noodle shop

A Great  Dinner.

After our trip to the mountain for our hike – walk, we returned to the big city, picked Laura up and went on to a restaurant that Matt knew of near one of the Universities where he has visited.  Patt and I had been asking to go to a restaurant for handmade, noodles of a style we associate with this City.

This place did not disappoint -  it is located on a street sorta like Franklin or Hillsbourgh – with emphasis on the “sorta”.  While an area that definitely catered to students – and next to a university, and specializing in food options, it was different, yet somewhat similar – emphasis on the somewhat, but you would get the idea.

We enjoy watching the noodles being made by swinging and pounding the wheat dough and stretching it.  Somehow magically it turns into strands which are then thrown into the boiling pot with other stuff.

And we do like it.

And Julianna is a pro at using chopsticks and has noodle eating process down better than yours truly.  Our styles are very similar- and appropriate too I might add.  Lydia too is adept at eating in the local style though chopsticks are a work in process.

Now Isaac is just learning how to use chop sticks.

Here is a series of photos in order as taken by Matt.  These repeat some that were in Laura’s blog earlier but I like the whole series so here you are.

Yeah I admit I think he is cute too

trip to a mountain

Matt, Patt, the kids and I went on a trip to a near-by mountain-tourist destination. We drove a couple of hours on an interstate limited access toll highway that was very nice.  There were rest areas that were the nicest I have ever seen.  Think the one in Maryland on I-95 that is between the north south lanes- only larger, cleaner, newer, and a very different variety of stuff for sale.  Tour buses and other travelers were of course stopping and guess what created a stir. (bear with me on this blogging, I am using Laura's computer - mine is not yet able to penetrate all the security necessary to use a "social" page yet.

 one of the things that always impresses me about this place is the combination of old and new.  These construction carts were just along the side of the path at a building being renovated.   I thought they were interesting - also seen on the tourist path were porters with huge loads on their back carrying supplies up to the vending, service areas in the national park we were visiting.

 The girls braved the second half of a swinging bridge by themselves.  (would have loved to have heard their conversation - they started out not holding hands) -- the bridge had a swinging bounce to it as you walked, even for the kids.

 Matt, Patt and Isaac were apt watchers of the girls, (me too)

 And no mountain hike (well walk) is complete without a stop for a snack.  one of the snacks purchased at this overlook contained the following - "product name:  strange taste horsebean ( deep fry food) ingredients:  housebean, white granulated sugar, edible oil, edible salt, montasodium glutamate, spice, Food additive tartrazine"  and that was that -- actually the kids liked them better than me.  A biscuit type cookie I preferred, perhaps because the bag had not English on it.  Anyway for you players of scrabble, horsebean is a word, and a content of food packaging along with edible oil - which I much prefer to the other types for my food.

Patt hardly has any ears left, they have been talked off.  Amazing how many words come at us, especially the Grandmama. 

Yes we are here, and yes we have neighbors.  As in lots and lots of neighbors, but given our location, this should not be a surprise.  This view is from our deck of the apartment that we have.  twelfth floor, of seventeen.  Our building is shaped like a giant "U" in a complex of many buildings looking a lot like this one.

 

 Like this, I have no idea how many building there are in our complex, and more being built as it is brand new.  It is the next apartment complex to the one where Matt and Laura live.

 We are right next door, -well almost, just across this street and into their complex.  Just a four- five minute walk -- and we have already made it more than once.  We had a quick 28 hour trip door to door and are doing very very well.

we are spending a little bit of time reading and playing -- well actually lot of time reading and playing.

 and we are enjoying it very very much.  especially me.

 Yesterday Patt and I took the kids to the grocery store.  A short walk, through the neighborhood.

 and even at a Harris Teeter we would have created a stir.  Here we were a cause for much attention, as kids were running around helping us find what we needed.  A grand adventure.

yes they did

Some more old photos

Laura and Stephen were such cuties!  or at least their Mom and I thought so.  (And Still Do). 

 and yes Laura fixed Stephen's hair -- and probably more than once.  Patt just did not want to get Stephen's hair cut -- and note Laura's selection in clothing for the day.  She has since gotten a bit more subdued.

 and Stephen was a good sport about being the younger brother too - sometimes -- actually most of the time.

Laura still has lots of hair to do, so this was just a start.

Laura at 4 and another birthday

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One late spring morning in 1981, Laura turned 4 years old.  We obviously were at Grandaddy's house from the setting of these pictures.  We have here Laura with her birthday presents at the breakfast table.

Sitting in the seat of honor, next to Grandaddy, typical menu set, Laura waits for present opening time.  The bathrobe was a favorite and my recollection of it was that it got more and more worn and faded as time went by, but it was well worn and enjoyed by Laura.

Below is a familiar scene of birthday girl helping her Mom decorate the cake sitting on the counter in the kitchen.

lunch or dinner time brought out the cake and the excitement of candles.

As I recall Stephen could never help himself from the excitement at blowing out candles time, no matter whose. These were on occasion moist events with all the vigor that was demonstrated.

Goodness, but Laura would laugh, and often enjoying herself and others.

And here birthday girl knows where the camera is despite some activity stage left.  Or perhaps paying attention to her Dad.

and last August, not quite on Lydia's birth day we celebrated two birthdays in Minnesota.  Stephen's July date and Lydia's August birthday.

 And Stephen has graduated to lighting the candles too, though he still enjoys blowing them out.

Lydia too, can blow out her three birthday cup cake candles.

and this little girl will be four hears old next week -  Happy Birthday Lydia !

at Long Beach

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Somewhere there must be some more good photos.  The following four are all I found from this event in the box of random photos that for some reason or another are in one shoe box.  Here we have left to right, Stephen, Andrew, Laura, Mark, Julie, Eric, Karen, one of Eric and Barb's dogs, and Carey.  Summer 81 is my guess.

 Back then,there were few houses at our section of Long Beach, (as it was known then), and we got to play on the beach with little interruption from other beach goers.

 The surf held quite a fascination for the kids, and we enjoyed playing in it and had lots of made up games associated with the water.

 Here  the photo below it looks like one of the games in progress.  the game had no real name but the essence was, avoid the water of the in-rushing wave.  Of course eventually as play got bolder, and kids stayed closer and closer to waters edge, kids got wet, but that was the general idea of most any game played at the ocean back then.  

Goodness but we had some wonderful times.   And I should mention, that when there were other people on the beach, or when beach walkers came by, -- they stopped and looked.  Our family  had some very very attractive children that caused people to stop and look.-- We still do.

feeding the bull

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There were many wonderful things about having a Grandfather who was a farmer that made our trips to see Grandmother and Granddaddy special.  Feeding the cows in the barn was certainly one of them.

 As is obvious, proper attire was required,-- see Stephen's hat - sizing one of the feed supply or tractor dealership hats for Stephen to wear was a routine we went through for trips to the barn with Granddaddy.

 And though the cows, including the bull were generally very gentle, Granddaddy was always a little concerned when strangers were around his cows.  This meant little children especially -- note the hand on Laura's jacket.

My memories of times such as this are very strong.  We had some great adventures in the barn.  I enjoyed my farming experiences very very much- especially when entrusted to feed the cows by myself, something which indeed I could and did do.

two more random old photos

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In the last post I referenced my Mustang, well here is a picture of it in front of our first apartment.  This apartment complex, whose name escapes me now, is on Trail six or something like that in Burlington.  Our car, the first one I bought, was this Mustang.  Sold when we lived in Wilkesboro.  This would be 1970 as we did not live there but one year.

And jumping ahead to circa 1980 our house on Cole St.  complete with children by now.  In this photo if you enlarge it you can see that Laura has her trademark pacifier in her mouth  and I am going in the door carrying Stephen.  

The car was not the best of cars though I did like it, the house was one of the best of houses and we really liked it-- a lot.

Big Wheels

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One of the toys Stephen and Laura enjoyed - and used the most - were known as big wheels.  We went through several.  here Stephen is pushing up hill on in front of our house on Cole St.  All of these are obviously the same day in the summer of 1981, I think,  Making Stephen either two or almost two and Laura 4. -- and I think Laura's comment of the last post got the ages and date correct.

The kids rode up and down this sidewalk for hours.  We also went on long walks through the neighborhood on the sidewalks with the kids riding.  Stone wall is in front of our house.  The Mustang was not our car.  Mine had been long sold by this time.

Laura coming "down the hill" of our driveway.

And they slept well, for which we were most thankful- long naps and early to bed at night too.  That summer, Patt and the kids would often meet me on Glenwood Ave as I was walking home from work in the State Budget Office.

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Recently I found some old color slides in a box as I was busy looking for something else - (ever done something like that before/).  Well after spending a few minutes holding them up to a light bulb - not a very satisfactory viewing practice I might add, I selected a few to get digitized.  So into the yesteryear we go.

This photo is one of Patt's and my favorites- we have had it printed and more than once I think.  It is left to right Karen, Stephen, Julie and Laura.  Playing school probably- though who thought who could read?, (double click the picture to enlarge the photo)-- I am thinking Stephen and Karen about one year old and a little bit to perhaps Laura, just turned three?  Photo is set in the back room, later Stephen's bedroom, at our 513 Cole St house.  That was one beautiful and large dogwood tree just out the window.  This would be summer 1980.

 This picture taken in my Mom and Dad's house in the playroom is of the "women in my life"  a generation ago.  I now have a different set of women in my life including a daughter-in-law and two granddaughters.  And of course we have Mom, Granny, holding two (or so) month old Laura, and Patt.  This would be summer 1977.

 And here we have another summer 1977 at our Jackson Street apartment, prior to moving to married student housing in King Village.   Of course the stars of this picture are Patt and Laura trying out a baby back pack.  Laura was a bit small for this as I recall - obvious huh ?, and we had to stuff towels around her to keep her in and in an upright position.

but you can see below she did enjoy being carried in this fashion, (or appreciated my humor).  In the background you can see our 74 or 76 Chevrolet Monte Carlo, and a right sporty one it was too.

I probably should have verified facts on this post with Patt prior to posting, -- so as to avoid perpetuation of legends.  though a few good legends would perhaps be fitting.

More old photos to come.