September Celebrations & New Starts

Happy 19th Birthday Anna!
 It seems like a lifetime has passed since the beginning of the year with things going much different than anticipated.  Anna adjusted her school and work plans.  Theresa definitely did not anticipate taking the summer off and retiring early.  Joe did not anticipate having both Anna & Theresa home.  Benny consistently anticipates the same thing:  meals, walks & someone to hang out with.  He has not been disappointed.  Here are the September happenings:

  • Anna started the fall term at Northern Virginia Community college, where she is taking pre-requisite classes.  She continues to enjoy her work at Cafe Amouri and Theresa continues to enjoy the free coffee.  Joe has even expanded his horizons and forgone his Folgers coffee for something from Cafe Amouri (well maybe only once, but he might do it again).
  • Happy 18th birthday Aidyn!
    Anna also celebrated her 19th birthday on September 3 with dinner at her favorite Ramen noodle restaurant.  Theresa made her a dairy-free carrot cake for her birthday (this was also when Theresa discovered her baking powder was past its prime, thus necessitating multiple layers).  Anna's VCU friends came to visit to celebrate her birthday.  They went to the zoo in DC and came back for homemade pizza.  Anna took over pizza making duties and proved she is just as good as her dad.
  • Theresa did the 20-mile DC bike ride on September 6.  This is a car-free route and a great way to enjoy the sites.  She did not see any national guard until the end of the route but felt safe throughout the ride.
  • Theresa finished up her first volunteer season at Wolf Trap.  She also managed to work in a trip to Ohio for a long weekend to celebrate Aidyn's 18th birthday and a trip to Myrtle Beach to celebrate her friend Gayle's birthday.  The Myrtle Beach trip also included a trip to Asheville, North Carolina for Gayle's niece's wedding.  It was the one-year anniversary of Hurricane Helen in the region. Some areas of Asheville remain heavily damaged while others are re-opened.  Theresa & Gayle did spend one day at the Biltmore, which is the largest of the Vanderbilt houses.  It was truly spectacular.
  • Joe has been taking various classes and is a wealth of knowledge on many historical topics.  He has also been working on family genealogy and has created an electronic library of old photos and family records.  This has sparked many discussions on family mysteries and further questions.  Anna & Theresa are hopeful this project will require a trip to Italy that they can join.
  • September 25 marked Joe & Theresa's 21st wedding anniversary.  
  • September 30 was Theresa's last day as a federal employee after 25 years of service.  More than 154,000 Federal workers will exit the government this week.  
Lots of changes and lots of opportunities.  Who knows what will happen in October.


Goodbye Federal Service


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