Easter 2012

Well, it's Easter evening and I'm enjoying some quiet time after a busy weekend.  Here are highlights of this year's Easter Day:

• Sleeping relatively late for a holiday.  Brock made it to 7:15 !  
• Looking for Easter baskets.  There was mild grumbling that the Bunny did not hide the baskets very well (behind fish tank and inside the clothes dryer).  Maybe he/she will do better next year.
• Going to church.  Good music, and uneventful except for the mouse that Sasha saw scurrying under the pews heading toward the front of the church.  It didn't seem to bother anyone else such as the minister or organist - probably a good thing.
• Tulips!  Steve brought lovely red & yellow tulips, which were the centerpiece for the dinner table.  The colors are similar to the tulips in the photo above, which Steve shot at the 2011 Philadelphia Flower Show.
• Turkey dinner, at Brock's request.  It was my first roast turkey with stuffing that turned out REALLY well (!!)  I am quite proud, and happily acknowledge help from Steve - cleaning & chopping vegetables, cooking green beans, doing dishes, and general encouragement.  Sasha gets credit for mashing 3 bananas for the banana bread (1 additional banana was a casualty, as it fell on the floor).  And Brock gets credit for eating both a drumstick and wing, plus 2 green beans.  I am saving the recipes, mostly off the Internet, and hope to repeat in the future - just not too soon.
• Aside.... due to an unfortunate incident just before dinner in which Tiger knocked two of Brock's Lego Ninjago models off a table, Tiger was banished to the laundry room.  Luckily, Brock made repairs quickly.
• Our Easter egg hunt in the back yard (now that the trampoline is gone, there's lots more room).  Sasha packed plastic eggs & hid them, while Brock and Sterling went 'round finding them.  I have to say Sterling is the tallest egg hunter I've seen in many a year!  The yellow egg floating on top of the pool cover was very imaginative, Sasha.
• Watching Disney's Lilo & Stitch, a surprise from the Easter Bunny.  Was very relaxing and enjoyable to get re-acquainted with the characters, story line, and scenes from the Hawaiian island of Kauaʻi.  And nice to think that Grammie, Grandad, Aunt Julie and Mark are going to Hawaii this week!  

Here's to many more happy holidays.  As a bonus, I know you'll like the wonderful "Hawaiian Roller Coaster Ride" song written by Mark Kealiʻi Hoʻomalu.  He performs it with the Kamehameha Schools children's chorus:

Spring Fishing - The Best!

Spring is here, and opening day of trout season is 2 weeks away!!  In preparation, you Sasha are checking out your fishing equipment, tying flies, and practicing your technique for getting (very small) fish off the hook at the Frances Slocum Park turtle pond.  We are won't tell anyone that last weekend you also caught - and released - a rainbow trout in Frances Slocum lake.  Lucky you are 15 and still considered a "child" by PA Fish & Boat Commission standards!

Plus, yesterday we made our annual pilgrimage to Berks County.  First Steve took us a favorite spot - Renningers Antiques and Farmers Market in Kutztown.  Our conclusions; interesting to walk through, tasty baked goods, and the place smells of cured meat and old people.  Then after lunch at Red Robin, it was on to the main event - Cabela's!!  Sasha, you cheerfully picked out a myriad of fishing items, plus got a sweatshirt.  Steve found a nice red shirt, and provided dollar bills for tokens.  Brock was not so thrilled about Cabela's....  but used the tokens at the shooting gallery where he did a great job hitting targets, and got a sling shot anyway.

Today you've gone fishing with a friend, Griffin, whose family has a cabin at a local lake.  There never was a happier boy than our Sasha when getting ready for a fishing expedition.  I wish you many great experiences in the great outdoors with fishing rod in hand.

Last May I took you trout fishing to Harvey's Creek, near Hunlock Creek.  An absolutely beautiful spot, with good fishing "action".  These pictures bring back nice memories of a lovely afternoon with my very professional-looking fisherman:

By Special Request - Ed, Edd n Eddy

A few days ago, Brock and I were talking about the Cartoon Network.  Ed, Edd n Eddy has been one of your favorite shows on cable TV.  To my surprise, it was produced for over 10 years!  You can read more about it here  -->  Ed, Edd n Eddy Series

Brock suggested a posting about this cartoon, which is still showing in re-runs.  The animated characters (named Ed, Edd and Eddy... of course!) are very imaginative - in a bizarre way.  Brock loves their nicknames for each other e.g., Lumpy, Sockhead and Double D.  He likes their habit of fighting over jawbreakers.  And also laughs at Eddy's ongoing attempts to make money in any way possible.

But to fully appreciate the quirkiness of Ed, Edd n Eddy, you must see the way these boys run.  It's the oddest thing.... sort of a sideways in profile.  Brock helped find this YouTube video as a demonstration:



More to come about Cartoon Network shows in futures posts !

An American Spiritual

At church last Sunday, we sang a gospel hymn....  a bit unusual for a Presbyterian service!  Likely you will not be interested to read about the history of religious spirituals, rooted in slavery -->  Spiritual Music

Although I don't remember hearing "Jesus Walked This Lonesome Valley" before, I've been humming it to myself for a couple days.  Searching on YouTube, I discovered that famous singers have performed it including Elvis Presley, Woody Guthrie and the Carter Family.  Yes, I'm going to share boring choral music with you!!  Here is a (lovely) anthem based on the spiritual - sung by the choir of Hayes Barton Baptist Church in Raleigh, North Carolina.

The Philadelphia Flower Show

You guys know that last weekend I went to the Philadelphia Flower Show with Steve (yes, I realize it's "gay" to go see flowers).  We had a good time, and you might enjoy looking at photos he took over the weekend -->  NCFE Philadelphia Photos  Since I was missing you, I mailed you postcards that I found at a nearby shop.

Sasha's was of the Philadelphia Water Works, with Art Museum in background, something like this:

Brock's was of Rittenhouse Square, with kids floating sail boats in the fountain (unfortunately, no boats in this photo):

Expect we will spend a spring weekend visiting Grammie and Grandad sometime after Easter.  We're lucky we can spend time with family and do fun stuff in the city.

When You Were Little - Saturday Mornings

You boys are getting big now - especially you, Sasha, since you seem taller every time I see you.

It's always fun to tell "when you were little" stories.  So, here are some memories to share with you of typical Saturday mornings with younger Carroll boys.

• Eating Breakfast !  I liked to make yummy french toast and pancakes.  Or Dad would make specialties like bologna eggs.  Or sometimes you went over to Chef Grandma's house - she was a wonderful cook plus she let you eat in her TV room (yikes, the rug did get sticky!).
• Going to Fluffy's!  Avenue News, a favorite destination on Wyoming Ave, was a block away (where the "Village II Gold& Silversmith" jewelry store is now).  It was popular among the older crowd (interpretation = "old men") for coffee, snacks and good times chatting it up with the guys.  Lee and Sam Brosso were the owners, and usually one or both were around.  We referred to the place as "Fluffy's", since Lee's father Fluffy worked there most mornings when he was in good health (Fluffy was a retired barber and quite bald, but apparently had lots of hair as a younger man.)  The Avenue News sign advertised "novelties", and I would search in vain for items that could be considered novel.  Anyway, the two of you favored treats such as cookies, chips, candy, juice & chocolate milk.  
• Treks to Butler Street Park !  Sasha, you probably don't remember playing with Lenny who we see at church.  Brock, you still go to the park and played with Adam last fall when temperatures were conducive to playground time. 
• Visiting with Uncle George, Aunt Rebecca and Meow a few houses up Monument Ave.  We had pleasant times stopping in to say hello, getting drinks, and going through the Gerboc toy box.  Meow, Uncle Jason's grey kitty, was very friendly.  We got to see her both at the Gerboc residence and at the Carroll's, as she was well-known through the neighborhood.  Meow would climb up the dogwood tree by Aunt Pam's porch and walk over the roof to visit Wolfie outside Aunt Pam's kitchen window.  And she would climb up the walnut tree to our deck to check on Tiger...  unfortunately, Tiger did not like company so they ended up hissing and spitting at each other (luckily, separated by the sliding door off our dining area) until Meow got tired and slowly made her way back down to the garden.  

But my favorite memory of all is the Lilo & Stitch show which kicked off the ABC Kids Saturday morning line up.  At 9 a.m. every Saturday, we danced and sang through the theme song then watched the show.  Hope you remember too.....  and maybe you'll still get up and dance while you listen to the Lilo & Stitch Theme Song now!

Good Grammar Etc.

As a continuation on the theme of grammar....

Sasha and Brock, one of the things you've missed all your lives is a little "edjucation" on Saturday mornings. See now, way back in the '70's the kids' line-up included Schoolhouse Rock cartoons.  They were fun & informative.... you can read more about it here--> Schoolhouse Rock   For your enjoyment, here are my two favorites.

It's Conjunction Junction complete with trains & hobos:



Plus, I'm Just A Bill which is not about grammar at all:



Of course, other people have different favorites, as you can see from this NCFE Posting  -->  The best Schoolhouse Rock ever...

Sometime soon, I'll write about our Saturday mornings at home "when you were little".  I love you both very much!