Getting Ready for A Trip That Isn't to Be...Not Yet

Getting ready for a trip that we will have to re-schedule leaves me with mixed emotions.
We will only lose our travel insurance $$$ which isn't too bad. We always get it, but this is the first time ever to have to use it.

The trip we have started perparing us for will be a grand tour of China. We were scheduled to leave April 14th. That isn't going to happen~ BOO HOO

Have had two Doctors agree, I have totally worn out one of my hips and both agree, there will be no way I can do this agressive trip. Am scheduled for a total hip replacement March 11th. As I said, mixed emotions...mostly happy they will do it so quickly as I have places to go and things to do.

Because immunizations required are good for five years, we kept our appointment with a Travel Doctor today. He was wonderful.
He is a specialist in maintaining health of people who travel around the world.

He took a full hour with us and was the first time we had a physical exam done before all the vaccines. He also taught a couple of phrases in Chinese (How are you?) and (Thank you). I wrote them down in my little book~ He told us the people will receive us with a happy face if/when we say a few words to them in Chinese. (Don't you know they are smiling at our accents?)

He sent us for:

~Japanese Influenza Vaccination, of all things...
~ PPD (TB) due to all our recent international travel...needed to check.
~ Hep B
~ Hep A is still good from our Africa trip.
~ Typhoid (ours was outdated)
~ Rabies vaccine is required for traveling through the entire country ~ however, he said not to pet animals there...and excused that one. (WHEW)
~ Everything else was up to date.

THEN...we asked and he gave us the SHINGLES VACCINE...
which is new and highly advisable to everyone.

We understand that Shingles is one of the more painful experiences one can have..and continues for about 2 months.
ASK YOUR DOCTOR FOR ONE TOO.

Recipe ~Chicken Marengo

This is a dump recipe. After browning the meat, dump everything in and cook. Can add and subtract things easily. Good for cold weather to leave on stove top and dip into when hungry. Enjoy!

CHICKEN MARENGO

(A very forgiving recipe to change ingredients to taste.)

1 lb sweet Italian sausage
1 lb hot Italian sausage
2 Tbsp butter
2 Tbsp salad oil
2 chickens cut into pieces (Use boneless chicken breasts or chicken pieces as desired)
2 cans (1lb 12oz) tomato puree or crushed tomatoes (which consistency you like best)
1 small can tomato paste
1 6oz can of sliced mushroom with the liquid
1 8oz can of pitted ripe sliced olives with the liquid
1/3 cup sweet pepper flakes
1 Tbsp parsley flakes
1 Tbsp celery flakes
1 Tbsp Italian seasonings
2 Tbsp minced onion
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp black pepper
1 tsp garlic powder
1 bay leaf

Prick sausages and place in large Dutch oven or stock pot to brown. (If you do not want to use large pieces of meat, then cut the sausages into bite size pieces before browning.

Instead of using whole pieces of chicken, cut it into bite size pieces when browned.)

Remove sausage when brown.
Add butter and oil and sauté chicken until golden brown.
Remove chicken and add ALL remaining ingredients.
Return sausage and chicken to Dutch oven or stock pot.
Cover and simmer for at least 60 minutes over low heat.

Serve with rice or spaghetti..

Henry Grady Richards~

My father's oldest brother celebrated his 95th Birthday when this newspaper article featured him. I went to visit shortly after this birthday~ he and I sat on his back porch and he told me he would like to live another 3 year, as he felt he had 3 more books to write. He wrote little pamphlet's of poetry and saying which he gifted to all. He was a very special man. He makes you wonder if you will yourself life as he lived another 3 years.

To help put this story in perspective: Here is a list of the Family Members

Grandparents:
George W Richards 1832 – 1911 (Civil War)

Amanda Lee Richards 1832 – 1910 (From Virginia and listed as of the Lee Family of Virginia)

Father: Rufus Stonewall Jackson Richards Mother: Clara Della Byrd 1872 - 1947
Their children"

Henry Grady Richards 1894 – 1990

Lee Richards 1895 – 1979

Zora Della Richards 1896 –

Samuel Richards 1898 –

Eliphet Richards 1900 –

Catrula Richards 1902 – 1904

Davis Richards 1905 – 1988

Verbon Richards 1907 – 1989

Cecil B Richards 1910 – 1989

La Roy Richards 1912 – 1989 (My father)

I have written an introduction to Amanda, his grandmother. Amanda was educated to be a general physician, which is all they required in her day. She delivered babies and cared for everyone in her District.

She delivered Grady and all of his siblings, no doubt. She had a great influence on his life as well as all around her.

Henry Grady dedicated his life to public service. A Church in a small North Carolina town was named Henry Grady Richards in his honor and a school in Florence, Alabama.

Looking for the School on River Road in Florence, resulted in discovery that the school, which carried his full name is no longer in existence. My heart sank~ but the nice lady remembered Uncle Grady and told me the building now houses the Board of Education... and it is now the Richards Building.

This made me happy that his name is on the Building. He would have liked that too.

Family History Facts ~ Indisputable

Pursuing family history uncovers facts which are interesting and indisputable. Facts as well as legends are both heart warming and heart breaking.

One of our great, great grandmothers' stories is written of how she came to Alabama and met our great, great grandfather.
Amanda was from Virginia~ a young girl from a family who educated her beyond that of most young girls. It is safe to say she was from a distinguished family of considerable means and influence. We descendants were left with the question of just how she was connected, or if she was connected to General Robert E. Lee.

Her husband, George Washington Richards served under the General during the Civil War and was at Appomattox when General Lee surrendered to General Grant. The date was April 9, 1865. That is fact....indisputable fact.

Knowing legends it is easy to believe could be of the same blood line as the Lee Family of Virginia. We don't know that Amanda discussed her family line, however, many years later, we descendants came to wonder about this. Why? It was her demeanor~ the way she lived her life. She ruled the family as when grandpa came home from Appomattox, he was had suffered a sever head injury and it apparently was easy to allow her to continue as she had in his absence.

No doubt Amanda had a brilliant mind. She was courageous in all senses~ adventuresome, brave, bold, fearless and was filled with unparalleled pride and those are other indisputable facts.

I investigated though facts and family lines available. The bottom line is she was from the Lee Family of Virginia, however, NOT a descendant of Robert E. Lee. He was a cousin of her father. Our family line is available back to the eleventh century.

Think of Climbing A Tree~ The Last Time

There are so many Titles for this blog~
"Where There's a Will, There's a Way" most certainly is appropriate.

We had no stairs in the house from Monday until last this afternoon.
WHY?
We wanted a new staircase~
We thought this project would be only an overnight deal...
BUT....
The workman came on Monday and took out three flights of stairs ...totally leaving an open staircase to the top floor.

Looking back with that 20-20...
...maybe this should have been a summer time project...WHY? Because, as they drove away Monday night snow was falling. Was only about 2 inches of tiny icy snow crystals, but that was enough to give the workmen a day off...
Their insurance didn't cover them on the icy roads... Geeeeeeeeeeeeeee

Tuesday night, conditions worsened~ we had ice to cover the snow...all roads closed ...even though we have excellent snow removal...salt/sand won't work on ice...
Therefore.....the workmen got another day off.
UGH~
WELL...
I missed going up there, covering with a warm blanket to watch TV.

I missed my very own recorded shows. The Doctors, Dr. Phil (don't watch many of those), Oprah (ditto), Medium (that is a great story each week), Judge Judy, etc...
My husband won't watch any of those...he has his own TV and programs, so we both are happy campers.
Anyway... I wanted to sleep in up there too.

I decided to make a "tree" to climb up to the top floor...
you know...this and that here and there to step on to climb higher and higher?

After several attempts...I had it high enough to reach the landing and put a ladder up from the landing to the top. From the ladder, we could reach the banister and walk the pickets across the landing to the entrance of that floor.

Dangerous, I guess, but worth the experience. Sort of fun~ and great exercise.
Husband was in shock....but as I showed him....he thought it ok. We were like two kids on a jungle gym.

We marveled at our steadiness and agility. One slip and would have been a dead duck~
My Dad would have said "That's God's way of getting rid of stupid people."
(He had little patience with anyone who takes chances.)

We even transported Jackson, the dog so he could stay with us.
TODAY, two flights of the stairs are in...am so excited...they look so beautiful.
Tonight, we can walk on the unfinished stairs to go upstairs. YEAH!
Photos to be added later tonight.

For The Birds

Feeding the bird is a kind act in this harsh winter weather. They reward you with quite a show as they feed.
Once you start feeding the little creatures, they do become dependant on your feeders to stay alive. Plan your site. Place your feeders so they are is easy to get to when there is snow on the ground. That is a critical time in their little lives. You might find the feeders need to be refilled each day.
Ideally, we need two seed dispensers. One for wild bird seed mix and the other for sunflower seeds. I have a third for thistle, as there are many wild finch in our area.

Here's a recipe to make suet patties for the finches.

Finch Fries

Raw beef suet (ask the butcher...that's beef tallow) and put through grinder or have butcher grind it for you.

1/2 Cup American cheese

1 cup millet

1/2 cup bread crumbs

Sand for grit

Save tuna or cat food size cans.

Cibethe cheese; add to millet, bread crumbs and sand and devide into 4 of the cans.

Melt the suet in double boiler and set aside to cool.

When hardened slightly and then re-heat again to make it smoother.
When in liquid form, for the second time, fill the 4 tins to the top and then refrigerate to harden.

Nail to trees with 6 inch nails. Cover the end of the nails with tape to make a

safe perch for the birds.

Finch change color in winter to all brown and grey. In the springtime, they become their bright and beauitful colors.

January 26, 2009 Weather

It's a snowy day in Northern Virginia. Our little angel's smile doesn't look much like a smile this morning, does it? The layer of ice covers her and tiny snow flakes are softly falling~

I turn the camera towards the fairway and small pond.....

When...to my surprise... 4 beautiful deer joined the photo~

I wasn't ready but took my best shots. Interestingly the 4th deer at the back of the pack heard the click of the camera, stopped to look back. It was unimaginable he could hear that one shallow click.

The snow makes for poor visibility and the deer are running. That's my excuse for a bad shot.

They apparently have a known hiding place in the trees of the Indian Burial Grounds~

which is our view with the small pond there...(to the right is the big Lake Manassas...

the deer went down the shortest part of the steep bank. There is a culvert down in that area which they must know about and go for refuge in this kind of weather.

Sorry my photographer friends~ just didn't expect this surprise so early in the day.