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Z is Three!

fanflower — Sun, 14 Feb 2010 05:01:58 +0000

Z is Three!

Celebrating three glorious years of Zoe today!

Happy birthday, sweetheart!

And a happy Valentine’s Day to all!

Life is Just a Bowl of Raspberries!

Happy Anniversary!

fanflower — Wed, 06 Jan 2010 15:22:02 +0000

Who’s the cutest couple married 59 years ago today?

6 Jan 1951

My parents! That’s who. Happy Anniversary, Mom and Dad!!

StoryCorps

fanflower — Wed, 20 May 2009 05:12:32 +0000

I don’t intend this as advertisement, but I suppose that’s what it is… not so much for the book or the nonprofit project I’m about to describe, but for the idea the project encourages. Ali heard a podcast today, thought of me and my interest in genealogy, and sent me a link to Katherine Lanpher’s interview with radio producer Dave Isay, the founder of StoryCorps, a nonprofit project that invites people to record their own interviews. In this interview, Isay talks about Listening Is an Act of Love — a compilation of the most remarkable stories from his oral history project.

This is how the project describes itself:

By recording the stories of our lives with the people we care about, we experience our history, hopes, and humanity. Since 2003, tens of thousands of everyday people have interviewed family and friends through StoryCorps. Each conversation is recorded on a free CD to take home and share, and is archived for generations to come at the Library of Congress. Millions listen to our award-winning broadcasts on public radio and the Internet. StoryCorps is one of the largest oral history projects of its kind, creating a growing portrait of who we really are as Americans.

Click to Play

It’s such a great idea. With Ali’s message, she included the following:

Throughout the interview they play clips of some of their more famous interviews and one toward the end is INCREDIBLY sweet. I teared up.

Even if you never have the opportunity to tell your story to StoryCorps and have your interview archived in the Library of Congress, you should still record some of your memories, either orally or in writing, for future generations of your own family.

Happy 28th, Joel!

fanflower — Sat, 21 Feb 2009 18:54:49 +0000

Happy, birthday, Joel!

We’re fortunate to be able to be spending this weekend in Houston with Joel, Blake, Zoe, and Jenna. Blake took these photos yesterday while we toured the zoo.

Woohoo!

The Day Our World Was Broken

fanflower — Thu, 11 Sep 2008 15:32:05 +0000

September 11 - Tribute in Light

Whoo Goes There?

fanflower — Thu, 01 May 2008 16:23:48 +0000

I awoke this morning at the crack of dawn — literally. Of course, our “granddogs” want fed and out as soon as I stir, but when Chief ran out the door I heard a great flapping noise. He stopped suddenly beside the pool, postured in a defensive stance, and started to bark. When Sarge followed, he too stayed close to the house, but seemed content to act as a back up and let Chief take charge. With barely any light, I couldn’t see anything. Still not sure what I had heard, there was suddenly a new noise that closely resembled the barking of a wild dog, but was more rhythmic and repetitive like a bird call. What did we have in the yard? A coyote? An owl? Is that what originally woke me? Our lazy Phoebe wasn’t ready to get up and protect me I guess. She slept through the whole thing.

I decided it must have been an owl since the original noise sounded more like fluttering or flapping than anything else and there was a distinctive pattern to its bark-like call. I Googled “owl sounds like a dog” to find that some owls do indeed sound like a dog, and there were even several recordings made of barred owls heard in Texas, and of great horned owls, which are also found in Texas.

Living where we do, we often hear the typical hooting of owls nearby and it’s not my first encounter with an owl in the yard. (No, I don’t mean our fake one to keep birds out of one of our front trees.) Years ago when I was out doing some early morning gardening by our wooded creek, a huge owl swooped almost silently over my head, flying from one tall tree to its hollowed out nesting place in another. It was more the shadow it cast as it flew overhead than the noise that alerted me, but I was impressed with its enormous wingspan, and pleased to discover its secret home.

Ali, All Grown Up

fanflower — Wed, 30 Apr 2008 04:10:45 +0000

I’ve spent days shedding a few happy tears while pouring over old photos and making edit after edit to finally get these just so. I would prefer they were all one video, but until I figure out how to stitch them together and still have them available online, five shorter ones will have to suffice.

It’s hard to believe that it’s been 18 years since you joined our family. Look at all you’ve accomplished in just a blink of an eye! As a memento for you, Ali, and for those in our family who can’t be with us in Texas as you graduate next month. . .

All the Things You Are

Technology continually improves and brings us new ways to get addicted to the Internet. I wish Animoto.com had been available when Joel and Jenna were graduating so I could have done something similar, but that doesn’t mean I can’t still do it. We’ve got an amazing family. We’re so proud of all of you.