December 29, 2018 Recap of 2018 Oil Paintings

December 28, 2018 Dear 2018

Paperwhites have sprouted and are growing rapidly

Dear 2018.
Thanks for the memories.
It has been a good year.
I've seen a lot, done a lot, learned a lot, made mistakes, said ugly things, cried over petty issues, cried over hurt feelings, made new friends, tossed unhealthy relationships, lost family and friends. 😢
And in other news.......
I've relished taking bucket-loads of photos,
brush-stroked at least 12 oil paintings,
walked 929 miles with fitbit,
biked on the Greenway,
grown a veggie garden,
decluttered over 1883 items from my house,
written 30+ blogs,
lost 14 pounds,
loved on KingRon, my children and their spouses, and of course all of the grands💓💓💓
Here's to kickstarting 2019 with an attitude of gratitude, praying more, and complaining less.
#oldthingshavepassedawaybeholdallthingshavebecomenew

December 22, 2018 Christmas 2018 Part 1

December 22, 2018
Merry Christmas from our house to yours~~~ the hap-hap-happiest time of the year.
The greatest gift of all...... time spent with family.

My little helper decorated our 2 trees, and arranged Baby Jesus in the manger.

Check out this cutie pie.

It's always a treat to do a few drive-bys to see the thousands of lights displayed by neighboring houses.

But of course the best outside views were home sweet home.

The early December snow made for some pretty seasonal photos... Click here to view! 

FIRST SNOW IN DECEMBER  

And other sundry decorations can be seen here: House decorations

Stay tuned to part 2 of Christmas 2018.

December 19, 2018 Hotel Roanoke

HoHoHo.
Tis the season to be jolly.
It's always a treat to be able to care for our grandson, Wyatt.
From sun-up to sun-down, every moment is filled.
This time of year is exploding with seasonal events, dazzling lights, scrumptious treats, and joyful sounds.
Today we visited the famous HOTEL ROANOKE, a Roanoke Icon!
Each year, during the holidays, the hotel displays numerous trees throughout the conference center.
FASHIONS FOR EVERGREENS is seen by thousands of visitors from Thanksgiving Day to New Year's Day.
Enjoy the pics!

At days end, driving through neighborhood lighted streets was a treat!

It's the little things!

Dec 16, 2018 Mountain View Christmas-Past Open House

Sunday, December 16, 2018
Mountain View Center "Christmas Past Open House" was held today.
The historic Fishburn Mansion was filled with festive traditions, hosted by PLAY Roanoke, and City of Roanoke, Virginia-Government. Of particular interest to me were the beveled glass windows, grand staircase, moldings, door knobs, light fixtures, and other architectural details.
Enjoy the tour!

"Tucked away in Roanoke's historic Mountain View neighborhood sits the Fishburn Mansion, known today as the Mountain View Recreation Center. The 42 room Georgian-Revival mansion was built in 1907 by Junius B Fishburn, a prominent publisher, banker, entrepreneur, and philanthropist.

Yes, you read correctly....... 42 rooms.......
The Fishburn family lived here until 1955, and then, in his passing, he donated it to the city Parks and Recreation.