February: a baker's dozen

1 -- Zach's grandparents visiting; pleasant walk at Burlington City Park; shopped at ALDI

2 -- visited Uncle Carr at the hospital (almost ulcers)

3 -- walked in downtown Graham; bought blue-framed, lace-and-burlap thing for the house from Amy at The Main Line

4 -- Children's Museum with Zach; watched Sophie some

It was pleasant enough to go outside for a little while

5 -- cannot remember anything special, but let's take a minute to remember six years ago during this time when Andrew and I were visiting Syria for twelve days (we did this remembering several times throughout these first days of February: great memories!)

In Damascus, 2009

6 -- visited a thrift store, and two consignment shops - bought nothing; Zach did a bunch of pages in his preschool workbook

hard at work

7 -- Steve Austin came by to put the screens in our windows; Zach and I visited Hawfields cemetery to find the "old rugged cross"

right away he found his name

Also, he found plenty of crosses

8 -- gorgeous 72-degree day; opened three windows (screens were put in just in time!); spent two hours at the park with Zach; he played with siblings, Abby and Noah; I met small twins named Roy and Etta


9 -- Zach and I explored the grounds near the library, arts house and children's museum in downtown Graham

This is a gliding bench which Zach is trying to move

Captain White house with the cool scrap-metal ball hanging from a tree

10 -- went to Southpoint in Durham with Andrew and Zach; Stephanie's birthday

 

11 -- woke up to the very sad news about the three young people who were murdered in Chapel Hill the evening before.  Chapel Hill is about thirty minutes from me in the neighboring county, and the fact that the man, at least, was Syrian-American and the three of them just looked like enthusiastic, friendly people whom I would have loved to have known...and apparently they had hearts of gold...it saddens me that the world has been deprived of them in such a cruel way!

 Here is a brief story about their funeral held today in Raleigh, my state capital. This was said by one of the victims, Yusor, in an interview last year:

"Growing up in America has been such a blessing," she said. "And, you know, although in some ways I do stand out, such as the hijab I wear on my head, the head covering, there's still so many ways I feel so embedded in the fabric that is our culture. That's the beautiful thing here, is that it doesn't matter where you come from. There are so many people from so many different places, of different backgrounds and religions. But here we're all one - one culture."

I hate her beautiful life was taken away from us!


Zach and I read (mostly) Little Critter books on the deck; we had to enjoy the sunshine while the temps were still warm enough for it to be a pleasant experience

At this point, there wasn't much sun left on the deck

12 -- saw some of Zach's family as they picked him up for a trip to the mountains; also saw Megan and Sophie; went out with Michael and Andrew to the mall (saw Michael's good friend Blake with his dad and sister); got a couple UNC shirts at Dunham's (told Andrew they could be my Valentine's gift); ate frozen yogurt at YoZone (even thought it's so cold outside);

she thought something was very funny

Zach and Sophie

finished Preemptive Love

"In spite of my fear, however, I remember being genuinely overjoyed by the mullah's conclusion: 'this treatment may lead our children and ...

Although this was right side up on my camera, it wanted to load funny so turn your head if you want to read it

13 -- to Four Seasons Town Centre (it's a mall), REI, and Guilford Courthouse Military Park (we walked in the cool air and nice sunshine) with Andrew