Not much going on - cold and rainy. (Not by ND standards, but cold enough!)

I snapped these photos last night of my "veggie-goulosh" - thought it looked nice and healthy!



Just some fresh broccoli, onions, green pepper and cilantro:




Stirred it all up, added bean sprouts, carrots, soy sauce and some powdered ginger (didn't have fresh ginger, but that would have been yummy!) I let the onions get quite well-done...it turned out very nicely. (Oh yeah, I added a little sweet-n-low powder - that worked nicely with the ginger...)

Believe it or not, I ate that entire dish by the end of the evening!

On the inside of our "Lifestyles" page in the News and Observer, I saw a familiar image:



You may recognize this as "WT Roundy's" store in New Hill. The caption reads "this now-closed farm supply store and gas station in New Hill...."

The last time I was thru there was a couple of years ago. We had been gone from New Hill for 10 years. I walked in and Jim (WT's son, I believe) was behind the counter. When he saw me, he came out from behind the counter and gave me a big hug! I was delighted! I would have never thought he would remember me after all those years. I was just going to say "hi - do you remember me" and buy a drink (Dr. Pepper, like Teresa and I used to do on the way to do grocery shopping at the now-long-gone Food Lion in "old" Apex) Oh well, I'm waxing nostalgic now!

I don't know how long it's been closed - but from the look of the gas price, it must be quite a while!

The times they are-a-changing!

2 posts in one day!!! I had to post this - we've been waiting since the early fall for this - Richard was accepted to Appalachian State!! Yippeee!




When I picked up the mail, I knew it was an acceptance - I figured that they don't send a big, thick package for a denial! I behaved myself and didn't open it. I taped it to the door so he would see it when he came home from school today. We were concerned that he wouldn't get in because Appalachian had been over-run with applications after their extraordinary football wins this fall. (Who really cares about football wins - apparently a bunch of people!!) Anyway, the admissions office was overwhelmed and just started sending notices out this week.

I got a "thanks mom" and a big hug - nice!

My amaryllis is finally blooming - I thought I'd better get a photo quick because I recall the bloom doesn't last too long. Lovely!

My sis posted that her Christmas cactus was confused - in N.D.

Well, my Christmas cactus - in N.C. - is also confused. these are two different plants - both starting to bloom beautifully....albeit a month late!

It's that time of year - absolutely nothing going on....I did take Sharon's advice and purchased a pair of Merrill shoes the other day. I've been complaining about a little case of "plantar fasciitis" (foot pain in the morning). Some good shoes should help get rid of it. I've had these for a few days and my feet do feel a little better already. I can feel the extra arch support when I walk. Gotta be ready for being barefoot in May for our BVI trip!!

Well, it "technically" snowed yesterday....not enough for sledding, but nice, anyway.

Now it's just cold! Looks like we'll have some winter weather for a while. Looking for spring!!

We're just waiting for the first significant snowfall in a couple of years!! A cold front is supposed to overtake a Gulf Coast moisture system - and produce about 3 inches of snow.....we'll see, since it's still 42 degrees....

Maybe I'll get some pretty photos of the snow......

Nothing much going on here - Robert is at Western Carolina with a few band buddies this weekend to play in a trumpet festival - hope his travel home is safe! (Grandma's trusty Subaru should keep him safe)

Here's the only photo I've snapped lately - my amaryllis is almost in bloom - I'll take another shot when it opens up.

We got back yesterday from our McCraw clan late-Christmas party at Pawley's Island S.C.
Sharon arranged for this house for the long weekend:

It's right on the beach, literally - the tide actually comes up under the house - no dunes.

It was quite comfortable - this is the upstairs "apartment" that we stayed in - really open and airy. It would be very neat to be down at this house for a week some summer.
It was very large - they advertised sleeping for 17, I think. I counted many more places that someone could sleep....lots of couches, porches, tables and chairs.
Here is the view off the back porch...this was about mid-tide...
This is approaching high tide. I'd hate to be there during a storm!!
Here is Robert and Callie trying to avoid having their photo taken....
Kevin, Debbie and Callie when we were opening Xmas presents
Granny opening a beautiful applique quilt that Sharon made for her - this photo definitely does not do it justice!
Cordy opening a gift...
Granny with a silly Boston Terrier handbag - it looks like their dog from years ago - Hillary. (Yes, the staunch Republicans named their dog after the then-first lady as a joke).
Walking on the beach - the weather was quite nice for January!

I was trying to be creative with the bird/reflection....the full size photo is kindof neat...
Tommy looking for seashells and birds...
And in true McCraw fashion, we got out a puzzle that was on a shelf at the house (there were dozens of puzzles - from 500 pieces to 5000) This one was just 500, but the pieces were small and almost identical shapes. We often put it together wrong - then had to "do-over" a section...
Here is the final product - to document our success....
We bravely started a new, 2500 piece puzzle - this one of a lovely snow-covered moutain/sky scene....

Oh well, just ran out of time!! Maybe next year!!

Sad news from Pittsboro - Princess, pictured here, is the lone dog now....Goldie, her litter-mate, had been deteriorating for several months. She didn't come home New Years Evening - and I knew she was gone then. I found her when I went for a walk Sunday morning to get the paper. It had been fairly chilly all that time and she just looked peaceful lying in the edge of the woods.

We picked up our "free puppies" in October of 1995, so that would make them about 12 1/2 years old. I was strangely emotional - I've always considered myself fairly detached from any animal. Duane and Robert came out and we dug a large hole - and quietly laid her to rest.....

Richard shot this hawk in our big pine tree - (remember that this tree is a really, really big diameter pine tree to give you some perspective) - a really cool, big bird. He took this shot from inside the house. He carefully opened the door, but the bird would have none of that!! Off he flew....



Forgot to post these photos earlier - this is a shot of our GPS on our way back from Tunica, Mississippi last Saturday. There was a forcast 56 knot TAILWIND ....turned out to be more like 60 knots... note the reading of groundspeed (GS) in the lower right corner. This was just normal level flight...according to Google, 193 knots = 222.100433 mph! Pretty cool. We actually saw 204 knots groundspeed, but we were in a little bit of a descent, so I don't think that's fair....



And finally, just a photo of my New Year's Day lucky dinner! Fresh collard greens, turnips from the McCraw's late garden, cornbread (I think it's the only non-vegan thing....) Yum - hope it works for the coming year!

My sister put this cute little link on her blog - see what kind of Christmas ornament you would be:

You Are a Snowflake

You live for the winter - blizzards, cold nights, snowball fights! The holidays are just a bonus!

What Christmas Ornament Are You?