Post Thanksgiving Gratitude

Well, Thanksgiving is over and, as usual, I took almost no pictures. After a good start photographing the holiday table (note the thanksgiving messages - a tradition we started last year)

and getting a quick snap of Marianna




and one of Jamie peeling potatoes,



the camera was set down and forgotten. I've always had a sense of the photographer being separated from the holiday fun, so I don't really mind being the absent-minded shooter. It demonstrates that I'm totally present to all the fun of the holiday and the little people who are such a joy to be with.

While we were enjoying Thanksgiving in Woodstock, Ray and Jessie were in Chicago celebrating Chris's graduation from basic school on the 26th, another good reason to give thanks. He will be off soon on a new assignment, but according to Jessie the Navy prefers correspondents not to say where so I'll just say he will definitely be enjoying a seafaring adventure at some point in the future. Good luck, Christopher! You look great in your uniform, sailor. I'll post a few pictures when I get them in a format I can copy.

A Fun Weekend, but No Pictures

Dave and Jes and their family were out for the weekend and we had a great time, but I was so busy having fun I forgot to get out my camera and snap pictures. Darn! So I'll just have to improvise. It was really frigid -- with a high below freezing but Matthew (2) still wanted to run around without his coat. Mean old Gramma told him if he took off his coat again I was taking him inside, a fate worse than death: in the house and with Gramma to boot. Yikes! The kids raked up a big pile of leaves and jumped in them, also jumped in the leaves in our little creek which fortunately was dry. No matter how cold it is they love to be outside playing on our little playground with a trampoline, swings, teeter-totter, and jungle gym.

Rachel is my crafty girl. So after cups of hot chocolate with marshmallows to take the freeze off we pulled out a piece of foam board and drew a Christmas tree on it. Then we cut up old Christmas cards to make a giant Advent calendar with a different picture for every day until Christmas eve. The last two were the star of Bethlehem and a beautiful Nativity scene. That was fun.

Jamie and Jonathan came over with Marianna and the two little pooches which the kids love. The four young adults played euchre, Jes made a big pan of nachos and we all just sat around and visited.

For dinner we had an indoor picnic with hotdogs and s'mores cooked in the fireplace and all the summer goodies that go with it: potato salad, baked beans, potato chips - shoot, I forgot the deviled eggs. After dinner we had a short movie and popcorn. Then finished the day with a decade of the rosary - Zack leading. (Matthew likes to lead but he was already in bed.)

Rachel came down a few minutes after going up to bed to ask if she could go with me and Larry to the early Mass. I take Communion to the nursing home and the folks there love to see the kids so I was delighted she wanted to come. They did fuss over her and then we took our big girl to Cracker Barrell for breakfast. Talk about a sugar overload. She had chocolate chip pancakes with syrup and whipped cream and hot chocolate to go with it. Larry and I had their new skillet breakfasts which were great. Then it was home and lots of game playing before they left in the late afternoon.

Can't wait for the next visit.

The big 50th party and a few extras for fun

My cousin Kathy sent some more photos - a few from Aunt Marie and Uncle Tom's 50th wedding anniversary which Larry and I missed because of the transmission failure and two photos of her brother Tom ice dancing with his partner Nori -- what fun! The photo below is of my sister Susie with Kathy, Aunt Marie, and Kathy's husband Al. I was surprised to see so much resemblance between Susie and Aunt Marie (that beautiful snow white hair helps) and Kathy too (without the white hair). Just shows they all belong to the same happy family.

And this a group shot of some of the Schneider gang. I wish the picture were bigger. If I were better at using photoshop I could probably edit it, but I'm still just learning. Your challenge: pick out the three sets of siblings and the two sets of husband and wife. There's some overlap there.


And here's the happy couple cutting the cake. The pony tail belongs to my brother John (I think) who used to be a clean-cut cop (no doughnut jokes please) before he retired and became a mountain man. I actually like the new look, but then I'm so fond of John I'd like any look he cares to go with.

And here are Tom and Nori. What a fun hobby. I'm lucky if I can stand up on ice skates.



The almost last photo is Kathy and Al's place in Colorado. Kathy's email said, "We are high desert here. All we need is water and we'd have beach front property. How I miss the greenery and fall colors from back east." Well I have to agree we live in a beautiful place, my favorite in all the earth, especially when my grandkids are visiting. My very last photo will be what I hope we get for Christmas. I'm already dreaming about it and humming an appropriate tune. Hugs and kisses and y'all come see us!

Keeping up with Cousins on the Family Tree

Anybody who knows me well is aware of my idea of a real pet. It has four legs a looong tale and is a lot bigger than a breadbox. You can also saddle it and ride off into the sunset. Most young girls dream of having a horse. I'm the old lady with the dream. Most girls say their mean parents won't let them have one; with me it's my mean husband. Well...not really. I can't say I want the work or expense either. But I'm jealous of my cousin who has....well....I'm not sure how many horses Kathy has...maybe four or five. Sounds like heaven to me.

To orient all my kids and non-Schneiders to family relations, Kathy is my Aunt Rita's daughter. Rita was my dad's sister. He was the oldest. She was the next oldest. Aunt Rita died in her forties. But I still remember her very well from visits at our house in Cleveland Heights. We lived there when I was 5 until about 8 and they lived on the other side of town close to my grandparents in Lakewood.

Kathy now lives in Denver and I had the delight of getting together with her two years ago when I was in Denver for a meeting. We had a nice lunch and Kathy brought a photo album of all her "babies." And here are two of them (along with Kathy). and here's the info Kathy sent about the photos. "The one with the cart is me with my mare Maizie taken Nov. 1,2008. The other picture of me in the saddle is my mare Cami and taken in May this year." Now I want to take a trip out to Denver to go riding with Kathy. I can show off my bad form and hang on for dear life if we canter!

A visit from the three little ones!

Jamie, Jonathan, and the three little piggies, I mean cuties, came over on Friday night for dinner and cuddle time. Marianna Rose is well-named, a sweet little pink rose. Roo and Pumpkin are more like little stinkweeds, but they are cute too. I think everyone was going home for a bath after dinner.

I took a quick fall picture of the house. The next day all the leaves had dropped off so I snapped the shot just in time. I may now have the four seasons. I'll have to check out my past albums. I'd love to do a four seasons shot.


With the national election over I'm on to the next political goal -- getting a pro-life governor, lt. governor, and attorney general elected next year. All politics is local and I'm determined to do everything possible to protect the littlest members of the human family. They're worth it.

The big bad wolf reminds me of liberals

I had an appointment in northern virginia on Thursday so I took the opportunity to go visit my favorite Fairfax family -- trips off the tongue in a nice way doesn't it? When I got there Ryan wanted me to read a book he got at the library about a wolf who wanted to make pancakes and tried to get help from his neighbors. It was a little red hen kind of story. He had to do everything himself. And when the nice smells started filling the area all the nasty neighbors who wouldn't help him read the recipe, or shop, etc. showed up at the door to help eat the pancakes. The wolf let them in and when they were all in the kitchen he went in and ate them all....then he ate the pancakes. It was definitely politically incorrect. That wolf acted like a wolf. It sure made me laugh! But on the other hand I have a feeling it's a parable about how the kind and gentle liberals will treat conservatives. Obama's chief of staff once sent a dead fish to a political enemy and he has a reputation for getting even with anyone who crosses him. Things are likely to get pretty nasty. Which means I need to read more stories to my darlings, cuddle and rock, and play cootie. And not only did I have fun with the kids, I had a great girls' dinner out with Tara. When we came back, the kids ate her leftover fish and chips (smart kids!).

When I need some sanity, which is often, you'll find me with a baby on my lap or a toddler by the hand or down by the river skipping rocks with an 8-year-old. They're the reason I fight to restore the culture of life after all and they keep me smiling while I do it. By the way...have you prayed the rosary today?

Save the baby humans!

I'm sure glad I don't put my trust in men or I'd be hiding under the bed after Obama's win. But God is still God and he will not be mocked. I'm afraid all the people who voted their pocketbooks will find out that socialism doesn't improve anyone's lot. As for me, I'm going to renew my efforts in defense of the unborn -- because they are the brothers and sisters of my own precious babies. Just think 1/3 of the children in every birthday year since 1973 have died in U.S. abortion mills. Look at your children's classmates and consider all the missing young ones. What a tragedy for our country: the future doctors, economists, teachers, inventors, writers, composers. All missing -- all those gifts planned for us by God denied.

I am so thankful that one message Larry and I got across well was the value of human life. Thank you, Lord, for our eighteen grandchildren. Please protect them and all the babies who are their brothers and sisters in Christ.

Loving the free lunch.

I love my birds. This feeder is outside my office window. Larry took the screen out to wash the window and never put it back. So now I open the window wide enough to get my camera out slightly and go at it. Get some great pictures that way!

If you're a birdwatcher I won't need to tell you to stick with it for the entire three minutes because you'll enjoy it. If you are not a birdwatcher, but like chipmunks hang on until the greedy little bugger shows up. He's a stuffer. Stuffs those cheeks until they can't hold another seed, leaves to unload, and then comes back for more. If he could have voted today I'm sure he would have voted for Obama to keep the free lunch coming. He is definitely engaging in income redistribution. Bird seed has gone up incredibly. Two years ago it was about $12 for 50 pounds. This year it's $28.

Laura's photos from Arizona - what a country!

While Larry and I were hiking here in the east, sister Laura was in Arizona. Quite a bit warmer I'd say judging from her apparel. I thought you would enjoy seeing her photos. What amazing country that has such a variety of flora and fauna depending on where you are.

Hiking and Praying on All Souls Day

Sunday is a great day for hiking! Larry and I like to pack up our hiking poles, put rosaries in our pockets and head out for an adventure in God's great outdoors. Today we planned to hike the Mudhole Gap Trail on the western side of the Massanutten Mountain, but we overshot the gravel road and ended up at the Fort Valley Road. So we changed plans, turned left, and headed off to Elizabeth Furnace and the Signal Knob Trail up to Buzzards' Rock Overlook. Signal Knob (a site the Confederates used as a lookout during the Civil War) is a ten mile round trip and too much for our old knees, but the overlook is perfect - three miles up and back with a nice resting place for a Zone bar and an apple. The trail is rocky and all uphill, but that means it's downhill heading back so we weren't complaining. And what a beautiful day! Perfect weather - 60s and sunny. It wasn't even too cool walking in the woods - just beautiful. And the leaves are still colorful. See for yourself. On the way back down we met two men with a young boy and a dog that made us do a double take. She was Shaley sans her beautiful tail. She had the big white blaze in front, again just like Shaley. We thought it was her reincarnation. I just had to take her picture. I forgot to ask her name, but she is beautiful no matter what you call her. Her owner said she wasn't a border collie; she's an aussie. But she sure looked like our Shaley. Almost made me cry since we only put Shaley to sleep in the Spring. We ended our All Souls Day outing with a stop at the cemetery near our home where we prayed the Chaplet of Divine Mercy for all the Poor Souls, and especially prayed for Mom and Dad Kreitzer and Mom and Dad Schneider and, of course, all our brothers and sisters, in-laws, and friends who have gone before us. We hope they are praying for us as well. Every time I see this gravestone I wonder if George Stevens fought in the Civil War. He was the right age and he would probably have been in Stonewall Jackson's army. Think I'll end this with a little video I did through the car window on the way home. Didn't get the prettiest spot on the route, but even so it's beautiful. Come take a hike with us. No matter what your level there's something for everyone and we don't mind if you leave us in the dust. We'll meet you in the parking lot with a snack.