Thursday, April 28, 2022

Our Life Lately

I just cannot believe that it's almost the end of April 2022.  Once again, I have fallen behind in my posting here.  If there are still any of you who look forward to reading House at Forest Manor, I do apologize for being so lax.  Part of the problem is that I've had a hard time deciding what to write about.    
   
We're still having a beautiful spring here, so much so that allergies have hit hard -- for everyone.  I've had a persistent sore throat and so have re-discovered the pleasures of hot tea in the morning (in place of my normal coffee).  Hot tea with honey and lemon are so soothing to the throat, and I'm currently favoring Twinings' Lady Grey tea.  Such a civilized custom is the taking of tea -- wouldn't you agree?
   
   
   
   In my previous post, I shared some pictures of our "babies" -- the trees that we had planted last fall and early spring this year.  Those 14 crape myrtle trees now have a good growth of leaves, and I'll show a picture here at the first opportunity.  Meanwhile, Hal and I paid a brief visit to Reynolda Gardens in the first week of March.  Not much was happening there, but I bet that's not the case now.  I hope to get back over there soon!
   

This is some of what we saw there almost two months ago.
   
   


I love this color of pansy.
   


As you can see, the gardens were still somewhat bare from winter.   
   
On Good Friday this year, I again went to three cemeteries with my mom to put flowers on the family graves.  These cemeteries are in the south side of town, where my mom grew up and our family lived until I was ten years old.  The neighborhood is in the city; the houses and yards are small and close together, and the streets are mostly named after famous battles of World War I.  Our house (and my maternal grandparents' house) was on Marne Street.  My mom's grandparents lived on Verdun Street, and more of her relatives lived on Argonne Boulevard.  I looked it up, and these were battles in World War I.  It brings back memories to ride through there now, though sadly things have changed a lot.  My mom can still point out where so many of her friends and family members lived when she was growing up.  
   

My mother was a McGee before she married, and my husband is a McGee.  We were a little concerned when we first met, but neither family knew of any common relations.  Last year we found out we're sixth cousins.  My uncle (mom's brother) did our family genealogy years ago, and my mom shared some of the information with Hal's dad, who is very interested in genealogy.  My father-in-law discovered the common family member.  I have since discovered that there are a lot of people with the surname McGee in our area of the state.
   

This was my maternal grandfather's older brother, killed in Italy in World War II -- aged 25.  I can certainly understand the fascination of following up your family genealogy; it's kind of a treasure hunt, with a combination of history, romance, tragedy, and mystery.  
   
We've been watching Season One of "The Crown."  It seems I'm always late to the party, but we're enjoying this series so far.  I read some good books over the last few months and will list them in an upcoming post in case anyone is looking for book recommendations.  I've also enjoyed spending time in the kitchen and have been trying some new recipes.  Most I have gotten online, and I'm adding them to my recipe box, as I try them and decide they're keepers.  😊  We haven't made any further progress on our home office/hobby room.  Sigh.  I told Hal if we could find someone to do it for us, I would just pay to get it painted so we could finish up in there.  It's so hard to find good people to do work on a home right now; there's so much new building going on around here it's unbelievable.  
   
Sorry this has not been the most interesting of posts; I just can't seem to get back in the groove.  However, I will keep trying.  😉  Wishing you a wonderful weekend in your part of the world, and thank you so much for your visit!  
   
Hugs,

  
 

4 comments:

  1. Well....good morning Denise! How I have missed you! I can so relate...what to write about? What do I find interesting enough to share! I really enjoyed your post today and reading about your family...it's fascinating and so important to family! We loved the Crown! It's also lovely to see what blooms in Spring....wish we could share a cup of that hot tea....just lovel! Hope you feel better soon! warm hugs!

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  2. Oh, Denise, this is a perfectly fine post. I think it is interesting that you and your husband are sixth cousins. ☺️ My maternal grandparents were distant cousins...they never knew it. My parents were distant cousins as well. They never knew it either. I'll just keep their secret. It's nice to see the flowers. It's going to be unseasonably cold into the middle of May so flowers will be a rarity.

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  3. Hello Denise, I really enjoyed this post, full of newsy bits and pieces. Spring is really starting to show up these days, isn't it? I hope your allergies soon abate. Tea in the morning is always what I drink. I don't know if it's civilized, but it's tasty with some honey added.
    My husband's maternal grandmother was a McGee - immigrated from the USA (Washington State) in the early part of the 20th century. There's still an old family homestead that is a working farm. Maybe we're related!

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  4. Hello Denise, it's good to read of your comings and goings. How interesting to find those family connections. We are having a hard time finding contractors especially for concrete work. Sigh....
    The signs of the times. Glad to hear your 'babies' are doing well. Happy May to you!

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THANK YOU FOR YOUR KIND COMMENTS. I ENJOY READING EACH AND EVERY ONE OF THEM.

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