Happy Birthday, Grandmother!

Today would be the birthday of my grandmother, Frances Bedell Richards. Though I never had the opportunity to meet this remarkable woman, I have had the honor of being raised by her daughter. My mother has told me countless stories of the grace, motivation, devotion, and wisdom of my grandmother. In each story I piece together more of the puzzle that's been spread throughout my life. You raised two amazing children and I sure hope that we grandchildren are making you proud!

It's to you, Grandmother, that I wish I very happy birthday today!

Beautiful Dawn

Yet another song by The Wailin' Jennys- Beautiful Dawn. This touches deeply today:

"Beautiful Dawn"

Take me to the breaking of a beautiful dawn
Take me to the place where we come from
Take me to the end so I can see the start
There's only one way to mend a broken heart

Take me to the place where I don't feel so small
Take me where I don't need to stand so tall
Take me to the edge so I can fall apart
There's only one way to mend a broken heart

Take me where love isn't up for sale
Take me where our hearts are not so frail
Take me where the fire still owns its spark
There's only one way to mend a broken heart

Teach me how to see when I close my eyes
Teach me to forgive and to apologize
Show me how to love in the darkest dark
There's only one way to mend a broken heart

Take me where the angels are close at hand
Take me where the ocean meets the sky and the land
Show me to the wisdom of the evening star
There's only one way to mend a broken heart

Take me to the place where I feel no shame
Take me where the courage doesn't need a name
Learning how to cry is the hardest part
There's only one way to mend a broken heart

Something more...

Isn't there more to life than this? I need something more. Something new, satisfying, exhilarating, or thrilling. Energy to do it.

The end.

Panera

Lately we have taken to packing up all of our stuff and heading to Panera Bread. It's a great place to eat, drink coffee, and hop on the free internet to get some work done. Well, today Jim is the only one drinking coffee because he can either still get to sleep after having a few cups OR he goes to bed much later than I am planning and therefore needs to have it to stay up. Anyhow, I enjoy our times in Panera.

We're productive, away from the many things that could be done at home (dog needs, sweeping, organizing, washing dishes, etc), and able to focus on the tasks at hand.

Sometimes I have fun, too.

Tonight I was not planning on getting a bunch of work done and I don't have a bunch of work to do! Jim did have a lot and wanted a few hours of blocked-out time to do so. So, I spent some time applying for a volunteer coaching position for U6 in Blacksburg (Which I know I already have... Yay!), emailing, checking facebook, eating the free pastry we had on our Panera card, and taking the above and bellow picture.

One Voice

My new favorite song, as introduced to me by my lovely sister. She stated that it is "Definite Pinery music," and this couldn't be more true! I look forward to singing it with her with our two voices this summer at our favorite location. Perhaps we'll make it to three voices with another family member chiming in...

Here are the lyrics. Check it out and listen to the Wailin' Jennys. They are beautiful women with beautiful voices.

One Voice

This is the sound of one voice
One spirit, one voice
The sound of one who makes a choice
This is the sound of one voice

This is the sound of voices two
The sound of me singing with you
Helping each other to make it through
This is the sound of voices two

This is the sound of voices three
Singing together in harmony
Surrendering to the mystery
This is the sound of voices three

This is the sound of all of us
Singing with love and the will to trust
Leave the rest behind it will turn to dust
This is the sound of all of us

This is the sound of one voice
One people, one voice
A song for every one of us
This is the sound of one voice
This is the sound of one voice

An Heirloom

This summer began the dividing of heirlooms from our grandparents. I didn't want to choose something that would be prized by other relatives, so I tried to think outside the box. Throughout my childhood I remember my grandpa spending hours sketching and drawing up plans for sundials, wood-burned signs and name plates, cutting up newspaper articles, and framing pictures at this table. He spent many an hour in the basement at this table. This was the table we'd walk by every time we entered their house through the basement.

When I asked about it, everyone decided it was available. So, my dad brought it down to us this summer when he came to visit. It also had some gems in the drawers, such as this coaster from 1969!

It was covered in glue and a vinyl cover. Jim has spent last weekend and a few days refurbishing it. Here it is, the finished product!

It's just beautiful. A true heirloom. I sit with my feet perched on the worn beams from where my grandpa's feet always rubbed. Surrounded by his love and remembering his love for exact details. I sit in soft memories and with a lump in my throat. I will always cherish this table.

Your legacy continues, Grandpa. This table will be the home to many projects!

Catch-up and Willem as Ajax

It's been a long while, I see! Where to begin?

2 weekends ago:

- We learned that Leif is a good biking partner. No, he does not ride the bike. He's amazing, but not THAT amazing. He likes to run next to the bike and, with the help of our gentle leader, does not make it a dangerous venture.

- I hiked to the Keffer Tree on the AT with Alia. It was a good time and now I know how to get to part of the AT around here :)

Last week:

- Two high schoolers from our area of MCPS were killed by a train while they were crossing the trestle near Elliston. Incredibly sad and hard week for some of our students and faculty.

- I had my second observation of three. It went well! I started our poetry unit. We finished folk tales last week and it was a BLAST to do our museum of Cinderella stories.

Last weekend:

- Friday we hopped in the car and drove to Richmond to meet friends at Capital Ale House. It was a good time and so nice to catch up with many old friends! I think the final count was 18! We need to have more reunions. But, I think there will be plenty of weddings this summer to take care of that.

- Saturday we spent the morning and afternoon studying and working in a building on U of R's campus with Phoebe. We then hopped in the car and headed to Newport News to meet my parents for dinner before Willem's show.

Now for what I want to talk about... haha.

Willem performed in Ajax, which was a unique experience and project. A professor at his school took the original Greek text and wrote a literal translation. It was then up to the cast to write their own lines and adapt the play to be set in modern-day Afghanistan. It was a remarkable collaboration.

Willem performed as Ajax and he had a stellar performance. From singing, to his amazing stage presence, to acting the part of a military leader, to being a loving man, to killing many and himself- he played the part SO well! I think I was most impressed with the singing. His voice sounded so natural, so mature, and so, well, brilliant. I have never heard him sing with such remarkable composure and skill. It was wonderful.

Though parts of the show were hard, it was wonderful to catch up with him after the show and see that he could leave the part and the stage. I will not go into any depth, but I will say that it was comforting. He seems so happy and so surrounded by friends and support. It did my heart a lot of good. I love him so.

Here are a few pictures of him for your enjoyment and for my memory :)

Superbowl 45- Go Steelers!

This will be short, as I am not a big football fan. But, let it be known that I did try to watch the game between the Steelers and the Packers!

First, I have had trouble finding a website that would stream the game live and for FREE! No, I do not want to purchase, as a one-time fee, the opportunity to have a channel for the whole year for the small price of $49.95!!!

Second, soon after trying to find a website and making dinner at the same time, Jim came home from buying supplies and in rearranging our upstairs, he unplugged the router and the modem. Meaning that we had to each spend time on the phone AGAIN with Belkin. This time I was not my nice, composed self. I let the poor girl have it.

Third, why is the Superbowl on a Sunday night, anyway!?!? Most of the country has to go to work or school the next day! I have never understood this and therefore have had trouble actually being part of it!

Nothing will top the Superbowl where we were able to watch the Saints win with die-hard fans and then travel to New Orleans the following week to shout "Who Dat?" with the best of them during Mardi Gras. That will forever be imprinted on me as a great game and moment in Louisiana.

For my family from Pittsburgh- GO STEELERS! Wish I could be watching the game with my Grandpa (90) and Grandma (85), aunt and uncle, cousin and family, and my dad, who drove all of the way up there to watch with his parents. It would be quite the ruckus!

From Blacksburg I will just have to imagine the screams and grunts, as I know each and every one that my dad can make. Countless nights of enthusiastic cheers echoing from the basement and into my bedroom have interestingly enough made me nostalgic for them tonight. Perhaps I shouldn't admit this to my dad. How many nights did I shout down the stairs that I was trying to sleep or had a test the next day? Yes, somehow I do miss it tonight.

Especially with his team playing.

Love you, Dad!

GOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO STEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEELERS!

Soup Soup

Tonight I made Potato-Broccoli Soup, at Jim's request, to ward off our colds and the winter chill. Upon finishing the meal I learned that my mom made the same meal tonight, after I sent her the recipe about a week ago. So, the same meal was had in Blacksburg and Paris tonight. It's like we're connected over the miles. Great minds think alike :)

Upon finishing the meal and now baking cookies, I remembered the John McCutcheon song about soup. I just heard it for the first time this year, but it is so catchy and fitting. I have trouble getting it out of my head or even wanting to get it out of my head, for that matter.

Enjoy and look it up to hear the melody, yourself!

Song credits:

words & music by John McCutcheon & Si Kahn

John: vocal and guitar
Michael Aharon: organ and synthesizer
Pete Kennedy: electric guitar
Bobby King: bass
Robert “Jos” Jospe: drums
Kevin Davis: percussion
Jon Carroll & JT Brown: harmony vocals

Get off the bus and I can see my breath
Air’s so cold that you could freeze to death
I turn up my collar and the wind starts to blowing
Sky turns gray and it starts to snowing
I put down my head, it’s only two blocks more
Make it to my house and the I open the door

It smells like winter at our house
Smells like winter at our house
Smells like winter at our house
Smells like soup

When my Dad was a kid in my Grandma’s home
She taught him how to start with an old soup bone
You put the onions, carrots, celery, and water in the pot
It only takes a little of whatever you’ve got
“There ain’t no way to hurry it,” my Grandma would remind
“Anything worth waiting for is gonna take time”

All day I hear it simmering in the pot
Sneak up to the lid, be careful it’s hot
Lift up the corner and I take a little sniff
Close my eyes and take a great big whiff
Go and get a tablespoon, to steal a little taste
I got a big soup smile all over my face

Bean soup, chicken soup with macaroni
Cream of broccoli, minestrone
Potato soup, tomato soup, chowder made of clam
Miso soup, mushroom soup, split pea with ham
Bouillon, scallion, tom kha ghai with lemongrass
Matzoth ball, chilibean, cream of asparagus

So it doesn’t even matter if the cold winds blow
If the rivers freeze and there’s three feet of snow
From my Dad and my Grandma it’s what I got
The put a whole lotta love in that old black pot
In my mind I see a little boy, a distant winter day
He’s standing at the door and I can hear him say

Happy Birthday, Grandma!

Yesterday was my grandma's birthday and I did not get a post up, though I did call her and send a card! It was a big birthday for her, as she turned 85 years old. No one can put into words my grandma as well as the words my mother wrote for her birthday on her blog:

Please check it out!

http://yearring.blogspot.com/2011/02/two-together.html?showComment=1296775529717#c1796415342377483116

Happy birthday, Marian Lucille Krumich!

You are so loved.

Happy birthday, Grandpa!

Easter Sunday

Baby Käthe and Grandpa

On our wedding day- 07-08-09

Grandpa

90 years ago today a boy was born in Solothurn, Switzerland.

At the age of 7 he ventured with his family to America and came through Ellis Island.

A lifetime of hard work,

drafting, sundials, tree-trimming, and gardening,

a loving wife of 67 years of marriage,

4 children,

7 grandchildren,

3 great-grandchildren,

3 hip replacements,

and a pacemaker later,

Grandpa is still going strong!

We love you, Walter Otto Krumich!