What I've Missed ~

Flipping through my Iphoto pics, there are so many little things I've meant to share with you, dear readers. So ... in no particular order ... here goes:
A teacup and two saucers that I picked up in Lewisburg, WV at an antique market. The set was originally $12.50, but it was marked down 70%. What a steal!

 Beautiful blue-and-white, which I love,

 I love the shape of the cup,

 And Japanese!

Next up, a little cousin fun. I took the available older cousins to Bear Town while I was in West Virginia. Bear Town is a massive array of large rock formations in rural WV near Droop Mountain.

 Julia

 My nephew Honor ~

 And Katie ~

 And Hannah ~

 They had fun, and so did I.

I also picked blueberries, of course, at Max and Anne's farm. That's the look of yummy-and-healthy.

 I tied a bucket around my waist. It was late afternoon when the berry rows were empty of customers.

 I slipped under the protective nets and found a quiet row waiting for me.

 Tonight we'll enjoy blueberry scones and blueberry muffins, thanks to my time there.

What's next? How about lunch with some family before I left town? Here I am with my oldest brother Max. 7 years apart, but close in heart.

 My brother Mark and his darling wife ~

 My folks with Julia ~

 We ate at Stella's in Lewisburg. The food was very good, a little froo-froo, but I prefer that to greasy! It was pretty on the plate and tasted light and healthy. I think this was my plate (I've rather forgotten ...), but I had something with shrimp and grits, and I swapped with Mother and got some of her crab and avocado.

Are you still reading? How about a few random photos of humans? Not just any humans ....
Here are my parents with an assortment of grandchildren. That's Clark, Ben, Nathan, Hannah, Julia, Abraham, and Katie.

 I got to meet Hannah's boyfriend, Michael. They look good together.

 When you tell a group of teenaged nieces-and-nephews you want their picture, you get this:

 When you tell a younger crowd, you get something lovely like this:

 My brother Marshall relaxing in his parents' living room ~

 My brother Mark's definition of relaxation ~ You can see that we "kids" have made ourselves right at home before our parents have even settled in! No, seriously, it is lovely to have them there, and they do always make us so welcome. Mark has been working on their house, so he has good reason for napping.

 These three munchkins showed us all that they learned in a week-long kids' workshop in Lewisburg. Pretty neat! They learned to weave!

 My mother and I visited the quiet bakery in Lewisburg. We were only a little naughty. I must admit, going to Lewisburg with her is just about as pleasant as going to Brevard! Next time, we must stop at the library.

 JoAnn in a selfie! Who would have thought? Isn't she a doll?

Do I have anything else I must show you? Is anybody still there?
Here is a candle that my sister-in-law DeVona gave me:

I'm sorry I forgot to take its photo until after I'd lit the three wicks, then quickly blown them out, so the wicks are black. But they are the most beautiful things -- you want to eat them rather badly, and they smell edible too. Mine is cherry, Julia's was raspberry, and Mother's blueberry. DeVona has a lovely candle workshop and sells her goods and ships them. She does such perfect work.
Oh, I'm adding this photo of the house Philip is living in with a few other post-college friends -- just because, 20 years from now, we'll wish we had a picture of this place! His first residence away from home! It's in a rather sad part of Chattanooga. He says they let the weeds grow out front to discourage thieves.

Oh, how 'bout a little antique store humor?

I must show you my favorite aspect of my parents' new house -- the heat vent that goes from the kids' bedroom down to the living room.

 I know it's silly, but I love this! You can be a little kid (as I once was) and quietly kneel next to this grill in your room (as I did years ago in my uncle's upstairs bathroom) and listen to conversations the grown-ups are having below in the living room (or in the kitchen, in my uncle's house). It's delicious.

My uncle and aunt stayed in an old, historic home in Fredericksburg, Virginia, decades ago, called Federal Hill. It had many secrets. I think they were caretakers of the property, but with seven children and various pets, and visiting family like us, we probably wore away more layers of history than we preserved! You can read a little about Federal Hill at the bottom of this page, with its resident ghost.
What else? Here's a sweet shot of my mother's kitties, asking for breakfast.

If you made it to the end, you're a trooper :)