Posts

Summer 2025

Image
 August is coming to an end. It has been a hot summer and we have had many days when we just relaxed and floated in our local pool.  Time continues to fly by so quickly and we are grateful for the time we have to spend with our families and our friends who are like family to us. Visits have gone both ways, with time together at our home and at the homes of so many that we treasure. Here is a timeline of some of our summer doings! Kip's New Home We had a great time visiting with Kip and Vinod at their newly renovated home in New  York. Kip did an amazing job of designing the renovation and the added rooms to meld with the original 19th century farmhouse. I love the flow of this house, the decorating and the library, with its cool breezes and flowing curtains. And of course, I love the pool. Chris was a huge help to Kip in putting in the finishing touches. Here are a few shots of us with some special relatives.  Visits to Boston and Maine We went to New England twice t...
3 comments
Read more

In Memory of Dorothy Butler

Image
 My Aunt Dot, Dorothy Ann Bancroft Butler, passed away on May 1, 2025.  Aunt Dot was my godmother and was one of the adults who was always there for me as a child and as an adult.  My first memory from the age of three or four is of my Aunt Dot. She and Uncle Harry were living at my grandparents’ house while their house was being built and I was living on the same property. One day, my mom and my siblings and I walked up to see her. I I had my doll to show her and she showed me her new baby, Rhonda. “This is my doll,” she told me. Rhonda and Aunt Dot will always be linked in my mind, always together, always there for each other.  Aunt Dot was a wonderful aunt and a wonderful mother, an example to me of so much that is good.    I remember every summer going to spend a week at Aunt Dot’s house with her and Uncle Harry, Rhonda and Amy and then after many years, Daphne. What a good week we always had! That big back yard, the basement with so many toys, picking ...
2 comments
Read more

Trip to the UK

Image
 Wendy is getting ready for a trip to England and Scotland along with family friend and cleaning lady, Laura Rice. Check in here over the next two weeks if you are interested in the sights and adventures of these two intrepid travelers. We will try to update every few days, beginning on April 29.  Our trip has begun! Uneventful flight to London, subway, bus and taxi to hotel in Bath. So far we have explored Bath on foot and bus, visited Jane Austen Center, Roman Baths and the Bath Abbey. We’ve had glorious weather and excellent food. Heading back to London tomorrow. (May 1). Stay tuned for updates.  We are now in London and having a great time  too busy to post much but here are a few highlights   Charlie Chaplin in the the park The Tower of London And our favorite, right next to our hotel, the Tower Bridge  London was great fun  we visited the Tower of London, saw a play, went to a comedy club, did a river cruise and visited the Greenwich Time Ball wh...
4 comments
Read more

Spring in North Carolina means visits with friends

Image
 Here's what we have been up to in March and. April: Wendy went to PA to celebrate her very much younger sister's birthday. It was great to see Michelle as well as her son and his family while there.  Aren’t they all beautiful? Chris continues to work at Dinner Bell Farm one morning a week. He gets a good workout and enjoys the connection to nature as well as the banter with Farmer John and Farmer Stephanie.  We enjoyed visits from Baltimore friends as well as a trip to New Bern to see beach friends and a Grateful Dead Tribute Band.  We celebrated Sheila’s birthday. It’s a big number, shh, don’t tell! We helped our church throw a huge Easter Egg Hunt with over 200 folks present to hunt eggs, play games and eat hotdogs! And we celebrated Easter week with a lovely Easter service at our church, First United Methodist Church of Graham, complete with bell ringing, AND a protest on Saturday.  In April, we enjoyed a wonderful visit with Chris’ brother, Tom. 
3 comments
Read more

February in Phoenix

Image
 Spending a few weeks of cold February in Phoenix sounds like a good idea, right? It's warm there and we can visit with friends. It's generally a good idea.  But, this time, we were beset with illness (probably Norovirus) and other health issues for us and our friends, one full day in the local emergency room for one friend, rebound Covid for another. And another couple was dealing with flu so cancelled their trip to Phoenix to see us.  Back home things were not much better. My cousin and my mother's beloved caregiver was in an awful car accident. Thankfully she and her husband both survived, but they have a long recovery ahead of them.  But, all was not lost. We had some very good days, hikes in mountains surrounding Phoenix,  long walks in Phoenix parks, visits to museums,  And lots of good food! We also enjoyed visits with Joanne from Boston and Diane and Paul from Sacramento.  And when we came home, we celebrated Wendy's birthday with NC friends, S...
2 comments
Read more