Jan 5 - Jan 24, Same 'ole + Family Birthday Week

   I am really loving my Skylight Frame, that shows a slideshow of my uploaded photos.  I have started uploading our various RV travel photos, as well as family photos.  Friends and family can email photos to the Frame and it automatically uploads them.  Email to:  eviepless@ourskylight.com   My biggest problem is technical, as after uploading around 750 photos, the app on my phone won't work as it should.  After 15 emails with the Skylight Frame tech support, they still haven't figured out the problem.  Oh well, sigh.  

I did an outdoor visit with Tamara and kids.  We had a really nice winter walk around their neighborhood.  Tamara's news is that she is changing nursing jobs, and will be starting at the Greenfield Bay State hospital.  Better working conditions, better pay, and closer to home.  They even created a specific job just for her, so she can continue to work 3 long days-Fri, Sat & Sun.  

Then, the next weekend, I visited with Anica and family, and we went to a nearby playground.  However, that day it was really cold, with a biting wind.  The kids lasted longer than I did.  But, both visits were really nice, as I wouldn't get to see them in person otherwise. 

Then we came to Birthday Week.  Joe and Robbie's birthdays were Jan 21st, Peter's birthday was Jan 23rd, and Lou and Claire's birthdays were Jan 24th.  For Peter's birthday, since it was a cold sunny day, we decided to get out of the house and went for a scenic drive.  We ended up in Ipswich, MA along the coast.  We found Crane beach and Castle Hill on the Crane Estates, both now owned by a Trusteeship, open to the public.  The beach had a nice boardwalk over to the water, but the wind was so cold and strong, that we took one look and went back to the car.  Nearby was Castle Hill, which has a huge mansion built by the Crane's around 1910.  It has beautiful landscaping, incredible views from the top of the hill of the ocean and the surrounding salt marshes.  The whole estate reminded us of Downton Abbey estate, although maybe not quite a large.  This would be a nice place to walk around when the weather is warmer.  And, the film Witches of Eastwick was filmed at this estate, so we watched it last night.

On Sunday, Jan 24th, we did a big family/cousins/siblings Zoom birthday party!  What fun!  Nieces and nephews I haven't seen in a long time were there with their families.  It was so nice to catch up.  I even found childhood photos of the birthday folks to show folks--see below.

Skylight Frame photos:

Tamara's family outdoor visit:

Anica's family outdoor visit photos:

Crane Beach and Castle Hill on the Crane Estate photos:

Peter's birthday photo:

Birthday photos:

Happy Birthday, Peter!

Dec 20, 2020 - Jan 4, 2021 Holidays and Bringing in the New Year

    I spent several weeks putting together my 2020 Xmas family collages (one of the grandkids, one of the families, and one of Peter's kids & grandchild).  I also printed the 5x7 photos of each of the now 10 grandchildren for the front of my refrigerator, and many 4x6's of family and cousins, for the side of refrigerator and my wall photo frame.  Then, I also printed off my 2020 Holiday newsletter for the Seasons Greetings cards that I mailed out.  That takes dedication to do each year! 

    We had a Covid Christmas this year, as well as a Covid New Years.  A Zoom call with the kids & grandkids, and Scott, Amy & Adelle.  Then another Zoom call with the siblings & cousins.  Very delightful way to spend the day, when you can't be together in person.  In some ways, more relaxing and less cooking.  But, I still prefer the in person connections.  

   We have been taking our daily 2 mile walks, whenever the weather is nice enough (not snowing, not raining and above 30 degrees).  When we can't do that, I am joining Aimee or one of her instructors with the online Jazzercise classes.  I do love walking downstairs and jazzercising.  Peter is trying to get his exercising in on the stationary bicycle (I think he has to work up to doing it regularly, and for long enough).  

    I have been organizing my refrigerator photographs from the last 10 years, that I have previously taken off the frig and stuffed an album.  When the album was overflowing, I finally decided it was time to organize them all.  Interesting walk down memory lane, to see each grandchild born, then get older through the years, via photos.  

   Gabe gave me a "family tree sculpture" for Xmas, so I needed to print off little photos of each grandkid (fortunately, there were 10 little picture frames).  Putting that together was a bit of a challenge.  Tamara gave me an electronic photo frame that shows a slideshow of your photos.  It also allows others to email photos directly to the photo frame, by attaching a photo and emailing it to:  eviepless@ourskylight.com  I have been uploading our RV travels, 50 or so photos at a time.  This is a really delightful thing to have sitting on my kitchen counter.  We get sucked into watching the slideshow of photos and say, "Oh, I remember that.  Gee I was actually there!" And, it's a great way to see current photos of family & friends.   I love it.

   I also got a scrumptiously soft and warm blanket robe, that I am delighted to use downstairs in our somewhat cool basement, while we watch our movies/TV series.  And, we received a few games, one of which we will need Aaron to walk us through and teach us how to play it.  But they look like a fun thing to do of an evening.

  Here's hoping that 2021 will see the end of Covid, that we can resume our RV travels, and actually be able to visit with friends and family again.

Xmas Zoom and Xmas photos: 

 Our daily walk photos:

Family Tree Photo:

Refrigerator & wall frame photos:

Evie luxuriating in her blanket robe:

Dec 12 - 19, New Bathroom floor, SNOW & Cinnamon Rolls

    We finally arranged to have a new floor put down in our main bathroom.  It took me a long time to find just the right color and grain of LVP (Luxury vinyl planking).  I didn't want the project to expand into replacing the cabinets, fixtures and repaint.  I just wanted a new floor to replace the old one that was curling up at the edges and was stained.  I think the old floor came with the original condo.  They had to remove the toilet and move the washer/dryer combo out of the closet.  And the crew that came didn't speak English hardly at all, so it was hard to communicate.  It took them 1/2 hour to get the toilet to work again, and I had to call the Flooring place the next day to come and fix the washer/dryer, as it wasn't exhausting to the outside anymore, but into the bathroom.  But, the floor looks great.

   We had another big snowfall--around 10 inches.  But it was fluffy and windy, so no snow was left on the trees, making it less likely to take down the power lines.  And, easier to shovel.  We don't shovel the drive or the walkway, but we did need to shovel the deck and a path to the fuel oil intake valve.  I am now allowed to feed the birds (from Dec 1 to Feb 28) again, so I need to be able to get to the birdfeeder.  It nice to see the birds out the slider again.  

   I took all of last year's photos and collages off of the refrigerator, and from my wall photo frame.  I usually keep them, so went downstairs to the bookshelf where all of the photo albums were.  Fortunately, or unfortunately, I noticed that the albums where I have been stuffing the prior year's photos was overflowing.  Thus, I spent 2 days organizing all of the collages and Xmas letters, by year, and the old refrigerator phots into a new album.  It is amazing to see how the grandkids have grown from year to year, and to remember.  I also happened to notice how young I used to look.  Sigh!

   Today, we did our traditional cinnamon roll baking, for Xmas morning, as a Zoom call with Quinn and Anica.  Claire joined in later.  Quinn kneaded the dough all by herself.   And she helped roll and assemble the rolls.  Yummy!  I made 3 & 1/2 pans full of rolls, so I will take one to Tamara and one to Claire, as I do not want to eat them all myself (Peter doesn't care for them).

New bathroom floor photos:

Cinnamon Roll Zoom call photos:

Nov 28 - Dec 11, Opacum Woods and Pond Trail, Claire's Wedding

    Nov 28th was Shanti's 46th birthday!  How can he be that old, or should I say, how can I be that old?  Since Sunday, the 29th, was a beautiful, cool, sunny day we discovered a new nearby trail to hike.  Opacum Woods is a 300 acre land trust, with a large pond and trails all around it.  Perfect walking/hiking trails -- around water, in the woods, up and down some hills, nice views, well maintained trails.  Nice day.

    We had around 5 inches of snow, and cold weather.  But on Dec 6th, Claire and Ian got married, legally.  They had Ian's sister become an officiate-for-day, so she could legally marry them.  They "signed the papers" in their snow covered backyard.  They still want an complete wedding, ceremony, reception and all, when we can all gather together in person again.  Whenever that will be.  

   I watched a movie on DisneyPlus/Zoom with Quinn (Tangled) and did a Zoom call for the 1st night of Chanukah lighting of the menorah with Anica's family.  Otherwise, our excitement has become going out to doctor's visits and grocery shopping.  Ugh!  Since the weather has become wintery, my exercise is braving the walk around the neighborhood, or I have started doing Jazzercise again with Aimee's Jazzercise studio online.  

   Since we won't be celebrating Christmas with all the families here this year, I couldn't see setting up the Christmas tree and doing all of the decorations we usually do.  Claire always helped set up the tree, and the grandkids always helped decorate it.  So, this year, I have done a minimal effort, just to remind me that it is a holiday.

   Finally, Peter wanted me to post a photo of our newest "friends".  When we do our neighborhood walk, we end up at a farm, with a horse and goats, who come out to greet us each day, before we turn around a walk home.  Photo below.

Opacum Woods trail photos:

Claire & Ian's "wedding" photos:

2020 Christmas approach to decorations photos:

Our new walking "friends" photo: