Prince Arrives for the New Year!!

Prince

We went to pick up Prince at the Humane Society of Charlotte late this afternoon. While we were completing the paperwork and learning Prince's health history, we got to know a bit about their services.

It was interesting to learn that the HSC is completely funded by donations from individuals and corporations -- no funds from the city or the county. They take in dogs and cats from the Charlotte metropolitan area and also bring in animals from other cities (Chester, SC; Gastonia, NC; and Georgia). Over the holiday period 42 dogs came in and 52 were adopted!

Some of the dogs picked up in the South are ferried north to New York where there are stricter laws on neutering and spaying. New York has a lack of puppies in their HSC-like system so they look to other states for assistance.

It was on a run between Georgia and New York that Prince was dropped off in Charlotte on December 15. John put in our request for Prince on the 19th, and an "I'm Adopted" sign went up on his run.

We made several trips to visit Prince in the past week. Even Mark and Jen got the tour and introduction to Prince. It was fun to see which pups had been adopted, as well as play with Prince. Each visit Prince was more playful and beginning to warm up to us.

(Note to Mark and Jen: Chopper, Prince's roommate, and Bailey were both adopted.)

Time to go home!

After all the paperwork was completed, it was time for one photo and on into the car for the ride home to Hallmark Drive. Prince sat on John's lap as we made the 30 minute ride through Charlotte to Matthews. We only got a few whimpers when Anne hit a few bumps in the road. Prince was neutered this morning and just a bit tender and groggy.

It is now 9 o'clock and Prince has explored the kitchen and great room, his "condo," his toys, and the mat in front of the fireplace. He has dozed off a few times and managed to eat a small dinner. So far we've not had great success with the trips outside, but no major accidents inside. Prince seems a bit afraid of the dark and unfamiliar territory....and he's no dummy, he likes it by the warm fire!

We'll be off to bed shortly, sending Prince to the "condo" for the night and hoping for a good night's sleep for all of us. It's a big day tomorrow -- Prince meets Morgan!

Doggie Delay!!!

It's going to be tomorrow before Prince can come home to his doggie "condo" on Hallmark Drive. We had hoped to pick him up today, but the Humane Society called and wanted to move the date so that he could be neutered before he leaves the shelter. That's probably best for all. It gives us one more day to get the Christmas decorations boxed up and put away and to have the house "doggie-proofed." (It's actually a lot like having a baby -- without the labor pains!)

We have the crate / condo for house training, and we have a good number of toys for distraction and chewing. We have a sampling of different dog foods to set what suits the taste buds, and we have the collar and the leash ready for the first walk. Looks like we are ready as adoptive "parents."

Mark and Jen went with me to the kennel yesterday and gave their thumbs up approval. We are hoping that Michael, Michelle and crew can come by later in the week to meet the newest member of the family.

A new chapter is beginning..... We will keep you posted!

Christmas Happenings at Dragon Gardens

We love our decorations!

Mom came into town on Monday, December 21. She stopped by Clinton, SC and picked up my aunt, Marion. My aunt, Adeline, from Davidson drove down to Matthews to pick up Marion. They were headed to Rural Hall and a holiday with my cousins, Rachel and David Katzer. I am hoping that we will get a visit with both Marion and Adeline on their way home later next week. Also, I have some "elf" duties to drop off gifts from Mom!

155 Lbs!!

Mom was good company as I ran around the last few days with Christmas errands. I had most of the shopping finished, or at least, I knew where I needed to go and what I had to pick up. She helped me take the 155 pounds of food by Second Harvest; they were very appreciative of the assistance. And she even went with us to our dance lesson on Tuesday afternoon -- no dancing, just visiting with the owners.

Anne's Bears

Wednesday brought Mark into town from Lynchburg. He had spent several days with Jen and her family with their holiday traditions. Mark stopped by to pick up some gifts for the Woodards and to say hello before he headed over to Malvern Road and the Christmas Eve traditional festivities. Mark got a chance to see Michael, as he came over to spend the evening with us and with Mom.

Christmas Eve Candles

Michael was spending Christmas day with his mom, so we opened gifts on Christmas Eve. For Christmas Eve dinner, John and Michael cooked up some tasty pork chops (from The Fresh Market--yum!) on the grill. After we could eat no more, we headed up Idlewild to Morningstar Lutheran Church. They had a special music program at 9:30 with presentations from church members, and at 10 the evening service began. It was a small church with a family feel, a nice Christmas homily, and a candlelight recession to the church portico. Very low key, but meaningful.

Stuffed Stockings

Christmas morning is great as adults. No one is waking up at 4 a.m.! Once Mom and John got their coffee, I got breakfast started. After eating we were ready to tackle the stockings. We have adopted John's tradition of wrapping all the stocking gifts and hanging the stockings near the beds. (When John grew up in England as a child, his mom and dad filled the large farm stockings and laid them on the beds late at night after their traditional Christmas party with the neighbors. John confesses that he never truly went to sleep on Christmas Eve until he heard his Dad ease into the room and lay the stocking at the foot of the bed. A quick touch and he was off to dream land.)

Gardening 365 days!

Since we had a bit of time to kill before Mark headed over for the next round of gift opening, and John did get some new garden tools...........guess who was out in the garden digging in the dirt?

John & Anne's Tree

Mark arrived in the early afternoon. We had a fun and relaxed time as each person opened a gift. Everyone was so thoughtful with their choices, and we appreciate the time of shopping, selecting and wrapping. As you can see from the picture, we had a beautiful tree and display. Almost too pretty to open -- but not quite!

John's Trilby

Hey! It was time to eat yet again. John out did himself with a traditional English standing rib roast and veggies. I think we had enough beef to feed most of Hallmark, but we put a good dent on the food and saved the leftovers for beef stew. Food does not go to waste at Hallmark -- it's great to have a skillful and creative chef on staff!

Flowers from Jacky

And to hold true to one of my traditions with Mark, we all went to a movie Christmas evening. Valkyrie was the movie of choice. We all loaded up our pockets with Christmas candy and headed off to get a good seat at the cinema. Once we returned to the house, John and I turned in while Mom and Mark burned the midnight candle and did some serious catching up on what's happening in Canton, Georgia and Champaign, Illinois. And they did the dishes! What a treat for us!

Checking movie info.

The day after Christmas, Mom headed back home. We got her on the road around 9:30 a.m. so she would not be too late getting in. Then, John and I headed off to do a little pre-puppy arrival shopping. Prince will be coming home next week, so we need to get the house prepared for the little guy!

Jeff & Kayla

Later Friday night we met up with Mark and Jen (she rolled in that evening from Lynchburg), and nephew, Jeff, and his girl, Kayla. It was the first time we had met Kayla. She is studying for her Masters in Theater / Drama in Seattle at University of Washington. We enjoyed getting to know her while we ate Italian at Mezzo Note.

Mark & Jen

We had originally planned to have a group dance lesson at our dance studio, Metropolitan. But, my instructor bailed out on us. I'll deal with him later............. But, we had a good visit and it was fun to try and keep up with Jeff and Mark talking movies and music. We may not know all the most popular music groups or see all the movies, but we do have the best best screen TV!

Around 10:30, John and I headed home and the kids headed out to see friends --early for them! After all we needed our beauty sleep. We were heading over to see our baby, Prince, on Saturday morning!

Vintage Christmas Wishes

Christmas Eve is here!!!

I wanted to share some of my antique Christmas postcard cards with you. I love the old holiday cards, from the colorful Santas with bags of toys to the snowy scenes in the peaceful forests. Here are just a few to sample and enjoy as we wait for the big guy to arrive tonight!

....to all and to all a good night!

2008 -- What a Year!!!

Anne & John in San Diego

Do you choose to go chronologically or categorically? How many pictures are enough? Too many? How do you cram it all into a neat little package and not leave the readers snoring with a long dissertation? We've made you wait long enough. Now for the "traditional holiday" letter or "the year in review" letter. Next year you will not have to endure this "torture" as you will have the blog to keep with us throughout 2009!

None the less, we did realize quite quickly how truly blessed we are. We are happy and healthy. Our children are all working in and toward careers that they love. A granddaughter works to keep us young. Our garden and home provide us respite and joy from the work day world . We have an abundance of friends that we consider treasures in our life. And we are planning an exciting future together!

HEALTH and HAPPINESS

John has had a busy year with commercial real estate at SCRE LLC, beginning year two in March. He and his partners, Chuck and Hershel, have spent many hours working on various development projects as well as general leasing and contracts. One of the more exciting projects that has been underway is a small shopping venue in Rock Hill, SC. This has been a learning experience for all, with homeowners, city councils, and attorneys, of course!

Anne only worked at Bank of America for 11 months this year and got paid for 12 months. Neat trick! No, really, I took a package and bridged to retirement (rule of 75) effective December 1. Up to that point, I had a great team that provided Customer Service for investment products for the corporate client base and their sales representatives. I do miss the team and the people; however, I am finding more than enough to do at home. A long "to-do" list awaits in January 2009 as I find my next career and calling.

We are still taking ballroom dancing lessons in our spare time. We love it! Our favorite dances are waltz, foxtrot, quickstep, and rumba... and bolero... and Argentine tango... and samba... and Viennese waltz. OK, we will try most everything! Thank goodness our teachers at Metropolitan, Tania and Nickolai, have patience and a good sense of humor!

Other fun times centered around food and wine. We had several dinner parties at the house and in the garden this year. It is great fun to try new recipes and foods and to pair the menu with just the right wine. We are already planning for 2009.

OUR CHILDREN and GRANDDAUGHTER

Uncle Mikey & Morgan

John's youngest, Michael, took a position with USAirways in January. He began working with the baggage crew slinging bags and has moved up to handle the priority luggage. In other words, he is the one driving the cart across the tarmac to get your golf clubs and bags on the plane when your connection is late. The job has some great travel benefits, and Michael has been to Hawaii, Las Vegas, and Puerto Rico to name a few destinations. He is hoping to make it to Europe in 2009.

Michael is also working with one of his former Texas business partners in the security business. They are pursuing setting up their own company to manufacture and distribute security products (hand-held wands, chairs, walk-throughs, etc.) in the USA and abroad. Michael and Robert recently took a trip to Florida to pick up a piece of vacuum equipment and drive it back to Texas. We are rooting for their success!

Michael is an avid chess player. He has recently joined the National Chess Federation and is working his way up the competition ladder. To sharpen his skills, he plays in a variety settings, and recently flew up to NYC to check out the Central Park Chess scene.

Mark at UI

My son, Mark, is completing his final year of his Masters in Architecture at the University of Illinois in Champaign. This year is less structured and almost entirely focusing on his thesis -- development of the initial idea, research and re-work, and the final presentation. Mark chose a mill site (Caurostar) here in Charlotte that John introduced him to this summer. He is reworking it into a new mixed use property with retail, museum, gallery, and living spaces. We will be excited to see the finished product this spring.

Over the holidays, Mark will be updating his portfolio and contacting architectural firms in the Southeast for employment opportunities upon graduation in May. He is hoping that he will have the chance to pursue a position that will expose him to a new facet of the business that he has not yet seen and begin to round out his knowledge of the profession.

Mark and Jen

Mark's other interest (and probably his main one) is Jen! Jen is still in DC and enjoying her work with Ernst and Young. She took a new position in recruiting this summer and has garnered many kudos from the partners for her creative ideas and enthusiasm. Mark and Jen have spent most of their relationship "long distance;" however, they had many opportunities to get together with family trips, holidays, and weddings. However, they are both looking forward to Mark's graduation and the return to living in the same city and time zone.

Steve, Michelle & Morgan

Michelle, John's daughter, has also had a busy year. She and Steve just celebrated their first wedding anniversary in December. And she began teaching chemistry at a new high school this fall -- with Steve as her boss as the Science Department Chair. Must be interesting dinner conversations -- way over our heads!
Michelle, like Mark, is also working on her Masters. Her chosen program is on-line, and she is working at warp-speed to complete by March and participate in the San Diego graduation ceremonies next June. Michelle is incorporating her Masters work into the National Teachers Certification program curriculum. Her goal is to have all of the requirements submitted this spring and to give up her part-time job at Del Friscos.

Michelle & Morgan

Michelle and Steve are avid scuba divers and travelers -- constant learning opportunities! The family recently returned from a holiday cruise to the Western Caribbean when they enjoyed diving at Cozumel, the falls in Jamaica, and the white powder of Seven Mile beach in Grand Cayman. We are looking forward to seeing the trip photos soon.

Cookie Time

Morgan is now three years old and growing up so fast. Her vocabulary has increased exponentially, and she is learning so quickly in all subjects at school. We are amazed each time she visits and teaches us something new. Also, Morgan got glasses this summer -- pink with stars -- the color of choice these days! When at our house, Morgan's favorite movie is The Lion King, although the Disney princesses (Cinderella, Sleeping Beauty, Ariel, and Jasmine) are catching up quickly.

Bubba & Morgan

Morgan is a big helper when she is at Dragon Gardens. We all love being outside and digging in the dirt and playing in the water. Morgan has her own wagon and wheelbarrow, and a full complement of youth garden tools and accessories. Some of our favorite things are blowing bubbles, catching leaves, kicking the ball, and dancing to the Beatles in the Art Studio!

Young Gardeners

GARDEN and HOME

Dragon Gardens was born in 2008. We began our business in a small way, and we are hoping to expand in 2009. Dragon Gardens went to market this spring and summer at the Matthews Farmers Market. We were part-time vendors and participated in four weekends -- just enough to give us a taste of the work involved and the buyers' preferences, and to put a few bucks in our pockets. We will probably bump up the participation level in 2009 and begin to look at other outlets like the Internet. Sounds like Anne's new job -- or one of them!

Cone Flower, Cleome, Morning Glory, Mums

When we were not working on the Farmer's Market inventory, we had plenty to do at home in the garden. John and I enjoyed the fruits of our labor and saw over 800 new tulips in the garden this year. In fact we enjoyed it so much, we ordered and planted another 1000 bulbs this year! Other new plants included plumbago, a variety of mums, and several tea roses. It's dangerous for the two of us to visit the local nurseries -- we always come home with something and we are quickly running out of space.

The daylily hybridization program is also progressing well. John is in the process of (yet again) reworking and reorganizing the beds. Our Daylily club hosted the Region 15 annual meeting and garden tours. Of course, we ended up with some choice plants from both the auction and the gardens. And John has discovered the Lily Auction on the Internet. On this site you bid for both seeds and plants, and it is a good way to get key specimens into your breeding program quickly. Right now we have over 250 "babies" in the greenhouse that need to get into the beds ASAP. Stay tuned for some great pics in June and July!

FRIENDS and FAMILY

In February we made a quick trip to Canton, Georgia to visit my mom. Mom will eventually sell her house and the ten acres, so John wanted to see what the real estate market looked like in the area. Now that the market is down, Mom is not in any hurry! We also enjoyed visits in Charlotte from Mom at the Thanksgiving and Christmas holidays.

Visiting John's mother, Jane, in San Diego in March, we saw the desert and the ranunculas farm and every point in between, including the Del and San Diego Park. Anne even got a golf lesson while Jane was taking advantage of John on the golf course!

In May we drove up the road to Davidson to see my aunt, Adeline, at the Pines and to celebrate her 90th Birthday Party. Frank and Joan came down from West Virginia, Mom from Georgia, Rachel Owens from Salisbury, and Rachel and David from Rural Hall. Rachel and David had arranged for a private dining room and we all enjoyed a tasty lunch together.

In June we made a road trip to Birmingham to visit Dale and Cynthia Penny, former co-workers with John. We toured the botanical gardens, and we jammed in the rain at the Preserve Jazz Festival with Peter White, Jeff Golub, Jessie J, Gerald Albright, and Jeff Lorber.

In late August we took a quick trip to Chicago and on to Champaign to see Mark and the University of Illinois campus. In Chicago we stopped by Millennium Park and Frank Lloyd Wright's home in Oak Park. In Champaign we toured UI and the architecture department, and then took a side trip to Allerton Park, a conference center and gardens owned by the college.

Next we traveled to Toronto to celebrate Ben and Rachel Hodson's wedding on September 7th. Ben is Jacky's (John's sister) oldest. We got to see the whole Canadian crew including Jacky & Brian, Aly & Ian, Bill & Christine & family, Maria & kids! Jane and Ro (John's other sister) flew in from San Diego to join the festivities.

And of course, we snuck in a visit to the botanical gardens before heading home. The flowers were outstanding, particularly the sunflowers and the dahlias -- they were as big as my head!

Charleston was our choice for celebrating our first anniversary. We love the city and the romance and history. We spent one day on bicycles touring the nooks and crannies of the homes and gardens in the historic district. One night we headed to the Cistern at the College of Charleston for a jazz concert with Kirk Whalum. Outstanding music and a truly memorable night under the moss covered trees and stars!


And we made a quick run over to Folly Beach before we headed home. Got to get a taste of salt air and hear the calm of the waves. No year is complete without it!

OUR FUTURE TOGETHER -- UNLIMITED FUN!!!

We are not really sure how we could ever top 2008. It was a great year together.

We know that our lives will change as Anne looks for her next career and John's business continues to grow. We are looking forward, too, to the changes that will be coming for our children and their families. And we will have new fun times with Prince, our dog.

Please stay in touch with us in 2009. We love to hear from all of our family and friends.

Dreaming together under "the Bean" in Chicago's Millenium Park

IN MEMORY

Hazel Woodard, Wayne Fricke, and K. C. Howey

Hazel, Wayne and K. C. brought special joy to our lives, and they will be dearly missed.

Life throws us all sorts of unexpected curves and challenges. Be sure to live each day to the fullest and to tell those you love how much they mean to you every day!

Make 2009 your best year yet!!