Anna Maria

This is my big-little girl (see previous post about Sam). An artist Anna Maria is now supplementing the family's income through fiber arts, primarily by spinning yarn and then weaving it into scarves, wall hangings, and other woven projects. Her web page includes a tribute to her grandmas who, as she says taught her the "grandmotherly arts".
You can check her web site by clicking onto: http://homepage.mac.com/steverinojohnson/annamarsfibers/.
This photo came from her photographer-husband's web page:
http://homepage.mac.com/steverinojohnson/iblog/

Sam

This is my "little big" girl, as we always called her (photo by son-in-law Steven Johnson). That's cuz she grew to be about six inches taller than my oldest daughter and she always was a big strong Swedish-looking girl, whereas Anna Maria's features were always on the lower end of the growth chart. I just went to see Sam Monday evening, a one and a half hour drive over the mountain and through the hills to Hornell. It can be a bit treacherous this time of year, but I was grateful for mild weather. Snow and ice came the next evening.
Ana (Sam) is grieving the loss of a friend. Gerry died about two weeks ago now. For Sam this is the fourth friend she has lost. She also still grieves over a friend's baby that died about two years ago, a baby Sam cared for often. So it's been a hard week for her, but she's working through the grief in a very healthy manner. And for that I am grateful. I told God that I wondered if he wasn't giving that poor child too big a burden to bear and He reminded me that "He who began a good work in Sam would be faithful to complete it."
I found that interesting because Sam herself told me that she'd be okay, that God never gives us more than we can take. She then reminded me of her high school years when the stress from her burdens became so great that her little body shut down. "If you're not careful, you're going to lose her," the doctor said at the time. This past Monday as Sam reminded me of those days, she said, My body nearly gave out on me, Mom, but even then I didn't quit, remember?
And I guess that story tells you quite a bit about my little-big girl. She usually is more concerned about others than she is about herself.

Bart ... by Eliza Grace

Bart, according to a photo I took last summer.
(By the way, Bart's the dog!)





Bart, as drawn by grand-daughter Eliza Grace (age 4 1/2).
Click once on the photo to get a close-up.

Brian

Well, gang, he did it. My nephew Brian just completed a demo CD, which you can check out by going to: http://www.purevolume.com/bamcrackin (This photo came from his web site). He wrote the music, gathered the information and paid for this on his own -- and he's only 19. That shows his dedication to his music. But more importantly, as you listen to the lyrics, you'll see that his music is dedicated to his God. A few years ago Brian became involved in Youth for Christ and became a student leader in his school, his church and in YFC. His faith and dedication to Jesus is what gives him the discipline and the courage to fulfill the mission to which He has been called. He isn't an "in your face; you gotta believe what I believe" kind of guy. He's just a simple, typical -- but very quiet teen -- who has a huge heart. He'll just love you to Jesus, like he and his parents loved me back to the church.

Ice Serpents

These "ice serpents" were "crawling" all over the cliffs and gorges near Taughannock Falls Monday. (Click on this photo once or twice; you'll see just how alive these "critters" appear).





Anatomy of an "ice serpent".

Sometimes you just have to look up ....

Taughannock Falls - Cayuga Lake Area

Nelson had President's Day and his birthday
(the 18th) off, so he filled in the gaps to give him
five days off and we did some short daytrips.
On Monday we followed this streambed near Ithaca
looking for some waterfalls.


Filling the "punch bowl".

Scenery along the way.

Nelson and Bart contemplate the beauty.

Control

Snow and rain fought for control of the skies during Saturday's ride. For this moment the rain won. Nelson took control over machine and nature, cycling through a flooded section of the trail. Whoo! Hoo! Roy and I opted to stay dry, choosing higher ground, the ridges on the sides . The outdoor temperature had dropped from about 60 Friday to the 30s by Saturday afternoon.

Eavesdropping

Roy (left) and Nelson planned to spend some time together Saturday, hanging out and doing guy stuff. But then I overheard Nelson's end of a phone conversation with Roy Saturday. I picked up the word "trail" and something about "bikes". Then I knew this was a party to crash. As a compromise I rode far enough ahead that I could hear their voices, but not understand the words. Gave me a chance to see what my new bike would do and how it handled. The Pathways trail was much harder then earlier in the week, thus easier to ride, since snow and rain fought over which would dominate the day.

Earl and Cammie

Earl Davis was one of the prime movers and shakers of the remodeling project at Crosswinds. After working all day with a contractor, he'd spend most of the evening spackling, painting, putting up false ceilings or applying his carpentry skills. His wit, humor, pranks and common sense make him a joy to be with. Put him and Nelson (who took this photo and, therefore, isn't in it) together ... they remind me of my two younger brothers when they get togeher -- just about anything is like to happen. But it will all be in fun and good taste.

Camelia, Nelson and I get together about once a week to watch movies, share a meal or just hang out. She just started a new job as a personal care aid in a nearby assisted living facility, a cause for celebration as she had been working three part-time jobs to make ends meet.

The four of us got together Sunday (Jan 8) for dinner after Troy McKnight announced his resignation from our church. He will leave the end of March; just before Jack Connell does. Three pastors and a handful of other staff members remain to lead the church, which has grown from about 200 to 1400 in the last ten years.

My girls

This is not my photo. My son-in-law teaches photography at Eastern Mennonite University. He has put together an awesome blog with some amazing photography of people, animals and scenery. It even has a link to his four-year-old daughter's photos; Eliza Grace already seems to be following in her daddy's foot steps in this area.
My youngest daughter Ana (the blond in the back) and my oldest daughter Anna Maria got together in January to celebrate Christmas together. Our schedules didn't jive so that I could see both of them when they were together, but Steven posted this photo on his blog (http://homepage.mac.com/steverinojohnson/iblog). This blog has a calendar. Any date that is highlighted has a photo posted ... one way to view the photos is to click on a highlighted date. You can also check out archived photos from there and the current photo. He updates the blog every two or three days. Anna Maria and Steven are the parents of my granddaughters, Eliza Grace and Magdalena Hope -- a couple of Steven's favorite photo subjects!

My Lord, What a January

This is the view from one side of the bridge on the Ontario Pathways Trail. On the other side all you see is water and trees. It was so good to spend a couple days outside yesterday and Tuesday. November was wet, cold and rainy; I was hit with a bad dose of cabin fever. December was cold, but no snow -- more cabin fever. Today it's supposed to hit 58 degrees; I think I'll go for a walk or run outside if it's too wet to ride. I had hoped to be skiing some by now, but I'll take this any day. It's much less expensive and just as fun. God IS good, and sometimes we even get a glimpse of His goodness.

Come and go with me ....

Ontario Pathways Trail

Doesn't this view say, "Come and see ... ." Okay the colors are a bit drab right now and the trail a tad bit soft. Even so ... it's nearly 50 degrees IN JANUARY in New York. I rode my bike down this trail (but up on the higher grassy area, not on the soft, cinder trail part) Tuesday and Wednesday (about an hour Tuesday and 45 minutes yesterday). This is one of my favorite places to ride. From Main Street in Canandaigua to East Street, the scene is drab buildings and what appears to be a small abandoned factory. But once a rider reaches the East Street portion of the trail, it's a canopy of trees. And in the summer they're even green.

Frailty ...

On Saturday or Sunday my face was itchy, but I didn't think much of it at the time. By Monday evening my upper arms, neck, and back were itchy and a bit rashy, too. So I took a Benadryl before going to bed. I slept well, too well ... I got up late Tuesday and got ready for work in slow motion. My brain was rushing, but my body wasn't cooperating. Instead of stopping to think and go through my mental checklist, I just rushed out the door. I'd make it to work only one or two minutes late, I thought. Then with just five minutes left to go, the CVS Pharmacy and Sterling Optical plaza came into view and my heart sunk. My reading glasses were still at home on my bedside table. I pulled out my cell phone and the card with my work phone number so I could call in. Alas! I couldn't read either one. My glasses were at home. So I rushed up to the clerk, explained my dilemma and asked her to call. She laughed and said, "Sure! Just give me a second to grab my reading glasses." The glasses I bought are now on my desk at work. The ones I left at home will stay at home. And just to be safe I bought a pair to leave in my purse just in case!
"Sow the wind and reap the whirlwind," the Bible says. I let the wrong bite of something cause a chain reaction ... a rash, a sluggish nonresponsive body, forgetfulness, an unnecessary expense and tardiness at work. The allergic reaction couldn't be helped, but I could have taken just a couple minutes to collect my thoughts before leaving for work. That one minute might have saved some time because it might have avoided the trip to the store.
Yesterday ended well, however. The weather warmed up and I got outside. I've worked out at the Y, which takes the edge off. But there's nothing like fresh air. I took another ride today and will post the photos tomorrow. Tonight I had to study.

Change

Just a couple weeks before Christmas, I received a package from Kaplan University in the mail. I stuck a cup of hot water in the microwave, then ripped the envelope open and pulled out a new textbook while the water heated. I dumped in some instant coffee, sweetener and milk; grabbed the textbook and scurried upstairs. Though class didn't start till the 4th, I skimmed the text that evening. Over the next couple weeks I carefully read every chapter, making notes of new terms and highlighting key passages.
When classes started, I felt confident because I already had a good grasp of the material to be covered for that class on family law. My other text, however, wasn't available till the first day of the term. I entered my online classroom, hit the link to download the text, waited for it to download -- more than 300 pages, plus appendices and a glossary of terms. The text came with a warning; only the computer it was downloaded onto could open the file. I figured out how to enlarge the text so it's more readable. I considered printing it out, so I could highlight it and make notes in the margins. Instead I decided to write notes in a spiral notebook, not being able to justify the expenditure of time and ink to print that many pages. There they are in the photo -- my computer text for civil litigation and my hard copy text for family law. Which is better? Both have their advantages. If all my texts were on my computer, I could carry all my "books" just by grabbing my laptop. Nonetheless I prefer hardcopy -- the ability to easily page back and forth through a textbook, something I can make notes in, something that allows me to scribble a quick cheat sheet on the first couple pages, something I can tab with sticky notes. Sure there are technical versions of that for e-books, if you don't mind tabbing back and forth from screen to screen. But I do mind. I prefer the old way. What if the electricity goes out? or my computer crashes?

Tot time

Liza (4) and Magdalena (2) Johnson; and Josie (3) and Ernest (1 next month) Lipscomb pretend to chow down on plastic food at the Lipscomb home in Fillmore. Actually, as Liza said later, "Wasn't I a good girl to feed my baby?" Until Liza and Maggie moved with their parents (my daughter and son-in-law) to Virginia, the four children played together nearly every day. I used to babysit them, so I miss them as much as they miss each other. Liza visited her former preschool this morning with Josie, so she visited with some other former friends as well.

Christmas with AM & family

So Maggie's hiding behind a poinsettia and Liza Grace (front) is in LizaLand, but Anna Maria (right rear) and Steven are looking great and happy. Though it was just a short visit, it sure was good to visit a bit. My daughter and her family were on a whirlwind tour from Virginia to New York to visit friends and families near "my old house," as Liza would say it.