Steve's payback...

Well, Steve decided to pay me back for the big boat trip surprise by planning a surprise of his own! He told me to be up, showered, dressed and ready to go Saturday by 9am because we were off for an adventure!! How exciting!!

As I've mentioned before, Fall is my favorite time of year, so Steve scurried around while I was in the shower (unbeknownst to me...) and packed up a blanket and yummy picnic lunch. We headed out towards the Shenandoah Valley and ended up on Skyline Drive - a 100+ mile drive along the crest of the BlueRidge Mountains!

Around every curve is a new majestic and breathtaking view, and between curves, you drive through canopy after canopy of gorgeous fall foliage with brilliant splashes of yellow, orange and red leaves. We drove for about 25 miles, stopping every so often to jump out, take pictures (of course!) and enjoy the views. Then we parked and Steve pulled his final surprise (the picnic lunch!) from the trunk. We hiked for a bit until we found a great spot, spread our blanket and ate. A truly perfect fall day!!

Driving through the "canopy"

Around every curve...a breathtaking view!

Our hiking trail and picnic spot!

2, 580 feet up!

Whatta hubby!!! I love him!!

When, WHEN will it end?!

Gallaudet protests, arrests and general anarchy have made it to Newsweek and Time Magazine...

http://msnbc.msn.com/id/15365607/site/newsweek/

http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,1549303,00.html

Hopefully, peace will be restored soon....

An explanation...

Of the insanity at Gallaudet...which includes, but not limited to, 133 arrests (the largest mass arrest in DC since the '60s), seizing of an academic building, and the complete shutting down of the University for 3 days. This place is a mess...

There are many (MANY) news sources that have been following the story, but two commentaries inparticular, in my opinion, explain the real issues.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/10/09/AR2006100901141.html

http://pr.gallaudet.edu/dailydigest/?id=9584

And a good recent article:
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/10/19/AR2006101901697.html

Happy Birthday, Dad!!

Well, Digitial Chip's blogging days (8/11/01-8/14/06) faded out faster than big hair and bell-bottoms, but today he IS celebrating the big 55...happy Birthday!!! We love you, even though you have abandoned blogging...;( so sad....

Only in the city...

Well, Tristan posed a good question. How are the protests and riots at Gallaudet University affecting me?

Apparently to the point that I am losing my mind, literally...

It's been a horrible two weeks, and Gallaudet was finally forced to close due to the protesting students forming human chains and barricading off all entrances to the University. So, we decided to keep our normal routine (even though I didn't have to go to work), and I still drove Steve to work. I had tons of schoolwork to do, so I packed up my laptop, books, purse, etc., dropped Steve off at work, and drove on to my favorite coffee shop around the corner from our apartment for an afternoon of studying. I stayed for several hours but found concentrating very hard given the current crisis at my work place, so I packed up and headed home to check the news. That was yesterday afternoon. Steve headed home from work on the metro, and we stayed in last night.

Today, Steve and I got ready to head out, went down to our parking garage like we do everyday and found our parking spot empty...someone had stolen our car!!

Well, lo and behold, this is (thankfully!) not what happened...I had LEFT our car at the coffeeshop - yesterday - and walked home like I normally do when I go there to study...and forgotten our car!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Steve, at first, did NOT think this was amusing...I, on the other hand, could hardly contain myself!! How ridiculous is that???

I FORGOT our car!!!!!!

Only in the city is this kind of crazy thing possible...

So, Tristan, and anyone else who has been following CNN and the Washington Posts' coverage of the raging war at Gallaudet, THAT is how it is affecting me.

And p.s. - the break from it all was an emotional relief. Things are ugly and it's hard not to get feelings involved. If you want to know my true feelings about it, call me. I'm not comfortable publicly posting my dismay.

It's officially fall...yummm!!

At least in our home...I LOVE FALL!!! There is something about this time of year that is so refreshing and exciting...there is so much breathtaking majesty around us in nature. God has given us so much...we just need to take more time to appreciate it!

If you haven't taken a moment yet, go outside and take a deep breath - appreciate the changing of seasons and the exquisite color of the trees. Next to the joy of Christmas, this is definitely my favorite time of year.

I decided to bring Fall into our home, and it looks so fun, I had to share...


McMurray...Live, Laugh, Love...

Our little table...

Pumpkin vase!
The kitchen

Can you read the plates?

They read: Thankful, Grateful, Abundance, Blessed

...an accurate assessment of our life!!

My first experiment with dried flowers...Success??
I added red and orange sparkly festive beading and straw bows to our chandelier...and bright foliage leaves to the archway (in the background)!!

Light 5 or 6 pumpkin spice and apple cinnamon candles around your home and...

Fall has arrived!!

What a gift.