Anna Grows

 Halloween festivities returned this year, starting with the annual Vienna Halloween parade on October 27.  This is the biggest event in Vienna each year.  While the parade was slightly smaller than past years (it is not a full parade unless the Shriners are there in the little cars....and they were absent), it was still great to get out.   Anna put on her costume and met up with her friends.  Joe & Theresa found a place by the announcer's booth and watched from there. Neighborhood festivities were held on Saturday, including the neighborhood parade and games along with a pumpkin carving contest at the local clubhouse.  Anna volunteered to assist with games and was assigned to the tattoo table to apply Halloween tattoos to the kids.  There was also a food truck and one of the neighborhood bands set up to play.  Fortunately the weather cooperated and a good time was had by all. Sunday turned out to be a good weather day for Halloween.  Theresa took Joe & Anna down to her new

Post-Choir Performance  October 20 was a big day for the James Madison High School Choir (or Mad Choir as they are known) and the orchestra.  For the first time since the pandemic, they held their first live, public performance.  The entire day at school on October 20 was Mad Music Day and they did a total of 4 shows (3 for local elementary and middle schools and 1 in the evening).  Anna was thrilled to participate in the performance, which also included a new choir uniform debut. Joe, Theresa, along with Mrs. Latimer enjoyed the evening show.  Joe and Theresa realized the last live performance they watched Anna in outside of church was her 8th grade Christmas program at St. Mark.  The Mad choir and orchestra (who accompanied the choir) were truly outstanding and left the audience feeling as if they were watching a professional show.  Choir members and audience members were masked up (it is clear the choir members have really learned to project with the mask).  It was a great show.  Ho

Fall Evening on the Porch After another warm week, fall finally arrived.  Theresa spent the weekend visiting her parents in Ohio.  The big event was setting up a new iPhone for grandpa.  There was also some quality time watching the squirrels and the neighbors from the front porch.  Thanks to grandpa’s new phone, he will be able to take better photos of both.  Joe and Anna stayed behind in Virginia with Storm, where they had a relaxing weekend and were left to their own devices (Theresa suspects there was a lot of devices involved in the weekend).  Despite the fact that Theresa was gone, Joe managed to cajole Anna into enjoying the lovely fall weather with a local hike.  Other highlights for the week included the following: Anna spent Saturday morning working on the set crew at school for the upcoming school play in November.  She is looking forward to the first choir concert of the season on Wednesday. Theresa completed the caboose to caboose bike ride from Vienna to Herndon on Columb

Homecoming 2021  It was homecoming week at James Madison High School and there was lots of celebrations to make up for the cancellations last year. Since it was spirit week, each day had a different theme, beginning with pajama day on Monday (one could argue that for some students that is every day).  There was tourist day on Tuesday and Wednesday was dress like your friends.  Anna and a couple of her friends happened to have animal onesies, which they wore (and one a t-shirt for).  Friday was the homecoming parade and game and the dance was on Saturday.  The dance was held outside in a large tent to promote social distancing and masks are still required. Anna's friend Vicky happens to live right by the school (she is in the last house before you enter the school gate), thus is always the gathering point for their friends.  Friday night, Vicky's dad grilled hot dogs and burgers before the game for all of the friends.  Saturday night everyone brought in food for a potluck dinner

Hiking at Bull Run Mountain  The first weekend of October was anything but fall-like.  In fact, the air conditioner needed to be turned on again today.  We did get out for a hike to enjoy the nice weather and stopped to pick up some pumpkins and mums. The big adventure this weekend was finding a homecoming dress for Anna.  She is going to the dance, which will be next Saturday, with a bunch of her friends.  The first lesson is to start early.  We did not, meaning that most of the dresses Anna saw on-line would not arrive in time.  Her second ideas was to go thrifting; however, this was the same problem in that dresses were picked over.  Alas, she was left to shop with her mom and as an added bonus Dad joined in (his role was to assure appropriate clothing coverage).   The first stop on the shopping trip was actually a hike.  Since the weather was nice and everyone was ready a little earlier than normal, we planned a quick hike at Bull Run mountain before the trip.  This trail was conve