Ma and Pa Taggart

Old and New

2011-10-30T13:05:00.011-04:00

I was in Springfield, IL earlier this year and happened to run into a famous family, out for a stroll. They kindly let me have my picture taken with them.

We have a new attraction in north Raleigh--a paved path along the Neuse River, between the dam and US 1. It is lovely and peaceful. We went out two weeks ago Sunday afternoon for a walk. This week, Marilyn bought a new bicycle. Yesterday, she took me shopping for one of my own. We didn't buy one, but . . .
I can see into the future.

The path starts at the Falls Lake Dam and ends for now at Highway 401, about six miles to the southeast. Eventually the path will go all the way to Johnson County--about 30 miles.

Below is the new bridge across the Neuse River. Remember that old, rickity bridge just below the dam? It's still there, but now this four-lane beauty gets us to Wake Forest quicker. They still have to widen Fall of Neuse to four lanes between Raven Ridge and this bridge.

Something new and different

2011-10-23T15:30:00.003-04:00

What do you think? Should I retro-fit my Vespa with a bazooka?

Anterior Cervical Diskectomy and Fusion

2011-09-08T10:24:00.006-04:00

Quite amazing, really. He cut into my throat just above the clavical, snaked a microscope and assorted tools past the jugular, windpipe, etc., and set up shop in front of cervical vertebrae nos. 5 & 6. He took out the disk and replaced it with a newer model, shot it full of stem cells and then screwed a titanium plate to the two vertebrae, fusing them in place. I woke up 100% better.

The wound was closed with some super glue and scotch tape to keep the germs out.

One of my rules is, no driving without neck support. Very "Darth Vaderish" in appearance, though my voice is more "Daffy Duckish".

Storms

2011-09-07T08:38:00.005-04:00

June through November is hurricane season. Before that (and during, not to mention after) is tornado season. Tornados come with little warning and make smaller but more intense messes. Hurricanes come with a lot more warning. In either case, afterward we head out to help clean up. Irene was a monster, though the experts say it could have been a lot worse.

Below are the "Mormon Helping Hands" guys in yellow, chain saws at the ready. Don't worry--I'm pretty sure that electrical line was not live. We had about 225 people in Kinston and another 120 on Harker's Island.

It is well known that trailer parks work as giant tornado magnets. Here we are a couple of weeks ago, replacing skirting on some trailer homes. In this case, it was the Mormons and the Episcopalians.

Summer Adventures

2011-08-07T09:19:00.040-04:00

Some travel. Some visits with family.

First, we had to visit Disney. This time, along with Jim, Meredith, Luke, Tag, Wesley & Emmett, we took Melyn & Kyler Kronmiller--fun cousins from D.C., where they are trying create democracy in the middle east during the daytime, while saving the world from the forces of evil at night under their secret identities as . . . . Mr. & Mrs. Incredible!

The boys take a lemonade smoothie break in the Animal Kingdom.

We found Shelby Williams hard at work at Epcot.
The gang, waiting for the shuttle after a long day in the park. Still pretty perky, no?

The Campbells, drying out and waiting for lunch at the Crystal Palace, opposite Cinderella's Castle.

Seriously. I wonder what a relaxing vacation would be like.

On Saturday, while the Campbells visited Jim's cousin in Tampa, the Kronmillers & Taggarts snuck off to Islands of Adventure to visit Hogsmeade and look for Harry.

After returning from Disney, we headed west; first, for a reunion of the John & Martha Taggart Family in Emigration Canyon, above Bear Lake.

The clan.

My sweet sisters.
Painting rocks. (Don't ask!)

Well, since you asked, here are a couple of completed rocks--Marilyn & Thomas were "best in show".

From Utah/Idaho, we flew to Portland for visits with Nick, Ben and families, and the Woolleys.

Nick and his children in the blueberry patch.

The Sexton family, gathered for Ian Taggart's baptism.
Spiderman, aka Maxwell Taggart.

New siding makes an old shed look new again. Of course, the new windows, installed in a new wall with Bruce Sexton's help, made a big difference, too.

65 and counting

2011-06-05T07:58:00.000-04:00

Life at or about 65 is just fine. Things slow down. Travel at work has picked up, but not enough to offset the travel schedule I maintained until last May. Here, in no particular order, are a few pictures that give a flavor of things.

First, an empty street in the Magic Kingdom--evidence of how things can be in the off-season at our favorite central Florida destination.

Next, Oaks & Spanish moss in Savannah.

My cousin, John Wyatt, on the right (my left). He lives near Kansas City, where I traveled two weeks ago for the National VOAD conference. What's that, you ask? The "Voluntary Organizations Active in Disasters". Again you ask, what's that? My new calling! I represent the Church on the board of this state-wide coalition of charities that . . . well . . . gets active when disasters strike. We're currently helping coordinate recovery from the April tornados.

Finally, this little beauty was on display at the antique tractor show at the fairgrounds a few weeks ago. This particular Allis-Chalmers WD45 is approximately the same model we owned when we were farming back in the '50s.

Guiness Record

2011-04-16T19:10:00.000-04:00

Last month the Church cooperated with the North Carolina School of Science and Math, WalMart, Chick-Fil-A and others, collecting and processing 559,688 pounds of non-perishable food, thereby breaking the world record. Here is the food, along with many of the key leaders. Marilyn is in the back row, center. We'll let you decide who among this motley crew came over after church and which rode the school bus from the dorms.

Spring in North Carolina

2011-04-10T17:28:00.001-04:00

I was in New York last Thursday. Two scheduled meetings turned into one meeting and a cancellation, giving me a couple of empty hours on the ground. I went to B&H Photo, over on 9th Avenue at 34th Street. I was looking for a pretty good, light-weight digital point-and-shoot. The Canon "PowerShot" S95 commended itself so I bought one. It will take the place of a big, heavy SLR when I'm more interested in snapshots than carefully composed works of art. These three were taken with the new Canon. Not bad, right? (Well, the NY skyline was taken through a plate glass window so you'll see some reflection if you look closely.)

Spring is coming to Raleigh. It seems a bit slow and fitful this year. We've had some very warm days and a lot of cool ones, too. It is always light-green this time of year; and there's a fair amount of color, too--dogwoods, redbuds and the like. In the early morning, with the low light and long shadows, our back yard is a delight.
But there is something terribly wrong! We have this nice, big yard with grass, a deck and even a playground . . . but there aren't any kids! The call goes out: Come to Raleigh to see us!

Christmas 2010

2011-01-02T09:20:00.000-05:00

After last year, we expected a quiet Christmas. Then Meredith had little Emmett a week early and they decided the best thing would be to come to Raleigh. Not quite as lively as with 21 people under one roof, but festive and fun. nevertheless.

Snow is pretty rare in Raleigh but we got a bunch of it Christmas night and the day after Christmas. We lost power for about six hours as the weight of the snow on the trees downed some power lines. Our trusty generator kept us from freezing to death. The snow makes for nice photo opportunities don't you think?

We had the shed cleaned up and restained in the late fall so it made a fine backdrop for some pictures.

Bright and early Monday morning, Jim decided he needed to build an igloo. He had lots of help. Pretty good, no?

. . . and the following Sunday (this morning), after three days of 60+ degree weather . . . .

Alina

2011-01-01T19:02:00.000-05:00

Alina Kay Taggart -- Our newest grandchild and a rare granddaughter. She is a sweet and lovely girl. Here she is, all ready to head off to church to be blessed.

She is a welcomed part of a great little (well, not so little) family.

A week in Germany

2010-05-22T13:30:00.000-04:00

John's friend, Dieter Wiese, turned 70 on May 15th, the day after John turned 64. His children planned a birthday party and invited John as a surprise. Here are a few pictures from the trip.

Sunday afternoon in the garden. Dieter and Crystel are seated. Roman, Andrea, Aaron and Simon (the baby) are on the left. Heike, their oldest daughter, is to Crystel's left, in front of her husband, Holger. The tall young man in the back is Heike's son, Tobias. To his right is Tabea and Ann Katrin is to his left.

Old friends . . . .

Tabea is a student at the University of Aachen, one of the oldest and best universities in Germany. It is the birthplace of Karl the Great (Charlemagne) and was the seat of power in Europe during the 8th and 9th centuries. The Aachen Cathedral was started during his lifetime, with the domed part having been completed while he was still alive.

Four knights and a damsel at the steps of the Rathaus in Aachen.

South of Aachen is the Eifel region of Germany, on the border with Belgium and Luxemburg. This is the region through which allied forces invaded Germany in early 1945.

The Mosel River flows through the Eifel. This is the great wine-growing center of Germany.

We stayed in a 450 year old converted farm. Our room was in the building behind Dieter and Crystel--a converted pig barn.

A street in the village of Bernkastel-Kues. The hillsides on which the vinyards were planted are extraordinarily steep. Slate is mixed with soil and the roots of the vines sink deep into the rocky soil. Water from below percolates up through the layers of slate to feed the vines.

The narrowest house in Germany . . . .

There are wonderful, picturesque castles--some in ruins and some well preserved--all along the Mosel. This one sits above the town of Cochem, about 50 kilometers from Koblenz--where the Mosel joins the mighty Rhine River.

Williamsburg--Fall 2009

2009-10-11T07:17:00.000-04:00

Nancy and Doug, Norma and Theron, and Marilyn and Jerry flew out to Raleigh for a family gathering in Colonial Williamsburg. We stayed for a week at the Marriott Vacation Club resort at Ford's Colony. The accommodations were nice; the get-together was wonderful. Here are a few pictures at some of the sites we visited.
This is the whole group on the banks of the James River, between Williamsburg and Jamestown.

Sisters and brother in a Powhatan dug-out canoe, in a recreation of the Jamestown settlement (1607--the first English colony in the New World).

A native American--sort of--demonstrating the craft of twine-making in Jamestown.

The whole gang again, at Black Beach on the end of Jamestown Island.

Dave and Shelly Myers drove down from California, MD for a day.

Wedding & Family Reunion

2009-07-01T20:29:00.000-04:00

The centerpiece of our family reunion was the marriage of Jack to Joanna Hawkins on Friday, June 26th. Here is the lovely bride and her happy husband just outside the doors of the Timpanogos Temple.

The entire wedding party at the reception that evening at the Lion House in Salt Lake.

Joanna's parents, Matt and Shannon Hawkins.

. . . and Jack's parents.

The whole Taggart clan--six couples and 13 grandchildren, near the entrance to the temple.

The traditional sisters and brother photograph--Norma Eberhard, Nancy Williams, John Taggart, Marilyn Hadd.

Luke with his Grandma Taggart.

There are over 800 other pictures. But you'll just have to wait until the photo album is finished.

Miscellaneous

2009-06-13T08:12:00.000-04:00

Not much is happening at this very moment--no big trips just completed, no unusual events. I thought a few miscellaneous photos might be just the thing.

About 10 years ago, we planted wildflowers in the natural area just below our back lawn. At first, they were multi-colored. Slowly, the yellow daisies took over, as the less hardy varieties died out. Then a few white daisies showed up, on their own. Today, it's all white daisies, and they're spreading out! I'm hoping the daisies will prevail over the Japanese bamboo grass--a vile weed that secretes some kind of poison that makes the ground infertile for other plants and throws out tens of thousands of seeds that can germinate up to 7 years later. So far, the daisies are holding their own.
Craig and Pug Mikkelsen,with some Taggarts in front of Multnomah Falls from a few years ago at Thanksgiving.
The legal staff at Genworth Mortgage Insurance Corporation.
An eclipse of the moon last year. That greenish shadow up and to the right comes, I believe, from a reflection off the filter I had on the camera. Not good, but still an interesting picture, don't you think?
Young Jack Taggart on his mission. Jack is getting married next week, so I thought a picture from a couple of years ago would be a nice thing.

Nauvoo

2009-05-25T09:58:00.000-04:00

This past weekend was quite interesting. I went to Nauvoo to speak at a Young Single Adult conference--young people from Kentucky and southern Indiana who are members in the stakes I visit regularly. This was my first time in Nauvoo, so it was a special time. Below are a few pictures:

The Nauvoo Temple, shining in the afternoon sun on a bluff above historic Nauvoo.

I met a nice family from New Zealand--the Fitzpatricks. They had already been to Salt Lake, Palmyra and Kirtland. After a few days in Nauvoo, they were headed for Jackson County, MO.

The Fitzpatricks and I road in a covered wagon pulled by a team of oxen, not far from the mighty Mississippi at the jumping-off point for the Saints headed west.

Two sister missionaries in the post office/general store.
The graves of Hyrum, Joseph and Emma Smith. The largest part of historic Nauvoo is owned and operated by the LDS Church, but a significant section is operated by the Community of Christ. The Smith graveyard is in that part.
As I said, my purpose in going there was to speak to the Young Single Adults--about 60 strong. The "fireside" began in the late afternoon in a grove of trees below the temple. After about 20 minutes of preaching in the great outdoors, just like the pioneers, it started to sprinkle, so . . .
. . . unlike the pioneers, we moved indoors. The Seventies Hall was built on Parley Street for use by the Seventies as a school; sort of an 1840s MTC. We would have started there but the missionaries didn't want to "close" it to other visitors before regular closing time. They relented because of the rain. For me, it was a particularly meaningful way to end the fireside. During the Nauvoo period, the quorums of the Seventy grew from a few hundred to a few thousand. Here are pictures of the outside and the inside of the Seventies Hall.

In the evening, we attended "Sunset on the Mississippi", a musical review put on by the missionaries and others. It was everything you could want--a parade, patriotic songs, silly songs, dancing, jokes, audience participation--there was nothing it didn't have. And the best part was all those older missionary couples up there pulling it off. (There were a few ringers--probably BYU Program Bureau types.) The grand finale had a chorus line of senior sisters doing a routine with walkers. Very funny!
Early Sunday morning I drove to Carthage. Ordinarily, the jail would have been closed then, but I happened upon a small group that had arranged a special tour, so I joined them and got to see the jail as well.
Sunday morning we had a sacrament and testimony meeting, after which there was a group photo.
Before leaving Nauvoo, I drove to the pioneer cemetery, where I found this headstone from our ancestor, Washington Taggart, who joined the Church in Peterborough, N.H. with his two sons, migrated to Nauvoo, and died of cholera in 1843. The stone was placed there by the George Washington Taggart Family organization several years ago.
I'm thinking Nauvoo would be a great venue for a family reunion!

Raleigh Stake Day of Service

2009-04-26T07:41:00.000-04:00

April 25th was a day of service in the Raleigh Stake and all across the North America Southeast Area of the Church. Here are some pictures . . .

Marilyn, in her capacity as the director of public affairs for the stake, worked with the priesthood leadership to plan and organize things. Steve Bodhaine, the multi-stake public affairs director, was on hand to record the project. We had a "family fun run"--a 5k race/walk. The price of admission was donated food or clothing. The food went to the Central & Eastern North Carolina Food Bank. Clothing went to the LifeCare Pregnancy Center (a group that encourages unwed mothers not to abort) and the Salvation Army.

We kicked off early in the morning. The weather was perfect. 800 people registered early and, with walk-ins, we estimate about 1,000 people participated. The theme for our project was "Lengthen Your Stride".

"Marshall" Barnes, Doc Weber and other committee members made sure everything was ready.

As the formalities began, the Primary children sang "I Am a Child of God". President Epps and Jennifer Absher gave instructions.

The "race" wandered through the neighborhood behind the Wake Forest chapel. Serious runners soon left the others behind.

Doc Weber and his team made sure there was drinking water along the route.

Some ran . . . some walked.

Not dead last, but close. The Stevensons didn't seem to mind.

From Zebulon: the Simpsons and their neighbors.

How much food did we collect? A bunch! We had collection points in each of the buildings across the stake. This shows what was collected at the Wake Forest building. In addition, cash donations totaled over $2,000.

Lots of clothing as well. It had to be sorted, with maternity and infant clothing going to LifeCare and the rest going to the Salvation Army.

Boy Scout Plaques

2009-03-27T20:50:00.000-04:00

It's Boy Scout week at the Taggart home. Every year, the Occoneechee Council Relationships Committee (J. Taggart, Chair) hosts a banquet for each boy in the Council who earned the religious award of his particular denomination during the prior year. This year, the banquet will be held at the Cary 1st/2nd Ward building. A few years ago, we were looking for something we could give the boys, and we decided to give them a plaque with Friberg's "Prayer at Valley Forge" affixed. Not having any money, we wondered if we could make them ourselves. Turns out we could. We plane the wood. We cut it to specific dimensions. We rout the edge. We sand it. We etch the words "Duty to God" in it (well, actually, someone with a lazer machine does that). We glue the picture on it and apply a few coats of clear finish. Not bad, eh?

The wood this year was rough cut cherry and black walnut.

My favorite tool: The DeWalt compound Miter

By the time we got to the sanding phase, we had a pretty good system going.

We finished about 80 plaques in about 3 hours. Wesley wasn't much help, but everyone else was great!

The finished product (last year's model).

2009-03-22T18:43:00.000-04:00

It's Sunday evening and I just got back from a stake conference assignment in Gastonia, NC. I invariably worry more than I should about these assignments and this was no exception. I find it very satisfying to visit the stakes and always uncover old associations and new relations. This time, it was a fourth cousin, the second great grandson of William Walton Burton's brother. His wife is the stake YW president and she spoke during the Saturday evening session. When I met her husband after the session, I took one look at him and knew we were related--he looks exactly like Uncle John's sons.
The picture below is a lot like the one permanently posted to the right, but I wanted to add one that gives a little more detail. What a nice bunch of people! Anyway, I like them.

2009-03-20T21:59:00.000-04:00

Nothing much is happening. Oh, there's the global liquidity crisis, the bailout (and the inflation that will follow), rising unemployment, etc. But otherwise, things around here are pretty quiet. I've been thinking about getting back to practicing my horn.

2009-03-12T21:36:00.000-04:00

This is one full-service grandma! Today they made bread.

First, they ground up the wheat on the deck. The leaf blower took care of what they left behind.
Next, everything (including almost a couple of fingers and a nose) went into the mixer. Then we baked the bread.
And finally we ate it. Yummy! Grandpa learned that, even if it is waaay past bedtime, he gets points for letting the boys taste the product of their labor.

I wonder what's up for tomorrow.

2009-03-11T21:26:00.000-04:00

The lego guy also had a dragon beastie. Luke: "Dad would LOVE this dragon. Way better than his job at school. If I brought this home with me, he would NOT want to go to school."

2009-03-11T21:18:00.000-04:00

Grandma temporarily lost her touch with reality and bought a supply of legos posted on Craig's List. Come to think of it, we were short of legos anyway.

2009-03-11T21:15:00.000-04:00

It's Wednesday. Six days since the mommy left for New Zealand. We have survived. We will probably make it to the week-end.

Saturday, March 7th

2009-03-07T15:46:00.000-05:00

Things are back to normal. 17 degrees on Monday, 83 on Saturday. Meredith's and Jim's three sons are staying with us while their parents are in New Zealand. Here they are playing in the back yard. (Wouldn't you other grandkids like to be here? You can, you know. Just pester your parents until they give in and agree to come visit us.)

Monday, March 2nd

2009-03-07T15:35:00.000-05:00

March roared into the South in the form of a late winter storm. I know it's not much compared to Rochester or Bear Lake but, for us hot house plants south of the Mason-Dixon line, it was a nice reminder of why we moved here--meaning, this is so rare that it is actually kind of a treat.

The Okeefenokee Swamp

2009-03-01T09:27:00.000-05:00

Fans of Pogo will recognize this place, but Pogo has been out of print and off the funny pages for a couple of decades now, so the rest of you are forgiven. For me, the Okeefenokee has been a place of wonderment for almost six decades--since I saw a movie sometime in the 1950s that was filmed there and featured flat-bottomed boats, poisonous snakes, fierce alligators and characters in bib overalls with dubious ethics. We have been to central Florida many times but each time, we've always been in too much of a hurry to take a detour. Not this time. Marilyn cheerfully (?) agreed to a side trip. This, the largest wildlife refuge on the east coast, was chilly, quiet and . . . well . . . swampy. We promised ourselves we would go back when there is more action.

The annual visit

2009-02-12T22:28:00.001-05:00

As guilty pleasures go, it could be worse than Disney. Nathan & Nikole & Nick & Miriam + kids all flew to Orlando for our first stay at a Disney Vacation Club resort--Saratoga Springs. It started off chilly but soon warmed up. We visited all the parks but took it kind of slow, with lots of down time back at the resort. We went swimming a couple of times--not bad for late January--and had a nice time with a scavanger hunt across the property. Grandma and Grandpa had a great time with Nate, Haley, Andy, Michael, Jack, Katie and Max. We missed all the others.

A new year

2009-01-11T07:02:00.000-05:00

January always seems like such a slow month. Christmas is over, except for the bills. The weather is still cold and spring is so far off. I shouldn't complain. It has been a relatively mild winter, especially compared to other parts of the country. The weather yesterday was great--close to 60 degrees--so I worked in the yard and then went for a scooter ride.

The new pictures: On top, two new stake presidencies that I trained last week, from Winston-Salem and Hickory. Here is a minor curiosity: The new Winston-Salem stake president--second from the left--is John Taggart Marsh. We figured out we were third half cousins once removed. The second picture is our newly renovated kitchen. We finished it just before Christmas and like it a lot. I woke up yesterday morning craving corned beef hash with a poached egg, so I made that for dinner last night. yummy!

2008-12-29T18:47:00.000-05:00

We celebrated Christmas with our friends the Graves, including their two daughters and brand new grandson! His name is Porter. Kathy and Eric are uncommonly proud of their new offspring. He is a bright, handsome lad with thick, black hair and a pleasant disposition. (bottom picture)

We also had a visit from the Meyers--Shelly, Dave and Charlie(top picture). They live in California, Maryland (that's right). Some of you know this and some don't--Shelly is John's sister's daughter. We had a nice, relaxing week-end, starting with a dinner on Friday night with the mission president, his wife and some of their family.

Charlie Meyers will be 2 next month but already he is talking in full sentences and engaging in mind exercises like deductive logic.

2008-12-21T08:55:00.000-05:00

It looks like things are quieting down, at least for a couple of weeks. The travel season is over after last week-end's trips to Orlando (mission presidents seminar)and Washington, D.C. (quorum meeting( and a mid-week visit to a zone leaders council in Statesville. It is rainy and bleak here, but not nearly what people are experiencing elsewhere. Jack's return flight from Provo was delayed several hours by weather in Salt Lake and across the country. He finally caught a non-stop that landed at 3 a.m. Marilyn and I took a nap on the floor, under the Christmas tree, before getting up to drive to the airport to pick him up. Yesterday, we got up late, straighten things up around the house, went to the mall to fight the crowds, then went to a matinee movie --Bolt. I am now officially in the Christmas spirit.

2008-12-02T06:45:00.000-05:00

We were in Utah last week for Melyn's wedding and for Thanksgiving. We drove up and down the Wasatch Front, from Salt Lake to Ogden to Logan to Draper to West Jordan to Provo to Springville to . . . . We saw almost everybody. Above are a few pictures of the festivities. From the top: Melyn & Kyler outside the temple; at Mary Fielding Smith's home in the Pioneer Village; Melyn and Meredith; Jack and Joanna; Nathan, Joanna, Jack & Marilyn outside the temple; part of the wedding party (Whitehead/Gines/Jackson faction) on the temple steps.

2008-10-30T06:53:00.000-04:00

Life goes on. Last week-end, I was in New Albany, Indiana, reorganizing the stake there. My senior companion was Elder Johnson, from Devonshire, England. He has been in the First Quorum since about 1990 and has served all over the world. Reorganizations (i.e., releasing the old stake presidency and calling a new one) are always great experiences, but they are also taxing. I left home at about 3 on Friday evening and got back at midnight on Sunday evening. But I wouldn't trade it for anything. Tomorrow, I'm off to Las Vegas for Thomas Giles' wedding. Then next week-end, I'll be back in Louisville for Coordinating Council. Charleston, WV is on my itinerary, as are Charlotte, Orlando and Washington, D.C., New Albany again, and Winston-Salem. (Interesting fact: the new stake president in Winston-Salem, whom I will train, is John Taggart Marsh.)

Still trying to figure this out.

2008-10-19T19:32:00.000-04:00

I figure, if I just try to create a new post every now and then, I'll pick up on what I'm doing.

And pictures are nicer than words.

Williamsburg

2008-10-12T08:25:00.001-04:00

Hello again! We're back from a week in Williamsburg, VA. This was our first use of the time share condo we bought last year and it was great. We had two bedrooms, a kitchen, dining area and living room, located about 10 minutes from the historical area. Jan and Jack Woolley flew in from Seattle and we saw the sights, had some fine dining experiences, took a few (!) photos and generally relaxed and had a good time.

While most of our time was spent in Colonial Williamsburg, we also visited Jamestown, the site of the first permanent English colony in America--1607. The weather was perfect. The crowds were small. John had to leave on Friday for an Area Council meeting in Orlando. Marilyn, Jan & Jack visited Yorktown on Saturday; then drove back to Raleigh.

First Entry

2008-09-28T11:37:00.000-04:00

In the latest of many failed attempts to create a record of our joint existence, we are starting a blog. A few notes, a few pictures . . . that will get us started.

It is an (almost) empty nest. The Campbells have decamped to Philadelphia but the Howingtons--Ben & Annie--have temporarily relocated from Brooklyn to our basement so their little Lila can be treated at Duke Medical Center.

Upstairs, things are in an uproar. The kitchen is undergoing a facelift. We hope to be done by the end of this week, but who knows?

In recent weeks, John was in the west--Sun Valley for a fundraiser, Salt Lake for Kirt's & Emily's sealing, Seattle for a few days with the Monroe clan and Canby for a few days of chores and horseback riding with the Taggarts & Mikkelsons. It was lots of fun and very relaxing. Now he is back home, trying to save Western Civilization from financial ruin.