Just Us

Wednesday, November 4, 2015

Halloween

Maybe it's just me, but I think Halloween holds a special and ageless place in our hearts. Seeing trendy costumes in stores, buying candy to give out--but not just any candy--our favorite candy...and holding back a few pieces just for us, carving pumpkins and noticing the chill in the air takes us back to our own Halloween childhood memories.

We got a chance to share Halloween with Coleton and Anthony this year and we had a blast. Their school had a "walk around" where each class visited the other classes to show off their costumes and get candy (the "candy" was healthy stuff...there wasn't a bit of chocolate for miles of the school!) In the afternoon, they had a group party. It was fun. Anthony was a little Mickey Mouse and for school, Coleton was a race car driver. His "going out" costume was a big Mickey Mouse. They were so cute.

Tony and I were the official "candy-hander-outers" until Tony, Marie and the kids came back. After that, Coleton and I handed out more candy. At one point, after some older kids stopped by dressed as ghosts and scary things, Coleton said to me, "Momo, I'm scare of the monsters." Ah, a true "grandparent moment." I explained that they were just dressed up like he was. I asked him if he was really Mickey Mouse and he said, "no, it was just his costume." "That's right," I said, "and those scary kids aren't monsters, they are just kids wearing costumes."

I know he understood what I said, because the next "trick-or-treater" was a boy, about 8 years old, who came up dressed in a shark costume. His face was sticking out of the jaws of the shark. "Trick-or-treat," he said. To which Coleton replied, "You're not a shark, you're a boy in a shark." Yep, he got it.

While we were visiting, we took a train downtown to a place called ImaginOn, which is a terrific place for kids of all ages. It's three stories of fun. Ground level is for babies and toddlers. They have story time, books, toys, things to climb on and music. The second floor is for older kids and offers books, games and learning activities. The top floor has interactive computer games, maps and science activities. This place was a library on steroids!

All too soon it was time to come back and resume our routines. But, we brought Tyson with us for a few weeks while Tony, Marie and the kids are in Kansas City to see her brother's family. He's been pretty low key, but if you are in the market to invest, go with allergy stocks. I'm sneezing and stuffy, but not as bad as I have been other times he has been here. Thank God for antihistamines.

And so, experience our Halloween....get your kid back on!

Mr. Race Car checks with his crew chief (the earphone had car noises...very cool)

The Swegle Boys

Anthony, riding high in the "non-walking" buggy

Anthony says, "Hmmm, I'm glad I don't have blue hair."

This is Coleton telling a little boy in his class that he can't say "cheese" because it's HIS Papa who is taking the picture. Note to Coleton....everyone was saying cheese anytime they saw a camera...anybody's camera!

The Swegle's on the bus go round and round.....

Coleton and Marie touch their nose's and sing with the Song Lady at ImaginOn

Anthony sees Papa through a porthole

Anthony stretches and holds on!

"Hey, it's me..." he says

Tony, Coleton and me standing in a book

Big Mickey

Coleton and Ninja Friend, Evan

The Swegle's...dress for success!

Marie, Twee (Evan's Mom) and me watch the boys give out candy

Monday, October 26, 2015

Happening In Swegle-Land

When you live your life day-to-day, the events that fill it can go by relatively quietly and un-noticed. You follow your routine and operate pretty much on auto pilot. But when you look at those day-to-day event in pictures, it's different.

Looking at them makes you remember what you were doing and why and what made an impression on you. You see things that you may never see again.

I am posting our day-to-day life in pictures in no particular order. There's nothing dramatic, nothing hugely important--just us. Just things that caught our attention. Take a look--take a notice.

I am a sky fanatic. Tony looks up to see airplanes--I look up to see the beautiful sky. Look right above the darkness--do you see the figure highlighted with the sun behind it? it's like the image is in a frame. That's a one time sky.

This is the same general area at dusk. Same sky, different look.

Please don't tell me that animals don't think. They do. This is Dixie thinking about how she can get her next treat fix. She's trying the "sit pretty, look pretty," method. Since she just came back from her spa day, I think she is flaunting the fact that she looks better than I do!

Growth...strength, stability. This is Tony's palm tree. When it was planted, it was somewhat tall, but not as tall or as full as it is now. This tree has experienced hurricane related rain and wind, blistering heat, cool evenings, a variety of small animals using it as a home and dogs, peeing on the base. This tree shows our North Carolina roots.

We Swegle's take our cornhole very seriously!! This is Tony demonstrating his "I mean business and I'm going to win," technique!!

Some of us use the "no bra, tight pants" method to distract our opponent and win. (PS....it didn't work, I lost, big time!)

Fall means clambakes! Our most recent, and in my opinion, one of Tony's best. Clams, chicken, corn on the cob, carrots, potatoes. YUM! Unfortunately, mosquito's, too!

While Tony was getting the bake ready, our neighbors, and Dixie's Godparents, Stu and Jan, tried to surprise us for Halloween. Compass Pointe does a "We've Been Booed," thing where you can drop off a bag of candy to your friends. Jan and Stu took it a step further and put a Halloween wine glass in our bag!

And, of course, with the bake comes the wine. A beverage that we have shared over the years with friends and family, and each other.

Before we knew that Snapfish could provide us with beautiful finished products, in 2004, we made a family cookbook on the computer. Over the years, Tony has perfected many of the recipes. I hope our kids use this book and remember us.

Every woman wants to waft a pleasant smell when she walks in the room. When someone says, "wow, you smell good, what are you wearing?" it's a real high. I tend to find a fragrance and stick to it. For many years, I wore Georgio, in part, because I loved the smell, but also because it was pretty expensive back then and I felt like I could afford it. It was a "good for you," pat on the back from me, with the added benefit of a great smell. After that, I moved on to Obsession and more recently, Donna Karan's, Cashmere Mist. Now that I'm officially old, I'm wearing La Vie Est Belle....the perfume advertised by Julia Roberts...for "mature" women.

Told you I love the sky. Here is God racing to his next appointment...making it rain.

Southern living...enough said!!

Look for the turtle in the sky! Lower right, over the trees...another day is done.

We went to the aquarium and a professional photographer showed me how to put my camera lens right up to the glass to get an expressive picture. How fun that day was.

Who has more color--me or the bear? A walk after a busy day. This is my body language saying, "I'm pooped."

The beach is so much a part of us. We both love to be around water. I watched this dog run and jump for the Frisbee, in and near the water. To me, this is a canine ballet.

This is one of the inspirations for the shrimp boat picture that Tony did that hangs in our living room....we walked, we took pictures....

...and we stopped for wine. For whatever reason, my eyes look blue, not green. I'm wearing my favorite, Brighton necklace.

Tony, looking dapper...and thirsty...but cute, as always

The finished product....our own shrimp boat with Dixie cleverly peeking out of one of the windows! Notice the two pelicans on the dock and the three in the air....Tony, Me, Jenna, David and Tony. Cool, huh?

Different day, different hair. Over the years I've been a brunette, strawberry blonde, had black cherry hair and Big Bird yellow. I'm a struggle in identity.

This is sister-in-law, Donna, telling Tony what she thinks of him. This just proves that siblings reserve the right to go back in time and express themselves to each other!

Ah, Tony and his "other woman." He never changes...always cute and always a bitch magnet!

And so, there is our day-to day life in pictures. Thanks for walking down memory lane with me.

Friday, October 16, 2015

Movies, Malbec and Micky D

One of the good things about working part time is that we can do things during the week without competing with crowds. Now, some might argue that since we are "senior citizens" we have less of a chance of running into crowds because "seniors" eat dinner at 4:00 in the afternoon. Well, not us...but some.

Anyway, we went to see "The Intern," with Anne Hathaway and Robert DeNiro and then, last week, we saw "Martian" with Matt Damon.

"The Intern," is sort of a "beauty and the beast" story with Anne Hathaway being the beast. The happy part of the movie to me was demonstrating that senior citizens still have something to offer in a vibrant, fast paced business environment.

"Martian," on the other hand, was cool. Being lost on a different planet....being the only one on a different planet...it posed some interesting questions and solutions. Matt Damon was really good in this. He keeps a sense of humor, but you get the feeling that if he doesn't keep laughing, he will go crazy with the many possibilities of the of how and when he could die....and die alone. He uses his mind...his knowledge of his field to solve problems. He gambles. He's a space cowboy.

"The Intern," was not the "chick flick" I thought it was going to be, but "Martian," was not the "sci-fi" stranger than fiction, I was expecting, either. Both were good investments.

This week, we went to the City Club for their wine tasting event. It was disappointing. The presenter really didn't present, she just pointed out which wine we were drinking and then left the room. Not a problem for us, really, but not the wine presentation we are used to. Still, it was nice to be back at the City Club.

Before we went to the City Club, we went out to dinner. We got coupons from McDonalds in the mail and decided to use them. It was fun. After the City Club, we went to a new favorite wine bar, "The Tasting Room." It's a store in the front, a tasting area in the middle and a casual seating place outside in the back. We always manage to meet interesting people and have good conversations.

Recently, Dixie had her spa day and Tony is in Tampa to see David, Brenda and Betty. He is playing in a charity golf game on Saturday and hopes to be able to see his cousin, who suffered with a stroke, just to keep in touch. I am blissfully off of work until Tuesday.

Dixie has had to go back to Training 101....I just don't jump when she barks like Daddy does. She is quite frustrated with me. When I got home last night, I took her out, we played for a bit and then, I just wanted to watch the re-broadcast of Project Runway. Dixie had other ideas. She barked and barked. She jumped up on me, she tugged at me and I just sat there. I finally figured out she wanted to go to bed. I moved her food into our bedroom and turned on the fan. Away she went, happy as a clam, into her little bed and stayed there until 8:00 this morning. She has her routine and doesn't like to mess with it. Hmmm....maybe she is the senior citizen.

Tomorrow, it's cleaning, laundry and Dixie stuff...but not working!! Tony gets home on Monday and Dixie will be very happy to have him back. I just don't do things like he does.

Just back from the spa....very hot!!

OK, now she's laughing at me because I used to be the hottest bitch in the house!!

Sunday, October 4, 2015

What Did The Turkish Man Say To The Vietnamese Lady???

Actually, quite a bit.

We are used to Tony and Marie putting on events disguised as children's birthday parties for the boys, but the "event" for Anthony's first birthday party was not only watching him enjoy the smash cake, it was getting to know some new friends that live in the neighborhood, or whose children attend the same school as Coleton and Anthony.

The Turkish couple (she was from Raleigh) are expecting a baby in November. He is a mathematical engineer, she has just self published her first children's book. He has a Turkish name, in spelling and pronunciation, and I wish I could include it. All I remember was it had a lot of a's, e's, i's and o's in it. They were very nice.

The couple from Vietnam, Tony and Twee, have two boys, Evan and Issac, who are as American as the flag. Evan is 3, like Coleton. While they were tossing a football in the living room (really really close to lamps and burning candles,) I heard Evan say, "Coleton, I brought a present for Anthony's birthday." Coleton said, "You did?" To which Evan replied, "Yep." Coleton said, "Aw, thank you very much." It was a cute exchange for these little quarterbacks.

Marie's mom, Mona (originally from Lebanon) was there too, so we had quite the United Nations at the party.

Anthony has changed so much since we saw him in July at Coleton's party. In July, he was just perfecting his crawling technique. Yesterday, he was balancing on furniture and racing across the kitchen floor on his hands and knees. As always, he was Mr. Smiley. I don't think he was sure why we were there, but he sure did enjoy the smash cake.

We only stayed at the party for a short time. The hurricane in the Atlantic was churning up rain and winds so we left Dixie at home with Godparents, Stu and Jan, watching her and braved the elements. It was nice to stretch out in the car without our Princess jumping from my lap to Tony's.

Marie used the card game, UNO, as the birthday theme and had cards all over with pictures of Anthony. She is so creative. I guess when event planners marry, you attend events!

We have much coming up in the near future. Tony Sr. is going to Tampa to see David and Brenda and to play in a charity golf outing. In November, they are coming down here for Thanksgiving and David will be doing the cooking. I'll probably have to medicate Tony, as he is not used to people cooking in "his kitchen." I sure don't spend much time there!! After that, it will be another quick trip to Cleveland and viola, we are in 2016! Another fast year.

Tony continues to paint and has another President to add to our walls of fame. I continue to do my thing at the hospital, although, I must admit to be envious of Brittany, (Mrs.Turkish man,) when she talked about writing her book.

We had a really good time at Anthony's party and enjoyed meeting everyone.

Here are some highlights: