Drummer Boys

 Sam entertained himself and the kids by setting up a kitchen band using pots and pans.

 The G man played cymbals and Miss J's instruments were assorted items from the room including a tool chest and a hardhat.

 We have been very grateful to have found for Sam some reasonably priced weekly lessons given by a sweet college girl studying percussion.

She tutors him as he is new to the band this year and is teaching him to read music.

  This little guy really loves to emulate his Uncle Sam and was very happy to receive for his birthday...

his own miniature drum set!

Christmas Parade

 The Monday after Thanksgiving, which was at least 65 degrees out even after dark, found us downtown to watch the annual Christmas Parade.

 We caught up with some good friends and sat comfortably on the curb.

 Small floats and community groups dressed up like elves and such paraded through the streets to welcome in the Christmas (shopping, no doubt!) season.

 We were very excited to see Sam march in the band for the first time. They really sounded good.

 There he is, the second drum from the left! He saw us and it was thrilling! In fact, this parade is so folksy and this town so small, that we all knew lots of people in the parade and were able to give them a shout out as they went by because its all about having fun. It was very pleasant to be outdoors and downtown on a school night!

 

 The little guy was able to join us and enjoyed the candies thrown by the marchers.

 Santa arrived although it all seemed surreal to me. It was so early (still November) and so warm that it just didn't feel like Christmas!

Seeing this beautiful house decorated with not just a candle but a small, lit Christmas tree in every window was a treat and made me look forward to enjoying this special time of year.

Time Is Change

 It has been two months since I have been able to enjoy taking the time to write on this blog. In November we  had a new granddaughter join our family. I  have had the privilege of caring for her part-time after her Mom went back to school.

 It was also December and time to prepare for Christmas. I enjoyed shopping and tried to stick to my budget while choosing gifts that my family would appreciate. I gave up trying to do that by myself a long time ago. Most all of the kids helped me to shop and wrap. I would much rather get the right size and color the first time then have to make a bunch of returns after Christmas.

The biggest challenge that we have faced in the last seven weeks has been helping Larry to go through major surgery, a Total Knee Replacement. No one could have prepared him for the amount of pain he has been in and the difficulty of the actual rehab work. It has been quite a journey- oftentimes very discouraging for him. The rest of us have hated to see him hurting but have been able to see how well he is doing and how much better his knee is. He can walk!!!!  In fact, today he went for a walk in the woods! 

 Physical therapy 3 times a week for five weeks and now 2 times per week for a couple more weeks has been the key. Larry has developed an excellent trust relationship with his physical therapist who is a guy about his own age and an avid history buff. They have had a lot to talk about in every session that exercises his new knee to the limit.

While recuperating at home, this Dad was able to spend a great deal of quality time with all of us which we needed and enjoyed more than can be expressed in words. It was an absolute gift to have him home so much. Nevertheless, it wasn't too long before he was wanting to drive out to do errands. He took Sam to the Podiatrist to have a little minor work done and they shared a pair of crutches coming home!

We all got a kick out of Sam's paper slipper!

Now that  Christmas has come and gone, Larry is significantly on the mend, and our littlest princess is more settled, I would like to" catch up" on how we have spent our days through the past couple of months in more detail. Thanks for reading!