Fun Family Picture

I got an email from my niece with these fun family photos for Gram. Here's Chuck and Cyndi's daughter, Rebekah with her husband, Mike, and their nephew, Stephan, 10, who has joined their family!

Below is Stephan with Chuck and Cyndi, and their other daughter, Jeni, with her children, Brianna, and Lucy - and I'm guessing that is John behind that wildcats sign! Looks like Stephan and his team had a good cheering section! My brother, Chuck, and his wife, Cyndi, sure have fun with their grandchildren! And the neat thing is that Chuck and Stephan Bolding share a birthday on March 17!

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Breaking News from Jeni Knight:
4:30 pm Jan. 15, 2009 "Brianna and John had a field trip today to meet a meteorologist, learn about what he does and how he does it, and see how a news station functions, etc. They took a picture which will be shown on the 5 pm news (Brianna and John should be on the left side of the desk). I told the lady we don't get TV and she said you could stream it from on-line ..... Charlottesville news!"
Blessings, Jennifer Knight
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I couldn't find it so I sent a quick email to the station - here's the reply Jan. 19:
Hi Betsy,
I'm the meteorologist that met with your niece and her children last Thursday. I'm in the process of getting a short write up of their visit to our website. I'll also try and load the video that aired on the 5 p.m. news as well. It should hopefully be posted by 9 p.m. tonight. To see where it will be, go to www.cvilleweather.com Once you get there, look toward the bottom left hand side of the page and click on "School Visits" (which will take you to:
http://www.charlottesvillenewsplex.tv/schoolvisits/headlines/37846199.html)
and their visit will appear in the list.

ACTS Students Get Tour of Weather Center

Last Updated: 7:33 PM 01/19/09 - ACTS students from Charlottesville take a field trip to get a tour of the station and weather center! (Full Story)

(Later same day:) I have posted a story to our school visits website. It's complete with video that aired on our 5 p.m. news that night.
Take care,
Brantley Ussery ( brantley.ussery@WCAV.TV)
This top photo is the better one. Click on it to enlarge.

This photo just shows you where they are in the photo:

On January 15, 2009, a group of students from ACTS came to the station to get a closer look of what goes on inside a TV studio. While they were here, we talked about how it takes lots of teamwork among many different people for the final product to make it to the airwaves! We ended our tour in the TV studio where we talked about all of the different tools that a meteorologist can use to predict the weather and make a forecast. Then we looked at some real "Hollywood magic" and talked about how a green screen brings you weather images at home on TV. We all took a big group picture at the anchor desk and the photo was shown on CBS19 News at 5 later that night!

Reconnecting

Isn't the internet an amazing thing? In my Mom's case it has given her not only the opportunity to communicate with her friends and family (through this blog) but also to reconnect with her friends, family, children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren online from the comfort of the library in her building. Below is a picture of Mom getting to "meet" Jan and Scott's new pup, Abbey...

and getting to see Chris and Eli at swim lessons via Tamara's blog.

In Mom's apartment, Christmas remains as we can't bear to part with the door wreath and Christmas tree Gail and Bill sent, seen below alongside the sprouting Amaryllis' Chuck and Cyndi sent.

Come out Amaryllis'! Bring with you the hope of Spring!!! The temperatures are going to be in the single digits in Indiana this week! A taste of what those of you in Minnesota and Chicago deal with all winter!

Mom is really enjoying the 2009-2010 personalized photo calendar Jeni and Scott sent. She noticed on the calendar that John's birthday is coming up and she mentioned, for the first time since having her stroke, that she wanted to sign a birthday card. (I think the thought of trying to do birthdays was just too much before now.) This delightful calendar reignited her passion! Thank you Jeni!

I brought Mom a card to sign when I stopped by for dinner and to pick up laundry. Even though it is extremely difficult for her to write (both part of Aphasia and limited use of her right hand), she got it done!

I would like to also extend thanks and appreciation for those things people do for Mom and send to Mom that I may not be aware of. Those things mean so much to both of us. Now be sure to scroll down through the next few "posts" as I have added several since I last sent out an email.

January 2009 - Let the Card Playing Resume!

December is always a busy, exciting, fun, but admittedly stressful month. It was kind of nice to get "back in the old routine" of playing cards on Wednesday night after a holiday intermission. We had a good group...with one table playing euchre, an Indiana Hoosier favorite... (Phil is doing a little coaching here.)

one table playing Mom's favorite, Kings-in-the-Corner... (Mom's "card holder" is the ring holder I pulled out of my jewelry box. We have other types, but she likes that one best!)

and our other Raspberry Harry's Wednesday regulars at another table having their usual weekly manicure visit with another resident. Life has settled down again!

Mary and Me

Mom and I went to see the movie "Marley and Me" one very cold January afternoon at a local theater that supplies sound amplification headphones, which Mom loves. Phil sent along a healthier home-popped version of popcorn for us in ziplock baggies. (We did purchase unsweetened iced tea from the concessions stand though!) The movie was wonderful, but I cried buckets at the end as I face the inevitable reality of losing loved ones as they get older...