Merhaba,
The sun is shining, the laundry is in and I’m going off for the Turkish lessons being offered by a couple of folks here at the marina. They are on lesson 6, so we’ll see how much I remember from my lessons and if I can catch up. Yesterday Mary and Rick, of the Dead End Trail hiking group and I joined a hike led by some folks at Yacht Marine down the road. We hiked up the mountain behind their marina. I’ll share those photos next email. This email is the good-bye and we’ll miss you email to our family and Roanoke pals.
Ru
Our final week in Roanoke I stopped taking photos. Maybe I was just too overwhelmed with getting ready to leave. I know I was in “packing panic mode” because of books, shoes, and a year’s worth of vitamins and ibuprofen we were taking back with us. And some winter clothes as I pretty much had none last year to deal with the wet, cold, blustery “winter” of North Cyprus. Not sure exactly what to expect here other than lots of rain. So far it has been t-shirt weather and evening or very early morning rain.
But I do want to include the last photos I actually did take; so here they are; my family and friends!
My sister Harriet My brother-in-law Jim and Max the dog in the “window.”
Harriet likes the computer and Jim likes to cook so it all works
Andrew (nephew) Jim and Har (a photo of a photo) and Jessica (niece) with Harriet in Roanoke.
Andrew and Jess both have more to their families but I just didn’t get photos this trip. No one really wanted their photo taken but just went along with it to help me learn about my new camera. I still have lots to learn.
The Johnson Clan (but not all….)
Tammy Annie Judy Ken Janie Eddie Linda and Randal
Tammy is Randal’s niece and Annie and Janie are her twin nieces. Judy is married to Randal’s brother Eddie and Ken is married to Randal’s sister Linda. We cooked Sunday lunch and there was enough food for all of the other Johnsons who might live in Salem, Virginia!
Friends……
When I first moved to Roanoke in September of 1979 there was a job at the Roanoke County Public Library. The job was half time cataloging and half time Reference. Ellen was the Head of Technical Services so my cataloging boss. Years later when I was full time reference and then Reference Department head, Jane came to work in the Reference Department. Now Jane works at the Campbell County Public Library and is Collection Management Librarian. Like me, Ellen is happily retired! We three met for lunch in Bedford, VA and you can see it was a bit chilly that day.
Ellen and Jane and Ellen and me.
Thelma Hylton, (Ellen’s mom) Ellen and her sister Donna.
Ellen is from Bedford and her mom and sister still live there. I’ve known Ellen’s mom almost as long as I’ve known Ellen. She and I have a mutual admiration society!
Sarah Rubush, retired and smiling!
I’ve known Sarah almost as long as I’ve known Ellen. Sarah worked for the Roanoke City Public Library and was the co-founder with me of the Literacy Volunteers of Roanoke Valley. (Our friend Martha Sibert helped behind the scenes.) I’m proud to say that the organization is still going strong after 26 years.
“1985 Literacy Volunteers of America – Roanoke Valley (LVA-RV), now Blue Ridge Literacy was founded by Sarah Rubush and Ruth Lipnik (now Johnson,) two local librarians, in response to the many inquiries they received at the libraries about literacy services…….. Russ Merritt [Executive Director] said that today, around 70% of learners served by Blue Ridge Literacy are immigrants, and that those numbers are increasing every year, since Roanoke is a major immigration resettlement center. Blue Ridge Literacy serves close to 400 adult students every year, helping with basic literacy skills, citizenship, GED training, preparation for community college admissions, employment application, job training, and much more.
Sarah and her St. Francis service dog Drake
While I was home in Roanoke, Sarah let me borrow Drake for my daily walks. He was great company and would greet me at the door, holding his leash in his mouth, ready to go!
Sarah was my art buddy while I was home. We took turns messing with my two cameras so Sarah could start to decide what kind she might want. I like the photo she took of me.
Sarah learning my camera and our “art space table in her living room.”
Sarah had this lovely ceramic tile that we each tried to recreate. I used the shimmering watercolors Sarah gave to me to paint mine. It’s hard to see the glimmer here, but in the light it’s really neat. Sarah is still working on her dogs.
Soon after moving to Roanoke I went to a Roanoke Valley Library Association and met Becky Heller. Becky was the Reference Librarian for Roanoke College and her husband Mike teaches English there. Becky just recently retired but is still very busy helping care for her grandson and now her granddaughter. And she knits and reads and is really enjoying life as a retired person. See a pattern here?
Becky walking Kiley along the Roanoke River Greenway.
Randal, me, Becky and Mike after having dinner at Norberto’s.
Gabriel and Ellen Szego with me and Randal after having dinner at Taaza.
(Randal said don’t have the fellow take our photo in front of the mirror, but it was too late.)
Ellen and Gabriel are doctors. Ellen worked with my sister who was a nurse in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit of Roanoke Memorial. You met Gabriel’s cousin Nilly and her husband Eitan in my emails from Israel. After dinner Gabriel and Ellen were going off to their Arthur Murray Dance Class and Randal and I were going home to lie down!
I worked at the Roanoke County Public Library from September 1979 until October 2005 so many of my friends are also librarians. Sarah from Roanoke City, Nancy Collins from Salem (I forgot my camera when I visited Nancy.) Jane Field who worked Reference with me. We had dinner with Jane and her husband Peter just before we left Roanoke, but sadly, again, no camera. I just got photo-ed out at the end. And this trip I didn’t even get to see my other former RCPL Reference pals Sharon Silcox and Becky Woodhouse, both now in North Carolina. Or my friend Ann Penn who is a very great library supporter. But Randal and I did have dinner with Joesephine and her new guy/new husband Colston. And of course Truman who I’ve known since before he was born as he came to work with his mom all those nine months up to the day of his birth! Joesephine is from Maine so she and I were always in charge of the Yankee Swap at the Library Holiday party. I still laugh over the fact that after one glass of wine neither of us could remember what number we had just called out so the next person could select their gift to keep or swap. Joesephine is now Acquisitions Coordinator & Assistant to the University Librarian at Hollins University in Roanoke.
Randal and I each filled out a “what I’m grateful for” leaf to hang on their Thanksgiving Tree.
Joesephine and Colston and Truman!
Brand new super-duper Roanoke County Public Library South County Branch….
http://roanokecountyva.gov/Facilities.aspx?Page=detail&RID=84
Circulation area, some of the many computers, and the stairs to the Ref Department and Staff offices.
Roomy, light, comfortable…no way are libraries going away!!!!!
Google could never come close to replacing these guys, Cid and Alan of the Reference Department.
They know how to use Google AND ALL OF THE OTHER INFORMATION SOURCES THAT AREN’T AVAILABLE ON GOOGLE!!!!!!!
Diana Rosepepe, Library Director
Now that the South County Library construction is completed, Diana can oversee the completion of the Glenvar Branch and then begin on the construction of the new Vinton Town Library. Like I said, libraries aren’t going away any time soon and if we’re lucky, they’ll always be with us. All of the ones I visited while we were home were really very busy. I definitely miss my library and I have a computer and a Kindle here on DoraMac.
Meeting with Diana were always fun!