Maryland Skis

Christmas in DC - part 2

2011-12-18T20:54:00.003-05:00

The National Christmas Tree - 2011

The Washington Monument, as seen from in front of the Capitol building

The US Capitol building and the Capitol Christmas tree

Trees and wreaths outside the Botanical Gardens

Christmas time in Washington, DC

2011-12-18T19:46:00.003-05:00

Bob and I enjoyed a chilly (well--cold) but romantic Saturday evening in DC. We started off with metro ride and then a brisk walk to the National Zoo. The snow flurries began almost as soon as we got off the train. Our mission was to see Zoo Lights--the Christmas light display that we had heard so much about. We entered the zoo and began strolling and indeed, the lights were very nice as promised. Although the real animals were asleep in their cozy beds, they all were represented as light displays throughout the zoo. There were snowflake lights, icicle lights, and musical lights. There were Christmas carolers and games for the kids. With plenty of hot popcorn, and a hot drink, it made for a pleasant evening for strolling and enjoying the lights of the season. Among our fellow passengers on the metro was a group of teen-age Santa Clauses and Santa Clausettes--who we saw strolling around the zoo and they looked like they were having a great time. The 30 degree temps helped to encourage romance as couples strolled along holding hands or walking arm in arm.

Thankfully, the snow didn't develop into anything more than a few flurries, which tapered off and finally quit before we left the zoo.

After leaving the zoo, we took another brisk walk back to the metro, hopped aboard and headed to the Mall where we strolled along and enjoyed the beautiful Christmas lights on trees and buildings. We started off by the Botanical Gardens, the US Capitol and the Capitol Christmas tree, then strolled along past the museums, the Washington Monument and finally, we arrived at the White House and the National Christmas tree. We opted not to wait in the incredibly long line of people that snaked it's way to the National Christmas tree, allowing visitors a close-up glimpse of the tree and the model train. We chose the "good enough" view from the fence. It was very pretty, though.

Then, it was time to head back to the metro for the journey home. That's the cool thing about DC, you are never far from a metro stop. As we walked along we saw the National Theater and The Warner Theater. Since we've been to several shows we feel we know that section of town fairly well. The Ford's Theater is in that same neighborhood and so is one of my favorite places: a Barnes and Noble. Also, in that neighborhood is one of our favorite places to eat: The Elephant and Castle. But, on this trip, we were just interested in getting to the metro station and a chance to sit down once we got back on the train.

And so, our evening was coming to a close but what a great evening it was. Nothing fancy, just walking and looking at Christmas lights, but so much fun.

Baby says good-bye

2011-07-31T21:01:00.004-04:00

Shawn and Megan--the new official adoptive parents of Baby.

Shawn puts Baby into her carrier.

Sarah and Keith acted as the official witnesses to the adoption ceremony.

Bob and I say good-bye to Baby Dumpling as we transfer custody to Shawn and Megan. We took temporary custody of her in April after Roger moved to New York and wasn't able to take her along with him. I will miss her--she is a real sweetheart and I love her. But, fortunately, she isn't with strangers and we will get to see her once in a while. I told them to send us regular updates and pictures on how she is doing.

New Cats at our house!

2011-05-02T20:54:00.004-04:00

We adopted 2 new cats from Mom and Dad's house---Tippy and Baby Dumpling.

Chrissy sits in the dining room----observing.

Tippy was my Mom's cat. Mom passed away last fall and we decided to take her cat in. Here is Tippy settling into Shawn's room.

Here is Eeyore--watching one of the newbies--Tippy.

And, here is Baby Dumpling, the other newbie. Shawn and Megan are planning to adopt her, but they aren't able to take her right now, so we are keeping her here with us until they can take her. Here she is all settled into the library. Those chairs are very comfy.

Both cats are very sweet and settling in just fine. There has been a little hissing--but not really too bad. We make sure to give Chrissy and Eeyore lots of attention and keep reminding them how good they are. They really are doing pretty good with the new cats. And, Tippy and Baby Dumpling have gotten over their initial nervousness and are making themselves at home.

Photos of the full moon over our house and our 1st bon fire of the season

2011-03-20T21:20:00.003-04:00

Here is a shot of the full moon as seen from behind the trees in our front yard. It was so pretty and so bright---it completely lit up our yard.

Here is the moon as the clouds were moving in.

This is our first bonfire of the season. It was so nice outside that night--our first nearly 80 degree day---that flowed into our first 70 degree night.

IN LOVING MEMORY OF MY MOM

2010-12-27T19:29:00.002-05:00

Today, December 27th is my Mom's birthday. I can no longer pick up the phone and wish her a Happy Birthday. So, in loving memory of my Mom, I am posting this poem that my Mom and I both loved,

Little Things
by Julia A. Fletcher

Little drops of water,
Little grains of sand,
Make the mighty ocean
And this pleasant land.

Thus the little minutes,
Humble though they be,
Make the mighty ages,
Of eternity.

Christmas 2010 photos

2010-12-27T19:22:00.004-05:00

Shawn with his Mind Flex game--when he wears the head gear, he can move the ball with his mind

Keith's family: parents--Greg and Linda and his sister, Kelly and her husband, Adam

Sarah and Keith and Keith's Aunt Julie

My new camera from Sarah, Keith and Bob

Me and Sarah after I opened my new camera

Megan, Greg and Shawn gather around t watch Keith "play" with Shawn's new "Mind Flex" game

Bob opening one of his gifts

I'M BACK

2010-12-07T04:46:00.006-05:00

I haven't been here for a while.

My last entry was about my new job. That is going much better since I wrote. I feel like I know what I am doing,now, sort of. The change has definitely been a good thing for me. I never knew it was possible to actually like a job and not mind going to work as much. I still would rather stay home to work on the other interests I have--my 2 businesses for one, school for two and then all the fun stuff I like to do--sewing and crafts and reading, reading reading. I really, really miss not being able to spend as much time reading. I could plow through my Mary Higgins Clark or Carol Higgins Clark books in just a few days. And I have so many other books/authors I have discovered and can get through those books in a few days, too. But, alas, I have to work. I have to admit, the 2nd income does help pay for all the "stuff" I love--shopping, travel, our remodeling projects and new furniture--but I still would rather be home full time. I will be just as soon as my 2 other businesses start earning the same or more income than I make now.

Anyway, I do feel better about the job now. I am just doing the computer work now and I love that. I like the person I work for and my co-workers.

So, as long as I have to keep working, at least I'm much happier in this new job--I don't have the same dread each day as I drive to work.

It's funny how things work. At first I thought the worst thing in the world was to lose the other job. And then this new job turned out to be so much better that losing the other one wasn't a bad thing--it was the right thing.

And then, back at the end of September, we had a terrible storm roll through. A leftover hurricane. It rained and rained and rained. I never saw that much rain. They said it would stop by noon, but what they really meant is it would stop by three in the morning the next day--because it was closer to that when it finally stopped. Bob stayed home that day, working, and using the wet/dry vac with the other, keeping the water out of our room.

That was a Thursday, September 30th. Bob and I get every other Friday off, and so when we woke up on Oct. 1st it was a completely different day. The rain had finally stopped in the middle of the night. The sun was shining, the birds were singing--it was going to be a beautiful day.

Or so I thought. I did my usual morning routine--exercised then got showered and dressed, had breakfast. Then I checked my email and everything came to a halt.

I had an email from my sister saying that Mom had a major heart attack in the teeny tiny hours of the morning--a little past 3 am--right around the same time our rain was finally stopping.

She was in the hospital and things did not look good. But, that was impossible, I thought to myself--it was Mom, after all, and she had to pull through--she always did.

She had survived breast cancer-twice, skin cancer, and a variety of other health problems. She had such a positive attitude about life that no matter what she was dealt, she dealt it right back and it was gone.

But that was not meant to be this time.

So, as the news unfolded, we learned that our brother, Roger, who was at the house, heard the Lifeline operator say they had received the emergency phone call. Roger raced down the stairs and found our Mom in her chair, not feeling well. She told Roger she thought she was having a stroke.

He went to the hospital with her and sat with her while they prepped her for a CAT scan so they could see if she did have the stroke. While they were doing that, she had a major heart attack and never regained consciousness.

All us kids started traveling north, because news was not good and we expected the worst.

My Mom passed away on October 5th.

I love you and miss you SO much, Mom.

It has taken a while to adjust and I guess I will never totally adjust to life without my Mom. But, each day it does get a little easier.

I hope the holidays won't be too hard on my Dad--my Mom's b'day is/would have been Dec. 27th. They were married 54 years.

Life is too short. Way, way too short. And the years are flying by too quickly for me.

NEW CHAPTER

2010-08-29T20:28:00.002-04:00

So, about a month ago, I started the next chapter in my life. A new job. You see, back in June, I lost my job. I wasn't fired and I didn't quit. The contract I was on ended and another company won the new contract and hired their own person. So, June 30th was my last day.

In the long run, it turned out to be a good thing. I found a good, new job that I like with a company that I like. Things are lookin' up for me. I also signed up for a class at CSM, this time I WILL do it-- I WILL EARN THAT DEGREE! I've tried to go back so many times, and everytime I have given up because I felt like it was too tough. But, this time, I WILL do it. I can. I am. I will.

NEXT CHAPTER

2010-08-08T09:58:00.001-04:00

Tomorrow starts the next chapter of my life and I am ready to go! I am looking forward to this next big and fantastic step in my life.

FAMILY TRIP -- JULY 2010

2010-07-31T10:52:00.004-04:00

Just recently returned from another trip. This time we went to see family--or at least some of them. Too bad they aren't all in one spot! We are all spread out so far it's hard to see everyone on one trip. We took our annual trip to the Soo to see my parents. On the way we stopped to see Therese and Kevin and family and Jeff and Stephanie and family. We also took a side trip to Jamestown, NY to see the Lucy-Desi museum. Jamestown is Lucille Ball's hometown and I have been wanting to see the museum for years. Was very nice. We weren't allowed to take photos--so, I bought postcards. I especially liked seeing the sets recreated--of the Ricardos living room, kitchen, bedroom and the Hollywood living room. They also have set of Lucy's Vitameatavegamin (sp) commercial where visitors can pretend they are doing the commercial and you are on TV. First I went on TV and did the commercial then, Bob did the commercial. Was fun!

We LOVED the Jamestown area--very nice. It's a beautiful part of NY--rolling hills and mountains.

Therese and I did some antiquing near their house--that was fantastic--bought some terrific things there!

Enjoyed our travels through Michigan and had a wonderful visit with Mom and Dad and Roger. This time we took a day and went to Mackinac Island. Hadn't been there for years. I never get tired of going there--and absolutely LOVE the clop, clop, clop of the horses hooves. Love the feeling of going back in time and escaping our rushed world of today.

After leaving Mom and Dad's, we stopped off at Jeff and Stephanie's lake house and spent a wonderful weekend there. Always look forward to our visit to their place. Stephanie, Therese, Allie and I (and Winston) went out to the Amish cheese market and after leaving there, we went to a small flea market. Then to Anderson and Girls, a country store with a small petting zoo. That was fun! I love doing things like that--driving through the countryside to flea markets, farmers' markets, country stores and all that. One of my favorite things to do.

Enjoyed the drive through the mountains of Pennsylvania and Western Maryland before heading home.

Here is the link to the photos:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/11443252@N07/

Enjoy!

NEW BOOK

2010-06-25T19:09:00.001-04:00

I started Laura Bush's book today, "Spoken From The Heart." So far, I love it.

CANCUN!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

2010-06-05T19:28:00.002-04:00

Bob and I recently returned from a fabulous trip to Cancun. This is the view from our balcony. We fell in love with the area and this resort.

THIS AND THAT

2010-05-03T20:09:00.002-04:00

Haven't written for a while--so thought I'd check in with a quick post.

We're busy with our jobs.

When I'm not working (and sometimes when I am) I've been working on some non-credit classes through the local community college. One class just ended and the other just started.

Because of the first class--I'm in the middle of "reinventing" myself.

And, the 2nd class is a travel writing class and I love it!!

I'm also taking a sign language class on Tuesdays and on Thursdays it's water aerobics. After sign language is done I will also take water aerobics on Tuesdays.

And, right now, we are planning a trip to Cancun. Bob gave it to me for my 50th b'day present. You see, 4 years ago, when Bob celebrated his 50th birthday, we had a party with a Hawaiian theme.

After the party, I told Bob that for my 50th birthday, I wanted a Hawaiian theme, too--in the state of Hawaii.

Well, fast forward 4 years, due to various things that came up--Hawaii turned out to be out of our price range at this time. I was disappointed---I still wanted a tropical vacation. So, Bob, (thank you, God, for Bob) was able to book a room in Cancun. Tropical, in our budget and another place I had always wanted to go. So, that is where we are going in a few weeks.

We're planning Hawaii for our 35th anniversary--6 years away. Gives us time to plan.

For now, I will look forward to our trip to Cancun. We're planning what to pack--what to do and so on.

Can't wait!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

IT'S WARM AT LAST!!

2010-04-05T15:16:00.003-04:00

Daffodils and tulips in the yard. Our yard is filled with them.

Me--enjoying some beautiful, warm and sunny spring weather.

SPRING

2010-03-14T19:57:00.002-04:00

Ah, we've gotten rid of the snow. It's been gone for a few weeks now and I don't think I've seen anything look any better. Some parking lots still have huge mounds of snow--but otherwise--it is gone.

We've been getting some nice weather--temps in the 50's. I think it has finally started getting into the 40's at night--better than the 30's. I love going outside and hearing the birds all chirping loudly. It's the most beautiful sound. We've had a lot of rain, too. But, I will take the rain--we need the rain for the plants and flowers. And, it's not snow!!!

Some of my daffodils have started to bloom. Other plants are starting to come back. I love it all. I am always so much happier when winter goes away.

THE SNOW IS FINALLY STARTING TO MELT

2010-02-22T21:01:00.002-05:00

Bob took advantage of the 60 degree February day and broke out the grill.

SNOW, SNOW, SNOW

2010-02-07T15:40:00.004-05:00

This is what is left of the snowman I made on Friday

This is our street--no sign of the plow yet

Icicles over the deck

I do some sledding -- see the jogger?

Well, once again--more snow and more snow pictures.

MY SNOWMAN

2010-02-06T13:22:00.003-05:00

Here is the snowman I made yesterday. We've had so much snow come down since this was taken that he is almost completley buried.

HERE WE GO AGAIN, MORE WINTER

2010-01-31T11:14:00.003-05:00

We get one more blast of winter with about 12 inches of snow over the weekend. Fortunately, our pond hasn't quite frozen completely. Even with the below freezing temps, the fountain keeps going and so at least the birds and small wildlife still have water. We put food out for them, too.

I was trying to make some sort of path on the deck and on the steps.

Our lawn chairs look frozen!

WELCOME 2010

2010-01-08T18:39:00.003-05:00

WOW! Here we are, starting a new decade. It's hard to believe we have already gotten to a new decade. Just yesterday, Bob and I were talking about how it doesn't seem all that long ago that everyone was worried about Y2k and the computers all crashing and everything. People had to volunteer to stay all night at work in case the computers crashed. (they never did) And, here we are, already into 2010.

I was telling Bob that when I was a kid and if we started talking about the year 2000, I always imagined myself as being really old and I think I pictured the year 2000 as being really futuristic. Star Trek type of stuff. (this was before the Back To The Future movies)

And although there have been a lot of technological breakthroughs since I was a kid, we haven't exactly reached the Star Trek point, yet. When I was a kid we had the old rotary dial phones. And we only had 3 TV stations, 4, if you count PBS. (ABC, NBC & CBS) They all went off the air at midnight and came back on at 6 am.

I do enjoy thinking back to how things were and how far we've come. I look forward to seeing all the new technology about to come. I told Bob that what I would like to do on New Year's Eve 2014 is to watch the 2nd Back To The Future movie--the one that takes place in 2015. They have flying cars and self-drying clothes, self-walking dogs and all kinds of cool technology. I want to watch the movie then see what technology we really have in 2015. Can you believe it? That is only 5 years away. Back when I first saw the movie the year 2015 seemed so far away. I was an adult then, but it still seemed so far away. It made me wonder if we really would have all those cool things by then. Not too much longer and we will find out.

But for now I want to enjoy 2010 and see what new things they bring us this year.

HOLIDAY DECORATIONS

2009-12-19T09:41:00.002-05:00

Chrissy underneath the tree

Close-up of the stable

Village underneath the tree

The star on top

FIRST SNOWFALL OF THE SEASON

2009-12-19T09:37:00.003-05:00

The cars are getting covered with snow

Manland is ready for Christmas

Our house at night -- see the tree in the window?

Here are some shots of last night's snowfall

DEER IN THE YARD

2009-11-08T14:34:00.005-05:00

A deer came into our yard last night--at just about 5:00 p.m. It came right up to our bird feeder by the window in the computer room. I ran up to the sewing room and took some pictures. Here are a couple pictures.

THIS AND THAT

2009-09-28T21:05:00.007-04:00

A couple of weeks ago, me, Bob, Sarah and Keith went to Artfest 2009. It is held annually at Annmarie Gardens in Calvert, MD. We all bought some art. I bought another Betsey von Deele painting which isn't really isn't done in paint at all. She is a fiber artist and her paintings are actually done in fabric. The winter scene above is the one I bought this year. A few years ago I bought one of her beach scenes. The next 2 paintings I buy from her will be spring and fall.

We also bought a nice photograph of Venice, Italy and a water scene, done in soft colors. The paint is called egg tempura and they used it back in the Renaissance times. I love it. Those are the top 2 pictures.

Here is the website for Annmarie Gardens.

http://www.annmariegarden.org/Events/Artsfest/index.htm

I see they made a musical of "Little House On The Prairie." This version stars Melissa Gilbert as "Ma." That should be interesting. I've never seen her sing before. I'm sure she'll do ok with that, but what I'm most curious about how they can pack all those stories into a 2 hour musical. How do they decide what to put in it and what to leave out. I'd be interested in seeing it to see how they do it.

This Wednesday I start my digital photography class. I'm looking forward to that.

I've been taking an Italian class since the beginning of September and love that.

Some of my friends and I had lunch Saturday and then we went shopping to some of the local country and antique stores and a small Amish market. We had a great time.

NEW BUILDING PROJECTS

2009-09-13T20:09:00.001-04:00

We've been doing some work around our house. Check our building projects page:

http://mdskisbldg.blogspot.com/

NEW MOUSE AND MOUSE PAD

2009-08-22T11:38:00.003-04:00

Here is the new mouse and mouse pad Bob bought for me.

HOME AGAIN

2009-08-01T19:59:00.002-04:00

Had a wonderful time on our vacation. We saw lots of family, and traveled lots of miles. For the full report, see our trip blog: http://mdskistrips.blogspot.com

IT'S VACATION TIME!

2009-07-12T07:58:00.002-04:00

Bob and I are heading out on vacation!!!! Yeah! I always love a vacation.

For more info see our travel blog: http://mdskistrips.blogspot.com

FIRST POST FOR JULY

2009-07-02T19:50:00.002-04:00

Time goes way too fast. Here it is, July already. Yesterday was Canada Day. I remember when I lived in Michigan, our city bordered Canada. The 2 cities used to celebrate their big holidays together. It was a fun week of sales, parades, food and fireworks. On the 1st, we'd go down to the river and watch the fireworks on the Canadian side. Then, on the 4th, they could see our fireworks.

When I was a child--from age 2 to 12, we lived in Indiana. The 4th of July was always fun. The day would start off with a parade down Third Street. We lived right along Third Street (well--West Third Street) and the parade went right down the street in front of our house.

Now, you would think we'd get front row seats. And we did get front row seats--but had to spread our blankets out about 6 or 7 in the morning. Otherwise, people would come right along and claim their spot--in our lawn! Well, I guess technically, it wasn't our lawn--there was a sidewalk between our lawn and the grass down by the street, but still--it FELT like it was our lawn. Anyway, we felt like it was ours and defended it as if it was. My Dad used to get so mad at all teh people who would park on our street, then cut through our lawn to get a spot to watch the parade.

Eventually, our Mom would send us out in shifts to sit on the blankets and reserve our spot. We would bring out our camping chairs and picnic baskets and stuff and put them on the blankets. If we didn't, then other people would come along and just claim the spot as their own. A family I only remember as the Hendersons used to drive over from where they lived and watch the parade with us. I remember one of the boys' names was Jay. Otherwise, I don't remember too much about them. We only saw them on July 4th.

Sometimes other friends would come over--the Brockschmidts maybe. Anyway, the parade would finally start and it was such a great parade. You always knew when it was almost over because you'd hear the sirens of the fire trucks coming down the road. I remember how Doug and Russ used to cover their ears because of the noise.

One year most of us kids marched in the parade. Therese was in it with her baton twirling group. Our 4H club marched in it and it was a lot of fun. I remember that Janie and I did flips and cartwheels every now and again. Otherwise we just marched and waved to the people. That was fun.

In the afternoon, we'd have a picnic in the backyard.

In the evening the big event was going to Bricky Bowl. The football field for the local high school. We'd grab a cooler, blankets, bag with snacks and all walk downtown. Mom and Dad would find our spot and we'd sit and wait anxiously for the fireworks. I think the youngest boys would fall asleep, while Doug and Russ would sometimes cover their ears again for some of the loudest ones.

Always fun memories for me.

After Bob and I got married, we always went to fireworks displays. But, it wasn't until we moved to Duncanville, TX that I finally saw a parade on July 4th again.

I think it always was about 100 degrees on parade day and my favorite float was the cub/boy scout float because they had some of the kids walking down the street with spray bottles and they sprayed the crowd with water.

We had the usual cookout and then we'd head to the fireworks. I have always loved fireworks and wish I could live in Orlando near a theme park so I could see fireworks every night.

Now, we rarely go see the firworks. We usually just stay home. I don't know why we quit going. I love them. I guess we just got tired of crowds. No matter, I at least watch the special from DC. The fireworks are nice and it is a bugless night.

Have a happy and safe 4th, everyone!

FIRST POST FOR JUNE

2009-06-13T18:18:00.002-04:00

Ok, here it is, June. June the 13th already.

Bob and I went to the mall today. It was refreshing to be there; I hadn't been there for a long, long time. Had fun. We both bought some new clothes for work. We saw Linda and Greg there. Linda was trying to find a dress to wear to dinner.

Our temps lately have finally made it to what I call normal, wonderful hot summer temps. It's not really scorching hot--like in the 90's and 100's--but mid to upper 80's. I am looking forward to the scorching hot temps--the hotter, the better for me. Too bad I spend most of my time inside in the summer. I love to be out in the heat, but most of my projects and things I like to do have to be done indoors. I can take a computer outside, though. I need to get organized and take my writing projects outside.

I also need to get myself to the beach more over the summer. I always say I'm going to go to the beach/pool on base, but end up not going because I get so wrapped up trying to keep up with housework and working on the things I enjoy like sewing, that I miss a lot of chances to hit the beach and the pool. I have promised myself that this summer I need to make more time for the beach and the pool.

Our veggie garden and flowers are doing just fine. At first I was worried because I spent hours planting seeds, then we got tons and tons of rain. I was worried it was so much rain it would wash the seeds away. But now, I am seeing veggies and herbs coming up all over and I'm so excited to know that I am growing stuff from seeds. Sarah and Keith brought jalapeno and bell peppers over last weekend and we planted those.

Our only problem seems to be the deer keep getting into the garden at night and are having a feast. I'm getting really worried we won't get any veggies because they will be eating it before we get a chance to pick it.

We have a fence--I need to get Bob out there to put the fence up. We have a fence behind Manland. I'm not sure where it came from, or how it got there--but it's there now. It's perfect to put around a garden. The hard part is getting Bob to put it up.

We recently celebrated our 28th anniversary. The years sure have gone by fast.

I guess that's all I can think of for this first June post.

AT THE MOVIES

2009-05-30T08:32:00.002-04:00

Thursday, Bob and I had movie night. We made popcorn, grabbed the M & Ms and headed to Manland. We watched my Netflix rental, "Night At The Museum."

We chose Manland to give it more of a movie theater feel with cup holders in the seats for drinks/ snacks.

We watched the first one because Bob hadn't seen it before and we are going to see "Night At The Museum 2" this afternoon.

MOTHER'S DAY

2009-05-25T11:45:00.001-04:00

Me, Sarah and Shawn on Mother's Day, 2009

MEMORIAL DAY WEEKEND

2009-05-24T06:06:00.007-04:00

Wow, May is just about over and this is my only post this month. It seems like our May turned out to be an extremely busy month. We just kept getting things we had to add to our schedule and they they wouldn't stop.

I started the month by attending Sarah's poster session in Baltimore on May 3rd. They had a poster session for all the graduate candidates. Sarah's of course was the best project--"I Misunderstand -- And So Can You." About all the ways there are to miscommunicate.

All the projects were very good and I could tell the students worked very hard at their research and they all were very happy to be done with their masters degrees. They all were happy to discuss their projects.

Two projects that were of special interest to me had to do with the disabled. One was on close captioning for the deaf. Since I take sign language classes, it was very interesting. The other one was about all the technology there is for the disabled today and how it helps them. Since I support a company that is big into hiring disabled, it was very interesting to me as well.

The week following the poster session was jammed packed with 2 bridal showers I had to help with. That took a lot of time. Plus, I had to take time out to run to the dentist that week. Then over the weekend my friends and I celebrated a friend b'day. We had lunch and did some shopping. That was fun for 2 reasons. It's always fun to get together with my friends, but also because it signaled the end of a very long, exhausting week. The next day was Mother's Day--so at least I had a chance to relax a little bit.

The next week wasn't too bad as far as extra activities go--but I was very busy with work. Just work alone is exhausting and I'm ready to go to bed by the time I get home. That Friday, the 15th, our day off, I had an appointment with our banker to go over our finances. After that, I had errands to run then went home to clean. Saturday, the 16th we went to a wedding. That was a fun, relaxing evening. Bob and I danced a lot. I'm always glad to get some good exdercise after eating a big meal.

The following week, I pushed myself a little harder to get things cleared off my desk so that I would be in good shape by Thursday afternoon. I left at noon Thursday, took Friday off and decided to have a long, fun, relaxing weekend. (Memorial Weekend)

_____________________________________________________
Monday--May 25th

Yesterday, we had 2 celebrations. One for Shawn for his birthday and one for Sarah for earning her MA. Keith's family came over and Megan joined us later once she was done working at the air show.

We didn't make plans to attend the air show this year--but that doesn't mean we've been missing the Blue Angels. They started practicing Thursday afternoon, practiced Friday afternoon and performed Saturday and Sunday. They fly right over our house, so, we get to enjoy some of the show without the crowd and without sitting in the heat all day.

I baked 2 cakes--one for Sarah and one for Shawn. Linda brought a fantastic mixed berry pie. And, I put out strawberries and melted chocolate chips in my Cuisinart fondue pot. Mmmm.....

Bob did his usual great job of cooking on the grill. We put out watermelon and I made potato salad. We had a good time.

Today is Memorial Day--my main plan of the day is to relax. I still have a few dishes and things to put away from last night, but for the most part, it is a relaxing, do what I want to do day.

And, that sums up our May. Not very interesting, but very busy.

The next week at work shouldn't be too bad. I only have to work 3 days then we are off again since it's our Friday off. Then, mercifully, it will be June and hopefully a lot less busy month.

SPRING

2009-04-17T15:55:00.003-04:00

What a beautiful day it is today! Was a pretty chilly start-but it has turned into the most gorgeous day--warm and sunny.

Bob mowed the lawn. It always looks so good once it's been mowed.

Then, he cleaned out both ponds and filled them with fresh water and turned on the fountains. I filled up the bird feeders. Flowers and plants seem to have popped up over night. There are leaves on the trees. I love the warm weather!

THE VENDING MACHINE WHISPERER??

2009-03-29T17:10:00.004-04:00

Last night Sarah and Keith were at the house for dinner. I was telling them about the vending machine in the upstairs kitchen of the building I work in. The employees in the building have discovered that you don't always need to spend the required sixty cents to buy a soda. The machine has a tendency to reject the quarters we put in, but if you push the button anyway, sometimes you get your soda. Other times it will take your money, but when you push the button, you may get 2 or in one case, 3 sodas for the price of 1.

I told them about the time a stranger was in the kitchen, trying to get a soda. I was in the kitchen washing some dishes. I noticed her frustration had increased as she tried over and over to put her money in, only to have the machine reject it. I turned around and said, "Try pushing the button anyway."

She gave me a confused look, but shrugged and pushed the button again. To her amazement, she was rewarded with the soda of her choice. The look on her face was worth a million dollars. There she stood with her money in one hand and her soda in the other. She looked at me gratefully, and went about her business.

As I concluded this story, Sarah, Keith and I started in on a list of things I "should have done." Our list included the outstretched Jedi arm, pointing in the direction of the vending machine and with head bent in concentration, and a moment of silence before looking at the woman and telling her, "push the button again."

Another scenario was to hold both hands in front of the machine, wiggle the fingers and mumble some sort of "magic words" and then direct the woman to "push the button again."

I suppose I could have done a quick snap of the fingers, or, I could have aimed the palm of my hand toward the machine, then moved it quickly from left to right, again commanding her to "push the button again."

I could have tried the famous Bewitched nose wriggling thing. But since I can't do that very well, it may not have worked. Perhaps Jeannie's folded arms, eyes blinking and head nodding would have been easier for me.

I have to keep these methods in mind for the next time I am in the kitchen with a desperate, caffeine-deprived customer.

THIS, THAT AND THE OTHER

2009-03-20T20:10:00.002-04:00

AT THE MOVIES

This morning I watched a good movie. It was one of my Netflix rentals. It was called The Shop Around The Corner. It was the original You've Got Mail.

It starred Jimmy Stewart (Tom Hanks) and Margaret Sullavan (Meg Ryan) and Frank Morgan. (He is best known as the Wizard in the Wizard of Oz--and he was also the doorman, the cabby, the guard and Professor Marvel)

In this 1941 version they work for the same company--no competition professionally. But, they don't like each other much--or so, they say. Frank Morgan is the owner of the leather goods shop they both work for. Of course in this version they exchange real letters as opposed to email. Otherwise, the story was the same. I thought it was very good.

I was in movie mode today--so I watched the entire Sarah Plain and Tall series. Then I watched the 2nd National Treasure. And now I have Apollo 13 on. But, I hope no-one gets the idea that all I did all day was sit and watch movies. I hardly ever just sit and watch TV/movies.

When I say I watch movies (or TV) what I actually mean is that I put the movies or TV shows on and then I sort of listen to them as I go about my business around the house. Often, like now, I have something on in the living room and I am out here listening while I either work on the computer, read or clean. This morning I missed a good portion of the 2nd Sarah P&T movie because I spent a good deal of that time downstairs vacuuming and moving wash along.

So, don't ever get the idea I'm a couch potato. For me to actually sit while I watch is rare. Even then, I am usually reading while sitting on the couch.

A LITTLE MORE SPRING-LIKE

It's been a little more spring-like lately. Still cold at night -- but at least the day time temps are a little more bearable--more what I expect March to be like. We still need jackets, but at least it doesn't feel like winter anymore. We see more flowers on the way out, I hear more birds and there are buds on the trees.

BOB'S B'DAY

Bob's b'day is on Sunday and we are having our family celebration tomorrow. Bob wants to BBQ on the grill. I'm gonna bake a cake and then we have some gifts. His buddies came over today for their usual pool night.

Then next weekend we celebrate my b'day. We don't normally do mine so early--but Bob and I are leaving for Denver on the 3rd and come home on the 11th--so, we are celebrating my b'day the weekend before we go.

ON THE ROAD AGAIN

And, speaking of Denver, as I just said, we leave on the 3rd. I'm so excited--I am really looking forward to this trip. Neither of us have been to Colorado before. We changed planes in Denver once on our way to California--but we don't count that as being in Colorado. Bob is going to Denver on business. I'm going for pleasure--but I'm not staying in Denver. We are going early--before Bob has to be at his meeting. That is because we are driving from Denver to Durango to see Maryanna, Pat and family. I haven't seen them since Alan's memorial service. Then, Bob drives back to Denver for his meeting on Monday. I will stay in Durango a few extra days and visit with Maryanna. Then, Wednesday I fly up to Denver. Bob will be done with his meeting on Wednesday. That will give us Thursday and Friday to see some of the Denver area. We plan to get in a trip to Rocky Mtn National Forest on Friday.

SNOW IN MARCH

2009-03-02T14:41:00.003-05:00

We got snow. It started yesterday, continued all night long and has kept snowing all day today. When we got up today we had at least 12 inches on the ground. We never-or at least--hardly ever get that much snow. Here is a picture of our snowy woods. And a link to the rest of the pictures.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/11443252@N07/sets/72157614615773417/

BIRD CONVENTION

2009-03-01T10:30:00.003-05:00

This morning I looked outside and saw a ton of birds, crows mostly, in our garden--or the area that will be our garden. It rained last night, so, my guess was they were finding worms and/or seeds. They seemed to fly in from all sections of the sky. I wondered if they came into town for a convention. There were SO MANY birds there.

PERRY MASON

2009-02-26T19:25:00.002-05:00

Last night Bob and I watched Perry Mason. We hadn't seen that show for years. We used to watch it on a regular basis years ago. It was fun to try to figure out the puzzle, just like we used to.

A DAY IN DC

2009-02-22T05:47:00.002-05:00

Bob and I spent a great day in DC yesterday. I think It was our first time to get out and do something since the holiday season began. It felt great to get out and get some fresh air, walk, see people. To view my story of the day go to my travel blog:

http://mdskistrips.blogspot.com/2009/02/day-in-dc.html

QUOTES I LIKE

2009-02-16T11:03:00.003-05:00

Here are some quotes I saw in the March 2009 issue of Woman's Day Magazine:

"Change will not come if we wait for some other person or some other time. We are the ones we've been waiting for. We are the change that we seek." -- Barack Obama

"You really have to look inside yourself and find your own inner strength, and say, 'I'm proud of what I am and who I am.'" - Mariah Carey

"Each person must live their life as a model for others." -- Rosa Parks

"The important thing is not to stop questioning. Curiosity has its own reason for existing." -- Albert Einstein

Daffodils

2009-02-07T21:12:00.002-05:00

I saw the first signs of our daffodils the other day. That means that spring isn't TOO far away!

Newhart

2009-02-07T20:58:00.004-05:00

I rented the first season of "Newhart" from Netflix.

I had forgotten how funny that show was. From the "do it all" brothers--Larry, Darryl and Darryl to Bob Newhart's sense of humor--and the crazy characters--George the handyman and Kirk--they were so funny.

There was one episode where "Dick" was depressed because the inn wasn't declared a historical landmark, so he was sitting in his office watching TV in the dark. "Joanna" came in and asked what he was doing and he said he was watching his favorite show. She turned the volume up and it was the theme song for the "The Bob Newhart Show." It was hilarious. But, of course, you have to be like Bob and I (my Bob) and remember "The Bob Newhart Show."

I enjoyed watching the DVD so much, I played it again.

iPod

2009-02-07T20:46:00.004-05:00

Bob bought me my first iPod! And he bought me a docking station to go with it. You see, I have a terrible time getting music at work. I can get some radio staions either through Microsoft Media Player or through the Internet. The problem is I always lose the radio stations. I always get that "Page not found" message. It's very frustrating for me--I need to be able to hear music all day. I have CDs but it's a pain to have to keep stopping to change CDs all day.

So, Bob bought me the iPod and docking station and downloaded 4,000 songs to it. I still have enough memory to load movies and pictures to it if I want. The movies and pictures will be handy to have for travel--and of course, so will the music.

But, I am especially excited about it for work.

Thank you, Bob!

"This and That"

2009-01-18T18:06:00.008-05:00

This picture was taken on Christmas Day, 2008, at Sarah and Keith's house. I like it because it's a good one of me and the kids. It is on my desktop of my notebook computer.

Tomorrow is a government holiday--horaaay!

I will spend at least part of the day working on some organizing projects. Both the desk downstairs and the library closet need some help, so, I believe I will work on one or both of those.

Right now Bob is in Manland watching football and Shawn is working the sound at a play being put on by one of the local community theater groups. Bob and I plan to attend the play, The Foreigner, on the 24th. Shawn received one freebie ticket and gave it to me. We just have to buy one more.

I spent a good deal of my day today reading. I don't do that often. I have a stack of magazines I'd like to get through--maybe I will pull some out in a little bit and get through those, too.

Right now I am watching the Star Wars Prequel movies. I don't watch them as often as the original series. They are good--but I will always like the original films best. I hadn't seen these 3 for a long time.

Earlier, I watched 2 of my Netflix movies. "Spencer's Mountain" and "Saving Sarah Cain."

Bob and I watched a couple of movies the other night. "Deep Impact" and "Air Force One." Hadn't seen those for YEARS.

Still getting some cold weather for this area. They aren't used to zero and near zero temps and it's been a big news story the past few days. Some area schools closed due to the cold temps. When I lived in Michigan we never got out of school just because it was cold. We only got out when the snow reached several feet and the buses couldn't get down the roads. And, because there was no visibility. But, of course, that was Michigan and they are used to getting tons of snow and the extreme cold weather. They have the equipment to clear the roads and keep the kids in school.

Bob gave me an automatic tea brewer for Christmas and I think that turned out to be my favorite gift. I absolutely love it. I have used it everyday since I got it.

Earlier, as I watched "Saving Sarah Cain," I was sitting in the living room and looked up to see all 3 cats staring at me. It was getting near dinner time for them, and I suppose they were hungry. Nothing like laying on a guilt trip. Good grief!!!!!!!!

A good friend

2009-01-11T16:31:00.002-05:00

Today Bob and I saw a good friend in church. We hadn't seen him in years. The interesting twist is he was the priest.

One of the priests. He was assisting our pastor as a visiting priest. His name is John and he and Bob were stationed together years ago right here on the base. He retired from the Navy after 20 years. He had never been married and after working for a while in the outside world, he "got the call" and decided to become a priest.

He was just ordained not that long ago and his now "stationed" at a church in Rockville, MD--north of us--near DC.

It was very good to see him. We chatted a little bit after Mass. He was surprised to learn that Sarah has been married for 4 years now and that Shawn is 22.

He hopes to come down and visit again soon.

My braces are off!!!!

2009-01-08T16:19:00.003-05:00

Back in November of 2007 I got braces to correct a couple of problems I waited more than 20 years to be able to fix. At the time I was told it would take 18 months to 2 years for the procedure to be complete. That was fine with me--I wanted to fix my teeth.

However, I got my braces off TODAY--after having to wear them just 14 months!!!!!!!!

They look and feel funny--I'm not used to seeing all of my teeth.

They look great, though. I sure am glad I finally did it. It was well worth the sometimes pain, and hassles of keeping them clean, and not being able to eat certain foods. I sure am glad I took the time to get them done and it was worth the money I invested. I'm SO happy!

CHRISTMAS 2008 PHOTOS

2008-12-31T16:09:00.001-05:00

Christmas photos:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/11443252@N07/sets/72157611906820789/

Decorating on Black Friday:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/11443252@N07/sets/72157611905977999/

Christmas Party 2008:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/11443252@N07/sets/72157611905406541/

CHRISTMAS 2008

2008-12-27T10:12:00.003-05:00

What a great Christmas we had this year!!!!

Bob, Shawn and I had 3 gift exchanges. We started our day with a nice breakfast. Then we exchanged gifts with each other. Later in the day, Megan came over and we exchanged gifts with her.

Later, still, we went to Sarah and Keith's where we exchanged gifts with them and Keith's family and had a wonderful dinner.

Christmas Eve 2008

2008-12-24T05:20:00.003-05:00

5:30 am--Christmas Eve 2008

Well, here it is, Christmas Eve already. It always feels like it is so far away and next thing you know, it's here.

Shawn is driving down today. He said he plans to leave late morning. I'm glad--I'm really looking forward to having him home for a few days.

Bob, Shawn and I will have a nice dinner tonight. We will brave the 4 pm children's Mass and then go home and fix dinner. I felt that if we planned on going to the 7 pm Mass we'd have to rush too much through dinner or eat way too early--too early to even be hungry for dinner. So, by going at 4, we can have a nice, relaxed dinner.

Tomorrow we will exchange gifts in the morning then later in the day we will go to Sarah and Keith's for dinner and gift exchanging with them. Greg, Linda, Kelly and Adam will be there. It is always good to see them. Should be a fun day.

I worked all day Monday and Tuesday. I left work early Tuesday because as luck would have it, I had to stop off at a couple of stores. First I went to the Navy Exchange to pick up a few things there. That wasn't too bad. The parking lot was crowded, but I got through there ok.

Then, I bit the bullet and headed to Target. The parking lot was packed. I took a deep breath and plunged right in. Inside I found Sarah and Keith. We chatted a little bit then wished each other luck and set out on our missions to finally be done Christmas shopping.

It was crowded, you had to really watch the carts, but overall, most people were friendly and polite. I exchanged friendly, understanding smiles with most people I passed in the aisles. Just a short 1/2 hour to 45 minutes later, I left the store alive and in one piece.

So, now today's plans are exercise, shower/dress, bake fudge-nut bars for Sarah's dinner tomorrow and cinnamon rolls we can have for breakfast tomorrow.

Merry Christmas!

KENNY G IN CONCERT!!

2008-12-21T13:54:00.002-05:00

The Kenny G concert was fantastic!!!!!!!!

We drove into Baltimore, found the theater and went inside. Once inside, we went in separate directions to our respective bathrooms. When I got back to the lobby I was looking for Bob and found Kenny G instead!

He was signing autographs. Naturally I got in line for that. I bought one of his Christmas CDs and he signed it. Our conversation was very brief and probably the same one he had with everyone:

Kenny--as he signed my CD--How are you?

Me----I'm fine, thank you. How are you?

Kenny--I'm great!

Me--as I am taking my CD from him---Thank you!

Then I joined Bob and we waited for the doors to the theater to open and then found our seats once the doors did open. We had fantastic seats--box D. We were just a few rows back from the stage and for once I had a perfect unobstructed view. (usually when I go to the movies/theater some tall person sits in front of me and I can never see)

When the music started, we could hear Kenny's sax, but didn't see him on the stage. Then, turning around, we discovered he was in the audience. He slowly made his way to the stage, stopping to play for individuals in the audience along the way.

Once on the stage he gave an OUTSTANDING performance--backed up with his OUTSTANDING band. At the beginning of the show he announced that in the 2nd half of the show he would be giving away one of his saxophones. He has designed his own line of saxophones and gives one away during his concerts.

We didn't win the saxophone--but we sure enjoyed the show. His bassist did a fantastic solo as well as the percussionist. The bassist, Vail Johnson, has a CD out called "Come Together." It is an instrumentation of some of the Beatles songs. I love it.

Kenny started the 2nd half of the show in the balcony and he did "White Christmas." After that was "Winter Wonderland," which he started on "our" side of the theater, and slowly made his way to the stage, stopping at one point right next to me.

He ended the show with "Songbird," his famous first hit that changed his life. After the show he announced that he and the band would be out in the lobby signing autographs. So, back into the line I went, waiting for him to sign the 2 CDs Bob bought for me during the intermission. (he bought Vail Johnson's CD--"Come Together" and Kenny G's new one, "Rythem and Romance")

Kenny signed it first, then the drummer, Vail Johnson and the percussionist. I also got Vail Johnson to sign his CD.

What a fabulous performer. It was one of the best evenings of my life. We've seen a lot of big name musicians and they all give outstanding performances--but Kenny G's performance was outstanding not just because he plays the sax so well, but because he interacts with the audience so much. You can tell he thoroughly enjoys being there with them.

My fun week

2008-12-21T13:11:00.006-05:00

This past week, Dec 15th-19th, was what I call my fun week. It also was pretty busy--but the fun kind of busy.

Monday was nothing special--just a Monday. On Tuesday, the 16th, I went to the HRO Christmas lunch. This year's was the best Christmas lunch I have been to with HRO. Usually the leaders say a few words, we eat then go back to work. But, this year, it was a lot of fun. The leaders all had to say a few words.

We had some very good food, then the fun began. We had door prizes--I didn't win. Then we played Holiday Jeopardy. Our team didn't win that, but, it still was fun. We were there for 3 hours. Normally we're there for an hour and a half.

It worked out well for me since we got back to work at 2 and I was leaving for the day at 3.

I left early because Bob and I were heading to Baltimore for a Kenny G concert. (more on that later)

We each went into work late on Wednesday since we didn't get home from Kenny G's concert until 1:00 am.

Wednesday afternoon my team had our lunch and gift exchange. We drew names. Diane had my name and knowing my love of tea, she bought me a tea kit. She gave me a mug, a tea kettle and a box of tea samples. It was fantastic. I love it. I had Tania's name and went with a family movie night theme. I gave her a gift card for Blockbuster and then some popcorn and snacks. Since her little guys are so small--1 and 2--I did buy popcorn for Tania and snacks for the little guys--animal cookies, fishy crackers, etc.

Thursday was a normal work day for us but Thursday evening Tania had us to her house for a holiday social. That was fun, too.

Friday at work wasn't really more special than the fact that it was Friday and I was ready for the weekend. Shawn was driving down that night for the weekend and it is always a good thing to have him come down.

Saturday Bob and I and Sarah and Keith had plans to go to Western Maryland for a trip on the Western Maryland Scenic Railroad for dinner theater on the train. The plan was to drive up in time for check in at the hotels. Hang out around our rooms until train time, take our train trip and then stay over night at the hotel and drive back Sunday morning.

We headed out and were almost to Frederick, MD when Sarah and Keith called and said they weren't going because the weather folks were predicting 4 inches of ice over night--which would make it very difficult to get back home on Sunday.

Bob and I got into Frederick, had lunch and decided to cancel as well. I really wanted to go on the trip--which made it difficult to decide. The weather at that moment wasn't bad. Our concern was the expected ice over night and getting back home ok today. In the long run, it was the best decision.

I decided though, that as long as we had gone that far, I still wanted to do something. I didn't want to drive all that way to go to lunch at Mc Donald's. We made our way to the mall in Frederick--Frances Scott Key Mall. The Saturday before Christmas probably isn't the best day to head to the mall--but since we expected it to be crowded, it wasn't too unbearable.

I went to Barnes and Noble and Macy's--so that was fun.

Since we had planned to have dinner and a show together anyway, we decided to go ahead and have dinner and a show--at our house. So, when we got home, Sarah and Keith came over and we watched "Wall - E" and got take out from The Blue Wind Gourmet. The movie was very cute--neither Bob or I had seen it yet.

So, in the end, not too disappointing of a day.

Link to pictures from Thanksgiving

2008-12-14T06:12:00.002-05:00

http://littlejoys.wordpress.com/2008/11/28/thanksgiving-a-vignette/

This link takes you to Sarah's blog. She took the pictures of our Thanksgiving celebration this year. Enjoy! She and Keith are both fabulous photographer's and get great shots.

Shawn's new cool job

2008-12-14T05:45:00.003-05:00

A month or two ago, Shawn lost his ice-cream making job due to the economy. However, he found another cool job a week or two later. He is now working as a lighting technician. What they do is go out to museums, theaters and other places that need lighting set up for exhibits, shows and so on. He has been to some really neat museums. This group has even been to the zoo to put up lighting inside the animal cages. They travel all over the metro DC, MD and VA area.

December 2008

2008-12-13T17:44:00.006-05:00

Here it is, the middle of December already. It feels as though it was just Thanksgiving and now December is half over. We had our annual Christmas party last night. It was a lot of fun.

Sarah and Keith came over as well as Keith's parents, Greg and Linda. Shawn drove down and arrived a little later and then Megan came over. All of our closest friends came. It was a real nice time.

The upcoming week is going to be a fun week. I mean, I never have a lot of fun at work--simply because I don't want to be there. But there are a lot of parties and fun things planned for the week--so it will make the week a little more bearable, anyway.

Today was fun. A group of my friends and I met down at a tea room in La Plata, MD for Christmas Tea. We all usually try to go to the Christmas tea every year. The tea room offers themed "teas" throughout the year--and we go to several of those--but Christmas time is our favorite time to go.

On Tuesday Bob and I are driving to Baltimore to see Kenny G in concert at the Lyric Opera House. It is his Christmas concert. I have been wanting to see him live for years now. And to see his Christmas concert--it's going to be fantastic.

My shopping for the most part is done. The gifts are wrapped, the packages and cards have been mailed. I have some baking to do, but, otherwise, I am ready for Christmas.

I love Christmas - it's always been my favorite holiday.

As I write this, I am reminded of some of my favorite childhood Christmas memories. I remember the whole family hiking around the tree farm, each person on the look out for THE perfect tree. We never found the right tree until we were frozen. Then finally, we would take the tree home.

My Dad would get the tree set up in the stand and after what seemed like hours, he would announce that he was done putting the lights on the tree and it was now time to decorate. Excitedly, we would dig through the boxes of ornaments and decorations to find our favorites and put them on the tree. Inevitably, 1 or 2 glass ornaments would get broken in the excitement.

Once the tree was decorated, we would sit back and admire our masterpiece. My Dad would turn off all the lights in the room and leave only the Christmas tree lights. Every year, we would claim that our Christmas tree was the best tree we ever had.

Another favorite holiday memory for me was when my Mom would set up her village in the extra long, extra wide window sill in our front room--or mud room or whatever you would called it.

I remember the little houses and shops she set up along Main Street. Then she would add "snow," trees, people and an ice-skating rink. She used an inverted foil pie pan for the ice. She would surround it with "snow." (cotton) She had people that she was able to attach to the ice. Other townsfolk would appear outside houses and shops. I could spend hours studying the wintry scene and made up stories about the townspeople. I knew which families lived where, how many kids they had and so on. I loved that little village.

While my Mom was busy with her village, my Dad would be busy setting up the train set that ran around another village underneath the tree. His tiny town encircled the tree. Some of the houses sat up on hills and looked down to the tracks and the shops. A master craftsman, my Dad built tunnels the train would travel through. His village also had miniature people and trees.

Throughout the year we'd wake up early on Saturday mornings to watch cartoons. But during Christmas time, we'd get up early and sit by the tree, enjoying the lights and watching the train while it traveled its endless journey around the tree.

The Christmas season was also spent helping Mom bake dozens of cookies. To our dismay, she seemed to give away far too many cookies to neighbors, friends and the church. But, there always were plenty of cookies for us. Each cookie was loaded with frosting, sugar and candy sprinkles.

With a big family like ours, (8 kids) there was always plenty of shopping to be done. For a long while, I'm sure my Mom had to do all the shopping. And, I'm sure she always did the bulk of the shopping. But, at some point the 4 older kids were allowed to walk downtown to the Woolworth's dime store and pick out gifts for the family with the allowance my Mom gave us. (this was the mid-1960's and was "relatively" safe to allow kids to walk some distance alone)

I do remember my Mom calling the 4 of us to the kitchen for a "meeting." (I'm number 3) She had devised a plan for the shopping. With such a large family, instead of each person giving individual gifts to everyone, she was planning to pair us kids up and we would shop as partners, picking out gifts for the rest of the family. Each "big kid" would be paired with a "little kid."

She would write the names of the 4 youngest on a paper and put the names in an envelope. Then each of us older kids would pick a name. That person was to be our partner. The oldest member of each team was handed an envelope with money. That was our budget to buy gifts for the family.

The system worked pretty well. We would grab our coats and hats and head out the door to walk downtown. (at this time it was the 1960's and we lived in Hobart, IN) It was relatively safe for kids to walk around on their own back then. We'd walk with our partner to Woolworth's and begin our shopping.

Probably the only one who didn't go was Roger, the baby--who was just a baby then and his partner had to go on their own. I do remember little Wayne would go with us. He was pretty young, too, but not as young as Roger.

It was a great deal of fun. We were all "grown up" shopping on our own. We had to sneak around Woolworth's so as to not bump into the other teams. We didn't want to spoil each other's surprises.

We'd bring our treasures back home and Mom would get out the wrapping paper and we'd wrap our gifts then hide them until Christmas Eve when they would be placed under the tree.

Sometimes we'd find everything for everyone in one day; sometimes we would need a 2nd trip to either Woolworth's or if Mom was going on a real shopping trip to Chicago, we could go along and finish our shopping. I think all the teams always had to ask Mom for additional shopping money. And, of course, at some point, we had to split up from our partner in order to shop for them.

I don't remember specific things we got our Dad, but I do remember that every year our poor Mom would get 2 or 3 of the same smiling Santa mug that Woolworth's seemed to have ample supply of.

I have a vague memory of all of us writing our Christmas wish lists. I remember when we'd get to Woolworth's we would pull out a list with ideas for what everyone wanted. So, we must have had the wish lists posted someplace so everyone could see them and get ideas for what each person wanted.

Another vivid memory is of the Christmas specials that came on TV:

Back in those days everyone had a black and white TV. The pictures were shades of black, gray and white. I think I was in college before my Dad broke down and bought a color TV. Color TVs were available back then, but black and white sets were still the norm--and much cheaper. So, I was in college the first time I saw "Rudolf the Red-Nosed Reindeer" in color!

Back then, there were no VHS or DVD players to record shows and movies. You either watched it when it came on or you didn't. "Rudolf," "Frosty," "A Charlie Brown Christmas," and the other Christmas specials of the day were a big deal and the whole family sat down together to watch them. You couldn't buy them like you can today. They came on once a season and that was that.

Later, when I was 12, my family moved to Michigan. Our city bordered Canada, so, then we had 2 shots to see the specials because we had the American and Canadian channels.

It is fun for me to think back on those Christmases. I don't remember my childhood being all happy and rosy--but my Christmas memories are very happy. I loved Christmas then and I still love it today.

I love to decorate, bake and shop. I love writing my cards and getting packages ready to mail. I just thoroughly enjoy the entire season.

Happy Thanksgiving!

2008-11-27T08:41:00.004-05:00

Well, here it is, Thanksgiving already. The day started out early for me--another 4:00 am start time so that I could spend some time on my story.

I also spent some time getting stuffing prep work done. Then I went out for a nice, brisk Thanksgiving Day walk. It was cold and crisp--just the way I like the fall to be. Frost on the cars, mailboxes and roofs. Squirrels and birds scurrying about.

I saw an old man walking ahead of me. He turned down a side street before I caught up to him.

I expected other early morning walkers but only passed one man jogging.

I went all the way to the end of Town Creek Drive and back--a 3 mile walk round trip. And, I passed the same jogger. We past each other just about the same place we past each other the first time. Then I saw a lady out walking her dog. Quite a few cars coming and going. People must be heading to or arriving at Grandmas's.

Now I am back refreshed and invigorated. I feel so good after exercise. Now I am ready to make the stuffing and get the turkey into the oven.

The Macy's Thanksgiving day parade will start soon.

I will put sheets on Shawn's bed, and start clearing the table. I think I will put my computer in the sewing room after a while.

That's it for now.

another picture in another travel guide

2008-11-21T19:28:00.002-05:00

This time it is a picture from the lake at Downtown Disney. We were on the tour boat and took a picture of the Rainforest Cafe. As with the Belfast guide, scroll down on the right until you see the widget for Orlando. Click where it says "see review." From there look for Rainforest Cafe. When the larger pictures pop up in the right hand corner, click the arrow until you find aries_djs78@yahoo.com. That's mine!

Eeyore and canned food

2008-11-15T06:22:00.002-05:00

Well, every so often, when I open a can of tuna or salmon to make a sandwich, the cats are on the receiving end and get a little treat. (they get their treat before I add the mayo and seasonings)

So, now whenever I open a can of anything, Eeyore comes running, sure it's a treat meant just for him.

Yesterday I took out a can of mandarin oranges. I wanted a small dish of them to go with my dinner. Sure enough, as soon as he heard that familiar "pshhhhhh" of the pop-open can, he came running over and was climbing up the cabinet trying desperately to get to whatever that was in that can. He didn't believe me when I told him it was just oranges and he wouldn't like oranges.

He did eventually give up and went into the dining room to sit on his favorite chair, having never tasted mandarin oranges.

Belfast widget

2008-11-14T13:10:00.003-05:00

Have you noticed the widget on the side bar? It is from a guide to Belfast. They saw our picture of the Grand Opera House, Belfast, Northern Ireland, in my Flickr photo stream. They asked my permissionn to use it--and I gave the permission. If you click on "view guide" it will take you to the guide. From there, you click on the Grand Opera House and then on the right you will see a picture of the Grand Opera House. If you keep clicking on the left arrow, you will eventually see a shot of the Grand Opera House taken by aries_djs78@yahoo.com that's me!

Annual fall trip

2008-11-01T18:56:00.004-04:00

Today is November 1st and today Bob and I headed out to Virginia for our annual fall trip to see the color on the trees. We usually drive out to the Blue Ridge Mountains. But this year, we did something a little different. Instead of actually going to the mountains, we drove toward Fredericksburg and into Culpepper, then west toward Mineral and from there south toward Ashland. We had lunch in Ashland and then continued our journey, heading north again.

We took the slow, scenic routes, some of the trip went into very rural parts of Virginia. Virginia has plenty of rolling hills and roads that twist and turn in all directions. Parts of the drive took us along narrow country roads with trees on either side, which reminded us a little of our trip to Ireland. They, too, have narrow winding, twisting roads that take you through the country.

We saw plenty of farms and farm animals, stopping a couple of times to take pictures of horses who were close to the road.

We drove through towns with funny names, like Cuckoo, Mangohick, Passing and Supply. We went by Fort A.P. Hill Army base. Once we left the town of Supply, we came to Rt. 17 and turned north. (We have traveled down Rt. 17 often, on our way to/from Virginia Beach.)

We were only on Rt. 17 a few minutes then we came to Rt. 301 and turned east--toward Maryland and home, completing a circle. Another circle trip--but a much smaller circle this time--which was finished in one day.

The colors were beautiful--reds, golds and yellows. The scenery was beautiful. I have always loved that part of Virginia--it is so pretty.

Normally, we get a room and stay overnight for our annual trip, but we decided to do a shorter version of our annual trip this year. For one, we both have been battling colds and didn't want to stay overnight in a drafty hotel room. We did a lot of traveling this summer and I think we both were tired of hotels. I just prefer being in my own bed when I don't feel well. It's not as cozy and homey at a hotel. I had been feeling pretty good--felt like my cold was gone. But, by late afternoon my throat was bothering me and I was glad to be heading home.

Plus, I think we both just wanted to get home--long "to do" lists this weekend. Lots of projects going on around the house.

But, that's ok with me -- I was happy to get one day in the countryside. It's always nice to get out for the day--but nice to get home, too.

We have been talking about taking a week one of these years and take a trip through New England for the fall color. I've seen pictures and can only imagine that to see the color in person would be spectacular.

And, speaking of pictures, I will upload my pictures from today's trip and post them soon.

The November challenge

2008-10-31T17:09:00.002-04:00

Sarah and I have signed up for the NaNoWriMo. National Novel Writing Month. It runs from November 1 - 30. The goal is to write a 50,000 word novel in 30 days. No prizes. It's just a challenge to see if you can do it. The ones who do get a certificate that says they did it. It will be fun trying, anyway. I will keep you informed on how that is going/goes.

Halloween, 2008

2008-10-31T16:43:00.004-04:00

Well, here it is, October 31st already. This year is just about done. In 2 months we will be celebrating New Year's Eve. It has just flown by. I feel like we just got back from our trip to the Outer Banks and here we are--starting the holiday season. I have already been doing some Christmas shopping. That is because I: A) like to avoid the crowded stores as much as possible--the closer we get to Christmas the more crowded the stores get. B) need to spread out the shopping as much as possible because everything is so expensive.

Anyway, back to Halloween. We don't get too many kids at our house, but I do like being here for the few we do get. I remember how excited we used to get on Halloween, so, I don't like to disappoint the kids and not be here. I used to love to help Sarah and Shawn decide on costumes, Bob helped carve the pumpkins according to their directions. When we lived in the Dallas area, we used to go to the Dallas farmers' market and let the kids pick out huge pumpkins. It was the best farmers' market I have ever been to. Then Bob usually took the kids out trick or treating and I gave out candy. The only time it was frustrating was when Bob was away (he was in the Navy) and I had to figure out how to take them trick or treating and give out candy at the same time. I usually took them out early for about an hour or so, then we went home to give out candy. It worked ok.

It's kind of sad, sometimes, too, though. With the kids all grown up, we don't carve a pumpkin anymore. We used to bake Halloween cookies, with the cookies cut into shapes of witches, pumpkins, ghosts, etc. Sometime early in October the kids and I would bake a few batches of cookies. Scotch shortbreads, St. Nicholas cookies, chocolate chip, just to name a few. We'd decorate with sugar sprinkles and frosting. It was a lot of fun. Now it takes a lot of energy to bake a few batches of Christmas cookies.

I used to have Thanksgiving cookie cutters, too. I don't make T'day cookies anymore, either. I used to make pumpkins, turkeys and football-shaped cookies.

Hmm, funny how things change. Oh, well, at least I can still enjoy the neighborhood children coming to the door--the big brothers and sisters teaching the little ones how to trick or treat. They are cute. And, I love the teens, too. A lot of people complain when the teens come and especially when they don't have a costume. I don't care. They don't bother me and they just want candy. Bob and I don't need all that candy anyhow---so I give them the candy. Doesn't make a difference to me.

Although I don't bake cookies with my kids anymore, I still enjoy baking some Christmas cookies to give to them to enjoy. Especially Shawn. He's the "poor college kid" - away from home--sharing with a bunch of guys. Most of you know how that is. So, I do like to buy or make him cookies from time to time. His roommates always enjoy it, too.

Well, time to fix dinner for Bob and I then get the candy ready for the kids.

Happy Halloween, everyone!

Link to my Outer Banks trip journal

2008-09-28T17:07:00.000-04:00

http://mdskistrips.blogspot.com/2008/09/our-outer-banks-trip-september-2008.html

Photo links to our Outer Banks trip, Sept. 2008

2008-09-28T17:03:00.003-04:00

All around the Outer Banks, our rental house and our friends:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/11443252@N07/sets/72157607329333950/

Wright Bros. Memorial and Museum:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/11443252@N07/sets/72157607441655675/

Lighthouses and Pea Island Wildlife Preserve:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/11443252@N07/sets/72157607344360299/

Our Circle Trip--photo links

2008-08-31T20:13:00.004-04:00

From August 21-28 me, Bob, Sarah and Keith took what I call a circle trip. We left Maryland, drove through Pennsylvania and Ohio and stopped overnight in Cleveland. We drove to Grand Rapids, MI the 22nd and stayed overnight there. On the 23rd we continued north and arrived in Sault Ste. Marie, MI and stayed there for a few days. On the 26th, we drove even farther north, into Ontario and stopped for the night in North Bay. On the 27th, we drove south, but still in Ontario toward Toronto, and stopped briefly in Niagara Falls, Ontario. Then we drove across the bridge back to the United States to Niagara Falls, NY and spent several hours at the US falls. That night we drove to Buffalo--about a 15-20 minute drive south of Niagara Falls--and stayed overnight there. On the 28th we continued through New York, Pennsylvania and Maryland until we arrived home safely around 5:30 pm. That is why I call it a circle trip. Here are the links to the photos from our different legs of the trip. Enjoy!

Taken from the Laurel Caverns, along the Lauel Highlands Scenic Byway, PA:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/11443252@N07/sets/72157606951646219/

Taken from the falls at Ohiopile, PA--along the Laurel Highlands Scenic Byway:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/11443252@N07/sets/72157606948508984/

Taken from Frederik Meijer Gardens, Grand Rapids, MI:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/11443252@N07/sets/72157606952249989/

Taken from Jeff and Stephanie's lake house:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/11443252@N07/sets/72157606953269541/

Taken from Mom and Dad's and the Soo locks:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/11443252@N07/sets/72157606950108218/

Taken from the Washetaria--aka--laundromat. We had to do laundry one day:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/11443252@N07/sets/72157607033376568/

Taken from Ontario:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/11443252@N07/sets/72157607040246966/

Taken from Niagara Falls, Ontario:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/11443252@N07/sets/72157607040126606/

Taken from Niagara Falls, NY and from Rainbow Bridge as we walked from NY to Ont. :
http://www.flickr.com/photos/11443252@N07/sets/72157607038570132/

Mountain shots as we drive through NY and PA on our way home:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/11443252@N07/sets/72157607040298510/

Shawn's job

2008-08-16T09:58:00.003-04:00

Shawn is an ice-cream chef at a local ice-cream factory, Giffords. (local to the DC area, that is--he is in Silver Spring, MD) They make ice-cream using all natural ingredients and sell to restaurants and the Nationals Stadium. They also make sorbet. Shawn likes it because he only has to make ice-cream and deal with co-workers. He doesn't have to deal with the public at all. I would like that, too. People can be a pain. They do have some ice-cream stores where they sell right to the public, but Shawn doesn't have to do that.

Another reason I love Netflix

2008-08-16T09:29:00.002-04:00

We're getting ready to go on vacation. As I sat at the computer, I wondered whether Netflix would allow me to put movies on hold while we were on vacation. The answer is "yes." I don't know why I didn't check into that before. We're having the mail held, so the movies would have been safe at the Post Office, but this way, it's one less thing for them to hold and I can't watch them until I get back anyway. Then I will have the long Labor Day weekend to watch movies!

And speaking of Netflix, today I watched "Benny and Joon." I still love it. Hadn't seen that movie for years--probably since we lived in Glenn Forest. Early 90's.

Good Book

2008-08-01T20:06:00.002-04:00

I just finished reading "Mount Vernon Love Story" by Mary Higgins Clark. It is a biography/love story of George and Martha Washington. I loved it. Give it a try.

Misc. Pictures

2008-07-27T16:32:00.002-04:00

http://www.flickr.com/photos/11443252@N07/sets/72157606405057631/

Click the link to see our latest pictures. Most are from Mount Vernon. Some are from the National Harbor in Oxon Hill, MD. There are some from Sarah and Keith's 4th anniversary and our garden.

Mount Vernon trip

2008-07-26T20:26:00.001-04:00

http://mdskistrips.blogspot.com/2008/07/mount-vernon.html

Click the link to read the details of our trip to Mount Vernon.

This And That

2008-07-20T09:11:00.003-04:00

Garden Report

We have been getting lots of veggies from our garden. We have had a steady stream of cherry tomatoes, beans, onions, beets, green peppers, hot peppers and a few large tomatoes. We have an abundant supply of herbs. The oly things not doing well are the cucumbers and lettuce. Otherwise everything looks good. The garden has done very well for being our first time.

We have some wild flowers growing. I planted those for cutting purposes. I love to have fresh flowers in the house.

All the other outdoor plants and flowers look wonderful. All those daily rainstorms through the month of June helped. It has slowed down some rain-wise. I'd love to see more rain. It is so good for the plants and really cuts down on the time we spend watering.

I think we have been eating more veggies because we bring them into the house and want to eat them so they don't spoil. I've been more inclined to eat cherry tomatoes for a snack or snack on some of the other veggies--which is a good thing.

Organization

We have been getting ourselves organized. We have gone through old paperwork and shredded what we don't need anymore. It will be burned eventually. I have reorganized some files and have plenty more to work on. My goal is to have as little paperwork as possible and to have it confined to one or two places. The desk will be used for the most recent stuff and our filing cabinets will hold what we need to keep, but is a little older. I want everything where it is quick and easy to find. "Everything in its place," as "they" say. I have been sticking to my new "do it now" rule pretty faithfully. Instead of putting things off , or tossing something aside to put away later, I make an effort to put it away now. Or as close to now as I can. Most things are put away or otherwise have what needs to be done to them within a week. It makes such a difference. Less stress because there aren't things sitting all over the house waiting for something to be done with them.

Class Reunion

Although it doesn't feel like it, I have been out of high school for 30 years now. I recently recieved a letter from the reunion committee inviting me to the reunion dinner/picnic. I would have liked to go, but I only had two weeks notice. Since we are planning to go to the Soo in August we can't go now, too. They said they were sorry they sent the invite so late. They said they had a lot of trouble getting my address. What? You couldn't look in the phone book to see if by chance my Mom and Dad still lived there? It doesn't really matter. The only person from that class that I would have enjoyed seeing would have been Patti. And Patti passed away 3 years ago. Hard to believe it's been that long--but it has. I still miss her emails. I wish she were there now, she'd be visiting my Dad at the hospital.

Michigan Trip

And speaking of my Dad, we are leaving here in just about a month to go to Michigan to see my parents. We are heading to Cleveland first, then to Grand Rapids and finally to the Soo. Sarah and Keith are going with us. I'm excited about this trip. We are driving. We plan to meander, take our time and stop in the little towns, see some of the country. We want to take scenic routes and just enjoy the trip. I'm so tired of taking the same routes and speeding along at 75mph, zooming past the same old scenery. Everything in life is done at top speed. I need a change from that and need to do something at a slower pace. We're going to pack our own food and try to do a lot of picnics. I get tired of restaurants, too. I think it will be a good trip. For our return trip, rather than come back through Michigan, we want to drive through Canada to Niagara Falls and cross back to the states there. Something different to do.

Business

I am now set up to run my own freelance writing business. I have all the tools I need: computer, printer, fax, copier, scanner, website, professional email address. Now all I need to do is submit some work and get published.

Cats

The cats are doing well and continue to be a lot of fun. Mom sure picked out 2 goods ones from her shelter. They are the sweetest cats. And, of course, so is Charly when he is here visiting. I told Bob I need to find out what they put in cat food that gives them so much energy. I need to get that ingredient and take it in pill form. They eat and then run and play and are all charged up for hours.

Orlando photos

2008-07-02T11:40:00.001-04:00

http://www.flickr.com/photos/11443252@N07/sets/72157605940855447/

Interesting things about our trip to Orlando

2008-06-28T07:19:00.006-04:00

*The purpose of the World Showcase at Epcot is to introduce folks to other world cultures. Part of the way to do that is to have the products sold in each country to be made in the country they represent. For instance, Germany sells products made in Germany, France sells products made in France and so on. Apparently some people don't get that concept. I overheard one man grumble to himself as he was shopping, "This stuff is made in Japan." He tossed the item back down. We were in Japan.

*When Bob and I went to our presentation for joining the Marriott Vacation Club, we were greeted by a very pretty and friendly young lady. Later, we learned from our salesman, Chris, that she is a former Dallas Cowboys cheerleader. She did that for a year--89-90--we were in Dallas at that time.

*Note to Keith--who has been trying to teach me some Spanish. On Wednesday evening when we were headed to the Marriott Downtown location we were at a stop light and I glanced to the right and noticed a sign in the window of a building. It was in Spanish. I read the sign and although I didn't know all of it--I got the gist of the sign--basically telling you to enter through another door. And it was then that I noticed they had another sign in English---and I found out I was right. I guess I can read it better than I can understand it when spoken.

*Note to Sarah: Wednesday evening we wandered into the bar of the hotel and had a pre-dinner drink. We were chatting with the bartender and she was telling us how she moved to Florida more than 20 years ago. She moved from Chicago---like me--she hates the cold. Anyway, she has a son who is 25 and a daughter who is 12. The 25 year-old was born in Minnesota and of course has seen snow. Her daughter on the other hand was born in Florida and had never seen snow. (I guess the son always comes here to visit)

Well, her son recently graduated with a graduate degree for orthodontics and is working at the Mayo Clinic in Minnesota. She and her daughter went up there for the graduation, but the daughter was upset because it was spring time and she still wasn't going to see snow. Well, the son and his wife had a surprise--they had saved snow in the freezer so that when the little sister came to visit, she could see snow! I thought of you when she told us this story because if you think like me, then you would have instantly thought of that Dr. Seuess (sp) book called Snow. They freeze the snow to play with in the summer. I was wondering if that's what gave the son and daughter-in-law the idea. Anyway--had to share that story with you.

*While driving toward Cocoa Beach yesterday a plane coming in for a landing was so close to the road. I felt like it was about to land on us! Apparently the airport was right there, because as soon as it got across the highway, you could see them landing. On our way home we saw 2 planes do the same thing. I felt like I almost could wave to the passengers. It was neat!

Link to my Orlando trip journal

2008-06-28T07:17:00.000-04:00

http://mdskistrips.blogspot.com/2008/06/orlando-trip.html

Observation

2008-06-15T11:55:00.004-04:00

Friday, the 13th, I was walking through a department store and saw this sign: Baby Sale.

I went home and told Bob that if he knew of any couples planning to start a family, now was the time since they were having a baby sale.

When the kids came for dinner on Saturday, I was telling this to Sarah since she loves to notice signs and the mistakes people make on them. We all had the best time joking about it--people going into the store to see if they would match the price another store offered their babies for.

June 2008

2008-06-15T11:38:00.001-04:00

Here is a picture of the 4 of us taken Father's Day weekend, 2008.

Father's Day weekend, June 2008

2008-06-15T11:35:00.003-04:00

Here is a link for pictures ---- some were taken Father's Day weekend, June 2008. The ones of Chrissy were taken at various times--I just added them to this album. There is also a picture of Charly during one of his visits to our house.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/11443252@N07/sets/72157605627603125/

June 14, 2008

2008-06-14T07:36:00.002-04:00

Yesterday I went to Target and bought some new weights and a stability ball or exercise ball or whatever you call it. I had one before but when Charly, Shawn's cat, came to visit, he popped it with his claws. The other day I was chatting with Suzanne, Kathy and Bob--Suzanne's Bob. Suzanne and Bob said the trainer at their gym told them the 2 best abs exercises are to do crunches while leaning on the ball and to do planks. Sarah told me this a while ago, too--so finally I decided to get another ball. Bob--my Bob--inflated it for me--and I started using it right away. They all are right--I could really feel it in my abs.

I've always been an exerciser but for the past several years I feel like I have been stalled at the same weight. I need to lose more to get to the healthy weight for my height--and I work hard at it, but nothing seems to work. I've been doing a better job lately of eating a little less and working out at a greater intensity, and I have noticed just the slightest difference.

I'm hoping that by the end of the summer when they have swim suits on the clearance rack I will be able to buy one or two in a smaller size.

Maybe with the help of my new ball I will get there.

Overall, my health is good. I try to do all the right things. Luckily, I like enough of the good foods and I love to exercise. I drink a lot of green tea.

Funny thing about green tea--I started drinking it because of all the antioxidants--but it doesn't work at all--I'm still a klutz.

Baseball Game

2008-06-07T18:27:00.004-04:00

Bob and I went to see the Cardinals vs Nationals on June 5th. It was an evening game and was at the new Nationals stadium--a beautiful stadium. It was the 3rd game in a 3-game series.

The game was exciting. The Cardinals were losing 5-0 after the 5th inning. Cardinals won the first 2 games of the series. So, we were disappointed that not only were they losing--they just weren't playing well. They did end up having a double header Thursday. Wednesday's game was canceled because of a storm--and they played that one Thursday afternoon. Nonetheless, they really weren't playing well. But, it did change in the 6th inning. The first thing they did was change pitchers. That made a big difference. Then, in the 7th inning somebody from St. Louis hit a 3-run homer. Poor Bob missed it. (Bob is from St. Louis) I felt so bad he had to miss that. We were in section 106 (right behind left field) and he walked to section 129 on a mission to find the ice-cream Shawn made. Shawn's company, Gifford's, sells their ice-cream to the Nationals ballpark. Bob saw an advertisement that said they were in section 129. So, he walked all the way over there and got me a cup of chocolate ice-cream. He did get to see the Cards get a few more home runs and by the 9th inning they had tied the game at 8-8. In the 10th inning the Cards scored again. There were a lot of Cardinal fans in the stadium and they were going nuts! Unfortunately, with 2 outs--the Nationals hit a 2-run homer and won the game, 10-9.
A little disappointing, but better than I thought it was going to be at the beginning when it looked like they were trying to lose.

I always try to find a bright spot for everything and I thought of some bright spots about the evening.

1. it didn't rain--they had predicted a chance of more T'storms Thursday night and it didn't rain at all--was a beautiful evening

2. Bob was willing to walk all the way around the ballpark just to get me some ice-cream.

3. since we were 2 of the first 15,000 people in the stadium we each got a free Ryan Zimmerman bobblehead doll. Bob says they won't be worth anything at all--but I might keep it anyway.

4. We knew we'd get home late and had the good sense to take Friday off. We didn't get home until midnight. It felt good to be able to sleep and not have to get up at zero dark thirty for work.

5.--not really a bright spot--but something we're not used to. While waiting in the subway station for our train after the game we saw 2 men being arrested and led out of the station by about 6 cops. Have no idea what they did. They were on the opposite side of the platform waiting for a train heading toward northern Maryland.

But, speaking of the train--to reach the stadium we got off at the Navy Yards stop and as soon as you swipe your ticket and leave the station you are practically in the park. That was neat. And, the new Nationals stadium is beautiful

Shawn's birthday, May 2008

2008-05-24T20:03:00.004-04:00

This is Bob and Shawn on Shawn's balcony in Silver Spring, MD. Bob and I went up to see Shawn today, May 24, 2008. We brought him some birthday presents. His real b'day is May 19th.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/11443252@N07/sets/72157605236082173/

Click the link to see all the pictures of Shawn's birthday.

We're walking

2008-05-24T16:28:00.006-04:00

The first picture is of Kelly, me, Sarah and Bob at the Leonardtown run/walk for Hospice on April 19, 2008. Kelly and Sarah ran the 10k and Bob and I walked the 5k.

The next 2 pictures are of Bob and I in LaPlata on May 18, 2008. We walked 5k. And the last picture is of the 98.3 van. Heather was there but T'Bone was out-of-town.

Gloomy Day

2008-05-12T11:03:00.002-04:00

Monday, May 12, 2008

Rainy, rainy, rainy day today. Gloomy, windy, cold, dreary. Just an all around icky May day. Very depressing. I am home sick. I hardly ever get sick—so, of course I had to get sick on Mother’s Day weekend. It was my short weekend and we were so busy. I felt this cold coming on for a couple of days. I guess being so busy lately and always being tired didn’t help me and I got the cold. Bob was gone the past week and didn’t get home until Friday. We did as much housework as possible before leaving for a BBQ Saturday. I had wanted to get it done in the evenings during the week, but I am so tired when I get home, I just wasn’t able to get things done. We didn’t get it all done and so I had to spend my Mother’s Day doing laundry. In between loads I had time to read and take a nap.

Shawn surprised me about 1 on Sunday afternoon by walking in the door with Charly. He brought me a pint of vanilla bean ice-cream---that he made—and it’s very good. Always fun to see Charly. He and the other cats get along fine now. Chrissy sometimes raises her paw and starts to hiss—but when I say her name and tell her to be nice she usually listens to me. Yesterday she was very sweet. She lowered her paw from her defensive mode and just gently patted Charly on his paw. Shawn and I had a very nice visit—we always have the best conversations. Around 4 he decided he better leave. He knew they were predicting bad weather and decided he better get home before it hit. It was raining when he left, but nothing like it was doing later on in the evening while we were at Sarah and Keith’s.

We went to Sarah and Keith’s for dinner Sunday night and that was very nice. We went to celebrate Keith’s birthday. Greg and Linda came for dinner, too—always good to see them. The food, as usual, was very good. Sarah made a pie. When I saw it on the counter, I thought it was a cherry pie. But, turns out it was a mixture of cherries, strawberries, blueberries, apples, and walnuts. It was delicious. Only it wasn’t a pie. It was an Italian crostata and it was wonderful.

Greg and Linda had gone strawberry picking that morning. They brought their ice-cream maker along and Greg made fresh strawberry sherbert. It looked very good. I didn’t try any since I felt so full—but I’m sure it was wonderful with those fresh berries.

When I got up this morning I really didn’t’ feel well. I gave the medicine time to kick in to see if I would feel better. I did feel a little better, but I have a bad cough. I was dressed and ready to go, but had a coughing fit, and with the weather being so bad, I decided to stay home. I always complain about people who go to work when they are sick—and decided I better not be one of them. It’s very frustrating to be sick—I haven’t been out sick for 4 years.

I guess the plus side to being home sick is now I have gained some extra reading time. I called everyone I had to call to let them know I wouldn’t be in and then went to lay down on the couch. The cats, of course, wasted no time in finding a comfy spot on the couch—right on top of me—to lie down and take naps. When I got back up I made tea and sat down to check email. Next thing the power went out for about 10 minutes. I was just pulling out the phone book to find the number for the electric company when it came on. It flashed out for a few minutes last night, too.

And, the good thing about having just a cold is that you can still eat. It’s not like having the flu. So, I think later I will have some chicken noodle soup and then I can follow that with Shawn’s ice-cream! I’m sure that will make me feel much better!

It is still raining out there. It’s been raining steadily since it started last night. At times the wind really picks up. My hanging plant is just hanging on—it’s been spinning like a top. I don’t think we will need to water the garden for weeks. There are leaves all over the deck and yard. Tuesday and Wednesday it’s supposed to clear up and be a little warmer—but the weatherman showed us that Thursday through Sunday will be cold and rainy again! UGH!!!!!!!!!! We don’t need that. Bob and I are supposed to be walking in our 5k on Sunday, the 18th. I need it to be nice—not cold and rainy.

I really shouldn’t be complaining about the weather since there are so many people in this country and around the world without homes due to earthquakes, cyclones, and tornadoes. I have to remember that.

The bright spot to all the rain is the birds are still chirping. It cheers me up to hear them.

Well, since I have gained reading time, I better use it and sign off for now.

In the garden

2008-05-04T17:42:00.004-04:00

This afternoon I was washing the dishes and from the kitchen window I could see the garden we all labored so hard to create this weekend. Birds were visiting. I didn't see any birds going after the plants, I think they were looking for seeds and bugs. I'm so excited now that I can look out and see actual veggies growing!

Also from the kitchen window I could see the hanging baskets Bob hung up for me and the little hummingbird feeder he hung from one of the baskets. I hope they visit it a lot. He also hung up 2 normal sized hummingbird feeders in the backyard. If you have to wash dishes, at least you have a good view while you're washing them. I love looking out at the backyard and watching the animals. Especially this time of year with all the flowers and trees in bloom. Now, with our garden it's going to be fun to look out the window and see the progress of our veggies.

I spent a lot of time this afternoon planting dusty miller and begonias in containers. Two containers are out near the path on the way to the gazebo and the rest are on the deck. My next project will be to plant some flower seeds in the other empty pots I have. I found some lavender seeds, so, I will plant those and put them near my other herbs.

I planted some marigolds around the outer edges of the garden.

To see pictures of our garden and backyard, go to the link in the post below called "Our Garden Pictures."

I'm tired--the good tired, though.

Our garden pictures

2008-05-04T17:35:00.009-04:00

Click the link to see all the pictures of our garden and back yard.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/11443252@N07/sets/72157604885048367/

Keith and Bob spent all day Friday, the 2nd, tilling the garden. All morning on Saturday they spent putting more dirt in the garden. Keith said they unloaded tons of dirt-twice--once from the back of the truck to the wheelbarrow and once from the wheelbarrow to the garden. Late Saturday afternoon Sarah, Keith and I headed to a place that Keith told me about called Russell Farms. Talk about gorgeous plants! It's a farm and it's what they do for a living and what a difference to see healthy, big, beautiful flowers. veggies and herbs. I do get some nice stuff from Lowe's and Wal-Mart--but often I have to search for the best looking stuff. Not so with this farm. It all was nice and healthy-looking. And, the prices were so reasonable. We bought a lot of stuff to start our garden with and the rest we will use seeds that either Keith or I already have. We started planting late in the day--probably around 5. We kept going until dark--8 or 8:30. Bob turned on our bright spot light to help us plant the last few beets--and were we ever beat when we were done! We did a quick clean-up of tools, etc. Then, we collapsed into the patio chairs. After a little rest we decided to order a late dinner from Outback.

First thing this morning, I finished planting what we didn't get done Saturday night--romaine lettuce, cucumbers and herbs.

Bob and I went to Wal-Mart today and picked up some marigolds to put around the outside edges of the garden. I think we will need to plant more, but at least we have some. I also bought some dusty miller and begonias and planted them in some empty pots that I had.

I love looking out into the yard at all the beautiful flowers, plants and vegetables.

Friday, May 2, 2008--updated May 3rd

2008-05-02T13:18:00.006-04:00

A pretty day

My first May post. It's a beautiful day today. Thank goodness. I've been waiting for some nice weather. We had some nice weather, then it got cold again, and now it is nice again. I hope the warm weather is here to stay this time.

Garden

Work has begun on our garden. Bob and Keith have been tilling it today. Keith put down lime and he says we can plant seeds tomorrow. We went over the list of veggies we plan to plant. It's going to be a lot bigger than I thought--which is great--I'm really excited about this.

Fall trip

I started some preliminary research on a weekend trip for the fall. We're going to Hershey, PA to do a Hershey factory tour. We'll also be going to QVC for a studio tour. And, we will head back to Longwood Gardens on the same trip. I'm hoping we will see some fall color during the trip since we will be there mid-October.

Another 5k walk

Bob and I are set to do another 5k walk. This time we are going to LaPlata, MD--about 45 minutes away. That walk will be May 18th. I'm looking forward to that.

Back Yard

Saturday, May 3rd.

Bob put up a new cover and screen for our gazebo. The other one was damaged during the winter when a huge branch fell on it. Slowly we're getting the backyard back into spring/summer enjoyment condition. If he has time, Bob will clean out the fish pond and bird bath. I'd like to get some fish this year. I love to watch the fish. We need to get a new bird feeder and pole--one of ours broke. I went out before 6 this morning and filled the bird feeders and put out corn. I filled up the suet feeder. I love going out first thing in the morning. You can hear the birds chirping--they must be gathering in preparation of breakfast. I woke up because heard them chirping. I could wake up to that "alarm clock" every day. It's so pleasant.

Sunday, April 20, 2008

2008-04-20T13:59:00.003-04:00

Run/walk

Bob and I successfully completed our first 5k walk yesterday. We did it in less than an hour. Fifty some minutes. We had no problems as I knew we wouldn't since we are used to walking 3 miles. We found out there is a 5k run/walk in LaPlata May 18th. Sarah and Kelly are thinking of running in it and we are thinking of walking in it.

Sarah and Kelly successfully completed their 10k run yesterday. Sounds like they had a more challenging route than the walkers did--more hills--but they did fine. Bob and I got back first and were able to stand on the sidelines and cheer them on as they approached the finish line. We cheered all the runners as they returned. Well, not all as many of them got back before Bob and I did--but after we returned we cheered the runners on.

Patio

Friday evening was the first night this season we felt it was warm enough to sit out on the patio. We love sitting outside during the warm season. I love to be able to recline the chair and look at the stars. Sure beats neck strain.

The top of our gazebo was torn over the winter. A tree branch fell on it and ripped it. Bob ordered a new one. Once it arrives and he gets it on the gazebo, we will clean that sitting area up for the season.

I sat out on my swing last night. I love that, too. It was nearly dark and as I sat there a male cardinal came out to get a late snack.

What I love about our backyard is that we are able to have so many sitting areas. We have the small one on the deck. Then the patio off the deck. The gazebo and the swing. The deck is a nice place to sit for that 2nd cup of coffee or tea on a Saturday morning. The patio is great for sitting at night. We can look at the stars or even put a fire in the outdoor fireplace and just relax. The gazebo is perfect to sit for a summer picnic. Bob's grill is right near there--perfect. The gazebo is also useful for the days you need or want to be on the computer, but also want to sit outside. Or for me, it's a great place to sit and read for class and take notes. Again, you can enjoy being outside, but, you are getting work done at the same time.

And then there's the swing. I can fall asleep at night sitting on my swing. It's the best place to sit and watch the birds/animals. Sometimes I take my camera out with me. I also love to sit there and read. When the weather is warm, Bob gets the fountains going in the birdbath and fish pond. The sound of the water is very relaxing.

Sunday, April 13th

2008-04-13T10:24:00.003-04:00

Our weekend has been very nice and very relaxing. Friday I watched another Netflix pick: Agatha Christie's Miss Marple series. Two movies on the DVD. I watched one movie Thursday and one Friday evening. I read all of Agatha Christie's books years ago and now enjoy watching the ones that have been made into movies. I enjoy the movies with Christie's other sleuth--Hercule Poirot as well.

First thing Saturday morning I watched another Netflix pick: Hawaii's Hidden Treasures. It's an IMAX film. I love Netflix---theire selection is huge--there is an endless variety to choose from.

Saturday Bob and I decided to head to the mall to do some shopping. We had the best time. We both bought a lot new of clothes. I had all my gift certificates to use. I bought mostly new "fun" clothes for the summer. Bob bought some very nice clothes for work.

Looked pretty cloudy and gloomy when we left in the morning and the majority of the day it threatened to rain and we did get some sprinkles here and there. When we left the mall we could tell it had rained some, but not much. It was sunny and it was much warmer than I thought it was going to be and of course I loved that. We went to Lone Star, had a nice lunch and came home.

While at the mall, I tried on several sundresses. I didn't buy any -- mostly because they were too expensive and weren't on sale. But, it did inspire me to come home and sew my own sundresses. I started working on one dress last night. My new sewing table is perfect. And, it is so nice to be able to shut the door when I'm done and not worry about the cats getting into everything. I didn't have to worry about leaving the pins, scissors and so on out. Just shut the door and go.

Today Bob told me he will be going to Phoenix, AZ on business next week. Omigosh! How I wish I were in a position to be able to make a snap decision and go with him. I have never been there. I know it's not terribly far from The Grand Canyon. I know if I was going along, I'd be heading to The Grand Canyon during the trip. UGH! I want to go!

Last week he went to Purdue University for a meeting. He's never gone to a university for a meeting before. He will be going there again, he said. I would have enjoyed that trip, too. For one, since our office works with so many colleges and of course Purdue is one of the schools we send recruiters, I would love to see the campus some time. But, in addition to that, I would have taken the opportunity to see Janie---a very good friend of mine that I've known since kindergarten.

And, speaking of trips, we have a trip coming up in June to Orlando. I am so looking forward to that. Mei-Fen sent me some wonderful ideas of things to do. We will study her list along with the list I made and come up with some plans. I want to spend one or two days at Disney. I just want to hit my favorites--and especially Epcot. I want to walk around the world and watch the light show they put on at night over the water. But we didn't want to do just Disney. I want to see other things, too.

I'm planning to do some reading today - a perfect way to end a very relaxing weekend.

April 2008

2008-04-10T18:19:00.005-04:00

Around here April always starts off with my birthday on the 1st. I am 48 now. I had 3 celebrations. The first one was with my friends on March 29th. They took me to lunch and gave me some wonderful gifts. We did a little shopping and planned a nice surprise for our one friend who happened to be absent from my b'day---her b'day is next--on May 1st and she will be 50.

Right on the first, Shawn called me and Sarah and Keith came to dinner. They worked with Bob and put together a very nice meal. Sarah made some Keith-friendly cupcakes--some were red velvet and some were chocolate. And, both kinds were very good. Sarah made some little flowers to decorate the tops. You know, the fancy decorations bakeries make that are mostly sugar. Some flowers were pale green and some were baby blue.

My last celebration was at work. They gave me a card, a cake and a gift certificate.

I loved celebrating my birthday 3 times!

On the 5th some very good friends of ours, Carl and Ella, came for a visit. They were in the DC area for their vacation. They had been doing lots of sight seeing and took a break from all the walking around and drove down to our house for a nice visit. We stayed up late Saturday visiting. They stayed overnight. We had a wonderful breakfast Sunday, visited until lunchtime, then they headed back to DC for more sight seeing. We figured it had been at least 20 years since we saw each other. Everyone's kids were little last time we saw them and everyone's kids are in their 20's now.

We are taking a break this weekend and just relaxing. Then, next weekend, the 19th, Bob and I will walk a 5k fun walk for Hospice and Sarah and Kelly (Keith's sister) will run the 10k.

Our tulips have bloomed and so have the hostas. I love those. The tulips are pink and pink is one of my favorite colors. Although it was warmer today, April so far has been a very chilly month.

Today I went to the beach on base for lunch. I love the beach and the sounds of the water. It's so relaxing. Any stress I'm feeling just melts at the very sound of waves splashing on the shore. A lot of people outside--jogging, walking, bicycling. Lots of parents at the playground with the kids.

Next week, on the 15th, I start my sign language class. Looking forward to that.

Photo Shoot follow up

2008-03-23T20:24:00.002-04:00

Ok, here are the pictures I mentioned from the photo shoot. The first one is the original Rat Pack playing pool. The 2nd is the one Sarah did of Bob and his buddies in manland playing pool--The Rat Pack II.

Bob's 52nd b'day, March 22, 2008

2008-03-23T19:51:00.002-04:00

Here are pictures from Bob's birthday.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/11443252@N07/sets/72157604221721493/

Little things

2008-03-15T07:56:00.005-04:00

Resume Writing

Today in my email I received a newsletter from one of my writing groups and they suggested that starting a resume writing business could be very profitable. I have thought about doing that before--now I think I might look into it more seriously. I mean after all, I do see thousands of resumes a year---I do know a good one when I see it.

Sign Language

I have signed up to take sign language again this spring. It is offered through St. Mary's County Parks and Recreation division and the price is reasonable. Sharon, the instructor, teaches it 3 seasons--fall, winter and spring--but lately I've only been signing up for the spring session. I hate being out in the cold and dark during the winter, so I don't take the winter class. In the fall I am SO busy with work, and am so exhausted when I get home, I'm not able to think and it's hard to focus on learning. But, by spring, the weather is getting warmer, it's light longer in the evening and I have more energy. I'm just as busy with work, but have more energy since it's nicer outside. I am a warm weather person and function better in the nice weater. But, at any rate, the class starts April 15th and I am really looking forward to that.

New Blogs

I just created 2 new blogs. One is called MD Skis Building Projects where we can post pictures and descriptions of our building projects. And, the other is called MD Skis Travel journals. I will post our trip journals and photos there. And, I learned how to create the links to those 2 blogs from my main blog! And, I did it without having to look at my Blogging For Dummies book or having to ask Sarah. I figured it out by myself.

I have just added 1 more blog. MD Skis writing. I plan to post some short stories, journal entries, etc.

This and That

2008-03-09T15:22:00.004-04:00

Eeyore, the watch cat

Today I went into the laundry room to find the mop bucket laying on its side. I picked it up and a little later when I went back into the laundry room, Eeyore (our cat) was just leaving and the mop bucket was laying down again. I studied the situation for a minute and I figured out what was happening. The mop--a string type of mop--hangs over top the bucket. I believe the mop jumps out at Eeyore and Eeyore attacks back, knocking the bucket over in the process. I will sleep well at night knowing Eeyore is on top of security.

While Eeyore is busy protecting us from the mop, Chrissy has her own enemy to deal with. The rolling laundry cart. I have one of those rolling carts that is divided into 3 sections. I roll it into the bathroom and as I empty the hamper, I sort the clothes by color. Chrissy follows along and as I drop clothes into each section, I guess she sees that part of the bag move. So, of course she must pounce on it. Now you all can rest easy knowing we are protected by the cats.

Direct TV

I am listening to another of our music channels. This one is called Cinemagic. They play movie soundtracks and some diaglogue. I feel like I should make popcorn.

Painting

Bob started painting Shawn's old bathroom yesterday. Now it is the sewing room bathroom. He's making it the same brown as the sewing room--but the shiny paint you use in bathrooms. Looks really good. He's in there now adding a 2nd coat. The trim will be white. See the sewing cabinet pics below and you will see the shade of brown and white trim. When he's done, he plans to put a frame on a fish picture Sarah painted years ago. It will be perfect in there since we already have a tropical/fish theme. He bought a bamboo shade to hang on the window.

Airing out the house

We were able to open a couple of windows yesterday. Felt good to air out the house. Was fairly mild yesterday until late afternoon. We closed it up before it got too cold. Brrr--it was cold this morning when we left for church, though.

The Trim in Manland

Bob finished putting up all the trim in Manland. Looks really good and for some reason, it makes Manland look bigger.

Saturday morning

2008-03-08T06:46:00.003-05:00

We got lots of rain yesterday--at some moments we had what I call a torrential downpour. Looks like it's done for right now. It's foggy out--but the temp felt mild. Birds are chirping. I am so looking forward to the warmer temps when we don't need either heat or a/c and I can have the windows open in the early morning. On those days I turn the music off and let the birds be my music. I love it. The cats love it, too. They love to sit by the open door and take in the sights, sounds and smells of the day.

I sure am enjoying my music channels with Direct TV. Especially this one called "Watercolors." It reminds me of the "Smooth Jazz" channel I had with cable. So relaxing. Speaking of jazz, I ordered Kenny G's latest CD yesterday. Sarah saw an interview with him and told me he released an album with a Latin feel. His producer told him not to do it--to stick with what he's been doing. But, Kenny just changed to another producer and put out a CD that he wanted. I'm glad he did--can't wait for the new CD to arrive. I was able to listen to samples at Amazon.

Photo Shoot

2008-03-07T21:26:00.002-05:00

Today we had a photo shoot at our house. Bob has a poster of the Rat Pack and they are playing pool--so he and his friends got together for their usual game of pool today--but first they posed like they are doing in the poster and Sarah took a series of shots. I will upload them when they are ready.

What they want to do is get it printed in poster size and hang it on the wall next to the original poster.

Tidbits

2008-03-06T21:17:00.005-05:00

Let's see--what's new since the last time I entered a post?

We switched from cable TV to Direct TV. We've been playing with it--finding our favorite channels. We will save $30-$40 a month and we have more channels. We slso have more music channels. I love having so many choices of music. In this remote area radio stations are scarce, so this is a good alternative. Plus, we actually get music instead of the same news over and over--djs spending too much time talking and not enough time playing music. I've got jazz on now.

I'm going to do something I've never done before---enter a 5k walk. It's on April 19th and raises money for Hospice. I know I can walk 5k--Bob and I walk that far when we walk around our neighborhood. Bob said he will walk with me. Should be fun. They are having the 5k walk along with a 5k/10k run. Sarah said she plans to enter the 10k run.

Seeing signs of spring lately. Our daffodils have bloomed. Squirrels are chasing each other. The birds are back--it's been very noisy lately--to quote Neil Diamond, it's "...a beautiful noise..." I love hearing the birds as I head out the door to work. Starts the day off right.

Daylight savings time begins this weekend. We've been used to the April-October schedule for so long--I nearly forgot this was the weekend to change. Bob and Sarah reminded me.

A bright, sunny Saturday

2008-03-01T16:51:00.004-05:00

This is my first March post. It has been a beautiful, sunny day. Not too bad temperature wise--but very windy.

I got up early today, started laundry, took care of the cats, cleaned the bathrooms and did the dishes. I wanted to get my chores done early. I met my friends for lunch and I wanted to have everything done before I left so that when I got home this afternoon, I'd be free of house work and would be able to do fun stuff.

A few days ago I bought tea from Adagio Teas--tried a bunch of new kinds. I bagged up some samples for Keith to try. He was planning to come over today to photograph the birds that visit our yard--so I bagged up some tea for him to take home. Before I left I put food out for the birds and squirrels to be sure we'd have visitors for Keith to photograph.

Brian came over to help Bob paint the trim for Manland. He had never put up the trim. Now, it's all painted and when it's dry, he'll be able to get Manland finished.

Last weekend Bob and Brian carried my new sewing cabinet/cutting table up to the sewing room. It looks and works great! I've been sorting out and throwing away old fabric I don't need anymore. Re-organized the closet--really getting the sewing room into shape--now it's finally functional to sew and work on crafts.

Today was fun. We celebrated Karen's b'day at the new tea room in Leonardtown-- Tea and Scones. It was a wonderful meal--we had a traditional English tea. She loved her gifts. After lunch we wandered down the street to a new wine shop where Karen and I each bought a bottle of wine. We went into a cool kitchen store and a vintage clothing shop. Had a great time.

I received season 3 of Happy Days the other day. I used to love that show. When I found out season 3 was available I ordered it from Barnes and Noble. Bob and I were watching one of the DVDs the other day and in this particular episode Richie, Ralph and Potsie wanted to go away for their spring break. They plotted on how they would ask their dads for money for the trip. Howard Cunningham was reading the paper when Richie walked into the room. Trying his planned approach, Richie sits down and asks, "Dad, do you remember the first time you went away with your friends?"
Howard answered, "Yes."
Richie asks, "Where'd you go?"
Howard replied, "World War II."

I couldn't stop laughing. It was so funny.

And, that's all I can think of for today.

A cold Friday morning

2008-02-22T06:51:00.003-05:00

Here it is, Friday, Feb. 22, 2008. We are getting an ice storm and I have the good fortune to be off today. If you work at Patuxent River Navy Base, we all get what is called a CWS schedule. A compressed work schedule. You work 9 hours a day Mon-Thurs. Then you get every other Friday off. On your working Friday you work 8 hours. It all comes out to 40 hours a week.

So I am off today. I see some people driving down the road--I feel sorry for them having to go out in this crappy ice storm. I can see the ice all over the deck. I hope they all will drive safely and be careful.

But, in the midst of all that gloom I can hear one of my favorite sounds: chirping birds. The one bright spot to the icky day. They remind me that spring isn't too far away. We have seen some signs of spring--daffodils getting ready to bloom, more birds and Wal-Mart's garden center is set up and stocked!

Every year we get a winter thaw, the daffodils start to bloom and then bam! We always get hit with at least one more snow or ice storm. And every year I fear they won't survive the freezing weather--and every year they do. Sure brightens the gloomy winter days to look out and see birds and flowers.

I'm sipping my tea and enjoying another favorite: I Love Lucy. I have all the DVDs and I'm watching them prepare for their trip to Europe. Her vacations were the best.