She's Baaackkk!

I'll have to tell you that I hadn't realized that it has been a bit more than two years since I last posted an entry on this blog.  I'm not sure why.  It could have been laziness, or it could have been that life got slightly crazy, or it could have been that I forgot.  Any of those is possible at my age!

So, I'll try to catch you up if I can remember how to use this blogspot.

The biggest thing that has happened in the last couple of years is that my mother died last spring.  She had not been sick, but at 93, one never knows.  We had her 93rd birthday party on April 19.  It was such fun and almost everybody that meant something to her was in attendance.  She died about three weeks later of a stroke. It took her within 48 hours.  Although we miss her, as only a mother can be missed, we are glad that she did not have to live with the challenges that the stroke damage would have brought.  We are comforted in knowing that she lived a good productive life and left a legacy that will continue for generations.  RIP, Mama.  We love you so much!

Mama's 93rd Birthday

Mama's and Daddy's Graves

Jim and I have kept up our beekeeping.  This summer marks our fourth season.  Beekeeping is a lot of hard work (more than they tell you in the class), but it is fun and interesting and the proceeds are delicious!  We have gotten better since that first season, but we still have not managed to keep our bees alive over the winter.  Last season we harvested about 30 gallons of honey and I expect we will harvest about that much this season.  We sell it, give it away, and eat it!  It's so yummy!  I have also learned how to make beeswax candles and this year am going to try some lip balm.  It's not all fun and games, though.  This year whe had a September swarm (very unusual) and a bear decided to visit the outside hives.  Not good.

Small Beeswax Candle

Mr. Bear Pays a Visit

September Swarm

Our children and grandchildren are the greatest ever!  Katie, our oldest grandchild, is 17 and will graduate from high school in May.  She has been accepted at a number of schools and, right now, I think she will go to UNC.

Good Day To Be A Tar Heel

Reni will be 15 on May 1 and is in 10th grade.  She is sweet and smart and is the most creative one in the bunch.  She had a rather serious accident that resulted in a serious head injury, but recovered nicely and shows no ill effects now.

JJ, the lone boy in the group,is 13 and remains a sportsman.  Currently, he is playing lacrosse.  I don't think he is going to play baseball this year, though.  He is 13 and is every grandmother's idea of the cutest grandson in the world.

JJ, Reni, and Katie (Jon's children)

Gracie, will be 12 in May and is tall and beautiful and smart.  She won first place in the science fair last year and also placed in the regionals.  Her sister, Avery, will be 10 in June and studies in a Chinese immersion program.  She is quite comfortable with the language as she has been in this program since kindergarten.  I, of course, have no idea what she's saying!

Gracie and Avery (Adam's girls)

Gracie Gets the Blue!

The Young Riggsbees at Hilton Head

The sons and daughters-in law are fine also, being busy with raising their families and making a living.  Jon continues to referee basketball in addition to his day job.  During BB season, he is pretty much run ragged.  Adam bought a vacation home in Colorado and we went out there to spend Christmas with them this year.  I didn't get much of an opportunity to get good photos because it was so cold and Adam really wasn't into stopping while we were driving around!  But here is a pic from outside his front door.

The Rockies from Adam's House

We all spent a week at Hilton Head in the summer of 2016 and had a wonderful time together.  It is hard, though, to get everybody together in the same place at the same time.

The Riggsbees at Hilton Head

The biggest change in our lives has been Jim's retirement.  He retired at the end of 2016 and has had no adjustment issues.  He has started a number of projects (and has completed two, I think), so he keeps himself busy.  In addition, he tries to see his sister who is in an assisted living facility near Raleigh, about once a month.  Also, since his retirement, we have both lost 25 pounds and see a personal trainer on a regular basis. We feel like being in shape is important around here, since this place needs a lot of work and we'd like to be able to do it for as long as possible.  Which of these looks like the most fun way to spend your retirement?

In 2016, both of us turned 70.  Our children gave each of us a party to commemorate the occasions.  My birthday is in July and this party was a complete surprise!  Jim's was at Thanksgiving, so we combined it with the holiday.  It was not a surprise, but everybody in our families came...children, grandchildren, siblings, my mother, nieces and nephews.  It was such a wonderful day and became more special as it was the last Thanksgiving that we were able to spend with my mother.  I really love the idea of birthday cupcakes!

Lynn's cupcakes

Jim's cupcakes

The Whole Family

Mama with Our Little Group

One of the country's big events was the Solar Eclipse of August 2017.  Jim and I decided to have an Eclipse Party, so we invited a bunch of friends (most of whom live in the area, but a few from out of town) to join us.  We gathered for the event, which began around 1:30 in the afternoon, and shared snacks and supper.  The eclipse was everything it was advertized to be and sharing it with friends was great fun.  These pictures show the actual eclipse, though the white of the sun was actually black, AND...all the lights came on!! I didn't think it would get that dark.

All Dressed Up!

The Actual Eclipse

Dark!!!

And, of course, we had two years of the Big Chill.  They are a chance to reconnect with our college friends.  This year, Ruby Walker Lynch attended for the first time, but we missed the Teasleys, the Blaylocks, and Chapin.  Well, people, there's always this year!!! I was not really good about taking pictures, but here are a couple ...one from 2016 and one from 2017.

2016

2017

I like to keep up with friends.  So, occasionally I get together with people that I've worked with.  Last January, I met friends with whom I worked as we opened a new high school in CMS (in 2006).  We were an extraordinarily cohesive group and we had such a wonderful time together.  I've been thinking it's time to do it again.  A few weeks ago, while I was in Charlotte, I was able to get together with my former bridge group.  We had lunch and played a few hands and it was such great fun.  I forgot to take any pictures, but you girls know who you are!

The Ardrey Kell Group

And last, but not least, we lost our beloved dog, Chester last January.  He came to us on a cold, sleety night in December 2003, and became a very important part of our family, and oh how much we loved him! We were grief stricken with his loss, but last July, we found a suitable replacement.  Jasper is every bit as sweet as Chester, and is the funniest, goofiest dog you could ever imagine.  He makes us laugh everyday.  He is young, full of himself, smart, and has managed to worm himself right into our hearts.

Jasper the Puppy Dog

Sweet Chester

I am going to try to add to my reading list, but am not going to add the approximately 100 books that I have read in the last two years.  I'll just start with the ones I've read since Jan 1 this year.  Of course, I'll have to remember how to do it!

I think these are the big things that have occurred during my hiatus.  Will try to be more diligent!    I'll close with a picture of wildlife  around here.  Love to all of you!

Piliated Woodpecker