A Busy Time of Year

It's taken me a long time to get this blog up and running.  Rusty and I have found our UNL classes to be quite time-consuming, and have felt a real push to finish projects before the end of the semester.  The experience has been enjoyable, invigorating and stressful.  I'm pretty sure we each will get an A in our class.

Rusty, working on my portrait.

Me, working on a green-screen project

We celebrated Thanksgiving with Rusty's family here in Lincoln.  Lindsay and Jeff hosted, and we were delighted that Anna (from New York) could join us.

The White Family

Celeste & Rusty, hanging out together.

Olivia, Pierce and Reece joined us for a few days right after Thanksgiving. 

Gretchen, of course, was perfect entertainment for Reece and Pierce.

Reece couldn't get enough of her.

The boys enjoyed helping Rusty build a nice fire.

Pierce got to light it and add some wood.

Hangin' out with GiGi.

The boys wanted to go sledding, but there wasn't enough snow.  This is the top of the run at Choo-Choo hill.

There was, however, enough ice to provide some entertainment.

We had a post-Thanksgiving dinner, with homemade pumpkin pie and real whip cream.  

We have so much to be thankful for!

I am especially fond of attending events that happen in the Haymarket or downtown Lincoln.  Rusty is good about going along, and has a good time once we make it out of the house.  Lincoln has a wonderful art walk the first Friday of each month.  The Keichel Art Gallery is one of Lincoln's treasures.

Standing in front of a couple Jacobshagen paintings.

Tavern on the Square is one of my favorite places to stop in for a drink.

Each December I meet with five of my life-long friends (all former Irving teachers) for a lovely afternoon of traditional English high tea, book reading, and camaraderie.  This year we celebrated 25 years!   We rented the dining room of The Ferguson House, a 1913 home on the historic records.  

We each brought a special tea cup to exchange.

Scones with clotted cream and jam, cucumber-dill rounds, chicken salad sandwiches, cheese, fruit, and Christmas cookies.

Some of us elect to wear hats to the tea, some not.  (No surprise where I fall in on that one!)  This year I planned a special surprise.  I purchased a hat especially for each individual lady, and put them in hat boxes.

Then I hired Will to be the delivery elf.  Everyone wondered who could be the gift-giver.

Jan in her golden brown fascinator.

Lorraine in a lovely blue, brimmed hat.

Kathie in her "Jackie" pillbox.

Linda in her sequined ball cap.

Chris in her polka-dot and feathered fascinator.

It was so fun to see each lady open her box and squeal or laugh upon seeing her special hat.  I was able to keep it a secret for almost a half-hour.  So fun!

We also raised over $600 for Fund-A-Need, which we ear-marked for the Irving library project.

And now for one last picture of the four-legged creature who has changed our comings and goings...