Life During Reconstruction

Dave and Anna came over last Saturday to help Jef and Dylan work on the ceiling in the family room, and then Kara, Rose and James came over to have Happy Fathers Day dinner since Jef was leaving to go out of town on Sunday.

Of course Anna was a wonderful helper, checking to see if the ladder would work properly. But she was the most help when it came time to help Grandma make some icecream dessert to go with dinner! I tried to download the movie I made of Anna spooning the chocolate sauce out of the pan and into her mouth, but it didn't work, maybe next time! I think you can get the idea though!

And then Anna spent some time practicing the piano. Jef had the grand tuned in preparation for two of the competitors in the Gina Bachauer Piano Competition to come and use our piano to practice. The girls stayed at the Easthams house but after they discovered that our piano, in both sound

and key action, was very much like the piano they would be playing during the competition so they both took turns practicing here as well as at the Easthams. It was such a treat to hear them play, I did not know that such young people could move their hands so quickly and skillfully across the keyboard! I didn't get to hear them very often because they would come over during the day to practice but sometimes I got home just right. Tiffany (seated at the piano is 11, from NY) and Tami (standing with her mom is 12, from Canada). These girls are amazing!!!! Jef got home on Thursday night so he was able to hear the girls practice on Friday. We hear tonight whether they made it into the finals which will be held tomorrow night.

Tomorrow, probably before the sun comes up Jef and Dylan and I will head for Oxford and the Elden E Family Reunion. It will be a fun day, but a long one since we need to come home Saturday night. Dave, Kara and Anna are up there camping out and Rose and James are leaving early in the morning and will meet us up there. We are really missing the rest of our family, especially the grandkids ... it is so fun to be with them in Oxford and I will miss them terribly!