Erica is 30 Today

"...Thursday's child has far to go...." Those words from Mother Goose certainly describe this child born Thursday, August 25, 1977. Erica Ellen entered this world bright eyed and ready to go as, I believe, can be seen in this picture taken at 3 months.

As an infant one of her favorite things was to have Daddy walk her and talk with her. She especially loved being read to. I preferred reading poetry. Bill thought that she would benefit greatly from the Wall Street Journal. There is a photo of a 6 week old Erica being held by Bill and he is reading an article from the Journal to her. He likes to think that this led to her being a voracious reader. I am not quite sure of that.

What I do know is that this daughter of mine has always been a planner with her eyes on other places and cultures to explore. Her love of travel seemed to blossom early. At three or four she was convinced that all you had to do in order to speak another language was to simply set foot on foreign soil. She was interested in languages early on and studied French, German, Spanish and a little Italian.

Erica has always tackled the task at hand with intensity. We often had to interrupt her "planning mode" before she got too carried away. Her favorite way to inform of her plans was at the dinner table. One evening as she sat by Bill and directly across from me she said, "Mom, for my six year old birthday on August the 25, 1983 (she really talked like that) you can buy me an Apple 2e computer and Dad, you can get me a Barbie." Bill and I composed ourselves and told her we would have to discuss it further. She got a camera and a Barbie.

Erica and my mother share the same middle name. They enjoyed a very special relationship. Erica loved visiting her grandparents and sharing special time with them. She and Mom especially loved time together when Erica graduated from Johns Hopkins and then when Erica and Geoff were married in Washington, DC. Mom delighted and sometimes with wonderment at Erica's travel and anchoring in the DC area. This picture of them was taken as they shared a few moments before Erica's wedding.

Bill and I as parents have been blessed with a child who caused very little ruckus or trouble but kept us on our toes nonetheless. She danced into our hearts and stayed there. She has become a beautiful woman with strong goals and aspirations--still a planner. She is a kind and loving person, a loyal friend, a responsible being, a genuinely good person. What more could a parent ask? I truly believe that God's gift to parents is adult children.

Here are Erica and Geoff toasting at the conclusion of their wedding ceremony. What a wonderful day that was. Together, they soar. Yes, Thursday's child still has far to go.

Happy Birthday, Erica!! We love you!! Here's to you!!

Update

There has been a request for a photo of the "Frizzies." Here is one after they had been smoothed down some.

Frizzies

Ever since I discovered that my short hair was only masking another wonder -- lots of curls, I have been learning how to deal with things like "frizzies." On a day like today I can actually feel the little buggers start popping up all over my head. No foolin', I gained four to five inches of head volume since I combed my hair this morning. It's probably a good thing I am not working right now because this could scare the wits out of someone. Oh well, maybe it will be hot and humid tomorrow and I will have more to complain about like wet head and limp frizzies.

Dog Days of Summer

Summer has never been my favorite time of year. Sure I like not having to wear a coat but I cannot stand the feeling of energy being sapped from me. That is what heat has always done to me. It is no wonder to me that "mad dogs and Englishmen go out in the noon day sun." That has not been the case since late Friday. We enjoyed a gloriously beautiful day on Saturday with clear skies and the temperature hovering around 75 -- just about perfect. Clouds moved in Saturday night and it has been cloudy since then but the temperature has remained comfortable. What's more, the rain that has come is needed so much. The lawns are brown and patchy, flowers are exhausted and crops are wilted.

Cloudy days are not always uplifting but after the heat and high humidity I have to admit that the gray clouds and the cooler temperatures have energized me some. I think that it is time to get back to some projects and prepare for the fall and winter. I wish that I was either a poet or and an artist so that I could express myself in imaginary ways but I will have to resort to some of the old stand-by's like needle crafts, computer stuff and new things I might pick up sometime.

I should probably take the dog out for a walk if he wakes up anytime soon.

Hazy August Sunset and a Belated Birthday Wish

We went to Rehoboth late yesterday and on our way home we seemed to follow the setting sun. It had been a hazy day and the weather watchers said we could have thunder and lightning later on in the evening. All making for this eerie sight. The photo shows the sky well but I could not capture the the intense orange of the sun. The weather guessers were right, we had a significant light and rumble show later last night.

And now to another August subject.

Happy Belated Birthday!! Carolyn!!

I knew there was something I was forgetting last weekend but that is not out of the ordinary since I no longer carry my Palm Pilot. Our friend, Carolyn celebrated a another birthday. Carolyn and her husband John have been friends of ours for a long time. She is blessed with a wonderful sense of humor, impeccable taste, devote faith, intense drive, deep family loyalty and love of travel. She always has maintained the most beautiful of homes while never mastering the use of hand tools (just the opposite of me). She is passionate about almost everything she does. Before she travels she studies and while gone she studies even more. This from a person with a lousy sense of direction. You might say the GPS was invented just for her.

This picture of Carolyn was taken December 20, 2000 in San Francisco. John and Carolyn joined Bill and me for our 25th wedding anniversary there. It was also a celebration of John's and my shared birthday. What a fun time that was like so many of the other celebrations we have shared. Yep, she is one of very few folks that comes in and leaves a wonderful lasting mark on your life.

Cheers!! Hope it was a wonderful day.

Out and About Around Milton

Most of the past week the weather was downright miserable. The heat index was exceeding 100 degrees daily. Wednesday morning all of our windows were fogged over almost reminiscent of winter except with the reverse reason. Even with all of the humidity which we are reminded has not been bad this summer, the area is experiencing drought conditions. Saturday we drove to Seaford and saw field after field of brown, dead corn. I don't know the extent of the loss but a emergency was declared earlier in the month for neighboring Maryland.

I was out early last week to run several errands including having Bentley groomed. Here are a few pictures of more sites. The first is of a dragon fly who was too hot to get off of the sidewalk that runs from our steps to the driveway.

On the way to the other side of town and Hwy 1 we cross Wagamons Pond as it dumps into the Broadkill. At either side of the bridge is a warning sign I had never seen before coming to Delaware.

I have to admit that I keep looking but have never seen a turtle crossing the road. I have seen some in the pond and a few weeks ago I saw one alongside the road. I guess I will just keep watching.

When you see this next sign you will know why it is one of my son-in-law's favorites. This is a little lane just outside of town. You might have noticed how hazy it is in these pictures. That is pretty much what it looked like early last week -- looked cool out but was very, very warm.

I wonder if Christopher Robin lives at the end of the lane.

Starting around 3-3.5 weeks ago we started seeing these beautiful bushes blooming. Some of the bushes were completely laden with blossoms. The bushes ranged in color from white, to light pink, to deep rose, to lavender. I kept think that they looked like lilacs but knew better since we were in the middle of summer. Also, I do not remember ever seeing such bushes before now. I finally learned last week that they are known as crapemyrtle.

This is not a real good example of how lovely these plants are but once I finally found out what they were and remembered to have my camera, they were on the lasts days of their blooms. The color here is the most common I have seen around here.

A day out and about here is not complete without passing at least one or two farm fields. I have shown pictures of corn and wheat and barley. Now here are some pictures of beans. I have to admit that I am not sure whether they are soybeans or lima beans. They have to be one or the other. The interesting thing for me is that the fields are turned from one crop to another very rapidly. These bean fields were wheat or barley fields just a few weeks ago. We passed a field on Saturday that had been corn, has been cleared and there are small new plants already growing.

200th Anniversary Celebration & Parade (Last Installment)

Anniversary Saturday was a very activity filled day. Besides the parade there were boat races on the Broadkill, a garden show, vendors in the park, two concerts and fireworks. Sunday included more games, a community picnic and more concerts. This post includes three collages of Saturday's happenings.

This collection shows how close everything was in the park, the busy, busy train, and illustrates a bit of how hot it was.

People, horses, floats and dogs

Tractors, carriages, old cars, new cars, 4 wheelers and library carts

200th Anniversary Parade

All must be patient with me as I am just learning how to use "Movie Maker." Anyway, click on the play button below to see a montage of what I believe is part of the very soul of "Small Town" America -- the Volunteer Fire Department. This was all part of the Milton 200th Anniversary Parade. More pictures and commentary will follow.

200th Anniversary Kick-Off Party

Friday, we spent an enjoyable evening attending the town's anniversary "Kick-Off" party. It was a dinner and show held at the Milton Theatre. It was a good dinner which was followed by a very entertaining show.

First, a little about the Milton Theatre. The theatre sits in the center of town. There were 200+ people at the event on Friday so my guess as to its sitting capacity is somewhere near that number. The theatre was built circa 1910 and has lived through many incarnations such a a fire station, several restaurants, retails shops, social center, etc. One article I read said that it has survived three fires and numerous storms. It was closed following the Great Storm of 1962. It suffered major flood damage then. It has enjoyed a rebirth in the past seven years. Now Milton and Sussex County enjoy a place for great theatrical performances and other gatherings.

I took some pictures during the event and chose not to use the flash (used museum setting). These will just give you an idea of the great work that has been done to the structure.

Image on wall(stage right).

This is picture of some of the equipment and the stage. We will have to make a point to attend many more functions here.

A toast to Milton.

The toast was followed by the show which was the story of Milton told by three readers and singers. It was certainly a fun presentation. I have included a few moments in video at the end of this post.

The show lasted past the time for us to see the hot air balloon glow but we enjoyed the comraderie of others who did after the show outside the theatre.

Celebrating 200 Years

This past weekend the town of Milton celebrated its 200th anniversary. We participated in some of the many activities making up the celebration. It is not an understatement to say that there was a whole lot going on in the little town last weekend.

Thursday evening Bill and I assisted in the construction of the Milton Historical Society's float for Saturday's parade. Although the evening was very warm it was fun to engage in an activity I remember well from high school, college and then other similar community events. Here are a few pictures to mark the activity.

This photo is of the tall, marshy grass used as a backdrop on the float. This grass abounds around here.

Here is the banner and name of the float -- S.S. Lydia B. Cannon. The Historical Society is housed at the Lydia B. Cannon Museum. Here are some of us hard at work and putting the float together.

After leaving the float detail we enjoyed dinner at the "just opened" Iguana Grill. It was a very fun evening experiencing more of the area.

America the Beautiful

The Today Show is doing a series that is featuring 10 of the most beautiful places in America. The series is appropriately called "America the Beautiful." So far it has featured Niagara Falls, Charleston, SC, Arlington National Cemetery and today the spotlight was on baseball parks. I have found the selections interesting and I have to say that I cannot disagree with them so far. On the website they asked viewers to share their pictures and I submitted a couple. One of them is featured. I took that picture (bottom right of page 3)when we visited the Washington, DC to see the cherry blossoms.

When the segment for today's feature aired I was reminded of special day Bill and I spent late last August in Seattle. We had never been to a Mariners game, let alone any major league baseball game. It was a very enjoyable evening. Looking again at the pictures from that night I related to the segment on the Today Show. There is something magical about going to the baseball park and watching the game, win or lose. You do not have to be a real fan of the game to enjoy the experience. In many way it is simply a night or afternoon out to share a few hours with those around you. We'll do this again but probably in Baltimore or Philadelphia.

This is a collage of some the pictures I took that night. Safeco Field is unique in design for it has a retractable roof. Rain was threatening the night we were there and so we were able to see the roof go through its maneuvers. Fortunately, as the game started the clouds parted and were watched the game in open air.

email -- revisited

Early last month I wrote about email. Today has been one of those days when I really love having email. Yes, I received and forwarded the requisite number of jokes. The jokes of late have been somewhat stale. Today, they were all fun and fresh. I also received a couple of notes from old friends. These notes made me feel good for the whole day. That's all, just had to say again why I like email.

Millions of Others and Me

Yes, I have to admit that I am big fan of Harry Potter. Like millions of others (lots and lots of adults), I stole time since Saturday when my copy of the last book arrived to read it. What fun these books have been.

I have to admit that I stayed away from the books in the beginning. I had friends, mostly teachers, tell me how wonderful they were. I continued to think that they were just for kids. Then I saw more and more adults reading these books. I couldn't get onto an airplane without seeing someone usually older than 30 deeply involved in one the books. I would see them in hotels, at meetings, on the street. They were coming out of backpacks, computer bags, and handbags. Then my sister-in-law told me how good she thought they were. Still, I resisted. It was a couple of young girls on a cold day walking to the bus stop with their noses firmly into their reading that finally made think that I needed to see for myself what had so many actually reading.

The summer of 2000 was when I first started reading about Harry. My sister-in-law and her son's family sent me copies of the first three books to read as I recouped from a total knee replacement. As soon as I finished the first book I was hooked.

In a recent Time essay the writer, Lev Grossman, says that unlike other famous series the Potter books are devoid of God and in that place is left love. I am not sure that I totally agree but there is something there. I did not get into these books because they wonderful literature or "I can't put down" mysteries. I got into them because of the well told tale of the adventures and misadventures of a boy growing up to be a decent person in spite of all that fell in his way. The stories of Harry Potter are not so much about good versus evil as they are about the power of love, and yes, even unrequited love. In many ways, these tales remind me of Twain's Sawyer and Finn and how deeply the bounds of friendship are.

J. K. Rowling has done more than just get kids reading again. She instilled in her books values that are often missing in our lives today. It is not in greed and its accumulations that there is power but power comes in trust and learning and caring. Power comes with love. I don't mean to be maudlin but I think that is pretty cool. We need a whole lot more of that today. Fame and fortune do not make a decent person. An outreached hand, a broad shoulder and a bended ear are more valuable than the wealth you can amass. As a child I remember reading and having to memorize a poem whose phrases I still hear in mind today. That poem, Abu Ben Addhem by James Leigh Hund reminds of Harry Potter. For it is "love of fellow man" that makes Harry strong.

Old lesson, new twist, some things still remain true.

Carol

This is my sister Carol. She is the 2 1/2 years younger than I and today is her birthday. Yep, she is creeping right up there with the rest of us. She came into this world at a whopping 10.5 pounds with thick dark hair. By the time she was a year old she weighed in between 14 and 15 pounds and was a curly haired blond. I don't remember much about her when she was tiny except that she was very pretty, small, somewhat fragile and quite feisty. I also remember her stealing the hearts of our uncles. She still has a way with all of the relatives.

Here we are when I just about 4 and she was 15 or 16 months. Even then it was evident that I was more the "tomboy" and she was the tinier more delicate type. She was charming. Sunbeams would dance off of her. She was also a bit of sickly child with allergies and she had numerous bouts of pneumonia. I remember wanting to throttle her when she coughed at night. In spite of that she was a giving and loving sister who often was in my shadow.

This not quite two year old grew into a wonderful woman. She and her husband Tim have been married now for 39 years. Carol is the mother of three beautiful children -- Tracy, Max and Melissa. She is all so the grandmother of nine. I am pretty sure that that makes her older than I since I do not have any grandchildren.

Grandma Hicks, Carol, Mom

Carol is the one of us who keeps us to connected to our past. She is the one who makes the older relative connections and who like our mother never forgets a face or a name. She is a very talented seamstress. She is a gentle, loving caregiver as was so evident with her help with our parents. She is loyal. She is honest. She has the shortest eyelashes in the world. She loves her family unconditionally. She is my sister and I am proud to say I love her very much.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, CAROL!!!

Prime Hook and Beaches

Last Sunday it was very warm and we really needed to get out of the house and do something. That something for Bill is almost always a visit to the beach. A summer day, a summer Sunday and he wants to go to the beach in southern Delaware -- Oh, my. It is not smart to go south so we decided to go over to Broadkill Beach. It is the closest to us but it was very crowded and so we decided to roam through the roads of Prime Hook National Wildlife Refuge and check out a couple of other beaches.

Before arriving at Broadkill Beach we have to pass through part of the wildlife refuge. We go here often and I have taken numerous pictures of shore birds there. On this day we were surprised to see water on one side of the road had filled in with marsh plants and the other side was mostly mud flats. In the winter the ponds on both sides of the road are filled with water and sometimes thousands of birds.

This is a picture of the marshy area on the north side of Broadkill Road. In the winter this area is more muddy and there is a lot more water.

While the north side of the road has abundant growth of marsh plants, the south side has turned into these mud flats. Ironically, this past winter this was side that had the most water and where the most birds were seen.

Since Broadkill was so crowded we made our way north to Prime Hook Beach and found that there was literally no public access to the beach. That's a bummer. But on our way there I got this picture of a heron in another area of the reserve.

We proceeded along Thirteen Curves Road to Fowler Beach Road and Fowler Beach. There were only a couple of people there. The beach is not as large or as clean as those to the south. We got out and walk to an observation deck so we had a better view of the area.

Bentley was with us and he enjoyed getting out of the car. He was still a bit gimpy from our tumble earlier in the day.

This a view of Fowler Beach looking south. You can see that it is much narrower than the beaches in earlier posts.

This photo of the Atlantic from Fowler Beach shows how hot and hazy it was.

I always have to have at least one picture of a seagull when we go to the beach. Actually, I have to take several. Here is my seagull picture at Fowler Beach.

A little dune grass for your viewing pleasure.

More dune grass.

Some shell fragment and other stuff in the grass and sand.

More of the Prime Hook area from the Fowler Beach observation deck.

Some of the wildflowers along the way.

More shore birds.

Still more shore birds.

A Favorite from the Pacific Northwest

You cannot possibly imagine how pleased I was yesterday to bite into a delicious Lambert Cherry from Yakima -- one of my favorite summertime treats. I have to admit that I was plenty surprised that they were available here and that they came through shipping in quite good shape as can be seen in the photo.

When I was growing up in Eastern Idaho we would get dark Bing cherries. They became the cherry standard for me for I loved the sweet juiciness. I didn't care for the brighter red and sour Monarchs which were used for pie cherries. While in Spokane, I got brave and tried the very red and quite tart looking Lambert. What a surprise!! These cherries are not heavy sweet like the Bing but refreshingly sweet.

Too bad they are only available for a short time each summer.

One of Those Days

For some reason today has been one of those days. Not a lazy day although it is very warm outside but one of those summer days that I can't decide whether it is a good day or not. I stepped back and stepped on the dog and that caused me to totally lose balance and fall on him. Poor puppy, he is limping around worse than me. I think he will be alright. We went to the beach and he was energetic enough but gimpy. He is moving around much better as the day progresses. The good from this is that maybe he will finally not stay so close to my feet. But, I think it is more than that that has me in the not so comfy range today.

This is one of those days that are firsts. You know, the first holiday, anniversary and stuff like that happens after you lose someone. Today is my mother's birthday. She would have been 82. There is not a day that goes by that I don't think of her and wish she were still here to talk with me. This picture is one I believe was taken when she graduated from high school or shortly thereafter. I have said this in earlier posts but I think she was very attractive.

I have been working on a project of scanning old photos so that my sisters and brother and I can all have copies. Doing this has made it easier to deal with those feelings of loss. There are some great and not so great pictures of all of us. It has helped me deal with the discomfort and to cherish the love we all had for each other.

So, what are the fun things I remember about Mom. For one, she could be downright belligerent. She was uncompromising in so many ways. She was a very good neighbor and friend. She did not like baby girls dressed in dark colors. She abhorred tattoos on girls and women (good girls don't do that). She loved the water. Her language could put many a teamster to shame but she was lady. She was very much a Democrat but could say very nice things about some Republicans not named Bush. She always pushed us to be strong sometimes through tears but always with love. She said that it is fine to be different. She was too critical. She was not critical enough. She loved us all. She and Dad would always have what their grandchildren called "Max and Margaret fights" -- you know, sorta like Fibber Magee and Molly. She missed him so much after his death. She loved him very much.

Today's here and she would have delighted in having a steak and some birthday cake. She would have loved hearing from her four children and all their children. She would have been happy that another great grandchild has come into the family since November. I guess that all I can say now is that the day is not so uncomfy. Just doing this has let me remember the good times.

Happy Birthday, Mom. We will have a piece of cake for you.

What I Really Hate of the East Coast

Pretty dramatic title, huh? Well, there are lots of things I haven't gotten used to yet like warm ocean water and high humidity and why some houses have cellars and others have basements and none have egress windows. As long as I am here I will never get used to the highest point in the state being less than 450 ft. But all of that is nothing when compared to the time difference between the east coast and the west coast. It's enough to turn a person into a regular screech owl.

In the past couple of weeks I have had occasion to contact offices in Seattle. The calls have been those I would usually make during the early part of the day. Is Seattle open for business at 9:00 am east coast time? Heck no!! It is only 6:00 am there. By the time it is reasonable to call there it lunchtime here and then other things have gotten in the way. Before I know it is dinnertime here and when I call Seattle I am put on hold and then forwarded to voice mail without a return.

I often think about calling friends or associates around 3:00 pm here. Geez, Louise! It's lunchtime there. I have always delighted in calling family and some friends early on Christmas morning. I mean before 7:00 am. With most of our family based in other times zones that favorite activity had to go by-the-by this past Christmas. I guess, I should act my age (why now?) and let it pass but this really ticks me off.

Oh well, off to other things.

Fun with Camera

For the 4th of July we drove over to Arlington. On the way we stopped at one of the many vegetable stands that are along the roadside. We picked up some fresh corn, tomatoes, cucumbers, squash and one of these beautiful geraniums for Erica. As we were just leaving I noticed around the geraniums a butterfly making the rounds.

That's her in the upper left of the first photo. It was fun trying to catch an image as she fluttered about and I was not particularly successful but did get a couple of good views that I could use. This next picture is a cropping a zooming of the previous one.

As she continued to flutter, I was able to get this shot. I think I will go look for more butterflies.

Major Birthday X 4

At this place in time we are in the summer of the 30's. Thirty years ago last October my niece Melissa was born, 30 years ago last month my niece Robin was born, 30 years ago come early August my nephew Josh was born and 30 years ago come late August our daughter Erica was born. When these four entered our family my parents grandchildren count went from five to nine in short order. A tenth would come five years later.

Getting these four in the same place at the same time has not always been easy. In fact, when they were young they would never smile at the same time as is evident with this picture.

Melissa (arms always folded), Robin, Josh, Erica

This 4th of July family reunion is something the three year olds did not want interfering in their lives of play. This is one of the better early photos since all are not crying. There are some when they were babies with the girls crying and Josh sleeping.

It is unfortunate that we have not gotten them together more as the years have come and gone. The last time they were all together was at my my niece Wendy's wedding when the foursome were just finishing the 8th grade.

Josh, Melissa (check arms), Robin, Erica

In the time that has passed since then they have all become responsible, caring and good people. Melissa is the mother of three active children and is working to become a nurse. She has done very well with EMT training and loves helping folks in need. She and her family live in Malad, Idaho. Robin married last November. She is a banking manager in Denver. Josh continues his pursuit in auto sales in Tallahassee, Florida. He is the father of a beautiful daughter who enjoys playing golf with her parents. Erica is a senior consultant and works in the Washington, DC area. She and her husband enjoy travelling.

This is a pretty abbreviated post on the wonders of these four, but I wanted to let them know how special they are to all of us.

Happy 30th!!! Melissa, Robin, Joshua & Erica!!!