We started this journey in sunny Atlanta. It was chilly and cold, but no inclemency. We trekked the 10 hours in pre-holiday traffic, taking care to avoid accidents, getting stuck behind rubberneckers. Rubberneckers really suck carpet tacks. I don't get it. Curiosity fueled traffic jams--I mean WTF? I avert my eyes because I don't want to see hurt, blood, or mangled cars. Holiday dreams dashed … [Read more...]

Getting from Point A to Point B isn't usually a big deal. And usually the good folk at the weather desk have a clue as to what's up. Not this time.  This time, they were clearly hitting the wacky weed. When we left my parent's house, the weather outside was indeed frightful. It was sleeting and snowing but my Dad assured us that it would be warming and that we were clear to drive.  Because the … [Read more...]

Holy Faux Pas Through thick pea soup fog we rode to the little stone 1914 Episcopal church for Christmas service. Walker and I are not big church goers and I'm new to "Catholic lite." I clearly needed a cheat sheet to navigate these dangerous waters of coordinated religion. Just a bulleted list of differences and I needed practice to coordinate various reference materials. Some instances … [Read more...]

Tonight Patrick and Walker devised the menu and our wine choices were between Cabernet and Pinto (which is either horse meat or some obscure galloping wine branded in the Midwest. ) We were unclear as to our choices. We later learned that pinto was meant as Pinot. Lobster tail was on the menu. Patrick: is it a fish or a crab? Me: it's a crustacean. Patrick: it is pretty … [Read more...]

We are up in ol' Virginie for the Christmas reunion. Tonight we dined as a big family at Vito's Italian restaurant.  Then we returned home to my parents' circa 1886 federal home, with the addition of little cousins Patrick and Andrew, joining Walker.  The adults gathered in the bedroom to say prayers for the kids before they tucked it in for the night and it went like this: Dad led things off … [Read more...]