Thanksgiving 2010

It's been a pleasant Thanksgiving season. Here are some shots and commentary...

Avril was thrilled to have the Muncy family come for a visit (family of Brandon and Nancy, my sister, from Elk Grove, CA) because she developed a real attachment to Lizzie, Nancy's youngest. Here they are playing dolls downstairs at the great grandparents' home.

Here's Alicia between her father-in-law, Brian, and Jesse, her hubby.

Tuesday night during the wee hours of the dawn I came down with some virus (even though I had my flu shot this year). So I spent Wednesday lying in bed with the chills and aches and pains. Today is Saturday and my strength is not fully back, but I'm much better. The above shot was on Thanksgiving day as I read John Adams (a great read, by David McCullough) while resting at the LSP residence (my folks).

Jared also rested on a nearby sofa while I read. Turkey tends to do that to you.

Here is a shot of Gayle's sweet potato souffle and some of the decorations.

The family patriarch enjoyed all the company.

Here are the Muncys, less Stephanie who is on a mission in Alabama. Left to right: David (Freshman at USU), Ben, Chris, Nancy, Brandon, Lizzie, Jessica, and Tanner (Jessica's husband). We also had Brian, Jesse, Alicia, Avril, Gayle, Jared, Patricia, Kelly, and me at the feast. The next day we had a birthday celebration (Jesse, Brandon, Tanner, and Chris all had birthdays in November). Sam and Spencer (two of Robert and Tracine's sons) also came by for the festivities as did Brandon's brother Kelly and two of his kids, Raquel and Tony. In fact, Ryan and Melanie Crockett came by for a visit as well, but had to leave before the main event. Jessica made a variety of yummy barbecued chicken options as part of the spread. Brandon, David, and I played guitars afterward. Ping-pong and other activities also ensued.

Sam and Spencer (the youngest Spencer) Parkinson getting attention from the matriarch, Joyce Parkinson.

Nancy, Gayle, and Joyce on Thanksgiving Day.

I should mention that a blizzard blew in on Tuesday evening. Wednesday, while I was laid up inside, Gayle took lots of family shots for Jesse and Alicia. Here's one out back of our house showing our "White Thanksgiving." Temperatures went below zero mid-week at night.

Here's one of the indoor shots. It's hard to tell from this photo, but Alicia is due in less than two weeks.

Alicia and Jared. We also called Adrian, Arleen, and Brittney and they all enjoyed Thanksgiving at Adrian's home in Azusa, with Ray (father-in-law) and Rachelle (Arleen's sister) coming over for the feast. Arleen cooked the whole meal!

November Pre-Thanksgiving

Well, even though we took very few photos, it's been an active month so far. I'll mention a few of the events. It's always difficult to try to reconstruct the schedule after the fact (given minimal effort to do so). Therefore, here are some of the items I recall:
* On the 5th I took a half day of PTO (vacation day) to attend a USUCCU (chartered credit union) extended board meeting - lunch, a few hours of training and strategic planning, and then a dinner with wives at the downtown Iron Gate Grill. I serve as a volunteer member of the board of directors of the credit union.
* The following week I launched a new product - a 2000 liter single-use bioreactor. This entailed two webinar sessions (training over the internet and phone) to our field personnel, and on that Friday a launch party I hosted at the company, complete with a presentation and a drawing for some prizes.
* Gayle and I got to tend Avril for two days while Alicia took Jesse on a trip for his birthday. I always enjoy time with the granddaughter! I took one of those days as PTO and spent the whole day with her.
* Last week we had another very well attended ward Temple Night. We've emphasized temple attendance and doing it as a ward lately, and the spirit there has been great. The next night we had the Young Women in Excellence program and afterward we (the bishopric) took the wives along to go visit Patriarch Lowell Jenkins at Sunshine Terrace where he's recuperating from a series of strokes.
* I took another PTO (as you can tell, I have too many left at year-end and the policy is use them or lose them - and last year I lost some) on Friday the 20th. That evening Gayle and I had Ralph and Marian Stephenson and Robert and Janice Lamb (two neighbor couples) over for dinner. We had fun just talking about nearly everything.
* Yesterday was a big day at Church. We changed bishoprics. The former bishopric (including yours truly) and wives met with the stake presidency before sacrament meeting for a testimony meeting. Then in sacrament meeting the ward sustained Casey Isom (plastic surgeon) as bishop, with Eric Eliason as 1st counselor and Ben Haynie as 2nd counselor. It is a great bishopric and we look forward to serving with them. Craig Mortensen and I dropped by Cris Lewis's house after church to give him a priesthood blessing (he has had some health issues of late). Later that same afternoon Eric came by and already called me to a calling (can't divulge it until I'm sustained).
--- So here are some photos:


Avril learned what a belt is and wanted to try mine on. Then she had to test out my sneakers too.

Here are Robert and Janice Lamb (left) and Ralph and Marian Stephenson (right). We had Gayle's great chicken crescent rolls (with gravy) and her squash casserole. I made my specialty - cabbage salad. The ladies wanted the recipes so I took those by today (Monday) in a heavy snowstorm.

Here's a shot sent by Leisa Firth of the new bishopric - Ben Haynie, Casey Isom, and Eric Eliason

And here's a photo from August of 2008 - on the day Bart and I were set apart as bishop Firth's second set of counselors.

In order - me, bishop Firth, and Bart Griffiths.

Halloween 2010

Sugar n' Spice Home Decorator store had a witch costume contest the week before Halloween. Alicia entered and used Avril as a "prop." Avril was Glenda, the good witch from the musical "Wicked."

Gayle, applying make-up to Avril.

The sweet little good witch

Alicia all decked out as a witch

Mother and daughter witches

Avril had fun. But the witch's hat was difficult to keep on her head!

"Papa" with the witch after the costume change

Some of Gayle's house decorations for Halloween and autumn

This is the first year Gayle did a "Halloween Tree." The little witches were hand made by Gayle many years ago.

Another witch in the front room (Gayle made this; and the face is made from panty hose).

Our front entry with pumpkins (which Avril calls "Punks").

More fall decor

Some of the scary decorations

The front porch with flowers still hanging in there as the weather gets colder

A dummy on our front porch rocking chair

A shot of the autumn scenery looking out past our berm

The back deck as leaves build up. I can't keep up with the falling leaves this time of year.

Our back hillside

Some of the neighborhood kids trick or treating.

And here is Avril, as a dragon, with her good friend from next door, Jordan King (as Jack Sparrow).

Alicia was a Ladybug, but Jesse didn't want to be that kind of bug. So Alicia made him be a VW Bug.

The family in costume

Holding the dragon

Georgia Trip - 2010

The second week in October Gayle and I flew to Georgia to visit our family out there.

We always enjoy jogging around Social Circle, GA (where we stay at the Sells's home in town) and taking photos on walks. Here is a typical southern home in town.

And this one is across the street from the other. Lots of pecan and magnolia trees all around.

Some of the homes were already festooned with Halloween decorations. This one had a pirate theme.

They only had a skeleton crew working when we went by.

A symbol of the old south.

Gayle, in them ole cotton fields back home.

A shot of some of the beautiful foliage at Georgia College & State University in Milledgeville. When Gayle attended it was Women's College of Georgia. We walked the campus and spoke with folks and were quite impressed.

Some leaves on campus

More changing colors on campus

Beth (Gayle's younger sister) and Gayle on a shopping spree in the Milledgeville mall.

Beth and her husband, Robert Meier.

Gayle and I at the Meiers' home.

We also visited Rosemarie (Gayle's older and other sister) and Richard Sells. One day they took us via Rutledge to Madison. Here they are in Rutledge outside the hardware store, near where we had lunch at the Yesterday's Cafe.

Rosemarie and Gayle in Rutledge

Richard Sells and I in front of the cafe, hangin' out with a local.

Here are some pretty flowers in downtown Madison, Georgia. Gayle's mother always loved Coleuses. Richard taught High School and worked for many years in Madison.

Downtown Madison (named after President James Madison).

The city added a beautiful new park and stage area near downtown. Emily's family bluegrass band performed on this stage. Emily is Rosemarie and Richard's daughter (our niece).

Two sisters by the park fountain in Madison.

We later went to the restored underground area under the old ice box facility where there are several great art stores and a cafe.

Richard next to the Madison Artists' Guild sign outside the building.

Richard and Rosemarie now live outside Social Circle in the country and let us use their home in town when we visit. Their home in town was built in 1833 and is a historical marked house. In the country, they have a garden. Here are some of the remaining okra pods that haven't been picked yet (and are getting a bit too large). Richard says they're on steroids. Note the chili peppers growing below the okra.

Among other things, Richard made this sign for their anniversary this year: "Sandy Ford Experiment Station - Rosemarie Sells, Plant Manager, Master Gardener."

They gave us a guided tour (in this golf cart) around their 13 acres in the country.

Gayle shot this from the back of the cart while looking back down the path

Richard and I admiring the pretty brook that flows through their property. In the next several years a dam is being built and they will have lakeside property.

Richard is an artist and loves creating sculptures out of metal. This one he's thinking of calling "Hell Bee" (note the butcher knives in the wings).

This is Predator and was featured in a magazine

This is out of focus because it's too close, but it is a wild plant called Hearts a Bustin' and grows near their home.

And this is called American Beauty Berries. It also grows wild around their house.

This is looking down at their driveway, which leads out to Sandy Ford, the road near their home.

Still life on their kitchen table. Note the eggplants.

Rosemarie used the eggplants as inspiration to create these handmade pottery pieces.

Custom made majolica glazed tiles by Rosemarie (also an artist).

Emily's husband, Chester, is an engineer. With the slow economy he had to leave his building firm and take a job as a city engineer quite a ways away from Social Circle. So he got a pass at the city's RV park and converted a small trailer into a sleeper that can be pulled by his Miata. Here's a shot of the back end, where he opens it up to do cooking.

A side view into the trailer showing part of his bed and the TV (the campground has cable, and he has a cable connection on the trailer).

Here's his Miata and the trailer, which also has ventilation and air conditioning. He stays down part of the week, and commutes the other days.

Abbey, Emily holding Amanda, Chester, Ashley, Aaron, and Andy (Andrew). Abbey, Emily, Aaron, and Chester play in a blue grass band with a relative and call themselves Blue Heaven.

We went to church with Richard, Rosemarie, David, and Katie in Monroe at a Baptist Church.

We had a brunch at Hardee's after the service.