A beautiful day in the neighborhood

Snow and all - it'sso pretty. This may be the last snowy day, so I plan to enjoy it while it lasts.

Shrove Tuesday

When I was a little girl and the Episcopal church was still Christian and traditional, we always had a Shrove Tuesday pancake supper. This evening Polly and I will go out for pancakes.
Here is a fine website from Woodlands Junior school in Kent, England which tell the history and traditions of the day.

Bushfires Memorial

This afternoon we watched the Bushfires Memorial, live from Victoria, Australia on BBC World News. It was a very fitting and moving memorial. I was especially impressed by the lovely, huge wreath into which each participant placed a white blossom. It has been such a terrible few weeks. I pray nothing like this happens again, and that there will be the much needed rain, soon.

 Polly meets Governor Atiyeh 

Today, former Governor Vic Atiyeh was the speaker at a ladies luncheon. As it was his birthday tomorrow, he was presented with the new biography of Abraham Lincoln and we all sang "Happy Birthday". I teased him that we would have been twins, but for a couple of years. (He'll be 86!)

Tax Time

Peggy came by for lunch today and stayed to help me by checking my figures on the tax forms. I'm so bad at numbers that I always need someone to check for me. For once I didn't make any mistakes. I only have to get them photo copied and then I can mail them off. I should be getting a little back and Polly has to pay a little more to the state. Our socialist state makes us pay tax on our unemployment insurance payments. Not like we haven't already paid once for this in payroll deductions. Now the legislature has raised the tax on unemployment. Insult to injury. Stupid jerks. Throw the bums out!

My Valentine for YOU

 Samuel John Peploe

1871-1935]

 

Fire and Ice

We are having a lovely snow day. I wish we could share this weather with our OZ friends.
I recently read an article in The Age from September which is really frightening. Polly has a friend, Adam, down there who send her articles of interest.

Kelsey SMS'ed me early this morning to remind me it had been 2 years to the day when we left for France.
Here a few photos to help us remember...

We visited The Gegouse family, the Venant family, and Mimi. We saw the Omaha beaches, the Bayeux Tapestry.We had lunch at the top of the Eiffel Tower, tea in a pastry shop in Paris. We stayed in a grand Chateau, in 4 star hotels, and one tiny hotel with barely enough room to turn around! We saw snow, rain, sunshine. We went to schools, churches, castles, and museums. We walked until our toes were numb, rode the Metro, and I drove Fifi, the Fiat SUV.
We spent just over two wonderful weeks - never to be forgotten.