Almost Christmas: November 2014

Sunday, November 30, 2014

Saturday, November 29, 2014

Got to borrow Janae for a couple of hours on Saturday and have lunch at Spider House. She was in town to spend the holidays with Finlay Scanlon, her roommate on the trip to Shanghai last summer. Janae, who's a sophomore this year, is applying to spend her junior year attending high school in Beijing. She's been studying Mandarin Chinese at her school in Phoenix and is already fluent enough to have gotten around Shanghai without an interpreter.

Turkey Day dessert time

It was so warm and sunny outside we decided to have our pie and coffee on the deck.

Stylin' Evelyn and Papa Tom!

Turkey Day 2014!

We had an easy, low key Thanksgiving dinner: smoked turkey from Costco, pies from HEB and Central Market, dressing from Kerbey Lane. Amon made two types of cranberry sauce: one with cranberries only, one with cranberries and blueberries. I made mashed potatoes and green bean casserole. Almost a disaster when I couldn't find the mixer beaters (tells you how infrequently I use them) but the VitaMix was prefect for whipping the potatoes. Whew!

Papa Tom fixed Grandma Evelyn's plate. Jade likes to tease Grandma Evelyn by calling her Grandma Elephant or Grandma Elevator.

Amon and Jade

Thanksgiving Eve

I wish the flash hadn't washed this photo out. You can barely make out "ORYGUN," on a Texas plate, with the Oregon Ducks license plate holder. I think someone misses their home state! We parked next to this SUV when we took Jade to see "Big Hero 6," a Disney animated film which I totally recommend. The film was playing at the very, very upscale IPIC theatre at the Domain. One of the seating options is a couch with your very own pillow and blanket. We chose "regular" seats, which were as wide and cushy as recliners.

Catching rainbows. We have a sun-powered prism in the kitchen window that turns and causes rainbows to fly around the room for a magical half hour or so in the afternoon. I used to tell Jade those were the rainbow fairies visiting us every afternoon. Sadly, she's outgrown that story, understanding that the prism divides the light. But I still think of the rainbows as fairies!

Jade helped Papa Tom repair the handrail out front.

Sunday, November 23, 2014

The November 26 birthday girls (plus Martin and me)

Happy Birthday to Sassy Sista Donna, born on Mom's 29th birthday. With Martin. This photo HAS to be from the 1980s. . . .

Picnicking, not sure where. Mom and me, around 1956, I think. Is that right? Mom? Dad?

Happy Birthday, Mom! Here are Mom and me, Galveston Beach, circa 1955. My best Joe Pesci impression!

Papa Tom reconnects with high school buddies at Dave's new house in Round Rock: November 22, 2014

Best buds from class of '69, Tascosa High School, Amarillo, Texas: Papa Tom, Pat, Bob, Dave, and Tim.

The guys check out photos of Pat's art. Pat and Dave spent Saturday at the East Austin Studio Tour, showing Pat's art to local gallery owners. Pat still lives in Amarillo; Bob lives in Dallas; Dave and Tim live in Austin.

Pat says people drop "parts" off at his house for him to create sculptures.

Photo of one of Pat's paintings.

Amon, Anjanette, and Jade: November 18, 2014

Amon, Jade, Anjanette, on their way out the door to ice skate at Northcross Mall. Jade put on her "sad" face for the picture.

Jade drew cat whiskers on her face to be "cat girl."

Mommy and Jade

Jade and Lizzie in the greenhouse: November 11, 2011

While Papa Tom and Amon constructed the greenhouse, Jade caught Lizzie peeking up between the floorboards. She played with Lizzie for a while, offered her some chips, and wanted Lizzie to lie down with her at naptime, but Amon convinced her to let Lizzie run around outside instead.

Sunday, November 16, 2014

Broadway Night at Midway High School: November 15, 2014

Emma, complete in flapper dress, long beads, and headband with feather, belted out "Forget About the Boy" in her solo from "Thoroughly Modern Millie" in one of the Broadway show tunes featured at Broadway Night by the Midway High School choir. Great performance, Emma! Afterwards, we had dinner at Fuji, a Japanese steakhouse.

The chef prepared dinner tableside, including stacking onion slices grilled from the inside out, volcano style.

Greenhouse to the rescue ahead of Tuesday's cold, cold weather: November 11, 2014

Tomato blossoms, before the freeze. Will the plants survive in the greenhouse? We'll know by next week.

Papa Tom dug up a basil plant to save in the greenhouse.

Filling up the greenhouse ahead of Tuesday night's very cold weather

Papa Tom filled the entire greenhouse, added a heater, and we crossed our fingers. Success! The heater kept the plants at a cozy 50 plus degrees while the outdoor temps dipped into the 30s.

Monday, November 10, 2014

Almost done!

Papa Tom and Amon worked hard on Monday, November 10, to get the greenhouse up before the cold arrives on Tuesday. Lows in the 30s expected by Tuesday night/Wednesday a.m. Well, okay, it IS November. The plants on the deck and patio should be snug in their new home before the North wind whistles through.

Esperanza blooms. Will the esperanza survive the cold?

Emma's Region Choir performance: November 8, 2014

Emma sang soprano in the Region VIII All-Region High School Mixed Choir, featuring performers from 28 schools. Emma competed for a position in the choir against older, more experienced students and earned a spot as a Soprano 1. The concert on Saturday, November 8, was held in the Jones Concert Hall in the Glennis McCrary Music Building on the Baylor University campus.

Relaxing after a long day! Choir rehearsal began at 7:30 a.m. Saturday, culminating in the performance at 5 p.m. Time to change clothes and hit Texas Roadhouse for dinner!

On the road to Austin: November 4-6, 2014

Yes! Autumn leaves in Virginia, West Virginia, Tennessee. . . .

Papa Tom, Beka, and bulldog Nash left NYC around 9 p.m. November 4 to avoid rush hour. Spent the first night in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania. On to Birmingham on November 5 and from Birmingham to Austin on November 6, arriving around 8:30 p.m. Managed to find a Texas Roadhouse in Vicksburg, I think. Beka and Scott are house hunting; they like a house two doors down from us. Would be great to have them as neighbors. Sadie (age 2) and Jade enjoy playing together.

New York City! November 4, 2014

The World Trade Center officially reopened on November 3, the day before Papa Tom arrived in Manhattan to help Beka move back to Austin. The structure reaches 1776 feet to commemorate, in part, our nation's founding in 1776 on the tenets of liberty, justice, and equality.