photos form 2017

Last of 2017

Yes, 2017 is about over.  We have had a great year.  Spent a wonderful winter holiday in Dallas in February.  We almost got stuck in DC overnight due to a snow storm, but managed to get our flights changed so that didn't happen.  Chuck and Luella showed us a grand time in Dallas with lots of good food, museums, Chinese multi media show and warm weather.

Spent the summer with Tom using Charlies' new Kabota tractor moving rock out of the trails and Mary supervising  the gardener as he worked the flower beds.
Tom developed Macular Degeneration and now needs monthly shots in his left eye.  Not pleasant at all, but his vision returned in that eye.

We got a surprise message on Facebook from childhood friend, Clyde Hatten and met them one day on Mt Desert Island.  They live in nearby Clinton.  They bought lobster rolls and took us to Reversing Falls for a picnic.  Clyde pulled cold drinks and table settings from his car trunk and we had a lovely time visiting with he and his wife Marland.

In May, Tom took me to a chalet for a few days for our 62 wedding celebration on Campobello Island in Nova Scotia.  We had a wonderful time exploring the lighthouses, beaches and carriage trails.
Later in September, we would do the same thing with Chuck and Luella.    It is a short 5 hour trip from Sumner.  I'm sure we will go more if time allows us.

In July, Heather, Lee, Autumn, Aden and Gabriel came for  a visit.  We had a grand time.  The kids love the woods and climbed many trees, hiked many trails and played hours on a tire swing that Tom put up in then birch in the back yard. We also spent a day in New Hampshire at Clarks Trading Post where the kids enjoyed hours of water slides, wall climbing, watching a bear show and taking a long train ride in the park.

We also had some cookouts, especially if Jacob comes, because he like to grill.

Many visitors came to hike to the big pine tree and clubs had picnics in the back yard after the hike.

Charlie bought a groomer and snowmobile to get the trails ready for cross country skiing when the snow fell in December, as fall it did.  He and Ethan did about 4 k over Christmas vacation on the groomed trails.  It looks like fun, but of course, the best I can do is a snowshoe walk, which I intend to do in the near future after the temps get back above freezing. we do have about 10 inches of snow at the moment on the ground.  So far it is a good winter for snow, but cold weather is not so much fun.
Aside from Tom's eye, we are in remarkably good health.

In December we met Sadie, Molly and Sam's new baby.  We are delighted with all the great grand daughters.  The twins just turned one year old and Hazel, Ethan's three year old visits us often.  We are thrilled with each  visit from the kids.  We had all Beth's kids and their kids for Christmas.  Charles Thomas and family came for Thanksgiving and we had an early Christmas with them here. They stayed in Miami for Christmas.









Beth continues to make life easier for us in any way she can.  It is such a gift to have she and Charlie here.  so far, we don't need that much care and I pray that we don't become a burden on them down the road.

WE are now entering the third month of Tom's eye injections for his macular degeneration.  His left eye is wet, thus the injections to stop bleeding  It seems to be working as he sees better now out of that eye.  We go tomorrow for another injection.  HE goes today to see the heart doctor and ten days ago, he had a tooth pulled.  Poor Tom.
On  lighter note, we had 5 people come yesterday to hike to the big white pine on our place, the largest in Oxford County and possibly the state.
I walked all the distance and I was happy to get out into the woods again.

aI need to post new twin photos as they are now 5 month old.

Mary sunning with cabin in background.

Tom in front of Roosevelt summer cottage.

Tom eating a 2 and half pound lobster

Mary on porch of cabin

tom at Roosevelt summer cottage

Mary at oceanside in front of our cabin

Some photos from our trip to Canada.

CAMPOBELLO

The date is May 26, 2017 and Tom and Mary leave Sumner for an ocean chalet in Canada.  We couldn’t find Tom’s passport, but he had his passport card.We were hoping this would get us in and out of Canada, but were a little concerned. 

We left at 8:00 and the weather was 50 degrees.  We made a pit stop at 12:20 at 46 north.  Stopping at the border, we had no problems with Tom’s lack of a passport.  

At 12:20 , we arrived at our chalet.  It was all I had imagined and more.  

After unpacking, I realized my camera bag had not made it into the car.  I was distressed, but alas, we were safely at our ocean front cabin.  we drove into Lubec, ME for gas.  There is no gas on the island.  We then toured the Roosevelt nature park going out to Cranberry point where we said we would come back with a picnic at some point.  The trail roads were old carriage roads and very woodsy with moss and lichen growing on all the rocks and trees. There were so many shades of green.  We just rode and rode.  You could see the ocean at most pull outs.

Back at the cabin, I heated up my rotisserie  chicken and cooked wild rice, made chopped salad and we had dinner, with oranges for dessert. I had all the dishes and pots and pans for cooking that was needed.  It was a well supplied kitchen.   I found a cribbage game in the TV cabinet, so we played and went to bed with an even score.  We had twin beds downstairs and we decided against going to the loft for the double bed, as the bathroom was downstairs by the twin bedroom.  

I awoke on Saturday at 4 a.m. and could see lighthouses on tiny  islands around us blinking in the early dawn light. 

Our beds were very comfy and warm.  Each room had a thermostat, though the loft made the main room more chilly.  Tom fought with the thermostat constantly, but we just put on more layers as necessary.  

Since the weather was a heavy mist, we decided to go to US in search of a Walmart for a cheap camera.  We found  the Walmart about  35 miles away in Machis. We came home and had haddock chowder in Lubec, before going to the cabin..  

The visitor center was now open, so we stopped in and got information.  We started touring the carriage roads in earnest and marking where we had gone.  Friar’s Bay was our first stop to get out, and we read all the posted literature.  I hiked a little way down the trail, but the signs had said you could only see the Friar at low tide, and we were in the high tide time of day.  We stopped at gift store and bought a lighthouse magnet for the refrigerator door and Tom got a lighthouse mug.  We stopped at grocery and bought cards to play hand and foot as I had not brought my cards.    

Sunday we started out to find Head Harbor light.  The walk was scary and signs said that if you went to lighthouse if the tide came in while you were there the water came up 5 feet an hour and you might be stranded.  We did not go up.  

Getting back in car we saw a bog walk that was .7 miles long, so we parked and started out stopping to read all the signs, seeing lots of pitcher plants,  bog rhododendrons, small cherry trees in bloom and other blooming stuff along the way.  

Back in the car, we continued to Fundy road.  we stopped and Tom watched we walk on round rocks to beach.  I found some pretty ones at lower duck pond.  

We finally got to Liberty Point where I think I saw a seal dive or something big and an eagle flew into the trees.  We almost ran over a woodcock in the road and rabbits were everywhere.

We stopped at the Fireside Restaurant and both had Haddock dinners as we sat at a window table overlooking the water.

We stopped at our lighthouse again, but no seals yet.  

We met out next door neighbors, Tara and Greg Stophr and daughter Stephanie and Katherine.

We had a lot in common, all Christians and girls had been on mission trips.  Tara and Greg play hand and foot, but they were leaving the next day, so no game.

We started to our cabin and Katherine said, I want to have prayer with you before you go.  Sure we said, a little surprised.  They invited us to come out after supper and share their campfire.  We joined them  and ate toasted marshmallows, on sticks Katherine gathered.    We watched for flying embers.  Tom got a small burn on his trousers. It was fun visiting with new friends around a nice warm campfire.  Have I mentioned that it was cold on the ocean when the wind was blowing.  

Monday dawned cold and misty.  We decided to tour the cottage, We had informative guides and enjoyed the tour very much. We picnicked at Herring Point. Where  the Roosevelt children often gathered rocks on the shore.  After nearly freezing while eating, I gathered rocks on that same shore.         

  

Tuesday we decided we would have lobster on our last day. We checked with a pharmacist at a drug store to see how bad lobster would affect Tom’s gout.  He said lobster wasn’t as bad as clams, so he thought he was good to go.  

It was a sunny day and we toured the island some more before stopping a the family restaurant and having a lobster each.  I ate a pound and half one and Tom ate a two and a half one.  

We left our little cottage at 8:30 Wednesday, getting gas in Lubec and arriving home some 5 hours later and about 1:30.   

My posts have been about the twins lately, but we have an exciting week coming up.  Molly and Sam are coming and on sunday, we will have several guests for a baby shower for them.
Yesterday, I hosted my Literary Club and our lovely Baltimore Oriole came to show off for them. Isn't he lovely.  The hummers have also returned and the swallow is building in a new house this year.  Apparently the old house has had it.
Charlie finished up his carriage house today. It is now complete.  HE has done a great job.
Jacob is coming to spend the night tonight, so I baked an angel cake for him.

Not much other news today.

Tom has now completed two benches and another one is almost done.  He has a workshop in this old schoolhouse that is one our property and he refined it when we first moved in in 1999.  
Despite his fading eyesight, he is still able to do this.  We just keep going with what we have.   I think this is a total of 7 benches he has made over last year and this year.

the twins are really growing. 

Beth and charlie are cleaning up brush in the back yard and the place us looking really nice.  The big excitement this week is preparing for Molly's shower on Sunday.  I hope we have a nice day.  Tom has been making more benches to sit around the picnic table under the birch for party comers to sit and have fellowship.  The twins will probably be in their twin stroller.

Yesterday I made Potato Leek soup for one of Beth's friends.  It was not as good as my first.  I don't know why.  It was the same recipe.
Today Diana will come for her piano lesson.  She is trying to relearn pieces she played as a child.  I am actually doing the same thing.  It's sad that we can't play things we did so well in our teen years.  I guess that's what getting old means.  Things we once had, have left our grasp.

Well, I need to get going for the day.  I miss seeing the birds.  A bear apparently ate all our bird seeds over the weekend.

Today is Palm sunday.  Arnold Leach and I played a piano duet, "the Holy City". It is a lovely piece, but hard for me.  We will play it again at the Sunrise service in North Paris.
Beth went into the woods to put up a duck house that tom made last summer.  she found at least 3 feet of snow in the woods.  We hope to see our lawn this week in very warm temperatures.
We continue to enjoy Archie and Stephanies' twins when Beth baby sits.  Tom and I get to hold them.


I can't wait to take Maura out for a nice walk in the back yard soon.  I've felt bottled up all winter because I do not want to take a fall.
I"m happy that baseball season is here.  I won't watch all the Sox games, but when it is convenient, I will watch.
Tom goes to eye specialist tomorrow for another shot in his eye.  i feel so sorry for him, but if this helps him to be able to see, I guess it is worth it.

Texas vacation
We had a wonderful time in Dallas.  Chuck had tickets to Shun men, which is a multi talented dance historical opera.  It was filled with animation to make the story more interesting.  I loved it very much.  then we did the George W Bush Museum including getting a picture made in the oval office as it was when he was president.
Another high light was the Ross Perot science museum.  We went twice and still only saw a portion of it.  Everything was interactive so you could spend a week in there and not get all around.

we also ate there and the cook would not let us take a slice of pizza from the counter, but made a fresh on one and brought it to us.  We also ate at the Bush and found Laura's cookies healthy but lacking in taste.  They were all fun.

Speaking of fun, we did the Luby cafeteria, My favorite and numerous others.  We ate Texas, Mexican, Asian, Ranch, Italian, Canadian and many others.

Tom got his Berlin Wall plaque and I got a pretty stole.  Also got a new Bible at the half price Bookstore.  Luella bought me a cover and got both engraved with my name.

We had interesting connections in Washington and I was very glad to get home.  Snow storms had closed  the Portland airport when we were due to fly home, so had a take a later flight.
The weather was perfect in Dallas, nothing like the 3 or 4 feet we came home to.

January 13, 2017
The twins are now 2 weeks old an looking very cute in Facebook photos.  Don't have personal shots since the hospital, but here is Arora and Quinn.

They are two precious little girls and I can't wait until they are old enough to come here for a visit.  It has been very cold, so I understand why they can't get out of the house yet.  I want them to be safe.
Our family is rapidly growing and with Molly's baby due in July, our house will be bursting at the seams, but that's fine with me.

We plan a trip to Longmeadow on the 23rd to see Dean and Eunice.  I hope the weather is nice and no snow storms to hamper our trip.  Then we will go to Dallas in February.  I hope we can fly direct from Boston.  I don't like the plane changes with tom in a wheelchair, even though we get through security and to the gates quickly.

I wish we had time and money to drive in our car.  That would be very nice.  I like traveling by car with Tom.  we have fun together.