A Celebration & a Farewell

Happy Birthday Grandpa!
There are a number of family birthdays in March, so this year we traveled to Ohio to celebrate one - Grandpa's.  Grandpa turned "37" (his words, not ours) on March 14.  Fortunately the weather was lovely and Anna caught a flight to Dayton with her parents to Columbus to celebrate with Grandpa.

The weekend was a Northwest Ohio road trip.  After picking up Anna and company in Dayton, Grandma and Grandpa drove to Columbus so that we could see Uncle Tim's new house.  Uncle Rod and Courtney joined in the festivities as the family took Grandpa out for steak on his birthday.  While one would think having the family together would have been the best birthday present for Grandpa, his greatest joy of the day was attempting to fix Uncle Tim's sub-pump with Joe.  This required a trip to Home Depot and a lot of engineering discussions before realizing that a new sub-pump was needed.

After spending the night at Uncle Tim's, it was off to Grandma and Grandpa's house.  There was more discussion about the sub-pump on the way home and on Monday morning Grandpa and Joe went to the hardware store, where Grandpa purchased a new sub-pump.  That afternoon it was back to the airport, where Grandma and Grandpa dropped of Anna and her parents before driving back to Columbus so that Grandpa could install the sub-pump at Uncle Tim's house.  We can all rest easy knowing that Uncle Tim's basement will be dry.  Happy Birthday Grandpa!

Anna's 1st recital....and Ms. Rosa's last recital
Sadly, March 14 marked the passing of our friend, former neighbor, and Anna's first piano teacher Ms. Rosa (or Grandma Rosa as she was known to Anna).  Rosa immigrated to the U.S. from Argentina and was an energetic person with a zest for life.  She never met a stranger and had a gift for making you feel like you were the most special person in the room.  She taught piano for 62 years, often saying that she had the best job in the world.  Anna practices on Rosa's first piano in the U.S. (we bought it from her daughter) and was the recipient of lots of music from Rosa when she retired. 
Rosa always had cookies and candy for Anna (and everyone else for that matter) and was constantly giving her gifts.  She and her husband Bill would occasionally serve as babysitters for Anna (usually on Joe and Theresa's anniversary).  We were fortunate that we got to see her one more time the week before she died.  Despite her illness, she still had candy and a present waiting for Anna.  She was a wonderful person and we are fortunate to call her our friend. 


Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Swimming with the Lakevale Dolphins

Image
The Swim Gang - Leo, Aidan, Megan & Anna Tonight Anna completed her third season with the Division II Lakevale Dolphins.  It was a great season for Anna as she improved her strokes and her times and made it to the "A"team to compete at Saturday meets.  It was an educational season for Joe and Theresa, who learned the ins and outs of life as swim team parents. The neighborhood swim team is the hub of neighborhood social activity in the summer.  There are events throughout the season, including Friday night pep rallies, and Sunday night fund events that include such things as the neighborhood scavenger hunt, laser tag night, bingo night, and even a team night at the Washington Nationals game.  In between the fun is the seriousness of the swimming, and there are definitely some top notch swimmers on the team. Anna with her lollipop for getting a "personal best" time Kids are motivated by different things. Some kids love to race.  Other kids try to b...
Read more

Camp Coles Trip & June Birthdays

Image
Anna at Girl Scout Camp Anna just returned from a fun-filled week at Girl Scout camp.  This year she was old enough to go to Camp Coles Trip, which is on a bay area off of the Potomac River.  This is a water camp, so she spent her days on the bay learning to paddle board and sail along with kayaking. Girl Scout Camp is definitely roughing it.  The camp is in the woods and girls stay in platform cabins with screens.  Anna shared a cabin with 4 other girls.  Mosquito netting is very important at night.  The only electricity is at the dining hall, health center, and activity building.  The girls are also responsible each day for doing "kapers" or chores.  They take turns helping serve meals, cleaning the bathrooms, and general clean-up.  They are also responsible for keeping track of their own things and carrying their bags. Anna had a fantastic time, despite the lack of modern conveniences, and is already planning her return next year....
Read more

The End of 1st Grade

Image
Last Day of 1st Grade Pool Party Anna is officially a "rising 2nd grader."  She was quite excited to celebrate her last day of 1st grade on June 14. She learned a lot this year, including great strides on reading, addition, subtraction, and writing. Anna kept a writing journal during the school year.  Below are some excerpts: If I had a pet I would choose a dog.  I would feed him, walk him, play with him, and a dog would keep me company.  PS, i atcally want one these are the things i would do One day while I was driveing on the road a deer was in the way.  My dad honked the horn.   self-control is keping your self in control.   Peace is when you are quiet.   I can respect others by bringing over plates afer diner.    The last week of school included a field trip to Frying Pan Park, a working farm in Fairfax County.  Anna, upon recounting the details of her trip, stated that they learned how to do farm chores from...
Read more