News From The Nest

The Day After

I want to thank everyone who commented and emailed me regarding George.  You just don't know how much your caring thoughts mean to me.  Today was tough.  I miss him terribly.  I called the fellow today who found George in the ditch and brought him to the house.  I wanted to thank him for his kindness.  He didn't have to stop and find me but he did.  Most people probably wouldn't have.  Certainly, the person who hit George didn't.  How do you not know you've hit a 15 lb. solid white cat.  I hit a squirrel the other day and I knew that.  

I was beginning to think something might have happened to Gracie, too.  I thought I remembered seeing her for breakfast on Monday but hadn't seen her since.  She showed up tonight and got a hug and a scolding.  

Tonight, she and Earl Gray are in the garage with the outside door shut.  They hate it!  They love going outside at night.  But, I don't feel like letting them tonight.  I'll let them out again tomorrow morning and just hope Gracie will be OK.  

Earl Gray - I can hardly get him to leave the garage!  He spends all day in his bed curled up right inside

 the garage door where he can see all the outside goings-on.  He's gotten to be a little butter ball - even more than he was.  If I walk around the yard, he will follow me.  If I go where he can't see me, he meows until I meow back or call his name.  As soon as he can see me, he's fine.  He's always done this - too cute!  Spoiled kitty.

By the way, I called the county engineer today re: them blocking off the entrance to the vet.  I told him that it was just like blocking the emergency entrance to a hospital.  He said the state will not allow them to put an access there while they're doing construction.  He said there were signs that leg the way to the vet center.  I certainly didn't see any.  Believe me, I will go back and look.  I also have a call into his boss.

I went to meet the fellow about the flooring late this afternoon.  He's going to replace the carpet downstairs (in two rooms) with hardwood and replace the carpet upstairs and on the stairs with new carpet.  I much prefer hardwood all over the house but replacing the carpet is cheaper and I thought that keeping it in the office and bedrooms upstairs might help with noise level.

I also met with the woman who is going to come out Thursday to discuss window treatments.  She had the most beautiful fabric!!!! 

You can see all my choices above - two carpet samples and lots of different fabrics.

I can't decide between the two carpet samples - they're very similar. 

The two chairs in the living room / den will be upholstered in the fabric shown above at the lower left.  The additional fabrics will be used in other rooms - pillows, window treatments, dining room chair cushions (maybe), bedspread, etc.  I LOVE them!  

My paint colors are in these fabrics - I plan to paint the upstairs bedrooms in shades of olive / sage green and terra cotta.  The bedroom downstairs will probably also be in a shade of green.  The office upstairs is already gold and I can live with that.  Not sure yet about the bathrooms up and down.  The main part of the house - kitchen, breakfast room, living room / den, and dining room, the hallway, the upstairs hallway, and the library - all flow into one another.  I'm thinking a shade of tan - not a pinky tan but a brown / gold tone tan.  Might decide to paint the library another color - not sure yet.

Let me know what you think!  

George - You Were Only Two - 2007-2009

This afternoon, I was working upstairs - trying to catch up on reports on the computer.  The doorbell

 rang.  I went downstairs and a fellow asked me if I had a white cat with a red collar.  I told him I did.  He said he had him in the back of his truck - looked like he was hurt badly.

I ran and grabbed my pocketbook, a bedsheet, and the pet carrier and met him outside.  

It was George.  The young man saw him in the ditch along the road in front of our house and said he just couldn't leave him.  One look at his eyes and I knew he was in shock.  We wrapped him in the sheet and he helped me slide him in the carrier.  I got his name and number and thanked him profusely and headed off to the vet.

I had spotted a veterinary center on Highway 73 just past Waynesville and had planned to take George and Gracie there in October for there annual check-up.  So, I headed there.  

I got to the veterinary center and the road had been closed by the construction people.  Mind you, the vet office is RIGHT ON Highway 73.  I should have just pulled over on the side of the road or driven over the curb like I saw some people had done.  Instead, I called out to someone exiting the office and asked how 

to get in the parking lot.  She gave me directions that would take me around to come up on the back side of the office through some country roads.  [I made sure I got the number of the road engineer before leaving the office.  He will definitely be hearing from me.]

Well, I came all unglued.  I took off to follow her directions and couldn't find the road.  Stopped two people.  The first one didn't have any pets and didn't know how to get to the center.  The second one, told me to follow her and led me straight there.  

The vet was wonderful.  They took George back and I asked them to x-ray him even though the vet said the prognosis wasn't good.  He was probably hit sometime overnight or early morning.  

A fracture that severed his spinal cord.

I asked the vet to put him to sleep.  He said that would be his recommendation.

He and his assistant were so kind.  So very kind. 

I stayed with George while he went to sleep.

I brought him home and buried him in the backyard.  

I will so miss his antics.  How he loved to get inside things - baskets, bags, pots, boxes, etc.  How he would scare me to death by how high he would climb in the trees to catch a bird.  The way he just loved to be brushed and rubbed -- like it was the best feeling on earth.  

Never once did I have to take you to the vet for a fight or because you were hurt or sick.  You were only 2 years old.

Why oh why, with this big yard did you have to go to the road?  

I will miss you so much.  So very much.

My friend.

Why Are Weekends So Short?

Why are weekends so short?  They seem to be over so much quicker than two week days.  

I had a visitor outside my office window as I got the forms for work off the floor and into folders yesterday.  

After Andy got home from work Saturday night, we drove to Yellow Springs to the Young's Golden Jersey Inn and ate supper.  Dinner was delicious!  They start you off with cinnamon applesauce, cole slaw, and sweet potato bread.  For dessert, I couldn't resist a scoop of Cow Patty ice cream -- chocolate ice cream with chocolate and toffee pieces.  Very good!  

This is where A Wool Gathering was held last weekend.  The place was hopping!  We went walking after dinner and saw the petting zoo with pigs, sheep, goats, a calf, and ducks.  There were pumpkins of all sizes for sale everywhere.  Udders and Putters was doing a booming business with both courses pretty well full of miniature golfers.  The Dairy Store was very busy with people sitting inside and out.  They make their own ice cream and their own waffle cones. The aroma was divine!  

There was more unpacking this weekend.  Andy is working 7 days a week so that leaves just me to unpack, haul stuff up and down the

 stairs, move furniture, etc.  I need some heavy-duty muscle around here to help do all this stuff. 

By 5:00 PM Sunday, I was tired of doing stuff around here so I headed into town.  I wanted to go to The Secret Garden in Waynesville.  I keep driving by it with no time to stop.  I had to get gas in the car for tomorrow so it seemed like a good time.

What an interesting place!  There was stuff to see in every direction.  Windchimes made out of old door locks, cold-frames made using old windows, fountains, lots of metal and cement 

garden accents.  Then, there was the little shop, called The Bird House, with candles, birdseed and feeders, etc.  Friday through Sunday, you can grab a snack in The Bird Seed Cafe and take it out and enjoy it as you walk through the grounds.  Heck! You can even get married here!  Check out the Chapel in the Woods.

On the way home, I drove down the main street of Waynesville.

Isn't this store front decorated nicely?  I love the Fall season!  Love the colors.

I hope you all have a great and FAST week so we can hurry up and get to another weekend!  

I leave you with what's got to be one of the best signs I've ever seen.  

Later!

A Busy Week

This has been a very busy work week.  Again, I think we picked the perfect location to live here in Ohio.

I've had work appointments in Cincinnati four out of the past five days and travel time there was about 30-40 minutes depending on what part of the city, traffic, and road construction.  I've also hit Mason, Hamilton, Dayton, Miamisburg, and Beavercreek this week. Thank goodness, next week will be a little more relaxed giving me time to catch up a bit.

I have been knitting a little.  The back of the Katia baby cardigan is almost finished.  I just love these colors.  I didn't get to go to a Knit Night last week - got home late and was just pooped! 

We have a wonderful storage area under the porches of the house.  It's a very narrow concrete space with rough particle board shelves three high on one side.  Andy 

cleaned them with Clorox to kill any mildew and then painted them with enamel pain to seal them. Wednesday night we filled them with coolers, ice cream freezer, holiday decorations, camping equipment, etc. - things that we don't use often.  That area is just wonderful to have!!!

Now, for the rest of the basement.  Remember in this move, we not only moved a house full of stuff but also my two-story studio with my rug hooking, watercolor, knitting, spinning, and soap-making paraphernelia.  This house has a full unfinished basement.  Great basement but very depressing as a workspace - just concrete walls, pipes, etc.  We do intend to finish this within time.  So, in the meantime, I want to just try to group my stuff in areas - an area for each hobby.  I really need to get things out of boxes because I can't find anything and I NEED my stuff.  Also, as I'm opening boxes, I'm finding some damaged items due to the way the movers packed stuff - i.e. two of my finished watercolor paintings that were waiting to be framed.

We purchased / ordered furniture last night.  This is the first furniture I've ever bought and I'm very excited!!  We lived for twenty-five years with hand-me-down old furniture in need of repair, refinishing, and/or reupholstering.  I was waiting to fix the furniture when we got walls and paint.  But, walls and paint never came.  In our 1790 house, the old stuff, once refurbished, would have looked great.  In this 2003 house, it just looks old.  I'm using as many pieces as I can - we have some nice antique tables - incorporating the old with the new.  All old doesn't look good but the mix of old and new will look great.    

For the den/living room, we ordered a leather sofa with two ottomans, two upholstered chairs, and an entertainment center.  For the breakfast room - a dinette table and chairs.  And, for the room upstairs with the huge beautiful window, two reclining swivel chairs.  That's where I'll be every time it snows!  I'll be sitting there knitting or reading, sipping hot tea, and watching the flakes come down!  

I'm totally in love with the fabric for the chairs in the den and want to do some simple window treatment with it, too.  Maybe a simple valence and then some type of blinds / shades.  I'm thinking about using it at the windows in the dining room and the kitchen, too.  This house is so open - the rooms kind of flow into on another so using the fabric elsewhere would tie them together.

The den has very large windows and is very bright.  Here is a picture of the fabric and the upholstered chair we chose.  This photo makes the fabric look kind of dull -- it is not at all and is just gorgeous with its golds, cranberry, and teal green.  There is also a hint of orange in between the squares.  Next, the floors need attacking - replace the carpet downstairs with hardwood to match the rest of the flooring and replace the carpet upstairs with clean new carpet.  Finally, a new kitchen counter-top.  Now, it is cobalt blue with stark white cabinets.  I'm planning on painting the hall, den, dining room, kitchen, and breakfast room a tan color.  A counter-top that has flecks of white and tan and maybe a bit of olive green would be perfect to tie everything together and would just look beautiful.  Painting will come last and we'll do that gradually.  Then, the transition will be complete!  

I attended a watercolor class with Trish McKinney last Thursday night.  It was fun!  Lots of nice people in the class and Trish is great. I sketched out my painting but had to order paint and brushes - can't find half my art stuff.  (Got to get the basement unpacked!)  She wants us to bring finished paintings to class next Thursday so I need to get busy. I may or may not show it to you --- depends on what it looks like when done!  Very different for me - a mass of hydrangeas and other flowers on brick steps.  

It has been a very overcast and rainy week here.  One afternoon, the kitties and I walked down to check on the pond.  George hasn't changed a bit --- he immediately started

checking out everything and then relaxed on the dock.  He is one chill cat!  Earl and Gracie weren't far behind us but they preferred to check out the weeds and tall grasses.  

I don't know if you can see it well, but there is a bird's nest hidden in the cat tails. Wonder what kind of bird built there??

Hope everyone has a great weekend.  Maybe this rainy period is Ohio's way of transitioning to cooler Fall-like weather.  I hope so!

Grandma's Gardens

This afternoon, I stopped by  Grandma's Gardens.  Located on State Route 48, the address is Waynesville.

 I have driven by a lot but have never had time to stop.

The place is adorable!  It was decked out from front to back with Halloween and autumn decorations.  

I'm not sure who does their decorations but they are very creative.  There were pumpkin people situated throughout 

the center.  

There was a pumpkin bride holding her groom.  

In another area, there was a pumpkin family sitting around a fire toasting marshmallows. 

Still another couple was enjoying cups of coffee.  

Then, there was a lazy pumpkin bumkin sleeping in the hammock.  

ll were just too cute!

I heard them tell a mother with a little boy about an upcoming weekend for children.  There will be train rides and pumpkin 

decorating.  Snacks will be available, too.

There was even a fenced area with goats in it. Stuff to do and see every which way I looked!

Grandma's Gardens also has a fellow who is a pond expert.  We need to talk with him about maintaining ours.  The cat tails are

 kind of taking over.  I don't want to totally get rid of them but the pond is very overgrown and definitely needs some attention.

Wouldn't it be nice to clean the banks of the pond and plant a clump of birch trees or a willow tree on the bank?  I've always liked birch trees.  

We haven't planned anything as far as what and where to plant stuff in the yard.  We just know that we don't really like what's here now.  They don't look very healthy - especially the maple trees.  The neighbor told us that the previous owner just went out and bought some stuff and planted it just so there would be something here.  All the garden centers are having great sales now on trees, pottery, fountains, etc.  I wish we knew

 what we wanted to do so we could take advantage of the sales.  Oh well.  They'll have them on sale again.  

Look at this window box.  There were displays of shutters attached to a window box overflowing with plants and flowers.  Some of them had a watering can attached somehow at the top right corner of the shutter.  The 

watering can was fixed to the shutter at an angled like it is tipping over to water the flowers in the window box.

This black cat made an appearance as I was photographing the stacks of pumpkins and gourds.  Very appropriate for the season.

And, talking about lazy bumkins!  Earl spends most of his days in

 the garage in his bed.  Here, he is giving me the "evil eye" for disturbing him.

Lastly, I leave you with another fabulous view.  I've mentioned that we live near Caesar Creek State Park.  We have basically two routes out to the highway. Driving this way, you look down on the Caesar Creek Gorge to one side and the lake to the other.  This is a picture of the gorge.  It's 

very pretty - lots of hiking trails, picnic areas, etc.  

Enjoy!

Art, Fiber Fun, And Civil War

(Please note that the photos in this post aren't necessarily next to the text that refers to them.)

In my September 13th post, I mentioned a lady who lives in Waynesville and

takes watercolor classes that Wilma, at the Chamber of Commerce gave my name to.  Well, I've talked with Johnnie several times over the last week and we both think it's a hoot that her nephew-in-law is the minister at my parents' church in Danville, VA.  Anyway, Johnnie has made it her mission to try to find a watercolor class for me and also to inform me where the art galleries are in the area.  She told me about 

Town & Country Fine Arts in the Kettering area of Dayton and I visited it Thursday. I saw where Trish McKinney had classes starting September 24th. She had a large amount of work on display in the gallery and the person the desk said she would actually be

there for a reception the next night starting at 5:30 PM.

Friday, I decided I would go to the gallery and meet Trish. I had a little extra time before it started so slipped into Fox Cottage - a rug hooking shop in the Centerville area of Dayton.  I was so glad to see this shop still open.  When I visited in June, Sue Ellen had talked about closing the shop and moving to North Carolina.  There were several rug hookers there and they seem like a great group of ladies.  This will be a fun group to be a part of.  I still had some time so ran upstairs to Yarn & Needle knitting shop. Marcia was very busy with a group of ladies bustling about asking lots of questions.  

Finally, it was time to go to the gallery.  I headed to Kettering.  Trish and Rosie (another artist at the

gallery) had taken a group to Italy this year and the reception was to present

a new trip planned for 2010 to Greece.  It sounds wonderful!!!  Touring, art classes, etc. in Venice and Greece.  WOW!  They showed sketchbooks and memory books full of photos and momentos of the trip.  Trish seemed like a lot of fun and I liked her work.  I signed up for her watercolor class starting this coming Thursday. Hope I can find my art stuff packed away somewhere downstairs before then!

Saturday was a beautiful day here in Ohio.  I headed to A Wool Gathering at Young's Jersey Dairy between Yellow Springs and Springfield.  

The route I drove took me through Xenia.  There was a big to-do going on there -- craft vendor tents

all over the place and it looked there was going to be a parade through downtown.  I had to detour around the center of town but was able to glimpse the very pretty grandstand / gazebo and park where the festival was set up.   

I arrived a little after 10:00 AM and the show was in full swing.  Driving time was about 40 minutes from home - quicker by a long shot than I could get to any event in Virginia.  There were

Jersey cows grazing in the fields, pumpkins everywhere, a miniature golf course by the name of Udders and Putters, and The Golden Jersey Inn. At Young's Dairy, there was clearly something for everyone to enjoy.  Check out their Cowlendar of Events to plan your visit soon!

I headed for the animal tent first and took a few pictures.  There were llama, Angora goats and rabbits, alpaca, and sheep - Shetland, Jacob, and Tunis.

Then, it was off to the two long tents of vendors and some booths outside.  I headed into the first tent and met Alice Strebel right off the bat!  I have ordered supplies for my rug hooking shop for years from Alice, formerly of Kindred Spirits.  It was GREAT meeting her and  

finding out that she lives in the area.

There was a terrific booth - Creative Impressions In Clay - that sold wonderfully funky clay buttons, beads, and accessories (scissor holders, ornaments, glasses holders, etc.).  You can read Tari's blog here. 

Three Bags Full booth had two felted busts modeling handknit hats that were just great.  She doesn't have a web site but is located in Conover, Ohio.

Pam, from Sunflower Fibers, was there with the tri-looms her husband makes.  They will be moving to Raeford, NC soon so she'll have to check out Southeastern Animal Fiber Fair next year.

Catalynje Buffalo Fiber Co., of White Pigeon, Michigan, had the largest e-spinner I've ever seen.  The

Buffie uses Ashford jumbo bobbins and can easily spin 8 oz. of fiber per bobbin.  A very reasonable price makes me want to add it to my collection.

The Black Sheep, from Sardinia, OH, had a booth full of great fiber.  I purchased a bag of Lincoln Longwool in a very pretty gray.  She had packaged the wool in a plaid drawstring cloth bag and attached a sample of the wool spun into yarn and also a 2" x 2" woven sample of the yarn.  Very nice.

Of course, all the guilds were represented.  Dayton Knitting Guild (which I joined), the Central Ohio Weavers Guild, the Upper Valley Fiber Guild, and the Weavers Guild of Miami Valley.  There doesn't seem to be

a spinning guild here.  I think the spinners kind of operate within the weaving guilds.

I loved watching the border collie herding the ducks.  Boy, he was great!  One determined and focused pup.  One of his goals was to get them all over the bridge.  Another was to corral them into a little pen.  He had a moment of pause though, when he neared someone sitting on the ground eating and got a whiff of those homemade potato chips!  His handler quickly redirected his attention.

There was so much for children of all ages to do - a batting cage, a giant slide, pumpkins galore which several parents

were using for the background for photo ops, and this great little "train" ride for the little ones.

To complete the day was lunch - a cheeseburger, homemade potato chips, and Young's Dairy ice cream. Yummy!

On the way back home, I stopped in Yellow Springs, OH.  What a neat town!  There were lots of cute shops and galleries, ribs and BBQ being cooked in booths along the street, and people walking everywhere.  There was also a gal sitting on a bench playing a harp.  Very cool.  Gotta get back there soon! 

Imagine my delight when I spied THIS!  The top edge of this bench in Yellow Springs covered in knitting!  Check out this site for details.

Late yesterday afternoon, Andy and I went over to the Pioneer Village to see the Civil War encampment.  It was after hours so the re-enactors were relaxing and some had even started cooking their dinner over open fires.  We were told that there were more Confederates participating this weekend than Yankees.  I felt right at home!

The village is very interesting and we enjoyed peeping into the buildings.  The village sponsors lots of activities throughout the year.  It will be fun to pop over to check out what's going on during the different weekends.  Upcoming

events are the following:  a fall festival, a trick or treat night, a fall gathering, and a candlelight tour in December.

Today is cloudy with a drizzle of rain.  A great day to unpack some boxes and catch up on some work.

Hope you enjoy this post and my tales of life in Ohio.  Please visit the links so you can fully enjoy the offerings of my corner of the world.

I leave you with the most gorgeous site.  I passed this HUGE

field of sunflowers on my way back home yesterday.  The photo doesn't begin to do it justice.  One fellow was appreciating it through painting it in oil.  I enjoyed watching and photographing him.  I emailed him the

pictures and hope he likes them.

Pioneer Village Cemetery

Right across from our house is the Pioneer Village Cemetery.  (Click here to read about the history of the village and its buildings.)  After getting the mail out of the box today, I walked over to investigate.  There is a Pioneer Village just down the road.  The village will be the site of a Civil War Encampment this weekend.  Both the cemetery and the village are part of Caesar Creek State Park.  

The cemetery is neatly mown with The cemetery is neatly mown with the tombstones arranged all in a row.  It was very hard to read most of the inscriptions - weather, moss, or some of each and more.   The earliest date I was able to make out was 1855.  Some of the tombstones were rising out of the ground and sat at slightly tipped angles.  There were some that had broken off at the ground level. 

Wonder if there will be ghosties at Halloween?

In this picture to the left, you can see our house in the distance. 

Here, to the right, is a picture of it as I was walking back up the driveway.  

Still so many boxes to unpack.  I'm quickly running out of room to put everything.  I placed six big boxes, an oscillating fan, a large mirror, etc. out on the front porch tonight for pick-up in the morning. The Vietnam Veterans have a pick-up service for donations. This is just wonderful!  I left them a note thanking them and telling them that we'd be calling them again very soon!  

Now, back to work on putting together a second load!

New Things

I have placed two birdbaths and two sunflower seed feeders in the yard so far.  Need to get something up to hold the suet feeder.  We don't have any trees in the yard - they're all along the border - so will have to use shepherd's hooks until we can get a bird feeding center made and set up. 

I was thrilled over the weekend when I had my first customer at one of the birdfeeders.  A female goldfinch.  Later, hubby joined her. 

That was pretty much it --- until today.  Today, there were birds everywhere!  And, it must have been Dirty Bird Day because they were perching in line at the birdbaths!  I looked out one time and counted six sparrows just floating and splashing.  They kind of looked like ducks just floating in the water.  See all the water they splashed out on the sidewalk??  They were really having fun! 

AND, there was a bluebird taking a bath, too!!!  One birdbath got too crowded so he went to the other one.  I thought he had flown away but I was able to get his picture.  See him perched on the left side?  He was a welcome sight!  I'm already planning where to place the bluebird houses for next spring.  I figure we have plenty of room for three or even four.

I haven't knit in weeks.  Not since the packing and unpacking started.  Tonight, I struck out for Waynesville to the weaving shop I spotted Sunday afternoon. 

The shop is Katherine's Web and can be found on South Main Street in Waynesville.  Kathie opened the shop three years ago and offers yarns, weaving, spinning, and knitting supplies.  It was packed with interesting things to see.  Check out the wonderful display of hats.  What's holding the shelves up?  Upside down flower vases.  Very clever! 

There were six of us there tonight - two of us knitting, two working on triangular looms making shoulder shawls, one winding a warp, and another finishing a woven blanket.  Lots of fun to be amongst fiber people.

I worked on hiding the yarn tails on the cabled baby blanket.  I also finished knitting the third Mason-Dixon bib.  Still have to sew the button on and then I'll show it to you.  I knit a bit on the back of the Katia baby sweater.

It felt good to get out of the house and spend time visiting and knitting.  The best part about it?  The shop is only 5-10 minutes from my house!!!!

This weekend is A Wool Gathering - Saturday 10:00 AM - 7:00 PM and Sunday 10:00 AM to 5:00 PM.  The festival is held at Young's Jersey Dairy near Yellow Springs and not too far from Springfield.  I hear it is a great event and I can hardly wait!!  So nice of Ohio to throw a wool festival to welcome me to the state!  I can't think of a better way.  Well, except for sending me a crew of Mary Maids!

Where, Oh Where, Did Robin Go??

I have been MIA.  Haven't posted since August 23rd.  The period of time since that day is just a blur.

The last full week of August, I had so many work appointments and a lot of computer work to finish up preparing for the move from Virginia to Waynesville, Ohio.  I had to turn in my work laptop the 28th so lost my Adobe Photoshop, as well as, my computer that I used all the time.  Linda, one of the Richmond knitters, told me of a sale at Costco on Acer netbook computers.  She has a similar one and loves it so I asked her to get one for me.  I picked it up from her on the 29th but then all moving hell broke loose and I didn't really have time to play with it.  After getting to Ohio and getting all set up, I discovered that Andy didn't save my Outlook Express Address Book so I'm without all those many email addresses,  email groups, mailing addresses, phone numbers, etc. that I had worked so hard to put in there prior to moving.  So everyone email me so I can start building my new Address Book!

On August 28th, I drove to Richmond to turn my work computer in and meet everyone at Linda's (my nursing supervisor) house for a going-away party.  We had so much fun!  They gave me a special wine glass to remember them by.  They're only a quick email and/or phone call away since I still work for the same company - just out of a different office. 

On August 29th, the Richmond knitters took me out to lunch.  They have all been so special to me since meeting them in Spring 2006.  I really miss them!  I took the greatest pictures of the girls and accidentally deleted them when I imported my first set of pictures using Picasso.  I hope they decide to take a field trip and come see me. 

The packers / movers came and worked in the house from August 31st - September 3rd.  They parked their 53 ft truck in the driveway.  That was a ZOO!  Friends, Rachel and Dan, Walter, Pat with Grace and Kathryn, came and house-sat on and off while I continued working and going to appointments.  Once the packers / movers came, I kept having difficulty getting an online connection (I used HughesNet satellite in VA).  Finally, I figured out why.  The 53 ft truck was parked between my router and my computer - blocking my internet connection!!!!!!  That's when I checked into the hotel.  The crew finally left Thursday afternoon about 4:30 PM to hand-off our belongings and the truck to a new driver who was going to drive to Ohio overnight.  Andy left shortly after the truck and met them early Friday morning to unload.

In the middle of all of that, Andy and I had to make a quick trip to South Carolina to see Taylor.  We got him situated with legal help for what he faces with child support, etc.  I liked the attorney and feel good that Taylor has someone there who will look out for his interests.  We also got to quickly meet little Kamryn, then weighing in at 7 lbs., 14 oz.  Remember those ruffle-top socks I made for her? They were too small so I need to make her another pair.

Gracie, George, and Earl Gray also spent several nights at the vet "hotel" awaiting our departure.  I had planned to leave for Ohio mid-day on September 4th but best laid plans...  I didn't get away until Saturday, the 5th, at about 11:00 AM or so.  I gave the kitties one Valium each before leaving the vet office in Clarksville and settled them into their carriers - the boys in a large one and Gracie in a smaller one.  George and Earl settled right down and napped most of the way to Ohio.  Gracie was a whole different story.  She did not shut up the entire way from Virginia to Ohio!  (Did I mention the trip takes approximately 9 or so hours!)  I finally gave her a second Valium late in the afternoon and she took a nap.  A FIVE minute nap.  By the time we arrived at the Ohio house, she sounded like a broken squeaky toy and I needed one (or more) of her Valiums! 

When I drove up to the house - about 9:30 PM, Andy had it lit up like a Christmas tree!  Remember, this was the first time for me actually seeing the house except from pictures.  It was beautiful!  I got the cats settled in the garage with litter boxes and beds.  I put Gracie in the big dog cage with her own food and water dishes and litter pan so the boys couldn't intimidate her.  Then, I took the tour.  I have never seen so many boxes in my life!  The house and full basement was literally packed wall-to-wall leaving squeeze through room only.  We worked all day Sunday and Monday (appropriate for Labor Day) and emptied out somewhere between 60 and 80 boxes.  MAN-O-MAN!  What a mess!  Moving just shouldn't be allowed after living in one place for 25 years.  You just accumulate tooo much stuff!  Remember, Andy took up 3 loads (one 24 ft truckload and two 26 ft truckloads) and then this 53 ft load.  Again, what a mess!!!!

I had to go to our main office in Cleveland September 8th and 9th for orientation.  It's pretty much a straight shot from where we live - granted a rather long straight shot at about 3.5 to 4 hours one-way.  When I returned home, it was more unpacking and working, unpacking and working.  I still have stuff on my list.  We have gotten the upstairs furniture pretty much in place.  The kitchen is set - cabinets are full.  However, I know we haven't unearthed the crockpot yet and I'm afraid that wherever it's hiding, we'll find more kitchen stuff.  ARGH!  The Vietnam Veterans have a service where they come pick up donations.  I have an appointment with them this coming Thursday.  I'm trying to weed through and pack up things to donate as I go through everything.

I let the kitties out on Friday and they have done very well.  Before that, I was walking each one on a harness and leash around outside so they could get used to their new home. Each night since letting them out, they've all come back into the garage so I close the door and let them out again the next morning.  Earl spends most of his time inside sleeping.  I think he likes the cool.  They're still a little cautious but that's good.  Here's Gracie looking a little wary.

This seems to be a great area of Ohio.  We're right across from Caesar Creek State Park and halfway between Cincinnati and Dayton (about 30 minutes to either one).  Waynesville claims to  be the "antique capital of the Midwest" and its main street is lined with one antique store after another.  There is a weaving shop that was closed today but had a sign in the window about fiber night (for knitters, spinners, felters, weavers, etc.) on Tuesday from 5:00 PM to 8:00 PM.  The state park also offers tons to do - hiking in the gorge, biking, boating, etc.  Yesterday morning, I let the kitties out and looked across the road.  Two hot air balloons were floating quietly in the sky.  Next weekend, there will be a Civil War encampment in the Pioneer Village which is right across the road.  Also next weekend is A Wool Gathering - Midwest Festival of Fibers in nearby Springfield.  You  can count on me attending that for sure!!!!!!

Today, Andy and I stopped by the Waynesville Chamber of Commerce and met Wilma.  We were talking and I asked about watercolor classes or art groups in the area.  She told me that her friend takes classes and she would have her call me.  Later tonight, she called.  Turns out that her niece is married to the minister at my parents' / my home church in Danville.  I saw him several times while Mom was in the hospital for her open heart surgery in July.  I used to stress to my sons that you never know where you'll find people you know.  It took one week to find a connection to home.  It is indeed a small world! 

Here's another local scene.  I've been through this charming covered bridge several times this week.  Thank goodness for GPS!  I have to set it to get back home!

Hopefully, you all are still checking in on me and will not mind this long post catching you up on everything.  I'll give you lots of links in my next post so you can see what you're missing!

It's been a very challenging year.  I don't know how in the world I would have made it through the year and the actual moving process without my friends and family.  Stay tuned --- there's so much for me to share with you here in Ohio!!!