Escape to the outdoors

What a week we had! I was fortunate to have a Study break this week, which got me out of the classroom for a bit, allowing me time to catch up on some required reading of our Java textbook. Riveting stuff (NOT!)... I did have the privilege of accompanying Nathan to one of his Kindermusik classes, so I could watch my little maestro in the making in action :)

On the weather front, we had a decent snowfall on Thursday night that carpeted the countryside in the thick white blanket of powder. This inspired Liesel to take Nathan sledding on Friday, which he loved, until snow got into his gloves! On Saturday, it was my turn to take Nath sledding before the snow surrenders to the above freezing temperatures. Again, Nath loved it, until I went a bit faster and he had some snow spray into his face during our descent....

After that adventure, we did some shopping and then lunched at Chick-Fil-A where Nathan immediately heads to the play area that has a maze of tunnels and slides that keeps him occupied while Liesel and I could eat our lunch.
That evening, we headed west to a fellow band member's place for a surprise Birthday party. We had a great time fellowshipping with them and others on the worship team, and not to mention the wonderful dinner! What made the evening special for us was when our friends complemented us on Nathan's exceptional manners:-) That's my boy!!!

On Sunday I played in Church again, and that afternoon, since the sun was shining and it was 3C (which is blissful in Cleveland in February!) we headed to a playground for Nathan! He had so much fun running around, clad in a jacket, gloves and hat! He even had Liesel and myself chasing him down the slides! It was great fun, albeit slightly chilly. Right after that, I had to make a stop at Lake Erie, to see how the water has been transformed by the winter elements! It was beautiful. Not as frozen as it was last year, but there were still some brave people venturing onto the ice!


Finally it was time to go home, eat a hot dinner, and watch the sun set on a pretty good weekend!

Minimal Makeover for the McCarthy ward

It seems that the snow has been given a temporary reprieve after today's temperatures of 13C (55F) and the gentle rain that has been falling. The green shades of the grass have again been revealed, something we have not seen for a number of days!

This week Nathan was diagnosed with Croup, so we spent as much time indoors with him, to try and speed up his recovery. We did take one outing to a shop where we found a few things for our house. Afterwards, we made a stop at a Krispy Kreme donut shop, where they have huge conveyor belts moving hundreds of donuts through the entire donut making process. Of course, Nathan was spellbound by the machinery and spent a good deal of time observing the transformation from raw dough to glazed donuts!

We then headed back to the warmth of our home. We had bought a potted tree for our lounge, as we felt that there was definitely something lacking. Our new leafy purchase seemed to fit perfectly in the one corner of our lounge, bringing a much needed atmospheric change to the room.

Next on the mini-makeover list was the master bedroom. A few weeks back, we bought a new bedroom set consisting of a comforter(duvet), pillow cases, shams, etc. Now we finally found some good looking lamp shades that match our new color scheme. The master bedroom now finally looks complete with the addition of the lamp shades! And finally, after living in our house for 6 months, we finally found a place to hang some of our favorite paintings that we brought over from South Africa with us! Their new home is up on our 2nd floor landing, and in full view as you ascend the stairs!


That evening we enjoyed some Chinese take out and then snuggled up to watch the DVD, Evan Almighty, before retiring to the bed! The next day I was up early, as I had to get to Church for the 7:45am band practice! Liesel and Nathan decided to stay at home again, so that Nathan's recovery won't take a knock by getting exposed to the rain we had today. We had a good sermon and I was home by 12:30pm. It was a quiet day at home, with the highlight being the 20 or so Hide and Seek games that Liesel and I played with Nathan!

It's back to work for me in a few hours time, however, this week we are fortunate to have a week to ourselves with no lectures! We will all be doing some compulsory reading from some Java textbooks, as well as going over all that we have learnt so far and putting that into practice. Until next week............

B-B-B-Back to n-n-n-ormal........

Norman and Gabi left us on Monday, as they headed back to Botswana in a trip that would last 3 days and a bit. Unfortunately, they took all the unseasonable warm weather that we had with them. Right now we are surrounded by Arctic air, the temperature with the wind chill is reluctantly clinging tp the -25C (-13F) mark. So I am not looking forward to catching the train into work tomorrow :-(

This weekend we put into automatic, and enjoyed going back to the regular weekend patterns. After a lazy start to Saturday, we drove to a store so that I could do some wardrobe shopping. I found some pretty good bargains and got what I needed, and since Nathan was so well behaved, we picked up some Dunkin Donuts for a reward. A chocolate donut in Nathan's hands is always devoured within minutes, with the only evidence of it left on his cheeks, lips, nose and sometimes his eyebrows. Just like his father, he knows how to appreciate the decadent combination of cocoa and sugar!

That evening, our church was hosting a Songwriter's Showcase. This was for anyone in the church that had written an original song, to come and perform it in a intimate environment. It was held in the Cafe at the church, and we had 9 people partaking. The talent that was displayed was truly phenomenal and inspirational! It was awesome to listen to various styles, instruments, and meaningful lyrics! We also learnt that night, that Corb, our worship pastor, was asked to compose an orchestral and choral underscore for the exhibit of The Crucifixion, the largest canvas in the world! It was even recorded in the 20th Century Fox Studios and premiered live at the Hall of the Crucifixion-Resurrection on Good Friday of 2006 for the exhibit’s 50th anniversary.
But what really stood out as a true masterpiece that evening, was a fellow worship team members number, entitled "The produce song"! It was hilarious and the ending even included a little veggie dance! Adam, you rock!!! Who knew that a song about wearing 'nana peels on your feet and cauliflowers in your ears would be such a big hit! (I am hoping to get a hold of that song and I will post it on the blog if I do)


On Sunday - I had the week off from playing, so I could sleep in and also accompany my family to Church. After the service, we headed to Home Depot so that I could buy some insulation. With this cold spell, we are finding that cold air is leaking in via the recessed lighting. Sometime we even get ice build up around the lights!
So I thought some insulation and common sense could solve the problem. But alas, I did not buy enough insulation, so I will need some more soon, as we have 3 recessed lights that need warm pink blankets around them! I was also lucky enough to have to go outside to fix some of the siding after the strong winds have battered our house for the past 24 hours. I was dressed in my full winter gear, but unlucky for me, my glasses misted up from the heat of my face, and would not de-mist until I came inside again! The wind was wicked and had no mercy for any body parts that were not covered, as my nose would be able to testify....... But now I am safely in the warm house writing a blog and thinking of ways I can stay warm tomorrow!

Family, Ferris wheels and Football!

Firstly, I want to thank you for your prayers for my brother-in-law, Roy, over the past two weeks. He had a very successful operation, and the doctors are very confident that they have removed all of the growth, and that Roy will not even need any chemotherapy! He is now recovering at home.

This week, we were very blessed to have Liesel's parent's come and stay with us, after a short preaching stint in Atlanta. Nathan was so excited to see them at the airport and couldn't wait to show off his house to his grandparents. From that moment on, he has loved having them around as they are his favorite playmates. Everyday he asks them to come and play with him down in the basement. Liesel still managed to find some time for a few excursions. On one of the warmer days, they went to the lake, and could see some ice floating in the frigid waters.

On Thursday, Nathan could show off his musical abilities as Norman and Gabi accompanied him to Kindermusik. Friday's itinerary included a trip to Malley's, a local chocolate factory! I, unfortunately, was not able to join them for this or any other outing, due to the fact that my butt is required in the Java Course, which is going well!

On Saturday, I could finally join everyone, and we headed for the Cleveland Home and Garden Show. It is an annual event that takes place in a HUGE indoor center. This place even has a fully operational ferris wheel in the center of it, that extends through the roof (but still covered with glass). This was Nathan's highlight as he went on it with his grandparents and myself! It is really enjoyable, because as you head up through the roof, you look out across the Cleveland Hopkins International Airport, and can see planes taking off and landing!

Today it was a pleasure to take Liesel's parents to our church. I was playing on the the worship team again, and had a really enjoyable worship set. We came home to a great traditional Sunday Roast (thanks Lee).

We have now just finished watching the most watched event on American TV, the NFL Superbowl! It was an awesome game, and I know my fellow course-goers from Albany, NY will be ecstatic tomorrow!

Unfortunately, the McCarthy family will not be as happy tomorrow as we bid our farewell's to Liesel's parents. They will be heading back to Atlanta, and then to Southern Africa, where the weather is hotter than Cleveland! I know Nathan will miss his basement buddies terribly :-(

Well it's off to bed I go, as I need my beauty and brain sleep for my course which still has another 12 weeks to go :-)

Back to school

It's been at least 12 years since I have been in a classroom situation, where I was learning something new. Well, this week saw me pack lunches, throw on my back pack and catch a train to get to class! It was the start of my 108 day course in Java. The course is being run from our downtown Cleveland office, so the most cost effective way to get there is by train, since I don't have to spend anywhere from $4 - $8.50 a day just for the privilege of parking in the city center. The train ride is very convenient, and lasts about 20 minutes. I don't need to worry about navigating the rush hour traffic, nor be overly concerned about any snow in the forecast, as the train runs regardless of the precipitation around!

Being positioned downtown also meant that they had to transfer my gym membership. My company has another gym facility in the tallest building in Cleveland, which is just a couple of blocks away from me! It does seem further away when the temperature is -15C outside!! But I guess the effort is worth it.... The beauty of this gym, is that it is located on the 28th floor of the building and has magnificent views of the Lake Erie waterfront, including the Cleveland Browns Stadium, Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, the Great Lakes Science Center and the Burke Lakefront Airport! Imagine running on a treadmill, and having the awesome sight of a freezing Lake Erie for inspiration! I do enjoy that!


Of course, this course that I am doing is by no means easy or fun, and there are weekly tests scheduled, as well as assignments and home work. Who would have thought that I as a 33 year old, would be having to hand in homework assignments again? Sigh :-(

Besides starting my training this week, I also repainted our master bathroom on Monday (which I mentioned last week). I must say that it looks 100x better, and the color is a lot easier on one's eyes ;-) On Saturday, we started cleaning up our house in anticipation of Liesel's parents who arrive tomorrow. I must admit that I had the easier task of entertaining Nathan, while Liesel did all the manual labor! We also stopped off at the shops to buy some things for the house. I bought some wire shelving which I installed in our utility room, and brought some order to the clutter that existed there. That evening, after putting Nathan down to sleep, Liesel and I lay back and enjoyed Ocean's Thirteen!

On Sunday, I was back in my usual routine and left the house at 7:30am for band practice before church. I played in both services, and it was good to be part of the worship team again! That afternoon we had some more cleaning to do and I put some finishing touches on the master bathroom. We also got our guest bedroom all set up, so that there will be no frantic rushing about tomorrow after Liesel and Nath pick up Opa and Gogo from the airport.

The weather is looking to be warmer for the next few days with the mercury rising well above (realtively speaking) freezing for the first time in weeks! It is due to be about 7C for the next few days, which is almost shorts and T-shirt weather for us (Not quite :-P ) I am sure our beautiful blanket of snow will slowly dissipate :-( Hopefully the temperature will drop and we get some more snow so that Liesel's parents can enjoy the winter wonderland that Cleveland serves up each year, just like we do!