12/1... A special day

Mary is having a birthday and we all are ready to celebrate her! Happy Birthday, dear one, you are loved by many!

A birthday lunch with Jessica Regas, Carol Regas Catlett, Merry, Kim, Mary and Molly! What fun!!

Thanksgiving 2010

A lovely Thanksgiving day, good food, good fellowship, Thanksgiving trivia, new recipes from Terr's brother, Tom and Tom S-C's mother, Barbara, Andrew brulee-ing the creme :), a touching visit with Mary's Mother and our friend, Marlene, while Emily and William (and Grandad) put up the Christmas tree...but most of all, we were grateful.

Preparing for Thanksgiving

Do I go more formal or keep it casual and friendly? This morning I am trying different table settings for our Thanksgiving dinner. I have a very eclectic array of dishes, place mats, napkins and the like to choose from, but none that particularly match or that are very high in quality. The Haviland that was given to us by Terr's mom is fragile and the dinner plates are too small for a Thanksgiving feast. The old blue and white that I have used for over 30 years just doesn't color match the dinning room and seems to belong in the kitchen. I pulled out the old glass plates, placed them on top of a gold charger, which looks much better at Christmas, but after throwing a couple of fall leaves under them, I think they could be a possibility. I have beautiful, antique, linen napkins (again passed down through the Croft family), but after putting an extra leaf in the table the table cloth won't fit, so the napkins seem a little out of place...

It's all sort of a hodge-podge of time honored things that when pulled together seems okay...comfortable, not too fragile, but friendly. It just doesn't feel good enough for such a special occasion. Maybe when all the well-prepared food is added to the table and the wine is poured, maybe then it will come to life with eye-appealing satisfaction. Oh, then when we start smelling the bread and light the candles, hungry tummies will leap for joy and the conversation will get louder.

The kitchen will get crowded, Terr will hush the crowd and say, in a loud voice, "Everybody get in a circle and hold hands to pray!" We calm down, and as I look around the silent circle I will see the faces that I love so dearly. I will see what makes my table beautiful and complete. It will be just right for those of us who could gather together this year; and as we bow our heads in prayer, we will be so thankful for each other and for the rest of you who are at other tables being thankful for us, in return.

May God continue to bless this family, to bring you home often and to keep you safe when you are away. I am so thankful that God graced me with you in my life..."There is no other word for GRACE, but AMAZING." It feels so right to say, Happy Thanksgiving. I love you, more than life itself.

Mom/Mimi/Merry

Joe's Colts' Finish 2nd!

Joe waits to be called in to the game.

Saturday was the Atlanta Colts final championship game of the season. The Colts fought hard but were out-played by the opposing team and lost the final round. Joe had some good kick-offs and blocks and excited all the grandparents (5 of them in the stands!) with an exciting last play where he got himself wide open with hands raised to receive the quarterback's pass...he was in the right place at the right time...but sadly the ball was overthrown and went way over his head for an incomplete. :( We were all excited about what should have been.



Joe has had another good season and we are proud of his efforts. He is already into his basketball season but has had to miss several of his practices due to championship football games.

Congratulation to all Grands who finished, and finished well, their fall sport. (Write Mimi a note and send me a picture, I would love to enter it in the Chatterbox news!)

Other interesting happenings that have been reported to me is that Andrew and Emily both auditioned and got parts in the upcoming Spring Play at Wesleyan! Andrew also received a call from the high school director asking him to join the high school musical cast of Footloose. It seems they need a few more good singers and dancers to make a good show. With two plays and a musical review with his Saturday drama company; Andrew will have a busy winter!

Morgan is still rock climbing several times a week. Issy is playing basketball after just finishing her cheer leading season. Emily is taking an extra art class outside of school. I understand that Ford and Morgan are playing a lot of tennis with the pros! Keegan and Aidan have finished up their soccer season with Aidan's team going all the way to the championship play-offs! Aidan played Goalie...

Now, I've got to tell you...that's a lot to CHEER about!

Another Mountain top Experience

Andrew called me last night to ask if I would go to Egypt and retrieve a pair sweatpants that one of his friends left after his birthday party. Of course, I said I would run up and get them before I left for home. It rained and rained all day, never stopping before I had to leave. So when time ran out, I just put on my mountain hat and coat and took off up the side of the mountain to the place that Kate, long ago, named Egypt.

What do you know, another God-given opportunity for an adventure of the heart that I wouldn't have taken if I had any other choice!

The wet and slippery trip up the mountain challenged my body and then cleaning the place out once I got there, left me breathless…I can’t go up without sweeping up the bugs and dirt that have accumulated since the last time I made the journey. When finished with my duties, I stopped, looked around, sat in the string hammock and listened to the rain dripping on the roof. I visualized Terr, Mike, Tom and Shannon carrying the heavy building supplies up the mountain to build this sweet little box for Kate to play in. (I particularly remember poor Mike, single-handedly carrying those huge sheets of plywood up that steep hill and Shannon pulling large rocks from the soil while digging post holes. He said it was like birthing babies from the soil; all the while, Terr supervising the building of his design. I could almost see Kate (and later, Emily) painting on the walls. I thought of Mayapples, Hemlocks and symbols of God....didn't want to leave the noisy quiet....

Maybe I can bring the granddaughters up here next summer. We could redecorate! Make curtains, add a log bookcase and hang pictures of the three of them on the wall...

Life is good.

FOURTEEN

A fine example of Fourteen...

Happy Birthday Andrew!

Celebrating seventeen years together!

11/6/93 - 11/6/2010

It makes me smile to make these beautiful announcements, in the past I have not done so for fear of forgetting and leaving someone out, but when we were all together last September for Kristin and Alan's wedding it made me realize how very important it is to honor and support the very core of family life.

Mike and Mary's union, 17 years ago, not only gave me two wonderful grandchildren but also a beautiful daughter that has help to make my son a happy an successful man. I celebrate you for taking care of each other, for being part of the glue that holds us together as a extended family and I wish you a lifetime of happiness to come. Keep making history together, it makes old age so much sweeter.

Happy Anniversary you two. I love you more than you will ever know.

James and the Giant Peach

Andrew and Emily have worked so hard, for months, on the production of James and the Giant Peach but not without excellent results! Emily is paying her dues, for future staring roles, as a town's person and other parts of the play that help to tell the story to the audience. She is naturally comfortable as she glides on and off doing her various jobs. Andrew is very believable as the distinguished old Grasshopper, realistically playing his violin and delivering his lines with perfect diction. He endears himself to the audience while keeping us calm with music through out the harrowing journey on the giant peach.

They have two more shows to perform (tonight and Saturday afternoon) and then they get some well deserved rest until try outs for the next theatrical production (like in a week!).

Break-a-leg guys!

P.S. The rest of the family are also loyal participants! Tom did the programs, Kim does nightly make-up and William sits through every show, loving it as if it were his first time. :)

P.S.S. Thanks to all the grands for keeping Grandad and my weekends filled with exciting games and plays to watch and hear about. You are nine times our daily pleasure!

TWENTY YEARS! CONGRAULATION!!

In a day and age were commitment doesn't seem to be supported or at the top of most people's list, I salute the good marriages of all our children but today particularly, our pride and inspiration go to Kim and Tom as they celebrate their 20th wedding anniversary. You two are a wonderful example and inspiration of what marriage should be. Happy Anniversary!

P.S. The hand in the picture is that of young William who refused to be left out of the celebration!

P.S.S. Tom's gift to Kim...
http://vimeo.com/16480060