Tag Archives: Family

Quite a party

July 2, 2013Family, Fun, WVFamily, Fun, We are not East Virginia!, WVwarren

I have had this written for quite awhile now but we have had a family emergency. I’ll write more about it soon. So this is a little out of date but I hope you enjoy anyhow…

So awhile back was the sesquicentennial celebration of WV statehood. There was lots going on and there are all sorts of places to check out details but we got a few cool pics of things that went on. Truly, WV went first class on the celebration and made for some really cool memories. On Friday night, Abigail and I went to the Capitol lawn and sat upon a blanket for an hour and a half to see the widely touted 3-D movie and fireworks show. It was to run 3 nights and from where we live, I could see the fireworks and hear the music from the first night. After hearing reviews, we decided to go for the second showing and I am so glad we did!

So Abigail and I went early and sat on our blanket. We spent some time talking and some time reading and mostly hunting for lightning bugs and people wearing inappropriate clothing. It was a ton of fun and we had good neighbors. Too many people showed up minutes before the show so it got pretty crowded eventually but we didn’t have too much trouble. Anyhow, back to the show…there was a really cool countdown projected onto the Capitol which was fun since everybody counted down for the real show. The movie was brilliant. The folks that created it used the architecture of the building beautifully and it highlighted all sorts of important events in WV state history. We saw images of settlers and the Civil War and mountain musicians and white water rafting. We saw Mary Lou Retton and the late Senator Robert Byrd. It was just super well done and demonstrated so many of the things about which we should be proud!

The producers played music throughout of course but I think the best part was when the played Country Roads by John Denver. It’s unofficially the state song and whenever it is played, everyone within earshot sings along proudly. The crowd served it up well and reminded me once again the the entire state of West Virginia is just one big small town. It was Country Roads that I could hear playing from my house the night prior to our attendance that let me know for sure that this was going to be a first class show!

Click for a video I took

We had a little bit of traffic to suffer through but I know all of the not-interstate roads to get home so it wasn’t too bad for us. People were courteous as you would expect in our big small town. I am super proud of the state I call home and of the party that we threw. I am glad Abigail and I got to enjoy the party together too!

She’s still hangin’ in there

June 21, 2013Family, FunFamily, Fun, Happy birthday!warren

Today is a very important day. It’s Emily’s birthday! She’s hangin’ in there pretty well too! She wouldn’t want to make a big deal about her birthday but I am so pleased to let you, dear friends, know about this special day! I do not think we have any important plans for the day. We may go out to eat or something along those lines but birthdays are pretty funny when you are an adult. I think we may go see the fireworks at the Capitol tonight. They are only partially for the sesquicentennial celebration for the state…no, they are mostly for celebrating the birth of Emily two score and one years ago!

I got her a few special gifts but those are still a secret. She always accuses me of getting practical rather than thoughtful gifts. This year is only partially different. I got her one of each. It’s hard for me to think of things that aren’t practical. It’s just not in my nature so she sort of has to suffer a little of that. Of course, I get to suffer the result of her suffering so I guess it works out. Anyhow, I am pretty pleased with one present. She accused me of waiting until the last minute to get the thoughtful gift but I have been working on it for over a month. That’s planning in my book! I hope it reminds her that I am pleased to be celebrating with her and that frying pans aren’t the only gifts I can buy!

So, here’s to another trip around the Sun and to another celebration I get to share with Emily. Happy birthday to my favorite wife!

Glad to be a Dad!

June 18, 2013FamilyFamily, Fire pit! Heh heh...fire!warren

We were on the road for Father’s Day this year so Emily and the kids helped me celebrate Monday. I didn’t really expect much in the way of a gift so I figured the menu Abigail provided was just perfect. They asked me what my perfect meal was and they hit it pretty close. I guess I am a pretty simple palate, but I couldn’t really think of a better meal!

We have a bunch of raspberry bushes in our yard so Abigail was able to pick a great assortment of red and black raspberries for me. I think they were supposed to be an appetizer…at least I ate them before the meal so they surely worked that way! When I got home, the smell was awesome and the table was already cleared and set! It was starting off great!

After we ate, the kids took me back outside to light a fire in the new burn pit they bought me! I have always enjoyed sitting around a nice fire but in the city and with our yard, a regular campfire in the yard didn’t really make sense. We had to have a fire pit for me to feel good about it. They picked out a really nice metal pit and even bought some pre-dried wood so we could have a fire right away! I have been taking wood we cut around the house to the country so there isn’t a lot laying around the yard to burn…I’ll have to remedy that problem! Anyhow, we started a fire and had a great time roasting marshmallows for s’mores, the perfect dessert! Even after we were done eating and the fire started to die, Abigail sat around the pit a bit longer and talked about my childhood and all sorts of things. Only the mosquitoes drove us inside. I see many more nights around the old fire pit…I am glad to be a Dad and couldn’t be happier with how my family honored me!

Decorated by Abigail

My grass is blue

June 11, 2013FunFamily, Liquid courage!, Musicwarren

My brother and sister-in-law love travelling around to music festivals, especially bluegrass shows. They have made lots of friends and met many of the bands and finally decided to have a show themselves. Last weekend, we traveled to their place in MD where they had gathered 6-8 bands to come play in their barn over the course of 2 days. They don’t have a typical nasty old barn but rather a large, modern facility that happens to have a stage area built in! It was perfect for the bands to play upon! Between musician friends and their own collection, they put together a first-class sound system and had an all-around great party.

I took some pics and videos of some of the bands so you should definitely check out their websites to hear what they are all about. I wish I had gotten info on everyone. Oh well, next year you will have to come to hear for yourself!

The David Mayfield Parade was there.

David Melchior and the Sympathetic Vibrations

In between bands, there was much time for frivolity. Of course, even when they played, there was much opportunity for dancing and acting up. Many people were fueled by a common liquid wheat-based fuel source which added to their courage levels and self-determined dancing skills! It was a ton of fun.

The barn…story about the firetruck in another post

The view from the barn

Abigail played on stage some and out in the yard some and collected a few tips

All told, there were 150-200 people that came. Some folks camped on his property, others “fell asleep” in the beds of the pickup trucks and some never slept at all. We opted for the hotel a few miles away. I think that worked well for us. Anyhow, we had a really great time and heard some really great music…some was bluegrass, some was folk, some was hard to describe but that’s what makes music so much fun, isn’t it?

Cabin progress – bathroom floor and a deck!

May 28, 2013Cabin, FamilyBreak's over! Back to work!, Cabin, Familywarren

We have been busy lately with the school year winding down. There were banquets and trips and concerts and just lots of activities to round out the school year. There just hasn’t been time to do much of anything…including write anything on here. That changed this weekend! We finally got back up to the country and were able to work some on the executive deer stand. It’s a small cabin but we do not want to be without amenities. Mainly, by amenities, I mean a bathroom with actual running water. Awhile back, I cut holes in the floor for the shower and toilet drains to exit the building. We started to tile the floor but then winter came. This weekend, Isaac and I finished cutting and laying the tile one day and Emily and I grouted it another day. Finally! Progress!

Installing ceramic tile isn’t so bad…with a good helper!

We had originally planned on this place being pretty basic and not too pretentious. It is a deer stand after all. But, like all things with me, it comes down to price. It turns out that if you lay it yourself, ceramic tile is about as cheap as you can get. We found tile we really liked for a really good price. I mixed the thinset mortar and grout by hand so that keeps the price down as well. And dang! It looks great!

Tile near the shower basin

So, now with floor down and grouting done, I have no real reason not to connect the toilet and shower to the drain system. In a solid day’s worth of work, we could actually have a real pot to….well, you know what I mean. It would make our time at the cabin much more pleasant!

Deck framing is done on one side

We were not totally exhausted by tiling so we worked on the deck too. I don’t know if you remember but our place is built on posts and piers so it is well up off of the ground. Look back at this page and you can see that we had to climb a ladder to get up into the building. Of course, I know it sounds like a lot of fun, but we have grown tired of free-climbing our way up into the house so the deck is a welcome addition. It isn’t finished by any means, but we framed a 10′ deep deck on one side of the place that allows us access into the house from ground level!

One of four decks framed!

There is much debate among the wage earners in my house about whether to deck it with treated lumber or composite decking. Composite is 3-4 times the cost but should last a lot longer. We will need around 600 sq feet of decking which will be pricey either way. We’ll see what comes of it but at any rate, we can now get into the house without a ladder!

See all of the progress on the cabin

Frog time!

May 6, 2013Family, Nature, WVDid you get peed on? You'll get warts!, Family, Nature, WVwarren

Emily’s grandparents have a small pond at their place and every year Mr and Mrs Frog raise their babies there. We usually try to time it right to experience the sheer joy of frog season. I don’t know if you are familiar with how frogs work but Mrs Frog lays huge caches of gelatinous eggs which very quickly hatch and turn into tadpoles and eventually frogs. If you watch carefully, you get to see all of the steps in between tadpole and frog which might be the stuff of nightmares if you didn’t know better. Seeing a pond full of tadpoles is simply amazing! They swim so awkwardly and yet not. When they start growing legs and losing their tails, things get really interesting. It is an absolutely amazing transition and a lot of fun to witness!

Anyhow, we were around the pond last week and got to enjoy the tadpoles in the pond. Abigail loves to catch them in her hand and sing to them. She caught a few and while singing, spotted Mrs Frog. Mrs Frog had a protective eye of course (we could tell) but seemed content to watch us watch her babies. Of course, what are her options? We don’t have ferocious frogs here in West-by-God-Virginia.

Abigail decided she wanted to give Mrs Frog a pat on the back, congratulating her on a job well done with her latest crop of babies. She squatted at the edge of the pond (I had my camera ready fully expecting Abigail to fall into the water) and reached out to touch Mrs Frog. With a flash, Mrs Frog leapt into the water upon feeling Abigail’s fingers. She swam across the pond and under a rock where we could see her one back leg hanging out. We decided to leave well enough alone and just watch from afar. Spring is just the absolute best time of year! There are so many opportunities to experience in the spring. The Frog family delights us every year!

Mountain stories

April 23, 2013Fun, Thoughts, WVAppalachia, Family, Fun, Mountains, Not a soap opera!, WVwarren

Something occurred to me this weekend. In a way, I am a story teller, telling the day-to-day nonsense that goes on in our lives here on this blog. I know that’s pretty much what blogging is all about and it’s pretty cool how I get involved in other people’s lives and how (I suppose) some of you, dear friends, become involved in our lives. I enjoy telling our stories, for, like sands through an hourglass, these are the days of our lives.

Anyhow, this realization came to me while at an actual concert put on by a real, professional story teller, Lorna MacDonald Czarnota. My friend Granny Sue held a house concert where both she and Ms. Czarnota told several diverse stories and sang ballads. I don’t know if you have ever heard a professional story teller, but if you ever get a chance, go and listen.

Mountain Stories at the house concert — Lorna MacDonald Czarnota

Granny Sue is our neighbor so I knew her house. She has a fantastic house in the woods surrounded by trees and birds and flowers. Her home is incredible, filled with antiques and mountain heritage and beautiful glassware and books. She invited us to walk about her house and drink sassafras tea and enjoy a variety of snacks. It was a beautiful arrangement and truly an awesome experience. It’s what story telling was at its beginning…friends and neighbors getting together to tell stories and enjoy each other’s company.

Abigail and I had a great time and she re-told the stories we heard the whole way home. I am not sure I am really much of a story teller, but I am delighted that Abigail had so much fun listening and re-telling stories. I hope she will learn some mountain stories and make up some of her own. However she wants to communicate, the wonderful imagination that will be fed from these mountains makes me happy!

Double digits!

April 5, 2013FamilyAm I old enough for this?, Family, Mah baby!warren

While I am a little late in documenting it, Abigail moved from single digits to double digits this week! It’s hard to believe it was a decade ago when she was born. I still remember when I crossed the decade mark. It seems like yesterday and that was three decades ago! Anyhow, my little baby girl is growing up and it is so exciting to see her blooming into a cool kid! Sh’e smart and interesting and still likes dirt and bugs.

For her birthday, all she wanted was a new bedroom. We live in an old house and her room could use an update…something from this century or even the later part of last century. Her mom and her Granddad are helping her rip out the carpet and the old cruddy plaster so we can freshen up everything. We are even going to install an overhead light which she desperately wants! It’s funny how the simple things mean a lot to her…and that makes me happy.

She’s a great kid and I love watching her grow up into a great young lady!

If it has to snow…

February 5, 2013Family, FunFamily, Fun, Snow still suckswarren

If it has to snow, I guess we might as well do something to enjoy it. We didn’t get too much snow on Friday but Abigail in particular decided to make the most of it. I bribed her brother to go and sled with her and it worked…he fell for it.

I had decided earlier in the day not to wear any pants all Saturday. Before you think me too creepy, I wore shorts all day, even out in the 25 degree weather. I wasn’t cold for some reason and it had nothing to do with Uncle Bill’s special cold weather elixir.

Anyhow, hills in WV are plentiful but hills that won’t kill you are somewhat harder to find. The kids spent an hour or so rolling up and down the little hill out back with sleds and without. It was really a pretty awesome time. The kids had a lot of fun together and any time we get that chance, I will take it.

While standing out in the snow, I also discovered the my phone can take really awesome panoramic photos. I took a few pics of the area from different angles. I sort of hate to admit it but the whole scene was sort of pretty.

I guess I might have had blood flow issues though as my body tried to warm my legs so I do not want to fully commit to claiming any part of winter is nice.

I had the opportunity to enjoy my favorite holiday of the year with my kids and that was pretty cool. I know you are thinking that Groundhog Day can’t possibly be Warren’s favorite holiday but, friends, I am here to tell you it is! It means the days are starting to feel longer, the maples will soon be blooming and winter is soon to be over! This year Phil was very kind also. And just to go on the record, Punxsutawney Phil is the one true seer, the prognosticator of all prognosticators. The others are all impostors!

Snow days

February 1, 2013Family, ThoughtsFamily, Snow days are cool!, Snow Sucks, Thoughtswarren

Emily and the kids are off today because of the snow and the cold. It was 11 outside this morning and the roads were a bit of a mess so it was the right thing for the county to call off classes today. I just wish they hadn’t called at 4:35 am. We are very lucky (I think) that the county uses a robocaller to alert teachers and parents to closures, announcements, etc. We just need to work on the clock…

When I was a kid, we had to wait for the tv station to scroll our county across the screen. The closest station was 100 miles or so away. I am not sure it mattered but our little rural area was not terribly important to anyone else. Honestly, they never cancelled or delayed anyhow so there really wasn’t much to watch for anyhow. We just went to school every day. More than once I remember sitting on the bus waiting for a plow truck to come so we could follow it down the hill and get to school. I also remember one time when the bus tried to make it up the hill to the school. As the bus started spinning and sliding (even with chains on), the driver stopped it and we had to walk the rest of the way in the snow (we weren’t barefoot but it was up hill!)

I don’t want to go on about how easy kids have it nowadays, but it was just different. I am sort of jealous though! Anyhow, I am sure that the family is enjoying sleeping in while I slave away at the office! Snow days are special days in my book and I truly hope the kids enjoy a little extra time to relax. Heck, by tomorrow it may be 70 again and we will be outside in shorts (if only we were so lucky)…

My Home Among The Hills

Life in WV!