Reese laughing

Gabe & Becky shared these videos of their happy children:

Reese Laughing

Reese Laughing 2

A Tuesday visit by Finn and Reese

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

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.

Severe Weather Alert! Blizzard in Richmond!

Okay, "blizzard" may be an exaggeration, but it did snow for several minutes. As proof, here is a photo of our car with actual snow and a video showing the blizzard conditions.

Following the snow flurries, we had leaf showers.

Though chill winds have shivered the leaves
from most of the trees
in this, the South's most northern part,
a few have held tight to their colorful clothes,
have kept wearing most
of the brightness of their hearts.

Monday in Richmond

This is the view from our bedroom at Mike's parents' house. The camera does not do credit to the colors. We saw deer wandering through the woods there yesterday.


Both of Mike's parents are feeling better today, and the proof is that we had our first Skipbo game of the visit. Jackie and I won, of course.



Mike and I went to Aunt Joyce & Uncle Bob's to pick up a shower chair and had a pleasant visit with them. Bob and I resolved the economic woes of the country and discussed the health care system in significant detail.


Joyce wouldn't let us leave without some muffins.

Saturday in Richmond

We've gone to Richmond, VA to help Mike's folks (pictured below). Mac spent a week in the hospital and came home Friday, just as Mike's brother Joe went back to Florida for a few weeks. Joe has been a wonderful help to his parents during this illness (and before, of course), and Mike and I feel grateful to him for all his work and gratified we are in a position to come up here and help out a little while he has a well-earned break at home.

A quiet Monday

It was a quiet day, spent exercising, glazing a few more pieces of pottery at the studio* (we brought home the pieces shown below), and planning for Thanksgiving while we waited for the termite guy to come and look around -- all clear on that.

* Pinckneyville Park Community Recreation Center, part of the parks department of Gwinnett County, recent recipient of the 2008 Gold Medal Award by National Recreation and Park Association.

Sunday afternoon with Finn

Finn came over for a visit this afternoon and we went, as usual, out to the river to throw sticks.

Here are the geese MeMike was pointing out.


We found a picnic table that made a great stick-throwing platform.


And a fine spot for a little contemplation.


And then it was back to the house for a big snack, which Finn demonstrates will make him very strong, before going home.

BenAnnaMax come for a visit

Ben and Anna and Max came for a visit today. We hung out at the house for a while.

Then we went to Thrasher Park in Norcross, where Max saw two trains and played on a variety of playground equipment new to him.

We took a break to eat at Paisano's just across the railroad tracks.


Then it was back to the park for more play before BenAnnaMax packed up and headed home.

A visit with Wahn, Gloria, and Adrian.

Gloria, wife of Ben's business partner Wahn, had an emergency appendectomy yesterday, so we went by today to wish her well. Their son, Adrian, came home from the babysitter's while we were there, but stayed asleep. His recent haircut makes him look much older.



Wahn and Gloria have made their house look great with new landscaping and a paint job.

The view from our office window

Sitting at my computer this morning, I looked out the window and was struck anew at the beauty routinely available to us -- leaves ranging from green to gold to red, the river peeking through the trees, the sky a brilliant blue. In an otherwise still scene, a sudden shower of falling leaves betrays the scamper of a squirrel, fat and sassy already, prepared for a long sleep cradled in a nest of some of those same leaves.

Reese with hair

Gabe sent this photo he caught this evening. Becky is holding Reese while she works in the kitchen, and her ponytail gives a preview of Reese when she has grown hair. With the hair, she is so reminiscent of Gabe as a child.

Thursday, the way retirement is supposed to be

As expected, we slept late -- 6:30, I think. After a leisurely morning, we put the tandem kayak onto the river in the early afternoon.





We shared the river with ducks and turtles.



In this next picture, our house is vaguely visible.


Didn't see it? Look in the crudely drawn circle below.


This is an ideal time of year to be on the river.



So, we had our exercise and inspiration all at once.