Sophie with her new toy

Boxing Day and more family pix

Mikey and me drove up to Cana to visit his mom. Mike's sister in law, Pam, was also there. We had lunch (crab cakes!) and exchanged gifts. Mike's mom has 2 little chihuahua dogs-Markie and Ellie. Pam has 2 boston terriers, Petey and Norton. So, there was a lot of dog talk and we gave each other dog toys and treats. Turns out Mike has a long-lost cousin in Canada who owns a chocolate shop. She sent a bag of homemade chocolates that are to die for. We're home now and Christmas is officially over. The lights are coming down tomorrow, or whenever I can get to it and the DIET begins again in earnest!

Mi Familia Christmas Day 2011

Another Christmas. I went to see Dad yesterday. He's doing well. I think time weighs heavily these days...he said he wasn't afraid to die now because he knew he had someone waiting for him on the other side. He misses mom a lot. We had church this morning--a special Christmas program. It was really nice. Came home and did some cooking. I made an executive decision and went with a non-traditional meal of crab stuffed flounder. We distributed the gifts and watched the dogs go crazy. The cats are no where to be found, of course. They don't seem to care much for the dogs. Tomorrow Mike and I plan to drive up to the mountains to visit with his mother. I think she is making seafood also. After tomorrow I really have to get serious about losing some weight. I mean, I REALLY have to get in shape, otherwise I'll be penalized on my health insurance premium. Maybe this is the sort of motivation I need. Happy New Year!!

Sophie and Santa

Peace on Earth

Office Christmas Party 2011

The annual Christmas party at Jackie's house. We had the traditional meal: lasagna with spinach/strawberry salad, and a bunch of desserts. Susan, who retired several years ago was there, as was the other Susan who retired earlier this year. And we welcomed our newest employee, Sharon. I was so glad that Denise could be there. She was able to schedule her chemo a day earlier so that she would feel well enough to join the party. It was wonderful to see her. She was in good spirits, as she always is, and she looked like she felt pretty good. My coworkers are wonderful. I know how very blessed I am to have a great job and great coworkers. Believe me, I've been in situations where that wasn't always the case and it makes for a VERY LONG painful work day.

I don't know what this is...

but it just looks so cool. I suppose it's some kind of fungus. Nature is wonderful. Me and Mal set up the telescope the other night and I saw the moons of Jupiter. That was so amazing. I really wish I lived in NM again...lots of sky out there. There's too many trees and clouds here. And too much light pollution. THANKSGIVING: I didn't get pictures of the kids this year, but you know what they look like. Not much change since last year. The menu: baked chicken and stuffing casserole, apples and cranberry in the crock pot, baked sweet potatoes and greenbean with mushrooms. Later I baked apple/cranberry/spice cake. I'm so thrilled to have an oven finally! Dad ate at his cousin Clingman's house. He went to see Taumi last week. And let's see, what else is going on...it's super busy at work, but I like it...Mal got worked up for his allergies and it turns out he is allergic to beef, pork, lamb and cow's milk. Bummer. The meat is not a problem, but avoiding dairy is tough. Jon's been coming over and doing my yard work. It's a big help. And little Bert is still in school, working, and breaking up with her boyfriend. Life goes on...

The Scripture Chain

The kids in Primary have been working on this all year. They put their name on a link each week if they read their scriptures. We had the chain up on the wall in the Primary room and it went around a couple of times. After they performed their program during Sacrament meeting we stuffed them full of sugar then went outside to take pictures of them with the chain. Luckily no one jumped off over the railing, although several of the little boys came close. It's been a good year in the Primary. Very busy, sometimes challenging, but always fun.

Studio Remodel

Mikey is doing some upgrades to the studio. Turns out one of his students, Brik, is an expert carpenter. And his friend, Laurie, loves to do painting and drywall. It sure is a blessing to have talented friends who work cheap. They have put in a wall and worked on the sound proofing. Another of Mike's friends, Hresko, is coming over today to do some more painting. I think I'll spend the day doing what I do best--reading and sleeping. Hey! It's my vacation!

Mal with Sophie and Honey

S O P H I E is about full grown now. She had a hysterectomy, so no babies for my baby. The neighbor's dog, Honey, came to visit. She's getting older and fatter, but she is still a sweetie. There are a lot of nice dogs in the neighborhood and Sophie loves all of them. As a companion, she's the best...as a watchdog, not so much. Mal will be going back to UNCG in January. We're SO glad.

Medical Policy Development Department

It's the whole department. Neecie came in for a quick visit, so we had to get a picture. She is powering through her chemo. What a trooper. She is such an inspiration. I have a new position now...still in the same department (at the same pay) but I got a new title...Senior Coding Analyst. It sounds impressive enough. Things have really been busy the past month. And we had an earthquake and a hurricane, in the same week no less. Very strange. If I were the more superstitious type, I might be kind of worried.

Nicholson-Daniels-Cabral

I was glad to see my brother and his family, even though the reason for his visit was an especially sad one. Hopefully we can all get together again soon under happier circumstances.

Obituary for Michiko Kinosita Daniels

Mom passed away quietly in her sleep early Tuesday morning. My brother wrote a lovely obituary for her, which I am including here:

Michiko Kinosita Daniels, 85, of Goldston died on August 2nd, 2011.
She was born in Tokyo, Japan to the late Jinosuke Kinosita and Ito Tachibana Kinosita on January 7, 1926. Before World War II, her family operated a resort hotel near the hot springs of Atami (outside of Tokyo). The Japanese government took possession of the hotel during World War II and the family moved to Tokyo. Subsequently, her father became a merchant marine.
In 1944, she graduated from Tokyo Girl’s High School as valedictorian and attended Tokyo University studying Business. She later became an office worker for Mitsubishi Heavy Industries. At a time when women did not typically drive cars, she took lessons from a driving school that used wood-burning steam powered cars. Post-World War II Japan rationed many items including gasoline. Thriftiness became a part of her nature.
In 1953, she married Army Sergeant James Edward Daniels in Tokyo. They met while he was on leave from the Korean War. Before leaving Japan, her father reminded her that she would be seen as an “ambassador” by people in the United States. She lived by the credo of kindness, generosity, and hard work.
The young couple departed Japan by steamship, arriving in Seattle, Washington, and then travelled by train to Maryland where James worked at the Aberdeen Proving Grounds. Life in the Army sent them many places including France, Germany, Oklahoma, and New Mexico. James retired from government service in 1977 and the couple settled in North Carolina.
While living in Goldston, Mrs. Daniels soon became known as an accomplished seamstress. She handcrafted beautiful wedding dresses and matching bridesmaids’ dresses for entire bridal parties. Mrs. Daniels thought of the many hours she toiled as a gift to the numerous young brides and bridesmaids and only asked for a small fee as compensation. Mrs. Daniels also worked at H&R Block as a tax preparer in Sanford and Siler City.
She was preceded in death by her sister, Fumiko Kinosita Kikuchi formerly of Atami, Japan and son, Jon Baron Daniels. She is survived by husband James; two sisters: Emiko Kinosita Fujimagari of Yokohama and Tomoko Kinosita Tsutsumi of Tokyo; daughter Anna Linda Daniels Nicholson of Pittsboro; son Taumi Sill Daniels of Williamsburg, VA; grandchildren: Jon Pollock, Malcolm Nicholson, Hannah Nicholson, Arrianne Daniels, Allanna Daniels, Amarra Michiko Daniels; and six nieces and nephews in Japan.

Her neice, Keiko, added, "The most amazing thing to me is that she married a foreigner and went abroad at a time when those things were almost unheard of for ordinary Japanese citizens. And once you went out of the country, you would not be able to come back for quite some time and may never see each other again. She once said to me that she couldn:t stand the smallness and closedness of Japanese society and wanted to see the rest of the world and she sure did."

The Accidental Puppy

I can't believe we got a dog. I was driving by my neighbor's house the other day and saw 2 little black puppies romping in his yard. I stopped and remarked on their cuteness and my neighbor said, "You want one?" I thought about it for a few hours and decided to take the plunge. I took Mal over there and he picked the female. He named her Sophie and has taken charge of the training duties. Her birthday is probably April 26. Her mother is a registered Boykin Spaniel--the official state dog of South Carolina! My neighbor's have an electric fence which keeps the Boykin in...but it doesn't keep the strays out. They think the father is a terrier of some sort, but they aren't sure. Sophie looks like a tiny version of a lab, although she does have a sweet spaniel face. She's really good natured and smart and seems to be fitting in with our insanity quite nicely. The cats, Karl and Wally, are highly annoyed, but they seem resigned to the fact that Sophie is here to stay. I'll be SO glad when she is potty trained. We didn't have this issue with the cats. I think once she has figured out the toileting routine we'll have to pull up the carpet and burn it. Actually, she isn't doing too badly...for a puppy.

25 Years on the J.O.B.

June 16, 2011, we helped Denise celebrate 25 years at Blue Cross. I've been working with her and sitting next to her for most of the past 10 years. She's not only a coworker, she's a good friend. I love her a lot. She's the best. I'm sorry to say she is having to go through chemotherapy again for her cancer. As part of her anniversary celebration--we all wore pink--and I got a haircut. In fact, I got my head shaved. My daughter did the honors and she did a pretty good job. I feel kind of naked, but it will grow back. Denise was surprised. Now she won't be the only bald chick in the office!

Palmyra, NY

Last week I took a church history tour in and around Palmyra, NY with a couple of friends. We went to Kirkland, OH a couple of years ago and since we are such good traveling companions, we decided to do another trip together. We left on a Thursday afternoon and stopped overnight in VA. Drove up to NY along the banks of the Susquehanna arriving on Friday evening. We stayed at a lovely bed and breakfast. The weather was beyond wonderful, cool and cloudy, just like I like it. Of course, I return to NC and it's been 100 degrees everyday. I want to go back up north. It was nice to see that my family was able to survive without me. They didn't burn down the house or starve to death. I understand that my darling cats were inconsolable. It's nice to be loved. The plan now is to take a trip to Nauvoo, IL, maybe in 2013. That is provided if the world doesn't end as planned in 2012. If so, I guess the trip is off.

The kids are alright

Finally got the whole group together. We drove out to Dad's place and had lunch with him. For some reason he wanted to eat poke. For the un-initiated, poke is a kind of weed that you eat like turnip greens or kale. They have a milder flavor than collards. Hopefully they aren't poisonous or anything like that. It was a pleasant enough outing--always enjoy spending time with the young-uns. Having adult children is an interesting experience. We have a good relationship. At least I think so. Having a conversation with my dad and with my kids at the same time is--interesting. So what else is going on...I'm reading "The Eden Express" by Mark Vonnegut. It's a book I've been wanting to read for a couple of decades now. Finally got around to it. I'm trying to read more now...before my brain completely turns to mush.

May 21

Today is supposed to be the day the faithful will be caught up to meet the returning Lord in the sky. The rapture. In spite of the photo, I am sad to report that I was not taken up. Drat! Left behind! Looks like I'll be spending a few more years right here on earth with the rest of the heathens. That's okay. I didn't want to leave my friends just yet!!! Actually, I do not ascribe to the "rapture" stuff. My humble opinion: a misinterpretation of scripture. We'll all just have to keep on keeping on and doing the best we can.

It's like music

Actually it sounds exactly like a space ship in a 50s sci-fi movie. The cicadas have emerged and they are singing their little heads off. What we have here are the 13 Year variety, also known as Brood XIX (nineteen) or Magicicada. They are absolutely docile but really noisy. In fact in the afternoons around here they are downright deafening. So much for the quiet country life. The summer that Malcolm was born in DC the 17 Year cicadas came out. They were bigger than this group and had a different song. Interesting creatures. If you want to hear them for yourself, go to the link. Mike recorded them:

The Goose Family

The eggs hatched. Well, at least 2 of them. I saw the little gooselets in the nest but couldn't get a good picture. I didn't want to upset momma. Daddy was standing guard nearby...I'm glad he was there for the delivery. They are very devoted parents.

In Memory of Kitty Girl

Our sweet old cat passed away. She stopped eating and drinking over the weekend, so I figured she was winding down. We got her from Second Chance adoptions about 12 years ago. She was an adult cat at that time, at least a couple years old, so we're thinking she was about 15 or 16 years old. A decent age for an indoor-outdoor cat. She was super smart, a great mouser, very well behaved, and so loyal. Me, Mike and Mal were with her when she took her last breath. We called Bertie to let her know and she came right over. We put Kitty Girl in a paper bag because she loved to sleep in grocery bags and buried her under her favorite tree. Mike delivered the appropriate eulogy. The kids were more emotional than I thought they would be, then I remembered they had practically grown up with Kitty Girl. She was a special cat. We'll miss her.

Mother Goose

A Canadian Goose has taken up residence at the office where I work...she built a nest and laid 4 eggs in one of the planter boxes out back. I'm surprised she picked such a public area to take up housekeeping...seems like she would have found a quieter place to raise a family. But, that's okay. I enjoy seeing her each morning when I walk to the building from the parking lot. I just hope she and the babies will be okay. More animal news: my daughter adopted a rottweiler-lab puppy. She's going to be huge. Her name is Early. My other granddog, Daisy, just loves her. They are such good dogs, smart and sweet and much better behaved than my cats who are all in need of therapy. We have been having some crazy wild weather lately. But today is absolutely beautiful. Happy Easter!

Me, Beth and Molly

Molly and her husband, Don, have a cute little condo on the sound near the aquarium. We had a wonderful brunch at their place. Beth took us on a tour of Swannsboro the next day and we ate at the Icehouse. She has a place that she is renovating, all by herself, I might add...what a woman! She also has a permit to drive on the beach, so we took a drive. YeeHaw!

More Beach Pictures

Here we are on Emerald Isle. We were on a narrow strip of island...between the ocean and the sound. This is the place we stayed. Thank you very much, Adele and Greg!

Happy Anniversary!

25 years. Wow. Time flies. Seems like only 24 and a half years. We decided to do something special to mark the occasion, even though we're totally broke, as usual. As luck would have it, we got a FREE place to stay at the beach. So, we spent the weekend at a lovely duplex condo on Emerald Isle. Nice place, wonderful weather. An enjoyable time was had by all. We had brunch at the home of a co-worker on Saturday and we went 4 wheeling on the beach with another co-worker on Sunday. Seeing all these co-workers...it was like I never left the office. Just kidding. We went to the Aquarium and to historic Swannsboro. We ate some good seafood. It was just nice to get away.

My baby girl and the granddog