Hike Pray Quilt

Charlotte in October

noreply@blogger.com (Lou VC) — Fri, 23 Oct 2015 19:22:00 +0000

One more blog post and I will be caught up for the year! We recently returned from a week long trip to Charlotte to visit our youngest daughter. We were able to celebrate her birthday with her and 12 or so of her friends but I didn't get any of those pictures that was Steve's assignment. All the pictures you see on this site are my own humble pictures with my little Canon point and shoot.

It was a working week for Em and we had a rental car of our own so we could come and go with total dependence on a phone navigator program. We met up with her in uptown just before her lunch break so she could give us a brief tour through the LS3P (yes that is the name http://www.ls3p.com/) office which occupies the whole seventh floor of a beautiful tall office building. I took a picture of her at her office space and at the reception desk and also the lobby sculpture and a couple outside. This firm has graciously consented to her doing some part time work for them to help her complete the work hours she requires for licensure as an architect. These are hours she wouldn't be able to get through her job at BASF. The folks we met were all friendly and the office space is gorgeous and has scenic views from all windows. It is the middle building in the picture.

Later we followed her to her other office in another part of Charlotte. It is more of an industrial neighborhood although the single story office space is nice and has pretty landscaping. Previously she shared an office with a coworker but just recently moved into a space of her own. I took a couple pictures there as well. She has familiar photos of her niece and nephews at her computer. She has her name next to her office door which is kinda cool. So, she is actually working two jobs right now and studying for two more licensure exams. In her spare time she is training to run another half marathon in Savannah, Georgia.

Steve and I did some work around the house and in the yard while we were there. It is a pleasure so help her get to some things that she just doesn't have the time for right now. We got to know several Home Depot stores around town.We enjoyed Leena the dog during our stay. She is a leaner and a lover and craves all the attention she can get. Em's new gas logs were installed during our visit so we got to enjoy the new flames during the cool evenings. We purchased a couple mums and a fall door wreath to bring in the season change and spruce up the house for the birthday party.

The birthday party on Saturday was a “dry run for Thanksgiving” party so Em supplied the turkey and a couple sides and her friends all brought additional sides, desserts and beverages. We learned how to deep-fry turkey breast and how to infuse flavorings and add spices prior to cooking. It was a fabulous feast and a fun time for us to meet her multi-talented friends and neighbors. We hope to reuse some of these great recipes when our family of westerners gathers in Charlotte for the real Thanksgiving this year.

Another highlight of our trip was the day trip to Asheville, North Carolina about an hour and a half from Charlotte going west toward the mountains. Griffin was the driver so we could enjoy the view of the forests, trees and mountains. We spent part of the day in the town walking around and going through the booths at a Jewish festival that happened to be going on that weekend. We had some delicious food (best macaroon cookies ever) and the sights and music. Asheville is hilly so it was a good walk keeping up with the more fit ones. Then Griffin drove us up the Blue Ridge Parkway that heads up the mountain. We stopped at several overlooks to see the trees changing colors in the distance. It was the red color that was the most showy as the yellow haven't quite popped out yet from the greens. It was just lovely. I am glad I finally got to see some of the oaks and maples in color, we just do not have much of that in Wyoming.

Vail Village in September and a hike at Piney Lake near Vail

noreply@blogger.com (Lou VC) — Fri, 23 Oct 2015 00:00:00 +0000

We spent a week with my parents at their condo in Vail in September and were joined for two days by our daughter and her family. It was as beautiful as ever, we enjoyed the cool evenings and partly sunny days watching the aspens on the slopes slowly turn more golden. Maverick enjoyed the playground, the ice cream shop and swimming in the outdoor pool.

After the Ovrebos left we had a nice birthday party for my mom celebrating her 86^th at a local restaurant called Sweet Basil. My brother and his wife were also in Vail for the birthday which made it very fun. Steve and I also took some drives to view the aspens on the road past Minturn and up to Piney Lake about twelve miles up a steep dirt road north out of Vail. We had always wanted to hike in the wilderness by Piney Lake and we got our wish on this trip. It was the last day of the season for the ranch resort at Piney Lake. Mom and Dad were able to join us for a picnic on the day we drove up past Minturn. We could not find a picnic table but we did find some large boulders to sit on and enjoyed our submarine sandwiches.

Flowers in the gardens

noreply@blogger.com (Lou VC) — Thu, 22 Oct 2015 23:29:00 +0000

I have let the columbine plants along the front walk and the hollyhocks along the backyard fence come back from seed for the past several years. Both seem to have undergone some cross pollination of colors and varieties. Where once I only had pale pink and white hollyhocks and some newer burgundy ones, now I get some whites with colored centers and various hues of purples and reds. Where I started with yellow and blue columbines, I now get pure white, fuchsia, pale blue, yellow and various shades in between. I love the variety so I am just letting them go. I am a lazy gardener basically!

Kayaking and Hiking

noreply@blogger.com (Lou VC) — Thu, 22 Oct 2015 23:01:00 +0000

We had the kayak out on five excursions before stowing it for the winter. On one trip we paddled against stiff winds coming back with waves that were starting to white cap. We found out that depending on the direction we are trying to go the wind blows the cold water off the paddles into our faces. On my birthday we spent a couple days in the Snowy Range and took the kayak out to Mirror Lake in fifty degree weather wearing our jackets under our life vests. Climbing in and out with our feet briefly in the water left us with cold feet and numb toes, but the lake views were worth it. We also did some hiking, that mountain range is so scenic!

We also had several great hikes over the summer to places we have been before about a half hour drive west of Cheyenne. We usually bring a lunch and find a pretty spot with a view to eat. We enjoy the summer flowers that change every month and the leaves that change in the fall. We encounter various hikers, bicycles or sometimes horse riders along the way.

Frontier Days and a Birthday in the Park

noreply@blogger.com (Lou VC) — Wed, 21 Oct 2015 21:46:00 +0000

Our son's family came for a visit in late July for a few days and to attend their cousin's birthday.

Of course we did a few Frontier Days activities; the pony rides and the carnival and watched the Thunderbirds perform their aerial show over the city and attended one of the four parades in Downtown Cheyenne. I only got a few decent pictures. When all the grand kids are around things move along pretty fast. The time always goes way too fast for my liking!

The Van Courts also got to spend a couple days in Vail seeing more of the extended family before returning through Loveland for Maverick's fourth birthday. It was a hot day in the upper 90's, but we had a big shade tree overhead and a portable awning and it was all good despite the heat. The kid's got to design a super hero cape of their own. They took a ride on the train in the park and played on the playground equipment. There was plenty of pizza and a special Ironman cake made by mama Erin. Willie (20 months) was a hot mess.

A Family Wedding in Livingston, Montana

noreply@blogger.com (Lou VC) — Wed, 21 Oct 2015 21:00:00 +0000

Now that it is late October (cough, cough) I am finally updating the blog with some summer happenings. We were privileged to attend the delightful wedding of our nephew Joe Van Court to the lovely Erin Melsheimer in Livingston, Montana in July. Our daughters Erin (and family) and Emily (and boyfriend) were able to make the trip to the wedding as well so we had a fun time. The weather was a bit cloudy at times but still beautiful and it cleared in time for the wedding and the reception. The setting was along the Yellowstone River with a backdrop of the Absaroka Mountains. A theme of the wedding was “A river runs through it” and the love of nature and fly fishing.

My pictures do not capture the ceremony but I got a few of the setting itself and the reception. It was beautifully done with the simple yet elegant decorations and the late evening sun setting behind the mountains.We are so happy that Joe and Erin found each other. They are making their home in Texas, but their special getaway place is in Montana.

While in Montana we explored Livingston a bit. We also went to look at Chico Hot Springs with Emily and Griffin and went on a great hike to a waterfall in the Absaroka Beartooth wilderness with our whole group including our nearly four year old grandson.

Our maiden voyage and more

noreply@blogger.com (Lou VC) — Fri, 19 Jun 2015 03:41:00 +0000

For our 38^th wedding anniversary in May we bought ourselves a tandem kayak! We talked about getting new bicycles but decided that a kayak might be safer at our ages. We bought the whole works (kayak, paddles, life jackets, and car top carrier) with the help of a knowlegable young man at a sporting goods store in Colorado. We had to go back a few days later to pick up our kayak because we first had to figure out how to install the carrier on top the SUV. Then the weather turned stormy for awhile and we finally were able to launch our kayak on June 8^th. We loaded it up and went to a local lake intown that mostly fishermen use.

We managed to get launched without too much trouble and had a nice hour and a half practicing our steering and paddling. The lake is dissected by I-25 so the underpasses are waterways where you can pass under to the other half. There is seaweed growing in many parts of the lake sending long tendrils up to the surface. I sure did not want to fall in and get tangled up in that but we never even came close the kayak is very stable at least in calm water. We saw a turtle sunning itself. There was one other kayak but he had a trolling motor, he was out for the fish not the exercise I guess.

The second time out with the kayak was on June 13^th.. Emily, Erin and Maverick were able to join us and take turns riding in it. Emily's work brought her to Denver so she drove up to spend a couple days with us and her sister came up from Loveland to see her. This time we chose the main lake at Lion's Park because it has a little beach area and a playground that was perfect for Maverick. He was able to take a ride sitting on the bottom of the kayak in front of his mom and he did a good job of sitting still according to grandfather Steve. He splashed around at the beach with me while Erin and Emily took turns with their dad. It was a fun day. Next time out we will go 30 miles west of Cheyenne to the reservoir where Cheyenne gets its wonderful drinking water.

Our favorite princess turns four

noreply@blogger.com (Lou VC) — Fri, 19 Jun 2015 02:36:00 +0000

At the end of April we drove to Kansas because our grand daughter had her fourth birthday which entailed a party for her friends at home and another celebration with her pre-school class a couple days later.

Grammie Urso (Gee) made a fabulous Elsa birthday cake around the torso of an Elsa doll. She also made her delicious signature sugar cookies (better than any bakery cookies you can buy.) Callie is obsessed with princesses these days especially princess Elsa and her sister Ana from the hit Disney movie “Frozen.” Callie is rarely to be found in regular clothes, she sleeps in princess nighties and then wears princess gowns around the house during the day.

The pictures are pretty self-explanatory. There were girls and boys at both parties. I just didn't capture any boys except Will at her home party. It takes a brave boy to attend a princess party, they hung out in the playroom after they ate their cake while the girls stayed at the table.

At the pre-school party Callie got to show pictures of her babyhood to the group with her mom narrating. Then they all went outside to the playground and got to pet a miniature donkey who came to visit that day. Will especially enjoyed getting to be a big kid at pre-school that day.

Florida for Easter 2015

noreply@blogger.com (Lou VC) — Fri, 19 Jun 2015 01:47:00 +0000

I've been neglecting the blog but wanted to get some pictures up. We had a great visit to Florida for Easter this year visiting my parents. This is at the peak of the tourist season so there are more people on the roads and at the restaurants and beaches but the weather is oh so nice.

Highlights were sunset at the beach, the blooming Florida sunset hibiscus, the lovely canopy of flowers beside the pool/hot tub, jasmine in bloom around the entryway, funny sea birds, a magnificent Easter buffet, dinner with Meg and Adam, and a very cool car according to Steve.

A Very Good Dog

noreply@blogger.com (Lou VC) — Wed, 25 Mar 2015 20:14:00 +0000

This one is hard to write. We always knew the day would come. Our sweet old dog Penelope made the return trip home from New Mexico with us OK but it was hard on her we could tell. She loved being back to her grass yard after having only a landscape rock yard there. We saw her make doggie “grass angels” lying on her back and wriggling about to scratch similar to when the grand kids lie on their backs in the snow and move their arms and legs to make an angel. She loped along the fence line doing her surveillance several times too. She was also exhausted and laid for hours on her bed and struggled to rise. It was a beautiful day for March in the mid seventies. After having her dinner she had a coughing spell (more and more common) and I let her out and she went out into the grass and collapsed. She lay there for awhile and finally got up. We decided to take her in to the vet and knew that it was probably time. It was and we stayed with her to the end stroking her soft head and ears.

What makes a dog a “good” dog. It wasn't her pedigree, she came from a mixed lab breed litter. She had a golden lab mother and a Chesapeake brown lab father so far as they were able to determine. There were gold pups, browns and solid blacks and Penelope with her black with brown undertones and white on chest and paws. The litter was hand raised by a family we knew and Emily saw them at three days old. We wanted a female and we picked her. We are fairly certain that she out-lived all her litter mates at 14 years and 5 months.

It wasn't her perfect obedience that made her a “good” dog either. She learned all her commands at obedience class but she never learned to walk/heel nicely on a leash. She was just too distracted by all the great smells and would either pull like a sled dog or dart from one side of the side walk to the other almost tripping you.

She wasn't dainty, she drank like a horse and dribbled water far and wide. In her puppy years she chewed up some good stuff, a bean bag chair and a wood handle on a roll top desk. She tore up the grass in the back yard with her tennis ball chasing. We always had to put fencing around and through the gardens to keep her from trampling everything.

I guess it was her doggie disposition that made her such a good dog. She really just wanted to please us most of all. She loved being with her people and doing stuff with us. The kids took her along jogging. Once she jumped out of the car window going after geese at the park. She was compliant in keeping off the furniture and did not try to dart out the door or gate. She loved going on our hikes and she is in most of my posts about hiking. She would suddenly swerve off trail if there was a stream or lake nearby. She was a master at catching food in her mouth. She LOVED popcorn.

She was our empty nest dog to keep us company after the kids all became adults and left. She was a gentle dog with the grand babies and NEVER showed any aggression even when they followed her around hanging on her tail or poked fingers in her mouth to feel her teeth. She let one year old Will lie on her bed with his head on her side. If she got nervous she would just get up and walk away from them. Up until a year or so ago she had to jump to get her evening milk bones. The toddlers thought that it was so funny to see her jump straight up in the air multiple times. She wore costumes at Halloween and enjoyed greeting all the kids who came to the door.

She was fun and sweet. There will never be another one like her. Farewell old friend you were a very good dog. The photos are all from Steve's archives spanning many years and are in no chronological order.

Fun in New Mexico Part Three

noreply@blogger.com (Lou VC) — Mon, 23 Mar 2015 23:24:00 +0000

We were able to spend six weeks this year and were able to enjoy some new hikes in addition to going back to some previous favorites. We were on the east side of the valley this year so a favorite evening activity was to drive east toward the Organ mountains outside of Las Cruces and wait for the sunset. We had a particular spot with a close up mountain view and no human habitation around. In fact one evening we heard a pack of coyotes or a den of howling coyotes close by. We were treated to a couple of beautiful panoramic sunsets there. The color was most often to the west away from the Organ mountains but occasionally there would be some color in the clouds right over the sillouette of the Organs off to the east.

Driving through the valley near the Rio Grande is where all the agriculture takes place. I liked this tree lined private drive in between the fields. The pecan tree orchards are bare at this time of the year but are starting to be pruned and irrigated in preparation for the coming growing season. A whole orchard is flooded section by section using the irrigation canals that surround each one.

One day we drove twenty miles on dirt roads to the west and south of the city to check out the Aden Crater area. It is a volcanic area and once we found it we hiked a mile or so over to go inside. It was our favorite hike of the season. We were the only ones there besides the cattle grazing nearby. It was a beautiful wind-swept day. The black volcanic rock rises up to form a circular crater but not a dome. Inside we found some early blooming flowers in a sheltered spot. There are some crevaces in the rim but mostly the center is filled with grasses and cacti.

The first two weeks of March are the start of Spring in Las Cruces and we enjoyed the flowering trees around town. I had to get a picture of one of the water towers because they all have murals depicting historical scenes. They are artfully done.

The only downer of our stay was that I had to make a couple ER visits to get checked out for dizziness and for the doctors to put me on and then adjust medication for hypertension. I had to get a digital blood pressure cuff and start monitoring. I felt pretty awful and tired on starting the meds and couldn't do much for a week or so. I am still working on all that now that we are back in Wyoming.

New hikes that we went on this year were about a mile up the Baylor Canyon Pass Trail (before it started to rain) that crosses over the Organ Mountains and a Chihuahuan Desert Discovery Trail near the smaller Dona Ana Mountains. We enjoyed them both.

Lastly, here are a few photos of the little rental house. It really worked out very well for us, but it might be fun to try something new next time.

Fun in New Mexico Part Two

noreply@blogger.com (Lou VC) — Fri, 27 Feb 2015 03:30:00 +0000

On Valentine's Day we drove to the El Paso Airport to pick up our daughter and three year old grandson. They stayed five days with us and we loved having them. Mav had a Lego kit to put together upon arrival. The drive from the airport to the house was only one hour and the airport is very nice but not so big that you can't park up close to the terminal building.

The second day of their visit was to be the warmest so we headed to the White Sands for some sand sledding and a picnic.

On the third day we visited the Old Mesilla, Erin bought some pottery that we will deliver to her on our return. We visited shops and grandfather and grandson had ice cream.

On the fourth day we checked out the nice indoor Aquatic Center and had the place almost to ourselves. Grandfather was the only one brave enough to try the dark enclosed water slide that requires a blind jump into a wall of water at the start. Mav was worn out and had a nice nap with his kitty that goes everywhere with him these days. Later we went back to a famous Mexican restaurant called La Posta that has large tropical parrots on view. It was the Tuesday before Ash Wednesday and there was live music and merriment going on.

On their last day we only had time to drive to the airport and eat at Burger King. It takes less than two hours to return to Denver so not a bad travel day for them. We hope maybe next year that we can convince some other family members to come visit us.

Fun in New Mexico Part One

noreply@blogger.com (Lou VC) — Fri, 27 Feb 2015 02:56:00 +0000

Our rental house this season is a newer home in a nice little neighborhood on the north end of Las Cruces. Penelope likes her daily walks on the suburban sidewalks, we don't have to worry this year about her walking in the native grasses and getting burrs in her paws. The backyard has a stone wall around it and opens out onto a native area that gives us a view of the Organ Mountains and a bit of the valley lights at night. It is not a fancy home but it does have three bedrooms.

We wanted to repeat a hike we had done last year to the Dripping Springs on the west side of the Organs. The springs were flowing more this year like a small waterfall. We visited the old camp ruins again. We also went to the four block long Farmer's Market again on a beautiful Saturday morning.

On a weekday we drove to the ruins of Old Fort Seldon about 15 miles north of Las Cruces. The troops were used to guard wagon trains and settlers in the area in late 1800's.

We returned to a favorite restaurant at the Old Mesilla that has a charming interior courtyard. Of course we visited the Old Mesilla shops again and bought some of the green chili/garlic flavored pistachios that Steve loves.

On another excursion we found a nice state park with modern facilities and nice walking trails for birdwatching near the Rio Grande River.

Those are the highlights of our first two weeks of glorious sunny weather.

Adorable Grandkids

noreply@blogger.com (Lou VC) — Wed, 25 Feb 2015 04:10:00 +0000

I still take a lot of photos I just do not blog as much, but I do have some that I want to share with the family. They range from Will's first birthday in November 2014 to early January 2015. We traveled to Kansas to see the birthday boy who ended up having several birthdays over several weekends. He got a Radio Flyer ride-on car from us which his sister promptly absconded.

I attended Mav's preschool program in Loveland in mid-December and got to see all the kids perform their Christmas songs and sit on Santa's lap. Poor Steve got Shingles so he stayed home and was on maximum pain meds throughout the month.

We then had everyone, all the adult children (plus spouses, a boyfriend, and one extra dog) and the three grandchildren home for Christmas which was delightful. I took a few pictures but was too busy to take many. I also have a problem with blurry pictures because the kiddos are always moving so fast! I captured a messy but smiley Will, tired kids on the couch with their parents on Christmas night, Erin and Mav working on Legos, and Callie as princess Elsa singing.

In January we had Mav overnight so his parents could celebrate Erin's birthday and their sixth wedding anniversary. He and “grandfodder” worked on more Legos (the boy is obsessed with them.)

Lastly, our 14 year old pup wearing the cone after being very sick and just home from an overnight at the Vet. Luckily she did perk up and has returned to her normal old self.

Renovation and More

noreply@blogger.com (Lou VC) — Sun, 16 Nov 2014 23:39:00 +0000

We started a guest bathroom remodel on September 22^nd and it was finished by the end of that week. The bathroom needed updating and the plumbing for the double vanity sinks needed to be put into the wall instead of the configuration that went through the cabinet when we added a sink to the original plan a few years ago. Before photos.

The only thing that remained from the original bathroom was the tub, it was still fine. So the new plan added new larger tile in the shower and on the floor which had been vinyl. A new upgraded cabinet and quartz counter top was installed. A new shower head was also installed and a new shower rod. We had them take out an old medicine cabinet in the wall and repair the hole in the wall. Steve and I did the final work of priming and painting the ceiling and walls and adding in two new mirrors over the sink to replace the one large mirror. A new toilet and a new lighting fixture plus new towels and rugs completed the remodel. It was all great. After photos.

However somehow a leak had developed in the hot water source to the new plumbing and we came home from church a couple days after the workers left to find a giant bubble in our kitchen ceiling. We had three containers collecting the dripping water until the plumber found the source. Anyway the entire kitchen ceiling had to be replaced and that was a huge mess and took another couple weeks. We again did the final priming and painting ourselves.

Photos of the kitchen.

We are glad to have it all done and that the contractor paid for the damage repair. Now we are in the process of doing a deep cleaning of the whole house to get up the fine dust that got all over despite all the plastic sheeting and floor coverings.

Fun Times!

noreply@blogger.com (Lou VC) — Mon, 06 Oct 2014 18:33:00 +0000

We had our three year old grandson staying with us for a few days while his mom went to visit her sister. His dad has a new job and goes to work too early to get him off to the sitter or to his preschool on alternate days so our grandson came to stay with us.

These pictures are to show his mom some of the things we did. He and grandfather put together a Lego race car. He can look at the photo directions and know when a piece goes but can’t always manipulate it into place by himself.

The weather was sunny but cool and windy. We managed to get him to a place to pick out pumpkins and then we played at a large playground at one of the city parks. He played “follow the leader” with a couple other boys.

Later he watched recordings of Mickey Mouse Clubhouse and the episode called “Aye, Aye Captain Mickey” became his favorite. He called it “Hi, Hi Captain Mickey.”

Another day we went to story time at the Children’s Village near the Cheyenne Botanic Gardens. Then we walked around looking at the various windmills and interactive stuff for kids. There was a stone wall with a ledge and curtain and on the other side a box of puppets. So Grammy (me) used some of them to make a short play and he loved that.

Then we walked around the gardens looking at statues and crossing the bridge over the lily pond. We ate Pizza at Pizza Hut.

He also spent time helping grandfather set up the HO train track on the basement carpet and cooking soup in the play area kitchen.

We had a great time. It is a lot easier now that he is potty trained!

Vail Village, Flowers, and Birthday

noreply@blogger.com (Lou VC) — Thu, 04 Sep 2014 20:38:00 +0000

My husband and I spent part of a week in Vail in August visiting my parents. The past couple years we have visited in September so it was a treat to come in the summer and see the flowers at their peak. The flowers in Vail Village are splendid and overflow their baskets and pots. My camera battery ran down early on so I only got a few pictures though. At the height of the summer tourist season we saw many families with young kids sometimes all of them on bicycles since cars are not allowed. We enjoyed the restaurants with open air patios and the water features and fountains and also the beautiful river that flows right through town and often has tubers and kayakers on it to watch.

In my own yard I finally have mature hollyhocks that have the deep wine and hot pink colors that I love. For so long I only had white and light pink. I planted some richer hues from seed a couple years ago and they are finally noticeable this year. I have loved hollyhocks ever since I was about five and I remember helping Mom plant some hollyhock seeds in our backyard in Missouri and my extreme disappointment when they never came up. I always coveted the “hollyhocks by the fence look” that one sees in artwork. I finally have them too.

My birthday was on a rainy day in the middle of the week this year so we didn’t do much except go out for a nice steak dinner that day. I did get two deliveries of beautiful flowers from my kids that truly brightened my day though. I so appreciated the lovely bouquets and they are still going!

On Monday of the Labor Day weekend the skies had cleared and we were able to get in a nice little hike (Round Mountain nature trail.) It follows a narrow dirt road about a mile up to an overlook of the Big Thompson River west of Loveland, Colorado. There were five of us including our three year old grandson. We saw lots of cool stuff from his perspective, a green praying manthis, cactus, trees that cracked and fell down, piles of stacked rocks and other groups of hikers and various dogs. Maverick made it to the top with only a couple stints of piggy back and did the steeper climbing toward the top near the overlook without help. We enjoyed our sandwiches and grapes in the rock shelter which was nice and cool.

Later, we all had a grilled chicken dinner at our daughter’s house. After dinner I got to blow out candles on my custom blue birthday cake with green frosting and lots of sprinkles and purple lines thanks to my grandson’s artistry. It told him it was the most beautiful cake I’d ever had!

Trip to Charlotte and a New Home

noreply@blogger.com (Lou VC) — Tue, 01 Jul 2014 04:42:00 +0000

We spent last week in Charlotte to help our daughter settle in to the house she moved into three weeks ago. We ate at a rooftop restaurant with a view of the skyline on our first night. It was in the nineties the whole week, but the abundant shade helps cut the heat, the humidity is also high quite a change from the comfortable dry seventies that we enjoy in the summer. We had a whole list of projects that we worked on including some painting, cleaning, unpacking, and shopping for new shelving and bathroom mirrors plus installation, yard work, re-potting plants, putting together a new grill, and helping to host a dinner party for nine and other stuff. We also helped her perform an energy audit on her home with the help of her co-worker.

We got to watch the first US World Cup game at a local outdoor bar/restaurant since Em does not own a TV and does not want one. We also attended her church and were invited to lunch at her community life group leader’s home. On our last day we got to help her shop at an antique mall for a piece to display and store her china. She found a cute art-deco wood veneered chest that is just right for her home.

The crepe myrtle trees were all in bloom and are very showy with their large blooms in a variety of colors. I also enjoyed the lightning bugs at night because we don’t have them. Sitting on the front porch in the evenings was lovely as well, so long as we sprayed up with mosquito repellent.

On our last night we road the light rail from uptown to her old neighborhood at dusk and also ate at a terrific soul food restaurant in uptown. I took a picture of the queen Charlotte statue.

It was a great visit!

Easter Weekend 2014

noreply@blogger.com (Lou VC) — Tue, 22 Apr 2014 02:08:00 +0000

Well, I haven’t posted anything in awhile but I have some photos I want to share from this past weekend so that is my motivation. Spring is here and we are very glad. My best girl, Callie (that’s what I call her) is turning three and had her birthday party on Saturday in Kansas although we did not get to attend. Maverick our oldest grandson suffered a left leg fracture on March 12^th not long after our return from New Mexico. We helped out some in Loveland, Colorado during his recovery time. After the family was getting by OK with a new babysitter and after Chris returned from a week on spring break in California, Steve and I visited the Kansas grandchildren for a week. So life has been busy. We also got to meet-up with our youngest daughter in Denver one evening recently and had a delightful dinner with her and the great guy who is her boss. They were in Colorado to attend a seminar.

The first half of my Easter weekend was spent in my hometown of Omaha, Nebraska to attend a baby book shower for my niece who is expecting her first baby next month. I flew in to Omaha and my brother and sister-in-law picked me up and hosted me at their lovely home for the night. On Saturday we attended the shower and then my sister drove me to the airport to catch my flight home. I wanted to get back for Easter as we had planned an egg hunt for Maverick and an Easter dinner with our daughter and son-in-law.

The first batch of photos is from the shower that was hosted by former neighbors and longtime friends of both my niece and my sister. The idea for the books was because several attendees are in a book club together and books would be easier to transport by car back to Texas. The little miss yet to be born will have a perfect library of great children’s books from the earliest soft touch and board books to toddler counting and naming books to some fine classics of prose and poetry. There was even a great world atlas with the continents and animals from each country for her to peer into one day.

The shower was held at a charming older home and there was a wonderful lunch buffet combined with a lot of laughter and fun. I was so glad I was able to go.

The second half of the Easter weekend was on Easter Day itself attending services at our church on a beautiful and warm (no coats) day. Our daughter, son-in-law and grandson joined us after attending their church in Colorado. We got to see Maverick walking gingerly without his cast (removed three days earlier) and he had an egg hunt for plastic eggs out in the backyard. Note to self do not use chocolate candies in the eggs left out in the full sun for a few hours, even on a still cool day they will turn mushy inside the eggs.

Maverick stayed interested for a little while hunting eggs but then all he wanted to do was play in the sandbox that grandfather had gotten out again from last year. We added some trucks that I bought off of Craig’s list recently and he was a happy camper.

I hope everyone that reads this had a blessed Resurrection day too.

A Sampler of New Mexico

noreply@blogger.com (Lou VC) — Sat, 01 Mar 2014 04:06:00 +0000

I have a lot of pictures but these are some from just the past few days.

Here are some from the old Mesilla area with its old church and adobe buildings with pretty gates and doorways, to the colorful pots for sale and striking Mexican tiles in a restaurant bathroom.

These are pictures of a gorgeous sunset from a highpoint just west of town. The colors involved the whole sky eventually, starting in the sky over the Organ mountains to the east then overhead and finally off in the horizon to the west.

There are photos from a hike in the Aguirre Springs campground area on the far side of the Organ Mountains. We hiked up from a couple hours reaching a high ridge line before turning back as it would take several more hours to complete the whole loop.

I put in this picture that became the norm in the evenings and mornings which was lighting the pellet stove which gives the living room a very cozy feel for reading and watching TV. All we ever watched was the Olympics, the news from El Paso, or Downton Abbey on Sunday evening.

There are also some pictures from our day trip to Emory Pass which is an hour and a half or so to the NW of Las Cruces and is the site of some old gold mining towns. The pass is at 8,228 feet and looks to have had forest fires as recently as last year in parts. One can see far out to the Rio Grande valley in the distance, where dams and reservoirs save and store all the water for irrigation and drinking, there is not a drop of water as you drive on a bridge crossing the “river” anymore. Well this has taken way too long to upload this pictures (an hour and a half)so that will be it until we get home next week. We are not ready!!!

New Mexico Digs.

noreply@blogger.com (Lou VC) — Tue, 18 Feb 2014 02:58:00 +0000

This vacation house belongs to a brother and sister who inherited it from their parents. It has been loved. There are some photos and items around that reveal that this is a place they enjoyed. I believe the original owners were from Wisconsin. Everything is decorated in southwestern style with the bright colored rugs and pottery and old wood trunks and well used probably antique tables. It is not elegant but very comfortable and sits on a wooded lot up against a hillside.

The trees are tall so the house must date to the 1980s or so. There are tall bushes lining the driveway and patio that are oleanders. I looked them up and they apparently bloom all summer long. Someone lovingly planted all those bushes and trees because no other yard around the neighborhood has them.

Penelope loves the large yard which is all fenced and surrounds the ranch style house on three sides.

The kitchen is a bit dated but fully stocked with everything a cook needs and there is a nice grill just off the dining room too. There were tons of brochures about attractions and maps out in the kitchen for us to look over when we arrived.

There is a pellet stove that we use on cold mornings and evenings rather than just cranking up the furnace. The flame is like a fireplace. The bathrooms are small but not bad, just not the big spa like bathrooms that people demand today. The house is semi-rural so we get to drive by orchards and fields and irrigation trenches on our way into town. It is great!

Here are some photos from our first day.

Outings with Grandson

noreply@blogger.com (Lou VC) — Tue, 04 Feb 2014 04:55:00 +0000

When we babysat our oldest grandson for a few days while his parents celebrated their fifth wedding anniversary and a birthday, we took him on an outing each day. Here are just a few pictures from those outings.

Day number one when we picked him up and took him to the local Children’s Museum. He got in the tornado tube with grandfather. The wind gradually increases to hurricane force. There all sorts of displays about sound and waves and vibration to play around with there too.

Day two was to the construction site at the park. They have temporarily drained the lake where the ducks live and are digging it deeper and installing an aeration system to keep it cleaner. It was actually a fairly mild day but very windy to we kept our hoods on. He got to watch a dump truck being filled with the dirt.

I don’t have any pictures from the third day but we visited the old train depot and the train museum. He liked the wooden train table for the kids the best and spent time playing with the trains there. We also visited the model train set-up in the attic of the building and got a demonstration there. Grandfather has a small model train track in our basement that they play with and a variety of engines and cars to use.

Funny Stuff and Hello to 2014!

noreply@blogger.com (Lou VC) — Wed, 08 Jan 2014 04:46:00 +0000

While we were visiting in Kansas over Thanksgiving, Callie carefully painted my toes and fingernails. She chose red and green for the Christmas season. Here is a picture of my toes. I left it on for awhile because it reminded me of her after we returned home. She did her very best and was very serious in selecting the colors. When I did remove it, it took forever and lots of scrubbing with the remover. It seems they make little kid polish ironclad while the fancy manicures you pay thirty dollars for can smear easily and chip merely by looking at it.

My sister sent us a beautiful amaryllis. There is a photo below showing it in a sunny spot by a south facing window. I saw the second unopened bloom and was watching to see if the sun and water would help it to open. I asked my sister in an e-mail if she thought orchid food would work on it. She told me gently not to hold my breath waiting for the second bloom as the entire thing was fake! Ha ha, they sure made the roots look realistic is all I’ve got to say. But the good thing is we can enjoy it again next Christmas.

A big highlight of 2013 was our river cruise on the Danube in May. Wanting to share that with our family who made the trip possible led to Steve publishing his first photography book! It is like a coffee table book and I think it turned out very nicely. Hopefully he will get around to a book of his American landscapes next. It is a shame for all his beautiful images to not be seen.

Our New Year’s Eve was not very exciting. We had talked about maybe going downtown to watch the local lighted ball drop in the depot square. But we just could not fire up to go out because it was windy even if not frigid that night. So we stayed in and watched parts of three animated movies for kids. We did not want to watch anything violent or depressing. So we saw all of Monsters University, half of Up, and half of Wall E. When midnight arrived we shared a kiss that pained us because we had built up static electricity sitting on the couch and made a spark. Ha Ha. Then we went to bed.

Christmas 2013

noreply@blogger.com (Lou VC) — Fri, 27 Dec 2013 00:50:00 +0000

Well, all the boxes and wrapping paper have been cleared out and recycled so Christmas 2013 is history. We were blessed to have our daughter, son in law and grandson with us for a few days. It is surprising how noisy a house can be with only one two year old in residence! He certainly understands the concept of unwrapping and getting presents but Santa and Jesus are still pretty obscure at this point. We did get to the candlelight service on Christmas Eve but little grandson only made it five minutes into the service before having to “go play with the kids” due to making noise and squirming all over. Oh well, eventually we will teach him the sacred meaning.

I tried a new chili recipe this year on Christmas Eve, a chicken and white bean recipe with green chilies. We got to decorate Christmas cookies and grandson was a good “shaker” putting all the colored sugars and toppings on after we applied the frosting. He really is a cookie monster though constantly asking for a cookie. We made him a special plate of very small cookies. His mama has a sweet tooth too though so it is no wonder that he does.

It was nice to spend some time with the other Van Courts this year too. On the Sunday before Christmas Myrna had us all over for a lovely meal along with her group from Texas which includes her daughter and son in law and their two daughters and two great grandsons and a grandson and a son in law. Pete our nephew and Steve’s sister Sharon were there as well. The two one year olds are very delightful and entertaining and as different as night and day.

There was just enough snow left in the backyard on Christmas for grandfather to pull Maverick around on the sled. He is much better about holding on this year but still tumbles out every now and then.

On Christmas Day we also got a brief visit from cousin Joe and his lady who we had not met yet. It is always good to make connections with family.

A highlight of Christmas Day was getting to Skype with Phil and his family in Kansas and also daughter Em who was visiting them. Callie and Maverick got to show each other some of their presents and we got to see seven week old William in his cute Christmas outfit.

Today the day after it all Steve had an appointment but I just stayed in to do nothing at all. Nice. We hurried so much to get the house clean and decorated, I am not quite ready to undecorate and pack it all up yet!

A new grandson!

noreply@blogger.com (Lou VC) — Sat, 07 Dec 2013 04:41:00 +0000

William James VC came into the world in the first hour of Saturday November 16^th. He weighed 8 lbs and 11 oz and was 20 1/2 inches long. We were in Cheyenne getting text message updates throughout the day into the late night hours from our son. The worst part of waiting was the last hour when the texts stopped for a time because too much was going on. William’s maternal great grandmother, grandmother and two of his maternal Aunts were present at his birth. Everything went well and both mom and baby are healthy.

He was born in Wichita but came home to Salina on Monday the 18^th. Grandmother U stayed all week to help out and we arrived on Sunday the 24nd (Thanksgiving week) for our visit to see him and our turn to help keep the house going while the family gets used to new routines. I was amazed to see their house all decorated for Christmas inside and on the front porch. Kristin said she wanted to get things done early because she was afraid it wouldn’t happen otherwise. Phil has been very tied up at work as his right hand guy left for a new job in Texas.

Miss Callie my “best girl” was full of energy and seems to be accepting her new “baby broder” giving him lots of kisses and hugs. He doesn’t do much yet though, but when he cries she asks “Why baby broder crying? Grammie and Callie got to hang out in her playroom and play cars and paint and play dress-up. At times her two year molars were causing her pain when she bites into food, but she was liking her popcicles and ice cream!

On the 28^th we cooked up a traditional turkey dinner and both children slept through the dinner so we had a nice quiet adult meal! Steve kept himself busy with various carpentry and installation projects during his time there when he wasn’t helping me find things at the grocery store.The guys hung the train art in the baby’s room which took laser levels etc. He also helped string Christmas lights around the garage and the front door and back deck. I mostly just cooked meals and changed some diapers and held the baby and played with Callie.

On Saturday the 30^th the Urso family came to visit from Wichita. Auntie Daniel had not yet seen the baby as she lives in Texas and was home for Thanksgiving. Baby William got a half bath in a plastic basin while everyone watched. We had pizza and lots of conversation.

On Sunday the family posed in their Christmas outfits for a Christmas card photo shoot with grandpa behind the camera. William snoozed through the whole thing.

On Monday the baby had his second week appointment at the pediatrician so we helped get everyone dressed and into the car seats for that. He passed his check up with flying colors now weighing over 10 lbs! He won’t be wearing the newborn size clothes much longer.

Will is a very mellow baby so far. He only seems to get upset when he gets undressed to get his diaper changed. Once he is dressed and wrapped up again he is fine. He does make noises after some feedings like grunting every so often maybe that is his version of fussiness or gas. Otherwise he is looking around or blissfully asleep. None of my babies were as mellow as he is.

It was hard to leave because he will change a lot before we see him again. A snowstorm and arctic weather were heading our way so we had to get going. It was a very precious time.