Sunday, August 1, 2010

Vacation at the Cabin

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We had a great time at the cabin last week with family. It was so nice to see Richard's home and see how well he's doing. Leo and Kristen came for a few days giving us a chance to enjoy Tyler who is growing so fast and is just as fast on his feet. We went out in Andy's boat, hiked in the woods, and walked along the gorge at Stonybrook State Park. Plus, we had really wonderful meals.

I think the best part of our vacation though was the moonlight showers in the woods. Andy and Art got the water heated over a wood fire. When the mineral well water heats the water turns to a lovely shade of brown and it's time to ladle it into a bucket and carry down the hill and fill the larger shower bucket. Then you pull and fasten the rope connected to the pulley. This wonder shower has a lever to adjust the flow of water. You get wet, lather up,and rinse off. It felt sooo good. There's also an outhouse at the cabin with a very comfortable seat and a sign saying "Martha Stewart doesn't live here." I really think Andy and Mary should start a bread and breakfast!

Monday, May 10, 2010

SCRABBLE

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I taught Anthony how to play Scrabble and now I've met my match!

Sunday, May 2, 2010

Anthony & Alex's First Holy Communion

 
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The following was published in the First Holy Communion program:

I love the Lord. My grandparents are coming over for Holy Communion, so I want to spend time with them. I want to spend time with my Dad who's usually in Haiti. He's coming home for Holy Communion! - Anthony

It was a wonderful day for Anthony, Alex and all!

Thursday, March 4, 2010

Wren Houses


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Timmy and Bridget spent an overnight with us while Ted and Patti enjoyed an overnight of skiing. A win win situation!

We just happened to have a couple of unpainted wren houses in our attic -the grandkids all love to explore our attic! My dad and Richard had built these birdhouses years ago and I know they're for wrens because I called my brother Art the bird expert. Anyways the kids had a great time painting them and hopefully some wrens will find their new homes.

Saturday, February 6, 2010

Leo J. Tanghe - 101st Birthday

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Today in memory of what would have been Dad's 101st birthday I am posting an excerpt from his diary of 2/9/87.

Went to Art's to celebrate my birthday. Present were: Andy and Mary Kay, Susan, George, Andrew, Alan, Linda, Mike, Karen, Chris, Linda & Brad.

I gave the people a puzzle to solve

QUIZ
xU
_____
EDWIN

with a check for $100 for the first to solve it and call me. Soon everybody was quiet as a mouse, working on it, but nobody got it during the evening.

2/10/87 Marian called at 6:45 a.m. to tell me she solved the puzzle. I sent her the check for $100. Linda Moore Tanghe called in mid-afternoon to tell me that she solved it too. Nobody else called about it.

2/6/10 I'm not offering a hundred dollars but does anyone know the answer? And Dad Happy Birthday. I imagine you're chuckling!

Wednesday, February 3, 2010

Haiti Earthquake

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Bill and I enjoyed visiting our son, Peter, and his familiy in Florida this past November. We were happy to be with them for Thanksgiving. Pete has worked for the State Dept in Port-au-Prince, Haiti for the past two and a half years. He comes home as often as he can to be with Roxana and their two boys. He finishes this assignment in August and his next assignment will be Tijuana, Mexico with his family. Bill and I were considering going to Haiti this May.

On Jan 12 when we turned on the news we learned there had been an earthquake about half an hour earlier in Haiti. I was concerned and called Roxana to see if she had heard from Pete. When I called she was just learning about the quake from her sister who called. About an hour later she called back to tell us that Pete had sent her a short text message that he was ok. She was unable to contact him. She thought Pete had probably still been at the embassy at that time. Later she learned he was in his home which is a little ways out of the city and about two blocks from the Montana Hotel which fell.

Pete experienced the huge quake with crashing glass but his house did not fall. Three neighboring homes did collapse. One of these was the home of an embassy family where Peter helped to get three seriously injured people out of the rubble and carry them a long distance on makeshift stretchers to a place where they could receive medical aid. He worked very long hours at the embassy with little sleep. When he did sleep it was in his chair or on the floor. Meals were military rations. He was able to call Roxana through a line which went through Washington but could not call every day. With all the after shocks everybody at the embassy was on edge and would run outside of the building whenever they felt tremors. The embassy is a newer building and better constructed. A lot of people tented outside the embassy and there were very long lines for showers and bathrooms.

When we visited in November Peter was planning a Christmas party for the Haitian bodyguards and their families. It was the first time families were being invited and Pete had a list of all the childrens' names and ages. We went to Toys R Us to get small gifts for these kids. We heard later the party was a great success and the kids loved their gifts. They have very little. Pete said many of these children died.

About a week after the quake Pete posted on facebook. "I want to thank my family, friends, co-workers and DS Brotherhood for all of your wishes of support this week. It means a lot to me. It has been horrific, heartbreaking and unimaginable. To all my Haitian friends the human spirit that comes through in a tragedy such as this defies words. You are strong!"