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Published: January 31st 2023
Got Back in Time to Deal With More Leaves!
our friend dealt with quite a few, but still more fun!Where has the time gone?? It is hard to believe that we have been back in the US three months already and now seriously looking over the list of things we need to buy to take back to Tsamaya in the Spring.
Just thought I’d try to catch you up on a few of our activities – nothing too exciting as far as it goes for travel photos, but definitely have been enjoying some time with family and friends. First on our agenda was returning our rental car that we used to drive from NYC to Greenwich when we flew back. We took it back the next day and we decided that as long as we were down in an area that had a very good Thai restaurant we would take advantage of it and enjoyed every bite. The next few days we had to face the fact that we still had some autumn leaves on the ground, flower gardens needed to be cleaned up for the winter, rose bushes and a few other plantings covered for the winter and overall outside jobs in preparation for the winter months ahead. We also had made arrangements to get our
flu shot and covid shot a few days after being back in the US. Appointments for various doctors while back were made and the calendar started to fill up some.
Our village has a Holiday Tractor Parade every year and we always try to make it back in time to see it as it is a fun community event. It still is strange that we really don’t know many people here yet, but guess that is understandable when we aren’t here year round. It just reminds us of the difference when we used to go to village events in Trumansburg where we used to live as knew so many there (especially with Bob having worked at the school and my taking the bus to work so had plenty of “bus buddies”) Hopefully, we will start to get to know a few more people each year. We have started to go to the Y and at least getting to know a few through that. As a matter of fact, the Y had a float in the parade and we were recognized by people on the float – one step closer to being part of the community!!
Unfortunately I (Janice)
got a cough that I couldn’t get rid of (and it did not test out to be covid), but it definitely got me tired out and dragged on longer than I would have liked. It even caused me to miss out on the Thanksgiving celebrations with Bob’s side of the family. Fortunately, he did go and he actually surprised me by taking some photos in order to share with me (I didn’t even ask him to do so - nice guy!)
December always seems to fill in on the calendar which is always fun. My friend, Lisa, invited us to a Christmas open house with her family and friends which we had gone to before – lots of fun and a chance to meet a few more people in the area which is enjoyable. I wasn’t going to do any cookie baking this season, but at the last minute I figured I had to otherwise it wouldn’t seem like Christmas. Made enough to give out to a few neighbors which I like to do and had a few left over for us too.
Bob has been busy in the woodshop – he had made a vacuum system for
the shop before, but decided to make a new one with plenty of improvements. This one turned out really well and he has named it “Frank” after Frankenstein! He decided to get back to work on the lathe which he hasn’t done in quite some time. Glad he did as he made some beautiful Christmas ornaments. While he was working in the shop, I was spending time in my sewing area that Bob made for me last year. I made a couple of lap quilts, a few soup bowl cozies and a new item I stumbled across – wine glass coasters that you put on the glass so you can tell them apart if all are drinking the same color wine and have a coaster with you wherever you go. Thought it was clever so tried out a few. As some of the above were gifts, I had to keep working at it and thankfully got them all done in time.
A nephew and his wife offered to host the family get together at their place for Christmas Eve. Lots of fun with the Waller side of the family. On Christmas Day we enjoyed our tradition that has been
started a few years ago of having Bob’s sister, Eugenia and her husband, Rick, stay over at our place so we can celebrate Christmas together – just noticed that we must have been having so much fun that I never got any photos – trust me we enjoyed our time together – it has been a nice tradition.
Unfortunately, we learned that an Aunt that has been a big part of the Waller family passed away, so some of the family members (including us) drove down to the service in Pennsylvania. It is always unfortunate to have this as the occasion, but it gave us an opportunity to see more family members that we haven’t seen in years.
We got invited to one of my sister’s house to be there to see her daughter’s and grandchildren for their Christmas celebration a few days after Christmas. It really does put a different feel to it when there are kids around – lots of fun and great to have a chance to see them in person as haven’t had the opportunity in a while.
After the New Year we invited a couple of our neighbors over to the house
for appetizers and drinks – this was the 2
nd time we have done it around this time of year – will definitely try to make it a tradition as always enjoy our time visiting together. We are fortunate to have such good neighbors that are willing to help out whenever needed. It really is a plus with us being away from the house for part of the year knowing that they will keep an eye on things for us.
We haven’t been out to Colorado in a few years to see Bob’s sister and her family so this was the year to make another trip happen. We were able to work it out schedule-wise so his other sister and husband from Vermont made the trip out as well at the same time. It was wonderful as always to have time with the family “out west”. We were there from Tuesday to Saturday, but even though quite a few were still working, they gave up their time to get together with us - every time we go out, we are getting to know the family out there more and more which we really enjoy. We unfortunately didn’t get to see
all of the family as one lives out farther west, but guess that will just give us an excuse to take another trip out west again! There was never a shortage of conversation and plenty of great food and drink to enjoy as well! Hopefully it won’t take as many years before the next trip out to see them.
Bob and I have been trying to get to the Y while back in the US – with us not being into winter sports, it is a good way for us to keep moving and to try to keep up our strength and flexibility. We are fortunate that it is within walking distance of the house so we really don’t have a good excuse not to go (except for us coming up with other projects and things to do) Once we do get into a schedule of going, it really is good as we definitely feel better with doing it. I sign up for a few classes as well which has been nice as getting a chance to meet some people in the community. With only being here part of the year, we haven’t met too many here yet so
this is another avenue to do that. Today in fact I went to a class that I hadn’t been to for a couple of weeks and people actually came up to me to say that I was missed – a nice feeling that people actually are starting to know I am there!
Just the other day a high school friend of mine came over to our area so we spent the day together catching up. It really has been wonderful to stay in touch after all these years. We never seem to run out of things to talk about and enjoy our get togethers when they do happen. I’m lucky that her brother lives in the same village that I do, so she does make it over from Massachusetts and we get together then. It is nice when friendships from school last a lifetime!
Bob just made another improvement to my sewing room. He built an ironing area with additional storage which will be a nice addition. He definitely has been doing quite a bit to make my area very workable – he got me a cup warmer for my cup of tea, a stand for my iPad,
Thanksgiving at Our Niece's Home
Bob took photos as I was sick and didn't make it! a new music station and an extra light for my sewing machine too. Guess, he is figuring that if I stay working in my sewing area, I won’t notice all the time he is out in his woodshop! All kidding aside, it really is turning into a lovely area to work.
It is hard to believe it is the end of January already. Fortunately, we have been getting deliveries regularly of things we need for the boat and we still have some time to get another large project done on the house – I won’t tell you about it yet – will give an update when and if we actually get it done before we leave for the boat later this Spring.
The time has flown by, but the best part is all the family and friend time we have been getting as well as work on some projects too! Not too bad once I look back and think about it!
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