Sunday, January 26, 2014

Good Luck

I've had trouble getting office time to do paperwork this month.  Between having a lot of depos and conferences outside the office, and the weather, I've struggled to keep up.  So with all day Friday in the office, I was making some progress.  Until around 1:30 when Ann called on my cell.  I couldn't take the called because I was on the land line with a client.  Before we could conclude that call, she called again.  Then as soon as I hung up, she called yet again.

"My car is on fire," she said.

She was on her way home from a week of radiation treatments in Lexington.  She was an hour and a half from home - two hours from my office.  And she was standing beside the Mountain Parkway in 20 degree temperatures watching her Mini Cooper burn beside the road.  She has much more about it at her blog.





Despite losing the car, and the Downton Abbey themed birthday cake for my son's girlfriend's birthday party at our house, Ann is fine.  Our kids and my son's girlfriend came in yesterday, the family made a cake (my job was to take photos)  and we ate pulled pork, baked beans and cole slaw from Pig in a Poke.  On fine china - Downton Abbey style.  The kids took Ann back to Lexington with them this evening for her last radiation treatments.

Jordan Eats pulled pork sandwich from fine china

Lauren chows down from the fine china too
The Family-made Birthday cake with chocolate butterfly and fondant roses made by Lauren

I think Oriana had a good time

As Ann's friend, Jamie, pointed out - my wife has beat cancer and escaped a burning car recently.  She's tough and lucky, that one.

Wednesday, January 22, 2014

Sunday, January 12, 2014

Abandoned

Some pictures from a local abandoned coal mine operation.  Taken this morning.

Overgrown


Carbon

The Wall

Big Stuff

The View

Coal Still on the Beltline




Sunday, January 5, 2014

Little Mystery Bird

I glanced out the window at my bird feeders this morning and saw a new visitor.  Well, I never actually saw it eating, it was just fighting its reflection in the glass. It looked to me like a baby American Finch with a dab of orange Dayglo paint on its head.  But the bill doesn't match that of a finch.  I had never seen anything quite like it.




I got out my Peterson Field Guide, and still didn't find a match.  In fact, I found nothing in the book with a color like that on its tiny head.


If anyone has any ideas, let me know.  And have a great Sunday!

Wednesday, January 1, 2014

Happy New Year!


For 2014 I've made a resolution that is simple to state  - to live a life more abundant.  And no, that doesn't mean buying a bigger TV this year.  I suppose I will spend the year exploring what it does mean, and that like all such resolutions it will prove much simpler to say than to do.  Fundamentally, to me, it means paying more attention and enjoying the small moments and the "little things" and being actively grateful for them.

Here is hoping for a more abundant life for everyone this year.