The Nutcracker

So, today we got stuck inside due to an unexpected snow storm; it was supposed to stay south of us, but we seemed to have gotten over 5 inches! To pass the time, SG thinks we must watch Barbie's Nutcracker again and again and again . . . At least she's cute imitating the moves . . . check her out:

Precipitating

Whew! What a week! It's been very busy around the hollow, so I've been unable to post. In my absence on-line, we got soaked. There are a few flakes falling now (while our neighbors to the south get slammed with a vicious snow and ice storm), but a few days ago we were experiencing our fair share of raindrops. As a result, first all the creeks swelled and then the rivers. Here are a few photos of the Antietam Creek at the Ironworks on Thursday morning.

This is looking north from the bridge.

Notice the log jam

This is looking south from the bridge toward the Potomac River. I believe the water came up into Harpers Ferry Road sometime on Wednesday.

The inhabitants of this area have always dealt with flooding. Harpers Ferry in particular, having been built at the confluence of the Shenandoah and Potomac Rivers, has been flooded many many times. Apparently, they missed a big one this week. It was last in January and September 1996 when the town dealt with major floods; the Blizzard of Jan. '96 and then Hurricane Fran marked the first time in the town's history that the waters rose above 29 feet in a single year. The most devastating flood was that of March 1936 when the waters rose to 36 1/2 feet and swept away two bridges and many homes and businesses. Check out this interesting page for photos and more floods.

Oh, by the way, since I've written this post this morning, we have accumulated more than a few flakes . . . There is nearly a white-out with a bit more than a dusting already on the ground . . .

edited a few hours later to add: We now have almost 5 inches! A surprise snow for us!

edited the next day to add this link to a pic and vid of flooding at Shepherdstown this past week

Almost Heaven

We're not in West Virginia, but we almost are . . . only a mile and a river divide us. We do much of our shopping there, our kids go to ballet and other rec programs there, and we certainly have a lot of friends there. WV gets a bad rap even still today for a number of things, but we enjoy and appreciate the wild state. I bring this up today because of a great article I just read on the New Republic's site. I don't know too much about mountaintop removal coal-mining, but from what I understand, it's a damaging, dangerous process that has also cut into the labor force of WV coalminers. Appalachia is changing all too quickly and negatively with practices like this one. The article is actually about Senator Byrd's recent op-ed on the issue. It seems that the 92 year old senator is having a change of heart these days . . .

These ivy-wrapped trees hang over Canal Road, our usual route to WV

All Grown Up Now

George and I both agree that now that we have new nice furniture and, as of today, curtains (on actual rods), we feel like real adults; it's only been nearly ten years since we moved in here . . .
I got the furniture from Wolf's just before Thanksgiving and the rods and curtains from Overstock this week. (Yes, I know I need to steam out the creases . . . ) At first George was not impressed, but after a bit he finally agreed that they do make the room look more finished. Hello, nearly-middle-age!

Nutter's

Anyone who lives in or near south county knows about the beauty that is Nutter's -- the old-fashioned ice cream shoppe at the square in Sharpsburg. The girls and I spent all day around the house, so we decided to finally use Sylv's school walkathon ticket for a free cone. Seriously, if you ever visit our little town, you HAVE to get a cone at Nutter's. The wood floors, the knick-knack shelves, the narrow wood and glass door, the delicious creamy flavors -- yummy!
[I figured out a cool collage trick on Picasa - what do you think?]We peeked in the vacant building across the street and then grabbed a photo of Burnside Bridge on the way home . . .

The Mad Dog

It wasn't that long ago that I would have been spending a Friday night like this perched on a bar stool enjoying happy hour with good friends from the teaching staff of Frederick High . . . alas, those days are over, and I sit here refereeing Cheerio battles between S and SG while watching a rerun of iCarly. So, a post about a bar will have to suffice for happy hour instead. Tonight I bring you the Mad Dog Saloon, otherwise known as Ingram's Tavern. (I am ASTOUNDED that they have a web site!)The Mad Dog is infamous; it sits on the hill up from Frog Hollow proper, just outside of Dargan, the adjoining infamous village of moonshiners and tax evaders.
I'm proud to tell you that we have a bit of a connection to the bar -- dear George's first girlfriend was the daughter of the owner, whom locals call Boss Hog (he drives a beat up white Caddy while smoking a stogy). Apparently, Boss Hog was having a hard time keeping the place open most evenings, and just recently it seems to have enjoyed a bit of a revival under the new management of his brother -- or maybe it's brother-in-law . . . I hear that on weekend evenings the sharp turn in the road there is packed with cars (I wouldn't know since I don't get out much at night . . . ). I'll never forget when I first learned of the Mad Dog. It was the first time I had ever gone to George's house (at the time, a trailer at the bottom of our property). We were watching a movie when the road lit up with police and ambulance sirens and lights; excitement in the Hollow! Upon calling Aunt Barb to get word from her scanner, we learned that "someone had his skull cracked from a cue stick at the Mad Dog." Immediately, I was intrigued! It took several years before I finally convinced George to take me in so I could check out the place. One night we were hanging out down at the Moore's when Vanessa and I convinced the guys to take us in for a quick visit. It lived up to my expectations: a dirt floor, two kinds of canned beer served out of a Coleman cooler for a buck, and a jerry-rigged Johnny-on-the-Spot attached to the side for desperate relief. Apparently, the new management has spruced up the place; from the web page I can see they now have a floor!

MLK Day: Peace of Mind in Our Hollow

So, today we've done "nothing much," which is great. George is still out on a big bike ride in Williamsport with a bunch of other Lance-wannabes, so I took the girls to Martinsburg. We picked up a few clearance items at the new Target, then went over the mall to see if they still had a merry-go-round and train. They didn't. So we spent a few quarters on the kiddie ride-ons instead and bought some unneeded shoes at the Payless on sale. Then we headed back to Shepherdstown to eat some tacos at Maria's Taqueria and get a star lamp at Sky's the Limit. Gotta support those local businesses! I grabbed a few pix through the randomness, so here you go: SG is showing you her cowgirl boots; she donned them today with a white fluffy skirt and rainbow heart tights. Fabulous.

A scene along the canal

This is the property next door to us that just sold at auction; we tried our hand at it, but the price got too steep for us. It was kind of a fun new experience though giving it a go. We have our fingers crossed that the rumors of our young new neighbor being a little gun-happy aren't true . . . time will tell.

Sisters

Yesterday I took the girls to Frederick to visit my grandmother while my mom, my great-aunt, and my aunt were there visiting her. This photo shows our three pairs of sisters that day: my great-aunt Marguerite Poole Angell and her sister (my grandmother) Helen Poole Null; my aunt Susie Null Stambaugh and her sister (my mom) Judy Null Fuhrman; and my girls Sarah Grace and (drama queen) Sylvie. It was taken in front of the coffee shop beside Grandma's home, Somerford Place.
Grandma was Alzheimer's Disease. She is doing very well physically, but she no longer knows who we are and she is incapable of taking care of herself anymore. Somerford has been a godsend for her and for us; they take care of her exactly the way she needs it, and she is as happy as she can be there. Unfortunately, Maryland's laws are not conducive to allowing for Medicare to finance care in an Alzheimer's unit; when her own money runs out, she will have to be moved to a nursing home, a completely inappropriate place for her at this point in her life, unless she gets lucky and gets a waiver. My family has written letters to our delegates in hopes of their changing the law, and Susie has even had a few responses!

Sunrise . . . Sunset

I hate these days when we see the sunrise on our way to school and work and then see the sun set on the way home . . . blahhhhhh. I want Spring back. But at least I get to see some of the best skies around.


Here's the sunrise on Harpers Ferry Road. This was taken the day before yesterday at the farm of Woodlawn Butchers . . . I can't remember the owner's name. It'll come to me later . . . Dave calls his daughter "Peaches" . . . or maybe it's "Cream" . . .

Yes, That Kind of Bike

This is my husband George. He has our daughters convinced that he is riding in the Tour de France this year; he is an amateur road cyclist -- not motorcyclist, not mountain biker -- he's that kind of biker that wears Spandex and makes you angry on a road without shoulders. George rides his bike upwards of 200 miles a week in good weather and not much less than that even when we have 19 degree mornings. I took these photos this afternoon when SG and I passed him on Route 34, all of us on our way home . . . Yes, George sometimes rides his bike home from work -- his work in Walkersville . . . yeah, that's a long ride. And, yes, he has to ride back in the morning, too. He'll leave tomorrow around 4 a.m., coffee in his water bottle. He's a nut.

Our Ballerinas

So, today I bit the bullet and signed the girls up for a pre-ballet class. I find it really hard during the week to do things in the evenings . . . it's a long day already and then to go back out and DO something often feels like just too much. It feels like we're a million miles from anything too, and that doesn't help -- too much time in the car makes me crazy. But I really feel that Sarah Grace should be experiencing a "class" of some kind; Sylvie took several classes of pre-ballet a while ago, and I think she really benefited from it. She learned to listen to a teacher, she learned to stand in line and wait her turn, and she learned a few new things about ballet that she still remembers. SG could definitely benefit from learning some patience . . . She seems to have some natural ability in the realm of flexibility and energy. George wanted (and the girls initially wanted) me to sign them up for another gymnastics class, but I just think those are too loose and silly. SG just pretty much ran around doing whatever she wanted; the instructor noted her unusual strength, but they all ignored her inability to sit still for any amount of instruction.
We take advantage of Jefferson County WV's rec program. It's quite a bit closer than anything in Hagerstown, and the girls have really enjoyed all their programs. Neither George nor I have any family history with dance or ballet; however, a bunch of the girls in the neighborhood are avid dancers. All three of the Mxxxxxx girls have danced; Lily was Clara in The Nutcracker this year for The Inwood Dance Company, and Norah is majoring in dance at Towson State University. Bella and Pip also dance -- I think over in Shepherdstown for a local company. I was excited to see that (at least for a short while) the girls can be in the same class. That was the kicker that got them to agree to ballet over gymnastics. I hope they enjoy it, and I hope we gain a little patience through the experience . . .

The Day After

The house was full this time yesterday; ten kids and their thirteen adult companions gathered here to celebrate Miss Sarah Grace's fourth trip around the sun. A great time was had by all. My old camp friend Cindy Mills came through with a BEAUTIFUL eggless cake for our snow princess. Check it out!
Lisa, Mike, and the cousins stayed a bit longer than most to enjoy some frozen pizza and some down time. They have certainly suffered their fair share of stress lately (new job, lost job, new house, selling the old -- all still in the process) . . . It was so nice to enjoy a few slow minutes with them even though it meant their driving home in the dark down our windy, deer-ridden road.
Today we have cleaned and straightened and play with new toys. George has ridden his bike on the trainer (even he has decided that 24 degree weather isn't fit for a ride outside . . . ) and watched a lot of football. I just made a pot of white chicken chili, and the girls are doing leftover party crafts downstairs. All is well in the hollow.

Preparing for the Party

This picture serves two purposes: to show you the party preparations and to show you the snow. The snow, again. We didn't get much this time, but this is already about the fourth time this winter that we've had snow in the hollow . . . We got a two hour delay out of it (not sure why - it was only about an inch), but I needed that after staying up to draw Dora and referee my in-house colorers. We're having a small party this year for Sarah Grace; theme: Dora Saves the Snow Princess! My old friend from Mar-Lu-Ridge, Cindy Mills, is making the cake. Can't wait to see it! Of course, it has to be eggless, and I'm sure this is proving a challenge for my baker friend. But Cindy is very talented, and I'm sure she's making an incredible creation! Check out her other works here and become a FB fan! Gotta get the troops ready for school! Where did those two hours go??

My Baby Turns 4!

Today is Sarah Grace's 4th birthday! I asked her this morning what she wants to be when she grows up. True to form, she shouted, "A rock star!" That's my girl: full of life, always on the move, fun-loving, and absolutely lovable. Her long blond hair, blue-gray eyes, and small stature are deceiving; she's not the meek little princess that she appears to be. She's about as wild and sassy as they come! Sarah Grace came into this world abruptly and sunny-side up, and ever since she has continued those trends. She loves to dance and run and play; she also loves to pick at her sister and has been known to grab a few necks, arms, and lots of skin. She hates to be interrupted and HAS to finish every thought she starts to express. SG is my little fashionista; she insists on choosing her clothes everyday, and it's not unusual to find her in flowered pants, a striped skirt, purple socks, and satin red slip-ons -- all at the same time.
Sarah Grace was born at 1:53 a.m. after the mid-wife was barely able to make it to the hospital. George had played poker that evening down at Kelly Moore's, and I had to call him to come home quickly. We called Dave and Wendy (George's parents) to come stay with Sylvie, and by the time we were in the car, I knew this baby was going to be with us soon. We had called the midwife ahead of time and knew she would be late, but SG was not waiting. This trait would come to be typical of SG -- impatient! Sarah proved to be a difficult baby, yet affectionate; she had colic from day one, which turned out to an allergy to eggs and milk (she's outgrown the latter). She was diagnosed as "failure to thrive" at around 8 months when she essentially stopped growing. After many visits to the pediatric GI, an endoscopy, and many diet changes on both her and my parts, she eventually made her way back to around the third percentile. She is still very small but makes up for it in sheer power and energy. She seems hardly ever to sleep, and after an initial 2 1/2 years of barely speaking a word, she's making up for lost time by never stopping the constant jabbering.
We love our Sarah Grace dearly and look forward to a long lifetime of beautiful surprises and perhaps even a few rock concerts . . . Rock on, SG!!

R.I.P. Miss Barbara

On Sunday Frog Hollow lost one of its own, Miss Barbara Adkins, loving wife of Bernie. Barb suffered from several ailments, and most recently Bernie was driving to Cumberland everyday to see her where she received, essentially, hospice care after several strokes and heart problems. I last saw Barb in the pharmacy when she had last been released from the hospital; I'm so glad I got to give her a hug then and talk with her about the girls, whom she loved to see and hear about. She loved her family dearly, and having lost four of her own children too early, she and Bernie have been no strangers to Death's cruel hand. George spoke with Bernie last night; he misses her dearly and is obviously so upset. We will go see him and his family tonight at her viewing. Her obituary can be found here.
Rest in peace, Miss Barbara.

Another Detour

It looks like we will be sidetracked soon by another detour on our daily drives to town. An article in today's Herald Mail describes how our road will be closed in the spring at the Antietam Ironworks Bridge. This will call for a slightly longer route to school each morning on Mills Road, which just recently reopened after a five month closure. The Ironworks are currently owned by our friend Wayne McCrossin, who renovated the house and store about ten years ago. The second image was taken in the addition to the store, which overlooks the bridge to be restored in the spring.

Icicles

Nothing much to write about today, but just want to show off these magnificent icicles, which can be found across the rivers (right at the confluence) from Harpers Ferry on our road at the railroad bridge. They are a result of the spring waters from Maryland Heights. Awesome. And the girls are fascinated by them.

Hog Maw

Last night we traveled a whole 3/4 of a mile down to Frog Hollow proper to the Mullers' house for their annual Hog Maw feast and New Year's Day party. We had a great time -- our first time out of the house in a long time! Trish had the house decorated so beautifully, and everyone seemed to enjoy Sarah Grace and Sylvie's scampering among the crowd. The highlight of the evening, of course, was Jeff's presentation of the hog maw, a traditional Pennsylvania Dutch dish. I don't remember anyone but my step-grandmother, Millie Fuhrman, making this when I was young; my family tended to the pork and sauerkraut for New Year's Day. I do remember thinking it was gross -- stuffed pig stomach! Ewwww! But, no, Trish and Jeff have this dish down pat -- even Sylvie liked it! I wish I had taken a picture of theirs (there were at least three), but instead I'm attaching one from Flickr so you can see what it looks like. It's simply cubed potatoes and loose pork sausage stuffed in a cleaned pig stomach lining. PA German tradition is that if you don't even have a bite on New Year's Day, you'll have bad luck for the next year -- well, we ate our fill!

Hubert & Gladys

Today is the 84th wedding anniversary of my maternal great-grandparents, Hubert & Gladys Null. When I was a child, we celebrated New Year's Day by celebrating their anniversary, usually in a building on the Taneytown carnival grounds with a big potluck meal and entertainment provided by singing grandchildren (myself included).
I remember Papa (pronounced Pup-pa) and Grandma as a little old loving couple, but in their younger years they were a vibrant, strong farming pair.
Hubert grew up on his father's family farm -- Michael's Home -- and raised his family of four children there with Gladys. Hubert was a faithful man who dutifully contributed to Trinity Lutheran Church in Taneytown throughout his life. Gladys carried out her family's artistic gene (her father was the town's professional photographer and her brothers were both professional painters) by taking many photographs (especially of clouds) and playing the piano.
Both are remembered for their generosity and devotion to each other and their family.