Cathy's Grace Notes

Celebrating in style!

Last weekend, we celebrated my Mom's 80th birthday. Here are a few pictures.

 

With her oldest grandchild, Angus!

 

Laura - creator of the cake!

Allison decided to take a spin.

Rachael, pretty as she can be!!

 

Mama, celebrating her 80th birthday in style!

Dancing on the water

We spent an afternoon at St. George Island State Park, watching the beauty of a winter beach. Others were doing the same, some coming from up north, to escape the winter, but also to see the birds as they winter or migrate even further south.

We did get a little lesson in about tidal pools, and how they occur (and this may have not been "official tidal pool", but it gave us a moment to discuss how they work.

At one point, dolphins, close to shore, showed off for us playing hide and seek with their fins. Those were quite exciting to watch, but my camera never got to capture them.

However it did capture this.....

Dessert? Uhm, no.

Rachael and her cousin thought it would be a good idea to build a gingerbread house today. We have been waiting for the perfect time, and this seemed to be it. A ten and an eleven year old seemed to be able to put one of those directions. Well... maybe.

The building of the house began and things had to "set" --- so they left to allow it to do whatever it needed to do. They were all excited about their "dessert" to eat after the creation was finished.

Well, the quiet time we appoint for an hour after lunch occurred.  My "hour" lasted longer, and some "work" transpired.   Here is our dessert.... Think I might pass...

On the Bay

On the bay -- our Rachael.

Today's Laura's day

About 20 years ago, little Laura (far right) is with her friends. Notice her velcro shoe on the wrong foot. Today she turns 24. Here is another picture when she was a
even littler.
 

and here she is with her Mom earlier this year.


Happy 24th Birthday Laura!
(All pictures were on her Facebook account, either uploaded by various folks!)

Now I know why I named him this....

(This is a picture of my son before climbing the mountain he is pointing to in this picture.)

This is an actual chat conversation I had with my son.

Setting: Living Room, Son is in Glasgow airport.

10:21 AM Angus: Hello  me: hi baby   where are you  Angus: Glasgow   Just boarded the plane  me: oh ok, are you running later than usual? 10:22 AM Angus: Had a very interesting morning  me: you did   what happened  Angus: No flight is schedules to leave at 345  me: ok 10:23 AM Angus: I almost would rather tell u in person because it will take a while to type. But I will make a long astory short 10:24 AM I booked my bus ticket online 2 days ago fom stirling to glasgow for the 1102am bus. Well I waited for the bus and got in line to get on   One 10:25 AM Well I was the last person in line, no big deal, and when I handed the ticket to the driver he said, "ah there's no room left on the bus". You'll have to take the next one in an hour 10:26 AM me: still listening - just so you know I am here 10:27 AM Angus: Really no big deal, but that did make me really cut it short. So I went to the tix booth and talked to this swet lady and explained what happened. She said he should have never turned me away because I have a reserve tix. She phoned the command center to explain what happened, she also said the next bus was alreay full so I wouldn't be able to take it either....... 10:28 AM me: mercy 10:29 AM Angus: I hear her tell her co-worker that the person she is on the phone with is not very happy about it. (The bus driver is suppose to get someone off the bus that paid at the bus. Someone who didn't have a receipt.) 10:30 AM So she ask me if I'm by myself and if I was going to the glasgow airport. The bus tix only went to the bus center. And then I woud catch another bus. 10:31 AM So listen to this, rarely would this happen at all. Remember customer service and satisfaction doesn't matter to companies anymore, well except for this one........  me: ok 10:32 AM wondering now what happened... this will make for a good story  Angus: She hangs up the phone, ask me where I'm sitting and says"we have a taxi coming for you to take u directly to the airport onus"  me: lol   wow   so how far was that  Angus: Someone well notify u when it arrives 10:33 AM £65 is what it cost city-link  me: wow  Angus: About 40 miles i 10:34 AM I only paid 6 pounds for the bus tix to glasgow bus station and would have paid 3.50 more for the airport. So I got there easier and cheaper  me: i guess you did! 10:35 AM Angus: I never got ugly or anything, they just did it. I think my named helped too  me: do you think? 10:36 AM Angus: Well she printed my ticket when I first got there and she mentioned how that was a "lovely" scottish name and how much she liked it  me: :) you're making your Mama proud now 10:37 AM I knew there was a reason we named you that :) Editing here (son switches gears...) 10:38 AM Angus: No way. We are stopping in boston. get this, to change pilots   What! Who does that?  me: what??? 10:39 AM Angus: Yep. It won't affect my connection or anyone elses  me: well, that is good  Angus: I have NEVER heard of that 10:40 AM I will never use "no name airways" ( I edited name of airline here) again. I. Said that after flying over. The airplanes have no personal tv screens like other airlines. 10:41 AM me: oh... I didn't know they had such a thing  Angus: Oh yes.   Some planes are really nice 10:42 AM Ok. We will start planning our trip soon  me: :) sounds like a plan  Angus: I'm going to go now. Taxing to runway soon  me: ok... love you  Angus: Love u. I will email or call when I land. Love u too  me: ok bye for now 10:43 AM Angus: Bye

Makes my heart a little proud of how my son handled the situation  AND so glad his name just may have made the difference. We'll never really know, but would like to think it played a part.

Signing out....

My my where does the time go?

Today is my oldest's 31st birthday - it's hard to believe three plus decades have past. You see him here dancing with his beautiful girlfriend, Elizabeth at the wedding reception this past weekend.

During the reception, I saw him going to all of the tables talking to young and old alike. He's always been one to visit friends and relatives - to check up on them and just say hello.

This past weekend he was a big help to me, running errands here and there as needed. For that I am grateful. His girlfriend was the one to give me hugs when I looked stressed. I sure did get a lot of hugs from her while she was here. Thank you.

Mercy, where did the time go? Happy Birthday Angus.

The Quote Quilt

Don't you like that title with its alliterative qualities?

The quilt quotes are:

• Watch out for the bones!

• de gustibus non disputandum est (There is no disputing tastes).
• Goodnight girls. (that was a polite way of telling the girls it was time to go to bed and they were TOO LOUD)
• Four score and seven years ago.... (Uncle Dave got tired of hearing commercial jingles at the table and required the children to memorize the Gettysburg address before another jingle could be heard at the table).
• No sharper than a serpent's tooth is to have a thankless child.
• Sue a beggar, get a louse.

What you cannot see is the embroidery of dates of Uncle's birth, marriage, graduation from college, birthdates and names of children, and his 80th birthday.

Pretty cool huh....

Birthday gathering.....

We arrived home yesterday and had a grand time at my uncle's birthday party. One of the gifts he received from his children was all of th 16mm films converted to DVD. We watched them Saturday evening and had many rounds of laughter. Good for the soul.

The other gift was of a quilt that one of the daughters had created with all the sayings they remember growing up with. You know how we all have those in our families? One of them at our house was "Don't take any wooden nickels". Another was "To thine own self be true".  Another - A wet bird never flies at night.

We laughed over the ones that were on the quilt. Uncle got choked up and couldn't read them. His kids read them for all of us. Priceless.

I'll try and post the picture of the quilt tomorrow. What expressions to you remember growing up in your household?

Happy Birthday! 1000 miles away - Map added!

Big sister delivers a Happy Birthday from Beantown to the deep south to our daughter who is no longer can say her age is a one digit number. So, over a thousand miles away, one big sister delivers her message while the other sister celebrated her with her.  Happy Birthday Rachael!

 

I'll add this --- just because it is cute and fun and has Happy Birthday in sign language - and daughter who is in Bean town was at the National ASHA Convention (American Speech and Hearing Association).

Would love to see how far away we can get birthday wishes for our 10 year old. How far away are you from Bainbridge, Georgia? We would love to mark a map and do this as a fun lesson!  Let us know where you are from!

Note addition: I am adding this map for you to mark your location!