The Coming of Barkley

We got a phone call today (Wednesday) from the breeder saying Barkley would like to move in with us this Friday. So Norman, Karen, JoAnne and Ralph will all make the journey to Oak Ridge, NC (north of the Greensboro airport) to bring him home. Watch for pictures on a regular basis.

Jack and Patsy Ward are Pleased to Announce ...

The engagement of their daughter Amy Ward to Christopher E. Davis of Dallas, Texas. Amy is the only child of Jack and Patsy Ward from Odessa Texas.

The engagement was formally announced at a garden party given by the prospective grooms family at 5110 Milam Street in Dallas, Texas, on April 24th, 2009.
It was a lovely evening - thankfully the weather cooperated.

There were just over 30 guests, a keg of beer, and casual menu were thoroughly enjoyed by all.


Champagne toasts given by the respective fathers of the Bride and Groom, Best Man Wes Grinter, and many of the grooms friends.

The party went well into the night and continued on at the Bride and Grooms home in Dallas.

A small July 4th wedding is planned in Las Vegas, Nevada. A reception will be given by the Bride's family in Odessa Texas on the first or second weekend in August.

Two Busy Weekends

Karen and I have two very busy weekends upcoming. This weekend we are celebrating the 20th anniversary of National Golf Club. The festivities begin tomorrow evening (Friday the 24th) with a special social; Saturday with a barbeque and Sunday with a golf tournament and dinner. The following weekend our friends Peter and Terry will be spending Friday evening with us as they drive from their winter home in Florida back to New York. They leave Saturday and then Karen and I are playing in the Kentucky Derby golf tournament on Saturday afternoon. Sunday morning, bright and early, I leave for Greensboro with about 7 or so of my golf buddies for a round of golf and an afternoon minor league baseball game beginning at 4PM. The Greensboro Grasshoppers is the name of the team. After the game, it's dinner and then home. Looking forward to both weekends, for sure.

46 Days Till Baby

I'm sure that she will be here on her due date because she knows how excited her Grandmother is to meet her.

Ali and Mike are busily getting the nursery ready for her arrival and Kelly is having a shower this weekend for them. The Goff basket is ready to fulfill the role of centerpiece that it has played so many times in the past. Check back next week for pictures.

I know I've kept it a secret from all of you but - I really like kids.

I'm so excited!!

New Puppy

JoAnne and Ralph visited the breeder from whom they got Sandy and Bailey to pick out a new puppy. They chose one of the six boy puppies that were available (see picture.) It was a difficult choice since all were adorable. The pups are 5 weeks old, so they won't be able to bring him home for another couple of weeks.  Any name ideas? 

When it Rains

It pours. This was the case both literally and figuratively this weekend in Kansas City, as temperatures dropped into the 40s with freezing rain, and it seemed like nothing would go quite right! First Anne's car broke down (in all fairness, this is probably more attributable to 6 months of no oil changes than to bad luck). It is still in the shop. Then, Friday night, Izzy got very sick - unable to eat for two days and vomiting constantly Friday and Saturday night. Finally, at about 3 am on Easter morning, we decided she needed to go to the Emergency Vet. It was there that we spent the next 3 hours, on zero sleep, waiting for her to get prodded and X-Rayed. She spent the latter part of Easter looking like the hunchback of Notre Dame from the fluids they injected into her shoulder, and we're still not sure what caused the sickness, but she seems to be feeling somewhat better now.

Meanwhile, the rain was pouring steadily in Prairie Village as we cooked an early Easter dinner of ham, mashed potatoes, and tomato casserole. Somewhere in the middle of dinner, a curtain rod managed to pull itself out from the wall in our bedroom, bringing down a nice chunk of plaster with it. Izzy was drugged and grumpy and Dylan, no doubt feeling left out from all the attention he was NOT getting, decided to throw up on the carpet in a show of brotherly solidarity. We crashed at 9, exhausted from 2 days of no sleep and the events of the weekend. No sooner had I closed my eyes than....drip, drip....just the skylight leaking water directly over my head!

She Needs a Name

Look who the Easter Bunny brought us!
Her foster mother called her Mattie because she was covered with mats and over 100 ticks.



Now she lives with Walter and needs a name befitting a princess. She is at least four years old and a Schnauzer mix of some kind (Maybe a Schnoodle -- Schnauzer + Poodle )



The following choices have been put forward:

Madison nickname Maddie

Madeline nickname Maddie

Margaret nickname Maggy



Things to consider:

She's pretty, smart, energetic, and very sweet. She will have a rhinestone collar and sleep on a pink fluffy bed. She already has a cute sweater that her foster mom sent with her - there will be more.

We are currently test driving Maggy and she seems pretty OK with it -- So what do you think?



Better pictures to follow.

Bailey Grinter

I was so sorry to hear about the loss of a wonderful dog and friend. Bailey was a sweet, gentle puppy who not only brought joy to his family, but brought joy to complete strangers who were lucky enough to spend time with him. Grandma and Grandpa, I am so sorry about what happened. I have no doubt that Bailey, Cory and Sandy are all playing together right now, in the best shape of their lives.

A letter from Henry to Bailey's family

Dear family,
I was very sad when I learned that Bailey had to go live on the farm. I lost my friend Rocky when I was 3, and I know that when a dog dies, it takes a long time to stop sniffing for him. I never met Bailey, because I understand that he didn't like to go in the car, but everyone who had ever met him, everyone in my family said that he was a very good friend. I remember his pictures, and his stories, and whenever I saw Grandma JoAnn and Grandpa Ralph, I could tell that they were very well dog-loved, and that alone is enough to gain my respect.
But Bailey also had a job. Not just sniffing, and cuddling, and catching, and bringing back. He also taught people to read by listening. I think that's really cool. Bailey got up and went in the car even though he didn't like it, in order to sniff and listen for people and kids who didn't have anyone to sniff them or listen to them. I think Bailey was a really good dog, and I hope that I can be as cool as him someday.
Grandpa Ralph and Grandma JoAnn, I wish you didn't have to lose your friend. But what a great friend you had. We'll all miss you, Bailey!
Love, Henry and my family too.

The Big Easy

Jenny and I recently spent four days enjoying New Orleans. We took a rare long weekend and cashed in our casino points for free rooms at Harrah's beautiful hotel. The weather was cooperative, the nightlife was in good form, and I even managed to bring some of my money back from the casino. I declare our trip successful!!

Bailey

Bailey was such a special part of our family. One of my favorite memories of Bailey is from the last time I came to visit this past December. Mom and I went to Grandma and Grandpa's house and Grandpa told us all about Bailey's charity work. It made me want to cry when Grandpa said how kids with learning disabilities would be too shy or embarrassed to read in front of the class but how they would get with Bailey one on one and read out loud to him. Bailey would lie down and just listen and make the kid feel totally at ease. For the holiday season, the class gave Bailey and Grandpa cards and cookies. This to me sums up the kind of dog Bailey was. He wasn't the "need to be in the center of the spotlight" star of the football team like Dylan is or the goofy, lovable class clown like Sandy. Bailey was the gentlest, sweetest dog, easy to talk to because he was such a good listener. He liked to give kisses, he never complained, and never misbehaved (unless Grandpa just didn't tell those stories.) Bailey made a difference in our lives and in the lives of so many others, young and old and brought happiness to everyone he met. I will miss him very very much.

The Daily Bailey

As most of you have probably heard, we lost our sweet little, hoppity, skippity Bailey yesterday.  His illness was so aggressive and so quick to take him that we are still in shock.  He brought lots of joy to Ralph and JoAnne, which in turn made us all love him as much as they did.  In remembrance, I thought it would be nice to take a step back in time . . . 

The Traveling Basket

The baby bassinet that first held a tiny newborn in July 1931 has yet to be retired.  Every ten years or so, the white wicker basket gets stored in someone's attic, forgotten, collecting dust, when all of a sudden a new baby is on the way and the urgency to find the basket is intense and immediate!  Though Emmy Taylor was the last to sleep in the tiny bed, somehow it found it's way into Karen and Norman's basement in Southern Pines.  That's where Rick and Wendy found it - anxious to get it for Ali and Mike's little girl, due to make her appearance in June.  In great shape, but missing the stand, Karen had the basket safely boxed and UPS'd to Dallas, with the assurance that Grandpa Rick (clever DIYselfer that he is!) will make a new stand.  It is expected to arrive today.  WOW.  Someone (this would be you, Mom and Aunt Mary!) really should put together a list of all of the different babies who have spent their first few weeks in the Traveling Basket.  And Mike, I think this story would make a great children's book.  Wanna collaborate?

Miami Beach Here I Come

This is Norman writing from Karen's computer. It's Wednesday and I will be leaving shortly for the airport, heading for Miami Beach for 3 days, attending the annual ABMA (American Brush Manufacturer's Association) convention.  This is nothing more than a social occasion and unfortunately for me, I must show my face. Nothing very worthwhile comes out of these conventions, and it is quite costly. I wish I was staying home with my wife and dogs and attending tonight's prime rib dinner at National Golf Club. 

Happy Birthday, Mary Thompson!

Today is Mary's 24th Birthday, Big Bird's birthday and the official first day of Spring.  All things to celebrate!  Have a great day (and evening!), Mary and remember how mature you are when hitting the hot spots of NYC with your buddies. always a mom, right?

Getting Better, but no Guarantees Part 2

Norman, I feel the same way about the NY Times Crossword tournament. These people are tough! You think you're doing pretty well, showing up with another year of practice and a fancy pencil (see picture - the twist-erase mechanical pencils are the ultimate utensil of choice for truly serious solvers...according to Dad) and then...well, you end up in the bottom of the pile and wonder if everyone else is in on some big secret that you're not!

Regardless of their performance, Anne and Mary had a great time at the tournament and a wonderful time hanging out in the city. We stayed at 60 Thompson in Soho and enjoyed a fun night out on Friday with friends and a delicious dinner on Saturday at an Italian restaurant called Delposto.

On Sunday, Mary went back to her apartment in Brooklyn and Anne got caught in a snowstorm that ended up stranding her in New Canaan until Tuesday...not that she was complaining. Crossword puzzles and good food sure beat work!

Getting Better, But No Guarantees

Golf for both Karen and myself has been so inconsistent. But recently things are looking a tad better. Yesterday, Karen had an eagle on a very difficult par 5, and I parred 3 of the 5 holes I played. But that was yesterday...today is another day. Oh yeah, one more thing, more important than our golf games...Jenna was accepted to and will attend Tulane University in New Orleans this fall. She is so excited, as we all are. Congrats, honey. We are so very proud.

New Toys

Ralph has set up his computer and iPhone so that any new entry or changed entry to his calendar or list of contacts will automatically and wirelessly be reflected on both devices as well as on an Internet site which he can access from any computer anywhere. COOL!

He has also downloaded a new application from Amazon which allows him to purchase "electronic" books and load them on his iPhone for his reading pleasure. Most books are $9.99, are current and you can choose from over 240,000 titles and the list is growing. Also COOL!

Lent

Here it comes 40 days of fasting and introspection.

Every year I give something up, read something, fast on Fridays, give away what money I might have spent on Friday lunch and avoid spending any money on Mondays.

This year:
-- I’m giving up wine.
-- Reading “A year of Living Biblically” by A.J. Jacobs
-- Lunch money…I never know where or how much I’m going to give – the opportunity always just presents itself – Last year I read about a program that helps people who are just squeaking by (the elderly, young families who are just now off the homeless rolls, people with aids, etc). These folks need just a little help each month for usual bills and expenses in order to maintain a home. They did a study, which showed that many of the people had pets, mostly dogs but some cats too.

Until it was explained that they were not going to be excused from the program the group members kept the fact that they had a pet very quiet. Once it was explained that there could be some pet food in it for them, nearly three quarters admitted to sharing their life and their food with an animal.

I know that this will REALLY surprise our readers but turns out the dogs were instrumental in keeping feelings of hopelessness at bay. The article asked for donations for dog (and cat) food – they got most of my Lenten donations last year. Here’s the link if you want to read more about the program - http://www.ccsdallas.org/Pet-O-Meals.htm

So…lent – what are y’all doing?

HAPPY BIRTHDAY!

Happy 52nd birthday to Karen today, Saturday February 21st.  She arrived early making JoAnne very happy. It's the last time she has arrived early for anything.

Dallas baby news - new ultrasounds.

Ultrasound #3 yesterday. Our little tiger got an A-PLUS. She is exactly where she should be in everything - size, development, etc. She's currently 2 lbs. Still shooting for the June 5-6 range. Her heartbeat is great, and it's amazing to watch her wiggle around and kick during the ultrasounds. She's kicking a lot these days, and you can REALLY feel it when you put your hand on Alison's tummy. Alison is happy she's active, but often wishes she'd take a nap.

On to the photos!

	Photo #1 shows just how much of a rockstar she is already, with helpful assistance from noted rocker Ronnie James Dio.
	Photo #2 has the money shot at the bottom - she's facing forward with her little arms held up to her face. ADORABLE.

Rick

Where is my brother?  Are you there?

Flowers, Flowers Everywhere

I met up with Justin at his new office on the Plaza this Friday to set up a bank account, and remarked on a gorgeous display of yellow roses that was sitting in the middle of all the administrators' desks. Everyone looked a little suspicious/guilty and when I asked who the roses were for, I didn't get an immediate answer. Now suspicious myself, I finally managed to get the story out of Justin. As it turned out, one of the wealth advisors in his office had devised a brilliant plan to cost-efficiently celebrate Valentine's Day (they work for a bank, after all - times are tough!). He had noticed that Costco offered delivery of 100 roses for the same price that most poor schmucks shell out for a mere dozen on Feb. 14th. His proposal, to Justin and two other guys in the office: order the roses to be delivered to the office on the 13th, split the cost, and each take home a cool 25 a piece, with no wife or girlfriend the wiser!

But Costco got the dates wrong and the roses showed up on the 3rd, not the 13th. Not wanting to "spoil the surprise" (or, as I suspected, get caught red-handed in their very unromantic of schemes), all 4 decided to keep the roses in the office - 25 were arranged in the aforementioned display, and the remaining 75 ended up being placed uncerimoniously in garbage cans filled with water. Costco apologized profusely for the mistake and promised to deliver another order on the correct date. So it would have gone off without a hitch had I not showed up at the office on Friday, but, I figured, why waste 75 perfectly good roses? 25 are now sitting on my dining room table where they will remain until the next batch arrives on the 14th.

You may wonder why the roses are yellow - the color of "friendship" and not the traditional Valentine's Day red. The same colleague who came up with the plan is the only unmarried one of the four co-conspirators, and, having only been dating his current girlfriend for a few months, insisted on yellow so as not to inadvertently send the "wrong message." Since no one else felt like dealing with the customer service department at Costco - yellow won out!

Laser Surgery

Yesterday (Monday) Ralph had touch up laser surgery on one of his eyes. A film had formed behind the implanted lens that affected his vision. This is not uncommon after cataract surgery, although it usually occurs sooner. This morning he woke up with perfectly clear vision and no lingering after effects. As usual with Carolina Eye, we spent 3.5 hours in the clinic for a procedure that took less than 5 minutes.

Miami University

This morning at 12AM I found out that I got into Miami of Ohio! I am very excited to potentially join Gracie at college.  

Wintry Mix - Sounds Delightful Doesn't It?

The mind might conjure any sort of delightful romantic concoction:

- One might think of a bouquet of white roses, holly, Snowy white alstroemeria, red hypericum berries, with magnolia leafs – lovely.
- Some delightful music, in anticipation of the post-holiday dip into the winter doldrums: Winter Mix - pop-savvy and indie-riffic enough to melt the icicles straight off your stereo – delightful.
- Or possibly, some lovely crunchy nutty sort of thing covered in white chocolate with silvery snowflake embellishments – delish.

One would NOT think of crappy, cold, icy, miserable, snowy, wet weather.

Sadly, the wintry mix in Dallas is the latter:
- Roads are slippery.
- Businesses (that we don’t work for) are closed
- People are stuck in ditches (not anyone we know)
- Bagels stay in bed.

I have some chicken in Barbeque sauce simmering in the crock-pot at home for dinner, which will be eaten by the fire with the whole Thursday night gang and at least two small bagels in attendance.

How are you surviving the cold?

MOVIE CRITIC

Over the last few weeks, Karen and I have seen 4 movies. That is probably 4 more than we have seeen in over a year. Marley and Me, Gran Torino, Benjamin Buttons, and Slumdog Millionaire. We enjoyed each of them. The acting of Clint Eastwood in Gran Torino was excellent and the story lines in Benjamin Buttons and Slumdog were a bit off center but both movies are highly recommended. Now if we can get some local theater to get FrostNixon, we both would be happy campers. For some reason or another, our local theaters turn their backs on movies that may be deemed controversial.

Miserable Cold

Ralph is going into his forth week of a nasty winter cold. They've done bloodwork, chest x-rays and they are sending me to an eye-ear-nose and throat specialist next 

Tuesday. I'm pretty much wiped out.

Baby News From Texas

So, we've talked to several of you, either on the phone or in person, but for those who don't know: Alison and I are officially having a girl!

I will post ultrasound pics tomorrow - my good scanner is @ the office.

Ultrasound photos were a bit fuzzy, so I embellished. My unborn child is ROCK AND ROLL.

SO! EXCITING!

Happy 21st Birthday, Grace!!

Besides swearing in a new president, yesterday ushered in Grace Thompson's newfound adulthood.  Congratulations, Grace!  We would all love to hear how you celebrated.  How about a couple pictures and a recap?!