Grandparents' Day at Lucy's school

Papa realizes more and more why he retired! Now he can go to Grandparents' Day at everybody's school!

Lucy's job on this particular day was scientist.

She spotted both sets of grandparents.

It was wonderful to see her interacting with both teachers and classmates. Jenny visited many schools in Little Rock well before they moved to town. I believe that her "due diligence" paid off because Lucy is very happy at her new school and the people at her new school seem to be very happy with her!

State Championship bling!

My boys with the Wildcats' back-to-back state championship trophies! (Notice Jimmy's rings!)



Tanya's pendant, made to resemble the coaches' rings

Jimmy's rings - the most recent is on the left

Lanier Elizabeth Fussell - overall 5th grade science fair winner!

Lanie Beth was the top prize winner in the recent science fair at Pulaski Heights Elementary!
Her problem had something to do with a pendulum but I have no clue what! CONGRATULATIONS, Lanie B.!!!

Visit to Hawaii, Volume 10

These two pictures belong in my last entry but they were determined to download sideways unless I used Picassa and I had already written lots using the blogger "new post" feature. I wanted you to see both how handsome Tom looked in his lei from Jane and the whale skeleton at the Bishop Museum!

On Thursday morning, we packed, washed sheets, said our phone good byes with Jane and Barbara, and Tom and Daddy continued their backgammon marathon. I tried several times but never did get a good picture of them as they played out on the 'breakfast lanai". Every time they are together they play BG until well into the night. If we are travelling, the BG board goes with us! I think Tommy ended up winning this time but only because Daddy suggested we return to the apartment after we finished lunch and before we went to the airport. I think they were tied before then - and that is amazing because they play hundreds of games!

Our trip home was blessedly uneventful! Flights were on time; layovers were long enough but not too long; the shuttle dropped us at our car - and we stayed awake all the way back to Sunny Brook Lane!!!!

Visit to Hawaii, Volume 9

Wednesday, February 15, was a very busy day - and it was planned to be that way. New carpeting was scheduled to be installed in the hallway of the 19th floor and tenants either had to be away from their apartment from 9 until 5 or be prepared to stay inside all day.

After getting so excited as we whale watched from the lanai on Sunday, we decided to take a whale watching excursion on the Star of Honolulu Wednesday morning. BIG mistake for me! I got sooooo seasick! Tom had a great time - but I know it would have been even more fun for him if he had not had to worry about his green wife! Daddy was with us too, and I think he had an OK time, but it was kind of old hat for him and it was pretty rough. Keeping your footing was more of a challenge than he had bargained for! Naturally, I did not think to hand my camera over to Tom so we don't have any pictures of the whales, who cooperated beautifully, even if the ocean they live in did not!

After we were back on dry land, we drove to Hawaii Kai to meet Jane for lunch. Usually Friday is the day for Dad and Jane's lunch date but, since Tom, Jane, and I were all scheduled to fly out on Thursday, we grabbed the lunch excuse for a little more time together. (Because of the situation in Oregon, Jane did not get to make her trip.) Jane brought us beautiful leis and, of course, the sisters cried.

That afternoon we went to the Bishop Museum. It is a fascinating place but I was distracted and didn't get as much from it as usual. For one thing, I was texting back and forth with the cuties in Oregon as I attempted to offer comfort and they responded with touching gratefulness. Another problem was that I had burned my arm pretty impressively on Tuesday evening and I kept making it bleed by banging it on arm rests and other obstructions!

On Wednesday night, Barbara came over to say "good bye" for this trip. She is not nearly as emotional as Jane and I are but it was still a tough parting.

Visit to Hawaii, Volume 8, Chapter 3

On Tuesday evening, after dinner, Tommy, Daddy, Barbara, and I were enjoying each other's company at 1901. Barb decided to call Jane to discuss packing up the print that Jane was going to take with her to Oregon in two days. Barb doesn't even get a sentence out of her mouth when her expression becomes horrified, worried, and confused. She hangs up the phone, gets to her feet, and heads for the door, calling over her shoulder that something has gone horribly wrong and she needs to call Jane again from her apartment. The three of us sit dazed in our chairs as we wait for her return. Her report upon arrival leaves us all shaken and feeling completely helpless. Jane has heard from Jed and Kim that Kim has had an MRI on her spine and lesions have been discovered there, as well as spots in one breast and one lymph node. (I have not given Jed and Kim - and their precious baby girls - the attention they deserve in this blog because of his job. I had written and posted a narrative with photos in sections in June when we met him in New Orleans. He, very reluctantly, had to call and ask me to remove it. I am hoping that, since I have attached no last name for them, it is OK to mention them here.) The doctor anticipated the worst possible scenario.

I will go ahead and tell you immediately that Kim has had biopsies on the spots found in her breast and lymph node - BENIGN - and a later one on the spinal lesions - BENIGN!!!! We are so grateful and joyful! The question of what the lesions are, if they are not cancer, has not been anwered yet but we are hopeful that the diagnosis will be one much less frightening than the one we were expecting.

Visit to Hawaii, Volume 8, Chapter 2

After visiting the Pali, we decided to eat lunch at La Mariana Sailing Club. Again, I will resort to copying from another source. LMSC's website has this to say:

Like an island oasis lays nestled within in the middle of the sea waiting to be discovered, La Mariana Sailing Club quietly rests, nestled along side Keehi Lagoon awaiting your arrival. Built in 1957 by Annette and Johnny Campbell as an affordable sailing club and marina, La Mariana Sailing Club has evolved into a 110 slip marina that hosts the last remaining orginal tiki bar and restaurant in Honolulu, Hawaii.

I will post pictures of my dates for lunch.