To: The Most Gallant Sir Michael...From: Aunt Carrie

Michael gets a package from Aunt Carrie...

***

What could the future hold for this

fair Gallant Young Knight???

Watch closely in the next few days ...

a new and exciting

adventure

will unfold!

Mama Wore Her Hat..She Was Darn Cute Like That.

Friday started out with a trip to

Birmingham,

another visit to see the family Doc.

with that behind us for another while

we headed north again to Mama's,

this time stopping over at a Lowe's for

fencing supplies...

A late afternoon start,

disrupted by,

contractors stopping by to give their cost estiments on

roofing, siding and so forth

pretty much

brought the fencing job to a halt...

That day very little was accomplished on the fence,

but, I feel like a lot was accomplished toward

the repair of Mama's house..

It was dark thirty and we went home..

Saturday, was another day and

the fencing work really got underway..

old fence fabric untied,rose bush fighting,

Poison Ivy disposing,

fabric pulling, neighbor greeting,

measuring,old post pulling,,

another trip to Lowe's,

hole digging,

hot water fetching,

pole leveling, concrete eating,

(that concrete sure makes a lot of dust!)

swing moving

gate measuring, more hole digging,

mind changing

another trip to Lowe's for a

new gate

more measuring,

hole filling, more hole digging,

finally, all the corner and line post are up!

Ready to get fabric

and It's Dark...

New plan stop at Lowe's in the morning

bring fabric and finish on

Sunday!

Best Laid Plans of

Mice & Men!

Sunday,

all plans were thwarted...

starting with a flat tire...

caused by someones lost screwdriver on highway 31..

(I am now the owner of one slightly beat up

old orange handled screwdriver!

and a brand new tire.)

I continue to tell myself that it

won't hurt a thing for

fabric and clean up to wait one more week.

This way the puppies and I

get to stay in our country house a little longer...

We will be here next week end and get

to be at the Ryan family gathering

on Sunday.

Michael will be at Mama's during

some of the next

phase of reconstruction

and we will be more rested for

the application of the fabric..

and the trip back to the Carolina's.

During the roofing and fence work on Saturday

Mama decided to come out and

supervise.

We moved her swing into the shade

of a big old tree trunk..

(The rest of the tree, limbs and leaves were gone)

She and Baby stayed quite awhile

and I would take a break and visit with them..

Mama and Baby.
I think she looks cute in her hat
and she looks really good for 93!
(I like this picture!)

Sunday, we stopped in
for a quick
Mother's Day visit
with Michael's parents



Michael and his parents...
Peggy and Charles Ryan
(a.k.a. Mam-maw and Pap-paw)

Still in the Country

As the morning announced itself
I lay with eyes shut
just listening..
An occasional car or tractor
would find it's way
down the road
accompanied along our fence line
by the warning barks
of ever so watchful Pyr's
Thibodeaux seemed to say..
"Don't you stop that thing here!"
"Keep it movin', you rascal!"
An occasional
"woof"
coming forth from Chloe
as she resided over her realm from
atop the door steps.
Peeking from under shaded eyelid
the light of day did not seize
my attentions
yet, the shading of a grey rainy sky
gently stroked my hazy spirit
to awaken and enjoy
the slow quietness of a country morning.

As Time Seems to Fly

This week is flying by

There has been a lot of work involved

and some very happy moments

spent with family and friends!

The time spent with family and friends

is what seems to go way to fast...

and the drudgery of work way to slow...

Thursday afternoon and evening

was spent in Priceville

with Genifer cutting out a new

clown costume for

"Petunia"

With the added bonus of getting to play

with Miss Mavenea Grace

(MG for short!)

Then all day Friday,

at the house the

general construction of the

afor mentioned costume

was undertaken..

Gen came in after work

and we had a little visit

while the last touches were put to her

outfit..she seemed happy and took it home for

the last decorative additions!

I can't wait to see

pictures of Petunia in all her

bubblesome splendor!

Saturday ,

We saw Mary Joyce for a new outlook

(Michael got a quick haircut

and then I stayed awhile!

Like I always do!)

Monday morning I got to see Miss Marlee Reece

and wish her a most happy birthday!

(this Saturday)

Then Michael and I went to Mama's

to gather information pertaining

to this weekends

erecting of the chain link fence in

Mama's back yard once again...

then we took the news to Mama that

her power had been turned on at the house

while we were there...

A short but nice visit was had with

Joe Wayne, Elizabeth, Mama and Baby.

Then it was back on the road again.

Sunday, Michael returned to South Carolina

while the puppies and I stayed another week in the country..

The days and hours not mentioned have been wasted away in a spring cleaning frenzey out here at

Ryan's junction...

Tuesday it was up early for a ride over to my sister

Mary's were we proceeded to climb into her van

and drive into Huntsville..

a short cut across the base and

we found ourselves at

"RED ROBIN"

for sandwiches in the good company

of Cathy Jean and Brandon.

Afterwards it was off to Cathy's

for an afternoon walk around the flower garden

and Mary tried her hand at some...

???

Lock picking..

Cathy has bought an antique

desk with the "forever" locked

secret compartment!!!

Might I ask...

What would make you

want to get into something more

than Not being able to ...?

Of all the beautiful flowers

and sweet shady resting spots

this little fellow might have been my

faveorite discovery...

and like all good times our visit had to

come to an end..

We headed back to Mary's

with a drop in on Suzanne and her

two youngest fellows!

Matthew was sporting a fresh "shiner"

aquired in a T-Ball game

and Zee...

well bless his heart had

a goose egg on his forehead

from testing the solid construction of the floor..

Head butting seemed to be the "new" thing..

I fear the floor won that round...

Later that afternoon,

I arrived back at rhe house to find

my ever so faithful

Miss Chloe keeping watch over the place from

atop of the steps

while Master Thibodeaux made his rounds

along the fence line..

I was greeted with alot of tail wagging and excited bounciness..

as we entered the house and found us a special treat

(Who would like a Puppy cookie!?!)

Our Peonies, Roses and Azalea's are in bloom.

Our yard does not sport a really cute frog...

It has two old Gnomes, and a snail ,

who's head is a little gnawed

(thanks to Boudy)

and we do have

one "princess"

and one mighty fine,

bouncy

Thibodeaux.

(we are going to have to look into a frog...)

Last Saturday,

Mama and Baby seemed right

at home with Elizabeth.

That day as we drove through Albertiville I took

more pictures,

those and some I recieved by e-mail and some

from the Huntsville newspaper are below

all together in a slide show..

I hope these are the last of devistating pictures..

I hope as things get closer to normal

the pictures will begin to once again show smiling faces!

***

***

Momma bought us some Puppy Pools

to help beat the summer heat!

In a few days

Chloe and I will put up a new posting

on our blog..

be sure to drop by and check on us..

at

http://www.pyrpups.blogspot.com/

***

We are really enjoying our time in the country!

EF3 Tornado Hits...Home

Where do you start?

How do you express the total relief

that your mother was untouched and left safe..

then,

when you lay eyes on the destruction,

left behind a violent wind

,a monster of devastation,

as it tore through

the homes on the streets of your childhood?

How do you explain

that while you are so happy and full of relief,

you can also be so full of utter

disbelief and sorrow?

You say,

"Pull up up those cowgirl boots and get over it!"

"There is much to be done"

I would like to take a moment to

Thank everyone..

and I do mean, everyone

who helped and are helping those in the areas

around Mama's.

People have come from all over to help..

Power Companies, Police departments, Red Cross and so many

I can't even begin to think I could name them all..

We want to thank you..

And mostly

Thanks be to God for placing his hand down

over my mother!

***

With One Foot in the New Milinium the Other Slides Back to the 1700's

An Afternoon At Mount Vernon
Friday morning dawned bright and beautiful, what a great day for an adventure!

Michael and I headed north towards Mount Vernon, Virginia.

The home of our first President

George Washington.

We arrived and parked in a lot that was over flowing…

I have no idea why

I would have thought the beautiful home and grounds

of one of “our” most historic figures

would not be covered with tourist on this warm spring day…

I rather enjoyed the dream of walking right up,

maybe being introduced as welcome visitors,

sitting for a “spot o’ tea” ,

then taking a personally guided tour of the grounds…

Hey, a woman can get caught up in her day dreams..especially given a couple hours between point A and point B..

So, Cousin George wasn’t there to greet us

and Martha offered us no tea..

While walking along the actual grounds and along the same hallways,

while running your hand over the very same banister

that once felt the warmth of their hands long ago …

if you just barely squinted your eyes and cocked an ear

you could just almost “hear”

the rustle of a many layered dress as

Martha would have passed this way…

or maybe even the far off whispered sound

of a General’s voice

as he arrived home

coming through the door…

So we did not sit for tea,

all the same I truly enjoyed our time at Mount Vernon.

We began our visit in the Orientation Center

viewing Mount Vernon in miniature .

.a one-twelfth scale exact replica of the mansion

with 22 rooms containing

hundreds of tiny objects

including oil paintings, china, books,

and more than 100 tables and chairs.

A little girls (or an older gamma’s) dream come true …

except it was out of reach behind glass!

While there we watched an 18 minute “action adventure” film

which introduced us to the young Washington

who was to become

“The Father of His Country”.

then upon leaving the the center

we walked upon the grounds that

oh, so many years ago the Washington’s called home.

Mount Vernon

sits upon a gently sloping hill beside the Potomac river..

sporting a long porch on the rivers side

to sit in the shade and catch an afternoons pleasant breeze.

After leaving the kitchen we quickly headed in the direction

of the “Old Vault”

that first housed the earthly remains of our first president..

In his will George made arrangements

for a new burial tomb to be built..

knowing that erosion would ill afford

a good resting spot for him and his prodigy

at the present site of the old tomb.
The new tomb was finally constructed in 1831,

where the Washingtons remains rest today.
From there we headed out

by way of the Museum and education center…

Here, we were also not permitted to take pictures

and this area was being watched over

by some extremely serious looking

security guards..

Didn’t help matters when Michael said rather loudly..

“Hey Donna here’s you a good picture of the copula and dove weather vane..”…

Well, that big guard furrowed his brow,

set his jaw and leveled a very hard look at me!

Needless to say ,

I took no “accidental” pictures in the museum!
***

***
Some facts below I have found on a most wonderful web site

from Mount Vernon

and would highly recommend you

spend some time navigating among its pages

for an in-depth look at the life and times of

George and Martha Washington and of Mount Vernon…

On this web site I have also found a “Virtual tour” of the mansion..

Please, click on this site and enjoy a tour…

we were not allowed to use our cameras “inside”

except for in the visiting servants quarters and the kitchen.

and the couple of times my camera “accidently clicked”

while hanging around my neck the pictures

it produced were mainly

different parts of the nice lady standing in front of me…

Be sure and watch for the key

hanging downstairs on the wall between

the bedroom and dining room!

It is the very key of the Bastille

,a present from General Lafayette in 1790.

It is said that Pres. Washington was so proud of this

that he hung it there on the wall

and there it has been ever since!

On the floor above,

the very bed he slept and perished on

can be seen in his bedchambers

…upon his death..

the room was closed and

Martha moved to another bedchambers

on the next floor up…

(so they said was customary of the times.)


www.mountvernon.org/virtual/index.cfm/ss/29/

Washington greatly expanded his Mount Vernon plantation. He increased the acreage from 2,100 to 8,000, rebuilt the simple farmhouse he inherited into a 2-1/2 story, 20-room Mansion, and designed and built all 12 outbuildings.
Washington chose to aband tobacco farming around 1765, ending his economic dependence on English agents to sell his tobacco and giving Mount Vernon greater autonomy and self-sufficiency. His main crop became wheat, but he experimented with over 60 field crops. Fish from the Potomac was also an important source of food and cash.
Increasingly conscious of the injustice of slavery, his will freed the 122 slaves that were in his posession at the time of his death. He trained slaves as gardeners, shoemakers, carpenters and weavers to help prepare them for their freedom.
Creative and persistent in solving problems, Washington overcame the poor soil at Mount Vernon by starting an innovative plan of crop rotation (switching crop type every year) and mulching, which made his farmland able to sustain its yields. He also introduced the mule to America in a successful effort to find an animal better suited to farm work than the horse.

www.mountvernon.org/learn/explore_mv/lndex.cfm/

If sometime in the future,

you should find yourself in the neighborhood

stop by and give the Washington’s a visit!

***

Patriots' Day

April 19th


The battles of Lexington and Concord were the first military engagements of the American Revolutionary War. They were fought on April 19, 1775, in Middlesex County, Province of Massachusetts Bay, within the towns of Lexington, Concord, Lincoln, Menotomy (present-day Arlington), and Cambridge, near Boston. The battles marked the outbreak of open armed conflict between the Kingdom of Great Britain and its thirteen colonies in the mainland of British North America.

(Wikipedia)

April Birthday

View Full Album

April 21st

Happy

Birthday

Russell

Jay

We love you!

Mike & Donna

Cherry Blossoms, Dinosaurs, a Spyglass, and Our Family

Easter weekend

Michael and I

took the opportunity

to have us a little

Out and about.

We started out in Virginia

with a show and the next day

spent the most of the afternoon at Mount Vernon.

(Now, for those of you who don't know when you are getting a blog posting together , the first picture you "upload" will be the last picture seen..so this morning at 7:30 I started uploading pictures...seven and a half hours later I have quit before I got to Mt. Vernon..we will have to let that part of the trip come in a few days!)

***

Friday afternoon,

Michael and I arrive in Washington DC..

It was beautiful!!!

Remember, it's spring!!

It's Easter and it's the Cherry Blossom Festival!

We drive through headed to our hotel,

the Fairfax on Embassy Row.

Beautiful Cherry blossoms

cover the landscape!

We had a nice evening meal ...

then retiring to our room

for some rest and relaxation

before yet another day filled with

many sights to behold...

Somehow, somewhere the hotel room

pictures must have wound

up floating out in space

because this is where I "uploaded" them...

Oh, well that part doesn't really matter..

it was a four diamond

ultra nice hotel (Thank you, Michael!)

A nice fluffy robe was laid out on the bed,

adorned with the hotel crest...

But, this picture that follows is what

really,really

impressed me!

It must have ..

while preparations were under way to wash off some of

the days accumulated git and grime..

what should I spy on the shower wall?

I quickly turned and exited the bathroom..

to retrieve the camera!

ANYONE, with children or elderly

in the house needs a faucet such as this!

I don't know if I am behind the times

but, all in all,

I was impressed!

Now, aren't you kind of surprised

I didn't

take a picture of the phone by

the toilet?

***
The next morning,

dawned early and bright..

We prepared ourselves for a day of sight seeing..

Leaving the hotel, we walked a couple of blocks past several

ornate embassy buildings to DuPont Circle...

We spied the Metro and headed toward it

for a quick trip down to the National Mall

and the Smithsonian's..

...as we drew closer,

what should catch our eye

but the bright red neon of

promised ,warm, glazed southern confections!!

Yep,

KRISPY KREME!!!!

While preparing to board the train

our phones rang...

so after departure and assent to the street

we took a moment to return the calls.

then we were on our way
to the National Mall.

Building of the Washington monument

began in the year 1848..

however, due to lack of funds, and other

intervening circumstances..

such as the

War between the states..

there was a hiatus in the construction

for some forty years..

causing the apparent color shift some 150 feet up,

(even though rock came from the same quarry)

and a new law in Washington D.C.

proclaiming no construction on any monuments to

begin until all funds where obtained.

(can you see the color difference?)

And around to the Smithsonian Museum of Natural History..

Now, for those who have not been, yet plan to go..

when picking out which Smithsonian to visit..

I would highly suggest no more than ONE a day..

They are not only big,

"Ginormous",

they are packed so full of

sights and educational info

one a day is quite enough..

***
In 1826, James Smithson, a British scientist, drew up his last will and testament, naming his nephew as beneficiary. Smithson stipulated that, should the nephew die without heirs (as he would in 1835), the estate should go “to the United States of America, to found at Washington, under the name of the Smithsonian Institution, an establishment for the increase and diffusion of knowledge among men.”

The motives behind Smithson’s bequest remain mysterious. He never traveled to the United States and seems to have had no correspondence with anyone here. Some have suggested that his bequest was motivated in part by revenge against the rigidities of British society, which had denied Smithson, who was illegitimate, the right to use his father’s name. Others have suggested it reflected his interest in the Enlightenment ideals of democracy and universal education.

Smithson died in 1829, and six years later, President Andrew Jackson announced the bequest to Congress. On July 1, 1836, Congress accepted the legacy bequeathed to the nation and pledged the faith of the United States to the charitable trust. In September 1838, Smithson’s legacy, which amounted to more than 100,000 gold sovereigns, was delivered to the mint at Philadelphia. Recoined in U.S. currency, the gift amounted to more than $500,000.

After eight years of sometimes heated debate, an Act of Congress signed by President James K. Polk on Aug. 10, 1846, established the Smithsonian Institution as a trust to be administered by a Board of Regents and a Secretary of the Smithsonian.

*****

When we exited the museum

it was well past time for lunch ...

even though I had worn..

some good walking shoes the old dogs

were barking.

Our plans had been to have our mid-day

repast at the union station'

same as last year...

Sooo..

we had an idea
...an on and off trolley tour..

right to the station..
then a pick up

out front..

I do enjoy the trolley tours

Union Station is the grand ceremonial train station designed to be the entrance to Washington, D.C., when it opened in 1908.

It is one of the busiest and best-known places in Washington, D.C., visited by 32 million people each year. The terminal is served by Amtrak, MARC and VRE commuter railroads, and the Washington Metro transit system of buses and subway trains. The facility serves as the headquarters of Amtrak.

Union station boast over one hundred shops and restaraunts

The White House prepares for

the annual Easter egg hunt

(would that be the natioal egg party?)

"I regret that I have but one life to give for my country"

Patrick Henry

National Archives

National hot dog stand?

Chinatown

Fresh handmade noodles daily

The ornate arch spanning the street

was presented to

America from the Peoples Republic of China

From Bejing to Washington,D.C.

one capital city to another

On the evening of April 14, 1865, while attending a special performance of the comedy, "Our American Cousin," President Abraham Lincoln was shot. Accompanying him at Ford's Theater that night were his wife, Mary Todd Lincoln, a twenty-eight year-old officer named Major Henry R. Rathbone, and Rathbone's fiancee, Clara Harris. After the play was in progress, a figure with a drawn derringer pistol stepped into the presidential box, aimed, and fired. The president slumped forward.

The assassin, John Wilkes Booth, dropped the pistol and waved a dagger. Rathbone lunged at him, and though slashed in the arm, forced the killer to the railing. Booth leapt from the balcony and caught the spur of his left boot on a flag draped over the rail, and shattered a bone in his leg on landing. Though injured, he rushed out the back door, and disappeared into the night on horseback.

A doctor in the audience immediately went upstairs to the box. The bullet had entered through Lincoln's left ear and lodged behind his right eye. He was paralyzed and barely breathing. He was carried across Tenth Street, to a boarding-house opposite the theater, but the doctors' best efforts failed. Nine hours later, at 7:22 AM on April 15th, Lincoln died.

Petersen boarding house

The Mayflower hotel,

very interesting history!

That evening we dined at

"The Jockey Club"...

Google it when you have time..

read the history and be sure and

drool over the menu...

I partook of the

Pomergranate Glazed Duck!!!

With the first bite...

my eyes did a double back flip in my head

and until today just thinking about

that wonderful meal

brings on the threat of petit mal sezures!

Sunday morning we head back south,

back to Virginia

leaving Washington behind

driving through Manassas

(a stop for another time)

We pick up Carrie and join

Bill, Felice, Michael & Big Bill

at Rosa's for an Easter feast..

Michael enjoyed his new spy glass from Mt. Vernon

Michael tells his Papa all about his troubles.

He does not want to stay at school

(daycare) while his Mommy works..

he wants to go home and play!

Papa listens carefully as Michael relates his woes

Papa explains to Michael,

how he has to go to school so he will be safe while

his Mommy is at work,

that we all

(Mommy, Baba, Grandpa, Aunt Carrie, Uncle Joe,

Gamma and Papa)

love him very much and

if there ever came a time he needed us..

at least one if not all of us would be there for him.

A loving tender moment

After we enjoyed our meal and the good company

it was time to get back on the road.

Carrie joined us for a week

and then the next Sunday

a quick trip back

to Virginia.

This time The Hall family

met us downtown

at Millers for a bite to eat.

When we first arrived they

already had a table..

and Michael was cutting some Z's

in his stroller.

Michael wakes up for cheese stick appetizers

However, he decides he only wants

the "stick" (crust)

Sharring with his Aunt Carrie..

he gives her the "inside" cheese.

On the mall.

Our Children.

Michael and I head back...

Tomorrow will dawn early.

***

Post script: For some reason the blogger this posting has been on a vexing

champain...first taking an exteremly long time uploading pictures to loosing all my typing not once but, three times..

So please overlook the fact that the whole first week end is not here..I will get around to posting Mount Vernon..(It was my faveorite site seeing event of the week-end) and I appologize for not replacing all the information about the sites in Washington this last time..for the life of me I can't remember which President ate tuna salad sandwiches every day for years in the Mayflower hotel and I also can't remember which one termed the phrase "lobbiest" at the same hotel...

so please do "google" some of the sites , if you are at all interested...

It is a very interesting town with a Very interesting history

and after all it is

"Our" town.

Mount Vernon next time.