Inadvertently, Laurie Killed a Squirrel

Ok, I had THE WORST experience riding my bike back from our riding-bikes-to-school this am. I hit a squirrel! On my bike! I killed it! It was awful. I mean, what are the odds? I went back home, got a piece of cardboard and a fly swatter, and gently moved him from the concrete trail to the forest. (!@#$)

(The above was copied from Laurie's Facebook page.) BE SURE TO CHECK THE 1 COMMENT BELOW.

Laurie and Tim Surprised the Girls with a Trip to Harry Potter World

Laurie and Tim created this letter. The girls thought they were being picked up at school to go to a dentist appointment!  They spent a wonderful 4 days at Harry Potter World in Orlando. Signy's friend, Lacy, invited her to go to there 2 years ago so was able to lead her family to the sites.

Click on this link and watch one excited family.( This sentence!!!) It may take a moment for this to load.

In front of Hogwart Express

This photo reminds us of the place in Sienna where we had lunch with John and Vicki.  Click on the sentence below --
They ordered their breakfast

Laurie, Women's March -- January 20, 2018

So proud we are of our daughter!  Ironically, today the government is shut down plus it has been exactly 1 year since Donald Trump was inaugurated. 

Podcasts

Podcasts are how many people receive the news and learn about interesting people, places and things but the beauty is listening may take place on one's own time.  With my earbud, as not to disturb Oompa, I only listen at night or during the day when resting,  I also have a music library some of which I've purchased through iTunes -- so easy -- so cheap!  I can also import regular CD's.

Enter the name of the podcast on Google to subscribe, and then each episode is downloaded to a computer or other device.  My podcast and music libraries are all in iTunes.  After they are downloaded, my iPod is plugged via USB cable to my computer and synced, synchronized (copied) to my iPod.  PURE MAGIC! And ----- many NPR programs such as This American Life, Radiolab, A1 with Joshua Johnson may be downloaded as podcasts.

30 gb, 80 gb, 160 gb

Lost and Found When Laurie and Family Were Here

After a fun time at Joan and Max's house sledding down their hill, upon returning home Laurie realized the diamond was gone from her engagement ring.  Horrors!  As I went out to search in Little Red Car, I heard from the kitchen "I found it!"  The stone was in one of the back pockets of her jeans -- she realized she must have put her hand in the pocket.  However, it should not have fallen out of its setting so she plans to find a jeweler more talented in working with platinum.    

When Laurie asked Signy what she wanted for her 13th birthday, she said she wanted to have her ears pierced.   Signy lost one of her earrings from a pair of real cute little fish I found at Crossroads.   Handy dandy daddy Tim took apart the trap under the sink, and there it was. 

I didn't get my ears pierced until I was 35.  Hmmmmmm.

Great Photo!

Love this photo of Laurie and family.  Liesl, you are such a cut up!

The Coldest Winter on the Central Illinois Prairie

Back yard of Joan and Max Banks 
Turn up the volume to hear Laurie. Oooops, she dropped her phone!

Back yard of Joan and  Max Banks house. Their steep hill makes
for great sledding.

How wonderful that when Laurie and her family visited, snow was here to enjoy.

The  Jersey Hill gives you a long ride.

We have had temperatures -0 with snow.  The only positive is the grubs will be killed and thus we will have fewer Japanese Beetles.

Our annual Arby's Turkey and Swiss get-together.  Laurie gave
 light--up shoelaces to everyone! 

Despondent about Tom Ashbrook

Here is one of the finest and most brilliant journalists whose podcast On Point out of WBUR from Boston has a world-wide following.  Tom was accused of sexual misconduct as have others such as Harvey Weinstein, Charlie Rose, Mat Lauer, Kevin Spacy, and others.  All but Tom, have had wide media coverage about their allegations. Tom continues to Tweet and is anxious to return to work.   

Tom was the keynote speaker at the 50th year anniversary of WGLT.

Cincinnati and Mimi Avner Strauss

Blind and confined to a wheel chair, Mimi is the most positive ancient woman I've ever met -- love her dearly.  We talk about Pittsburgh and relatives and she remembers all the people and places mentioned and she makes additions to the conversations.  I learned Aunt Sadie's husband had an affair!!!!  Aunt Sadie, my grandma's sister, suffered serious post partum depression and thus lived at Dixmont outside of Pittsburgh. Great being with Mark and Mary Jo. 

On the way home, we stopped at Beef House, the icon of a restaurant on the Indiana/Illinois line which we adore.  They serve these amazing rolls which they distribute frozen in many locations around the State so I picked some up at College Hills Meat Market to take to the UUBN Thanksgiving dinner.  Man, are they delicious.  Looking forward to making them when the girls are here in late December. 

Allen Avner from Champaign, was to come over for Thanksgiving but he developed some health issues so could not make it.  Another beloved Avner.  His wife Elaine passed away last year.  Allen asked us if we would like a crystal vast Hilda and Sammy Swartz presented to them as a wedding present.  It came yesterday!  It is very heavy -- Atlantis crystal is made in Portugal because of the high quality of lead and silica. 

A Musical November

On November 3rd, our 100 voice Civic Chorale performed a beautiful Christmas Concert with unusual arrangements of carols, including 2 movements from the Haydn Creation we performed with full orchestra and Concert Choir in October.  

 When Neal called last year to announce the Seattle Symphony would be doing the Berlioz Requiem, one of favorite pieces, without hesitation we said "We'll be there!"  The Robert Shaw/Atlanta Symphony is the baseline performance but this group was better mostly because the 120 voice chorus was light, fast, and they used dynamics to the fullest.  Two antiphonal brass groups were in the first balcony near the front, one on each side, and two were in the back of the first balcony, one on each corner.  The tenor for the Sanctus, shown on the program cover was beyond words. With the 10 timpani and an extended orchestra, we were almost blown out of our seats.  Never heard so many bravos! We wish Seattle would make a CD!

FYI, the link above takes you to a marvelous site -- The London Symphony with Sir. Colin Davis -- the  4 brass antiphonal choirs in the balcony come through famously. 

De Valkyrie at the Lyric Sunday, November 26th.  Can't get enough of The Ring. Fabulous performance, had me in tears at the end when Wotan kisses Brunhilda's eyes shut and banishes her to a deep sleep high on a rock for 18 years, however  she is protected by a circle of fire.  Poor Daad could not make the trip because of awful flu -- but I was able to do the trip by myself and did just fine!  I called the Lyric and donated his ticket and they will send us a letter in January so we can count it as a charitable contribution.