Hey everyone,

I thought it was about time I write a little about what I've been up to recently. I haven't posted in a while, and many great things have happened that I'd love to share with the family.

To start off, I just returned to New York from a semester abroad in Bologna, Italy. The experience was an incredible one -- and one that I cannot do justice with only a few paragraphs of description. Nonetheless, I'll try to explain my life in Italy and how I spent those four months.

In terms of school, I went to an Italian high school, and so I only spoke in Italian. The classes were interesting, and I read Dante's "Purgatorio" and learned loads about Descartes and his philosophical teachings. Asides from Italian Literature and Philosophy, I also took Art History, Math, Biology, Physics, Chemistry, Latin, French, Photography, and History.

I made a ton of friends in Italy, all of whom were extremely welcoming and kind. Bologna is a great city for youth, and at night the piazzas were always filled with kids and street parties and bands. Generally, my nights out always began with eating a whole pizza, and then continued from there with dancing at a disco club or walking around the center.

Speaking of pizza, the food of course was incredible. Although there were times that I missed very spicy food, in general I was always eager for all the food I was fed. Pizza, pasta, and panettone were staples of my diet there. (And gelato...except it was cold these last few months!)

Outside of school I tried to travel around Italy as much as possible, although by the end I often wanted to stay in Bologna during the weekends to hang out with friends. Nevertheless, I did manage to make it to Milan, Ravenna, and Venice (the latter being the most incredible, gorgeous, and inspiring city I think I've ever seen).

It was an interesting time to be in Italy as a student, because the Minister of Education was attempting to implement policies such as an 8 billion euro budget-cut that would result in a huge reduction of teachers and electives. As a result, across Italy there were protests, and even occupations within the high schools, meaning that we didn't go to school and instead picketed, protested, and then slept in the school, thus "occupying" it!

Overall, my experience in Bologna was really great and I am so happy that I had the opportunity to meet all of my friends there and learn about this new culture. Although I tried to speak in Italian all the time (and generally succeeded), there was one facet of my life that I couldn't avoid doing in English -- my college applications.

They're finished now! I have applied to Harvard, Columbia, Yale, Brown, Williams, Wesleyan, Princeton, U Penn, and Amherst, and now am just waiting to hear back... responses should trickle in around April 1st.

Christmas was very relaxed and low-key, and now I'm just preparing myself to get back into the schedule required in NY (What??! School doesn't end at 1:40 anymore?! Homework?! ) You get the idea!

I hope everyone had a wonderful Christmas, filled with great time spent with the family. My best wishes for the New Year...

Love,
Sophie

Merry Christmas...

Sorry I don't send Christmas cards. Not because I don't want to, or because I am not thinking fondly of all my friends and family. It's because I am a procrastinator and couldn't get it together in time. I hope everyone has a wonderful Christmas! Love, Wendi

Mary's house.

Catfish

I thought I'd post a picture of my husband Brian & his Dad's catfish that the caught the other night at New Melonies Reservoir in Tuolumne County California. They caught 5 total with 3 weighing from 15-20 pounds each. They are quite proud!!!!!

Not So Baby Humming Birds

On the way to San Francisco to enjoy a great weekend with Ann and Jack, MA and I stopped off in Thousand Oaks to spend a few days with Pat and Stan Nelson. The Nelson's have a shed attached to their garage to shelter clothes lines (for some of the younger readers of this blog, a clothes line is an archaic device which allows nature to dry clothes). A female humming bird had used a clothes line eye bolt as a mount for her nest. These two photos are of a pair of fairly mature fledglings that are just about ready to fly. Maybe they can fly and are just hanging around until Mom gets tired of feeding them.

Well It's Official.......

I have 2 girls in High School!!!!!!!!!!!! LoryAne is a Junior & Brook is a Freshman this year. This is a picture that I took yesterday morning before their first day.....

Kate's Story

Hey All!! Those of you who don't regularly check Ann's Redacted Recipes, CHECK IT! Along with a good meat recipe, Kate has provided an emotion wrenching and inspiring story of her kidney transplant saga. READ IT!

Fishing in San Francisco Bay...

Brian & I went fishing on Saturday, July 12, 2008 in San Francisco Bay with a boatload of our frineds. I cought the only Leopard Shark on the boat and Brian & everyone else caught Halibut. It was a blast!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Brian & I at the Dock.

Brian & one of his Halibuts with the Golden Gate in the background.

Me and my Leopard Shark.

Sometimes Life Is Just A Bowl of Cherries

And too beautiful not to photograph! This is from an upcoming post on Redacted Recipes, based on recipe MA gave me in May.

Brook's Rooster Attack.....

Brook had to write a descriptive essay in 7th grade & I ran across it a few minutes ago while cleaning out "My Documents". I thought someone might get a chuckle from it....Brook Williams
9/11/07
Period 7-8

Rooster Attack

It was a hot summer morning on the "Jones Ranch". The sun was peeking over the Coast Range. Hank the biggest, meanest, toughest rooster was coming out of the coop. I walked outside, the sun was rising higher and higher beating down on my head. My cheeks tickled from the slight but almost non-existent breeze. Hank was rushing his hens out of the coop now. I rushed past my barking dogs in their little pen. The weeds crunching under my weight. I jogged along the dusty dirt driveway toward the barn. I ran my hand along the prickly alfalfa. I entered the big white barn. The paint wearing off from years of existence. I walked on the smooth hard gray cement floor looking up at the weary, draping cobwebs. I walked over to the grains and grabbed 3 buckets off a shelf inside the barn and filled them. One with dog food, another with chicken scratch, and the last with oats for Dudley, our goat. I turned away from the grain bins and walked to the hay and noticed none of the bales were open. Suddenly I felt a brush on my leg. I reached for the machete. "Oh, Hi Myra" (our barn cat). She jumped up on the hay and rubbed against me. I stroked her long tabby coat and set her down. I grabbed the machete and sliced open the bale of hay, and grabbed three flakes. With the 3 flakes in my hands I put the buckets around my arms and walked outside into…Hank, our Rooster! He was waiting for me! My hands were full. I couldn't defend myself. He was mad! For what? I didn't know. All I knew was he was mad. No! He was furious! His eyes were raging with anger driven by insanity. His black, hollow eyes were fixed on me. He wasn't going to stop till he drew blood. My blood! His sharp deadly spurs and his short but sharp beak were ready to cut through my skin like a sharp knife. I was running out of time. I had to think fast. I made my decision. I dropped the hay and 2 of the buckets, leaving me with 1 bucket. My only weapon. He charged and flew at me. I swung my bucket and nailed him in the left wing. He landed on the ground hard. I ran! Unfortunately, he recovered quickly and ran after me. I rounded the garage and stopped thinking I was safe. I was wrong! He leaped at me. I screamed! He slit the back of my head! I kicked him and he flew like a soccer ball. I ran the rest of the way to the house. I felt the back of my head. It hurt bad. I ran into the kitchen. My hair drenched in blood dripping down my back, soaking my shirt. "OH MY GOSH!" my mom said entering the room and seeing the blood drizzling onto the floor. "I herd you scream" she said. I turned to face her. “The stupid rooster attacked me!" I said. I'm not sure, but I think she actually laughed at me. "Well, we'll have LoryAne feed this time, but next time you should go out earlier." She said. So I learned to get out of there earlier from now on so I don't get attacked again. I also learned not to mess with the Rooster, and I think he also learned not to mess with me! Next time, I will be ready for anything that insane, blood thirsty, aggressive, fowl can dish out! I will out smart that stupid, ugly rooster and he'll be sorry he ever messed with me!

Our Family Summer Vacation....

We just returned from our family vacation in Mono County California near Bridgeport. We spent 10 days dry camping with my parents, Brian's parents, Brian's step brother and his boys and about 20 of our closest friends. Unbelievable scenery! Truly God's country! We had a great time! I just wanted to share a few pictures. Hope they don't bore you too much.....

My Mom & Dad's trailer with Mt. Emma in the background.

Our trailer

The screened kitchen/gathering area.

The horses in their makeshift corral. (You should ask my Mom about the corrals....it's a hillarious story!)
My Mother-in-law Chris with Brook & LoryAne on horseback.

Again....after cresting the ridge. (I just thought that this was a neat photo)

My Mom & Brook on horseback.

A few pics of the girls together...

On the flats above camp.

On a day trip to Reno Nevada Cabela's store.

My Mom, Mother-in-law Chris & the Girls shortly after arriving to camp.

A neat photo of a Doe and fawn (still with spots).

My Dad & my Father-in-law.

My Mom with her wine glass.

Emma Lake.....at the top of Mt. Emma.

Fish in Emma Lake.

My Father-in-law Craig's fish...(the big one of the trip. approx. 4#)

Brian playing his guitar around the heater....(we could not have a fire unfortunately)

Brian in front of our trailer.

My dog Cort on our bed. He wouldn't get off!

This is just a good photo of the scenery behind the Rodeo.

This Shouldn't Be Too Hard

Found In a Cook Book

MA found this in a cook book. We think it is a birthday picture of Cecile which was sent to us when we were living on Osprey.

And who is this?

and who is this?

Guess Who

Happy Father's Day!!!!

Dad and I at lunch today....

Proud grandparents.....

Brook's 8th Graduation.....

Brook graduated 8th grade on June 3rd! My baby is growing up!!!!

Rose Amra Cummins Reed Fisher

Currently the album, PaulR's Photos of Interest, is extracting photos from old Fisher Family photo albums and publishing them as a series. The first in the seres was on Paul T. Fisher's (Dad's) childhood. This, the second is on Rose Amra Fisher's (Mother's) childhood. It covers the time period from when she was four (1913) to when I was born (1932).

Look who's back in the saddle......

So glad to see my Mom healthy enough to ride with me again!!!!

New Photo Gallery

The Gallery, "Photos Over the Years" is dead. A new Gallery, "PaulR's Photos of Interest," has sprung up in its place. The current project involves four old photo albums that a scattered among us. They are: my childhood album, an album of my Mother's ranging from her early childhood until about 1941, an album of my Dad's childhood ranging from about the time he was four, or so, until about the time he graduated from High School and an album of Dad's ranging from around 1928-29 to the late 1940s. The first edition consists of selected photos from Dad's childhood album. I'll leave these up for a month, or so, and then post another selection from on of the other albums. I hope you all enjoy them.

More Family History

From left to right: Paul Tucker (our Dad) and his pony (Captain), Paul Gorden, Pauline, Minnie and an un-named child. Paul Gordon is our Grandfather, Pauline is Dad's older sister and Minnie is our Grandmother. This photo is from an album of Dad's childhood that Mary Margaret lent me. I suspect that the photo was taken somewhere around 1916 in Chanute, Kansas. With the exception of one photo (circa 1930) the last photos have to do with Dad's hgh school days.

Good grief ! That was easy. Thank you Ann

Dawson and Gabriel-Kate's boys

Argentina Recommendations?

Mike and I are getting married this year and have just booked the second most exciting part of it - the honeymoon! We are going to Argentina for just over a week. Has anyone been and do you have recommendations? We plan to spend at least three days in Buenos Aries before heading down to Patagonia. We are so thrilled! Hugs to everyone!

Fisher Family History

A month, or so, ago John and Jan rediscovered a cache of Fisher family documents that our father, Paul Tucker had kept in a steel file box. John and I were chatting on the phone when Jan was going through the box and John started calling off the items to me. It became apparent to us that there was a gold mine there in the form of birth certificates, marriage licenses and etc. John and Jan were planning a nostalgic visit to Gringo Pass RV Park, where Roses and Tuck had wintered, in Lukeville, AZ, on the Mexican border. They decided to bring the steel box to Green Valley where we could go through the documents together. They arrived on Sunday, March 2nd and then went on to Lukeville on Wednesday, the 5th. We now can trace, with some documentation gaps that we will work to fill in, back to 1781 on Grandfather Fisher’s side, 1658 on Grandmother Fisher’s side, 1858 (unbroken line of documentation) on Rose’s mother’s side and 1873 on Rose’s birth father’s side. I scanned all the items that were pertinent and have burned four CDs containing all our family documents and photo albums. I’m sending a CD along with some original material that was lent to me some time ago to John and Sister Mary Margaret and a CD to Ann and to Lisa. We’ll keep you all posted as we continue to make progress.

Did not work...

Sorry. I guess i need more help... did what it said and pics did not come through...

Arizona Visit

Here are the few pics tried to send yesterday.

Gringo Pass

I tried to post A couple of pics of the lonley Gringo Pass RV park where Roses and Tuck stayed one winter many years ago.. But it kept saying server error so i guess i will have to try again some other time... Jan and I had a great visit with MaryAnn and Reed. I will try to post pics another time... hope all is well with everyone...

Snow in Brooklyn

Fire Escape Detail