Happy Birthday Uncle David!

Look who's turning fifty-three (looks bigger when I write it out like that doesn't it?).

Hope you have a great birthday!

Happy Birthday!

Happy birthday Shannon! I am thinking of you. Did you and Rick do anything special for your anniversary? What are you doing to celebrate your special day? I hope you make it fun! xoxoxo

Memorial Day Memory Found

While working on genealogy this weekend I found notes from Aunt Margaret that have their 22 year anniversary today. Sharing below - the content has been edited to highlight the best parts.

Monday, Memorial Day, May 26, 1986
I made another dream come true!

Here I am in the County of Wythe - where one or several of my great ancestors lived. I left (this morning)...drove over 300 miles! Tomorrow I'll drive to Wythesville to Oral Jones Real Estate to see if they can direct me to Ewing Mountain and other areas.

Tuesday & Wednesday

Research, refuge in the only motel within 16 miles of Gate City (VA), Scott County Library, found a better motel.

Thursday

...drove to Gate City to get more info on Fort Houston. I arrived at their library where I located the Scott County Cemetery map which told me where the Jonathan Wood Cemetery was which "is past the Fort Houston historical marker." So I decided I'd drive around and see if I could find it on my own. I found a dirt road but it was not right. I tried another one that turned out to be a driveway. The couple sittin' on the front porch were old but very nice - told me to keep going down the road till I saw a brick house with a trailer, "those folks is Woods" and they could help me... Fortunately I found the Houston marker and I took some photos of it and the area. So I drove on a bit more and finally saw the dirt road on the left side while the cemetery came into view. AMEN! I slowly and carefully drove down the road - it was a bit hairy because it was on a ridge - would have been a bit of a drop with no shoulder. I introduced myself to the couple and asked them if this is the Jonathan Wood Cemetery - when they said YES - my heart nearly stopped - I told them how excited I was and asked if I could go see it and take pictures, they said sure.

...started walking up the hill. The grass was up to my hips - the temp was 80 degrees or more - it was quite an uphill walk but I did it - I really found it. I took a few pictures and walked down the hill and thanked the folks again...Gosh, what a day!

Laura again here. As with a lot of Margaret's notes it was clear she was watching every penny. She documented each expense throughout her trip. But on Friday of her journey she had experience that did her heart and mine some good. She had breakfast at the Waffle House and went about as all out as she ever would with a full breakfast of waffles, eggs, bacon, juice and coffee. It was $4.99, she hit it off so well with the waitress, she told her, "You're the most pleasant person I've seen in over 700 miles." which was especially pleasing because the Assistant Manager was right next to her. And then she tipped $3 on her $4.99 breakfast. Well, you know, that's Margaret.

What we've been up to!

A whole lot! Spring is definitely making it's way into Summer here in Lake Wylie. I don't know who knows what so here's the run down with me...

I got a job at a full-service advertising agency in Gastonia, NC.

Here's the link- http://www.sumnergroup.com/

I love it- recently made my first sale and have a whole bunch in the pot. I am covering the promotional products (trade show giveaways, corporate apparel, etc.) pretty much anything with your name and logo on it. If you need anything give me a shout! I got to go to a fancy photo shoot and get my picture taken:

I've been attending many after hours events trying to network. I've also joined the Lake Wylie Chamber of Commerce, The Montcross Area Chamber of Commerce, River Hills Country Club and a couple of leads groups. So right now I am a very busy girl!

The kids are doing great. Kaiya is attending First Wesleyan Christian School in Gastonia until fall and then she'll be going to Pre-K in our neighborhood at Crowder's Creek Elementary with Anthony. In just a few short months she has learned all of her days of the week, months of the year, and is writing her name and all her letters and numbers- yay Kaiya! She is growing up very fast and enjoying our new house.

Anthony is doing great at his new school and is very ready for summer vacation. He will be spending 4 weeks with Craig in Va Beach and will come home on the 4th of July. Both the kids are already enrolled for Camp Thunderbird in the fall. They will be going afterschool together. Anthony has been at Camp Thunderbird since the beginning on April and absolutely loves it.

Steve is enjoying his new job at Lake Wylie Marina. New boats sales are down significantly but luckily used boat sales are up! We've been doing quite a lot of boating and I am quickly becoming a "boater"- even bought me a new pair of Sperry's!

We've also been checking out the local attractions. Last week we went to The Evening Muse and say Ben Taylor...he is the son of James Taylor and Carly Simon. It was fantastic! We also saw David Saw and my new favorite up and coming artist Carrie Tree- you have GOT to check her out! http://www.myspace.com/carrietree I got some pics but haven't downloaded them quite yet... because (drum roll please) might as well leave them on there since Steve and I am going to Atlanta Monday to see...

Steve Miller Band

Oh and Joe Cocker will be there too! It will be a very short vacation but we are looking forward to it.

Today Steve's sister Lisa and her boyfriend Dave are coming down from Virginia Beach to go to the Coca Cola 600 Nascar race. They'll be staying until Monday. We are looking forward to seeing them-they are loads of fun! My mom is coming down on Sunday with her friend and they are staying until Thursday! Whew! Yess...lots to do. I am making my famous (well it's not my recipe but I make it for everyone) BREAD PUDDING...top notch recipe right there!! Everyone will love it. You should come for a visit and then you can have some too!!

Well I guess I'll go and clean...lots of it to do. Anyone headed down (or UP) I-85 needs to stop and see me. Miss you all and love you!!!

Dottie and Lee 's Excellent Paris Adventure

Bon jour to our far-flung family. Dottie and Lee are home after celebrating (a little belatedly) their 20th anniversary with a trip to Paris April 12-19. We stayed at a pleasant hotel conveniently located near Notre Dame, and visited the main sights, including the Louvre, Musee D'Orsay, Musee d'Carnavalet (where Lee posed with the original of "Parisienne, Place de la Concorde," which was the subject of s short story he wrote), Eiffel Tour, Sacre Coeur and Montmartre and the Pantheon, where France buries her heroes.

Paris was unseasonably cold and windy, which limited our boulevard strolling and leisurely window shopping, and all the prices were outrageous, but we had a great time.
Of course, we managed to find our way to some charming cafes, bistros and restaurants, and took pictures of everything, including food stands where fresh seafood and produce such as white asparagus were on display.

If you want to see some of our pix, with captions, you can go to our web album at: http://picasaweb.google.com/lee.ewing/Paris

Now that we're back in sunny Carolina, y'all come see us, y'heah?
Love, Lee and Dottie

Like a good little sister...

always trying to be like her big sis... Laura got a new puppy so, of course, so did I!! :)
Meet Hershey!!!

Charlie Vs. McDonalds

Well,for those who care, I heard from my lawyer regarding the defendant in my case,
Joseph Bryant. There was a court date on April 1st and he pled guilty to assault in the third degree. That helps my case a bit. Then we found out he had a prior arrest in 2002, just for disorderly conduct, but it strengthens our case that McDonald's screening process is questionable at best. I should be seeing the dvd from the surveillance tapes that recorded the entire incident pretty soon. But it will still probably take a long time to resolve. Manny says I will have to do a deposition where I advocate for myself, but the defense can ask me questions about anything in my past. Hmmm. Not looking forward to that, but I guess it's a necessary part of the process. He's going to coach me on that, which will probably be amusing. He's a character. Manny Moses. Oy. Le Chaim!

Happy Friday

Happy Friday everyone! Andy is in Boston for work so I am here taking care of cats and dogs. This is Kirby last weekend on his first trip to the river. He took one look at the dock and thought, "I could jump off of that!" He is a water lover. Lexi looked on as Kirby and mom's shepherd Kahu played in the water. Lexi knows a dip in the river means a real bath and blow drying. Anyway, suffice to say he's coming out of his shell. Where a couple weeks ago every single sound scared the bejeezus out of him, now he just wonders, "What's that?!"

I'm just wondering if Andy's flight home tomorrow will be canceled or delayed with the flood of maintenance checks these last few days.

Happy St. Patrick's Day!

Last night I made a Romasco favorite for dinner - stuffed cabbage rolls. Can you guess where I'm going with this? Tonight's dinner will be corned beef and cabbage of course. That's right, it's St. Patrick's day. I hope you're all wearin' a bit 'o the green so you don't get pinched while you're out and about. Tonight we will a raise a glass to you all. I hope you all will have a happy (and safe) St. Pat's day.

Welcome to the Family

Well, you knew it was just a matter of time before Andy and I would need to add to the family. Some people might have been betting on small human, they obviously haven't met Lexi. Meet Kirby (the name's 4 hours old so we'll see how it sticks). Kirby is a Kerry Blue Terrier. They are believed to be derived from Soft Coated Wheaten Terriers (Lexi-types). Kirby was rescued from a puppy mill in Pennsylvania. He spent the first 6 months of his life there. Today we went to Philadelphia to bring him home. So far he's getting along with all the creatures in the house.

Cake for the 100th Post

Hey! It's our 100th EwingUniverse post. That deserves some celebration. This is the chocolate cake I made from scratch thankyouverymuch today. Go ahead, devour it with your eyes, no calories!

We had a quiet weekend in the city. Actually, not that quiet. We went to the Penzey's Spices store, had lunch at Coastal Flats, I fixed our home network which was acting up, Andy went to a comic & pop culture thing with a friend, and I made cake!

Oh, and I watched a certain OOOOOOO presidential candidate give a speech in Richmond. Gobama!

Headed SOUTH!

Just a quick update on what's going on with me...

I have a new beau and have fallen very much in LOVE... his name is Steve and he is absolutely awesome even if I do say so myself :) Here is a pic... I know yess he is a hottie!! Ha ha



Well he got a great job offer in the Charlotte area and so we are moving down south. I do not have a job just yet but the market down there is very good. I think I'll stick with boating since I have really enjoyed it and am doing very well. The kids are very excited about the move. We have rented a beautiful townhouse in Lake Wylie, SC- just over the border- excellent neighborhood and THE BEST schools in the state. I am very much looking forward to the move... packing sucks but it is worth it :0) Anyway, my new email is julia.colleen@yahoo.com. Please email me for my new address and cell number. I miss everybody and I'm really excited about the location... 4 hours from Atlanta, 4 from Savannah and Tybee!, close to Lee & Dottie.... okay guys gotta go- LOVE YOU ALL

Reunion Photos

Maybe it's a good thing it took me so long to post these reunion pix. They sure do bring back some great memories. I'm not sure how many to post here, though. I think I'll do a few every once in a while, so there will be new pix for people frequently. I can send them all to anybody who wants. Laura, maybe for archiving purposes. But I would think there are plenty of photos already. Now, let me do a few instead of blathering on.

Burns Night: A Scottish Rite

It's Burns Night when Scotland remembers it's poet Robert Burns. What better time to claim a relation (hey, we're Burnses!) and chow down on haggis?

Back to reality

Hey everyone!! Ricky and I had a fabulous time in the Dominican Republic! We lounged on the beach, swam, ate, gambled, drank, ate, danced and ate some more! It was amazing! I'm going to try to post some pictures...Laura got all of the technology genes and I didn't so we'll see how it goes! :)



Ricky get a hot Dominican chick...
I got parrots...

New York checking in

Howdy, Y'all. Laura, thanks for the new E favicon. Now I can open the website and take an eye exam at the same time! It IS an E, isn't it?

New York is finally cold, but I think a lot of you got quite a chill, too. I miss spring.

I'm continuing to adjust to my life at work in a "factory" cubicle. Our building is in the fashion district and there used to be somebody sitting at a sewing machine where my desk is. It's much more a group atmosphere. Gossippy. Mostly female, which I'm sure is pure coincidence...

It is a fun group, though. Rebekah, who sits about a foot and a half away from me, is from South Carolina and sounds just like a Pate, I just love it. We finally all got our first raise in about six years, so morale has improved.

The idiotic McDonalds lawsuit is still progressing. Next, I'll be getting to look at the surveillance tape, so that should be interesting.

Cookie and I continue to work on my show and it's a lot of fun right now. You will all definitely want to change your names and deny ever knowing me before too long.

I haven't had much luck downloading pictures, or I would have. But I'll keep trying. Meanwhile, I continue to enjoy all the pix already posted by our Fearless Leader.

It's so late, I have to get to bed. Max is about ready to crash, too.

Oooh Something New

Hey, what's that little thing before the address of EwingUniverse up there in my browser? Oh cool, it's the EwingUniverse favicon! A little something to make EU stand out on your bookmarks bar so that maybe, just maybe you'll make the treacherous climb all the way up there to post about what is going on in, oh, I dunno - Florida, New York, Tennessee, Georgia, Virginia, Maryland or North Carolina.

Things have finally settled down here in Arlington. I had two allergic reactions to the wonder drugs prescribed to knock out the crazy supergerm MRSA. Now I am definitely on the mend. We stayed in the city a couple of weekends and pretended to be city folk. I've been cooking up a storm, but everything I make seems to have caramelized onions in it.

And of course - Happy New Year! We spent ours at the river. I made raclette and fondue and it was decadent. We watched Dick Clark and willed in a healthy, wealthy and wise 2008. How about you?

Merry Christmas to All!!

Hi Everyone! Rick and I leave Thursday for 8 fabulous days in the Dominican Republic! I hope everyone has a very Merry Christmas and a rockin' New Year!
xoxo
Shannon

Feelin' Groovy

Hello everyone! Sorry to leave you hanging. I just talked with Charlie and that spurred me to update the web. Finally my doctor thinks I had kidney stones plus a virus which is what landed me in the hospital Thanksgiving Eve. I am feeling SO much better now. Thank you for all of your thoughts and well wishes!

Key Discoveries About Hospital Life:
* If you are your doctor's 8th sickest patient out of 8 patients, you might as well go home and start over.
* "A virus" is doctor speak for "I have no idea what is wrong with you."
* Sonograms on tv are as genuine as wrestling.
* When you are entering a CT machine, there is no way to avoid thinking of last week's episode of House where the woman went into v-fib the moment they started sliding her in there. Actually, pretty much everything seems like it's ripped from an episode of House.
* Drugs, when administered properly by trained medical professional, are magic.

Laura!

OMG! I'm really going to start coming here much more frequently now that I missed this news on Laura! I'm calling her right now, but I will be back with much more, including many pictures including our antics in GA, my antics in Las Vegas, Grand Canyon. I must call Laura before it gets too late. Well, here, anyway...see if this video works----

By George, I think it worked.

Just talked to Laura and glad to hear things have stabilized, but I have to admit I'm not too crazy about the one remaining kidney stone just lurking there with a smirk on it's face...so smug. Probably named Mordred or something.