Jun 20
Dearest Stephane, Here’s to YOU on Father’s Day. Yes, you do countless craft projects with Hugo, teach him how to climb, bike and swim, and show him the difference between a Phillips and a flat head. You tell him No more often than Yes. You hold him to a higher standard and you always back …
May 31
One of my pet peeves is when words are not spelled properly. My cousin Anthony always called me “cuz” and, to my horror, he SPELLED it that way too. After a while, when texting him or sending him notes, I would write it “cuz”, too. But only for him. I guess it was our special …
Apr 20
After Stephane’s returned from a week-long shift at our old stomping grounds in Los Alamos, we packed up The Hungry Hippo (a.k.a our new pop-up camper) and took off for some outdoor family time. We drove straight to Love Gap, a small crag in the Blue Ridge Mountains, just off the Blue Ridge Parkway. A …
Apr 11
The homes of Harbour Breeze Estates Phase I slowly dissolve behind the new green growth of Spring out back. Spiky-haired cardinals blaze red against leaves and grass; frogs and crickets sound off in the evenings and the mornings are filled with chirpy chatter. It’s Spring in Virginia. The pool is unmasked, free to show her …
Mar 13
When a warm and sunny mid-week weather window presented itself this past week, we did the obvious thing which was to pack up the camper and head for the hills (of Virginia). Actually mountains. We headed for the mountains of Virginia – specifically the Allegheny. I’m still learning about the mountains out here. I know …
Dec 28
Wherein the Heftis share lots of yummy meals with Trombleys & Co., celebrate the holidays, explore the area, and find the rhythm in the everyday.
Dec 23
Buying a house, sight-unseen in a place you do not know can have its challenges. But Stéphane and I had the best group of house rustlers we could ever ask for. Team Trombley performed daring trespassing maneuvers and random “cold knocks” on front doors; they took countless video walk-throughs and perfected the “slow creep” drive-by. …