Life in the Bristolwood

Uh oh! I took so many photos going to my hometown of Jamestown, New York, that I decided to break this up into two separate blog entries!

We had planned to visit my parents and brother, Randy, the day after Christmas to celebrate.  It was not to be, though, as my mother caught a terrible cold that really hit hard!  I spoke to her every few days and she would tell me about the severe cough that seemed to linger, making life miserable and very tiring.  Thankfully, she began feeling much better the end of last week and the coughing was diminishing! (and becoming less “deep”)

We planned  our trip for yesterday and we couldn’t have asked for a better travel day!  It was a cold start…0 degrees. (F) As the day progressed, the temperature did warm up, but it was interesting watching the frost on the trees thicken as we headed into the higher elevations, then disappearing in the valleys!

I took a few photos as we got closer and closer to our destination. These are the places that I frequented in earlier days and I love.  This feels most like “home” to me….

Now,for a disturbing sign…..the first time I saw this billboard, I truly thought I dreamed it up!  I mean, it is soooooo graphic!  If I were a smoker and ever needed a good reason to quit, I think this sign might just be the ticket.  Every time I see it anymore, my eyes ache!

And from the strikingly graphic sign to one of the most picturesque farms I have ever seen…..

You must forgive the fact that all these photos were taken out the truck windows as there are signs all along the highway warning of “no stopping except for emergencies”.  I have taken so many photos of those barns out the windows with no success, but yesterday’s brilliant sky was the perfect backdrop and somehow, the photo wasn’t too bad!  Perhaps one of the reasons I am so attracted to this farm is the lovely yellow color, which is certainly a diversion from the typical “barn red”!

As we drove closer to Jamestown,  we could see a little change in the scenery…all of the pine trees looked like they belonged in a scene with a life-size Gingerbread House! They certainly had the “frosting”,  after all!

You can also see that the snow is definitely increasing in volume on the ground!  We finally reached our exit off the highway and I was so happy to be getting closer!  There was, however, one little side trip we had planned….

Now, if you have read here for any amount of time, you will realize that I find cemeteries not to be dreadful, scary places, but rather, some very attractive and beautifully peaceful spots to find remarkable photo ops!  I had seen some photos posted by a friend on Facebook that showed Lucille Ball’s grave marker.  I had wanted to visit there last fall, but we  never found the time.  I am so glad we didn’t, as the Lakeview Cemetery was amazing dressed in its snowy shroud!  I could have wandered about here for hours, but we needed to hurry a bit, as we were on our way to visit! So, for anyone who has laughed themself silly watching the I Love Lucy Show, the small town of Jamestown is very proud to hail as Lucy’s hometown!

The roads in the cemetery were plowed very narrowly and  don’t think I would have wanted to enter without four wheel drive! I had my little netbook propped in front of me with some very vague hints on how to find Lucille’s grave.  We drove right past it the first pass, but Mark said we should try once again.  Since the roads were so narrow, Mark needed to complete going around a loop because there was no turnaround and the snow was probably at least two feet deep! Oh, and by the way, this is a huge cemetery!

The above marker belongs to James Prendergast. He wa the founder of the city, thus the name, “Jamestown”!  I wish I would have photographed the writing on the front, as I cannot read it!

We also passed some other beautiful markers…..The Lady in Glass is a most awesome tribute!  There have been so many stories about this particular grave, but the bottom line is that the young lady’s father basically had the beautiful sculpture made to honor his daughter….

The grave is also beautifully landscaped with shrubbery around it, but the bushes were literally buried!

We made our way back up to the entrance and turned around, reentering the cemetery and Mark drove very slowly as I read the intstructions again.  We found the “Highland Section” and I got out of the truck and began looking….I was wearing a pair of very short boots and the snow came up above  my knees!  I counted the markers to the right, hoping I was aiming the right way.  When I saw this,  I knew I had found it!

This is a family plot,  listing Lucy’s father (Henry, of Scottish descent),  mother,  (Desiree),  Lucy, and her brother, Fred.

Under Lucy’s name is the  inscription, You’ve Come Home.

It was only after I had found the marker that I discovered a worn little path where others had visited Lucy’s grave!

Lucy was born in Jamestown but left as a tiny little girl. I read on the internet that she wanted to be buried in California, and was when she passed away.  In 2002, however, her children had her reinterred in the Lakeview Cemetery in Jamestown.  I was surprised that the grave marker wasn’t more elaborate, but it is much “fancier” than most modern markers.  The plot is located in an old section of the cemetery.

We made our way back out and were on our way to visit my family. 

We turned and headed south down Main Street….

Along the way, we passed S.G. Love Elementery School.  This is where I attended from Kindergarten through second grade….

We arrived and had a wonderful visit!  There is nothing as satisfying as visiting family and my mother fixed the most delicious meal!  We all ate until we thought we would burst!  

I will continue with my hometown visit in my next entry! 

was that I would try to post an entry each day here on my blog.

Phooey! I have no photos today! 

The kids and I went out early this  morning to deal with the snow so Mark could plow with the ATV.  While shoveling,  I must have pulled something in my back, or twisted funny, as my back grumbled a great deal the rest of the day.

I was able to find another fun activity, though…..namely, going through what seems like zillions of receipts for items bought this year. I checked them with the statements issued by the credit card company, as well as our bank statements.  I worked on these until I thought my eyeballs would spin out of their sockets.  I had just leaned back and thought how comforting my bed would be when Ben came to the rescue, offering to further help me.  We worked together for a couple more hours, sorting and filing until we both vowed we were going to open the window and just let them sail away in the bitter winds~

I also made some hot dog buns today.  I had bought some Kosher hotdogs that I like, but they are incredibly large.  No matter what kind of buns I have bought, they always seem to come up short.  So,  I actually made the buns from scratch, even kneading them by hand!  I made up a batch of eight, and when I removed them from the oven,  Ben and Michelle were both razzle-bedazzled by their beautiful golden color.  I made eight and we each had one.  Ben and Michelle said they were good, but Mark didn’t comment….he had spent some time in the garage today, working on a wood project with Michelle.  I had made a fire in the little Jotul out there so they were relatively warm,  but they both came in and went almost immediately to bed!

The weather is the big news here….seems snow is in the forecast….over and over! Hopefully, my back will straighten back out by tomorrow! As an aside, we only got about 6 inches of the fluff, whereas my parents saw nearly 36 inches! How I miss living in the snowbelt….

Better late than never, rght?

We celebrated this morning and opened gifts around the Christmas tree.  I think everyone was pleased with the goodies they received. 

We all puttered around until the afternoon when Mark decided we would have a non-traditional dinner of takeout Chinese! I was right there with him on this one as I just didn’t feel like cooking today!  Mark called around until he found a Chinese restaurant open in Geneva.

We drove out and picked up our food, then drove home and ate.  It was a nice diversion and much appreciated!

Once again, Merry Christmas to all my friends and readers here at the Bristolwood!!!

Have you noticed everywhere you go, people are wishing everyone “Happy Holidays!” instead of Merry Christmas?  Yeah, I know….don’t get your knickers in a knot…right?  It is just that it seems with every year that passes, Jesus is becoming less and less the center of the celebration. I guess the name of Christ is just so offensive, no one wants to utter it.

And, speaking of Jesus.  Well, when my father-in-law passed away,  we inherited his nativity set.  The nativity is beautiful but it takes up a good bit of real estate.  When one lives in a small house, it is hard to find empty flat surfaces to place such things.  This year, I found a cool solution when I really wasn’t looking!

I love this nativity! Yay! Takes up little space AND as an added bonus, it adds the element of fire!!! Yes, there is a place for a votive candle in a cup in the center.  This makes the fire gently wash upon the faces of the wise men, angel, and shepherds.  It really is pretty.

You might wonder where I have been and to tell the truth, no where in particular!  I have just been busy.  The other day, we took Michelle to school and dropped her off.  We then headed to Rochester.  On the way to Canandaigua, the skies were so pretty.  They looked like watercolor paintings.  Sorry about the smudges….those are Scottie snuzzles on the glass!

Michelle has completed her first semester of college and I am pleased to say she has done very well.  It is always a bit of a relief, as a homechooling family,  to get a good report from school.  Michelle will have her final grades the day after Christmas, but she is sure she has made the dean’s list.   She was excused from the final test in one class, as her average exceeded 100%. 

On Monday, I had to visit the dentist for three (argh!) fillings.  The dentist gave me two shots of novacaine in the upper front and then proceded to work on a small cavity on the bottom. When I nearly jumped out of the chair, he gave me one more shot.  I have a tendency to close my eyes and look as though I have stopped breathing, causing both the dentist and hygenist to keep questioning whether I am okay!  Of course I am….I am just *trying* to relax.  By the time I reached the receptionist,  I was so numb in the face,  I could barely talk!  The dentist came up behind me and massaged my neck. They all laughed,  saying he should have relaxed me BEFORE I got the work done!  Ah well….I smiled and told him “Another dental visit survived”!

Now, why I took the camera with me to the dentist is beyond me,  but when I came home,  there was a pileated woodpecker right behind the house.  These birds are so flighty, it is impossible to ever get a photo.  This time, the bird stayed put for awhile, but  I only had a short lens on the camera.  If you click twice to enlarge the photo, you can see the bird right in the center of the photo.

Ah, one more story about the shopping trip… As I awaited Mark and Ben to pick me up at Sam’s,  I heard an elderly woman ask one of the guys gathering carts for help unloading the heavy items in her cart.  Unfortunately, the wind was blowing and the guy didn’t hear.  I pushed my cart over and told her I could put her heavy items in the trunk for her.  She was glad for the help and told me about how her son and daughter-in-law were flying out today to China to pick up a little girl with Cerebral Palsy that they are going to adopt.  They have four children of their own, but wanted another child. She also told me her granddaughter had been accepted into the pre-med program in Syracuse.  She confided she was so excited….and so blessed, this year!  As I finished up,  she grabbed me and gave me a huge hug….

Don’t you wish everyday was Christmas?

Yes, tomorrow is Thanksgiving Day here in the US of A!  I am so excited because this means we will be traveling to the home of my parents for the big day!  We haven’t done this in a while, so it is going to be a real treat.  AND, Mom, bless her heart, is doing ALL of the cooking and baking!  Yay!!!

I truly am thankful for each and every one of you who has read my babbling…I really love blogging, but I imagine sometimes my mundane posts are painfully tedious!  And so, for you,  I am so grateful. You have encouraged me when I thought about giving up writing my oft silly posts!

You have no idea the anticipation of this morning….A couple of days ago, Mark and I sat at his desk and ordered a new Nikon D-90 camera, as well as an incredible lens.  I fluttered about the house,  whining and wondering how long I would need to wait for the box to arrive! 

The friendly Fed Ex guy came to the door with Angus announcing his arrival.  I floated into the house, box of goodies snuggled in my arms!  I am so happy!  And now, you poor thing,  you must bear with my photos taken today.  These photos were taken in Penn Yan, as the kids were there late this afternoon to visit with Jonathan, who came home for the Thanksgiving holiday.

The town of Penn Yan is situated on Keuka Lake, one of the Finger Lakes.  Penn Yan has an awesome trail called the Outlet Trail which runs along the outlet of the lake.  It really is a pretty little walk, but we arrived late in the day, after 4 pm.  I really was hoping to get some photos, but my hopes dwindled as the cloudy skies were darkening as the minutes ticked off.

Mark nudged me to walk along the trail, parking at a little public park along the trail.  I got out and began walking…I love walking so much.  As I walked,  I began using my new camera and was surprised at the results.  These were all taken in Auto mode with the camera set up just as it arrived at our door!

As I wandered along the trail,  I noticed what looked very much like a little rabbit hutch tucked into the brush.  I couldn’t figure out why someone would have discarded it there, nor why it hadn’t been removed by the town.  I do think I might have met up with its two inhabitants, though as I walked the trail.

Yeah, cute kitty, isn’t it?  Gads, the thing was gallopping toward me full bore! I saw another kitty a short time later pawing through a pile of leaves.  When I tried to take their photos, the wild felines appeared as though struck by lightening and one actually limbed up a small cliff. Not friendly.  Not at all!

I contemplated walking out on the railroad bridge, but the ties were so rotted, my smallish foot kept wanting to retreat into one of the open cracks.  I certainly was not wanting myself,  or my brand new camera, to make a splash!

Since the Birkett Mills is an integral part of this town,  I was happy to capture a few interesting shots of the huge yellow building….

I love the bridge with graceful arches.  As I walked closer and closer,  the noise was increasingly louder.  There must be turbines or some sort of machinery for the mill located there.  The water went from glass smooth to vicious whitewater while passing under the bridge!

I walked back to the truck and took a slight detour because I thought a mirage lie in front of me….all of our trees are stark naked. Not this one.

Mark and I decided to visit the little town to see if anything might want to be photographed.

I love the streetlamps decorated with small simple snowflakes.

We picked the kids up at 7:30 and headed home as we have an early day ahead tomorrow.  As I stepped out of the truck,  I decided to try a handheld shot of the moon and clouds.

I am so thrilled with the new camera. I cannot WAIT until tomorrow!

Well, probably not.  That’s okay.  Life has just been so busy lately.  It seems like I am in constant motion and getting very little done.  Forget about my hibernation theory,  cause I am sure it just isn’t gonna happen.  Not any time soon!

Michelle wanted to have a birthday party,  but she wanted to do it when all of her friends would be able to make it.  She decided on a Sunday afternoon and tomorrow is the day.  She chose to keep it small, and have a dinner party.  The fare for the party will be my version of spinoccoli;  that was Michelle’s personal request.   We worked this morning, making up some 20 servings.  Now, all I need to make tomorrow is the alfredo sauce, which is easy enough. 

The past couple of days have been spent running around….trying to get some loose ends sewn up.

This afternoon, we went out to Victor…I had three stops and Mark had a return to Home Depot.  WOW!  All of the stores are located near the mall and to anyone observing, it looked as though the Christmas shopping season has officially begun!  The parking lot was wall-to-wall vehicles and Mark had to drop me off and cruise around the lot! If it is this bad now,  I cannot imagine  the weekends until Christmas!

My camera has been gathering dust lately.  Both cameras, actually!  Responsibilities keep calling out my name!  Which leads me to believe….perhaps I shall CHANGE my name!!!!  Bah HUMBUG!

My friend Terri offered a challenge to her Facebook friends.  Here in the US, we celebrate Thanksgiving Day on  the fourth Thursday in the month of November.  This year,  it will be on the 26th. Terri suggested each day until Thanksgiving,  we write something for which we are thankful.

I love Terri’s suggestion, and thought I would try to write a blog post each day,  naming something for which I am thankful.  We are all so blessed in more ways than we can even imagine, and I thought it might be fun to add a photo as well! 

Today,  I am thankful for each day I am given.  This daywas an exceptionally beautiful day, even with quite a chill in the air!  When I took the Scotties out this morning, we were greeted by a world shrouded in a heavy frost.  In looking up into the sky,  the stars were magical!  Each was so pronounced and  just almost took my breath away!

This evening, as the sun set over the hills to the west,  the pastel watercolors splashed against the canvas were nothing less than incredible!

Thank you, Lord, for this day and each day we are given!

Psalm 118:26   This is the day that the Lord has made; we shall rejoice and be glad in it.

Wait a minute!

That should read dog on it.

Huh?

Let me explain.  Or, better yet…..

Mark wanted to check for a certain vent at Home Depot this afternoon.  We pulled into the parking lot and Ben offered to run inside the store to see if the vent was even available.  Being a relatively warm day, Mark rolled the windows down.

Since Ben had been sitting in the front seat of the truck,  I was seated in the back with Murphy on my lap, reading. (okay, so *I* was reading, not the wee Scot!)  I immediately looked up, as did Angus, when we heard a mournful mix of barking and howling!  Murphy could have cared less what was happening,  but as I looked,  I immediately grabbed my camera!  I had never seen anything like this before!

Apparently, the owner of this dog left the cur in the back of the pickup while shopping.  The poor dog, totally disenchanted,  got on his/ her “soapbox” to air the frustration of being left behind!  In all honesty, while this whole scene was rather humorous,  I was also frustrated, as I hate seeing a pet left alone like that.  If the dog would have jumped out of the pickup,  it would have been terribly dangerous, as the parking lot was very busy and the dog would risk being run over or causing an accident.

The poor dog howled and barked on for at least another 15 minutes. 

The sad part is that the pickup had a backseat, where the dog could have waited (perhaps a bit less anxiously).

Today was Mark’s birthday, so we went up to Rochester after dropping Michelle at school.  We shopped around a bit and just enjoyed a rather relaxing and non-structured day!

For those of you who find my hibernation hard to imagine,  I must tell you….as soon as the sun goes down at night,  I am in “relax” mode! I really do love the short days, as I find more time to sit still!!! Hopefully, this will give me more time to blog as well!

NOT to London to visit the Queen!

NOT taking photographs.

NOT tidying and cleaning the house.

No, no, no!

Instead,  I have been spending time running to and from Canandaigua to take Michelle to classes and pick her up.  I have also been spending a good deal of time outside,  doing odd jobs that need to be done.  Today, I spent a few hours in the woods cutting firewood.  Yes, we are behind in getting in our firewood for the winter.  I tend to think we have more than 14 cords, which would fill our woodshed to capacity, but Mark begs to differ.  Time (and gathering what is already cut)  will tell.  Mark always thinks we have less than we really do!

I do have a little story to tell about Michelle.  She is taking a business course in which the professor divides the kids into groups.  Michelle was in a group with another girl and two guys. The girl dropped out of the course (or so Michelle thought) so Michelle and the two guys would have to do a “case study” regarding a business, researching and writing a paper answering specific questions.  Michelle volunteered to put the paper together and edit it for her group.

Michelle showed me her paper last weekend and I gave her a few ideas to “polish” it up,  but they were very small things.  Michelle went to class a few days later and the professor said there was one paper that received a “10″ (best score), but one paper that was very “outstanding”.  Michelle and the class watched as the said paper was placed on the ovehead.  As the professor began reading, Michelle couldn’t believe it….it was the paper she edited for her group! Way to go, Michelle!!!!

Today, she saw the girl who dropped out of the class, but she explained she merely switched classes because she was having a hard time with attending everything that day.  She told Michelle the professor showed her new class the same “outstanding” paper.  Michelle was shocked, but quite pleased!

The weekend is around the corner and the Naples Grape Festival is once again rolling around.  Michelle is going down to help Cindy tomorrow and she is excited about the festival. 

Ben has been helping me with th firewood and Mark is teaching him about using a chainsaw.  He is anxious to cut firewood, but Mark wants him to be familiar with safe usage before he cuts. 

I do have a few photos that I need to show, but I am so tired, I am sitting in a heap on the couch!  I was so tired today that when we went to Canandaigua to pick Michelle up,  I completely forgot to even grab a camera! That is pretty tired!

I am too tired to talk.

To post.

To upload photos.

Must be your (very) lucky day!!!!

I shall return.

Tomorrow!  G’nite!