Pandemic Week 87: Happy Veteran's Day!

 It was a lovely fall week - complete with a holiday on Thursday!  Well, it wasn't exactly a holiday for Anna, but she did get out 2 hours early AND there was no swim practice on Thursday.....so yes it was a holiday.

First, happy Veteran's Day to Grandpa who served in the army, including a tour of Vietnam.  Theresa celebrated the day by sending a message to her Dad....and then enjoying the day off.  Anyone that knows Theresa's dad knows that he is definitely NOT a "take the day off" guy, so Theresa enjoyed the day off for him.  

Since the leaves were at their peak and the weather was gorgeous, Theresa & Joe headed back out to Harpers Ferry, West Virginia  to hike the Maryland Heights side.  It was worth the trek as the view was spectacular with the convergence of the Shenandoah and Potomac rivers amid the fall foliage.  Anna was excited that she did NOT need to go since she was in school.  It was a great trip to enjoy the fall day.

in addition to hiking, there were lots of other events for the week, including the following:

  • Anna had high school swim team tryouts for the week.  Unfortunately, she did not make the varsity team (actually, Anna may consider this fortunate).  The coach decided to offer a junior varsity option this year to those who wanted it.  Anna opted not to take it since her swim friends are on the varsity team and she would not get to practice with them and likely would not do any meets.  She will stick with her club swim team for the rest of the season until the neighborhood summer team starts.
  • Anna went on her first field trip in a couple of years.  The choir and orchestra went to the Kennedy Center to see the National Symphony Orchestra followed by lunch at a local Italian restaurant.  All of these kids going had to show proof of vaccination.  A good time was had by all.
  • The Vienna Holiday Bazaar was held on Saturday at the Vienna Fire Station.  Anna & Theresa stopped by and left with some chocolate covered strawberries and a Rustic Love sign for the yard.  A local Vienna family began making heart signs out of scrap wood during the pandemic and would sell them (for donation) with all funds going to help food insecure families.  You see the signs all over Vienna and to date they have raised more than $160,000.  It is a great story about volunteering and the positive power social media can have.  Check them out at https://rusticlove.org/
  • The first school play in a couple of years was held this weekend.  The production was Almost Maine.  Anna did some help with the set design.  Anna went with her friends for opening night and with her Mom for the final night.  The actors still needed to wear masks.  We will see if that holds for the spring musical.
  • Sunday was another good fall hike day - this time to Bull Run Mountain.  This had the added advantage of being near a Super Walmart, which allowed the family to things for the next item on the list.
  • Another local group that began via social media during the pandemic is the Vienna Foodies.  Not only do they raise awareness of local restaurants, but they assist food insecure families by using donations to purchase meals from local restaurants (check out the story HERE).  One member of the group organized 250 bins of Thanksgiving food for local families in need.  We used our time at Wal-Mart to purchase the bin and supplies and dropped it off with a local volunteer who is collecting everything in her garage.

It is going to be a busy week before the kick-off of the holiday season with Thanksgiving!

Thanksgiving Food Tub



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