31 May 2015 – Goodbye May 2015

Thu: gave a presentation and slide show to Ellie’s fourth grade class about SIN and their new year celebrations, focusing on the CNY. Appreciations to Mrs Patton for having me in her class. Red and white glazed sugar cookies from Blue Flour and 26 red packets with a lucky penny were given for them to remember SIN and CNY.

Lunched with Sophie first to discover that the cafeteria was out of ice-cream and snacks. Walked to McD to get milk-shakes and cookies for Ellie and John as their lunch was after Sophie. James was happy to be a part of his siblings’ school happenings. Took him to the McD playgrounds until Linn was done with the recruiting for the high school running team!

While Linn & the other kids were at swim practice, James and I went swimming down the lake. Thank goodness both of us like the water. Slept very well that evening 🙂

Fri: Sophie’s class for slide show and pizza.

Field day for Ellie where they had to fill the bucket. Could only stay out for a short while as the hot sun was blazing on an unhappy head between noon and 1300hrs. Had to get indoors, otherwise might not get to my own bucket list… hahaha

L&J had date night and we had hotdogs, Minions cookies, watched movie and dancing – Katy the DJ and singer is a great help being the eldest of the flock. Fun watching them but where does all this energy come from?????

Was too tired to climb even one flight of stairs to get the camera!

Sat: family busy with kiddies’ bday party and boating with friend. Booking one-way ticket on Greyhound US$68 to meet with Glenda&Franklin/NC so that I can ride with them to Harpers Ferry/WV. It has been 10yrs ago since last at HF – the half-way point on the AT.

25 May 2015 – Life Is Good
Thu: swim and water-gun fight with the kids at the lake. Jeff made this yummy sweet consisting of melted butter and brown sugar poured over saltine crackers covered with chocolate which he calls ‘Scott Thingies’

Asked Scott to provide a name for his Thingies and here is the answer – the official name is ‘Chocolate Bark’, but it became well-known in UF and IV circles as Scott Thingies, affectionately dubbed so by Linn and/or Jeff W.W. I haven’t actually made our had one in many years, wish i could partake. Glad to hear the legend lives on!

Fri: #2 Ellie’s Book Award Nominees & Biomes Project – Tropical Rainforest at Irmo Elementary.

Tropical mangoes with fresh cherries after #2 Ellie’s Biomes Tropical Rainforest Project. Finally a pix with #4 Sophie – like her ‘mormor’ she likes food 🙂

Sat: Congratulations to Linn & The Strictly Running Team for a good run and for placing at the JailBreak 5K Run at The Lexington County Sheriff’s Department on Gibson St. The 3 masters are Shannon, Linn (20:18mins) and Joyce.

What a beautiful and glorious day for a race. Perfect dry cool morning.for short walk in the neighbourhood. Learnt from one of the sheriffs that jail and prison are not the same!

What a pleasant surprised from #1, 2 & 3 with laundry in machine, freshly-made muffins and table set when we returned from the race…

Sun: Frank & Jennifer who will be getting married in Nov stayed for the night as they were attending a friend’s wedding here in town. Linn was out for her run and Jeff on call – poor them having to put up with me!  Good luck to them and all the best for their future.

Family’s new toy in the driveway with John’s shark helmet to give an interesting touch for the pix 🙂

Combined BBQ, not the same as grilling, dinner with Haley, Brian their 2 boys and 2 dogs who live next door. Zuno loves being there as they have a fenced-in backyard and he can run freely and play with their bitch! Gave them 3 rib bones each and I became their best friend, for that moment 🙂 🙂

A short sunset boat ride on the lake to end this wonderful day.

On Memorial Day, I don’t want to only remember the combatants. There were also those who came out of the trenches as writers and poets, who started preaching peace, men and women who have made this world a kinder place to live – Eric Burdon

21 May 2015 – Pre-School

Mon: Irmo Middle School Media Center which overlooks some nice pond.

Thank you Katy for her performance  of Beethoven’s Ode to Joy and Mozart’s Happy Dance with the Irmo Middle Orchestra Chamber Music Recital.

James at this age is fascinated with police and fire-engines and today’s audience included one of the mothers who is a police officer. Lucky boy and he got a cup cake at the end of the performance. After licking the icing he said to Linn, ‘here mommy, you can have my cup-cake’ 🙂

Tue: what a bummer with car problems. The Volvo radiator has a crack and needs to be in the workshop for a day costing US$1,000+ Being the last one to drive it, I am beginning to be paranoid about being jinx 🙁 Thank goodness Cindy is here and could help with the driving to swimming for the rest of the gang!

Wed: #5 James’ last day at Union Preschool. For Linn & Jeff, this ends a decade and era of pre-schoolers at the same location for all 5.

A gathering at the church for the year ending ceremony and to their class room to say goodbye to teachers and staff. Much about James lately as he has to hang around us but that too shall pass 🙂 🙂

Next school year, starting in Aug 2015 –  Ellie, John, Sophie and James in the same Elementary school for one year. Aug 2016 Ellie starts middle school and Katy starts high school.

The Gardiner bush is in full bloom at the backyard. Time flies and a last 2015 pix of the dandelion field – who knows what 2016 will bring!

18 May 2015 – Celebrating 17May For 47 Years

Sat: appreciations to Anna & Jim+their 4 boys for an early 17 May gathering at heir place. They must have the biggest Norwegian flag I have ever seen! Hotdogs and hamburgers were perfect food before all the yummy home-made Norwegian cakes – blotkaker, krumkaker, mandelkake.

Kids were having a blast in their backyard, lost count of children and the lovely SC roses as the day and the wine went down 🙂

Sun: hipp hipp hurra for 17 mai – gratulerer med dagen till alle nordmenn i Norge og verden rundt. To May, Bjørn and Olai – Happy 17th May and hugs from us here in CAE/SC.

Family is at church and lunch and I am having some quiet time reading and chilling before another the Bennetts are scheduled to grill and swim in the lake later this afternoon.

John as I have mentioned has a quiet disposition and was sitting with me away from the crowd. The hammock has been taken down as Zuno has a tendency to chew on it! Cindy (Jeff’s mom) is also here for a few days to look for houses with the intention to buy!!

Mon: Happy 50th Wedding Anniversary to Lawrence & Mabel. Apologies that I could not make it to celebrate the occasion.

There are two lasting bequests we can give our children. One is roots. The other is wings – Hodding Carter, Jr.

16 May 2015 – On Lake Murray

Just before turning into the Clearwater subdivision there is this golden field of wild dandelions and woods by the main road. Passed by it everyday and have been admiring it. Walked to the main road to get this shot before they turn white and get carried away in the wind.

Entrance to Clearwater is marked clearly by this bricked wall and then another one with nice greenery. One cannot miss these sign unless the eye sight is not clear!

The tennis courts and storage for boats are near the entrance of this sub division and Linn&Jeff’s boat is at the workshop.

Thu: Zuno was fussing and whining when we got back from grocery shopping. Thought he was entangled with his leash at the backyard and went out to untangle him. Stood at a distance as he was focusing on the ground, thank goodness for my snake phobia eye-sight to see this black and yellow snake.

Ran back indoors like a bullet and Linn my hero took care of the rest – has been identified as a KingSnake, the good kind, but to me a snake is a snake and will keep far far away from them! You can now bet your life that I will not be in the backyard for a while!

Fri: James had WaterDay@Union and was fun to watch the kids and some of the parents having a blast with water and bubbles on this lovely day.

Bought enough spirits and wines for the 17th May weekend 🙂 A nice evening swim at the lake with the kids, except for Katy who was a Bday party. Tested out my new toy against the 4 and it sure works as well as protecting myself from biting dogs 🙂 🙂

If you live among dogs, keep a stick. After all, this is what a hound has teeth for-to bite when he feels like it – Nikita Khrushchev

TGIF and let the weekend begin 🙂 🙂 🙂

14 May 2015 – The Best Behaved Dog In This World!!

Mon: shopping at PetSmart to replace the Zuno’s ID tag. Amazing do-it-yourself machine!  So fascinated with it that I got a baggage tag for myself too! Silly me for clipping the leash on his tag instead of his collar on the first day I was trying to walk him. Of course, it broke and he shot off like a bullet to the neighbour next door.

Appreciations for good neighbours who also are dog owner, got a piece of ham from his home to help me tricked Zuno back.

At Lake Murray with Linn feeling good to see that #2, 3, 4&5 are secured and happy in or out of the water. Grandchildren and clouds watching are my favourite past time for now 🙂

Saw the figure of a dog on this cloud – should have taken the warning. Got bitten by a dog some minutes after the cloud shot. Some small dog has seemingly also bit some of my grandchildren and other people too. Will carry my walking stick from now on when I go walking in this neighbourhood. Thank goodness the skin was not broken or it would have been bad being on blood thinner!

Tue: enjoy shopping at Walmart where I can get nearly everything under one roof at an affordable price. Bought this water-gun so that I can defend myself against the 5 of them… hahaha. Made fried rice and apple pie for dinner. The grandchildren are good eaters. Had mussels, squids, shrimps, etc and they ate everything with 2nd and 3rd helpings. James is the only one who was skeptical with the mussels!

Wed: Linn had to go for her dental check-up. Took the opportunity to accompany her to say hi to Scottie. Irmo Elementary for the book sales – glad to buy these 2 books for the price of one which I will certainly also learn from. Got to say hi to #2, 3&4 in their classes.

Lunched at a local joint Mathias***and had my best onion rings.

Picked James at Union and this is the first time I noticed the sign – after 10yrs 🙂 Today a blackbird landed on the steeple while we were in the car line. The sky was in such a pure blue colour with no clouds floating about.

Short stroll up the street in the neighbourhood to finally discover the best behaved dog in this world who did not bark, bite, chase, slobber, lick, or jump on me! Like Gator may she/he RIP. All dogs go to heaven!

10 May 2015 – Happy Mother’s Day To All Mothers

Sat: heading out to the Cub Scouts Camp, app 1hr drive west to be with John. Was asked to judge the four dessert dishes, chose the Pineapple Upside Down Cake to be the winner with the Marshmallow Cake for the runner-up.

John #3, my only grandchild born in SIN has a sweet and quiet disposition. Like his father, thinks before he acts and speaks. Has some resemblance to the actor Owen Wilson except that John is more handsome and that is coming from a subjective grandmother 🙂

Did not even realized that John has changed his uniform. Tkx Jeff for bringing my attention that John has now moved from the Wolf Den (yellow uniform) to the Bear Den (blue). Apologies John, plx excuse mormor’s ignorance about Boy Scouts and Cubs and thank you for explaining it to me. Pix not clear or bright enough being the first experience with night shots for this camera!

A beautiful evening with a lively group by the campfire. James was completely wiped-out.

Sun: Happy Mother’s Day greetings from USA to all mothers. To Linn​ & May​, thank you for making this life’s journey a beautiful worthwhile existence.

Morning Mother’s Day hugs from the family and John surprised me with a drawing, how touching and thoughtful. Church with the family and later a delicious grilled fresh lobster & salmon dinner at home. Tkx Linn for the Edible Arrangement, yummy and refreshing fruits with layer cake from Miri/Sarawak which was packed into the check-in luggage from Miri and then from SIN – CAE…

10 May 2015 – Chilling With Linn & Family

Wed & Thu: just relaxing and enjoying the time reconnecting with the family. Amazing to know that after 10yrs, this will be Linn’s last month for picking up her kid from Union United Methodist Church Kindergarten&Pre-School. All the 5 USA grandchildren attended this school.

Fri: getting ready for John’s Cub Scout camp. Finally a chance to take family pix before Jeff and the 4 younger kids drove off for the evening.

John getting ready with his uniform. James is all Gator thru’&thru’ in his training wheels 🙂 and Zuno hoping desperately that he could go with the kids!

A lovely evening with Linn, Katy and Zuno playing fetch on Lake Murray. Times like these need few words. Every moments are precious.

Sat: up bright and early for Linn’s ‘Get in the Pink’ 10k RR.

Katy & I had a lovely walk in this beautiful CAE neighbourhood on Devine St with nice big trees where there were at least 4 churches on this stretch of road!

Congratulations to Linn for her 3rd overall placing – she is not too happy with her times, 44+mins but still won US$100.

It is Mother’s Day in SIN, my birthplace. Thank you to my mother TSENG MayLan (1911-1965). Gone but never forgotten. Pix from 1955, 1960 and 1965, when she was struggling with cancer and the last pix of her alive.

When you are a mother, you are never really alone in your thoughts. A mother always has to think twice, once for herself and once for her child – Sophia Loren