Meema Was on NPR Tom Ashbrook's On Point!

My friend April Schultz emailed she heard me on the radio!!  Tom Ashbrook from On Point, a brilliant journalist who is from Bloomington and was featured at a 50 year WGLT celebration. I tweet with Tom.  When we were in line to talk with him at the meet and greet he saw our name badges and knew exactly who I was.  He said "I feel such warmth in your tweets! and then he hugged me.  We talked because I know people he knows and he hugged me total of  3 times.  I was in heaven.

Tom asked people to call an 800 phone number to share unique Xmas stories so I called and shared the time we were snow-bound in Colorado Springs.  Laurie and Neal:  Remember this???? 

And that is what my friend April heard!  Because I subscribe o On Point, Oompa and I were able to hear this.  Oompa wrote the piece but I abbreviated it as I spoke on the phone.

Christmas Eve Morning, 2016, Live Broadcast on 89.9

Kings College Choir, a mix of men boy sopranos!  Every Christmas Eve morning they do a live broadcast.  When Oompa and I saw the choir in the mid-90s, we went nuts with joy.  After the concert we followed the little boys and I shouted to them "You are stars of the planet!"  This minute they are singing a piece our Civic Chorale just performed!!!

Colgate University, Ed's Undergraduate Alma Mater

Colgate to open School of Dentistry.  A riot!  Time Magazine reported this a one of the top 10 April Fools jokes of 2014. I meant to do this post two years ago.  Sorry. 

Deactivated my Facebook Account!

A relief.  Much prefer Twitter and Emails. 

Letter to Pantagraph

Protests are still going on.  How this buffoon was elected is beyond us.  

John Nicholson Is Resting in One of His Eternal Homes

Here are a few pictures from our recent trip to Rochester where we first met at Mt. Hope Cemetery to inter half of John's remains.  Oompa and Meema were joined by Miriam Derivan to sing Spirit of Life, a favorite UU hymn, in 3 part harmony plus a beautiful Methodist hymn called Hymn of Promise.  

John wanted some of his remains scattered with his ancestors in Great Paxton, England and thus Vicki with Susan and Jon Seigel, Megan and Brian with their children made this trip and then toured parts of the UK to include staying in a fabulous home in Wales Vicki found.  Vicki finds excellent vacation homes for large groups. 

Megan with Evie, and Morgan -- 2 of the most adorable 6 years olds in the world.

Food!

Listening to "Her Way" by Malcolm Gladwell -- soooo funny.  (Oompa's idea!)

Elevator goes down to the lake.  Off limits for us, tho.

Back of "mansion" on Lake Canandaigua

Ginkgo Report

Also on my Facebook page.  When we had to 'till under the prairie garden, precious Daad suggested we plant two new ginkgos.  'Autumn Gold' is the most popular. 

One of the 'Autumn Gold'

The other 'Autumn Gold'

The 'Saratoga', an unusual cultivar planted around 2002

Hines Nicholson Trip to Tuscany, May 2008

Here are a few pics of our tremendous trip to Tuscany, Casa Pavone rented for  2 weeks, May 10 -  24 in 2008.  Exceptional villa with Tuscan charm.  We toured in the Volvo, ate mid day meal wherever -- no plans, just went at our leisure to surrounding hill towns.  Had short trip to Florence where Vicki bought this wonderful leather coat she wears to this day.  Vicki and John knew Italy well because for years they hosted an AFS student from Sardina, Enrico.  Vicki and I cooked to our hearts content!  Limoncello! Then a few days at the end in Rome -- Trevi, the Spanish Steps, and a marvelous hotel I found in a Rick Steves book.  

An daily outing for lunch

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The four of us

John making espresso

The Cubs Won the World Series!!!!!!!

It's been 70 years since the Chicago Cubs won the World Series.  They played against the Cleveland Indians with the Cubs and Indians each winning 3 games so they had to play a 7th game.  They won the 7th game by one run with a final score of 8-7.  Everyone is going nuts! 

We went to bed before the end of the game so you can imagine our first question of the day!  

Celebrating our 50th Anniversary in Glacier National Park

Our gift to ourselves was to have Laurie and Neal and their families together in a place we adore, the Many Glacier Hotel in Glacier National Park on its eastern edge, a place we visited in 1997. Carla arranged for a photographer to come take some pictures.