Gadding About in Chapel Hill on a Friday Night

What better than having a late lunch at Mama Dip's in Chapel Hill, followed by watching the UNC JV basketball team play their first game of the season.  I have two grandsons on the JV team---the Palmer brothers---Zach a junior and Brooks a freshman.  And I had a front row seat!!!!

Zach number 14 in the starting lineup.

Brooks number 15 had a great game.

I am indeed happy that basketball season is here.  There will be one of the Palmer boys playing for Broughton this year too.  Tyler a sophomore there.  I'm a basketball loving GrandPat.

Happy Birthday Michealette

Today is my friend Michealette's birthday up in Cape Breton. But her two daughters Michealette (Jr.) and Frances gave her a birthday party back in September when we were in Marble Mountain so we had the privilege of attending the party which was great fun.

Michealette with her girls.  Frances on left and Michealette Jr. on right. (Photo by Jack Ronalds.)

It was a beautiful sunny day, and we enjoyed sitting outdoors with music provided by Michealette (Jr.) and Norman (Frances' husband).

Michaelette (Jr.) and Norman provided music for the afternoon.

It was great to see lots of friends and family.

Michealette, the birthday lady, with her grandson Matthew.

Michealette and her grandson John. (Photo by Jack Ronalds.)

Friends and family.  Standing Christene, seated right Theresa next to Grant and on left Alice.

Lawrence arrives to wish Michealette a happy birthday. (Photo by Jack Ronalds.)

Wendy and her grandson Blake.  (Photo by Jack Ronalds.)

Michealette with Dan, Laura, and Anthony. (Photo by Jack Ronalds.)

Frances greeting Alice and me on our arrival. (Photo by Jack Ronalds.)

Donna (left) and Linda (right) wishing the birthday lady a happy birthday.(Photo by Jack Ronalds.)

 Our neighbor Maggie arrived with a lovely bouquet of flowers from her garden.

Maggie bringing home-grown flowers for the birthday lady.

There was a spread of scrumptious finger food and a chilled pink punch.

Beautiful and delicious finger food.

Chilled pink punch.

One of the highlights of the party was Alice, our friend and caretaker who accompanied us to Canada last summer, dancing to her own beat--dancing without music yet musical with her rhythm. 

Alice making "music" with her feet. 

I'm glad the girls decided to give their Mom a party in the summer, because it is much too cold in Port Hastings today to enjoy the outdoors as we did in September.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY AGAIN MICHEALETTE. This time on the actual day of your birthday.

 (Jack Ronalds' photos courtesy of Michealette Jr.)

Broughton High Queen of Hearts Dance 2013

The Lion King was this year's theme for the Queen of Hearts Dance.

I went down to the Broughton Gym in the afternoon to see the decorations.  The Lion King was the theme.

The Broughton High Queen of Hearts Dance was held last night, and my two grandsons were decked out in their tuxedos.  We got a few pics of the boys before they left to meet their dates.  I wanted to compare these to the ones we got last year.

Zach and Grandpat 2012

Zach and Grandpat 2013

Zach is a bit taller, and Grandpat a bit older.

Brooks and Grandpat in 2012.

Brooks and Grandpat in 2013.

Brooks is a lot taller.

Grace was around for the "photo shoots"  last year and this and we got pics of her too.  Her hair is still beautiful. 

Grace in 2012.

Grace in 2013.  Looks like the same white bow.

I hope everyone had a great time at the dance last night.

The Stockings Are Hung by the Chimney with Care

From Sam to Grace.

For the past twenty five years we have been decorating our mantle with stockings for the grandchildren.  And even though some of them are grown and out on their own, we still hang their stockings.  And "Santa" still fills them. 

In 1987.....

Sam and Ian.

In 1990....

Erik and Luke.

In 1994....

Zach

In 1997....

Brooks

In 1999....

Tyler

Do you notice by this time we had seven grandsons?

Grace

And then in 2001 Grace arrived to keep these seven boys (especially her three brothers) in line----and she does.

Our Christmas Croc.

For a number of years our Christmas Croc (a gift from Kim) has adorned the hearth.

Now if we can just get the Christmas tree up and decorated.

Erik's Sgraffito Pottery

Erik Farrell's Sgraffito plate. (All photos by Mary Farrell from the Westmoore Pottery website.)

This past weekend we were visiting Dave and Mary of Westmoore Pottery down in Seagrove, and I was delighted to see the Sgraffito pottery that grandson Erik had decorated during his summer there.  (Erik is now in England studying for his Master's at the University of Durham).

Sgraffito (in Italian "to scratch") is a decorating pottery technique produced by applying glazes or slips to leather hard pottery and then scratching off parts to create contrasting images, patterns and texture and reveal the clay color underneath.

In Erik's decorations, green slip was applied and designs were "scratched off" revealing the redware underneath. After the initial firing, a clear glaze was applied to the interior only before the final firing.

I don't have a video of Erik decorating the pottery, but this video will give you an idea of how it's done.

Here are some of Erik's Sgraffito pottery.

Erik's Sgraffito Plate 566

Erik's Sgraffito Plate 509.

Erik's Sgraffito Plate 570

Erik's Sgraffito Plate 568.

I think Erik has done a terrific job with these plates.  They are lovely!!!!!

Happy 15th Birthday to Grandson Brooks

Brooks in February 2012 dressed for the Queen of Hearts Dance at Broughton.

Happy Birthday to grandson number two who turns 15 today.  Where has all the time gone?

Age two.

2004

Brooks on left with his brothers and Coach Roy Williams at UNC baseball game, 2006.

Brooks helping GrandPat and Dan pack the car for Nova Scotia, 2008.

Brooks being measured on his birthday, 2011.

Brooks with GrandPat, Christmas 2011.

Once I asked Brooks what kind of cake he wanted me to make for his birthday, and he said he wanted a pumpkin pie.  Brooks loves pumpkin pie not only at Thanksgiving or Christmas but anytime.  So this year I again made him a pumpkin pie for this birthday.

Brooks' Pumpkin Pie.

Happy Birthday Brooks, and I hope your day is wonderful.  Love you.

Queen of Hearts Dance 2012

Entrance to gym where theme for dance was Neverland.

The big dance of the year at Broughton High School in Raleigh is the Queen of Hearts Dance held each February.  Grandsons Zach, a junior, and Brooks, a freshman, attended the dance this past Saturday night, and I went over to their house to see them all dressed up in their tuxedos.  It's hard for me to believe they are so grown up. 

Brooks putting on socks.

Brooks' first tuxedo.

Brooks and his Grandpat.

Mom helps Zach with his studs.

Zach ready to go.

Zach and his Grandpat.

While the boys were getting ready for the dance, little sister Grace and her friend Margaret were having fun playing the piano for GPat.

Grace (on right) and Margaret play the piano.

Younger brother Tyler and Dad were off in Winston-Salem at a basketball tournament and missed all the excitement.

Brooks and Zach left separately to meet their friends and their dates.  They do things very differently than when I was in high school.  They go in groups of six or seven couples after meeting at the home of one of the girls for picture taking, first by limo for dinner at a restaurant, then to the dance and later the parents will host the group at a "breakfast" at the home of one of the girls.