mason garden

A service will be held for Carol Jean Driver at Mount Vernon Memorial Park & Mortuary on Monday, January 23 at 1pm followed by grave side at 2pm.

A fund is being set up for donations towards a memorial in her honor. Update: http://support.themmrf.org/goto/carol.driver

 Mom and Dad on Christmas Eve 2011.

Growing up I had no idea when things were financially tight. Mom would always make things fun. During a water drought she would have us use the same bath water and then use it to water the plants in the yard. I always thought it was fun to haul water from the tub to the front yard and then splash it all over. My favorite food was roman noodles with big franks and Mom would even let me help make it. I never understood till I was older why she didn’t seem to like making it very often.

This morning while I was getting ready for work and choosing what jewelry to wear I thought of my Mom a few years back. She was on a trip to Hawaii and having a blast. She’d found a jewelry store with the pearls in the oysters. She picked out a beautiful little pearl and just Had to call me to ask what kind of chain I would wear with it. She was so excited to give it to me when she got home! I love wearing it and will always think of her when I wear pearls. It’s my birth stone and my Dad got her a pearl necklace in Hawaii when they were in their 20s. I always loved to look in her jewelry box for that little pearl necklace on a chain. Mom never wore jewelry but she loved it.

We had a lovely yet mixed long weekend this year. Our usual fan fair at my parents house, with dinner and setting off fireworks in the drive way, had to be abandoned. My mom’s still in the hospital and she had some upsetting set backs last week so I spent Sunday afternoon with her while James entertained friends at our place with a LAN party. Thankfully by Monday my mom was starting to do a lot better and so I was able to join our guests for a second day of LAN party fun. Breakfast was a fun mix of cinnamon rolls, baked hash browns, scrabbled eggs, veggie patties and links, and coffee. Most was prepared ahead of time so we NOM NOM NOMED shortly after everyone arrived. Computers were everywhere and we had a few more people join us than the day before. For dinner we had ice blended drinks that were very needed. The a/c didn’t want to come on with it’s pre-set temp. Remarkably it was only a little bit warm, 8 people!, so we sat down to our veggie burgers and all was quiet till everyone was stuffed.

Most everyone decided not to join us at our usual spot at the mall for fireworks. Jolene and Tim did come with us and we almost missed making it into the mall area just as the streets were being closed off for the show. We ended up sitting on the grass accross the street from the mall with the usually busy street closed in front of us. Fireworks started at 9:30 and we enjoyed our quiet view of the show. I did miss having the rest of our families there (and the surrounding patriotic music and car alarms) and I’m hopeful that next year we can have everyone get together again.

We had our own palm tree to make it feel like a tequila commercial with the beach in front and fireworks in the distance.

....in the family. For my birthday James invited some friends over and we ate pizza, played games and then had the most amazing cake ever! Chocolate mousse with whip cream frosting topped with sliced strawberries, mmm. Thanks sweetie!

Friends were all very sweet giving me gift cards, yarn, and a mani and pedi. Thanks everyone! Jamese was also super sweet and got me a knitting book on charts, a Tahitian pearl ring, pearl necklace, tea pot with matching cups, Pirate of the Caribbean movie, mini doughnut pan and a peg board. That last was just too funny. I feel very spoiled.

Dominion game.

Peaches trying to play too.

Fancy toes!

Teavona tea pot.

Homemade blueberry marshmallows.