Oma's Slipping Up on Her Blogging!



Our Katy girl turned one year old on May 19! Oh, what a party she had . . . it would have made Paris Hilton jealous! (Well, maybe not. But who cares.) The whole thing was a bit overwhelming, you know. First there were all those people (45 or so) at the park after her nap. But the wierdest thing was when Mommy put Katy in the high chair, she thought it was time for supper. Amazingly, all the people stopped talking and started SINGING! And the song had her NAME in it! Then they gave Katy a whole cake . . . which is also wierd since Mommy cuts all her food into itty bitty pieces so she won't choke, you know. And everybody was watching her like she was supposed to do something. Katy never did really figure it out. But she fed some of the cake to Daddy, and he seemed to like it. After all the pictures, everybody started talking again and Katy got to go back to the playground with her cousins.

Katy's good buddy cousin Gabe came to the party, too. He will be one in September, so he was learning the ropes for when his turn comes. His Mommy and Daddy (Abby and Stan) were there as were Uncle Neil and Aunt Bonnie (Papaw and Nana) and Granny and Grandpa. It was a great time eating cake and visiting and going down the slides and stuff between the rain drizzles.

Opa and Oma came in from Pittsburgh on Saturday for the party because we were walking for Sojourner House in the Walk for a Healthy Community that morning. We went down to the Steeler's stadium, Heinz Field, at 6:30 a.m. Saturday and participated in a 6K walk around the North Side of Pittsburgh. It was a beautiful morning, and there were over 6,000 walkers participating to earn money for 33 different non-profit organizations that day. Sojourner House had about 150 walkers and raised $3,500. We left Pittsburgh directly from the walk at around 10 a.m. and came cruisin' into Columbus around 1 o'clock in time to pick up our fruit tray and dash over to the party. What a busy day.

That evening, Opa Greg and I went home with Granny and Grandpa and hung out in New Carlisle until Sunday. We just relaxed and visited and went through some of the old toys and things they found when they were cleaning out the house in Markle. It was amazing to see some of those long-forgotten dolls with the 50's hair-do's that looked so stylish back then. What a grand time we had eating broasted chicken and coleslaw from the Mel-O-Dee Restaurant on Saturday night. Some things are just better than you remember them, you know?

Melanie is busy with finals this week and starts a new job at a day care in Westerville, Ohio, next Wednesday. She is living with Brian and Emily for the summer and doing the Nehemiah Project (which she will eventually tell me about when she gets time). There is always something going on with that kid; and sleeping is kind of optional. However, I must brag a little bit. Melanie was awarded a $2,000 scholarship from her college for next year. I went to Columbus on Friday, May 11, to attend the award ceremony for the group of students being honored. I was terribly proud of her for working so hard in school and for finding ways to help finance her education, too. Congratulations, sweetheart.

Baby and the Beach!

We just got back from a marvelous vacation in Charleston, South Carolina. I had never been there before, and I must say it is a truly charming city with lots to do and some of the greatest low-country cooking you can imagine. It even made a grits-lover out of me; and that is no easy task! Pictured here are the historical homes along East Bay Street referred to as Rainbow Row. These places sell for around $2 million; and you have to get approval from the Board of Architectural Review before you can paint them to make sure the color meets with their approval. They are lovely, but the hurricanes get them every few years as well. Pay up your insurance!


Brian, Emily and Katy joined us for a few days, and we toured the city, ate seafood at Hyman's, and shopped . . . well, Emily and I shopped. :-) On the second day, we decided to try the beach. Katy's Grammy sent along some sand toys, so we got to watch her get her first digging experience. I think she may have a place in excavation. The sand was pretty interesting until you got all wet in the ocean and it stuck to you and made you all itchy. Then, when your wicked mommy decides to rinse you off in the cold, sharp shower by the beach house, things can get really nasty. This picture of Katy was taken before the dreaded shower. Everything ended happily, however, when Katy discovered the joy of eating Opa Greg's strawberry cheesecake ice cream. Daddy had to go get another scoop just for Katy to share with Greg since she ate most of his.

On the next day, Brian and Opa Greg decided to chill at the condo while the girls went exploring. Emily and Oma and Katy decided to take in the Magnolia Plantation on the Ashley River that is one of the oldest plantations in the United States. It was started in about 1670 (I think) by the Drake family and has been in that family for something like 12 generations. There was a petting zoo and miles of beautiful gardens to walk through and enjoy. Below are some pictures from that field trip. The deer was in the picture was just checking to see if Katy had food, but it looks like the Bambi kiss from the movie, doesn't it?

"Hello, little girl. Got any pellets?"

This bridge is famous around Charleston. There are lots of artists renderings of it on prints in the marketplace.

Emily and Katy on the foot bridge.