Family Mouse Pad!

I think this is worthy enough to share with all, even if this family member might not want it published. I know we all have computers and I think we should all have one of these enchanting mouse pads to enrich are daily time spent blogging and web surfing. Click on the link to see: http://www.cafepress.com/civilwarflorida.10349878

I hope I did it right so everyone can see.

Update from Wilkesboro - by candlelight

We had a great day today. We drove up to Boone and had lunch in our favorite Chinese restaurant with our 11 year old friend Joanna Campbell and her mother and grandparents. Then we brought Joanna down to stay the day for a sleep over.

It was warm and sunny so we took Joanna and Leo out for a long walk along the Reddies River trail which is our favorite walk. At the end of the trail lives the chocolate pony. Joanna loves animals so she loves to walk with Leo and to meet the chocolate pony. When we got out there she was happily feeding the pony carrots and grass when Leo got too excited from hearing dogs nearby barking and suddenly attacked chocolate and bit him on the face. Chocolate was startled but otherwise didn't seem too upset. Everyone was mad at Leo though.

We went out for dinner, came home to watch movies, and right in the middle of "The Secret Garden" all the light went out! We got out all the flashlights and candles, but since it was already nearly 11:3o we went on to bed. I am typing this with battery power. We don't know how long it will be before the lights come back home. I hope they get it fixed soon because it looks like we are going to get freezing rain tomorrow morning. If that happens then every power crew in the state will be busy dealing with downed lines.

And I hope I can get Joanna back to her folks before it gets too bad.

Pictures of the monastery at Berryville

For a nice run down of Holy Cross Abbey where I stayed last week, click here. It also has some pictures of the main monastic house and the road leading up to it. I liked to walk out that road at least once a day through the pastures on either side where the cattle were kept. I had a little pair of binoculars and I would look across the herd and watch the monks tending to them. Reminded me a lot of growing up on the farm. Nothing quite so nostalgic as cow manure.

Here is an overview of the abbey.
You can see the original stone house on
the right that was built in the 1780s. The
long section on the left is the chapel.
I only made it there for the 3:30 am
Vigils once. It's dark and cold at that hour,
at least up in the Blue Ridge.

I'll post some more, maybe tomorrow when I am at a computer that will operate a little faster.

(and we'll order some cookies, Elizabeth)

Girl Scout Cookies

Well, it's that time of year again. I know Meghan has already asked many of you and received your order - we thank you. For those that she has not been able to contact, I just wanted to let you know that she will be taking orders until January 21. That is the last day she can take any orders. They will be delivered Feb. 20 and money collected at that time. These are the kind of cookies available this year: Samoas (caramel, coconut & chocolate), Thin Mints, Do-si-dos (peanut butter between oatmeal cookies), All Abouts (shrotbread and fudge), Trefoils (shrotbread), Tagalongs (peanut butter covered w/choclate), Cafe Cookies (crisp cinnamon spice) and new this year are Little Brownies (made with real chocolate chips but sugar free). All the cookies are 0g trans fat and $3.50 a box. Also, they have a program called "Cookies from Home". You may order boxes to be sent to the women and men of the armed forces overseas. You do not get to decide what kind of cookies or who they will be sent to. Please let me know if any of you are interested in ordering - this is a once a year offer and they do freeze well to be enjoyed all year long. Her troop will use the money to go camping and other activities.

Scott is off to the Monastery

I leave tomorrow morning for The Holy Cross Abbey in Berryville. I'll be there until Friday and will then go in to see Steve and Cindy. Laura will be at home if you want to talk to her, but I will be away from phones, computers, TV, everything. I'll post again when I get back.

We made it back!

Laura and I arrived back at Wilkesboro Sunday afternoon. The trip was easy, but a lot of rain. Leo was a good traveler. He mostly sleeps on the back seat and when we stop for food he waits patiently because he knows he will get some real meat. It's his little reward for being so good.

Now that we are home he is back out in his own little room sleeping while the cats sleep with us. They have been very noisy the last few days although that seems to be waning. Mosby in particular seems to be suffering from a severe Petting Deficit Disorder.

Sunday night we went up to the Quiggly's to have New Years with Maggie and Curtis. It was fun but we left a bit before midnight. We were just getting too tired.

I am busy doing things to get ready for my trip to the Berryville monastery. Mainly cleaning up my office and getting a few bits of school business done.

We both hope everyone is having a good New Year. We will see you probably in May, if not before. That will depend on when Diana starts her radiation treatment.