saturday with Finn and Reese

2010-01-25T10:54:00.001-05:00

We picked Finn and Reese up Saturday morning for a trip to the Aquarium, but first we watched Finn and Reese take a drive in the cul-de-sac in the Jeep Finn got for Christmas.

The only camera with us was my iPhone, and the light was low at the Aquarium, so I got shots like this.

The alligators were better lighted, though

There is something menacing about their eyes.

Back at our house, Reese needed a bit of cuddling after a long nap

St. George Island 2010

2010-01-20T19:44:00.004-05:00

As we have for about 15 years, we went to St. George Island, Florida for the MLK weekend. This time, because four of the five couples are retired, we added on a couple of days.

Saturday started, and stayed, rainy and windy, an inside day to be sure.

But the rain ended and dawn returned in glory.

Our Dinner Group/Big Chill friends gathered for the obligatory annual group shot. From left, Len and Nancy Nowak, Elena and Dave Rigg, Kathy and Jim Frost, Ann and Josh Langston, and us.

Another group shot.

Keeping a red-rimmed eye on the creatures sharing their beach, these gulls enjoy the sunny day.

Martini Time, the last house on the beach before the state park.

A Sanderling in winter plumage (see Audubon Society Field Guide to North American Birds, Eastern Region, 1977, pp. 365-66), scurrying along the beach.

The Black Skimmer (Rynchops niger) is "unique among birds in having lower mandible much longer (about one-third) that the upper." The name "Skimmer" derives from a fishing technique in which they fly with the lower mandible cutting through the water. Id., pp. 340-41.

Ann and Mike deep in discussion.

We gathered on the beach to play Kubb, a game introduced to us by the Langstons, which they alleged to be an old Vikings game, though no actual blood was shed, which seems out of keeping with any self-respecting Viking game. Josh demonstrates proper form. The baton he has just thrown is intended to knock down one of the pieces of wood lined up on the other end of the court, like the ones at his feet.

A kind passer-by took this shot of the eight of us who were playing, catching me on my approach to the line to throw the baton.

End of day. looking from the deck outside our room toward the sunset.

Four-Generation Gathering, Jan. 2, '10

2010-01-16T15:37:00.001-05:00

After Christmas, when Mike's folks were released from their snowbound home, we had one final holiday celebration with all our kids and their families and our parents. Here are some of the pictures, in no particular order, with many more on our flickr page.

Christmas Eve

2009-12-25T15:43:00.002-05:00

Our big celebration of the holidays was at our house on Christmas Eve. Our kids and grandchildren came in the late morning to open some presents and snack a bit, and we were joined for a few more presents and lunch by Wahn and Gloria and their children, Adrian and Kaitlen. The festivities were enlivened with a video conference with Mema and Papa, still snowed-in in Richmond. Here are a few of the pictures we took -- 110 or so more are on my flickr page, along with a couple of videos.

The Johnsons, merry.

Gabe and Rebecca and Finnley and Reese

Nate and Beth and Parker Rose

Ben and Anna and Max

Gloria and Kaitlen (one month old)

Wahn and Adrian

Reese and Finnley

Max

Parker Rose and Reese

Finnley

Reese and Adrian

Thanksgiving Weekend 2009

2009-11-29T19:40:00.004-05:00

Fourteen adults, four children, lots of food, and a beautiful autumn day. Almost all our children (see exception noted below), all our grandchildren, and guests from all our daughters-in-law's families gathered with us to celebrate the many things for which we are thankful.

Dapper in his cap, Max leads his mother into the celebration, a porter following with bags.

The older children (from left, Max, Reese, Finnley) gathered in the playroom to play with new toys and a whole bag of Goldfish.

The cap.

Beth holds a sleeping Parker Rose while Beth's sister Laurel and her husband Doug and his father Jim and his wife Sheryl and Doug's brother Matt mingle with Johnsons.

Reese entertained her mother Becky and her cousin Parker Rose, eliciting peals of laughter by running back and forth.

Anna's mother Maggie and I see to the gravy.

We stretched over three tables, one the first instance of a children's table where

Finnley, Reese, Max, and MeMike ate. The plate with the apple was set for the one missing guest.

Here is part of the spread. Everyone brought great food.

Seeing the older cousins running and playing together was a thrill for us

and the source of high volume sound for all.

Finnley helped with the photography chores, assisted here by Maggie who kept herself level with the camera even though the windows did not.

Maggie and MeMike took their grandsons for a nature walk down by the river.

Becky brought her cousin Lisa who is in town to finish preparing her mother's home for sale.

The exception to full family attendance at dinner on Thanksgiving Day was Nate. We saw him Friday at the hospital where he spent Thanksgiving Day (plus a day before and a couple more after) being treated for an infection stemming from a dog bite he got Tuesday trying to rescue a dog he saw in traffic. Read his account of it (and see lots of pictures of Parker Rose) on his blog.

Saturday we had Finnley and Reese with us while their parents helped Cousin Lisa with her work preparing her mother's home for sale.

In the afternoon, we went to the new playground at Berkeley Lake's City Hall.

And Finnley finished the afternoon snuggled on the couch with MeMike, drifting off to sleep.

Kaitlen Raymer is born

2009-11-27T16:08:00.000-05:00

Kaitlen Raymer, daughter of Wahn Raymer (Ben's business partner)
and his wife Gloria, was born Tuesday, November 24, weighing 7 lb., 15 oz.

A visit with Parker Rose and Finnley and Reese at the Aquarium

2009-11-20T16:58:00.001-05:00

We hung out at PR's house for a while, then took her for a walk in the park.

We took Finnley and Reese to the Aquarium.

After the Aquarium, fun at our neighborhood's playground.

Finnley & Reese at play

2009-11-08T18:48:00.003-05:00

Here are pictures from the last couple weekends, 10/31 & 11/7, and as usual, more are on flickr.

Reese

Finnley

On the porch with MeMike last weekend

Finnley's [#3] Highlight Reel 11/7/09

(a work in progess)

After the game, the playground at Mt. Pisgah School

Later, Finnley gets a haircut while Reese naps

After the nap, a trip to Thrasher Park in Norcross

Recent Pottery

2009-11-08T18:01:00.005-05:00

We fired a load of stoneware with ^6 glazes Friday and unloaded it Saturday evening. The firing was good overall, though the bottom of the kiln did not get hot enough and one piece needs refiring. Another piece did not survive trying to separate a top and bottom stuck together with glaze. Here are four of the better pieces from this load. They and the rest are on our flickr page with an explanation of the glazing.

A Grand Weekend

2009-10-26T10:40:00.003-04:00

Over the course of Friday through Sunday, we saw all the grandchildren.

We started Friday with a midday visit to Nate & Beth & Parker Rose.

Saturday, we attended Finnley's soccer game with Gabe & Becky & Reese.

Sunday morning, we drove to Athens and visited with BenAnnaMax.

At the cabin with Stan and Cathy

2009-10-21T18:56:00.002-04:00

We went to Morganton, GA Saturday to spend the day and night with our friends Stan Kreimer and Cathy Clements, as we have done for the past three years. We were joined this year by Harry Housen and Mary Jim Evans, friends of Stan and Cathy and now of us, as well. After the traditional stop at Mercier's Orchard, we headed up to the cabin, "up" being the operative word for the last mile or so of the drive, culminating in a very steep climb to the ridgeline where the cabin is located. We sat around watching Georgia have its way with Vanderbilt, punctuating the game with a brisk walk at half-time. After working our way through a host of junk foods, we enjoyed a dinner of chili and talk, and talk, and talk. We hung around Sunday morning talking some more and enjoying the view, hiked a while, then finished the visit with more chili. Here are a few pictures.

Early light.

Stan

Cathy

The view in front of the house.

Mike, Ron, Mary Jim, Harry, Cathy, Stan

Another view from the ridgeline

iPhone video of Reese

2009-10-14T14:50:00.002-04:00

Photographing pottery

2009-10-14T13:20:00.001-04:00

I used a photo-cube to take these pictures of some pottery I have made. The color is a little off, but the pieces are shown without anything to distract from them.

No, it's not spousal abuse, honest.

2009-10-11T12:25:00.000-04:00

And I didn't run into a door, either. But I had a little oral surgery Friday afternoon that showed up as a small bruise Saturday afternoon and a somewhat larger one this morning.

Finnley and Reese at Fernbank

2009-10-11T12:20:00.001-04:00

We picked up Finnley and Reese Saturday morning and headed to Fernbank Museum for an outing. We all had a great time and stayed longer than we thought the kids would last -- they were troopers throughout.

Finnley and a friend in front of the museum.

Finnley and MeMike experiment with mixing the colors of shadows.

Finnley enjoyed the many hands-on science exhibits.

Reese liked the hands-on part, too.

Who is contemplating whom?

Enjoying the mirrored doors on one of many elevator rides.

It's clear that Reese is signing, "More," but more what is not so clear.

Reese in model mode.

Back at our house, Finnley continued the science theme.

Reese continued to pose.

Norcross Art Fest

2009-10-04T20:30:00.001-04:00

We picked up Finnley and Reese for a trip to the park. As it happened, the Norcross Art Fest was under way at Thrasher Park.

Finnley gathered his courage for a photo op with Clifford the Big Red Dog.

Mike and Finnley took a ride on a small train.

Finnley got hungry and we stopped for a corndog.

Reese watched the corndog for a while, then admired the sand bottle Finnley made for his mother.

Back to the playground, Finnley found one slide to be a hair-raising experience.

And Reese's big eyes took it all in.

Then we came back to our house for just a few minutes for Finnley to work with clay.

Ardrian's birthday party

2009-10-03T22:22:00.000-04:00

After soccer and some more cooking, we headed to Lawrenceville for Adrian's second birthday party. The birthday boy was in fine fettle

and so was Max.

With a fresh haircut from his mother, Adrian was handsome as ever.

Max had a great time with both his parents.

Adrian's Thomas the Train cake was a hit with him and his parents.

Finn Soccer 10/3/09

2009-10-03T21:43:00.000-04:00

It was quite a family day and started with helping Nate load a bathtub into his truck. Hope he got it home safely.

Then it was off to Finn's soccer game. It's fun to see another generation of kids with shirts and socks too long chasing a soccer ball down the field. Finn seems to do best with breakaways, where his speed lets him get to the goal.

On the sidelines, I chatted with Gabe and Reese.

After scoring a couple of goals, and running off the field each time to high-five his mom, Finnley seemed satisfied with the way the game was going.

Later the going got a little rough.

But in the end, oblivious of the score, which is not kept, both teams ran triumphantly through a tunnel made of all their parents.

We visit Parker Rose and her parents.

2009-10-02T11:06:00.000-04:00

We went to Smyrna yesterday to hang out for a while with Parker Rose and Nate and Beth. Parker Rose changes so quickly. She is no longer the tiny infant her parents brought home. She has beautifully plump cheeks and she smiles a lot and it lights up her face. This is not baseless grandparental bragging.

We got to keep her for a short time while her parents worked on house-building chores, and Mike gave her a bottle.

Watching Nate and Beth and Parker Rose interact as a family was a true delight. Nate and Beth's obvious joy in Parker Rose and the quickness and high intensity of the smiles she gives them brightened our day.

We also got a tour of the house they are building next door but inexplicably failed to take a single picture of it. However, Nate and Beth have been providing great photographic coverage of the process on their blog.

Arachnid dining

2009-10-02T07:00:00.000-04:00

Mike brought my attention yesterday to a large spider web with a large spider just outside the office window.

Dinner was being prepared: big bug wrapped in silk, still wiggling.

Today, the spider was still there, but not so much of the dinner.

And as I post this, the spider is sitting alone in the center of the web, looking in the window ... looking at me.

Signs of the flood

2009-09-30T15:30:00.000-04:00

We missed the rain and the floods, but there is some evidence remaining. Finn and I walked along the river today and I showed him where some trees fell into the river and created a new "island" of mud.

Farther along the riverbank, we found a picnic table that used to be on level ground but was washed up against a tree by the flood waters.

We found some interestingly etched plant leaves and Finnley repeatedly checked the consistency of the soil, finding the dry dirt of an anthill especially fascinating.

Home again

2009-09-29T12:35:00.001-04:00

You may have noticed the previous post was Thursday. Not much happened Friday, just some shopping - we got three tablecloths for the various sizes of our table with and without leaves inserted - and a terrific dinner at La Gondola, an Italian restaurant. During the day, Mike and I packed and hit the beach a couple of times.

Saturday was dedicated to coming home - after a last lunch overlooking the water at Turtle Pier,

we began the long slog through the air transportation system -- tickets and security and queuing up to get on the plane and sitting across the aisle from each other and in close proximity to strangers for several hours and passport control and baggage claim and customs and security and more queuing and more strangers (this time, 10 rows from each other) and a train ride and baggage claim and a shuttle ride and a drive home. That's why we've been giving ourselves plenty of goof-off time since then.

It's good to be home.

Thursday

2009-09-25T06:46:00.000-04:00

This was a slow day, the slowest yet. With no group plan, Mike and I drifted. We went to the beach for a while, then went back to the Kangaroo Court for lunch. We split a salad with goat cheese and (here's a sign we're close to ready to go home) a bacon cheeseburger. We hit an ATM and wandered through a couple of shops and swarms of cruise-ship tourists on our way back to the hotel for a nap. This was the first day we saw a cruise ship anchored docked here.

After another short visit to the beach, we gathered for dinner and went to Taloula Mango's for dinner. My BBQ pork quesadilla was okay, but Mike's chicken in curry sauce with Creole rice was delicious. Everyone seems tired because we all went to our rooms after dinner instead of gathering in ours for card games. The week is winding down.

Wednesday

2009-09-23T18:15:00.002-04:00

The adventure for today was to visit the market in Marigot, the capital of the French side, St. Martin. In the course of the day, we completely circumnavigated the island counterclockwise.

The market, located on the waterfront of Marigot Bay under the watchful presence of an old fort, was a collection of colorful stalls with a lot of bright clothes and many tourist trinkets. I got a cap and a couple of t-shirts and Mike got a bracelet, and we bought a few other small items.

After the shopping was done, we went to the Tropicana Restaurant where a delightful French waitress entertained us while serving some of the best food we've had on a trip marked by great meals. I had red snapper with a banana crust with a curry sauce, accompanied with garlic sauteed potatoes while Mike had a pork tenderloin special with a sage crust and a brown sauce, with which we enjoyed a half-bottle of a wine from Provence. There was, of course, a basket of french bread we used to clean our plates, thereby avoiding the embarrassment of licking them clean.

Finishing our circuit of the island, we rested in our room for a while, then went for a swim in the Caribbean Sea's beautiful clear water. Now we're getting ready to go back to the Green House for Happy Hour again.

Tuesday

2009-09-22T18:49:00.000-04:00

We headed to the French side today, to Grand Case to embark on the Seaworld Explorer. The boat headed off to a reef where we all went below to look through windows set below the water line.

After the boat ride, we repaired to the nearby La California restaurant.

The food was so good and so plentiful that we are foregoing dinner tonight in favor of snacks and games and, of course, wine.

Monday

2009-09-22T08:39:00.002-04:00

Monday was quiet, too. We spent the morning shopping in the tourist area near our hotel. Mostly looking, we found a few things to buy, then met for lunch at the Kangaroo Court near the historic Courthouse in Philipsburg.

After lunch, we all wandered at various speeds back to our hotel for a restful afternoon before setting out for dinner at the Greenhouse, recommended by a friendly jeweler as a place locals like. It was at the waterfront and we arrived just in time for happy hour, 2 for 1 drinks. The food was really good, too.

Since we are the Game Group, we gathered in our room after dinner (after a rowdy elevator ride) to learn a new card game called "The Big D." Mike and I started out at the bottom, but I slowly gained speed and got into first place until the very end when Mike roared past me to win. Where's the surprise there?

Sunday

2009-09-21T09:58:00.000-04:00

Sunday was quiet, with most businesses shuttered. After breakfast and the grocery store visit, we just hung around for the afternoon. As dark fell, quickly as it does in the tropics, we took off for a sightseeing drive and dinner. Turning randomly up a hillside, we ended up in a residential area called Guana Bay. The houses were arrayed up the hills overlooking a lovely bay. Most of the houses featured a tall wall, which provided some privacy at street level, but not that much because the steepness of the terrain provided sightline over the walls, so we concluded the walls were for security. As we left Guana Bay, we stopped to enjoy the view down toward town.

Then we entered the heavy traffic headed toward the airport to have dinner at Turtle Pier.

Our table was at the end of the pier with the water two feet away and a light breeze kept us cool, but never cold. After a round of tropical drinks, we enjoyed a delicious meal. Mike and I shared my red snapper in a coconut sauce and her ginger beef. The six of us sat and swapped stories and laughed for hours before undertaking the slightly harrowing drive back over the hill to the resort.

Today we are going out for shopping lunch locally.

St. Maarten -- getting there, an early morning walk, and breakfast.

2009-09-20T14:00:00.000-04:00

Leaving home at 4:20 am gave us plenty of time to make our 7 am flight on Spirit Airlines.

One of the other couples on the trip, Phil and Len, were on the same flight. Because Spirit is a low-fare airline and we read a lot of negative reviews, we were relieved that the flight was quite pleasant -- even the two-hour layover in Ft. Lauderdale was bearable. The only fly in the ointment was an "ugly American" type on the flight, an intoxicated loud-mouthed redneck retired truck driver who talked the entire time of the flight -- both legs -- about whatever came into his mind. He had a companion who looked like him but was, thankfully, quiet.

But then we got to St. Maarten and relaxed in a restaurant in the airport waiting for Tom & Bonnie, the couple who arranged for our stay at the Sea Palace Resort.

Of course, having arrived in the tropics, we had to have tropical drinks.

Our timing was exquisite because as we sat there in air conditioned comfort, a storm came in with heavy rain and wind.

We rented a van and drove to the Sea Palace. Ours is a fifth floor room with a view of the bay and of the town and the Salt Pond.

Across the alley, we saw a young local girl eating lunch.

Dinner last night was in the Pink Pearl restaurant right here in the Sea Palace. And who should show up but our loud-mouthed friend from the plane. Turns out he is staying here, too, and has been drinking and talking loudly since he got here.

Everyone was ready to turn in after dinner. Mike and I found the Georgia game and watched and dozed through it - 93 points? Shame on both defenses. At least Georgia won.

We got up early and after I scouted about fruitlessly for coffee, we took a long walk, finally getting a cup of coffee at McDonald's.

And who should walk in but the quiet partner of the loudmouth? Are we being stalked?

But the walk was fun and visually interesting.

We met the other two couples and went to breakfast at Chesterfields, about two-thirds of the way around the bay from our resort.

After breakfast, we took the van through town to a large supermarket and stocked up on breakfast food and necessities such as coffee and wine Now we're having a bite of lunch in the Pink Pearl and uploading pictures and trying to get this blog updated. Maybe we'll hit the beach, then. Or nap. It's vacation time.

Finn & Reese at Thrasher Park 9/12/09

2009-09-12T16:31:00.003-04:00

Finn and Reese visited today and, before lunch and swimming, we went to Thrasher Park. Because Reese went to sleep on the drive to the park, she and Mike stayed in the car for a while while Finn and I played. When Reese woke up and she and Mike joined us, Finn said he needed some MeMike time and that I should play with Reese for a while.

More pictures from today are in a set on my flickr page.

Parker Rose comes to visit

2009-09-03T19:54:00.006-04:00

Parker Rose came by around noon today to stay with us a while so her mother could do some errands on this side of town. Mostly, she slept, and with wonderful grace. Here are three of the best pictures I took of her today.

"Power to the babies!"

Monday with Max and his parents

2009-09-01T12:07:00.001-04:00

We went to Athens Monday to visit BenAnnaMax. He was in fine form and we played outside for a while - he took each of us on a walk through neighbors' backyards - and then inside with building blocks. We went to lunch in Watkinsville and then looked through the pottery sale at the Perspective show there. The pictures below show Max running, watching a spider, having a quiet moment, splashing in a puddle, and hiding from MeMike.

Sunday with Finn & Reese

2009-09-01T10:45:00.002-04:00

Finn and Reese came over for a visit Sunday. Below, you see brother and sister playing in the office, Finn demonstrating his artistic side with a paintbrush, Reese showing off her new front teeth, and a pensive moment for each, with Finn watching the thunderstorm that nixed the scheduled pool trip and Reese opening wide her beautiful blue eyes.

Safely back to Richmond

2009-08-26T16:33:00.001-04:00

No pix for the last day of travel. We had a pleasant drive from Winchester, WV to Richmond in a mere 8.5 hours with a nice long stop for lunch near Lexinginton, VA at Country Cookin, whose fare can be deduced from the name. Now we are back in Richmond, ready for a relaxed day tomorrow: SkipBo, a little shopping, and some Bill's Barbeque. We'll head home on Friday.

Nostalgia, then eastward, ho.

2009-08-25T22:22:00.009-04:00

We spent a few hours this morning in Carterville doing a nostalgia thing. After an ineffective attempt to find Papa's parents' grave, we went to City Hall and got directions. While we were in downtown Carterville, between the two traffic signals, we went into the library to see the plaque there with Anna K.'s name. Back to the graveyard, we found the graves with little difficulty and Mema put some fresh flowers in the urn there. Other than a failed effort to find picture postcards of Carterville (the drug store had some a few years ago, but they were all gone), we were finished with Papa's hometown and headed for the interstate. Eastern Illinois and Indiana slid past with maddening sameness until we stopped to enjoy lunch at the Oak Inn in the middle of nowhere, Indiana. We sped through Louisville, KY and Lexington, then stopped in Winchester, KY for the night at a Best Western where our station wagon was the smallest vehicle to be seen -- all the others were trucks with winches and other machinery mounted on them. Dinner at Applebee's followed and preceded SkipBo and the consumption of a wine from Illinois I bought this morning in Carterville at Kindling, which offered food, spirits, and flowers. Tomorrow we head toward Richmond, maybe one long day's drive, maybe two shorter days. No hurry.

Photos, from bottom: At the Carterville Public Library; Papa with a plaque denoting a contribution Gordon made in memory of his wife Anna K., Papa's sister; detail of the plaque; at the grave of Clyde and Marie McCluskey, Papa's parents; the grave; the veteran's marker for Clyde.

Carterville, Papa's hometown

2009-08-24T22:52:00.005-04:00

We left Chicago early this morning, braving rush-hour traffic through construction and tolls. Once we cleared the city traffic, we stopped for breakfast at JN Michael's, the kind of place where an order for two eggs brings a huge plate with four eggs. We left full enough to skip lunch. After another five hours of driving through flat eastern Illinois farmscapes, we arrived at Carterville and drove directly to Papa's homeplace. Sitting on the front porch was the owner of the house, Helen Stutsman, nee Morgan, a delightfully spry 96-year-old. When Papa went to the house and identified himself, Helen welcomed him and called for the rest of us to come up. She regaled us with tales of the neighborhood, then called her younger sister, Ethel, to join the chat. Ethel walked down the street from her house and contributed her own take on the neighborhood some 70 years ago. Helen's daughter Phyllis generously offered to take us through the house and Papa and Mike immediately recognized many features of the house. From the homeplace, we went to see Sue Talley, nee McCluskey, Papa's first cousin, for another round of catching up on who is where. A discussion of the family established that Papa is the oldest living member of the McCluskeys, with Sue running a close second. From Sue's, we headed to the Hampton Inn in Marion and checked in before going just down the street to 17th Street Bar and Grill for great barbeque. I had ribs and they were as good as any I've every had. Everyone else had a gigantic pulled-pork sandwich, also very good. Mema and I had a St. Louis beer, Schafly Dry-Hopped American Pale Ale, very yummy. Finally, it was back to the hotel for a couple of games of SkipBo, which Mema and I won.

Photos, from bottom: Papa at his childhood home; Helen Morgan Stutsman regales Mema and Papa with stories of old Carterville; Helen makes a point; Helen, Ethel, and Phyllis; Mema and Papa with Sue McCluskey Talley; Mema and I winning another SkipBo game.

Still more family, this time in Oshkosh, b'gosh.

2009-08-23T22:40:00.015-04:00

We headed for Wisconsin this morning, caravanning with Jack and Ila, to see Uncle Gordon and his family. Uncle Gordon is Papa's brother-in-law, widower of Papa's sister Anna. We drove almost three hours through dairy country, with a few wind-farms dotting the landscape, arms rotating slowly, an enticement to any latter-day Don Quixotes cruising the interstate. After skirting Milwaukee, we arrived at Gordon's and were greeted by him and by his daughters Dauna and Melinda and Melinda's husband, Kirby, who had driven 6 hours from central Illinois for the occasion, and his daughter Dianna and her husband, Rodney. Gordon's son Brian arrived from Madison a little later and Dianna's son, Sam, made an appearance shortly before we all went to dinner at Kodiak Jack's. But first, we sat around chatting, renewing acquaintances and getting to know folks. Mike had only seen most of her cousins here once before, more than 40 years ago, and I had only met Brian twice before and Dianna once, both at the beach. At dinner, Mike and I got to know Dauna and Melinda and Kirby better and enjoyed some banter with Gordon. Bellies full once again, we headed back to Buffalo Grove, driving through downtown Milwaukee, right past Miller Stadium and, at a greater distance, the Port of Milwaukee and Lake Michigan. Now we're safe back at the Wyndham, preparing for tomorrow's drive to Carterville, Papa's hometown.

Photos, bottom to top: A wind-farm beside the interstate; Gordon; Melinda, Kirby, and Jack; Mema, Papa, and Gordon; Dianna and Rodney, with Dauna behind them; Mema and Brian; Mike and Gordon; at Kodiak Jack's, on the left, Sam, Brian, Gordon, Melinda, Kirby, and Dauna, and on the right, Rodney, Dianna, Papa, Mema, and me.

More Family -- cousins once and twice removed

2009-08-22T21:55:00.008-04:00

After the big breakfast, we went back to Jack and Ila's for a while. They live in a lovely condo overlooking a golf course. Leaving Mema and Papa to chat, Mike and I went back to the hotel. Rhonda came over to have some girl-talk with Mike and I went back to Jack & Ila's. Mellysa (Jack & Ila's daughter Pam's younger daughter) and her husband, Mike, arrived with their two kids: Jack, almost 4, and Cassie, 18 months. Shortly thereafter, Mellysa's older sister Carly and her husband, Brian, arrived with her gang of 4 kids: Joey, 10; Nichole, 8; Sarah, 6; and Andrew, 4. After a period of cheerful chaos, we feasted on authentic Chicago pizza. OMG!!!! It was from Lou Malnati's, which ships pizza on dry ice nationwide, and was incredibly good, both the thin crust and the deep dish. The young people eventually left and us oldsters sat around for a while, then trundled back to the hotel. Tomorrow we are off to Oshkosh to visit with Gordon and his family.

Photos, from bottom to top: Ila and Rhonda pose with us and Mema and Papa; Mike's artistic shot of the mirrored ceiling of the elevator leading to Jack and Ila's penthouse condo; Mema watches me explain Papa's Kindle to Jack; Ila and Papa chat; Jack slices pizza, closely watched by Cassie, held by her father, Mike; Nichole and Cassie play.

Buffalo Grove - Uncle Jack & Aunt Ila; Rhonda & Brandon

2009-08-22T13:45:00.005-04:00

We arrived here yesterday afternoon following a drive through Indiana that was pleasant and interesting (saw some enormous wind farms being developed) until we got to Gary, where the driving turned nightmarish and remained so through Chicago. Driving the interstate through downtown Atlanta does not prepare one for this crowded metropolitan roadscape. After checking into the Wyndham Gardens Hotel, we went to Jack and Ila's condo where Rhonda and Brandon joined us, then to dinner at Yen-Yen where we had the best hot and sour soup we've ever experienced. This morning we met for an enormous breakfast and will gather with Carly and Mellysa and their families for pizza this afternoon. Food continues to provide essential punctuation to this journey.

Entering Middle America

2009-08-20T21:40:00.003-04:00

Following the valley of the Kanawha River, we left West Virginia and went to Ohio. With just a stop for lunch and some quick outlet mall shopping, we headed into Indiana, but only barely. We stopped for the night in Richmond, IN. The high points of the evening were dinner at Applebee's and playing Skipbo on a table jammed into the largest space in the room, just outside the bathroom.

Chicago trip -- on the banks of the Kanawha

2009-08-19T20:32:00.005-04:00

After a pleasant drive from Richmond to Charleston, WV, talking and listening to Garrison Keeler, we settled into the Budget Host Inn and had dinner at the adjacent Riverside Anchor. Several games of SkipBo were fit in, of course. Ain't we got fun?

Finn & Reese visit 8/9/09

2009-08-09T19:56:00.004-04:00

Finn and Reese came over for a visit that included the snack pictured here, a trip to the pool, a trip to a park, lunch at a Mexican restaurant, and another trip to the pool for Finn and me while Mike and Reese played at home.

Hambidge Anagama opening August 8, 2009to

2009-08-09T19:21:00.005-04:00

I went back to Hambidge Art Center in Rabun Gap, this time accompanied by Mike, to get the pottery I put in there a week earlier. Of the 15 pieces I had in the kiln, 4 are satisfactory. The other 11 all have problems involving either a poor fit between clay and glaze (2 pieces) or a failure of the glazes to mature, most likely due to placement at the back of the kiln where the temperature only got to ^8 instead of the desired ^10. Those nine pieces might be improved by another firing. There were some beautiful pieces of pottery in that kiln. The process of emptying the kiln involved passing the pieces hand to hand, which was a great opportunity to see the work close up. Here are a few pictures and there are many more on my flickr page. Photo credit Mike Johnson.

Parker Rose's visit

2009-08-07T07:26:00.008-04:00

Beth brought Parker Rose over Tuesday for a visit. While Beth was away, we got to hold and feed Parker Rose and just sit and look at her. There are a few more pix on our flickr page.

Hambidge Anagama firing 7/31/09

2009-08-02T12:25:00.008-04:00

I went to Hambidge Art Center in Rabun Gap, GA Friday morning to participate in firing a large wood-fired kiln. We glazed the bisque ware we had all brought and then put balls of clay on the bottoms to prevent them from sticking to the kiln shelves. Then the organizers of the firing loaded the work into the kiln. The doorway was then bricked up and the cracks sealed with clay. A propane burner was set to blow into the kiln for several hours to dry everything, then we started adding wood. We all had to do two four-hour shifts stoking the kiln. I did my first shift from 8 pm to midnight Friday, which was lucky because they were late enough getting started with the propane that the first shift had nothing to do but sit around and drink. But after sleeping 3.5 hours in the back of my station wagon, I had to get up and work a real four-hour shift. We carried wood by the armful from a huge pile to the kiln, then fed it into the kiln every 5 to 7 minutes for the whole four hours. That was real work. When I got off at 8 am, I drove home and spent a couple of hour working in the basement, carrying boxes and pushing them around on a hand-truck. Why was I surprised to be sore this morning?

Next Saturday I will go back there for the kiln opening and hope that all 15 of the pieces I had there survived and look good. That day will be a work-day, too, since the kiln shelves all have to be ground clean and the ashes dealt with, but I'm hoping it will prove to be worth the effort.

Here are a few of the pictures from this adventure. The rest can be seen at my Flickr page.

Pix & video from Reese's first birthday party

2009-07-25T18:04:00.000-04:00

Finn & Reese yesterday

2009-07-20T12:47:00.002-04:00

Reese's first popsicle

2009-06-16T19:11:00.003-04:00

Parker Rose is here!

2009-06-16T11:31:00.003-04:00

Our fourth grandchild and second granddaughter was born yesterday. More to come. Be sure to check Nate's blog for the best pix.

Finn and Memike

2009-06-01T20:55:00.001-04:00

Finn teaches Memike how to play a game based on the movie "Cars."

Max and Reese

2009-06-01T20:40:00.001-04:00

The youngest of the bunch play amidst the chaos.

Max @ OIB

2009-06-01T17:13:00.001-04:00

More nature with Finn and hanging with Reese

2009-05-21T13:07:00.004-04:00

Finn and Reese came over for a while Thursday morning. Here Reese does her kewpie doll impression.

Finn and I came across a little snake in the woods. A very little snake.

And Reese "enjoyed" a lunch of grated cheese, blueberries, and goldfish.

A short walk for Reese; a wildlife encounter; and dinner with the Raymers

2009-05-18T13:51:00.007-04:00

Reese and Finn came over for a while yesterday to play.

Here is Reese dressed in school picture finery.

Here is a short walk by Reese, really short.

We headed out for a nature walk. Well, as natural as the sidewalk on the other side of the street can be.

Wildlife was roaming the neighborhood.

We stopped for a closer look. Reese held onto Finnley's hair, apparently to enhance her balance.

In the evening, we went to the Raymers' home for dinner with Wahn, Gloria, and Adrian.

At 19 1/2 months, he is active, mobile, and precious

Gloria looked glamorous with her newly short hair and a lovely little baby bump.

On a rainy Saturday afternoon.

2009-05-16T14:51:00.003-04:00

Mike and I are home doing homely things, purporting to get ready for the beach in two weeks. The morning was more fun with a trip to Finnley's soccer game. He has come a long way in this season, playing much of the game.

Here Finn fends off a defender as he drives for the goal.

Note the intense focus on the ball.
Rebecca enjoys Reese's enjoyment of her brother's game.
Finn breaks past the defense and heads for goal again.
And he scores!

Thursday -- more pottery.

2009-05-15T08:25:00.004-04:00

As our current pottery class draws to a finish, we are concentrating on glazing for a few days. Here Mike sprays glaze onto a vessel she threw and carved.

This teapot has had a yellow glaze sprayed on it. I first brushed a green glaze on the handle and feet and the handle of the lid, then covered them with wax to repel the sprayed glaze.

Pottery class today

2009-05-13T15:46:00.007-04:00

Here is Mike outside the studio sanding a piece in preparation for it being fired the first time. The sanding needs to be done outdoors, and the sander needs to wear a mask, because the very fine clay dust is hazardous to lungs.

Here is a piece with the glaze on it, waiting to be fired. This piece was thrown as a bowl, then altered to have corners. It was dipped in one glaze, then had a pattern painted on in wax, then was sprayed with a second glaze which was wiped off the wax.

This bowl was carved after it was partially dry. It was sprayed with a single glaze. At this point, every piece we glaze is a test piece and we are anxious to see the results of our experiments.

Our last assignment in this class was to create a set of something with four parts. I made two teacups and saucers in a flower design to match a teapot I made that is made like a gourd.

This shelf of work is waiting for glazing. The orange stuff is a wax which keeps the glaze off the bottom of the pots. Any glaze that is on the bottom or that runs down the piece onto the shelf of the kiln will attach the pot to the shelf -- bad for the pot, bad for the shelf. In the center is the teapot that goes with the two cups and saucers. Although they are presently different colors, they are made with the same clay and the cups and saucers will be as white as the teapot after their first firing.

After pottery class, we came home for baked chicken, pesto couscous, and a salad, eaten at the table on the porch.

The centerpiece of our lunch table was this set of wooden fruit which long graced the McCluskey's dining room table.

A picture of Finn and of pottery in progress

2009-05-11T16:59:00.003-04:00

After his soccer game Saturday, we took Finn to the park for a while.

Here is Mike today at the community center studio where we take classes. She is working on one of a set of four plates.

And this object, the purpose of which has yet to be determined, is ready for a final smoothing before its first firing.

Max at work

2009-05-11T09:43:00.002-04:00

Here is Max, apparently working with a spreadsheet.

photo credit: Ben

2009-05-03T12:01:00.002-04:00

All pretense of maintaining a chronological record of eventual archeological importance is hereby abandoned in favor of hit and miss ramblings.

Here is Reese on the little bench on our porch one day this past week.

GOAAALLLLLLLLL!!!!!

2009-05-02T17:18:00.003-04:00

Finnley at his soccer game this morning.

Reese laughing

2008-11-29T18:52:00.006-05:00

Gabe & Becky shared these videos of their happy children:

Reese Laughing

Reese Laughing 2

A Tuesday visit by Finn and Reese

2008-11-25T23:59:00.002-05:00

Home safely from Richmond and into the Thanksgiving preparations, we entertained Finn and Reese for a while today.

Finn took Pops for a walk in the woods along the river.

Mostly, the kids played inside with one of us while the other of us moved the Thanksgiving prep along in small steps.

Reese just hung out looking sweet.

Finn made himself at home in bright pajamas and entertained himself and his grandparents.

Saturday, last day of this visit

2008-11-22T17:18:00.004-05:00

Mike's brother, Joe, was in Richmond for a few days and we got a chance to visit with him. I'm thinking I might try that hairdo. Looks easy to care for.

We also got a chance to see Cousin Donny today. He came over for a visit, then went to lunch with Mike and me. He's got that easy-care hair thing going, too.

Mike's folks are doing well and we are feeling okay about going home tomorrow.