family

Winter – Rest

bobbibowwoman2 Comments

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The living room mantle is the focal point of our small living room.  During Christmas my angel collection comes out of the attic and the living room explodes with color and dozens of winged creatures.  Tiles, sculptures, pillows, wall hangings….all filled with angels (I stopped counting after 150).  I enjoy seeing them and more than a few have their own stories.

While the Christmas season is filled with its own energy of smells, sounds, and images…time does not stand still.

The new year comes, angels are boxed and returned to the attic, and the living room opens up.

I decorate the mantle differently for the deepest part of winter.

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Calm, classic, beautiful.  Restful to the eyes.

Welcome winter!

 

Update on Robert

bobbibowwoman9 Comments

Robert (Hubs) fell December 17th on a very wet rug at the bottom of the steps off the deck.  He fell in a twisty sort of way which allowed him to land on his own leg.  This was not as fun as it may seem.

So many have sent well wishes, I thought I’d take a moment for an update.

January 4th, 19 days after the accident (which included three trips to the chiropractor, one trip to his MD, and two sets of X-rays) it was confirmed by a specialist that Robert had two fractures.

One above his heel.

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and the other below his knee

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Robert was promptly (after 19 days) put in a cast.

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Although it is a hard cast, Robert cannot put any weight on it for the next four weeks.  At that time they will remove the cast and X-ray him again to see if his bones have healed as planned.  If they have improved, he MAY be able to advance to a walking boot. The ankle is completely encased and the fracture in the knee is stabilized by the cast.

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He’s pretty good on crutches, but is very frustrated that he cannot work his usual shifts. He’s such a good patient.  The only time he really freaked out was when we crossed a parking lot (make that a skating rink) where I did a not-so-graceful flop on the asphalt.  He had to go for help instead of helping me himself.  He hated that.

We’re both on the mend, but walking around the house feeling very, very old.  (I don’t know if I really added enough “very’s” to that sentence.)

Thank you all for your prayers, chants, texts, emails, tweets, and posts.  They have lifted our spirits.

The Gathering

bobbibowwoman10 Comments

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What a treat to travel from the valley to the Ocean.  Better still, to have the whole family, three generations under one roof for a weekend.

Board games in the TV Room

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Cousin giggles.

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Pre-bedtime electronics and snuggling.

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Piling on Robert. (Papa)  Love these munchkins (and Robert as well).

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Our boys with their daughters. Love these dads!

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My daughter in laws – So lucky to  have them. Love their beauty (inside and out)

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Talent Show Saturday night… magic tricks, jokes, stunts, and all ’round silliness.

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Some worked as a team.

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What a great weekend.

We’ll do it again!  Oh yes!

 

 

Hobbit Dream

bobbibowwoman4 Comments

My husband (a Hobbit enthusiast) shares his birthday with or around Thanksgiving each year.  This year I had a surprise in mind.

November is also our anniversary, so we decided to take the family for a weekend at the coast.  (Will post that next week.)  Since the coastal fun takes place two full weeks before his birthday, I schemed with the family to hold a surprise birthday there.

He was shocked when gifts, candles, songs, merriment appeared from out of nowhere. There were gifts and cards galore, with all of us beaming that we had kept the secret.

The last gift was a box inspired by his own words.

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The box held a scroll with the message,

Dearest Hobbit,

From the earliest birthdays we’ve shared, few have gone by without you wishing you could celebrate a proper Hobbit birthday where the birthday hosts gives gifts to others to celebrate a spirit of gratitude. These small tokens are given with much love. So, dear one, I have made it so. In this box you will find gifts to hand out, as a proper Hobbit would. I do this with deep love.

Your Elven Queen

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He removed the gifts and handed them out to a much surprised family.

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* FYI, if you wish to make paper look old, it is quite acceptable to tear the edges and color them in ink.  Getting the aged look through burning might cause some…er….ah….situations that are harder to explain (ruined an iced soda and had to air out the house before he got home — yikes).

Happy Halloween

bobbibowwoman4 Comments

Hubs and our Halloween decorating used to start after we left work on the day.  We would light some candles, throw sheets over the furniture, turn on the porch light, and greet the kiddos.

Once we had grands, it became a different story.  We now begin early and have eager hands helping.  Since Alaska, I’ve been drawn to ravens and crows.  So when I spotted this picture from Better Homes and Gardens (.com) I thought….oooooooooo    Below is the picture from the site.

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My take on it:

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I used a purchased faux pumpkin because I am NOT going to put those rhinestones on every year.  However, I’m pleased with the grouping and it sits on one side of our fireplace mantel.

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The top part of the front window has sheer material with figures that show from either side (inside the house and out).  I purchased the paper cats, but crafted the pumpkins using black paper on either side of sheer orange material.  A pumpkin garland tops it off.

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2015 is eventful because we attended two pumpkin carvings: One was a neighborhood event, with a delightful group sitting around a table carving pumpkins and sharing stories. Robert’s pumpkin is great.  Mine…meh…I tried a new “shaving” tool and was not so pleased.  Sometimes it does not work out.

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The second carving party was a large affair with outside pumpkin stations, inside carving tables, a potluck, and a face painter.  Robert’s bald head was too tempting for the face painter who asked if she could do his entire head.  Robert, such a good sport, said “Go for it!”

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There were at least three generations of newbies and old friends to chat with.

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Robert brought a “ghost” pumpkin and did a great job.  Since scary faces were to frighten away evil spirits, I thought I’d make a little sad pumpkin to scare away the blues.  Succcess.

This same party planner, used to line his sidewalk with rod iron plant hooks, holding faux pumpkins he carved with a rotary tool.  After a decade of holding the parties, he decided….no more parties (logistics alone — mercy!) and gave away most of his outside items.

We were the lucky recipients and have enjoyed them each year.  While he changed his mind about no longer hosting the parties, he knew his former pumpkins had become a tradition in our household. The grands can’t wait to put them out each year.  Robert and the grands also make balloon ghosts.

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So we are set to go!  Candy in the pantry, pumpkins on the porch.  Neighborhood trees are graciously doing their part decorating the ground with all the colors you’d want for a Halloween landscape.

Happy Halloween to all!

Fairbanks, Alaska Part 4: Tourists

bobbibowwoman2 Comments

Between shuttles, taxis, and planes – we were pleased to rent a car of our own.  Once behind the wheel, we sighed in relief.  We had a mission the first day or two and wanted to find all of Robert’s historical spots, which we did. I shared that journey in “Part 1 Exploring His Roots.”

After that, we could be tourists and just enjoy some of the spots in and around Fairbanks.  North east of town was a little place called Fox, Alaska.  My husband’s last name is Fox, so of course we had to go.  Fox is comprised of two bars across from each other and one small building.

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