Tag Archives: Fun

Cheshire Cat Robot

A few weeks ago, Abigail attended a science in the arts camp sponsored by the WV State Division of Culture and History. It sounds weird but the idea was to demonstrate the use of robots and animatronics in art. About 2 dozen or so kids were invited to the camp where counselors helped young mad scientists put together proximity sensors and motion detectors and wires and batteries to control servos and motors to animate whatever forms the kids wanted.

Cheshire cat robot Cheshire cat robot

Abigail chose to build Cheshire the cat! Cheshire looked very much like the cartoon version from the movie Alice in Wonderland which makes sense I guess. I didn’t know she had ever seen the movie but it seems obvious. Anyhow, Abigail’s cat detected when we tried to pet it. It purred and wagged its tail like a good kitty. When we talked to her cat, Cheshire meowed in response.

Cheshire cat robot

Mad scientist
Mad scientist

I haven’t seen the girl so on fire for technology…ever! Often girls are excluded or exclude themselves from science and technology so I am absolutely delighted that she participated in this week-long day-camp and that she says she wants to work as a robotics engineer! So, thanks WV Division of Culture and History! I think you have sparked a new interest in math and science for my daughter!

The Lion King

Several months ago we bought tickets for us and several in our family to travel to Cleveland, OH to see the Lion King, the Disney musical that plays on Broadway.  Most people have heard about the production and I knew it would be cool, but it was beyond cool!  The design and costuming and everything were just amazing!  Of course, the production company frowns on pics so you will have to do your own googling (and you should) if you haven’t seen the costuming and sets.  We were worried about traveling with Isaac but decided to give it a try and see how we did.  By the smiles, I think you will agree that things are going pretty well!

At the Lion King in Cleveland, OH At the Lion King in Cleveland, OH At the Lion King in Cleveland, OH

At the Lion King in Cleveland, OH

It was a fun trip in addition to the musical itself.  Emily’s folks road in our car and all 6 of us fit very well.  We have an SUV which hauled us and our stuff comfortably.  Ohio is flat so gas mileage worked out well  with all of us taking one car.  We stopped several times to let Isaac get out and stretch his legs often.  My Mom and cousin met us there so it was a big family affair.  Abigail went back to PA with my side of the family for the week.  The rest of us stuck around to visit with Emily’s cousin who is a doctor in Cleveland.  We had a nice time chatting with him and getting the scoop on Cleveland.  It was a pretty fun time just goofing around in the hotel and reading, talking, doing nothing really.

At the Lion King in Cleveland, OH
Street performers

I don’t have much nice to say about Cleveland in general, but their theater district is pretty nice and we had great weather.  That being said, I am glad that the city is a couple hundred miles away…just to be sure.  As I have found several times recently, being among other people reminds me of how thankful to have the life I have…enough said.

The view of Lake Erie
The view of Lake Erie…sort of
At the Lion King in Cleveland, OH
The hotel where we stayed…the Wyndham Cleveland at Playhouse Square

Anyhow, if you have not seen the Lion King, it is a great show and worth your time to go and see.  It’s family friendly and really pretty amazing!  Timone and Pumba do not disappoint!

 

Quite a party

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!

WV Sesquicentennial celebration WV Sesquicentennial celebration

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!

WV Sesquicentennial celebration

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!

Light show on WV State Capitol

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

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!

Emily2ndGrade EmilyAge11 EmilyBeautifulTeen

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!

Mountain stories

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.

Mountain Stories at the house concert

Some of Lorna Czarnota's books

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.

Mountain Stories at the house concert

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!

At the auction

Last weekend I went to an auction that benefits the FFA in Ravenswood, WV.  I heard about it sort of accidentally so I didn’t really have any sort of a plan together but I heard that there were several different qualities of junk available.

At the auction

I have heard people say that at flea markets and auctions, you can only get junk…you can find your plain old, run of the mill junk up through first class junk.  As I wandered around the Jackson County Fairgrounds, I was surprised.  To be sure, there was a lot of junk available for a few dollars per ton.  There was some really great stuff too, and since I really like stuff like this, I spent a few hours perusing the piles.

At the auction

I think what I enjoyed more than anything was the sound of the auctioneers.  Most everyone knows the general sound of the auctioneer’s call and most people wonder how anyone knows what price they are paying for something.  If you have never heard a real auctioneer calling, take a listen to a recording I made of my favorite guy.

At the auction

From the recording, it is hard to tell what is going on I suppose, but I have to tell you, in person, I was never really in doubt about what he was selling (even if he just named it a big box of junk) or what the current bid was when he was calling.  If you have never been, go to an auction some time!

I think next year I will go again to this auction and this time, I will have a plan!

The importance of pudding and its perfect state

Pudding is one of those things that is a real delight and one that I do not enjoy often enough.  I worked pretty hard on a few things this weekend and I took a couple of ugly falls, climbed under cabinets for a few hours and even broke a fingernail.  As always, I had to harass Isaac a little also, and with his size nowadays, that is no small feat.  So, as I browsed the pantry the other night, I saw, peeking around the box of saltine crackers, a package of french vanilla cook-and-serve pudding.

Pudding is love! 12_25_2012 131

Now truth be told, there is nothing finer than made-from-scratch vanilla pudding (like we put in creampuffs), but barring the real thing, I am pretty happy to make it from a mix.  Here is the important part though…I only eat it when it is hot/warm and it is best with the lumps and skin that develop.  The skin turns instantly nasty when it gets cold, so I am not talking about that skin.  No, the warm skin and lumps are the ones that make pudding perfect.

Pudding is love! Pudding is love!

I mixed up a 6-serving box right before bed and ate half of it, making sure to scrape the bottom of the pan to get the lumps.  Emily and the kids will eat the cold pudding later…eeewwww.  Anyhow, with all of my bumps and bruises, it was just perfect and just what the doctor ordered.  Pudding fixes things, my friends.  It’s sort of magical and the real magic is in the lumps!

If it has to snow…

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.

Sled riding! Sled riding!

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.

Shorts in the snow      02_05_2013 069

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.

Sled riding! Sled riding!

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.

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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.

Sled riding! Sled riding!

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!

Out of state

I have been pretty behind on saying much, but we have been busy!  We have been on holiday vacation!  We stayed at home for Christmas as we always do.  I don’t like to rush around and do much of anything on Christmas day…it impedes my playing with my new toys/eating cookies/napping.  This year, a few days after Christmas, we went to visit my brother and sister-in-law in Maryland (my parents met us there too).  I mentioned in my last post about the snow storm…let me complain again…it sucked.  A normally 6 hour drive took us 11 hours.  Here is why:

driving in the snow storm

Anyhow, once we got there, we had a great time.  The boys stayed at home and ran the tractor, cleaned the chicken coop, drank…mountain dew.  I had another run-in with an immovable object and my head…namely the chicken coop.  Once again, I lost though it was slightly less gross/severe this time.

Driving the tractor Driving the tractor

 

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The ladies went on in to Washington DC to check out the art museums and enjoy the humanity around them on the metro.

Smiley face

We had a really great time and didn’t drink too much…mountain dew.  Everyone made it home safe (in a second fairly bad snow storm) so I call it a success!

The cookie tragedy

It’s been awhile since I sat down long enough to do anything.  Christmas has been super busy in a good way this year.  We had a few Christmas parties, made some cookies, opened some presents, and traveled through Winter Storm Euclid (or was it Freyr?).  When and why did they start naming snow storms?  Well, I know the answer, but still, it seems weird.  Anyhow, our normally-6-hour trip took 11 hours.  That was a lot of fun.  We saw many wrecks and people using colorful hand gestures to communicate the colorful lip movements we saw.

Sugar Cookies

Anyhow, back to the subject at hand…the cookie tragedy.  Along with Santa, I absolutely love sugar cookies with sugary icing.  Emily, on the other hand, hates them.  Really, she just hates making them.  Since it was Santa (it wasn’t on my account I am sure), Emily mixed up the dough and put it in the fridge to chill.  I discovered the dough and ate it…well, most of it anyhow.  She had to mix up another batch which meant that there was no chance she was going to do any other sugar cookie related anything.

Sugar Cookies

Being a culinary genius, I helped Abigail mix up some icing and we decorated the cookies ourselves.  Emily said it was easy to identify the cookies I decorated.  What do you think, friends?

Sugar Cookies

Anyhow, we are still alive and jolly here in West-by-God-Virginia and hope you had a groovy Christmas!  How about you?