November 2025

I was driving at the mall and saw this HUGE American flag blowing in the breeze and it was too pretty to not take a picture.  

November 1 - Steve has been working on a leather apron he designed for working out in the garage.  It is a functional work of art.  

I spent the afternoon and evening helping Liz Grindstaff with a memorial for her father.  His favorite holiday was Halloween so she wanted to do it while all the decorations were still up.  It was a fun-filled event with a lot of happy memories.  Her father sounded like he was an amazing person.   She is definitely her father's daughter.   I also got to reconnect with Heather Mullis,  a friend a lost contact with when they moved -- into the house right next to Liz.  

November 4 - the reconnecting with people from my past continued today.  I got a random call from Barbi Siemon.  She just wanted to call and catch up. It was good to hear that she is doing really well. 

Steve went to Nashville for his annual meeting with his work group.  They had a fun, yet productive time planning for the coming year.  I love that he enjoys the people with whom he works.  

November 5 - Another reconnecting moment.  I went to the polls to vote and ran into Collette.  She and I worked together on the PTA at Highland Creek Elementary.  It was good to see her. 

November 7 - I had a Relief Society training I had to attend, so Val picked Steve up from the airport.  It was good to see him and hear all about the planning they did for the coming year.  

I love the fall colors and the sun was just at the right angle as I was walking into school!

November 8 - Steve and I attended a temple session where our friend, Tammy, was going through the temple for the first time.  There were a lot of familiar faces in the group.  That always makes being in the temple more special.  Afterwards, we went to dinner with the O'Briens.  We always have such a good time when we get together. 

November 11 - I spent the day getting the house cleaned up and ready for Avian to come home for the holidays.  I did laundry, put clean sheets on the bed, went grocery shopping for favorite foods, etc.  That night Steve and I went to dinner with the Boden's.  Rebekah wasn't sure what restaurant to use to cater the Presidency dinner.  I told her that Midwood Smokehouse would be amazing and she wanted to sample the food first.  Both she and Dave agreed that it was the perfect place.  

November 13 -  I drove to school with the windows down, because the air was just the right amount of crisp.  It was perfect.  I parked the truck and went to roll up the windows and they would not roll back up.  I had to get into the building and to my morning carpool station, so I called Steve and told him what had happened.  He told me to leave my keys at the front desk and he would some over and take a look.  About 25 minutes later, Steve came walking up to give me my keys.  He had gotten the windows to roll up, but he also made an appointment to have Heath look at it then next day.  Steve is the best. 

We called Avian to wish them a Happy 20th Birthday!  They were really excited about being done with finals and going out to dinner with roommates that night to celebrate.  They also told us that one of their professors had drawn them a picture of Batman as a present.  

November 14 - Instead of taking the truck into Heath, as planned, Steve ended up taking the Xterra as it was acting up.  It ended up being the catalytic converter.  At least we had an appointment.

Avian got home safely.  I had just enough time to hug them and then headed out to a Relief Society activity.  I was going as a representative from the Stake so I couldn't miss it, otherwise I would definitely have stayed home to help Avian move back in.  It was a good night. We had dinner and talked about things we were thankful for.  I found a new recipe to share and it was a hit -  see below.

Pumpkin Pie Cheesecake Bites.  YUM!

November 15 -  Avian spent the day with Rose at the RenFest.  This was Rose's present to Avian and those two really know how to have fun when they get together.  

November 16 - The truck was smelling really funky and I found the source.  Some chicken I had purchased a few days earlier had been really juicy and apparently leaked onto the carpet of the truck.  It was nasty, but I got it all cleaned up.  Unfortunately, having the doors to the truck open for that long drained the battery.  Steve went and got a new battery put in.  Now Tyrone is ready to take on the world.  

Steve finished his leather apron and it turned out better than he thought it would.  Charlotte has been invaded by ICE looking for illegal immigrants to deport.  The streets were not as busy as usual because people were staying at home and not risking going anywhere.  It was a really tense time here in Charlotte.  

We also celebrated Avian's birthday - FINALLY!  It takes time to coordinate everyone's schedules.  

Our baby is 20!

November 20th - Avian and I spent the day fixing their weighted blanket.  All the beads had collected in the four corners with nothing in the middle.  Avian unpicked the whole thing and collected the beads.  We then tag-teamed sewing the rows with the even amount of beads in each section.  It was a fun project and Avian loves having their weighted blanket back again. 

Afterwards, Avian helped me make the banana pudding for the Relief Society Presidencies dinner the following night.  

November 21st - Val's car needed new brakes.  Steve and Avian took turns driving Val to and from work while the car was being fixed.  We also pulled off the presidencies dinner.  The food and conversation were amazing.  I didn't  think we were going to get it done with such a short timeline and no real plan for decorating.  

November 22nd - Avian and I took advantage of the 80 degree weather and went kayaking.  It was a beautiful day with the fall foliage and turtles sunning themselves on the rocks.  

So many turtles.  

November 24th - While opening the side gate at school, I banged my knee on the gate and felt an incredibly painful surge go from my knee down my shin and then back up into my knee.  I couldn't walk for a minute.  In that minute I recognized that God had his rolling pin ready to get my attention further if I didn't listen.  I had put off calling an orthopedic doctor for MONTHs and it was now time.  I had the doctor I wanted to use, thanks to Andy Barkley (a co-worker who has had both her knees done) so I gave his office a call completely expecting to not be seen until after the first of the year.  They happened to have a cancellation that afternoon so I took it.  Avian brought me some shorts and I headed off to my appointment after lunch.  Dr. Kirkus was very nice! He got some x-rays done of my knees and then spent time talking to me about my options, which were very limited as I have bone-on-bone arthritis in both knees.  A total knee replacement is really my only option to get rid of the pain I am having.  When I told him it was my right knee that would probably need to be done first he looked at me and told me that my left knee was worse on x-ray.  I told him that my right knee was screaming a lot louder than the left at this point so we decided to schedule a total knee replacement for my right knee.  The scheduler got with me so quickly and, once again, I thought it would be months before they could get me on the schedule.  It turned out that there was an opening in January, so I took it.  I didn't want to see what the rolling pin would do next if I didn't take this opportunity that was handed to me.  

November 27th was the annual Turkey Trot.  Nick loves running this 5k on Thanksgiving morning.  As always, he had a great time running and even decided to run home after the race was over.  

At the starting line

Finishing well within the time he wanted.  

 

Steve and I got home and started the meal prep while Avian checked in the dogs across the street.  

I actually set the table this year and got a little fancy.  We invited John Latham to join us for dinner.  It was a fun, but laid back Thanksgiving.  John always tells the best stories.   

November 30th - Avian hosted a cookout in our backyard with all their friends.  They spent the night around the firepit talking and having a good time.  

Val went to a birthday party for one of her friends and was the designated driver.  A couple of her friends stayed the night since they had a long drive to get back home.  

October 2025

October 3  - The month started off pretty rough.  When I went into the garage to start the truck so I could go to work, it wouldn't start.  I did all the little tricks Steve had showed me when the truck did this on our road trip, but nothing worked.  I woke Steve up so he could take me to work and we could figure it out later.  After opening the gate, we came around the school building find the Scholastic Book Fair truck parked by the library entrance doors.  Steve let me out there and I helped the driver get everything unloaded so he could be long gone before carpool started.  At the end of a long and active day, I caught a ride home with my neighbor, Heather, who happens to work at LNC as well.  

October 4 - First thing Saturday morning we took the truck to Heath to have him check it out.  He was not able to find anything that would have prevented the truck from starting.  We will just have to watch and see if it happens again.  This weekend was also General Conference and a good chance to get some small projects done while listening to the talks.  

October 11 - We decided to drive to Savannah to visit Avian and to put the official license plate on Tim.  All the paperwork had been completed (finally).  We honked as we passed the dorm on the way to the parking lot for parents on weekends.  After we took care of the license plate, we walked to Starlandia.  They were having their $10 bag sale.  Anything you could get in a bag was only $10.  I got a SCAD rain visor and some labels and Avian and Steve threw a few things in as well.  It was a deal.  Back at the dorm, we picked up the roomies and took them to lunch at Chipotle.  It was fun to listen to them talk during lunch.  Avian really did hit the roommate lottery with this crew.  After lunch, we dropped the roomies off and went up to Broughton to visit Blick and get a few other things.  Avian found the perfect birthday present for Ezra and I got some of Dr. Graham's favorite body scrub.  The day ended way to soon and we were on our way back to Charlotte.  

I found these at Blick Art Supply while we were getting Avian stuff for classes.  Jenny and I used to each more Mac and Cheese than I am sure was healthy. Even Jenny agree that Mac and Cheese gummies was pushing it too far.  

We drove through a heavy rainstorm just south of Columbia.  Suddenly a rainbow appeared right in front of us.  I had an epiphany that a rainbow is all about perspective, timing and focus.   A rainstorm is about your proximity to and perspective of the light reflecting off the water vapor in the air.  Your focus needs to be on the right things at the right time.  To see a rainbow all this needs to be in alignment to see it.  If you are not focusing, aligned and in proximity with God, you won't see the miracles, the messages, the people, etc. God puts in your way.  

October 17 - I went to the temple with all the RS presidencies in the stake.  It was fun having so many familiar faces in the room.  Afterwards we went to Chick Fil A to get to know each other a little better.  

October 18 - Steve went to a tool show in Hickory and had a great time.  While he was playing with tools, I got a shipment of yarn Sharron sent.  It was amazing.  That night we went to the Boden's to watch the Utah vs. BYU football game.  We were definitely the token Ute fans to pick on during the game.  We did not give them what they wanted.  We complemented the plays of both teams.  Yes, we are evil! 

So much yarn with so many possibilities. 

October 21 - Steve pulled a 15 yours day to figure out the AI stuff at work.  He was exhausted but they accomplished a lot.  

Gorgeous clouds at the end of the day

October 23 - I attended an IXL conference in uptown Charlotte and learned so much about the data capabilities of this program.  Steve started working on his leather apron.  It is going to be really cool when he is done.  

October 26 - We met Nicole and Peter Ivey at church.  They were in town for a conference and happened to be at our ward this Sunday.  Nicole and I got talking before the lesson and continued afterwards.  We had so much in common and wanted to continue getting to know each other.  We invited them to dinner.  We lit a fire in the firepit and had a blast getting to know each other better.  Both of us substitute at school and love it.  We are easily distracted - SQUIRREL.  We both have trans/bi children.  She plays the violin and crochets and loves the We Do Not Care Club.  It was a fun night.  

October 27 I was in meeting ALL day - from 8 am to 10:30 pm - school and then church.  It was a long day.  

October 28 - I was walking into the building in the morning.  When I came around the corner, I stopped in my tracks.  There was a skunk walking around under the canopy where there would be students in less than half an hour.  I immediately called Nick and let him know and followed the skunk until it disappeared into the bushes by the basketball hoops.  We never did find it, but it was quite an adventure.  

October 31 - Avian texted a picture of her with Rose at the DQ in Savannah.  Avian's roommates helped Rose surprise Avian with an overnight trip.  She got to watch Avian play in the volleyball tournament.  Avian's team took 3rd place.  They were very surprised.  

September 2025

September 3 - Avian finished up the chalices and matching boxes for the roomies.  They also finished the Odysseus hoodie.   Now all that needed to be done is pack up their room to return to school.  The summer went by so quickly.  Oh, they also got their hair cut and had a few doctor appointments as well.  

For Sid

For Mags

For V

For Ezra

The complete set - Avian's included

The hoodie front

The hoodie back

The Laurel crown on the hoodie

September 5 - We had everything packed up and were ready to leave Charlotte by 7. The first part of the drive was very uneventful.  About the time we got to Orangeburg, SC, we were getting hungry so we stopped at a Chick Fil A.  Avian put the car in park and it started rolling backwards the second they took their foot off the brake pedal.  Steve traded places with them and tried taking the car out of park.  It was stuck.  We thought that maybe turning it off and on again would help.  Now it wouldn't start and would roll backwards if Steve took his foot off the brake pedal.  We rolled it into a parking spot that had a downward slant and a curb to stop it from rolling further.  We Googled the nearest Ford dealership and it was just half a mile down the road.  Steve left us at Chick Fil A and went to talk to the Ford dealership to see if they could tow us there and do the repairs.  They had a tow truck in the lot and it followed Steve back to Chick Fil A and we got the the car towed to their dealership.  The mechanic said it was most likely the gear chain (the thing that makes sure it stays in park and goes into drive) and that they would not be able to get to it until Monday.  It would be at least $2000 to repair and that was just an estimate.  While we were waiting for the mechanic to look at the Fusion we looked around the lot and saw a 2017 Focus that would fit in our budget if we decided the repairs were going to be too much.  When they came back with the $2000 conservative estimate, we decided not to put any more money into BeatsWalkin.  Avian drove the Focus and liked it.  We got all the paperwork started to buy a new car.  In the mean time, Avian had contacted SCAD housing to say that we would be a little late.  They were okay with that and Avian calmed down a lot once they heard this.  

 

Saying goodbye to Beatzwalkin.  It had been a good car.  

Say hello to Tim

Avian and I left Steve at the dealership to finish signing the paperwork and drove to SCAD to get their things unpacked.  Steve followed later once all the paperwork was finalized.  With all that had happened since we left Charlotte, we were only two hours later than anticipated.  I would say that it all worked out as best as it could considering everything.  The dealership was close, they had a tow truck available and we ended up with a more reliable car for Avian.  

In order to give Avian some time to get settled in without us in the way, we went to check into our hotel.  We also check to make sure the hotel had a room available for the following night.  We decided to extend our stay an extra day to make sure that Avian was truly settled in.  The new car threw us a curveball with having to change it on the insurance and get everything updated in the SCAD system.  Avian was relieved when we told them we would stay any extra night to get it all sorted out.  Once we were checked in and had our additional night secured, we went back to Avian's dorm, drove to Target to get a few additional things, dropped those off at the dorm and picked up Sid.  Avian drove Tim to our hotel for the night since Tim wasn't official in the SCAD system yet and didn't have a place to park on campus.  We then went up to Broughton and met Mags and Ezra at Jalapenos for dinner.  It was quite the day.  We were glad for comfortable beds that night.  

The new dorm room at Victory.  

The courtyard for studying.  

Making it their own.  

September 6th we woke up and did a run to Walmart since we knew that Target was already pretty picked over.  There were still some supplies that they needed for the dorm.  Back at the dorm, Sid had arrived and was moving in.  I got to meet Sid's dad, Jason, and we talked while be put some shelved together for Sid's room.  He is a really nice gentleman and a talented photographer.  He showed us some of his work and I can see where Sid gets her talent.  Mags and Avian wanted to go to the beach to relax after all the work of moving in.  We made one stop to pick up the boogie boards from Mag's dad and then headed to the beach.  Avian and Mags played in the waves while Steve looked for shark teeth.  I sat and watch everything.  Avian and Mags played in the waves for hours.  It is nice to have a beach friend who enjoys the beach the same way you do.  It was a really fun day.   

proof that I really was there with them. 

A little light house I saw for the first time as we were leaving Tybee Island.

After a fun day at the beach, we dropped the kids back off at their dorm so they could get ready for D&D that night.  It was their first night all back together and they had a huge celebration planned.  Steve and I went to the hotel to clean up before going to dinner.  Some friends of ours told us we needed to eat at The Pirate's House so we made reservations for that night for our anniversary dinner.   The restaurant was and old house that used to be a place where pirates/sailors would stop by for a meal.  It had a lot of history.  Our table was in the old root cellar which was the most haunted place in the whole building.  I don't know if I was more relieved or disappointed that we did not get to find out just how haunted during our meal.  After dinner we took the tour and were shown all the back places and told scary stories.  There were some stairs up to the night quarters which were steep and not safe so we only got to see them, not walk up them.  While adding on the bathrooms they would a bunch of cannon balls and left the hole open for people to see the old artifacts.  After dinner, we walked along the river for a bit before heading back to the hotel for the night.   Maybe a ghost did follow us out of the Pirate's House because we could not get our parking ticket to allow us to pay for our parking.  Even the parking attendance couldn't get it to work.  In the end, we got free parking for the night.  At least it was a friendly ghost!    

Steve in the root cellar where we ate.  

The full moon through the Spanish moss hanging in the trees.  

9/7- We got to sleep in for a little bit before checking out of the hotel.  Avian and the crew were not awake yet from their night of D&D so we found a flea market to visit until everyone was awake.  There were some really fun  finds at this place.   

The roomies had mentioned wanting an accent chair for the dorm.  They may have said yes it this wasn't $800. 

When everyone was awake, we met them at Waffle House for breakfast before heading out.  Ezra's aunt and cousin were there as well.  

After breakfast, we dropped Avian off at the dorm and then headed home.  It had been a longer weekend than anticipated, but it was filled with great memories and I was more confident in Tim being a good car for Avian with all the driving they might need to do.  We took a new way home to avoid 1-26 as Google Maps said it was backed up (no surprise there).  We went up I-95 to Bishopsville which put up near McBee.  It was 24 minutes longer, ,but MUCH prettier and more relaxing.   Plus we got to stop in McBee for peaches and peach enchiladas.  

September 8 - I finished the teddy bears and quilts 

September 12 - Covid sucks!   I really thought it was allergies from pulling all the chickweed.  NOPE!  Oh well, I had a chance to get my Mama Bear sweatshirt done.  

September 14-15 - Avian drove to Durham to attend the annual "Welcome to Nightvale" tour with Max.  It is a fun weekend for both of them.  Avian said Tim made the drive so much easier.  

September 20 - Steve and I went to the Freedom Park Arts Festival.  There were so many vendors and we enjoyed looking at all the art.  Once vendor did line art that was mind-bogglingly detailed.  We bought some stickers for Tim and Steve's car and I got a jelly fish picture to go with our beach decor.  

Meanwhile, down in Savannah, Avian FINALLY got a pumpkin pie Blizzard.  

Percy the Porch Pelican and Darby the Doorstep Dachshund

Darby the Doorstep Dachshund - side view 

September 25th - I fell and really smacked my knee at school.  I was walking outside during the 8th grade PA time and went to kick a basketball towards the curb.  I stepped on it rather than kicking it and came down on my left knee as I was protecting my right knee.  I had to file Workman's Comp because there was instability and a lot of swelling.  Spoiler Alert:  I now understand why people don't file these claims because they don't go anywhere.  Oh, and I am fine.  

September 27th -  Steve and I had the privilege of attending an Eagle Court of Honor for Bob Coughlin.  He has been a part of scouting since our boys started so many years ago.  He did his project and a clerical error kept him from receiving it 47 years ago.  It was a very heart-warming Court of Honor with everyone whom he touched in attendance to honor him.  

September 28th - President Nelson passed away at the age of  101.  He will be missed.  There was also a mass shooting and arson at an LDS church building in Michigan. So much going on in this crazy world.  

It was also the primary program in our ward.  This is my favorite Sunday.  The kids are all so excited to have the spotlight on them and they always put on a great program.  The new song is one of my all-time favorites.   "My Own Sacred Grove" is the new song.  

Nick came up and he and Val went to a movie together.   I love that they make time for each other.  

9/29 - I called the Workman's Comp number and requested to be seen to make sure I didn't have any significant damage to my knee.  They sent me to the nearest urgent care.  The doctor told me what I needed to know - all my ligaments are still intact.  I can deal with the recovery knowing this piece of information.  

Avian called to say that they had two more pieces in another show.  They also made the men's volleyball team and were excited to get to play at the next level.