family « Kenny Smith | A remarkable thing happens …

family

adventures / family / Monday / photo — Comments Off
19
Dec 22

Early holidays

We are enjoying an early Christmas in Alabama, where the sky is blue …

… and the present of choice is quality time. After church yesterday, we had an afternoon with family. Lunch, presents, dominos. The food was good, the presents were simple and The Yankee and I got crushed at dominos by my mother and grandfather.

I think he’s a ringer.

And, oh, how they delight in beating us. We play this game every visit, now, and I think we’ve won one game, perhaps two. Definitely no more than that.

My grandfather and I got matching novelty ties from my mother.

This glittery, oversized, ridiculous tie-shaped material is on a loop of elastic, is in no way a tie and, given how often you’d have occasion to wear such a thing, ought to last me eight or nine years.

Also, the rare food photo. Saturday she made a chicken pot pie. It had an expression, right until I stabbed it in the eye.

Ran a few errands today. Bank, post office, another bank. There are always banks. The Yankee and I went for a run at the nearby high school. Well, she ran. There’s a track around their practice football field and someone left a football on the field, so I just worked on my punts. Ya know, in case it ever comes up that someone needs an emergency punter and they somehow lose the phone number of every punter in the world.

The good news is that I can still punt my age in yardage — but only just! — the bad news is that you may as well be kicking field goals for all the good I’d do you. Also, I was doing this in running shoes, rather than cleats. So add on a few yards, and let’s all pretend I’m still young. I am still young.

Anyway, everyone is well here. We’re having a lovely time and I’ve only had to climb up a ladder three times and do just a few light chores to help out. I always suggest the making of a list, let me know if I should bring some work clothes or some special tool or whatever, but I got off easy this time.

It really is Christmas! (And the real gift is quality time.)

We have to leave tomorrow, as our travels continue, and the weather is coming in. Our time to visit is short, but our visit is wonderful.

I hope the most appropriate part of that sentence for your holidays applies as necessary.

adventures / family / Friday / photo / windshield time — Comments Off
16
Dec 22

And so it begins, travel day

An easy morning at the office, then back to the house to rapidly finish packing things up. And then into the car. We got out late in the mid-day, which means we only drove all afternoon and into the evening. And the evening part was, mostly, on interstates and roads I’ve ridden and driven on my whole, entire, life.

So there was a lot of this today.

And some of this.

The darkness caught up to us in Nashville, or so. Later, you turn right off that interstate then wind through some four lane roads of questionable purpose, and then into the hills and hollers on a two lane county road. Eventually you hit the state line, and then it’s a straight shot on those stretches of asphalt that are more than familiar. You keep going until you hit the “big” intersection that marks a small town’s crossroads, just up the street from the historic ferry spot that made the small town possible. You take a right, cross two more creeks and then hang a right in the darkness.

A moment later, in a finely lit and well-manicured neighborhood, this seven-hour drive is over. Hugs for Mom. Dinner, and the holidays are now underway.

adventures / family / photo — Comments Off
24
Nov 22

Happy Thanksgiving

We didn’t make much, but we were left with plenty. And when it came time to consider all of the many things for which I am thankful, I made sure to tally the list twice, just to be sure. It left me with plenty.

Happy Thanksgiving to you, and to your loved ones.

cycling / family / Monday / photo — Comments Off
21
Nov 22

Thanksgiving Week

My lovely bride returned Saturday. The in-laws arrived safely yesterday. The front-end of holiday travel has been a success. We have a relaxed week ahead of us, which is the way Thanksgiving should be. Less hustle, more time for the small things, and the easy gratitude.

And, also, kitties.

Phoebe is thankful for this little pig mouse toy.

Poseidon is thankful for high perches.

And we are thankful for kitties.

Here’s the view from a high perch. This was the view from one part of the airport, when we picked up the folks. There’s an irregular feature of indoor winter shapes in this somewhere. It’s both symmetrical — you assume — and asymmetrical at the same time.

This evening we tried the inaugural use of our new miniature fire pit. I’m now teaching The Yankee how to start a fire.

She did NOT like it when she said “Every time I touch it I make it worse,” and I agreed. But! When I was eventually able to do it the right way, we had a fire.

I got in 30 miles on the bike yesterday. Just a few desert views.

For some reason, in the middle of this digital nowhere, there’s a dinosaur. He’s a statue. At least I think he’s a statue. He doesn’t seem to move.

What’s nice is the detail; even the road shows its imperfections. Also, my avatar reminds me to have some water. Look, he’s having a sip just now.

You’ve got to stay hydrated. A whole week’s worth of laid back festivities depends on it.

Tomorrow we’re going to a museum!

adventures / Alabama / family / Wednesday — Comments Off
7
Sep 22

What do you know?

I was right.

Much like yesterday, this is also where we spent this afternoon.

I spent the morning at a bank, because somehow a simple task required the full morning. This is fun, though: the woman on the other side of the desk, is my step-cousin-twice-removed-in-law.

Yes, that’s a thing. I’ve just typed it into existence because there’s a chart and I have verified the information.

It reminds me of something a professor once said about hometowns and mobility. His general premise was that if you stay in that place, and your family is from there and you marry there, you’ll likely find yourself with someone in your own clan. Well, I’ve never lived here, but all of my people are from here and they married people. All it took, in this case, was finding out her husband’s name. That man’s grandfather was the brother of my step-grandfather’s grandfather. We’ve never met at reunions, the banker and her husband, but we know about the summer stews.

Small bank, smaller world.