Sherckle

Family Gathering May-June 2011, Part 2!

2011-08-07T18:19:00.006-04:00

Here are some more pictures of our great family gathering over Memorial Day Week in Greensboro! Such good times with family and friends!

Aunt Maddie and her adopted "Frenchie" pseudo granddaughter!

Rebecca, Jeff, Dickle

A bad picture of Sherry & Danielle

Sideways picture of Danielle, Dick & Vivi

Don't ask! Not sure what the professor was doing or saying!!!

"Oma"... Rudy's Mom (Sorry for the bad timing of the picture Mary Helen...it's the only picture we had of you!!!)

Kira & Nana

Vivi & Opa

Vicky & Aiden

Greg, Jeremy & Ezra

Jeff

Rudy toasting the camera!

Not to be outdone....here's Greg with his "grandchild"!!!

Rudy , Vivi and grandpa Randy

Uncle Jeff loving on his nephew Max

Happy Vivi

Dads & babes!

Rudy & Vivi

Uncle Greg & Gabe

Feeding time!

Max & Rudy sunbathing!

A full house!

Good friends joined us too!

Hor D'ourves anyone?

Still crazy after 13 years!

Jeremy, Gabe, Rebecca & Ezra!

Max & Uncle Jeff

Nana & Olivia

Nana & Vivi

Nana trying to swim with three of the kids!

Painting before breakfast!

Aunt Rebecca reading to niece Kira & son Gabe

Rudy & Max...Two of the Ginger Mafia!

Vicky, Gabe, Rudy & Danielle

Pop Pop giving the thumbs up!

Max & Dad

Greg celebrating at Ezra's First Birthday!

Olivia & Uncle Rudy

The Tower of Females... Top to Bottom: Vivi, Kylee, Olivia, Kristen

Aunt MJ & Uncle Joe visiting from DC (Picking up their Chic Chateau chairs!)

Family Gathering May 2011 in Greensboro, Part One: The Participants!

2011-07-31T16:42:00.004-04:00

It’s taken us nearly two months to go through approximately 1500 pictures that were taken over the days prior to and following Memorial Day when all four of our kids and their families descended upon our house in Greensboro. There were lots of laughs, good times, crying babies and memorable moments, and we’ll try in the next few posts to give a small glimpse of the chaos that kept things lively on Toscana Trace!

From New York: Jeff & Vicky; Kira (5) & Aiden (9 Months)

The Greensboro Contingent: Jeremy & Rebecca; Olivia (6), Gabriel (2 ½) & Ezra (12 Mo)

From Texas: Danielle & Rudy; Vivi & Max (8 ½ Mo)

From Greensboro: Greg

Kira & Olivia Racing Around the Pool!

The Floating Flotilla! ~ Aiden, Vivi & Max (Ezra was Napping!)

Babies everywhere!

Kira

Vivienne

Max

Aiden Jon

Gabriel

Ezra

Gabe

Vivi & Max Sunbathing!

Texas Twins ~ Happy Babies!

Olivia (6)

Gabe (2 1/2)

Aiden (9 Mo)

Kira (5)

Vivi & Max Fighting Over the Remote Already! (8 1/2 Mo)

Ezra (12 Mo)

Our Journey to Upstate NY, Part 2

2011-07-23T15:56:00.003-04:00

Kira (5)

Moonrise over the water

Dusk

Full Moon

Pop Pop forgot his hat. He stole Aiden's in this picture!

Early Morning Fog Lifts to Reveal a Beautiful Day!

The Moth Ball King and his Queen!
(We stopped in DC both on the way up and on the way back from the Adirondacks. It was great to see them all!)

Mark & Janet

Aiden

Aiden, 10 months

It's always less scary to venture into deeper water with Pop Pop!

Our View Across Lake Eaton

Our 2011 Journey to Upstate NY, Part 1

2011-07-23T08:08:00.012-04:00

Sunrise 7-10-11

Dawn 7-12-11

Our summer vacation this year took us back up to our upstate NY family camp where we have spent many summers while our kids were young. I grew up spending many summer vacations there, and while its rustic nature might seem daunting to those that love civilization and retail, it’s the return to nature that seems to breathe new life into each of us who might be lucky enough to spend any time there.

We never grow tired of the pristine scenery, and it’s amazing to wake up to cresting daylight and some of the most magnificent sunrises ever. The camp faces east which gives us the best vantage points ever of these awe-inspiring views. Above & below are some pictures from various mornings...

First Things First! Happy Birthday Greg!

2011-07-22T11:57:00.009-04:00

We've just come back from vacation and I’m determined today to post some pictures of our trip to upstate New York but before I do that I have to acknowledge what we were doing 31 years ago tomorrow.

Greg is our ‘baby’ although that only applies to his birth order and certainly not his current rank in life. He’s probably one of the kindest people that we know and has found a career that truly utilizes every ounce of the goodness and kindness that he has…Greg is a caregiver to special needs individuals and has made enormous progress with “Bobby”, an autistic 15 year-old boy that has been one of his charges for the past few years. With Greg’s help Bobby now can dress himself, use a bathroom, can speak and, in general, can interact on some level with others around him. These are tremendous strides for a boy that was locked in his own world for so many years!

I will always remember the phone call from a woman who had a lengthy wait in the YMCA sign-up line for her kid’s soccer team who said “You don’t know me but I want you to know what a wonderful son you have. Your son Greg (who was then about 12 years old) took our kids and played games with them in the field to keep them busy while we stood in line. I asked him for his name and his phone number so that I could call you and tell you what a wonderfully kind son that you have.”

We knew that then, and we know that now.

“There has never been a day when I have not been proud of you, I said to my son. Though some days I’m louder about other stuff so it’s easy to miss that”. Brian Andreas, StoryPeople

Happy Birthday Greg!

(Above: Greg a) With Bobby; b) With Godson & Nephew, Aiden; c) At 5 Years Old; and d) at 18 months)

Blogs, Websites, Email, Voicemail, iPads, iPods, Droids, Facebook and Other Modern Age Time-Eaters!

2011-07-22T10:45:00.002-04:00

So …whenever family gatherings or vacations roll around I get to feeling guilty because I realize that I should be updating the blog with pictures and newsy notes about what’s happening in the Sarine/Dunlap family. It seems that I/we always have a camera card full of pictures that come from a relatively new Nikon camera that can amazingly take about 400 pictures a minute. That probably is an exaggeration but it does have the capability of snapping a picture every few seconds. A good feature I guess but it means that we have a gazillion pictures to examine, tweak, keep or delete when we get home.

And that takes time. Something that seems to elude us the older that we get! Granted we’re still juggling many balls…a business, a home that seemed to become larger when Dick fired our “cannot-clean-without-breaking-anything” cleaning lady; trips to see our growing cache of grandchildren;, etc….but all the new technological devices and communication avenues that we now have available to enable all of us to “stay in touch” are now things that have to be updated. My email inbox this morning has something 300+ new messages. Thinking about reading and answering them will take the better part of my day today. Ugh…Sometimes it’s easier to stay home than it is to go away on vacation! And posts on Sherckle to document that vacation are something…for me anyways…that can take 2-3 hours to accomplish.

When comparing myself to others from yesteryear I was beginning to think that I wasn’t very good at multi-tasking…. until it occurred to me that my mother did not have…much less know about….a blog, a website, an email inbox, a voicemail, an iPad or an iPod. She would probably think that a Droid was a supernatural being from a science fiction movie, and that something called “Facebook” would be a compound word that needed to be hyphenated and perhaps was a publication about faces. I’m sure that if she was alive today or suddenly came back that she would be totally perplexed about the new technology, and I’m certain that she too would find that all of our new modern age advantages would eat up virtually all of her 24-hour days!

I have decided to stop beating myself up about my lack of posts on our Sherckle blog but I do deem the thing to have value as it helps me to chronicle our busy lives. We’re fortunate because we have many joys in our family, and many blessings. And I think that it’s always good to share more positive things in this world, even if there are long spans between posts. So while I may not get to answer an email, or keep an updated status on Facebook, I’ll post…. when I can…. the little happenings in the Sarine & Dunlap families. That, I’m sure, my mother would like!

Sarine's Annual Christmas Treat!

2010-12-12T18:37:00.008-05:00

Ok, so we have failed at being attentive bloggers this year! Lots of things have happened...babies were born; trips were taken to see these babies and work happened! We'll post more about all of those but the important stuff right now involves a recipe for our near-famous raisin bread that we've been making at holiday time for 35 years.

It all began one year when the government was raising the cost of stamp from 10 to 13 cents and I refused to put a 13-cent stamp on an envelope that was being delivered to our friends in our neighborhood in NY. So I had the brilliant idea that it would be cool to deliver the Christmas cards with a freshy-baked loaf of cinammon raisin bread.

That first year we might have made 15 loaves. The next year we (I) had to make more so that Dick could take some to his co-workers. The number increased every year! A couple of years later Dick took over the task and has continued to make his his (our) infamous bread every December. When we moved to North Carolina in 1992 we packaged and mailed bread back up to our NY family & neighbors that first year. After that they were sent the recipe...which we are happy to share with you below, as we are never quite sure what the loaves look or taste like after traveling that far!

Yesterday, Dick had to meet a young couple expecting their first baby to deliver one of the confortable club chairs/baby gliders that we sell. The first batch of raisin bread had just come out of the oven and he took a loaf to the office to give them when they picked up their chair. He got this email this morning: "The bread was DELICIOUS! We just had it warm with some butter and apples! Perfect for a cold morning. My husband said- we can always buy another chair but this bread is priceless! Thank you so much."

So here it is...Happy baking...it's a great family tradition!

SARINE'S CINNAMON RAISIN BREAD

Ingredients:

5 cups water
1 stick butter
¾ cups honey
3 pkgs Fleischmann dry yeast
5 lbs flour
1 large box raisins
5 teaspoons salt
3 large eggs
Mixture of cinnamon & sugar – approx. 2 cups

1. Bring to a boil the water, honey, butter and salt. Pour into a very large bowl (you will be using this bowl to knead the bread) Let cool to approx. 110 degrees (could take 20-30 minutes at room temp) if the water is too hot it will kill the yeast!
2. Add yeast to the bowl and stir briskly with a whisk until dissolved. Wait for the yeast to “explode” – bubbles up – 1 to 10 minutes depending upon temp of water
3. Add three eggs and beat with a whisk again
4. Pour in a large box of raisins and mix well
5. Sift about 1/3 of the flour into the bowl and mix well with a whisk.

6. Gradually sift the rest of the flour into the “brew”, switch to using a large spoon until it is too thick and then start kneading the mixture with your hands….Dough will be liquidly at first but will gradually become firm – you may want to grease your hands with a little shortening or butter to avoid the mixture sticking to your hands.
7. Keep kneading and folding the dough until the mixture is the same consistency throughout – usually at least 15 minutes (very good exercise) I usually put the bowl on the floor on a towel…easier on the back and you can apply more pressure.
8. Pour the mixture out of the bowl, clean the bowl, and spray with non-stick spray and then return to the bowl.
9. Cover the bowl with a damp dish towel and let stand for about 1 hour or until the mixture rises above the edge of the bowl. Again, depending upon room temp, this time can vary quite a bit.
10. While waiting, prepare 6-7 bread pans with liberal amounts of Pam or similar spray.
11. After the dough has risen, punch the dough down and knead again for about 5-10 minutes
12. Roll the dough into a log shape on a floured surface. Cut dough into 6-7 equal pieces (depends upon the number and size of the loaf pans you have)
13. Take each of the section and (one at a time) roll out like a pizza to 1/8 to ¼ inch thickness.
14. Take about 3-5 tablespoons of cinnamon sugar and spread evenly on the rolled dough (Do not spread the cinnamon/sugar mixture all the way to the edges of the dough as it will prevent the dough from sticking together in the next step).
15. Roll the dough into loaf and pinch and fold in the ends to help stop sugar from coming out during baking
16. Put each loaf into a pan, cover all pans with a damp dish towel and let rise for 30-45 minutes (it should rise at least an inch or two)
17. Put into pre-heated 350 degree oven for about 30 minutes or until golden brown on top (you can tell when the bread is done by tapping on the top and it sounds a little hollow)
18. Take bread out of the pan and place on a cooling rack & brush melted butter on the top of the loaf (makes the crust soft)

19. You can freeze the bread or eat all the loaves at one sitting…it makes great toast and I’ve heard that it also makes great French toast. Happy eating!!!!

Three More Fabulous Moms!

2010-05-08T19:28:00.008-04:00

And here's our next generation of Sarine/Dunlap moms.... Rebecca who's nearly due for the next baby...a brother or sister for Olivia and Gabe (no...not to be born in the birthmobile again!!!); Vicky who will have a little brother for Kira in September; and newly preggo Danielle who will become a first time mom in November. Three awesome women that will be and are awesome Moms! Three new grandkids in one banner year! How proud can we be?

Happy Mother's Day to our daughters! Whether by birth or by marriage we think you are the best Moms ever!

Holy Smokes.... It's already Mother's Day???

2010-05-08T18:44:00.006-04:00

We simply don't know where time has gone since January...almost like someone ripped the months from the calendar and suddenly it's May and the eve of Mother's Day ....a time to remember and commemorate the great mothers who gave us life and nurtured us through childhood.

So here they are.... In pink is my mother-in-law, Helene Marie Trappen Sarine, Dick's lovely mom, and then mine...Frances Louise Staats Fenton (at the top in blue), ....both pictured at our wedding back in February of 1970.

My mother was raised in upstate New York. In addition to attending to the needs of us kids she loved studying and learning about life. She believed and instilled in us the power of positive thinking, a philosophy of life that was nearly unheard of in the 1950's. Marion, as she was called, was often found tending to her beautiful flower gardens or helping friends in the community.

Dick's mom was born in Michigan and at some point moved, married and lived in suburban Madison, New Jersey. I hardly ever remember seeing her dressed in anything other than a dress complete with an apron. She was a kind, generous; devoted to her family. I always say that if you want to know what Helene was like you have to look no further than at one of her children for she raised each and every one of them is a mirror image of her personalty.... patient, pleasant, personable and giving.

These two fine ladies lived lives that were worlds apart and yet they shared the fabulous badges of honor of being fine, fine mothers. They have been phsically gone from us for many years but we feel them with us still. Happy Mother's Day to our Moms!

Boxes & Boxes of Slides!

2010-01-09T16:15:00.012-05:00

Dick and I finally purchased a slide scanner around Christmas time and our spare time since has been spent going through several hundred slides and converting them to digitals that could be downloaded for everyone to enjoy! Below you will see many pictures of what my parents called their "middle three"....my two brothers...Al & Bud and me...who was sandwiched age-wise between those two guys. My only sister Joan and my older brother Roger were already married when these were taken; and our youngest brother..Jim was not yet thought of!

And because I am still blog-illiterate and can never figure out how to space picture descriptions to coincide with the picture you will see some of the following people below: Al & Bud getting ready to cross-country ski across a frozen Lake Eaton to our camp; my favorite great-aunt "Aunt Sally" with my mother and me overlooking some Adirondack beach; Al at the guys hunting camp (I was always ticked as a kid that females were not allowed during the November Hunting Camp!); Me in a two-piece bathing suit where I am apparently losing my top!; Christmases where I got a doll carriage and another dish set. I think my first precious niece, Cindy is the baby in that picture; Some wonderful pictures of our horses...Blackie and then our mare Ginger with her brand-new foal, Star. There's only one of my brother Jim in this group...where he's riding his go-cart bike! More to come Jim!

As you can see we/I were blessed to lead an idealic childhood...one that has only been fully appreciated as an adult. Thanks Mom & Dad! Miss and love you more than you know!

Merry Christmas Everyone!

2009-12-12T21:35:00.002-05:00

“May you be safe; May you be happy; May you be healthy; May you live your life with ease.” Buddhist Teaching

2009-10-03T11:43:00.006-04:00

Yesterday was one of those days where I spent a great deal of time in the car going from one appointment to another. I sometimes change the XM radio channel from music to talk radio….particularly the Broads…they are hysterical & talk sometimes about things that are typically not discussed on the air waves. When they’re not on I might hit the Oprah Channel.

(Bear with me now ‘cause I am going someplace meaningful with this…) There are days when I could listen to XM talk radio and not hear a thing…nothing that hits me or is inspirational. But I must have had my ears on yesterday because every time I got in the car there was something on that made me want to stay right there…”Oh, dang!…I have to get out of the car to go into the client’s house??? You have to be kidding me…I’m going to miss this…and that??? “

Dr Oz was on Oprah's XM Channel 156 and was interviewing Marci Shimoff….someone whose name I didn’t know but believe that I have seen on TV several times. I’m certain that I have heard interviews with her before but never really HEARD her premise until yesterday. The snippets that I caught on the radio were enough to make me Google the Oprah XM channel when I got home to try figure what was on yesterday and to somehow find out who this person was.

I found it!!!! …. and then spent the bulk of last evening Googling ‘Marci Shimoff’…listening to her radio interviews, taking page upon page of notes, etc.

I believe that it has tremendous value for each of us in our business and in our personal lives. See if you don’t agree… click on www.cnbc.com/id/22672284

And if this site caught your attention the way it did mine here are two additional websites in the same vein that have additional information and will continue to inspire…. It’s a radio interview so you’ll need about ten minutes of peace & quiet to listen to it…. www.askliz.com/radio_mshimoff.html .... and a blog…www.inspiremetoday.com/gail/2009/04/blessings-to-you

Good information like this that has positive value needs to be passed on… and I have, probably to the dismay of some of you that get my emails and check out the various ways that we/I commun icate with the outside world. I put it on my Facebook page, sent it on to our wonderful SSI designers and now figured that our blog was a great place further broadcast what the world needs to hear today and everyday.

Hope your Saturday and your weekend is a great one!

What We've Been Doing for the Past Few Months...

2009-09-28T19:38:00.002-04:00

Check out http://www.thechicchateau.blogspot.com/ if you wondering what we've been doing with our spare time in the last three months! Lots of pictures of The Chic Chateau!

Family Fun & Faces! Summer 2009

2009-09-26T07:32:00.009-04:00

Amazing that so much time can pass so quickly since our last post! Our lives seem to get busier the older we get & one month rolls into the next! We took some time over July 4th to visit our summer camp in the Adirondacks on Lake Eaton...a secluded family haven that's provided a beautiful vacation spot for four generations of the Fenton side of the family. Many who know us are aware that there are no roads around to lake to reach our camp... the only mode of transportation to and from (other than by foot) is via boat.

Electricity is provided by solar panels and a 12 volt system. Telephone cables were dropped on the lake bottom only twenty years ago and indoor plumbing arrived about the same time.

Dick and I had not been to camp in about 15 years so this was not only a vacation but a journey back in time. As much as the 'outside' world has changed, the surrounding area in the Adirondacks remains pristine and virtually untouched! As you'll see there were many happy family moments!

Left Behind

2009-05-28T18:35:00.013-04:00

This morning's New & Record, our local newspaper, contained an article about a sale that is taking place at one of our local colleges.... UNC Greensboro. This university-sponsored sale, called "Cram & Scram", is held annually after the students take their exams; after graduation is over; and after they have packed their cars to head home for the summer. It's a catchy name which means little unless, and until, you comprehend WHY the school has a need for such an event.

Each year students leave behind EIGHT tons of STUFF....books, televisions, clothing, appliances, shoes, furniture...according to the N & R article even an electric wheel chair! Eight tons of stuff! Think about that.... EIGHT tons of stuff! EACH year! I think that there are about 10 colleges and universities within our county and I cannot even begin to fathom what the grand total would be.

I came into work this morning still reeling from the thought that the students whose education we are subsidizing in this great state of North Carolina, are allowed by their parents and by the university to leave such a mess behind! I'm amazed that these students may be the very ones who stand on the front of the picket lines to protest an unavoidable tuition increase but don't understand that it takes money to dispose of the things that they leave behind. I'm shocked that the college doesn't charge an exorbitant room deposit fee that is refundable only when the vacated room passes a final inspection. And I'm really disappointed that the students themselves...some of the the very ones that lament about how the older generations have littered their world... have so little respect for how they leave their "home away from home".

My grandmother always used to start with stories about how life was back in the good 'ol days. I'd roll my eyes and try to find some excuse as to why I needed to leave the room because I really did think that her stories were archaic and non-revelent to the current day. Well today, while people like myself who are in their sixth decade don't look anything like what our grandparents did when they were in their 60's, I do feel like judgmental senior citizen.

When we went to college there was a room deposit which was not refunded if your room wasn't clean. When we packed to go home I wouldn't have thought about leaving things behind for someone else to pick up because you just didn't do that. Belongings had value; students had scruples; colleges had rules, and parents had expectations. If asked today what was one of the most important things that you learned from your mother I'd have to say that "Leave a place better than you found it". That can be interpreted many ways (...a kinder world.... a cleaner environment...a neater room). She was 'about' all of these things.

And so am I. I rearrange furniture when I visit hotel rooms because I know that it works better when the sofa is here rather than there. When we are housguests I often clean the bathroom and change the sheets before we leave. And I'll often try to declutter a client's house because I know what a demoralizing and depressing effect that has upon the lives of the people that live there.

So the idea that young women and men care so little about who has to pick up after them is something that simply ticked me off this morning. What was an innocent article about the sale where everything had a fantastic and unbelievable pricetag of just 50 cents an item...even the wheelchair... sent me into this thought process about the magnitude of having to dispose of the discarded belongings from maybe half of the campus population of 17,500 students.

I have pondered over this all day and find that I just had to get out the soap box. I'll read it again just to make sure I'm not crazy....

OH, WAIT!.... I am so relieved!!!! I just reread part of the article and this year's sale has only FOUR tons...down from the eight in years past! Thank goodness! For a minute I was worried....

Little Miss Kira

2009-05-13T20:48:00.006-04:00

I often get a chance to write about our Greensboro 'munchkins'...Olivia and Gabe because they are local but because I don't see Jeff and Vicky's daughter frquently I never have enough pictures of Kira who is now getting close to her third birthday.

Kira is the comedian...she's the actress. As an infant only weeks and months old she'd close her eyes or cover her face when she saw a camera come her way. She knew she didn't like the bright light flashing in her eyes.

What a difference a couple of years makes! This girl now seems to love the attention of the camera! Kira is all-girl...loves makeup and dress-up as you can see by her 'flapper' outfit. She's an amazing mix of Jeff and Vick... she has her mother's sweetness & kindness and her father's sense of humor...(maybe this is good?) . She's the resident ham and, as Jeff's loving parents, we happen to think that the "chickens have come home to roost" for Jeff.... Heh, Heh, Heh. (Sorry Vick...)

Two of the Best Moms I know!

2009-05-10T20:36:00.005-04:00

How blessed we are to have them as the mothers of our grandkids!

HAPPY MOTHER"S DAY EVERY DAY TO VICKY AND REBECCA!

"What's this for doing?"

2009-05-09T09:27:00.005-04:00

Mornings might be my favorite time of the day while JR & Rebecca are still living here. Olivia & Gabe are always full of smiles and giggles and, Lord knows, it helps to smile before I head off to the unknown day's adventures at the office.

I usually get an early morning visit from Olivia who tiptoes down the stairs and tries to surprise me while I'm fixing breakfast or sitting in the tub. (Yikes!) Sometimes I'll sit her up on my vanity while I'm putting on makeup & she'll gaze at the non-magnified side of my mirror while I'm working on the other.... "What's this for doing", she asks as she handles everything from a hair comb to mascara. "What's this for doing"?...as I try to put on eye shadow. "What's this for doing"? as I show her an eyelash curler. All efforts to figure out life's meanings for the simplest things!

I love the disjointed sentence, the innocence and the amazement as seen through a child's eyes, and I'll probably remember and steal her "What's this for doing" phrase as I go through the rest of my life!

Anniversaries!

2009-05-07T17:40:00.010-04:00

Once we get past January we approach 40 years of knowing one another and 39 years of marriage! While remembering alot of things is a feat, I do recall that February 7, 1970 like it was yesterday!

We had (and still have) a D.C. brother-in-law, Joe, who swore he wouldn't travel north to a remote town like Corinth, NY for a wedding, especially after a 12 inch snowstorm had innudated the area; another brother in law, John (our best man) who drove the day of the wedding with a fever and the sniffles and had us passing tissues across the altar as the priest was saying mass; three....count-em... three very pregnant sisters-in-law who at the time couldn't be in the wedding because that wasn't 'kosher' at the time; and the very grateful parents of the bride who worshipped their new son-in-law because he had 'saved' their daughter from a life of misery had she partnered with her previous beau!

Hmmm...who is that guy with hair to my left? Better yet...who is that fox?

Thirty-nine years; four children, three grandchildren, and five dogs later we are still happy together. What more could we want? Life has blessed us, no doubt!

The Trip to Vegas

2009-05-03T22:13:00.008-04:00

We always love these trips to Vegas...the weather is always great; there's always plenty to do (as long as you're winning $$$) and this time it was exciting to be staying at the Bellagio.

Did I mention that it RAINS in Vegas? And that it RAINED for the four days we were there? We managed to keep dry by sticking to the hotel casino, however, and once again came home with money.

The pictures in no particular order include Olivia trying to hide in our suitcase so she could go with us; The Bellagio's exterior, lobby, hotel room, view from our window at night and the fountains which we got to see once in between rainstorms; The interior of the Paris Casino and hotel which looks like we're outside because the faux skies are so realistic. Yes the Frenchy-looking street scene is really inside the Paris Casino!

Sherckle Awakes from Winter Hibernation!

2009-05-03T18:47:00.007-04:00

I cannot believe that we (I) haven't blogged since January 31st when we were about to head to Vegas to celebrate our 39th anniversary and nothing since then! One would think that we had joined the Elvis look-a-likes and found gainful employment on the strip! So much has happened since then but I will try to catch up in the days to come in a chronological order!

Work, Dogs, Kids & Random Thoughts

2009-01-31T05:34:00.012-05:00

Okay, Okay, Okay....I realize that it's been weeks since our last post. Life, as is our norm, has been busy since New Year's. Days filled with work; nights with "live-in" munchkin kids; American Idol (...yup, we're addicted), Biggest Loser (love watchin' those people lose half their weight! ...there we are glued to the set wonderin' what good snacks we've got stashed in the pantry! LOL).

Work at the office has pretty much slowed to a trickle due to the poor builder situation, although we are still blessed to still be hanging on and to have all designers still with us. The nice part of having a 1099-type of business is that we don't have to go to anyone and tell them that they are laid off. They pretty much operate their own businesses under our SSI umbrella. The good news is that they still have a job; the bad news is that there isn't much business out there right now. People are scared to spend money and decorating and design isn't at the top of many lists.

I have gone back to teaching design 'how-to' classes, which is the way I started this business back in NY. I had a "Staging to Sell" class for realtors and people that want to sell their home last week that was sold out. We have 5000+ SF of office space and my income in the past was pretty much dedicated to paying the rent, so I've had to be creative about how to keep the business afloat and returning "to my roots" seemed like a good alternative. After all, even in a recession people still love color and design. What better way to gain clients but to teach them more about what they love? I have always enjoyed teaching but never seemed in the recent past to have enough time to plan the curriculum and pull together the pictures needed for a power point presentation. So now's a good time!

Jeremy and Rebecca have just closed on the cutest little Cape Cod-style home in an older classic Greensboro neighborhood. Tall stately trees, a huge back yard and an adorable 4 bedroom house are all things that make this the perfect place for their family. It was built in 1946 which means it has the plaster walls; outdated wiring and plumbing but with a little TLC this will be a fabulous haven for them. It's had only two owners for all of these years; one of them for nearly 60 years so the walls are filled with the secret memories of a family life now long past, and you can almost feel those amazing vibrations when you enter! I'm sure that their blog will have more details and pictures soon.

And our Dweezle who is now in her 16th year as our resident pooch appears to be on the down-slide of her life. She's aged alot in the last several weeks/months. She barely hears anything anymore, and it's obvious that cataracts have clouded her sight. She woke up one morning this week hardly being able to stand on her hind legs. The vet x-rayed her and said that her spine is OK and that he, because of her advanced age was reluctant to put her under for an MRI so she's on Prednisone which has allowed some improvement but there are still concerns that cause us to be evaluating her quality of life on a day-to-day basis. (sigh).

So despite the economy, depite the media's doom and gloom, life goes on. We're headed to Vegas next week to celerate our 39th together (this might be Dick's favorite place on earth!) and, providing that he still has this aura of luck that seems to surround him in casinos, and providing we can afford the cab fare back to the airport,we'll post some pics after we return! Oh, and by the way, we're staying at the Bellagio...for FREE. How cool is that??? I could stand in front of their 'dancing' water fountains FOREVER!

The First Leg of Our Post-Xmas Trip ~ Greenwood Lake, NY

2009-01-11T17:48:00.021-05:00

We can't take credit for the scenery pics but this is a beautiful part of the country! And it's a long ten-hour trip from Greensboro!

Visiting with Vicky & Jeff was a thrill as always! Little Miss Kira was trying to mimic Nana as she was putting on makeup. Santa had brought her some play versions of blush and eye shadow and lipstick so we had fun applying them all! (It's worth the double-click on her last picture to enlarge and see the finished product!....we have eyebrows, blush....so what if it's a little low?.... and lipstick!)

The Second Part of Our Post-Xmas Trip ~ Corinth, NY

2009-01-11T07:44:00.020-05:00

From Greenwood Lake it was on to Corinth, NY to visit my side of the family......

Since I have trouble trying to figure out how to make the captions correlate with the pictures what you see below are pictures of the Upstate NY portion of our trip. In no particular order are pictures of the crew......
Breakfast at Denny's with nephews Dan, Kyle (hidden behind my big hair), Tim, Tom & wife Sheri, Bro Jim & wife Shelley, and 'Sista' Joan; Tom goin' to the dogs, etc. We always have a great time when together and hope to pull together a 'Fenton' side of the family reunion sometime in the near future when all five million of us can be together!

And from Corinth we headed South to a visit with Dick's sister & fam in Bethany Beach, De. with an quick stop in Atlantic City. Dick always manages to win something as he did this time but the whined because his winnings were less than he would have liked. waa, waa!

All in all it was a fast whirlwind trip through seven states in 5 days. It was great to see everyone!

Christmas Angels

2008-12-25T20:40:00.006-05:00

Angels are a favorite in our household as you can see by the pictures we took when Jeremy and Rebecca arrived back home this evening.

Pop Pop, Gabe & Olivia

Dickle, Aunt Maddie & Greg

It's a Dog's Life!

Merry Christmas Eve!

2008-12-24T18:54:00.044-05:00

OK, so I’ve finally come to the realization that I’m a procrastinator… a busy one, if there is such a thing! I purchased the Christmas cards probably four weeks ago and they still are sitting in the Target bag waiting for me to be inspired enough to write our Christmas letter that normally gets enclosed with each. It’s Christmas Eve…obviously way too late for us to have a pre-Christmas postmark on the envelope. That means your holiday card will be late or even non-existent!

Dick & I spent the early hours this morning shopping (we made it to a local shopping center by 7:00 AM to beat the traffic) and since arriving home at we’ve been "wrapped up with wrapping" for what will be a quiet Christmas tomorrow with Greg and 'Aunt' Maddie. Danielle & Rudy are in Cincinnati, Jeff & Vicky in NY, and Jeremy & Rebecca are in Charlotte... spending the day with what we commonly and lovingly call their “Outlaws”. We were blessed to have everyone here for Thanksgiving and we actually did our Christmas gift exchange then. It was a wonderful, busy holiday…complete with all of our kids plus 25 additional Sarine cousins here for a reunion in Greensboro on the day after Turkey day.

Jeremy and Rebecca and little Olivia (3) have continued to live with us this year after relocating from Denver back to NC. They have had their own space upstairs in this house while we pretty much live our life on the main level.....that is... when we're home! It's been a very copasetic living arrangement! We get to spoil the grandkids onsite; Jeremy and Rebecca get to handle the day-to-day 'kid' responsibilities. I get wet kisses before I leave for work each morning and to hear “I love you Nana” and “Have a good day” as I close the door. Now I ask you...what could be better???? Baby Gabriel (now almost four months) was born with much fanfare and excitement on September 5th of this year; the circumstances of his unusual birth are the likes of which are what you would expect only of the Sarines (if you haven't already, scroll down to "older posts" to our September 6th entry of this blog). It was quite a happening! Needless to say we are happy that JR & Rebecca are back from Colorado and looking for their new home in our local area.

Jeff & Vicky and two year-old Kira, were with us, as were all of our kids, when we spent a fabulous family week at one of the Palace resorts in Mexico back in March. This branch of our "kid-tree" is still living in and on Greenwood Lake, NY as we haven’t yet convinced Jeff and Vick that North Carolina is a really cool place to live! We’re thinking that Mr. Dickle and I will head there the day after Christmas this year since we never seem to get to see enough of Kira (and, oh yes, of her parentals either!).

Our Crew in Mexico

Danielle and Rudy relocated to Bryan, Texas this year after Rudy’s graduation from UGA. He’s teaching at Texas A & M, and while we are delighted for the fact that his great brains, personality and work ethics have landed him/them such a fabulous opportunity, we’re sad that this great job is in Texas (aka Bush) territory! Now that the education phase of their lives is done, they’re on to a new decade and phase of their marriage which probably will include children, if they are so blessed! Eventually we hope to have them back on the East Coast.

And Greg is back to hitting the books…he's decided that he would like to teach middle school! We are amazed, but certainly not surprised, at his love of helping kids, especially those with special needs! He manages to somehow coordinate classes and studying with working with the Greensboro Autistic Society. He regularly shadows “Bobby”, now 13, who at the age of three, shrank into his own world of autism. Bobby, while looking like a 6-foot teenager, barely speaks but communicates through sign language and appears to love Greg…something that shocks no one, for Greg has always had a special place in his heart for those that are younger or child-like. Uncle Greg is our very own Pied Pipper....loved and adored by his nieces as I’m sure he will be by Baby Gabe as he gets older!

And Mr. Dickle and I, with the help of seven great designers and two awesome adminstrative people (God, please don't let our office manager Susan read this...she'll want a raise!) have managed to keep our business afloat during the downward spiral of our economic times. We really aren’t sure what the first quarter of 2009 holds for us….the lease on our office space is up at the end of April, and while it was our dream to build a business we could sell, we may find ourselves changing our game-plan as we adapt to the business climate in the spring. Business is painfully slow and we've made the unprecidented decision to close the office until 1/05/09 when we hope that there’s a line waiting to rush the offices when we unlock the door at 7:30 AM! Unless our US bank CEO’s are determined to spend their 75 million-dollar bonuses with us at the SSI Design Group, Inc. before the end of the year we suspect that we won't be missed!

In addition to realizing that I’m a procrastinator, and that Dick (like most men) leaves the communication between friends and family to me, I’ve also recognized that I am horrible at calling old friends & family members, and staying in touch with those that have added such sparkle to our lives. I apologize for having so much on my plate that there's liitle energy left at the end of the day to touch base with friends that we don't often get to see.

We’ve come to rely daily on blogs as a way to share pictures and the joys of family gatherings and to see snippets of our kids' far-away lives. If you're viewing this message in an email or a letter we invite you to visit often our personal blog at http://www.sherckle.blogspot.com/ which has details of what’s been happening in the Sarine family in the last year; to see recent photos of wonderful family times; and to see links to our kids’ blogs. These are updated, usually on a monthly basis, if not more often. And if you happen to take a look, know that you can generally click on the pictures to make them larger, or to click on “Older Posts” at the end to see even more wonderful pictures and read more tales!

We hope this finds you in good health and surrounded by family and loved ones as we enter yet another wonderful year of life. We’ve been blessed by good health, a wonderful family and fabulous friends. We wish the same for you in 2009!

Merry Christmas!

Sherry and Dick

P.S. Our favorite Christmas song this year: Michael Ball & Elaine Paige, "As Long as it's Christmas".

Sarine Cousins Gathering 11-28-08

2008-11-29T13:23:00.062-05:00

"Cousin to Cousin we'll always be, Special friends from the same family tree." Author: Unknown

The Entire Group!

The Raleigh, NC; Minnesota, California Contingent!

The DC, NJ Contingent!

The Greensboro, NC; NY & Texas Contingent

Ninja Sis & Mom

The next generation of cousins!

"Cousins are those childhood playmates who grow up to be forever friends." Author: Unknown

Michael & Danielle

(L to R) Terrin, Mark, Bill, Dick, JB, Jeff

Doug, Bill, John

Rudy, Joe, Dick

Uncle Bill & Susan

Jeff, Janet, Vicky, Greg

El doctoro & the nurse... Rudy & Rebecca

Jeremy, Baby Gabe, Doug, Jansyn

Terrin & Uncle Mark

"Cousins by blood ~ friends by choice." Author: Darlene Shaw

Cousins hanging out.... Maddie, McKinney & Olivia #1

'Foster Grant' John, Aunt MJ, Laura

Susan & Bill

JB & Olivia #1

JB & his Pop

'Kinney & Olivia #1

Proud papa Jeremy & Gabriel

"It's a long way down".....Katelin

Jansyn Holding Gabe

Olivia #2...

Kira & Nana

Kira in her 'super model' pose....

Jake, Jack, Terrin, Michael

Doug & Janet

JB

Doug demonstrating a Ninja stretch....

Danielle & Jansyn

"Cousins are friends that will love you forever"... Author: Constance Richards

Bedding down the younger generation!

Breakfast Bedlam!

"Sometimes I wish we could go back to our childhood days.

Yet here we are, all of us grown.

With busy lives; out on our own.

Things change, but you'll always be

My cousin, my friend....loved by me." Author Unknown

Thanksgiving 2008

2008-11-27T21:23:00.024-05:00

We were blessed to have everyone together this Thanksgiving. As usual we had our share of laughs, good times and even got to exchange Crazy Santa (or in this case, Crazy Turkey) gifts since it's an "outlaw" year for Christmas. We somehow managed to even get the Christmas tree up early!

Some of the crew...and Olivia showing Pop Pop "I love you this much"!

Jeremy's Version of Weight-lifting! Who's the turkey???

It was a beautiful day in Greensboro...Jeff & Kira at the pond across the street...

Gabe surveying things from Nana's shoulder....

Dr. of Fun & his missus dancing the crazy chicken....

Some people never grow up... Greg with his nieces! He's so great with kids!

Sisters-in-law....Vick & Danielle

"Socks? Anyone want to trade me for socks?"

There's nothing like the wonder & amazement of little ones when they open gifts!

Kira and Aunt Danielle

Aunt Maddie & Kira

Olivia (3 1/2) & Kira (2 1/2) Playing Dress-up

Dweezle (at 15) Chillin'

Aunt Vicky getting some baby time in with nephew Gabe

This is the first time the girls have been old enough to actually play together. They had a great time!

Vicky, Danielle, Jeff & Kira, Olivia & Jeremy, Rebecca, Greg & Rudy

Great Article About Gabe's Birth

2008-11-24T11:08:00.017-05:00

Click on these two pages to enlarge for reading....

Greetings From Tulum, Part II

2008-11-19T16:59:00.009-05:00

More Scenic Pictures.....

"View from a Lounge Chair"

Mr. Magoo... I mean Dickle

chillin with a book.

Look closely.....you never know what scenic wonders you might miss!

Greetings from Tulum, Mexico

2008-11-17T10:50:00.021-05:00

Hola...Pictures from our balcony at Palace Resort's beautiful vacation spot about 50 miles south of Cancun called "Aventura". We've been fortunate to have visited four other of Palace's resorts, and last March we had the family trip of a lifetime at the Sunrise Palace with all of our kids and the grand chillin's to date....All have been great 'disconnect' vacations for us. This one so far is no exception....

Picture of our friend, Richie's brother "Earl"... didn't know he was here too! Notice the family resemblance!

Rich & Kathy

Picture of all of us at dinner....

Jack, Caroline, Richie, Kathy,

Dick & Sherry

Our Presidential Suite, compliments of Rich and Kathy

Sunrise over the Caribbean Sea...

The Fall Furniture Market

2008-10-23T17:42:00.013-04:00

This week has been a bit bizarre because it is the time of the year when people in our business or related careers go nuts trying to juggle their regular work load in between visits to the Fall Furniture Market, a semi annual event which typically brings 85,000 visitors to the Triad area. We're lucky because it's located only 25 minutes from our offices in Greensboro, a factor that allows us to do the juggling bit alot more effectively than some of the 85,000 other attendees who have flown or driven in from various other parts of the world.

The market takes place in 188 buildings around the High Point area, a factor that makes one wonder how they were able to come up with a transportation system so elaborate that they could effectively shuttle so many people from one spot to another in record time. In addition there are 2000 exibitors, all of which translates into an enormous financial bonanza for our area!

I can remember when we first moved here in the early 90's that I was totally amazed by the fact that these huge buildings were only open twenty days out of the calendar year! It actually still is an amazement although there are some, like the one above called "Showplace" that now is rented out for special events like conferences, weddings and the like. It, in and of itself, is an architectual marvel!

And like any huge event that competes with other similar venues (in this case with the new Las Vegas Furniture Market), the Home Furnishings Council brings and hosts wonderful, free entertainment to entice the attendees to come to High Point. This year it was KC & The Sunshine Band and Peter Frampton. Dickle and I attended Peter Frampton and managed to stay through most of the concert before we decided that we were then deaf and our feet were numb from standing for three hours!

So weary as we are we're glad to be back to the normal routine; glad to put the market beind us until next April when we'll look forward to it once again. Hopefully the economy will have rebounded by then and we'll start to see a glimmer of the good 'ol days!

Friends & Our W/E Trip to Brunswick County, NC

2008-10-12T20:43:00.012-04:00

We headed out of town this weekend to visit good friends, Bill & Ro, in Calabash, NC who live 15 minutes North of Myrtle Beach. Can't believe that we hadn't been there in more than a year, although we managed to pick up right where we left off!
Our other great friends, Rich and Kathy joined us on the trip and we reconnected with transplanted former "Greensbor-in-ians", Jack and Caroline,...more great friends.... who moved their residential building business to Shalotte, NC almost 4 years ago. Needless to say there was lots of conversation about McCain/Pailin and Obama/Bidden; the state of the economy; the status of the building industry (Many of us there, in some way or another, were/are in directly-related jobs that have been affected...although that's a subject for another blog...); Probably the best things shared were the funny stories, hearty laughs and some great recipes!

Ya just have to know that Bill & Ro have the BEST unofficial bed and breakfast in the area. They are the greatest hosts...traveled us all over the area looking for and at beach condominiums for sale...(no, we're not in the market...but R & K are...). And food? Amazing meal on Friday night along with a great restaurant choice on Ocean Isle Beach for a fabulous lunch on Saturday. It certainly wasn't a w/e to lose weight!

Thanks Shepherd's for a wonderful weekend and an opportunity to share time away some of our "best-est" friends!

The Phoenix

2008-09-10T09:37:00.012-04:00

Two years ago one of Christmas presents from Danielle and Rudy was this weird gold bird statue...something we have now come to call "The Phoenix". Not being a member of the Audubon society, the bird may very well be a replica of a phoenix....who knows? Anyways, I suppose this gift was supposed to be the beginning of a family tradition...that the receipients were supposed to take it everywhere they went for the coming year. And then it was to be passed along to someone else.

So we're coming up now on the first anniversary and this bird has done nothing more than sit on our fireplace mantle. (See above...it's that ugly....oh, s'cuse me....the fabulous looking gold statue on the right hand side of the mantle). Before I tell and show you where it has now been, let me mention some of the more important events it was supposed to have attended this year. These are in no particular order:

A nephew's wedding in Cape May, New Jersey back in June.
The subsequent trip to Bethany Beach and Washington DC (Said he gets car sick!)
To Mexico with the entire family back in March (how do you explain something like this in your suitcase to the Customs agent?)
Rudy's graduation and family gathering held in Athens only a few weeks ago (Phoenix respectfully sent his regrets!)
The Harrahs NC Cherokee Reservation... Phoenix declined because they have hawks in them-there woods.
Las Vegas to a wedding in March (He was too scared to go because The Mandalay Bay restaurants might have wanted him there for other reasons....you know those Chinese places have alot of receipes on their menu that featured birds!)

With all of that setting the stage we wanted to let y'all know that Phoenix did have one prior outing....to a Japanese Restaurant several weeks ago. There was no mention of any aviary-type entrees mentioned on their menus so the setting was another safe one aside from our mantle!

But, by far, the most memorable outing to date happened only last evening. Not to be outdone by the arrival of Gabriel Josiah, Phoenix demanded to experience the Birthing Shrine and made that visit last evening.

So to all of those who thought that we were NOT great caretakers of The Phoenix, think again. Here's the most recent sighting and proof....He does still live and he loved recreating the "Babe" scene in the Birthing Shrine... even if it was only for a moment!

The Birthing Shrine of Gabriel Josiah

2008-09-07T12:21:00.006-04:00

The Birthmobile

The Birthing Room...cleaned, sterilized and ready for the next visitor! Spacious and accomodating for a discreet, no stirrups delivery! Essence of "Eau de Placenta"!

The Arrival of Gabriel Josiah Sarine 9/05/08

2008-09-06T21:00:00.009-04:00

Ah...Fridays!...We have come to love Fridays because, after a long week at the office, we try to close up shop an hour or two early, head home, put our feet up, have a drink and get an early start on the weekend! Ah....Fridays!

Yesterday, our Friday was somewhat different because Rebecca's intermittent contractions that she had been having for the past couple of weeks suddenly became regular and it became apparent that little Gabe's anticipated arrival on 9/17 was going to happen 12 days early.

Fast forward though the afternoon and early evening and the typical timing of the contractions. Before we knew it we were like bumbling idiots...who's driving? (that would be me..Sherry); Oh, my God...where is the hospital? What's the best and fastest way? Do you have the camera? The last minute chaos of running back into the house to get cell phones, etc. "It's OK Becca . Remember to breathe...it's OK".... In between Jeremy was telling her "Don't push"! ....(Now doesn't that just sound like a man? WHADDYA MEAN "Don't Push"?) Hmmm...me thinks we should have called 9-1-1.

We made it probably three miles from home when this really gutteral, then high pitched scream came out of our normally very quiet daughter-in-law. Rushing water sounds coming from back seat...Hmmmm...did we think to bring towels....of course not! (Thank God Jeremy was sitting in the back seat with her because a cursory feel in the dark confirmed Rebecca's assertion that the baby's head was indeed already out. It was very obvious we were not going to make it to the hospital. So pull over on a desolate road outside of Greensboro's city limits; mid-wife on speaker phone telling Jeremy how to finish delivering the baby; baby crying in the back; me on Onstar communication as they remotely noted our location and called the paramedics. (We're sure that they won't use us in a commercial because in a moment when we thought that they weren't listening we called the guy an idiot!).

Remember the "no towels" bit??? Not even a napkin in the dang car to wipe the baby's face! Jeremy pulled off his t-shirt, wrapped it around the little guy lying on his Mommy's tummy as we waited for the ambulance to arrive. One glance in the back seat at this shirtless father sent me into hysterics as he looked like a redneck whose very pregnant wife had waddled over to interrupt his evening snooze on the couch and said "Honey, it's time".

Long story short, all are fine. Onstar, despite the "idiot" guy was great, as were the phone instructions from the midwife, the response from the Summerfield Fire Department and the Guilford County paramedics! JR, Becca and L'il Gabe will all be home tomorrow and our lives will be changed once again for the better as we all fall in love with yet another little Sarine.

Ah, Fridays!

Rudy's release of Danielle from "Indentured Servitude"

2008-08-11T08:13:00.003-04:00

The Graduation of the Smartest Man in the World

2008-08-03T00:14:00.030-04:00

Rudy on the Coliseum's big screen!

We traveled to Athens, GA this weekend to celebrate with Rudy and Danielle as he graduated with his PhD from the University of Georgia. The "Smartest Man in the World" (or "Dr. of Fun" as we now call him) graduated with his doctorate in Recreation and Leisure Studies. (Click on each of the photos to enlarge)

Danielle & Rudy are headed to College Station, Texas tomorrow AM as they begin a new life there at Texas A & M University where he will be joining the faculty as an assistant professor in Community Development. (www.uga.edu/coenews/press_releases/0807dunlap_pr.html )

About 25 of us traveled from all over...Cincinnati; Jackson, Mississippi; Maryland, St. Augustine, Florida, and of course North Carolina, to gather for this momentous occassion. We celebrated with his parents...Randy and MaryHelen, sisters Emily & Rachel and their guys, Doug and Caleb; Greg, Jeremy, Rebecca, & Olivia; Dick's sister Mary Jane and Uncle Joe, Aunt & Uncle Kathi & Keith Collins, their daughter & Danielle's cousin Amy & husband Marshall, and lots of others as you'll see in the pictures below.

Congratulations and, by the way, Happy Anniversary guys.... what a way to celebrate 10 years of marriage!

Dr. of Fun

The Two Papas, Dickle & Randy

The T-shirt we all wore to the Happy Hour at the Globe the night before graduation.... a lesson on "How to try to embarass a doctoral candidate"! (The bartender wants us to send him one of these shirts!)

Danielle was presented with her official release from the Indentured Servitude that supported them both during the long haul... signed and witnessed by all!

Aunt Kathi stealing Olivia!

Aunt Kathi & Uncle Keith

Rudy & his parentals

MaryHelen with her proxy grandaughter!

Already wearing Texas A & M's shirt...

2008-08-02T23:54:00.005-04:00

Marshall, Amy and Rudy

Danielle and Rebecca

Uncle Keith doing sign language

Olivia and her Pop Pop

Rebecca and Jeremy

Rudy's sisters ~ Emily & Rachel

Athens Graduation

2008-08-02T18:36:00.025-04:00

It's a long trip to Georgia when you're pregnant! Stretching!

Olivia's happy to "take a trip"!

The Outlaw Mamas

It was a full car....notice Mr. Magoo...oh, I mean Uncle Joe in the center!

Happy Hour at the Globe!

Lovin' Chocolate Frosting....Happy Birthday cupcakes..for Rebecca & Greg

The two "bro's"...Jeremy & Greg

Already making the transition from UGA to Texas A & M!

Parting is such sweet sorrow! Breakfast before getting on the road on Sunday!

More Pics from Chevy Chase

2008-06-22T21:02:00.000-04:00

"Man, that fudgecicle was good"...Grand nephew "JB", son of Mark & Susan Tropea

Grand Niece Olivia (4), Big sis to JB!

Chillin' on the Veranda! Brother-in-law Joe & MaryJane; Sis-in-law Pat (John's wife)

Bill Sarine, "1/2 of Sherckle", and Bro John

Olivia and her Great Aunt Sherry

Chevy Chase, MD Visit 6/21/08

2008-06-22T19:18:00.000-04:00

Left to Right: Dick, John, MaryJane & Bill.

After spending several beautiful days with MJ & Joe at their vacation home in Bethany Beach, Delaware we headed west to the DC area where we got to spend time with Dick's brother John who was visiting from Seattle with his wife Pat & their granddaughter Kayla. Brother Bill drove up from Raleigh to spend the w/e too! It was the first time in several years that all of the (remaining) Sarine siblings have been together.

Happy 8th Anniversary JR & Rebecca

2008-06-17T11:22:00.001-04:00

Happy Anniversary today to Jeremy and Rebecca. Sorry we're not home to babysit so that you can go out but you can have a raincheck to do it anytime!

Bethany Beach, 6/08

2008-06-17T11:17:00.001-04:00

"How To Pump Your Own Gas", Lesson 2. This is Aunt MJ reviewing how to pump her own gas for the SECOND time IN HER LIFE!

Bethany Beach, 6/08

2008-06-17T11:13:00.000-04:00

Bethany Beach, 6/08

2008-06-17T11:11:00.001-04:00

Father's Day ...Uncle Joe relaxing in the hammock!

Bethany Beach, 6/08

2008-06-17T11:09:00.001-04:00

Mountain Man at the beach...Can you spell "B-U-R-M-A S-H-A-V-E"?

Bethany Beach, 6/08

2008-06-17T11:07:00.001-04:00

Bathing beauty...our niece Janet.

Bethany Beach, 6/08

2008-06-17T11:04:00.000-04:00

Grand-niece Maddie on the beach!

Cape May Wedding 6/14/08

2008-06-17T10:49:00.001-04:00

Our nephew, AJ and his bride, Cagla (pronounced "Chay-la") tied the knot during a ceremony on beautiful Cape May, NJ Sunset Beach last Saturday. They're headed to her hometown in Turkey for a two-week cruise for their honeymoon. Lucky them!

Gin Can Be Hazardous to Your Health...

2008-06-17T10:39:00.001-04:00

A short trip to the ABC Liquor store in local Summerfield last weekend found Dick huddled amongst the booze bottles with several other plaza visitors as they cowered for their lives! Seems that some 20-something inebriated youths were 'target' shooting and some 27 bullets went astray! One blew out the back window of our Suburban!

What We Did on Memorial Day Weekend!

2008-06-17T10:34:00.000-04:00

No picnics for us on Memorial Day W/E! We took advantage of empty offices to create and build more shelving space for our ever-increasing array of fabric books! Dick says we cannot get any more! (...Right...)

2008-06-17T10:31:00.000-04:00

What We Did on Memorial Day Weekend, View 2

2008-06-17T10:28:00.001-04:00

What We Did on Memorial Day Weekend!

2008-06-17T10:20:00.000-04:00

Chillin' on a Friday Night

2008-05-24T20:39:00.000-04:00

The Owl and The Pussycat....

2008-05-24T20:31:00.001-04:00

Several weeks ago a friend gave me a copy of The Owl & The Pussycat, a beautifully illustrated book by Edward Lear, a 19th century poet. This has become Olivia nightly bedtime story that she wants to read with Nana on Nana's bed.....so much so that she now knows most of the poem by heart and tells me she needs to say (or recite) it, not me!

The Second Attempt

2008-05-18T11:42:00.000-04:00

Our first blog entry was $%*!# we thought we'd give it a second try...it's always better to try a second time after you've had time to 'sleep off' the frustration! So here's some more pics from yesterday's Bicentennial Parade and from our Sunday doin's!

Not sure if my text will match up with the picture order but they include shots of the following:

Our resident gardner doing what he does best! Mr. Green Jeans does a great job!
Shot of the Wells Fargo Stagecoach and their Clydesdale horses that came to town for our parade.
Pics of the new house with something unique called "grass".

Birth of Our Blog and Greensboro's Birthday

2008-05-17T22:39:00.000-04:00