Smile, everybody!

Me with the Boston Boys

Sweet baby Marcus and James

More Family Pix

Mal, JA, Lila with David, Jon and Me

JA eating something

JT thinks something is funny

the Accidental Gardener

BCBSNC gardeners

I love that I work for a company that actively encourages community service. Several of us from the Medical Policy/Medical Review departments went to the Geer Street Learning Garden in Durham on April 20 to help out with the spring plantings. The garden is located on a vacant lot near downtown. The food grown there is given to the local food pantry. It's a transition neighborhood with lots of great stuff going on. The Back Pack Buddies have a space across the street as well as TROSA. Both of them are awesome programs. We prepared 2 beds for planting and mulched another bed. It was hard work-I am not accustomed to physical labor-but it was very rewarding. The weather was cool and cloudy in the morning...perfect for me. I don't do well with hot and sunny. The full-time ladies at the garden were incredible. It is so encouraging to learn that there are a lot of good people out there doing good work. My opinion of humanity has improved.

Portrait of Sophie

The father of one of Mike's guitar students is artist Bill Kolb. He was waiting for his son's lesson the other day and did a quick sketch of Sophie.

Getting a New Roof

the house with the old roof stripped off

Finally had to bite the bullet and pony up for a new roof (excuse the mixed metaphors there). We've had a leak for quite some time now in the far NE corner and because we totally suck at home ownership we let it go until we had considerable water damage. Shame on us. But, in our defense, it WAS an old roof and would have needed replacing at some point in the near future. These guys work fast. It's a good thing, too, because my dogs are wigged out. All the strange people walking on the roof and banging and throwing things makes them very nervous.

Japanese cousins

Fumie's daughter Maika (right) and Tomoya's daughter Yuzuki (left).

Keiko's neice, Fumie is expecing their 2nd child in Sept. Keiko said she has had a rough pregnancy this time--can't eat a thing. Her daughter, Maika is 30 months old now.Tomoya's daughter, Yuzuki, is 27 months old.