Emily attended church this morning and then went with the lunch group from church to the Epicurean Restaurant. It's a family style Greek restaurant and has been a local favorite for lots of years here in Chattanooga. Well, it's actually in the little suburb of East Ridge. This afternoon she mostly rested - catching up on some rest as she didn't sleep well last night.
This evening she went to dinner with Alan and Lynn to celebrate Mommy Anne's upcoming birthday. Mommy Anne's sister Miriam and her brother Arvin and wife Lil joined the group as well as Liga and Valdis with his girlfriend Kalie.
It was a lovely evening. Just as it got dark, she visited Lynn with some of her first harvest of Cherokee Purple tomatoes. They were growing kind of low and she was concerned that Hershey might try to "harvest" them.
Emily has been busy with her responsibilities for Bible School at Cumberland Presbyterian Church this week. The Bible School is in the mornings, they have a sea faring theme and there is a great set in the big social hall. Up on the stage there's a boat hull and a wheel, as well as a large sail. It looks like it would be lots of fun.
Tonight Emily is spending the night at NHC with Mommy Anne. She's not able to stay by herself anymore and so she is taking a turn staying with her. Hershey is spending the night with her good friend Sophie. They played out on the circle with about 3 of their doggie friends for about an hour and a half.
Tom Stebbins wrote to Lynn about his address to the Master Gardeners at the dedication of the Teaching Garden. He said that he knew that Gene would have written a poem for the occasion and he felt like Gene was presenting him with a challenge to write a poem. Below is the poem that Tom wrote in response to that challenge.
A Garden is a Place…
by Tom Stebbins
A garden is a place to grow
the food for those in need
We plow, plant, rake and hoe
so all our friends can feed
A garden is a place to teach
the lessons of the land
Master Gardeners give a speech
or teach or lend a hand
A garden is a place for birth
where seeds pop through the soil
We harvest from the holy earth
with all our sweat and toil
A garden is a place for peace
to watch the busy bees
The garden chores will never cease
its time to pick the peas
A garden is a place for fun
to grow some giant roots
Children laugh and play and run
and try new plants and fruits
A garden is a place for plants
to grow toward the sun
We also see some tiny ants
but they will hurt no one
A garden is a place to seed
corn, lettuce and tomato
The Master Gardeners take a creed
to give, to plant, to show
Dedicated to all the Hamilton County Master Gardeners at the Grand Opening of the Evelyn Davenport Navarre Food Bank Teaching Garden.— June 18, 2010
Yesterday the Chattanooga Area Food Bank dedicated it's new green house and teaching garden. The Hamilton County Master Gardeners were very involved and were there for the dedication. Very soon after Gene and Emily moved to Chattanooga, Gene became involved in the Master Gardener program. At first he may have been a bit put out that he had to complete the 40 hours of classes, but he did it with his usual good attitude. From there on he was a fixture on the Master Gardener scene. For several years he volunteered every Monday morning at the County Extension Agent's office. He helped set up and man the display at the county fair every year, and he helped teach the Master Gardener Classes every year after he got the title himself.
Yesterday at the dedication, Tom Stebbins, an extension agent at the Hamilton County Extension Service, was a speaker - friends of Alan and Lynn were in attendance, and called to say that Tom had chosen to talk about Gene. He spoke of Gene's dedication to the Master Gardener program, of his stories that everyone wanted to hear - he said that when Gene spoke, no one really wanted him to stop.
Gene loved being a Master Gardener. His involvement in that program was one of the things that really helped him acclimate to the move to Chattanooga. The County Agent's Office saw what he had to offer and were eager to have him involved in their work. Thanks to Tom Stebbins and the Master Gardeners.
Emilly is back home from her visit with her sisters and great niece Hannah.
Yesterday they drove from Lexington to Elliot County where Grandpa and Grandma VanSant are buried by way of Morehead University and returned by way of Natural Bridge.
Then last night they went to a performance of the music department of the University of Kentucky. They seemed to really enjoy that.
This afternoon traveled with Joyce back to Knoxville where she had a rest and a cup of coffee before she journeyed back to Chattanooga before dark.
Tomorrow she is helping with the church program which will be done by the children of the church in honor of father's day. She's the elder representative on the religious education committee. So she's got a lot of responsibility with that.
Emily went to the doctor today to have her thumb checked out. He says that she should slowly begin to use it and that she doesn't have to come back unless it bothers her. She won't need therapy!
After her doctor appointment, she was determined to get the beans picked. She is headed to spend a couple of days in Lexington. Hannah V-O is visiting Frances and Bob and Emily picked Joyce up in Knoxville then headed to Lexington for a couple of days. She plans to be back in plenty of time to help the young people on Sunday. They are doing the church service for Father's Day.
She sent Hershey up to let Sophie puppy sit for a few days.
Wednesday, June 16, 2010
A nice and very special day with Lynn. We went to Pet Smart at Hamilton Place Mall. Hershey needed a new collar and ID tag. Lynn got one for Sophie too, along with some other doggy things. Lunch at Red Lobster was very nice. It is so special to have a time like this with my daughter!
Back home for a few minutes and it was time to head over to Erlanger for Lynn's LAST HERCEPTION INFUSION! She is also able to discontinue the cumadin. How we have looked forward to this day! I am so thankful for her progress! What a year!!
Tonight Lynn and Alan went to church with me. We are having a Bible study using the Andy Griffith Mayberry stories from the TV series. Tonight's lesson was on mercy.
I have a sour cream pound cake in the oven. It bakes @ 300 degrees for 90 minutes.
I didn't get the beans picked. There was a rain and wind event late this afternoon. Hope it cools us off a bit 94 today!
Well, Hershey is trying to be a gardener. She 'picked' the two first ripe Roma tomatoes! I also found her eating petunias! She is learning some commands. For now with all the chewing and elimination events, she is entirely an outside puppy! She seems to have adopted the doghouse and enjoys the large back yard.
I made supper for Lynn and Alan tonight. she requested pinto beans. They both seemed to enjoy the meal And I enjoy having them, it gives me a reason to cook.
This has been a very hot day at 94 degrees! I did a little early watering and putting out a few last plantings then stayed inside the rest of the day.
I talked to Mary today. She had another eye surgery last Thursday. The earlier infection had caused some problems. She is hoping it got taken care of. And we join her in that prayer.
I need to pick green beans tomorrow. The bean's job is to make seed and if I don't keep the mature ones picked, the plant will not continue producing any more fruit. If I do keep harvesting and there is enough water and nutrition for them, I may have beans until frost. If the crop continues to do well, I will can some for Gregory. I wish he could be here to help me can them.
Yesterday, I finished putting straw mulch on the rest of the garden. I will put out a few more things soon. In the meantime I hope the weeds and grass will be subdued! Later I spent some time renovating the flower bed under the dogwood tree. The pansies had to go.. I always want them to stay, but June dosen't provide a favorable climate for them in our area.
Today Lynn and I went to the Barn Nursery and I found a few plants to go under the tree. I chose impatients, vinca and begonias. I believe they will be very effective.
We are, since all the recent rain, in the midst of a misquito hatchery! They are really swarming! Maybe the city will do something about them.
The visit to Springboro OH for Gene's sister Dottie's 80th birthday was very special. Gene would have loves the fireworks. Dottie has a wonderful family. Doris, Earl and Mike are on board to see about everything
I had green beans from the garden and made dinner for Lynn and Alan. We had green beans, potato casserole, salmon cakes and cantaloupe.
Hershey is growing! She's still very energetic but is learning some commands. For now she is staying in the back yard and is sleeping in the dog house most of the time. (sometimes by the back door.)
As a very small child, at West Liberty, KY I remember my brother Philip helping me get ready for Sunday School. It was at the Christian Church. Gene was assistant County Agent for Morgan County when Russell was about 2 1/2 years old, we attended the Christian Church there. We didn't have any opportunity to attend church at the Neal Howard's Creek home or when we were in Wayne County at Grandma Jones' big house on the Cumberland River. When we moved to Mt. Victory in March of 1935, there was a Presbyterian church close by. Mr David Jones would go early and ring the church bell a few minutes before time for Sunday School to begin. Daddy took me. We walked and he would tell me to hold on to his finger when we walked beside the road. I usually had a nickel to put in the offering. Some children carried a handkerchief and they would tie their nickel into the corner of the handkerchief so it wouldn't get lost.
Today Emily and Lynn spent the afternoon and evening with Gene's sister at her home here in Springboro, OH. Her children put together a wonderful birthday celebration and we had a chance to visit with so many relatives.
There were lots of nieces and nephews, their children, and their grandchildren. - Wow, where does time go. It seems only a short time ago that Gene and his sisters would gather at their Mother's house for various celebrations and it was their children who spent their time in cousin-playmate groups - trouble buddies, as one observer called it once.
The afternoon was lovely, even the rain that started just as the picnic began didn't dampen the spirits of the group that was gathered to celebrate. The evening finally ended after dark with a great fireworks display in the big back yard! What a way to have a birthday
On the way to Ohio Emily and Lynn had a nice stop over in Lexington. Frances met them at Cracker for a short visit and she treated them to blackberry cobbler.
Just before reaching the Lexington exit there was an incredible cloudburst and they had to pull over and wait it out for a bit. After that bit of rain the rest of the trip to Cincinnati and Springboro was a pretty easy drive. They spent the evening at Dot's house and had a nice visit with Dot and Doris, and Mary, Linda, and Jim. Everyone was busy getting ready for the party tomorrow. There were cooked potatoes to peel and chop, cucumbers, eggs and celery to chop, some of Dot's candied dill pickles to chop. Jim had already peeled and chopped a big bag of vidalia onions, and later in the evening cut up about six chickens and put his homemade barbecue rub on them to let them marinate overnight. The menu is for old fashioned recipes. Emily and Lynn are going to try to make some of Great Aunt Ruby's Pulled Cream Candy for the feast tomorrow.
I took the Volvo to Coker to have the front tires rotated and to have front end alignment and had to leave it overnight. Lynn took me to get it this morning. I had neglected to ask them to rotate the tires. I guess I thought that went with the alignment! So it got done this morning. I'm slowly learning about these tasks. The serviceman said the car really needed the alignment
I decided to take myself to lunch at Appleby''s. Just thought I'd try it. I had fish the server was very attentive. The serving was so generous I had enough for supper.
On the way home, I stopped by BiLo to get a few things. I found a doggy toy squirrel for Hershey. She loves it! It looks real and has a squeaker. I hope she will like chasing the many real squirrels that are robbing my bird feeders! Between the squirrels and the black birds, I've had to abandon trying to feed the birds.
The little southern magnolia that Gene teased me about when I got it abouot 4 years ago has finally bloomed! It had about 4 large sweet smelling white blooms. Now that I have a 'blooming magnolia, I've become a true southerner! He said it would get too large and I think we did plant it too close to the house. I wonder if it can be replanted.
Yesterday Alan, Lynn and I attended the Memorial ceremony at the National Military Cemetery; there was a soft rain part of the time. US Representative Zach Wamp gave a moving message. The road out of the cemetery was clogged so it took a while to get moving. The sun came out in the late afternoon, so I went to Gene's grave to put some flowers by the headstone. Clyde Glatter, Gene's 10 year old cousin and a boy scout had helped place US flags on all the graves. As I approached the area, Joan and Rick Denkinger from Gene's Gideon Camp were there. Gene liked to wear his army uniform on memorial day and on other special military events. He was proud of his service to our country. We attended the last memorial service together in May 2008. It was sad to be there without him.
Clyde spent part of the day with me today. He will be doing football and wrestling camps for the next two weeks. I had him read from a fourth grade Mcguffy Reader a revised edition first published in 1879. He read, Why The Sea is Salt, a Norwegian fairy tale.
Hershey is growing fast. Her legs are getting long. She spends a good bit of time in the yard and likes to sit in the swing with me. She wants to play with Plato,but he will have none of that!
I got most of the grass out of the garden before the rain. Everything is growing well. I think onions are ready and beans are blooming. The Rudolph-Wright girls have been helping with some of the yard work. They are redoing the river rock borders around the flower beds and doing some puning etc.
Lynn and Alan had a nice cookout on Sunday evening. Liga and Valdis had red chargers under their plates to celebrate the anniversary of their adoption and arrival in Chattanooga. They have grown up to be fine looking young people.
Sarah called me today to tell me that she and Ryan are having a baby boy! She sounded so happy. How wonderful to have great grand children. I sure want to be a special part of that little one's world! All of Steve's family are vacationing in Hawaii.
