Friday, November 30, 2012

Life Lately


A beautiful storm gave us eight and a half inches of snow:


So of course the boys had to get outside and enjoy it:


Shane's fancy hat:




Scott traveled around Europe and then came here for his Birthday:
(He was in Paris that morning and New York City that afternoon)

Bailey helped me make the cupcakes:


Bailey and I did a lot of crafting whilst she was here:


She wanted a box for her Daddy's birthday present, so we
watched a youtube video and learned to make origami boxes:


Then we (meaning I) made many, many boxes.
Those lovely presents hold cute little notes and drawings as
well as some erasers and rubber bands that Bailey found
in the craft room drawers. Look at that face--I would gladly
fold boxes all day with that little girl.


Bailey playing "copy-cat":


She made her headband out of a rubber band and some curling ribbon.
Love that pose!


One evening, we sent Scott and Nicole on a date and the girls hung out with us.
Bailey decided we were going to have a masquerade ball so she put on
Norah's dress and Norah put on her sparkly shoes and they danced
around the living room. 


Mmmm Thanksgiving Dinner:




We prepare and plan and cook for days and it's all over
in about an hour:


Some post-Thanksgiving story time with Uncle Sam:


Dad's birthday was on Thanksgiving this year so we feted him
with a big feast and then later we sang to him and he blew out
candles on his delicious Ferris Acres Ice Cream Pie.
I think Sam is thinking of a really good wish for his Dad.


After the holiday and hubbub were over and Scott and his family had 
headed for home, I found this little tea party set up in the living room.
Good times.

















Wednesday, November 28, 2012

Back to the City

Another meeting brought me back to the city. This time it was a morning appointment so I had some time during daylight hours to do a little wandering afterwards. This was one week after Superstorm Sandy. The trains and subways in midtown Manhattan were all up and running and things were pretty much back to normal.

Things are moving forward with this new opportunity. I am looking forward to this  adventure and will
fill you in when I can.

 But in the meantime enjoy some interesting sights I saw as I was looking for the Red Cross blood sucking site. Donations were way down after the storm and I wanted to do something to help.

Bright, eye-catching sculpture in the middle of 5th Avenue:

Quirky art:


Look at this little oasis in the middle of the hustle and bustle:


I stood and stared at each of these frescoes--so detailed


Oh, the MOMA. So modern. So artsy.



Beautiful:


This Art Deco subway post--sublime:


I made my way back to Grand Central Station for the train home.
I love the beautiful craftsmanship of that place. Something new
catches my eye each time I am there.




Saturday, November 24, 2012

Overheard

Sam to Shane:
"Leave the hatchet outside."

"Oh yeah, I forgot."

Just a bunch of rednecks livin' out here in Connecticut.

Wednesday, November 21, 2012

Giving Thanks

"And he who receiveth all things 
with thankfulness shall
 be made glorious; and the 
things of this earth shall be 
added unto him, even an 
hundred fold, yea more."
 Doctrine and Covenants 78:19

"Gratitude is not just the greatest of virtues, but the parent of all others."
Cicero


It's that time of year again--that brief moment when we slow down and count our blessings. I have expressed my opinion on the rush from Halloween to Christmas with barely an acknowledgement of blessings in past posts. So I just want to wish you and yours a blessed Thanksgiving. We definitely have much to be thankful for here at the Gale Homestead! We came through Superstorm Sandy with minimal distress and have had the opportunity to help those who are still suffering from the devastation. Seeing the destruction and the way people are barely subsisting in some of the worst areas is a reminder to take nothing for granted. 


Tuesday, November 13, 2012

Hello Snow!



The new view from my kitchen window...
snow.

Dad's beloved BYU Cougar sporting a snow coat.

Gunner plunged right in and enjoyed the sudden change of scenery
in his territory.

Eight and a half inches of snowfall overnight made
a beautiful Winter Wonderland.







Friday, November 9, 2012

Stormy Weather



The view from my window:
The beautiful Autumn leaves were stripped from most of the trees by
Hurricane Sandy
.
The view from inside:
Our emergency water supply and hand-washed dishes.
Our power was out for 5 days total.


Our generator supplied power to a select few outlets so
the boys adapted their waffle making. Gunner is
surprised to find the toaster on the floor.


We got off pretty easy--our tarps blew loose and one side of the wood pile blew over.
That was pretty much it.

Sam putting the wheels on a second generator we got near the end of
the week-long power outage.
Shane making use of the empty box.


Our hard-working wood stove kept us cozy and warm
through the storm.
As I always tell the kids: "A fire warms you twice--when you haul the wood to 
build the fire and again when you enjoy its heat." 

We got off pretty easy compared to those in New York City and New Jersey. It was inconvenient to be without power but we were well prepared and the gas stations in our area were open and had power restored pretty quickly. Andy and I both filled up our cars before the storm and Andy had several big gas containers at the ready for our generator. It's heart-breaking to see the devastation along the coastal areas. They are still without power and there is no water or sewer service. They wait in long lines for gas --and that's with gas rationing. The local news channels carry the real stories of the problems and the suffering still going on. Even those who thought they were prepared were caught off guard with how bad the storm was in those hardest hit areas.  It was ironic to see on the news a sign in the window of the FEMA office: "Closed Due to Weather"

Our stake is joining with other stakes in the region this weekend to help with clean up. We will be clearing out and disinfecting an apartment building. Most of the residents are elderly and single moms. I am grateful to be part of the church organization that helps and reminds us to be prepared. We have an emergency preparedness specialist who gets up every week in Sacrament Meeting and gives a spiritual thought and a practical preparedness tip. We were all encouraged to have generators and to store water and food. That same church organization gives us an organized and safe way to reach out and help those in need during and after the storm. 

Happy Birthday Scott!

 It has been awhile since I updated this little family scrapbook on the internet. I like to pop over here from time to time and look at our ...