And, here I am again! / It's a Boy!

 I've been back from Maine for a while now I just have not had the discipline to write.  Just about every evening when I sit down at my computer I tell myself to blog.  But I don't.  I get caught up in Facebook and knitting patterns &yarn.  I play Solitaire .  

I think I have treated writing here as "homework" not me work.

Originally my sister and I and her dog were planning to go to Maine together.  But then she got pneumonia and really needed to stay home and rest and recover.

I extended my stay to be two days longer than originally planned so Austin would have recovery time from his trip to the west coast and we would have a couple of days to visit.  At the last minute- as I was actually tracking the flight Austin was supposed to be on, Austin texted me to say that he was staying in Oregon for an extra week.   I went through a range of emotions.  Anger.  Sad.  Mistreated.   In the end I stuck to my original travel plans and got an extra couple of days to enjoy Maine.    (Austin got a friend to come care for his cat)

On the flight back to Virginia there were some beautiful clouds we passed through.  I took a bunch of pictures because the clouds seemed photogenic.    But I don't think anyone will really get much out of my pictures besides me!

 

It was so HOT when I got back to Virginia.  It reminded me of the day we came home from our honeymoon.   We left sweater weather in London to arrive to a hot summer day in VA!

 Nick kept up with watering everything including my flowers!  I was pretty happy to see everything growing and thriving!   

Yes, this is what I came home to!!!

Buddy was very happy to see me too.  Silly old dog!

It was nice to get back to my recliner and to "normal" TV- meaning cable and real channels instead of just Netflix and Prime.  yes I am hooked on TV.  

We were anxiously awaiting the birth of our first grandchild,  Jody developed preeclampsia so we knew that she was going to be induced

 

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The morning of June 17th we got a text from Darcy saying that Galileo Brewster Sherwood had been born -weighing in at 5 pounds 2 ounces!

!!

 

 

 

 

 

Of course we think he is beautiful and cannot wait to meet him in person!  We are heading to North Carolina this coming weekend to see him!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I have made two sweater for him so far and I am sure that there will be many more in the years to come!

 

                                                                                                                                                                                          

 

 

With all of the baby excitement I neglected to mention that Nick and I celebrated our 52nd wedding anniversary!

 

 

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Heading Back to Virginia. I will be missing Maine

 Three and a half weeks in Maine has been so nice.  The weather has been fine with just a little bit of rain.

Austin's little old farmhouse has so much potential that I love fantasizing about all of the way changes and improvements could be made.   

Of course when I come in the spring when the flowers are all blooming and the weather is fine.

Back to the heat of Virginia tomorrow, but that's fine.  I'll be home.

Yesterday Sylvia and I went to Payson Park and the St George River Trail

.  I've been there before but not for a few years.

I am also adding some photos of Austin's house

Thirty five years ago

 June 4, 1989: Tiananmen Square massacre

The student-led demonstrations were violently suppressed after the Chinese government declared martial law.''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''I saw a headline stating that it's been 35 years since Tiananmen Square and it brought back there memories:

So here's something I had not thought about for quite a while.   It's been 35 years since the demonstrations and Chinese goverment actions at Tinememan Square.   Nick had just completed  a year of Chinese language training through the State Department in preperation for out tour in China.  We had a yard sale at my house in Reston with some other LLL Leaders and friends. 

 When we were done with the yard sale,and I went in the house, one of my LLL friends called me and said "they are killing students".   Oh man was that a scary time.  

We were actually heading for Taiwan for Nick's second year of Chinese language training before heading off to Guangzhou,China.   We didn't know at that point what was going to happen or if we were even going to be sent there.

We did go to Taiwan.  We spent a year in Taipei, Taiwan.  Some of our friends there had actually seen the tanks running over student in Beijing.   

 And almost exactly a year later, we were in Beijing and our hotel room had a view of the place where the famous picture of the guy standing in front of the tank was.  Very surreal.

Courtney remined me that I was 35 then and it's been 35 years.  You would never have know

 anything had happened there just one year after the event because the Chinese goivernment had cleaned it all away.  

There were cameras everywhere and the Chinese people avoided ys because they knew they were being watched.

Normally in South East Asia our blond kids attracted a lot of attention.  But not then- at least not in Beijing.

Tired today

 I woke up a couple of times last night to go to the bathroom,and then Molly the cat woke me up around 6 or so letting me know that she wanted some company- and some breakfast!

My time here in Maine is drawing to a close.  Austin retuns from his west coast adventures tomorrow.   I leave three days later.

I've done a lot of not much.    I have spent time with friends.  I have been a tourist and done some sighseeing.   I've eaten at places that are not chains and have also eaten at chains (Applebee's and Walmart).

Austin's next door neightbor is such a delight!  She enjoys our little excursions and adventures- even if it just means shopping at Walmart.

This morning Sylvia and I had breakfast at Moody's Diner.   A real old fashioned diner that is up to date enough to have gluten free toast!  After we ate we went into the Moody's gift shop where I picked up (and paid for) a few things.   We also went to the antique store next door which had nothing I wanted to buy.

There's only one chore I want to do today and that is sweeping the sunroom.   

I forgot to mention that Marty, my Tromso friend who is from Maine, came here to Warren yesterday.  She came to Austin's house and agreed with me that it's a cute house and it would make a good fixer-upper for an HGTV show.

Marty and I went into Camden and had lunch is a cafe that overlooks the water.   Then we walked down to the dock (I guess that's what you call the place that boats are).  We sat on a bench and watched the water, boats and birds.  And we talked and talked.   It's so amazing that a friendship can pick up like we just saw each other last week even though it's been more than 30 years!

And now for the Friday edition of my adventures in Mid Coast Maine

 Friday May 31, 2024

Today I decided to go to Owls Head Lighthouse.   Nick and I tried to visit it when we were here two years ago, but when we saw how long the walk was from the parking lot to the lighthouse it just did not seen possible for me to walk that far.

Well, today I did it!  I must admit I was a bit intimidated when I saw how far I would have to walk.  But I just took my time and used my cane and I made it.

The day was so beautiful.  Sunny blue skies and just the right temperature.  I did not need the sweatshirt I took along and so I left it in the car.

I met a family from Baltimore and they were kind enough to take my picture.   I also took some pictures along the roadside leading to the light house and because the water was so blue and the sky so clear.