A January Weekend in the Napa Valley

Greg and I flew back to California with Jen and the girls on Martin Luther King weekend. Matthew's home town of St Helena is beautiful. We were told the weather was exceptionally nice for January! The Heils were the perfect hosts and treated us to brunch on Saturday. Matthew's brother Dominic and his girlfriend Leah(now fiance!) joined us.
When in Napa, one visits wineries. The Castle Winery was a breathtaking combination of medieval design and modern winery technology. We toured and tasted happily.



We had a picnic lunch at Santui Winery where Matthew used to work. It was great to be dining outdoors in January!
Jen and Matthew have a nice location. Their home is within walking distance of town, and there's a park across the street.
Lydia loves playing in the pantry.
The Heil home in St Helena.
On Sunday we went to Mass at a chapel near St Helena, surrounded by vineyards.

Matthew gave us a great tour of St Helena and environs, with interesting historical detail.
We enjoyed a festive Sunday dinner hosted by family friends of the Heils.


On our way back to the airport we took the scenic route. San Francisco Bay( and Alcatraz) are in the background.
You can see the Golden Gate Bridge behind us. We had a ball and enjoyed our break from winter. Thanks , Jen and Matthew!

Home for Christmas!

We are thankful that Fred came home from the hospital three days before Christmas. He was delighted to have the whole family together- hectic but good.
Our family now includes baby Alexandra Marie Heil, born on December 12. She was baptized at our parish, St Patrick's, on December 26th.


Our grandchildren are a wonderful and lively group! They had fun together.
Luis' birthday is two days before Christmas, and Carolyn coordinated an 80's themed celebration.


Our family includes both Eagles and Vikings fans, so we anticipated the playoff game between our teams on Sunday Jan. 4th.
We are enjoying our unexpected and enjoyable post season run with Lydia.
We look forward to the New Year, and hope to grow in gratitude to God for the many gifts He gives us.

Happy Birthday Fred!!

On November 11 Fred celebrated his birthday! Now more than ever we are grateful for the gift of Fred! He is recovering nicely from his very serious illness in September. Fred 's kindness, courage, and gratitude are a daily inspiration to me. I'm glad we get to spend so much time together. It's been cozy and we've had some great sports entertainment, of course the Phillies, and sometimes the Eagles. Now the Villanova basketball season is upon us. Since Fred returned home from the hospital we've taken it easy, and have had just a couple of outings, including a trip to Longwood Gardens during the height of fall color. Fred visited the urologist on Monday 11-10, and had a bladder catheter and a stent in his kidney removed. He feels good, and has done well in home therapy. In a few weeks Fred will start some outpatient therapy at Bryn Mawr Rehab.
Of course, our grandchildren are always the best medicine! We had a wonderful visit with the Brown family last week. Carolyn brought the kids up on Wed afternoon, after Fred's trip to Paoli Hospital Radiology to have his kidney catheter removed. Carolyn, John Paul, Gabe, and Monica were lots of fun! Luis joined us on Friday, for some delicious meals and good conversation.
Monica enjoyed herself, and displayed great trust in her brother's driving!!

Fortunately, Uncle Greg kept a watchful eye on the children.

A Perfect Day for a Parade!

Today, on a beautiful October morning, I drove to the Malvern train station hoping to board and meet up with our dear friends Jerry and Nicki. There were Phillies fans swarming everywhere, and not enough trains to accommodate us all. We ended up driving to the airport and taking that train into the city, after a mad dash to the mobbed train.
Nicki and I had curbside seats with a tree for a backrest as we waited for the parade.

We wildly cheered the Phillies as they were driven by!! The majority of fans lining the parade route weren't even born the only other time the Phillies were world champions, in 1980.
Very loyal fans Jerry, Nicki, and Chris savoring the great conclusion of the 2008 season! Chris displayed his devotion by driving up from Birmingham, Alabama yesterday, to attend the parade.
It was very exciting to see the players, who thanked the fans for their support at the ceremony in the ball park.
We really appreciate a championship in Philadelphia- we have to live in the present moment!

World Champions!!!!

We are so proud of our Phillies for their incredible teamwork, perseverance, and devotion to each other. They are a great example to us and have brought joy to all long suffering Philadelphia sports fans!!! We're looking forward to the parade!

The Best Tonic

Time spent with children and grandchildren is the best tonic!!
We had a wonderful week long visit with the Berg family.
Catherine, Frederick, Gemma, and I went to the zoo on a perfect fall day.


We had lots of fun in the woods behind our house.
The child sized John Deere gator was a huge hit with the boys!
Enjoying cousin time!
Family, brisk air, and sunshine- a recipe for good health!
Grandad's room is a fun place to play.
The two Freds having a Connect 4 competition.
Priceless!!
Catherine, Gemma, and I spent a glorious fall afternoon at Longwood Gardens, while Greg and Tom held down the home front.
Gemma's smile could melt the hardest heart!
Relaxing with Uncle Greg.
Watch out for these drivers!!
A pick up game in our family room.

Giving the Bergs a proper send-off. Fortunately we had a two day visit with the Browns!
Riding the tractor with Daddy is a treat.
Nothing beats a tire swing!
Fred, energized by our family visits, did a fine job of standing with the therapists' help today!