Questions/ Started on October 23, 2026 6:00 PM

 Full Moon at Sunset

 

 

What trips do you remember from your childhood? 

 

I posted this list of questions with the thought that I would try to answer them. So, here goes:

Too many trips to remember.  We traveled most of my childhood.  I have snippets of the memory of flying into Kabul, Afghanistan when I was 5 years old.  I sort of remember passing out and waking up in the cockpit with an oxygen mask on.  I remember driving on the Khyber Pass on the way to Pakistan but I have not recollection of why.  And I remember crossing the Atlantic Ocean on the ocean liner SS America.  

 This question could be a whole volume so I'll stop here for now.

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 Who has been the kindest in your life?

Who has been the kindest?  I think I will have to think on that and come back to it.

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What's something you're proud of?

I am proud of how hard I have worked to raise my kids although I have a lot of regrets (I wish I had been calmer and kinder).  I am proud of the way I have helped so many mothers and babies and families by teaching and supporting breastfeeding and attachment parenting.

Also I am proud that I eventually graduated from college at age 50!

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Who were the people you felt closest to as a child? 

I think as a kid I was closest to my sister.  We always shared a bedroom and even though I am sure I was an annoying little sister, we were and are very close.  Also my mom, but I was kind of scared of her.

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Did you have any pets growing up? 

 Pets?  Yes and no.   I remember we had a dog in Afghanistan named Scamp.  I don't think I ever remember Scamp being allowed inside the house.   We had a lot of cats there but I don't remember being very attached to them.  The kittens were pretty feral .

Nick and I had lots of pets.  We had cats:  Andre' and Pierre, Sonia and Petya, Natasha & Faustus.   Later we had Sasha, Vanya and for a very short time a cat named Catrina.  Oh yeah, we had a our dog Heather too! 

 Nick with our pets at the train station in Bangkok 1976

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How did you get to school as a child? 

In Afghanistan we got to school in what I remember as the back of a WV pick up truck with a canvas cover. I might have that completely wrong I don't know. 

In the States for the first year or so I got to school in a big yellow school bus.  For the rest of elementary school I walked.  In junior high school and high school I rode in a big yellow school bus.

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 What were your grandparents like?

They all seemed old but now as I get older I guess that they really weren't so old.

My mother's mother, Grandma Rivers was kind of silly and funny.  She had been an entertainer and she loved singing silly songs.  Grandpa Rivers was nice but he worked and wanted to watch his "shows" when he was sitting in his chair.

 My Grandma Thompsen, my father's mother was Norwegian and had a very strong accent.  She was never really silly, but she was nice and kind.  I spent a couple of summers with her and I really wanted to stay but my parents wouldn't let me. It never occurred to me that she might not want me to stay.   Her husband, my father's father returned to Norway before any of the grandchildren were born.   I've seen plenty of pictures of him, but was discouraged from asking questions about him.

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Did you play any sports?

Not if I can help it! 

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What things are most important to you in a home?

On  deep level, love and security.  Calm and peace.

 On a more superficial level, neatness, tidiness, cleanliness- swept floors, things put away. 

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Who is the most important person in your life?

There are too many to name.  I suppose to start with, my mother.   She is gone.  Dead.    It's sad, and I miss her.   But it's the "natural order of things".

My sister is way up there as an important person in my life.

But the most important are my kids and Nick. 

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What have been your favorite trips?

So may trips.    Probably one of the best was the drive across the US with our four oldest kids.   We had pretty much said that four was our limit, but I remember feeling so happy and good about that trip.  Nick and I talked a lot and decided that having a fifth child would be good.  So we did and it was.

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Where's the most beautiful place you've been?

It's a toss up between Perth, Western Australia and Tromsø, Norway 

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Do you remember any celebrations as a child?

I had a birthday party when I turned 10. 

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What was the first major news story you can remember living through as a child?

The assassination of President Kennedy 

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What was your favorite thing to do in the summer as a kid?

Swim.  I loved to be at the swimming pool as much as possible.  My mom's rule was that if it got to 65 or less I couldn't swim. 

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What television programs did you watch as a child? 

 Captain Kangaroo, The Monkeys, cartoons of all sorts.

 

 

 

Questions I want to answer

 

It's time to blog agin / second attempt

 

 

I tried to publish my writing/ blog yesterday.  I wrote a lot and added photos and everything.  Then, poof!  It all disappeared.  No amount of searching has found my lost writing.  I bet there's a trick but it is beyond me.

Today is the 25th anniversary of 9/11- when there were terrorist attack on the World Trade Center in New York, the Pentagon and a sight in Pennsylvania where passengers on the last of the planes in the attack were able to take over and keep that plane from hitting something significant.  Maybe the White-house or the Capital building.

 Nick and I got our flu and covid vaccinations yesterday which probably accounts for my sleepiness.   

I'm not going to write a whole lot here right now but might catch up later. 

   

 

 

 

Thinking about my father and how my kids remember him if at all

 

I'm not sure why, but when Chance and Jamie were here last weekend I learned that Chance has no image or memory of my father.

I need to ask my other kids what they remember if anything.

I am afraid I have done a disservice to my dd by telling the kids only the negative/ bad stuff about my dad.   Even if it's true, he was not always mean or scary.  I spent hours on his lap looking through magazines or combing his hair. Not sure why, but I enjoyed polishing his shoe too.

We used to go on walks and he would hold my hand.  He would say "ride' ride' ronka", a Norwegian nursery rhyme while I rode on his foot- pretending it was a horse  

 

Of all five Sherwood kids, I think that Austin is the most Scandinavian looking and he really looks like my dad in these two pictures.  One of Austin's profile and the other my dad's profile in his WWII Navy uniform.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

This picture was taken by my dad probably 1991 or 1992 when my dad and Becky were visiting us.

I know that I have pictures of my father with each of the kids.  I have pictures of him holding Chance as a baby.  

I feel like I have left a big part of my history and my kids history out of the picture.   Need to work on that!

 

Happy La Leche League story to share

 I posted this on Facebook yesterday and received almost 200 "likes"!

 I was wearing this shirt today and in a ladies room a woman at least my age (70s) said "is that shirt La Leche League?" I said that I am a LLL Leader. She said she nursed her first baby until she was 3 years old! Her son stopped when he was ready but she couldn't remember how old he was. She said he always did things his own way. How great is it when you meet a League mom who's babies are in their 40s and who still loves her memories of La Leche League!

 

 =7   =74  = 85

Good Morning!

 I woke up feeling human today for the first time in ages!  I have been depressed and tired for what seems like forever.

I took a much needed nap yesterday and I think that it at least some of what revived me.    I felt good after I woke up from my nap!

 Not a whole lot new here.  I have started to follow Weight Watchers again.   I used to love going to the meetings but have not been this time around.  They have moved the location and I don't feel like trying to find it.  Also, Weight Watchers has gotten involved in the weight loss drug/ shots program and I am really not interested in that.   Wish me luck!

 It is so hard to believe that Shannon died almost 6 months go!   Her mom and I have kept in touch all through Shannon's illness and her death.  Last week, Sarah- Shannon's mom visited here at out house for a couple of hours.  She was on her way to Fredericksburg to visit Shannon's kids.

Sarah had visited the cemetery in Pennsylvania where Shannon is buried.  she took some pictures of Shannon's headstone and shared them with me.

 

 

 

 

 

It's beautiful.  But I wish Shannon was still alive.

 

 

I'm soo tired!

 Last night, according to my c-pap, I slept over 9 hours.  Yes I was tired all day.  My voice is not working right and is all raspy.  Maybe I am sick.  Maybe it's the weather.   There are forest fires in Canada and the smoke is going all over the place.

 

 Every evening I write a list of the things I want to do the next day.  I have been moderately good at doing my "chores".   

I have been reading a lot lately.  Novels/ fiction     

 On the last page of the book I just finished we a very evocative passage:  

 

"Now she saw that June beach scene differently.   Her three children, she saw, had been staring at the horizon with the alert, tense stillness of explorers at the edge of the ocean, poised to begin their journeys. And she, shading her eyes in the distance had been trying to understand why they were leaving.

Where they were going without her.

How to say goodbye." 

 

This sums up parenting.  They all needed me so much and now they have gone off to their own lives without us. 

 

 

Rabbit Rabbit Wednesday July 1, 2026

 On Sunday, while sitting in church listening to the sermon which I cannot remember right now, I felt like just being still and feeling still.

As I sat there in a somewhat meditative state, I felt like I was disintegrating.   Starting at the top of my head I imagined that I was becoming a bit of sparkles or glitter fading away.   All the way to my feet until all that was left was glitter on the floor.

I was feeling invisible and sad and lonely and not able to do anything.   

Life is good.  Most of the time.   But I feel like I need some time off.  Away somewhere.   Maine was wonderful and I really am glad I got to be there with Austin.

I am so glad I got to go to North Carolina and see Galileo on his second birthday.  I love him so much.

Life really is good.   I have friends- sort of.  Not like when I was younger and the kids were all around.  Maybe they were something of a catalyst almost forcing me into meeting other women with kids.  I know that was my doing but the kids got me going.

Life changes I know.  When I say I don't really have friends I mean, nobody to just talk to for hours on the phone and meet for coffee or a walk.   I am lonely in a world full of people.  I guess that's the downfall of being an extrovert.

Before Covid and the pandemic we had a dinner group called "The Extended Family".   And I had my Monday evening women's group. 

All of the women in the Monday evening group have died except for myself and one who has moved away.  Pat, Harriett, Sue, Florence, Lola, and Mary Lou.  

The extended family has had a similar fate.  Members moved away or died.     I miss seeing everyone once a month.  We would eat at each other's homes or occasionally go to a restaurant.  I think that for at least 10 years, maybe more, we hosted the Christmas party at our house.   Last year we barely had any Christmas at all.

I am retired now from my lactation work and almost from La Leche League.   I do have a Monday morning Zoom group with some long time- old- LLL friends.

My mother would say I am just feeling sorry for myself. Yeah, there you go!

 

 

 

June 24, 2026

 Fifty four years?  Really?  Have we really been married that long?   We were both such babies!  Nick was 24 and I was 18!  I don't know if anyone thought it would last.  We have been through so much and yet, here we are!

And it's funny because we so often say "that was the week of Hurricane Agnes" and most people just look at us and say "huh?"  Well, we will always remember!  I was going to write something about the hurricane but discovered that if you just Google "Hurricane Agnes" or look it up on Facebook there's lots of info and pictures.

 

Look at those love birds!
 

Raliegh, North Carolna

 I was lucky enough that I was able to get down to Raleigh and see Daughter-in-law, Jody, son Darcy and of course Galileo.

 Galileo just turned two years old!   When I first saw him I couldn't recognize him at all

He is a sweet, delightful little baby/ boy and a lot of  running around- all toddler all Sherwood

 

I took a bunch of pictures so be patient. I will try loading more at another time

 

 

Where's the time go?

On the plane heading to Maine

  

 I spent ten days in Maine at Austin's house and expected to have a whole lot to write about.  But I am so tired and wasted.  Not from Maine.  If anything, my time there gave me some of the rest and relaxation I needed.

The first couple of days, Austin was there.  Then he went to a local SOAK event (I hope that I have that right) and was gone for three days.

During the time Austin was away, I went to church with my friend Marty Daniels and also met with Barb Haney.   I have known Marty since 1984 or 85, when we were in Tromso and we both had babies around the same age.

Barb I know from La Leche League when she lived in Reston- so for at least 20 years.

They had never met each other but we had a very enjoyable lunch together at a restaurant called Nautilus.  in Belfast, Maine- where Marty lives.

Lobster!
 

 

              Nancy (me) in pink shirt, Barb in plaid and Marty in red jacket

 

For some reason I don't have any photos of Austin and me together.  I guess I was just mellowing out and not feeling frantic enough to need to capture everything .

 

Austin's shed inspired me to try drawing.  I did not draw anything that made me feel like a wonderful artist at all.  But the inspiration was there.  The foliage growing up the side of the shed is climbing hydrangea which while a bit overwhelming is really amazing!

 

Austin's house looks much the same every time I am there, but I just love it so much that I have to photograph it.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Sylvia and I went into Camden and had coffee at the Camden Deli- which has great gluten free coffee cake and also a beautiful view of the Camden Harbor 

 

View of Camden Harbor from the Camden Deli

 

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One of the things I didn't mention was the trip to the Avian Haven.  It's a bird rehab facility that Barb is the executive director of.   We saw some amazing birds including a massive bald eagle and a loon in a special pool.   

Another thing I did not mention was going to church.  I went to the UU church in Belfast with Marty on my first Sunday in Maine.  I went to the UU church in Rockland with Austin on my second Sunday in Maine!

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Flowers in Austin's yard

 

Mountain Bluet- wildflower

 

Nettle (I think)

 

Austin looking over his garden

Lupine- my favorite Maine flower

 

 

Board books that I got for Galileo

 

 Austin's 3D printer. Austin makes amazing things with it!

 

 Goat Yoga Blocks

 

Something silly I found at the Goodwill in Virginia- wooden goat yoga blocks!

 

 

 

And here I am on my way back to Virginia June 1, 2026

 

When I first wrote this post the other day, , I forgot to add the pictures I took out the plane window.  We arrived in Virginia during a beautiful sunset 

 

 

 

 

Broken Dishes

 I have a clear memory of sitting on the front steps (stoop) of our apartment building and hearing the smashing and crashing of dishes hitting the floor.   My friends hears it to and probably my siblings.

My mom had taken every dish out of the kitchen cabinets and smashed them on the kitchen floor.   I don't know why.  I can imagine any number of reasons.

Many years later, when Nick and I and toddler Courtney were living in Poznan, Poland I did something similar.  Only, I threw the dishes out the kitchen window.

We had a circular driveway that I could see out the kitchen window and that's where the dishes landed.  Crash.  We had a lady who did our yard work- a char woman- who swept the mess up and never said a word!

I found a picture online of a house on our street in Poznan.  I am not sure if this is our house (I doubt it) but it's similar.

 

 

Kitchen memories/ Swedish Death cleaning/ picking up where I left off...

 

How many people have this exact set of mixing bowl?  The smallest one is blue, then red, then green and the large bowl is yellow.

This set was a wedding gift to my parents in 1945.  I wonder who gave it to them?  There's nobody left to ask.

My mom gave them to me when Nick and I got married in 1972.  Each bowl seems to have it's designated function and use,  By default- no one assigned them 

 

More later I have to run 

 

 

 

I started to write this post yesterday and I cannot remember why, but for some reason I was not able to finish it.  And so I am back to try again.

 I was writing about the mixing bowls .  I was feeling very poetic about the memories they evoke, but that's a thought that has passed.

Anyway, back to the memories.  The smallest of the mixing bowls, the blue one, is the perfect size to mix up a can of tuna and mayonnaise for a couple of sandwiches.   I think we have also used it for dip- like dipping veggies or chips.

I served my husband [Nick] stuffed green peppers in the red bowl shortly after we got married .  Not exotic in my family.  My mom was a really good cook and we have all sorts of things for dinner.   Nick's family, not so much.  His mom was a decent cook, but she absolutely hated  cooking!

The stuffed green peppers looked so festive an smelled so good.   Nick took one look and said "what's that?"  Needless to say he did not eat them.   The red bowl is good for other things but that's what I think of.

The green bowl is just right for making cake frosting.

The yellow bowl is perfect for making a cake in.  Or kneading bread.  Or making Thanksgiving stuffing.  Or meatloaf.

This set of bowls traveled the world with my family and then with Nick and I and our own family.   

And now I am starting to wonder what will the future of the mixing bowls be.   Will any of the kids want them?   Will they care about the history and stories?   Will they get sold at the Goodwill?  Does it matter?

I probably will never know