Year's end

It's December 31, the last day of the last month of the year. Beth has been counting down on the calendar every day.

It's been snowy outside, and even Beth has helped with the shoveling. (Believe it or not! See the photo!)

It hasn't been bad enough to halt any activity, so we've been shopping and going to Curves and running errands and so on. On Sunday, we all went to see the new Sherlock Holmes movie. We thought it was really fun, and we saw it at the new theatre downtown, which may be the best in the country. I forgot to mention that earlier this month we also went to see Invictus -- Beth seemed to like that one alot. (Beth fell asleep during part of Sherlock Holmes.)

Beth has gotten very good about her regular chores, including setting the table. She's really enjoyed our dinners and she's good about eating lots of vegetables.

This week, Beth came with me to a lunch with our friend Heather. She loved that! And then on Wednesday, we all went to lunch with our friends Paul and Gail. They live downtown, so we met at a nice little restaurant and then went over to their house, where Beth got to coo over their Chihuahua and kitty.

Later, it was off to Curves! All the gals at Curves said goodbye to her, and "see you in the summer!" They all know her and enjoy working out with her.

Later today, we'll go for a visit at Max's house for New Year's Eve, but probably not much more than that. I think it'll be a quiet one this year.

Beth has been practicing for her travels on Saturday -- we review over and over, what airline? where does it go? what does she do? STAY ON THE PLANE! etc. Too soon!

A White Christmas!

Where to begin?

It's the day after Christmas, and all through house, not a creature is stirring, not even Pan. It's snowing, big fuzzy flakes scurrying every which way, exactly like when you shake a little snowglobe.

I'm just in from shoveling the driveway -- again. Beth is drawing and listening to music, wearing a new outfit -- a pretty lavender sweater, new black pants even new socks. She wanted a western omelet for breakfast, so it was green peppers, onions, cheese and guacamole!

The run-up to Christmas was really fun. On Wednesday, we spent the afternoon wrapping presents and getting ready. Beth did a great job wrapping her presents for Patsy and Erin.

Then we met up with several friends at Aixois where Santa (a skinny Bill Russell) was holding court. We chatted with friends and then had dinner there. Beth was completely happy, being out, talking to so many people, including Santa, sitting at the bar and then having dinner too!



The next day was Xmas eve. We had a lunch scheduled with Vince and Mary Lynn and Andrea, at a nice restaurant out south. Beth had angel hair pasta with chicken, and even brought some home for lunch another day. It was nice to see everyone. Vince, who also works in a library, is always telling his colleagues about Beth. He met the director of the Columbus Public Library and told him about her, too!

In the evening, we went over to Patsy's for her Christmas party. All the kids were there. She had a lovely table with lasagne, a seafood casserole, salads, vegetables and a giant plate of cookies. Yes, Beth had a good time! There was just the tiniest bit of snow in the air.

Then, all too soon, it's Christmas day!

We woke up to about eight inches of snow. Heavy, deep and beautiful. It took more than an hour to shovel out the driveway and our street had not yet been plowed at all. It was lovely and quiet, very few cars out.

We made it over to Erin's house easily, picking up Patsy on the way. We had a yummy casserole breakfast and then the kids were ripping open presents! Lots of laughs and squeals of happiness all around. Beth got to open a bunch of presents from Patsy, Erin and Drew and the kids, and then we went home and opened more presents!

She had several from us, and the kitty got to play with all the ribbon and papers!



Before long, it was time to go again -- this time to help Patsy shovel out. Beth got out of this task and sat inside the warm house. When we got done, we went in and had some wonderful hot chocolate. Then off to Erin and Drew's again, this time for the dinner.

That was really fun, too. Turkey, dressing, cheesy potatoes, rolls, cranberry, salad and warm apple cake at the end. Yummy.

At home, we just snuggled in. Beth and I played a game of Scrabble before it was bedtime.

Picasa Web Albums - Nancy - 2009 Thanksgiving & Xmas w/Beth

Picasa Web Albums - Nancy - 2009 Thanksgiving & Xmas w/Beth

Running up to Christmas!

I can't believe it's been two weeks!

We've been so busy! I'll try to summarize quickly.

On Saturday, we went to watch Graham play basketball, his first game. On Sunday, it was family dinner at our house, always fun -- we had chicken, roast potatoes, Caesar salad and tiramisu for dessert.

Then the workweek and Nancy was very busy. Beth got the schedule every morning and stayed with Tom when Nancy had to go. Some days she went with Tom to the shop or running errands. One day when Nancy had to work late, they even went to Aixois for a glass of wine. They wound up singing Christmas carols at the bar (well, Beth did anyway).

On Thursday, Dec. 10 Beth went to TWO parties. First, with Tom over to Andrea's where there was a band, dancing and a buffet. I heard they had a good time, while I was working! Later, we all went to our neighborhood party and that was really nice!
Beth had a good time, and talked to a bunch of people. She was really happy.

She went to Curves almost every day. She's made loads of friends there, Lisa the manager is always giving her something. The ladies there all like her.

On two nights at home, we made Christmas cutouts. Beth did most of the work, the mixing and cutting and then the decorating.

On Sunday, it was family dinner at Brian and Pam's house.

Monday started another crazy week for Nancy -- lots of meetings and hard work. Beth was keeping track of so many meetings. We had dinner at home Monday and Tuesday -- Nancy loves to cook and Beth has gotten very good at setting the table.

On Wednesday, after a Nancy got off from a late meeting, we all went to O'Dowd's Irish Pub to have dinner and see Eddie Delahunt again. He sang the Nancy song and of course, the clapping-along songs that Beth likes so much. She had one Guinness and of course, it made her giggly. That is, more giggly than usual!

Thursday we made cookies again. And Friday, Beth and Tom went to ANOTHER party at Andrea's. This time, they had professional dancers and a band, and a buffet. It sounded like fun!

Saturday was really busy again! We went to Graham's basketball game early, and then back home for breakfast, then off to Lily's basketball game. We did some shopping and gift wrapping in the afternoon, and then off to a party AGAIN.

It was at Patsy's house, and it was an early Christmas celebration with Brian, Pam and Simon, who are leaving for Canada the next day. There were loads of presents for everybody -- Beth got a lovely Cherry Blossom set of shower gel, lotion, soaps and perfume. She gave Brian and Pam one of her pictures with a photo of Simon in it. It was a big hit!

We had a great barbecue dinner, and then a chocolate fudge brownie with cream cheese frosting and peppermint ice cream. Yummy!

Now it's Sunday night, and Beth keeps checking the calendar -- this week is going to be Christmas!

Ccccold! Brrrrrrrr....

Today's adventure came with the frost. It was about 30 degrees when I got up this morning, and freezing cold inside, too! It was about 60 in the house, which is darn chilly.

Well, I fiddled around with the thermostats and Tom bled one of the radiators, but it just wasn't getting any warmer, so we called for help. We had to wait until afternoon for the repairman, shivering all the time. Even Pan was cold.

Beth was OK, she was wearing a turtleneck and then a wool sweater of mine, so she was pretty cozy. And we jumped around whenever we started getting too cool.

It turns out that the igniter had gotten dirty and couldn't ignite the flame for the boiler. The repairman gave everything a good cleaning and now we are back among the heated.

Yay!

Update for the first week of December

Wow, this week has just zoomed by!

Beth has settled into a nice rhythm here. She wakes up about 6:30 a.m. and is downstairs by about 8 usually. She's quite cheerful and chatty in the morning.

I fix breakfast (we've had omlets, waffles, french toast, pancakes, cereal & toast, yogurt and always fruit) and coffee. Beth takes her pill and vitamins and then generally admires breakfast, chatting away, for the next hour or more. She takes a break only to warm up her coffee.

I'm usually busy working on the computer by now. I've temporarily moved my office to the kitchen so we can spend time together. She's playing music and drawing, sometimes pestering the cat, sometimes singing. She also has a chore while here -- it's her job to sweep the kitchen floor. She's getting really good at it.

Sometimes, I have to leave for meetings and Beth either stays here or goes with Tom, if he goes in. Every afternoon, she's going to Curves at about 3 p.m. She gets a good workout there, and she's already started making friends there.

Then we come back home and she changes clothes for dinner. We've been working on the leftovers -- turkey jambalaya, turkey chili, ham & cheese, etc. Last night, we took Pam and Simon out to dinner with us -- no turkey!

In the evening, Beth goes up for her shower after dinner. She's usually ready for bed by 8:30 or so. She's giggling and laughing, usually making fun of my hair sticking up or laughing at me somehow.

All's well! More soon.

The Thanksgiving Chapter

What a busy time it's been!
I'll try to quickly summarize the week:

- Ken, Phuong and Beth arrived on Saturday. We came home and got everyone settled and started showing off Kansas City. We went downtown to the new Power & Light District, and had a long lunch at Raglan Road. Phuong had her first taste of Guinness, through a straw! We went out to eat at Aixois -- it was great!
- Breakfast at home Sunday morning, then a walk and visits around at the Nelson Art Gallery. We went to family dinner at Erin & Drew's house, and Phuong got to meet all the babies: Margo, Simon, Poppy, Graham and Lily.



- Monday was a visit to the Plaza and a little shopping. (Nancy had some work to do.)
- Tuesday was a visit to the City Market, the Asian groceries. I think we went to a new restaurant for Beth.
- Wednesday was a visit to the Linda Hall Library, hoping to meet up with Sally, but she had the day off. Later it was a meeting of the barflies at Aixois, and then dinner later at O'Dowd's. Eddie was playing and he made a point of inviting Beth! She was counting everyone's Guinnesses.


- Thursday was the big feast of Thanksgiving, and 18 of us crowded into the dining room. I think everyone had enough to eat!

- Friday was a day for the Handymen. Ken and Tom and saga of the missing cart at the hardware store, the return visit, and the six-hour session to install a ceiling light. They can explain in more detail when it's not so painful to them... Later, we went to our friend Aften's and then to the Christmas Tree ceremony.


- And all too quickly, it was off to the airport to send Ken and Phuong on their way home.

The final day

It was a little bit hectic in the final hours in KC.

First, on Friday afternoon, while we were out running errands, Tom pumped gas into the car and checked the tires. We did a couple of errands (the post office and the eyeglass store) and then went home. At home, oh no! The gas cap wasn't there!

Beth thought this was really funny. She kept asking Tom why he forgot to put the cap back on. It made her laugh.



We quickly got back in the car and went back to the gas station where we looked under cars and all around for the cap. No luck.

Tom walked the block from the gas station to the post office and glasses store, looking where we parked and all around, in case it had fallen off the back. No luck.

Then we drove home, very slowly, trying to find the missing gas cap on the street somewhere. No luck ... until just as we turned onto Huntington Road, Nancy yelled "Stop!" We found it! Hurrah!

Later, as you already know, we went out to dinner at a local Mexican restaurant, which was great. When we got home, Nancy asked Tom if he was going to put the top up on the convertible, and he said (famously), "Oh, I'll do it later."

It was about 3:30 a.m. when Nancy first heard raindrops... Nancy gently asked Tom if had remembered to put the top up on the convertible? OH NO! He sprang out of bed and ran down to the driveway. He put the top up and mopped up the rain inside, just before the downpour really started in. Whew!

It wasn't long after that when it was time for Nancy to get up and start getting ready. Nancy woke Beth at 4:30 a.m.

We were rushing to get ready and get out! Beth was moving s-l-o-w-l-y and Nancy loaded up the luggage in the car, plus the last minute stuff, plus Bethie and set off to go to the airport.

Ooops -- one problem -- the seats in the car wouldn't adjust! Probably from the rain, or maybe a short, but Nancy couldn't drive this car now because her feet couldn't reach the gas and brake pedals. Oh no! Quickly, get Tom up again, move everything to the other car, change cars around and get going! In the rain!

It was on the way to the airport that Beth asked about her pill box with today's pill and vitamins. Ooops -- it was still in the kitchen. Beth wanted to go back and get it, but we were now running a little bit late to get to the airport. She kept asking Nancy: Why didn't you get it? You could've just taken it from the shelf there? Why didn't you pack it?

Sorry!

We got to the airport a little before 6 a.m., on schedule after all. And we got in and found a line of people waiting to check their bags, so we got in line quickly and just in time, because right after us, a whole bunch more people starting coming. The line went all the way down the airport hallway -- behind us!

Next up, Nancy realized that the airplane Beth was taking was NOT going to Chicago Midway, but instead was going to stop in St. Louis. Beth had been rehearsing all week what would happen in Chicago, and now she had to quickly learn that it would be St. Louis instead. (Here's a sample of her exercise -- Nancy had her write out the itinerary every day, and also practice her handwriting.)



Whew! Finally, we checked the bag and got through security. Then, in hardly any time at all, it was time for Bethie to get on the plane. It was a very quick goodbye --and she was gone.

A couple of hours later, Ken called to report that she was home safe and sound -- and ready for lunch!

Time to start planning for the next trip for Thanksgiving! Can't wait!

Friday, July 31

Oh no! It's the last day -- already!

Nancy had a couple of meetings in the morning, and then after that, the three of us went out and ran some errands in the neighborhood.

Later, Nancy and Beth went shopping, looking for some new clothes for Bethie, but no luck. Many of the stores have changed here, so I guess I will have to find some new places for us to shop for her.

After that, Beth went home and got ready for another round at Curves. Everybody greeted her when she came in! She had a good exercise session.

For dinner, we decided to go out, as a special treat. We went to Cantina Del Ray, a Mexican restaurant in the neighborhood. Beth had a chicken burrito with rice and beans and she LOVED it! It was a nice neighborhood restaurant.

Back at home now, it's time to start getting everything packed. We'll have to be up before the sun tomorrow!

One last update: Here's a video of Beth from yesterday, she's working on an email to Scott. You can hear her talking to herself, thinking out loud, about what she wants to say to Scott. She really loves writing on the computer.

Thursday, July 30

This is a big day! We've been waiting for this, because this is the day we go on a train ride!

It's kind of complicated: First Patsy picked up Lily, Graham and Poppy. Then she drove to our house. Next we followed Patsy downtown to Crown Center, where we parked our car.

Then, we got in the car with Patsy and the kids and we drove out to Lee's Summit, which is a suburb east of Kansas City. That's where we waited for the train, which was coming from St. Louis. We walked around the downtown area with it's little shops while we waited for the train. The kids all got a piece of candy there -- Beth chose chocolate with peanuts!

We went back to the benches to wait for the train, and it wasn't very long before it pulled into the station with lots of noise!

It was a big train, and full of people. The train attendants were really nice and asked if this was our first ride. Oh yes!

We got settled in our seats and then after a little while, we walked back to the Dining Car. It was kind of funny walking on the train as it was swaying along. In the Dining Car, we got some cookies and sat at two tables all together. It was really nice, with big windows so we could see everything outside rushing by.

Then, before we knew it, we were in Kansas City! We got off outside and walked up the stairs near the Freighthouse, and walked into Union Station. It was great!

Then it was time for lunch, so we went to the Harvey House where we all had a great meal. It was lots of fun, and we were playing Arm Wrestling and Thumb Wars while we waited for our food.

After we ate, we walked on the overhead Link from Union Station to Crown Center. We went to the waterfall and then walked through the shopping center a little bit. Erin and Margo came to meet us and take Patsy back to her car out in Lee's Summit. For us, it was time to go home.



Later, we had Quesadillas at home, with two kinds of hot sauce. It was just right -- a light dinner snack.

After dinner, Beth wrote an email to Scott and then it was time for bed! What a fun day we had, with lots and lots of laughs!

Wednesday, July 29

Beth had lots of time outside today, it was just a gorgeous day, but not too hot. She was outside for hours before she worked up the courage to stick her feet in the pool.

She had a great workout at Curves, and then we had a light dinner early, because we were invited to a party at one of our favorite places -- Browne's Irish Deli. It was really casual, a nice little party, and Beth met a lot more people. She had a bit more dinner there, and then we went to visit Brian and Pam.

Next stop was Aixois -- we sat on the patio and Beth had a lovely dessert of profiteroles au chocolat! Yummy! She got to tell the chef, Pascal, how much she liked it and he was very sweet to her.

Another day gone in a flash!

Tuesday, July 28

Another full day!

It started out with Beth's breakfast -- waffles! Plus coffee and I think yogurt, too.

She started on another art project, this time drawing around the outline of a tree that Nancy drew on the page. (No, not Nancy Drew!)

Then, more errands to get the computer and printer and all set up at the bookstore. It took a couple of trips around the area, but on the third stop, we found the right kinds of cables to make the old printer work with the laptop. All set up!

Back at home, Beth changed for a Curves session. It was a long one today, about an hour, and she didn't want to stop! She was having loads of fun.

Next up, a video conference with Scott. This time it worked perfectly. What fun!

Dinner was tacos, followed by a nice fresh Missouri peach (with a little ice cream for Bethie). Then she went straight to the computer, to write an email to Scott.

Now bedtime!

Monday, July 27

Where did this day go?

I don't know!

Beth had a nice breakfast, cereal & coffee, yogurt & banana, while Nancy was working. When Nancy got back, there were errands to run because the computer at the bookstore broke. Completely unfixable, and unrecoverable.

So, setting up Nancy's old laptop in the shop took some time and some figuring -- how to connect the old printer?

It seemed to take a while! Beth had a snack while we were at Aixois so that helped.

Before long, it was time to head home for dinner. Nancy made one of her special veggie dishes with leftovers -- chicken, italian sausage, pasta, broccoli, mushrooms, asparagus, celery, peppers, tomatoes...what else? I'm probably forgetting something, but it was really quite tasty. Beth really loved the mushrooms.

And then time for bed already!

I guess that's what happens on a busy day!

Sunday, July 26

The bluest sky you would ever want was here today.

We started out with a nice breakfast -- Beth had an omelet, hash browns, yogurt and a banana. And coffee, of course. She ate every scrap, so I think she liked it all!

We called Mike and Ken, and got to talk to both of them. Mike was getting ready to take a week off -- good for him! And Ken was starting to talk about making plans for coming out for Thanksgiving. Yay!

The rest of the afternoon was outside in the beautiful sunny weather and in the wonderful cool pool. Beth did a lot of swimming, and when she got tired, she also lounged on the floats.

Here's a shot of her:

From 2009-07 Beth's summer Holida

After swimming, we got ready for the weekly family dinner at Erin and Drew's house. It was really great, Beth loved the turkey & bean tacos and fresh corn salad. After dinner, we all went down to the playroom to play on the Wii. Nancy and Graham played tennis -- I don't know why everybody was laughing at me.

And then Beth and the kids played bowling. It was a little tricky, but Beth really got into it. Lots of laughs!

Now, it's already getting late and Beth is getting ready for bed. Another long day, full of fun!

More photos from today are added to the slideshow. Here's one more:

From 2009-07 Beth's summer Holida

Saturday, July 25

Wow, it's another lovely day in KC!

Beth has a leisurely breakfast and spends a little time outside with her art.

We run a few errands in the afternoon, but I don't think there is a store in KC that is still selling swimwear! We struck out again. I'm thinking of other places we can check -- we've been to Target, two department stores, and a sporting goods store, and a couple of fashionable clothing shops so far.

We went to the bank and the grocery, successfully. In the afternoon, more swimming! Beth really, really enjoys the pool.

For dinner, it was Fancy Nancy's kitchen. We had chicken fingers, green beans with fresh tomatoes, and rice. And a lovely Peach Cobbler with vanilla ice cream for dessert.

It doesn't quite sound like it, but it was a busy day!

Here's one of Beth's emails

Beth just LOVES working on the computer.

She likes typing and thinking of what she wants to say to Scott.

Here's an example of one of her messages, this one is from yesterday, done entirely by her:

dear scoot hi how are you today how is the wheather out there in caliaf ornina is there anything going on out in cal a fornia would you say hi to every one to how they are doing out thing tout there how is every onoe doing out there i thereand to say hi how how i say love you all always and i will write you some time soone and i will write you to marow

Friday, July 24

This was a lazy Friday for Beth! She moved in slow motion all day -- a leisurely breakfast with cereal and yogurt. She took a long time selecting her music and took a long time to change into the swimming suit and then she took a long time to move outside to work on her art. She also took her time getting into the pool, even thought it was hot and sunny and the pool felt great!

In the afternoon, we went to Andrea's -- there was a swing band and folks were having a good time dancing. Oh, and there was a buffet of snacks, which Beth liked.

After that, we still had errands to run at the computer store. We got a little microphone, hoping it would help for the video conferences with Scott. We tried it out later, and it worked but there was some interference and we couldn't get our speakers to play loudly enough. We'll keep working on it -- it's so fun to be able to see each other!

We had a nice dinner -- baked tilapia with green chili sauce, rice and roasted corn. Yummy!

After dinner, Beth got to work on a long email to Scott. By the time she was done, her eyes were droopy and it was time for bed. (Working on a computer will do that!)

Thursday, July 23

Another wonderful day in Kansas City -- absolutely perfect! Bright blue skies, sunny, hot but not too hot because of a nice breeze.

Bethie had cereal, banana and yogurt for breakfast (with Simply Red in the background, after much deliberation) and then she headed outside to work on a new drawing. It was such a pretty day, she changed into the swimming suit with a sarong. She worked outside for a while, and then we had our daily video conference with Scott!

It's such fun to talk on the video! Beth always laughs and Scott laughs and we're all laughing at something silly. And she loves to see Scott & Jeff's little kitten.



After the video call, it was back outside for Beth -- she went swimming.

She practiced all her swimming strokes -- I saw freestyle, backstroke, sidestroke and breaststroke. It was good that she got that exercise, because we ran out of time to go to Curves!

In the afternoon, Brian and Pam came over with baby Simon. They swam in the pool while Nancy held Simon. He was comfy, sleeping and cooing.

Then a quick dinner -- grilled chicken tacos, with roasted onions and peppers and guacamole sauce, and rice. It was a quick dinner, because we immediately headed off to the library for a nice chamber music concert.

The concert was in two acts: first the strings, and then the winds. It was a nice event.

Afterward, on the way home, we stopped for a quick treat at Foo's, our local frozen custard joint. We were lucky because the line was only to the door! This place is so popular you often have to stand in line just to get in! Beth chose a mint-oreo cookie mixture, which, I have to say, was delicious. She was very quiet and ate it all very quickly, not wasting a drop!

After all that, time to turn in. Tomorrow is another busy day, but we will try to work in time for Beth to write another email to Scott. Talk with you soon!

Wednesday, July 22

Wow, what a beautiful day! It's bright and sunny and hot today, just a perfect July day. Our mission today is to get Beth a new swimming suit so she can enjoy the pool.

Beth woke up early today and dressed very nicely. She came downstairs and said, well, when are we going to that airport?

She had read something on my calendar, and thought she had to go home today! She was happy to learn that she has the rest of the month here, all the way until Aug. 1. I showed her the calendar and we went over it several times. She checked the calendar all day, and kept telling herself "two whole weeks" and "not until that next month" with a little giggle.

We are running errands today -- a little shopping, making some copies, to the library and we plan to go to Curves too. We're stopping at home just for a minute, for a quick lunch, so I thought I'd add the photos that Ken sent along with Beth.

These are great!




































LATER: Well, no luck on the swimming suit. We'll keep at it tomorrow. We did make it to the errands scheduled, the library and to Curves. A visit to a friend's house in the evening, and then back home for dinner.

We had pasta with broccoli, peppers, tomatoes, celery and carrots, with a little feta cheese and fresh basil. For dessert, fresh raspberries with a little ice cream and a tiny brownie from the deli. Yummy!

Monday and Tuesday

Hello!

Today is Tom's birthday, and Beth made a nice sign that we hung up in the kitchen for him.

Yesterday was a quiet day, mostly just around the house. Beth worked on her art work and played music all day (please, no more ABBA!). We went to the grocery store and had a nice dinner at home.

We also talked with Scott, and even did a videoconference -- it was amazing! We got to see Freeway, the new kitty, and the doggies and talked with Paco, too.

Later, in the evening, we went for dinner at Aixois. We saw Emmanuel, who was happy to see Beth again. We had a great dinner -- it was skatewing, grilled with lemon, with rice, a baby carrot and some lovely green beans. After dinner, we had a chocolate mousse. They brought it out with a candle on top, for Tom's birthday, so we sang "Happy Birthday" to him again.

What a fun day!

Check out the Summer Party!

This will give you a little idea of our Saturday party, at least the afternoon with the kids:





(I fixed the video, removed the extra junk at the end. Sorry about that!)

Sunday, July 19, 2009

Another incredible day! To start out today, we had omelets and toast. Beth had spinach, asparagus and feta cheese in her omelet and she ate every bit. She saved her toast crust for the birdies, though.

She was outside all day -- working on her art and swimming and some lounging, too.

Every Sunday, we have a family dinner. This week, it was at Brian and Pam's home. Erin was there with Lily, Graham and Margo -- Poppy was at home with Drew because she wasn't feeling well. Patsy was there, too, and of course, Simon, Pam and Brian.



Brian cooked a shrimp chowder for dinner, with salad and good bread. Then there was cake and ice cream for dessert, and we sang Happy Birthday to Tom (even though it's a little early -- his birthday is Tuesday).

Beth wore her fancy white skirt and a pretty top. She really looked nice!

Saturday, July 18 -- Party day!

A gorgeous day in Kansas City -- I think it might have been a record -- morning temperatures about 60 and it never got above maybe 72! Crystal clear, bright blue skies, just lovely.

A great day for our annual summer party!

Beth helped us get ready in the morning. She did a good job sweeping and generally helping out. In the afternoon, the kids came over to swim and play. Beth met the two new members of the family: Erin & Drew's daughter Margo, and Brian & Pam's son Simon.

We had a cookout, cheeseburgers plus potato salad, beans, pasta salad, hummus, veggies, watermelon and ice cream for dessert.

In the early evening, our friends started to arrive for the outdoor movie. We set up the big frame in the backyard, on the stone wall, and our friend Steve projected the movie across the pool. We showed Mamma Mia and there was some singing along with the songs! When the sun went down, it was too cool to be in the pool. We even had to break out blankets for some of our guests!

But Beth loved it! She sang along and had a nice time talking with many of our friends.

Here's two pictures that Beth took in the afternoon: Pam and Simon, and Erin and Margo.

Summer Adventures! July 17, 2009

Beth traveled by herself (gulp) from Columbus, Ohio, to Chicago Midway and then to Kansas City. She had to stay on the plane in Midway, but still it's a little bit scary for us to think of tiny Beth all alone out there!

But she arrived safely on time Friday.

It was funny... I was waiting outside the gate, watching everyone come off the plane and walk through the lobby to the door into the unsecured area. I was right by the door, watching, watching, watching... and all of a sudden, I look aside and there's Beth! Through the door! She had walked out following a big person, and followed by a big person and I didn't see her at all until she was right in front of me!

It was great to see her! We hugged and she started chatting and before too long, we were in the convertible drving home, Beth singing a new song that had the words "Kan-sas-City" over and over...

I'll try to record it...

Travel day!

I heard some noise early in the morning, a little after 6 a.m., and got up to check. It was Beth, all dressed and ready to go! She had forgotten that her plane was in the afternoon, and most times she leaves early in the morning, so she thought this would be the same. Oh well, she was disappointed but was willing to go back to bed for a little while.

When she did get up, we all had a nice treat for breakfast: spinach, asparagus and feta cheese omelets with bacon and toast! Pan was a troublemaker and would hardly let Beth eat!

We spent the rest of the time just getting ready for the trip -- preparing this and final packing, picking CDs, playing with the kitty, and so on. We called to check in with the airline to make sure all was set and ready for Beth's journey.

It has been a wonderful trip. Beth was so cheerful and happy throughout; she was chatty and friendly and really enjoyed herself every day. She especially loved Pan -- Pan will miss her so much!

A great way to finish out the year and start the new one. Let's make plans right away for the next visit, OK?

Warm fun Saturday Jan. 3

Today's photos are here.

Beth had been hungry for French toast so that's how we started the day -- double fiber wheat bread French toast.

We had errands to run, but first Nancy went for her run. It was nearly 60 degrees and felt like springtime outside. Beth stayed home to play with the kitten.

Our friends Kevin and Miriam dropped by to meet Pan -- we had a nice time with them, Beth was telling them all about Pan's activities.

Then out to run our errands: we went to Brian and Pam's house for mail pick-up, then on to Target for a new lightbulb for the kitchen, but no luck. Instead we got some pretty hairclips for Beth and some little items. Then to the grocery, to buy supplies for chili for dinner.

Back home, Nancy made a big pot of chili and set it to simmering. Time to go play! Beth and Nancy went to Loose Park and remembered to take the stale bread to feed the ducks. It was still warm enough to walk around and Beth even got to swing! Her favorite -- swinging high and singing "Somewhere over da Rainbow"!

Now we're starting to get ready for Beth's travel day, and that means laundry and packing. Once Beth is all cleaned up, we go downstairs for a little treat of fresh raspberries and blueberries for dessert.

Time for bed, tomorrow's the last day in KC already. Good night!

Another busy day!

On Friday, Jan. 2, Pan was so playful -- she kept us laughing all morning. She was feeling bold and would turn herself sideways, arch her back and curl her tail and bounce toward us on all fours -- a mock attack until something startles her and she runs away! We gave her a little toy mouse, which she tormented to no end, giving it a rest only when she chose to play with her aluminum foil ball or the sheet of tissue paper.

Beth had toast and cereal and yogurt for breakfast, and after we did a little work here, we decided to go out and look for some new shoes for Beth.

We went to Bob Jones Shoes downtown, one of our favorite spots, and Beth right away found a really neat pair of black walking shoes with a nice velcro snap, easy and fun. She also found a pair of brown ankle boots, really nice! There were others she liked too, a red pair and another black one, but these were her favorites so that's what we got. It took a while to try on so many shoes and test them out, but she picked the right ones.

After that, we went to Winstead's, another favorite spot of Beth's (and Calvin Trillin, too -- he once wrote that Winstead's has the best hamburgers in the world!). We had hamburgers and split some fries and a shake.

Next stop -- a haircut for Nancy. It was nice because everybody at the shop remembered Beth, even though it had been probably two years since she had been there. They were all so nice to her. We had a fun time there.

Then -- no rest -- it was home to change clothes for a workout. Beth went to Curves and Nancy went for a run. Wow, both of us got a good workout.

Back at home, we changed clothes again and went out to dinner at Rudy's Taqueria. It was very busy, but we didn't have to wait very long to get settled. We had burritos and Beth also had some refried beans, her favorite. Did I mention the marguerita with dinner? That gave Beth the giggles all the way home!

She didn't stop giggling until she fell asleep!

A new year is begun

The first day of the year was lazy!

We had a quiet morning and Beth had a simple breakfast with toast, cereal, yogurt, coffee and a banana.

She worked on her art and of course, played with Pan! We expanded Pan's universe by allowing her to also play in the dining room (she had been locked in the kitchen until now). Pan just loved exploring the new room -- before long she had created a new game to jump over the rungs of all the chairs around the dining room table! She ran in circles until she got so tired she had to take a nap!

After breakfast, Beth and Nancy very carefully took down all the decorations on the Christmas tree and packed everything up for next year. We cleaned up all the greenery and put away all the holiday decorations. When the tree was out, Beth finally was able to get to the shelves where all the other CDs are stored! She selected about 20 more CDs to play -- lots of old favorites like Eurythmics, Neil Young, more KD Lang!

In the afternoon, after Nancy came back from a run, Beth and Nancy went out for a walk -- we went across State Line and walked in the pretty neighborhood along the creek. It was a beautiful sunset.

Then time for dinner! We had a smorgasbord of leftovers and salad -- chicken & noodles, lasagne, ham! And Beth had the last two lonely cookies for dessert!

We also played on the computer a little bit. Beth has gotten very good at sending emails to Scott. She does a great job of writing and letting Scott know what's going on here. We decided to try a new trick -- we made a video greeting for Scott. The link is attached here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=joijF3tbZTc

My favorite part is at the end, when Pan yawns! By this time we were all sleepy from our lazy day, so time to go to bed!

New Year's Eve FUN!

We got dressed up in nice clothes for the last night of 2008, to celebrate the new year. Beth got so many compliments on her outfit, she really looked beautiful. (You can see all our photos here.)

Our first stop was to Max's house for his annual party -- Bill Russell, Paul & Gail Barham, John Donnelly and Bill Byrne were there too. We had a glass of wine and some snacks there. Folks were chatting and laughing, and keeping an eye on the KU football game on TV in a the side porch room. (Jayhawks won!)

After a while with our friends, it was time to go to Aixois for our dinner. Oh, it was bustling and lively, full of people laughing and having a good time! We had to wait for our table so we went to the bar. Even though Emmanuel was very busy in the kitchen, he took time to say hello to us!

We got a nice table in the back of the room and settled in. It was a special menu for the evening. We decided to have a special treat to start our dinner -- oysters! We know that Emmanuel will not serve oysters unless they are excellent, so we decided to have some, especially when Beth told us she had never had tried them before. She found out that she LOVED them. So fresh and light, just right with a squirt of lemon. A great start to our dinner!

Next we had little salads: it was a boston lettuce, very soft, with hearts of palm and walnuts and cherry tomatoes in a beautifully light vinagrette sauce. And nice French bread, too.

We all had different orders for dinner. Beth had grilled salmon with a saffron sauce, a lovely dish with a little rice and green beans along with it. She ate every bite! Nancy had a spinach pasta with lobster, calamari, shrimp and mussels. It was yummy! And Tom had lamb loin with mashed potatoes and green beans. He ate every bite, too!

After the wonderful dinner, we had to try a special dessert. While we were waiting for our dessert, Beth got us laughing by showing us how she can raise both her eyebrows! I think this is a trick she learned from Scott.

Then the desserts came: Beth and Nancy shared a Molten Chocolate Cake that was wonderful -- every forkful was warm chocolate cake with a hot fudge center .. ummmm! Tom had the Creme Brulee, his favorite!

The restaurant was still lively and fun when we left, after we got to thank Emmanuel for such a great meal. We decided to stop back at Max's for the final moments of the year. We got there just a few minutes before midnight and found Kevin & Miriam there now and also Sharon & Pat. We all had a sip of champagne and crowded into the side porch room to watch the broadcast from Times Square in New York City. We all cheered and toasted the new year when midnight struck!

And then it was time to go home to our cozy beds!

Happy New Year to all!