little between times blog and tomorrow we travel again

Well, we have been home several months, was warm, got cool, then cold and now getting warm again. We had deer as frequent visitors in our back yard upon our return to Raleigh in August. Note two back in the leafy area. This winter we have not seen them. Must be wintering along the greenway.

We did branch out on restaurant dining, finding a very country older establishment on the way to the elementary school our church has adopted to support through providing "reading buddies" of whom Patt is one. This rather rustic and rough place features Civil War photos and flags (that would be General Lee above the distinguished men in the corner booth).  I had the vegetable plate.

With Mark and Marie we enjoyed football season. The Deacons are getting good. And we even had one game that was c-o-l-d. We were styling too. Especially Mark and me.

Patt and I have joined the Raleigh Sister Cities program and among the cities we are sisters with is Compiegne, France, location of the signing of the Armistice that ended World War I. We visited the armistice railcar/museum/park in spring 2016. This was the ceremony at sunrise on Armistice Day 11/11/16 at the NC State Bellower which was built to honor veterans of Raleigh and NCSU who fought in WWI and later II.

Hosting was part of our routine this past fall. Charlotte, Ray and Diane's daughter, Charlotte,  kept me busy; Nolo and Monica; Susan, Graham and Ryan; and Eddie, Betty and Arthur all visited and, of course, Kate lived with us keeping me sorta accountable as the "worst uncle ever".

Here reading to Ryan, once again illustrating the age group with whom I most readily identify.

Christmas party with Kelly and Beth's children's "friends" and a game of "Settlers of Catan" was fun as was the good times associated with the traditions associated with the day.

Winter has seen us in Winston-Salem to see the Deacons on the hardwood and looking good - well better and fun to watch. Check out the score board in the back ground.  Deacons up by double digits in the second half; going on to beat Miami by 17 points!

The Deacon wearing 0 is Randolf Childress's son Brandon, my all time favorite Deacon player and hopefully a new favorite.

and as behoves a new year, and women's marches, and such, Patt has gotten active -  as she says "Grandma is ——"