Random Thoughts By A Busy Woman

2012-02-13T15:28:00.001-05:00

Whew.

I say that because I'm done. I'm tired. But it's finished. "It" is the tax info we need for my home business. I tallied, added, adjusted and figured. And it's done. Now we can do our taxes to see how much we owe. We nearly always owe, me having a home business and all. We pay the social security tax. And we take every legal deduction we can. And we usually owe. Oh well. I'm done with my part now.

Whew again. Last week I decided that I'd make up a couple of collages of my side of the family. I did pretty well too. I managed to find at least one picture of each person and put it all together on my wonderful Picasa program. And because my printer is actually working, I printed out the first one. I decided I didn't like it.

So I printed out a second one. After I rearranged and added some pictures. I liked it better, and then printed THAT one out. It went into a frame. And I love looking at my family and thinking that it would be just that much better if the picture of my parents, which is the most important one, was more recent. It was taken shortly before my father died in 1967.

When I finished that one, I did one of just the great grandchildren. That was pretty easy and I did it quickly. It's now in a frame where I can see it all the time. I love all those beautiful kids!!

My next project is going to be a picture of my siblings. My brother Scott, who died several years ago, never had many pictures taken so it's been hard to find a good one to add to this small collage. I'll do it though, and it'll be in a frame about as fast as I can get it in one.

NOW...my next picture project is going to be a collage of Dave's side of the family. It'll make a nice gift for the grandparents!!

The WEATHER and other things...

2012-01-31T19:15:00.000-05:00

A week or so ago, one of my nephews posted the following (and I paraphrase) on Facebook:

Only old people talk about the weather.

I know that's not what he said, but I felt like that's what he meant. And I think that he's wrong. The way things have been this winter, young and old alike are talking about the weather. Even those who never agreed with the prospect of global warming are changing their opinions.

Today, on the last day of January in south central Pennsylvania, we had a high of 62. Sure, many places around the country enjoy those temps, and even higher, at this time of the year. But here where I live, the "normal" high temperature is 37. I have to be honest...except for two days a few weeks ago, when it was 17 out, our weather has been WAY above normal. I wear jackets, but there are days when I don't need one. Like today. I just saw on the news that something like 80% of the entire country had higher than normal temps today. We had 4 inches of snow ten days ago. It didn't hang around very long.

My daughter left for Africa Saturday where the daily temps run about 102. That's double what we had here. Her night time temps will be between 60-70. I think I could handle that for a little while!!

The other night I bought a fajita maker. My husband thought I was crazy, but the few times we've had them, they fell hopelessly apart and that convinced me that I needed a special little machine for them. So tonight we had chicken pineapple fajitas. Wow! They tasted awesome, were easy to make and the little machine (that kind of looks like a sandwich maker) cleaned up in a snap. I got this thing on sale and I know it'll get used often!

Last week I had migraines nearly every morning. They don't last long but they leave me dragging for the entire day. This week, not only are the migraines better due to a medicine change, but my back is in incredibly good shape. My chiro doc, Mark, has done such terrific things for me. Yesterday I stood up and realized that I had no pain in my back and hips. (My toes hurt from walking but that's another story.) I haven't been this pain-free in so many years. I walked four miles on Sunday and again this morning. I can't wait till it's warmer in the early mornings so I can actually enjoy it!

I hope that wherever you are, you're enjoying nice weather, even if it's cold. And if you want to talk about your weather, I won't say you're old!

My Day Off...

2012-01-19T15:16:00.000-05:00

I hardly ever have a full day for me. To do nothing, or everything. I often have days where I have an hour or two free here and there but rarely have a full day with absolutely nothing on my schedule except making dinner.

My plans today included reading, watching some TV, starting dinner (beef and mushrooms, yum!) and pretty much nothing else except a little Words With Friends.

My day started out pretty much as planned. I went to Curves, and then came home, showered and got into my sweats. Sat down in my chair, did my e-mail, checked some FB and then I remembered that there was one box in my big closet that needed sorted out. I'd planned to do it a couple of weeks ago but I never got around to it.

In case you didn't know me then, about 10 years ago I had a closet makeover (a 20x8 space) complements of NBC. I won the Messiest Closet in the US. Over the years, I've added a few useful, space saving things, but for the most part, I just kept it neat and tidy. A couple of weeks ago I noticed a container marked Craft Things. I haven't opened that container for as long as my closet has been tidy. So I pulled it out, bagged up all of the stuff and decided I would freecycle it. SOMEONE out there would want some useful craft items. I'm past that stuff now that I'm into earrings and necklaces.

And you know how it goes...you look at one box, then you have to look at another box. And so on. The end result, three hours later, was 14 different things to offer to Freecycle. I also came across a few things I'd put away when we repainted our bedrooms and got them out, found my hammer and some nails, and now they're back up!

The items I'm freecycling are very nice, useful items, and within MINUTES of posting the list, all but two things were spoken for. If you freecycle, you know that sometimes people don't show up. I might end up having to repost some things, but right now I'm confident that all of my unwanted items are going to good homes.

AND...I have six empty containers, and every single one that's left has been sorted and labeled. I feel like I accomplished a lot. So here I sit, getting ready to sort recipes (don't ask) and if I'm lucky, I'll do a little reading tonight.

Tomorrow I make up for having a "free" day today by having a doctor's appointment followed by a root canal. Yep, tomorrow's going to be a really fun day.

And the beef and mushrooms smell delicious...Words With Friends, here I come!!

My Miracle

2012-01-10T16:14:00.001-05:00

I have experienced a miracle.

After seeing 8 doctors over the past 12 years, and going through what seems like endless PT, tests and shots, the last, and I'm told, the best one said there was nothing he could do for me.

You have to understand that this wasn't annoying pain. It was "take your breath away" kind of pain. I used to walk four miles a day and literally one day this pain began and took over my life. I never took pain medication so I learned to live with it. I learned that walking at the mall could be horrible one day, not so bad the next. I could clean my house, but have excruciating pain when I was done. Just pushing the sweeper could cause my back to go from annoying pain to horrible pain. I just did what I could and kept on going.

We haven't been on a vacation for over 11 years. Part of that is a financial issue, but another part was being afraid that I might not be able to enjoy the few days because of the constant back and leg pain. And back spasms were (and still might be) a possibility without warning.

After I came home discouraged 10 days before Christmas my son called and suggested that I go see his friend Mark Olivetti-a young guy who's a chiropractor. Before I went to see him we spoke on the phone and he was honest, saying he might not be able to help. But at that point I had nothing to lose. No other doctor could do anything. I made an appointment to see him the Tuesday before Christmas. We had a long talk about where I'd been and where I wanted to go. I told him that I would love being able to start walking again.

I had some pretty rough treatments, but as I told him, I've been in so much pain, a few seconds of his adjustments were nothing. After my second appointment, where I'd not felt much improvement, I was cleaning my house and when I finished, that horrible hip pain started. I limped to the kitchen, wondering how I'd ever bake pies and prepare Christmas dinner for 16 people. As I stood there, I felt something move and immediately I was pain free.

As the next two weeks went on, I saw improvement nearly every day. Last week, on a day that was 17 degrees, we agreed that I could probably start walking again to see how it would go. We DID decide that waiting for a warmer day would be wise, though!

And then that miracle happened. Last Saturday, on a day that was 32 degrees, I put on layers of clothes and took a walk. I walked 3 miles, as fast as I could, and came home elated that I had actually done something I haven't done in 12 years. The next day I walked again, even with mild shin splints. Yesterday I went to Curves, and then today I walked again. I nearly followed my four mile path, but I think I'll wait a week before I start that.

I simply can't believe that most of my pain is gone. I still have some twinges, and my lower back still bothers me, but I am getting older and some pain is to be expected.

I never knew I'd meet a miracle worker. Now I can say I have!

2012 Has Arrived!!

2012-01-01T14:23:00.002-05:00

A week has passed and now it's a new year.

I'm started on my Weight Watchers plan, with my daughter's help, and with any luck, I'll stick to it and get into those pants I wore only three months ago!! I'm eating lots of fruit, drinking water and I don't feel hungry!!
I started a small online weight loss support group for some friends of mine. It's a good place for us to chat and be supportive of one another.

Our weather has been amazing. It's January and other than a few snow squalls and the storm back in October, we've had no snow. It's been warm. Today it's to be rainy and in another day or two, it's to be VERY cold. Not really that cold for January, but we've been spoiled by this spring-like weather. In fact, we haven't turned on the furnace yet. We have a wood stove and have been using this on most days. Yesterday we were away all day, the furnace wasn't on. When we came home, the house was 64. That's not bad. Next week, things will change a lot when that cold weather hits us. There's no snow in the forecast though. Last winter I bought a pair of high, very warm, winter boots and have only worn them once. I think it's an easy way to keep cold weather away.

Everywhere around me, people are sick. So far, I've managed to stay well. My husband has has two really bad colds since October and I blame it on the fact that he's around teenagers so often, and many of those kids probably have colds. He needs to wash his hands more!!

And because he's been sick for a few days, we ended 2011 sleeping. We spent the day at our daughter's yesterday, celebrating her birthday. We did some shopping, her husband made dinner and we headed home by 7:30. It was a rough night for him with the congestion. It's a good thing we DIDN'T have big plans to bring in the new year.

I hope this finds you all happy and healthy, and looking forward to a wonderful year ahead. The old year is gone-the new year will be the best ever!!!

Merry Christmas!

2011-12-25T11:08:00.001-05:00

Today my blog is a link to my sister's blog. She says it all.

Merry Christmas to my readers!!

http://14thstreetbridge.wordpress.com/2011/12/24/christine/

Christmas Is Only A Few Days Away...

2011-12-21T17:20:00.002-05:00

Christmas is only a few days away.

For many of us, it's a time of joy, preparation and expectations. For others of us, it's a depressing time because of lack of time/money/family. I think the challenge here is to step back, and think about what Christmas is all about.

Christmas is the celebration of the birth of Christ. Yet many people feel it's all about how much they can get for the holiday. How many parties they go to. How many presents are under the tree. How many things they can give others and get praised for it. And there are still others who don't give a darn about the birth of Christ. They're agnostics or atheists and yet the trees are up, the shopping goes on and the gifts pile up under the tree. I know many people who profess to being Christians and yet they never step foot inside a church and never share the word of God with others. But the trees are up and the presents are piled under the tree.

Don't get me wrong...I don't feel that you HAVE to go to church to be a Christian, but it helps. It's good to share your beliefs with others on a regular basis. It's kind of like a time when you can get refreshed and ready to move on to the week ahead. I don't have a problem with people having parties. I don't have a problem with people going to them. It's not my thing and as a result, we don't go to parties and the last time I tried to have one, only two people out of 40 responded that they would come. I gave up. But my point is that everyone has the right to do what they want, go where they want to go and believe the way they choose.

Just don't tell me how excited you are about Christmas when you don't care about WHY it's Christmas. Have your parties, spend your money, put up your tree. It's not, as they say, the reason for the season.

Christmas is only a few days away. It's time for us to think about WHY we're excited. We're celebrating the birth of Christ-the rest of the things we do really don't matter. They're icing on the cake, but it's really ok to eat the cake plain. Go to church and give thanks. And pray for those who have less. Maybe next year will be better for those of us who have little this year.

Christmas is only a few days away. May you be blessed at this happy time of the year!

This and That...

2011-12-08T13:13:00.001-05:00

It's been a very busy couple of weeks for me.

This is my busiest time of the year. Avon deliveries come more frequently, and I have more customers to deliver to. January is a whole 'nother thing though...In addition to Avon, we have birthdays to celebrate and presents to buy. My grandson's birthday is a week from Saturday and we'll be making a trip to DC to see him and the family. I've had more doctor visits than I ever thought possible. I've had physical therapy for my back, a shot in my back (which didn't help) and four visits to the back doctor. A visit to the throat doc and the neuro doc for my migraines too. An MRI six weeks ago and another one tomorrow, this time for my brain, not my back. I assume I DO have a brain but this test will confirm that.

Today I had a regularly scheduled appointment to get my hair done. It's been a rough few months, hair-wise. I haven't been happy with the style or the color. I'm not sure WHY but it's just been miserable. Today I got it cut short. It's not SHORT, but it's shorter than I've had it in about six years. I like it a lot. A LOT!! And it's darker. I hope it looks as good as I think it does.

Before my haircut, I went to a department store, discount coupons in hand. My goal was to find a pair of dressy black shoes in my price range, which was under $30. This is a pretty high-end department store so I wasn't feeling lucky. Not only did I find a pair of simple black shoes with some glitz on them for $24, but I found a present for my daughter's birthday too. As I went to check out, the shoe guy said that he had something in the store room I might like. Tell me...when was the last time someone in ANY store said that to you? And in the shoe department?? Well, out he comes with a box that had a REALLY cool pair of boots in it. They were apparently put in the wrong area of the storeroom, and when they went on clearance, this pair got missed. They're a half size bigger than my normal size but they fit me well, except the heel is loose. The price? Well, the box says $110 which no one in their right mind would pay. These were, are you ready for this? $4.99! Seriously. FOUR DOLLARS AND NINETY NINE CENTS. I said yes in a heartbeat!! Then I went upstairs to the holiday area and found gifts for my sisters, my brother and a small frying pan for my grandson. He loves fried eggs and this pan will be PERFECT for one or two eggs!

On my way home from the salon, I stopped at the drug store, and voila, after buying heel inserts, the boots fit!

What a great day! I still have a lot of work to do today, but my morning was awesome! What more can a person ask for? A good deal on EVERYTHING I purchased, nearly free boots, and a great haircut!!

Have a wonderful Christmas season. May you be blessed with family and friends around you. My dream is that one day I'll celebrate with my entire family. Until then, I'll just dream. May all YOUR dreams come true!!

Giving Thanks

2011-11-23T10:15:00.001-05:00

Sometimes it's hard to give thanks. I mean, we all have blessings in our lives that we're thankful for. But sometimes, for some people, things are tough and it's hard to find something you're thankful for.

Here's a list of a few things I'm thankful for, in no particular order.

1) My family...my husband, kids, sisters, brother, neices and nephews and everyone else in the extended family.

2) Facebook. Yep. I've reconnected with a lot of people and stay in touch with people like never before. And playing scrabble (Words with Friends) exercises my mind and helps pass the time once in a while.

3) My choir family. Lots of VERY different personalities that come together to (mostly) make beautiful music together. What an amazing group of people.

4) My sister's homeless ministry. It doesn't affect me on a daily basis, but because of her work, it's brought an awareness into my life that I probably never would've had otherwise. And of course my sister is an angel to those she works with.

5) The sun. You all know I'm not a cold weather, winter person. But when the sun shines, I can deal with the cold-most of the time.

I'm sure that if I gave it more serious thought, I could come up with many more things to add to the list. I AM thankful for what I have and pray that I can do without the things I don't have without complaining.

A blessed Thanksgiving to you all, and may Advent prepare you for Christmas, which isn't that far off.

Yes, it smells like Christmas!

2011-11-08T14:26:00.001-05:00

It's been an interesting couple of weeks.

Just two weeks ago we were in New York City, walking (endlessly) and seeing the sights. Then the following week, yes, seven days later, we had a freak snowstorm that dumped over 6 inches of wet snow on us. We were lucky-the hurricane took out the tree branches a couple of months ago so other than a few branches of the butterfly and lilac bushes, we escaped unharmed.

Within five days, the snow was pretty much all gone except for the ugly piles sitting in the corners of parking lots. Even with the warmer weather we're having, there's still a few lingering around, full of stones and dirt. Is it any wonder I don't like winter?

Many of my neighbors didn't escape as well as we did though. Today it's around 72 and I have windows open and it smells like Christmas. You know, that smell of pine trees that makes you happy it's winter, if even for a day. One of my neighbors had some serious tree damage and he had a huge maple tree taken down this morning. Apparently his next door neighbor decided that while the tree people were here that she'd have her HUGE pine tree taken down too. They finished taking it down and now they're grinding up the pieces and the pine smell is permeating the entire neighborhood.

Thanksgiving might be two weeks away, but for today, it smells like Christmas. Maybe this is what Christmas smells like in warmer climes. The sun is shining, the windows are open and the scent of pine is everywhere. Before long, it'll be the smell of turkey in the air and then winter will really be upon us.

I know that there are many people out there who, for various reasons, don't look forward to the holidays. It could be lack of money, or just bad or sad memories around this time of the year. I look forward to having my children here together for at least one day, the grandkids will be around and even if we didn't exchange gifts I'd still be happy.

What makes me sad is that the one thing I'd love to have I probably never will the rest of my life...and that's to spend one more Christmas with my sisters, their children and grandchildren, and my brother and his family. My sisters live so far away...and over the years we've all developed traditions with others, be it homeless friends or in-laws or just friends and family who can be around. Christmas Eve is always hard for me for some reason. Maybe it's because I remember our family going to church together, opening that "one gift" before bed and then going to sleep knowing everyone would be there together in the morning. One year my NC sister and her family were here for Christmas and I remember being in church, crying just because she was there.

I don't need presents, just presence. Maybe someday...

It's Coming...

2011-10-28T15:10:00.000-04:00

A week or so ago, I was wishing that there'd be no rain. We were headed to New York City and I figured we could deal with just about any weather other than rain. We got our wish and had a bright, sunny and chilly day in the Big Apple. Life was good.

This past week we've had a lot of rain, here and there. And it's been much colder, especially at night. Yesterday, for example, it was 36 when I got up at 6AM. Which is a terrible time to get up every day, but worse when it's dark AND cold.

About a month ago someone posted a weather forecast on Facebook. She said that they were forecasting a snowstorm on Halloween. Ha, I said. It's fall, and it'll rain and be cold but snow? Please. And besides, how could "they" POSSIBLY know that far in advance that we'd have a snowstorm?

The amazing thing is that they were right. Here it is, Halloween weekend, and there's a winter storm warning in effect for "the entire viewing area", according to the TV at noon. And if that isn't enough, it's to be that heavy wet snow-the kind that will break branches still loaded with leaves and rip holes in my gazebo tent roof.

So this morning at 7AM, I was out packing up the things under the tent...chairs, all seven of them, cushions, candles, the tiny lights that were strung around the tent, the mesh sides, the hanging baskets and wind chimes. They're all packed in plastic bags, ready to go to the basement. All that's left is the nylon tent/roof. My husband will have to take that down before dark...we got a new one this year and can't afford to lose it to a snowstorm that will dump snow and be melted by Sunday sometime. Yes, we're to have a lot of snow and then a high of 50 or so Sunday-warm enough to have it all melt.

And if that wasn't enough for one weekend, today I was doing my usual cleaning. I picked up a small table that I've moved a hundred times before and pain ripped through my lower back. Did I say ripped? Maybe tore is a better word. I don't even have words to describe how it felt. I called my husband, who came home in 15 minutes, and immediately put the heating pad on my back. Now it's 90% better. There's still a lot of discomfort, but the horrible pain is gone. My legs are ok (which means that my bad disc isn't affected) but it hurts to lean forward or backward. I can DO it, but it hurts. Standing and sitting are ok, and leaning to the right or left is also ok. I'm seeing my physical therapist on Monday so he can tell me what he thinks. For now, it's ok with no medication.

But it DOES mean that I won't be playing in the snow, or helping to shovel tomorrow. I guess making my cocoa mix will be the extent of my "winter" experience this time around.

And that's really ok.

Where else can you see the Naked Cowboy?

2011-10-25T20:58:00.003-04:00

It's been about 6 years, maybe more, since my husband and I were in NYC at the same time. I've been up there several times on Avon business, but never long enough to really DO something. Sure, I went out to dinner, and even saw a musical, but for us to go and hang out in the city...well, it's been awhile.

This past Saturday we went to New York on a bus trip a friend organized. We got up at 5:30 so we could be at the bus by 6:45. We made it with time to spare. (And for my sister in AL, I now know where the "local" Sonic is!)

Earlier in the week, I had a discussion with an acquaintance about how long it would take to get there by bus. She was convinced it would be five hours. I've been on bus trips MANY times and told her it would take about three. She didn't believe me. It took three hours and 15 minutes and when I saw her today and told her that, she said the bus driver must've been speeding the entire way there. I had my GPS with me and the fastest we went was around 74 in a 65 zone. So yes, he was speeding some, but for the most part, we went with the traffic.

We got off the bus across the street from the World Trade Center area. It's mostly behind a fence now, and there's a building across the street where you can see into the work area. The problem is that you need tickets to get in and when I tried to get tickets, they were all gone. So we saw what we could see from outside the fence and started our day.

By the end of the day we'd walked maybe 100 blocks. We did some criss-crossing to get from one "neighborhood" to another but for the most part, we were slowly working our way north. The goal was to go to Strawberry Fields which is about 12 blocks up the west side of Central Park.

Lunch was first on the agenda at the restaurant my husband loves in Chinatown. It's a great place where the locals go...always a sign of a good meal! From there we went to Mulberry Street in Little Italy and got pastries to eat later in the day. We wandered through Soho, Greenwich Village and then Chelsea. We really didn't have a plan, but at one point I thought maybe I could find a pair of much-needed shoes so we stopped in at nearly any store that had shoes that MIGHT fit the bill. I was unsuccessful in the hunt, but it gave us a reason to wander up and down all the streets.

Eventually, we ended up at Times Square. After walking around several streets in the vicinity, we decided to continue on up to Central Park. Along the way we discovered a Jazz Festival. It was BLOCKS long and had lots of vendors and people selling "stuff". We decided that the hot item this year is going to be faux fur things. We saw jackets, vests, hats and other things made from the fur. And it looked SO real!! Once we decided that we couldn't afford anything there, we continued on to Central Park.

It's an interesting place, the edge of Central Park. There's the Plaza Hotel in all its splendor. There are young men and women looking for people to ride in their pedi-cabs. And there are the horse drawn carriages. They're so pretty to look at and the horses actually seem to enjoy walking down the city streets. We found a bench to sit on and watched people (and horses!) for awhile.

With about three hours left in our day, we talked about going the additional 12 blocks to Strawberry Fields. I knew that my legs and feet wouldn't make it, especially with an additional 18 blocks back to Times Square. We started the walk back down 6th Avenue. At one point we decided to look for a little shoe store that we once stopped in. We were either on the wrong street or it's long gone because we didn't find it. We DID, however, find a small Au Bon Pain and stopped in for another pastry (and to use a very nice, clean bathroom!).

After that, we just took our time headed down to mid-town. We got there around 6:00, and had about a half hour to kill before going to the terminal to meet the tour bus. Times Square is all pedestrian now. And they have a LOT of little red metal tables and chairs out there so you can sit to eat, or just people-watch. We were lucky enough to get a table and we watched the world pass by. It was so much fun!

But by then, it was getting darker and it was turning chilly-too cool to sit on metal chairs. So we took a last look around and then headed over to 9th and 40th to meet the bus.

My biggest surprise of the trip was the Port Authority Bus Station. We were there 24 years ago and it was a horrible, dirty, smelly place where prostitutes used the bathrooms to wash up for their night of work. When we walked in, it was like walking into a clean food court-but a HUGE one! There were a few shops but mostly it was food-and just about anything you might want. We stopped in a pizza shop, each bought a slice and went to find our bus. While we waited for everyone to return, we ate our pizza, drank some water and realized just how exhausted we were.

I want to go back, maybe with a plan in mind. Maybe tickets for a show, or a real plan for stores we want to see. We had a GREAT day, but it was really too much walking. Sometimes I forget how old I am and what my limits are. The good news was that my back didn't feel any worse for all the walking, but it certainly didn't help!! My therapist worked really hard on my back today!!

And the Naked Cowboy? Only in New York!

Please, no rain!

2011-10-21T14:32:00.002-04:00

It's been an interesting week or so.

Last week I found out that I have a bulging disc. Five or so years ago I was diagnosed with a crushed disc. Turns out that one is pretty much gone. However, the one above it is bulging, causing me all the back and leg pain. The doctor ordered Physical Therapy as a first step.

I finished my first three sessions yesterday, and I can honestly say that I haven't seen an difference in the way I feel. My back hurts more, which I'm told is to be expected, but the leg and groin pain aren't significantly different. I have six more sessions and then I go back to the doctor to see what's next, if there IS a next.

Tomorrow my husband and I are going to NYC for the day. We haven't been up there for a day in oh, maybe 8 years. I've been up a couple of times for Avon functions but not there long enough for any sight seeing. Every time we've gone in the past, we've had lots of ideas of what to do, what to see and how to get there in the fastest time. This time though, we have NO idea. I told him that we need to figure something out so we don't just get off the bus and stand there looking around. We don't know anyone on this trip-normally we go with friends so everyone has lots of ideas and we pick what sounds interesting. It really will be an "on your own" day! The weather is to be cool but sunny...I'll be happy with anything but rain!!

I just hope I sleep fairly well tonight. I've been really tired all week and the last thing I need is to be tired tomorrow while I'm walking everywhere!!

Just pray that it doesn't rain!!

One Day At A Time...

2011-10-14T15:11:00.004-04:00

I don't easily get sucked into things. I'm a Libra. I tend to look at both sides of an issue, think about it and then decide I'm still on the fence.

A few weeks ago, one of my sister's homeless women was arrested. She has done some seriously bad things in her life, and especially lately, and the law caught up with her. Thank goodness. I suspect, from what I've been told, that had she continued down this destructive road, she'd have been dead soon.

Her life has never been good. She was most likely abused as a child and even when she grew up, got married and had children, she continued to look for something she needed that she wasn't getting from her life. She became divorced and the downward spiral began. She turned to drugs. The seriously hard stuff.

Life became one continuous search for more drugs...looking everywhere, and doing everything to find that next high. A few weeks ago, she was arrested. It's a good thing.

My sister put out a request for people to send her cards and letters. I immediately went out and got a handful of cards. The easiest way to NOT do something is to be unprepared. I addressed them all and about once a week I sent a card with a little note inside the front. I'm not sure exactly why, but this young woman decided I was someone who really cares about her (I do) and started writing me letters.

A week or so ago, I typed her a letter. It hurts to write by hand, even notes inside a card, so I typed and told her how I felt. I don't want to hurt her at all-she's been through enough, but I was trying to tell her that since my sister and her good friend cared, that was good enough for me and I cared too.

Last week I got a letter from her. She's only 33, and knows that I'm old enough to be her mother-well, my sister is too, actually. She calls my sister Mom, so I suggested she could think of me as Aunt Chris. Today I got a very long letter from her. It was about her life both inside and outside the jail.

She's talking with God, doing a 12 step program, having Bible study with several other like-minded women, and she writes letters. She doesn't have a high school education but she's going to get her GED and wants to further her education while she's in jail, up to five years, probably. She's very intelligent. She writes well. She uses words that uneducated people usually don't know.

She has a future. She just has to want it. Some really bad things happened to her during the year or so before she was arrested. She'll have to live with these things the rest of her life. With God's help, and the help of friends who are helping her look forward, she can make something of herself. She might never reconnect with her children but if they'll give her a chance, maybe someday she will.

So I got sucked in...willingly! I now have a pen-pal (no pun intended) and one day I hope to meet my new friend. 900 miles is a long way away. I rarely get to see my sister as it is. I hope that one day I can meet her, and see that she's made the turn-around she wants to badly.

One day at a time...

I guess it really IS fall now...

2011-10-12T10:27:00.002-04:00

The rain is back. They're predicting up to two inches today alone. I don't think there's anything else to say on the subject. Except...

Along with the rain, the cooler weather IS here. I'm glad I did all the clothes-moving on Saturday. Things are clean, organized and relatively tidy. The purging was good too. The things in my closet are all things I wear a LOT. There's nothing taking up space just because I might need it. I feel good about that.

Saturday, I spent two hours looking for drawer paper. Apparently, there isn't any place to buy it around here anymore. When I got home, I checked out Amazon and what I found there was either too expensive or too floral for me. Then I headed to E-bay. You'd think that on e-bay, you'd have lots of choices. Nope. I think there were seven choices. I found ONE kind that seemed to be ok, it was a good price, and they had two boxes. I'm good for two years, I think!!

And then I found two really outstanding deals online. I may have mentioned that I've been looking for navy pants for two years. As I was doing computer work the other night, I saw an e-mail for 50% off anything at my very favorite store. I did a quick search of "dress pants" and found a great deal on NAVY!! I only need one pair (and they even had free shipping!) so I'm good as long as these fit!!

The second deal was on a pair of shoes. My sister sent me a link to a GREAT pair of shoes she was ordering. I had a little time and started looking at various shoe website to see if I could find something in a lower heel in a similar style. I have lots of flats and sneakers but nothing dressy. I found a pair at a GREAT price, and after a 15 minute search, I found a 20% off coupon. As I checked out, they gave me another 5% off for being a "returning customer". I'm not even sure when I used this site before, but hey, 5% is better than nothing. My new shoes should be here by the end of the week. And trust me...as the only dressy shoes I'll own, they'll be seen a LOT!!

And the best part? I've avoided the mall again!!

The Semi-Annual Clothing Move...

2011-10-08T16:03:00.004-04:00

Today I accomplished a lot. I didn't PLAN to but funny how things work out.

We got to bed really late last night because we went to see a band at my son's restaurant. We got to bed around 1AM and had to get up at 7 to get the grandkids ready to take home; well, halfway home anyhow.

As it turned out, I decided to stay here and clean, figuring that I'd lose my energy around noon and if I got started at 8:30, I might get most of it done.

I got all the cleaning done, did two loads of laundry and then sat down long enough to check e-mail. I also looked at the long range forecast and realized that even though we're having "summer" today and tomorrow, things will be getting sharply colder later in the week. I know I'm not going to be wearing any capris or shorts the rest of the year so I started moving clothing around. I was busy for two hours. Not only did I get all of my clothes moved from one place to another, but I found a bag of things to donate to Freecycle and two boxes of things to send to my sister. I'd kept these things for about 18 months and figured that maybe she can put them to better use than I can-I'm not using them at all!

Then I decided to go through a couple of drawers in a VERY old dresser that sits next to my bed. It REALLY needs fresh drawer paper so I took things out and soon I'll be headed out to find new paper. Once that's done, things should be in very good shape.

And the biggest side effect of all this work? I've discovered that aside from a couple of turtlenecks, I don't need a single thing for this winter. Well, maybe a pair of shoes...

Speaking of shoes, have you checked out Toms.com? For every pair of shoes you buy they donate a pair to a needy child. My next pair will definately be from their website.

I'm still not TOTALLY fatigued so I'm off to find drawer paper. But I'm still not ready for winter...

Another sign of fall...

2011-10-04T15:28:00.003-04:00

The sun is finally coming out, after what seems like weeks of rain and clouds. In fact, we're to see sunny skies for the next five days, and MAYBE 80 degrees on Sunday. What a nice way to see summer officially end.

This year, for the first time ever, we've had a number of goldfinches coming to our feeders. I bought an inexpensive goldfinch feeder-the holes are under the little pegs and only goldfinches can eat upside down on them. If you use ONLY thistle seed, squirrels will leave it alone and as a result, we've seen many more goldfinches lately.

But it's a sign of fall and winter coming...the beautiful gold feathers are turning dark on the males, and before long we won't be able to easily tell the males and females apart.

I just hope that they stay around for the winter. I'll keep thistle in the feeder and watch for them every day. Knowing that they'll be beautiful again in the spring is something to look forward to!

Rain, rain, go away!

2011-09-30T14:08:00.003-04:00

It's been raining. A lot. Nearly every day.

Today is the last day of the month. A few days ago I heard that we've broken the total rainfall for the year already and although someone disputes this, we've also broken the total for the month of September. In any case, we've had a LOT of rain.

Minor flooding continues in our area, and the ground is so saturated that my tomato plants are nearly black. Last year I had several dozen green tomatoes to bring in to ripen and we had fresh tomatoes until November. Most of what's out there now is rotting before we even get them picked to bring in. The peppers, on the other hand, love the rain and the cooler weather. They're doing amazingly well. Now if I could figure out what to do with LOTS of hot peppers...

As the month ends, so does the warmer weather. Tomorrow, the high temperature is only to be 55. I'm sure we'll see some warmer weather before fall and winter really hit us, but this is showing everyone that the summer is gone. And this year, I spent next to NO time out in the yard. For some reason, probably because of the rain, we had so many mosquitoes that you couldn't (and still can't) go out without being swarmed and bitten immediately. Just walking to the car is dangerous and when you open the car door, several will fly inside with you. I really don't like winter at all, and LOVE the summer and warmer weather, even if I only sit in the shade and read. This year, I didn't do that one time. I regret that I missed the whole summer by being mostly indoors.

The bugs have been so bad that yesterday it occurred to me that the only "safe" place seems to be in parking lots. I was at a big box store and when I got out of the car, I wanted to rush into the building. Then it struck me that there wouldn't be any mosquitoes there and I could take my time. I've never wished for a frost before in my life, but once we have one, the mosquitoes should be gone. Of course, the warm weather will be gone then too.

There's more rain in the forecast. Yesterday we were supposed to have "showers" and ended up with several bad thunderstorms that had a lot of rain associated with them. So far today, it's cool but there's been no rain. I hope it stays away because there are too many people out there dealing with flooding basements every time it rains.

And it wouldn't surprise me at all if we had snow early.

It's been that kind of year.

Edit on Hope

2011-09-23T22:12:00.002-04:00

Today, my sister went to see Homer and discovered that he'd been drinking non-stop since they'd left him in his new apartment.

The manager said he had to leave. So after less than a day, Homer is back on the streets. No one is sure what to do next-rehab maybe?

But my sister is still out there providing hope. She won't give up on Homer and the others like him.

No matter what, there's always hope, and my sister is there to share it with those she loves.

Hope

2011-09-23T13:00:00.002-04:00

All of my surviving siblings have things they're good at. They're successful and happy people.

My next oldest brother died several years ago and out of all of us, I think he was the least happy. He wasn't happy about being second born...he resented me for a long time because I got to do things before he did, even though I was over five years older. As he became an adult, he found things that made him happy, loved his wife and son, but when it came to the rest of his family, he found it difficult to relate. I remember a time when he was angry because one of his siblings suggested he might have a drinking problem. I don't think he was ever willing to face what was staring him in the face.

We all had difficulties getting over the loss of our parents. We reacted in different ways. Our reactions varied mostly because of our ages at the time. I'd like to think that we all came out the other side mostly whole and good, caring adults.

My surviving brother, for example, has always been a clown. As a little boy I remember him trying to make us laugh...sometimes it was as simple as making a funny face at an inappropriate time that would crack us up. As he grew up and got older, he found his place in the broadcasting world. He loves talking and sharing-he's the perpetual MC. Always able to take control of a situation if need be. When his job was eliminated (and I'm being kind) several years ago, it was difficult. But he came out stronger by finding a job with Habitat and is doing very well-and seems to enjoy his "new" career. He's surrounded by a loving family and loyal friends, a trait he's passed along to his son.

My youngest sister was always the one who got her way. Of course, the baby of the family usually DOES get her own way! She grew up though, to be a loving and caring wife, mother and grandmother. She loves her children without question and would be very vocal, I think, if she had to defend someone she loves against outsiders. She can sell you the shirt off your own back! She's a real people person-and draws others to her like a magnet.

But today I want to tell you about my middle sister. I've mentioned her before-she's the one who works with the homeless people down south. If you read her blog, you already know what I'm going to tell you. She has many gifts to offer. Like my other sister and brother, she has a loving husband and three wonderful sons. She is also surrounded by friends-people who would go the extra mile for her if she needed them to. She loves and cares about her friends, including every single one of the homeless men and women she calls her friends.

What she does best, though, is offer hope to men and women who might otherwise have none. Many of them have no hope. They have no funny brother or outgoing sister to laugh and share with. They have other homeless people for their friends, mostly. And then my sister walks into their lives. Monitarily, she doesn't have a lot to offer them. Emotionally though, she does it all. She gives them hope. Sometimes there isn't much to give. Every year she loses a few of her friends to drugs, alcohol or just illness CAUSED by the drugs and alcohol.

Does she ever give up? No. She will give a man hooked up to feeding tubes hope that one day he'll be better. She also knows how to let them go when it's time. I pray for her every day that today won't be one of those days.

This week she (and her best friend Missy) gave Homer hope. My husband and I were down there to visit two years ago and help with the homeless ministry. I remember Homer. He has the most brilliant blue eyes. I was struck by their beauty and the gentleness of the man behind them. What I didn't realize though, is that Homer and I are the same age. Homer turned 62 and was able to apply for SSI. He got his first check and my sister and Missy helped him find a home. I honestly don't know WHEN he last had a bed with clean sheets to sleep in, but he has one now. He has his own little apartment and I'm sure my sister will be there often to visit, and to make sure that Homer's little niche in this world stays safe for him.

It's a blessing to be able to give another person hope. I think that in our own ways, we all do that from time to time. But to give hope to everyone, every day is a real gift.

I bless my sister for what she does, and today, I think Homer does too.

First you buy a roasting chicken...

2011-09-18T19:05:00.003-04:00

Those of you who know me well know that food isn't my thing. I can cook, I can even be somewhat creative, but in general, I can take or leave it. I don't really have a favorite food but the list of things I don't like is a mile long. I've always been this way so it's not something I acquired later in life.

But when I can save money on food, life gets better! I shop smart, use coupons, take advantage of specials and every so often I buy something unexpected. Sometimes it's a splurge; sometimes it's just something that turns into something better than you'd think.

Last week I saw nice little roasting chickens and bought one-for six dollars. That night, I roasted it with potatoes and carrots and herbs and we had a great dinner. I took off all the leftover meat and put it into a container with the broth left in the pan. A few days later I took the broth and made it into gravy, and added in about 2 cups of the chicken. I made waffles, had chicken gravy on it and we had a tomato salad and applesauce with it. Yum.

But it gets better...there was so much meat left over that today I made chicken spaghetti. Having the chicken precooked saved me so much time! This recipe takes a can of chicken broth, a can of cream of chicken soup, some onion, green pepper (I used canned chilies) and cheddar cheese. The spaghetti part comes from using a cup and a half of broken spaghetti, cooked. It bakes in an hour. Tonight we had tomato salad (can you tell we have LOTS of tomatoes??), baguette and corn on the cob.

I didn't add up my cost, but I'm willing to bet that the three meals I made from that chicken didn't cost me more than $12. That's $4 a meal for two people. I always feel like it's a great thing to not only have really tasty meals but to make them cheap.

I don't think I could've done better with my little chicken!!! We could have a little roasted chicken a couple of times a month, I think, and cut the food costs way down.

The Crazy Train

2011-09-15T08:56:00.002-04:00

A couple of weeks ago I mentioned on Facebook that I was going crazy. I asked if anyone else wanted to go along. I couldn't believe the responses I got! It was really funny.

This week has been kind of crazy. We're just getting over near-record flooding in our area, we've had storms nearly every day, and I've been working and trying to get our kitchen ready to have new flooring installed today. It's been making me crazy!

So yesterday, in the midst of the chaos around here, I posted that I was going crazy again and the post took on a life of its own. "You don't need a ticket, just get on board". I'm paraphrasing The Boss in his song The Land of Hope and Dreams. But it's true. Anyone and everyone is welcome on my crazy train.

Then someone posted that Ozzy Osburne actually had a song called Crazy Train. I'd rather think that MY crazy train is one more like Bruce sings about. His train has saints and sinners, losers and winners, whores and gamblers. And you don't need no ticket, you just get on board.

I started thinking about my personal crazy train. I'm really NOT crazy, although there are those out there who might disagree with that. I just have days where it all gets to me. We all have those days. I say I'm going to run away from home but everyone knows that I never will. No matter how bad things get, home is better than the alternative. I'll take my crazy train on Facebook any day.

My sister Jaye is watching another of her friends die. Don has been on his own personal crazy train for a long time. Two years ago, we met him when he was living under a transmission shop and had more cats and kittens than you could imagine. When I left, I gave my sister money to buy cat food, and Don would come every day or so and get a small bag to take back. I very nearly "stole" a little grey guy the day I left. If I hadn't had 4 at home already, little "Smokey" would've made the trek back from AL to PA in a heartbeat. Don is now in the hospital, and is probably not going to make it, bar a miracle. My sister and her friends watch far too many of their street friends die. It's not easy. You have to be very strong. They are.
Sometimes they're on their own personal crazy train...life tends to be that way once in awhile.

Anyone ready to get on the crazy train today?

Today

2011-09-11T20:54:00.002-04:00

It's September 11th. Like everyone else, I remember it all-from watching the second plane hit the tower live to a full week of wondering if or when the other shoe might drop. The thing I remember most, though, is a friend telling me how sad she was for her son...his birthday is September 11th and she thought it would forever be a sad day for him.

I hope he continues to celebrate his life, just as we celebrate the lives of those who were lost. Yes, many died that day, but instead of remembering the horror of HOW, I want to celebrate their lives. I heard statistics today, and can't remember exactly, but I'm thinking something like 76% of those who died left kids under the age of 18 behind. My friend JoAnne has two of those children. She wasn't in NYC today-she's moved to Florida and is raising her girls there, away from everything they once knew. I'm not sure why she chose to do that but everyone grieves differently and I'm sure she felt that taking her kids to a warm and happy place was right for them. It must be-the girls are growing up happy and healthy-and their dad isn't forgotten.

I remember flying up 5th Avenue one dark night on my way to La Guardia. It was about six months after 9/11. I remember looking down, seeing the flood lights as the men and women worked-24 hours a day I heard. I think they were still in the recovery process at that point. I thought about how brave, and sad, those people were.

Today I heard someone say that those of us who didn't lose someone there shouldn't say how we'll never forget. I think that person was so wrong. As I said to someone earlier, because of 9/11, my two nephews who graduated from West Point went to war. I feared for them every day they were gone. I thought about, and still do, my friend JoAnne who lost her husband that day. Did I lose anyone? No, but that doesn't mean I can't feel for those who did, or worry about what the consequences have brought.

We need to move forward now. The wonderful memorial is done and the families have rebuilt their lives.

We won't forget. Not ever.

The Flood of 2011

2011-09-09T16:34:00.003-04:00

For the past 8 days it's been raining. Not every minute of every day, but close to it.

As a result, here in the mid-Atlantic part of the US, there is massive flooding and damage is going to be in the millions (if not billions) of dollars. Schools are closed because the busses can't get through the flooded roads. Businesses are closed because they can't get employees to work, and even if they could, the patrons couldn't get there. So money is being lost every day by so many people.

To put this in perspective, think of the rain as equal to snow. Generally, ten inches of snow is equal to one inch of rain. Here in my town, we got nearly ten inches of rain-that's 100 inches of snow, assuming it's not the light fluffy stuff or the very heavy wet stuff. About 15 miles away, near Hershey, they got over 15 inches. That's 150 inches of snow.

North of us two hours is the city of Wilkes-Barre. Yesterday fully ONE THIRD of Luzerne county, where W-B is located, was evacuated. They announced today that the flood level is higher than ever before. In 1972, during hurricane Agnes, that area was devastated. Here, we had record flooding, with the river reaching 32 feet. Today it crested just over 26 feet. People are losing belongings, some will lose their homes, businesses will close because they're under 15 or 20 feet of water and even those who have water in their basements will lose a lot.

In 1972, we lived in a town nearby called New Cumberland. We were renting a big old duplex. It had 9 foot ceilings and the rooms were big. When Agnes swept through, we ended up losing everything on our first floor. We lived two blocks from the river, and two blocks from the Yellow Breeches creek...the river water pushed into the creek and we got hit from both sides. We were lucky though...the water didn't quite reach our second floor. Everything upstairs was high and dry. Clean-up took weeks and our landlord took seven months to repair everything. If you put up drywall too soon, and the supports are still damp, everything will warp and you'll end up doing it all again. My son lives in New Cumberland now, and he's also high and dry. But he walked downtown yesterday, as close as he could get on foot, and took pictures. It's amazing to see the old neighborhood looking much the way it did back 39 years ago.

My heart goes out to everyone who's in a shelter or staying with friends or family right now. Not knowing is the worst part. You don't know what you'll find when you go back to your home. In my case, we walked out and didn't go back for 8 days. They used an axe to break down my door so we could get in. Wall paper was peeling from the ceiling, there was mud and silty water all over the floors. Several days later, after moving the washer in the kitchen, my husband found two of our three goldfish alive in a puddle. They lived for three more years in a small bowl since the fish tank was found on the floor two rooms away and was cracked so badly it wouldn't hold water.

But we were alive, and nearly everyone who's suffering right now is alive. The belongings are only stuff. Most can be replaced. Some can't (like the books people signed at my parents' funerals) but it doesn't matter. The stuff doesn't matter. People do. And after the flood waters recede next week, thousands of people will be happy to be alive and not care about the "stuff".

And the sun is supposed to shine tomorrow!!

Tomorrow...

2011-09-05T14:10:00.003-04:00

It's Labor Day. Around here, the schools have already started and this is just the first of the many holidays the kids will get between now and next June.

It's a time for picnics. Usually, the weather is good and having or going to a picnic is lots of fun. This year though, it's been rainy lately, and although it didn't rain at our family picnic on Saturday afternoon, it was on the chilly side and humid. Today my brother and his wife are coming over for dinner. I was hoping we'd be able to eat under the tent but it started raining last night and we have rain in the forecast through Thursday night. We'll be eating indoors.

This is also the first summer I haven't enjoyed being outdoors. For some reason, we've had so many mosquitoes that you literally can't walk outside without being bitten. Just last evening I helped my daughter and her family carry things to their car and I kept moving just to make sure the critters couldn't land on me. In less than five minutes I got FIVE bites on my elbow, four on one leg and two on the other. I swatted one mosquito away and thought, ah ha, I'm good. I was wrong.

Labor Day also signals the real end of summer. Days are shorter and the nights are cooler. We've already had three mornings where the temperature was 54 at 6AM when I got up. Before long, I'll have to put away all of my summer things and drag out jeans, sweaters and knee socks. Some people look forward to the cooler weather and the crispness that fall brings, meaning winter isn't far behind.

Labor Day also means something to me. When my children were both finally in school at the same time, I did something I said I'd do for years...nothing. I took the first day of school, watched TV, read a book and very little else. Since then, my life has picked up the pace, even with the kids grown and gone. I'm always busy with something or other. I'm working, cleaning, ironing, cooking and just trying to stay ahead of the never ending upkeep in the house.

Tomorrow is the day after Labor Day. It's my day. I'm not going to do anything I don't want to do. I've already planned to go work out in the morning, and then after I get home, I'm going to read, watch TV and in general, waste a day. I think that since I never do that, I can afford it one day a year.

I might even go shopping. With cold weather just around the corner, I think I deserve a new sweater! Maybe...

Two Things...

2011-08-23T15:48:00.004-04:00

Two things happened today.

First, about two hours ago, we felt the earthquake that rumbled up and down the east coast. Here, in my house, it felt like a ten second vibration that went right up through my feet. Nothing more. No shaking. Nothing falling off the walls. People two miles away were in buildings that shook badly. My son, about 10 miles away, had shaking pictures and the TV reception was bad for several seconds.

It's entirely possible we've felt the last of it, or it could be the precursor to a big one. OR, as I just heard, it could be that this was the "big one" and we might feel some aftershocks for several days. It'll be interesting to see what they have to say on the news tonight.

The second thing I want to mention is that my sister wrote a short, very moving blog today. I won't write about it because I want you to read about it yourself. All I can say is that it could be that an egg sandwich could just help begin to change someone's life.

http://14thstreetbridge.wordpress.com/

Please take a minute to read and then take another minute to pray for those who have nothing.

School's In (almost!)

2011-08-22T20:54:00.003-04:00

You can tell school's about to start around here.

Saturday afternoon I did some errands and it felt like the week before Christmas. Every store we went into was busy and crowded. It was hard to find a parking space in the lot. I'm so spoiled by shopping either at 7AM or mid-day when everyone's at work, it was really annoying keep bumping into people in the aisles. I guess they were all doing back-to-school shopping at the same time.

Then today I decided to sleep in, until 6:15. I headed to Curves about 10 minutes later and I simply couldn't believe the difference in the traffic that early in the morning. On the way over, it took the usual 9 minutes. But coming home was an entirely different story. Fifteen full minutes, and there were more tractor trailers on the roads/streets than I've seen in a long time.

Yep, school's about to begin!! And I can't WAIT to fight the school busses too...oh boy...fall...gotta love it! (Or not!)

Sunday, again??

2011-08-14T16:36:00.003-04:00

It's been awhile since I've posted anything. And the real reason is that there's not much to report...seems like there's just nothing interesting going on around here!

This afternoon we had some fun though-we were finally, after nearly two months, able to connect with Tessi via skype. She wanted to see her bedroom so we carried the computer around the house, showed her all the animals, and she got to see her room. She also wanted to know what we were having for dinner!! Some things never change. We'll be talking with her again next Sunday...

I mentioned some time ago that I've been making necklaces and earrings. Today I posted pictures of my earrings on Facebook-there's 8 pairs there, I think, and they're all for sale!! I think my biggest challenge is that I love every pair I make and I don't want to give them up. But if I'm going to make anything-even break even, then I need to sell some. I can always make more!

I think Fall is approaching...it's not even mid August but you can tell it's getting cooler at night and even our daytime weather hasn't been very hot. Our windows are open and a blanket is a necessity at night. This is my kind of weather. Not terribly hot but not a hint of cold either. Love it!!

If you're interested in any of my jewelry, please leave me a comment here. I'll be happy to quote prices and get things sent out to you!!

Thursday Musings...

2011-08-04T10:56:00.000-04:00

For the past several months I've been making necklaces. And I've sold three so far! That's gone a long way to helping me recover some of the investment I've made. It's fun and if I could sell a few more I'd be really happy!

About a month ago I took a class on earring making. I did it for the fun of it and realized that I actually enjoyed it. Most of my activities are solitary-reading, jewelry-making, watching TV-so making earrings fits right in! The earrings are really nice too...I make them out of semi-precious stones, glass and crystals, gold and silver findings, and after some trial and error, they look really good! Prices vary, but I'm thinking that even the most expensive ones will only be $15 plus shipping. I'm hoping to get some posted on Facebook and maybe even here too. I sold one pair already-to match a previously sold necklace. THAT was really good for my ego.

My daughter and her family are leaving for their vacation in Spain tomorrow. Today's their packing day and they leave in the afternoon. My son-in-law has been working long, hard hours and they need this vacation. And it's paradise-a beautiful and friendly town. They'll have a great time!! I envy them though...we were there ten years ago and I'd love to go back someday...

It's August, and that means that summer is nearly over and fall isn't far behind. As hot as it's been this summer-record breadking heat on many days-I'm not looking forward to the long cold days ahead. Already the sun goes down earlier and the nights are becoming chilly. After a very rainy spring and a hot dry summer, I'm just not ready for what fall brings.

My baby sister just became a grandmother for the third time and has a second granddaughter! Two little girls for her in four months! Little Marin was born on Tuesday morning and my sister went there to spend a week, fussing over her new grandbaby and spoiling mom and dad! My other sister, who lives in AL, is taking a mini-vacation by going to a beautiful beach in FL for the day tomorrow. It's not a long ride and they'll get there and have breakfast, spend the day on the beach and have a nice dinner before coming home tomorrow night. I hope she has beautiful weather and enjoys every minute of her day away!!

Around here, many people are going on vacation...schools don't open until either late August or early September so people are going away, trying to squeeze in a few more days of fun before the endless days of fall and winter come their way. I can tell they're gone-when I go out at 6AM the traffic is lighter than normal-when I do errands in the evening, there aren't as many cars in the restaurant parking lots. I don't know if we're in the dog days of summer, but everyone seems to be scrambling to get out and do the things they've put off all summer!

And in case you haven't tried them, the Whonu cookies are awesome! They're full of good nutritious things and taste delicious. I tried the soft chocolate chip ones and they're really good!! Get a box and give them a try.

Last but not least, my friend Jessica is now in the semi-final round of competition for Avon voices. There are 16 competing for eight spots in the finals and she needs our votes. If you haven't voted in this round, please go to avonvoices.com, and give Jessica O your eight votes. She's one of only three from the US, and has what it takes to win it all-she just needs our help!! And please tell your friends to vote too. She's a beautiful young woman, both inside and out.

Time to vote...do it now

Heat? It IS July after all...

2011-07-25T16:27:00.003-04:00

Today someone I know said that you'll never hear her say it's too cold.

I'm kind of the opposite. You'll probably never hear me say it's too warm. Yes, I might complain because it's really too hot for where we live, but the alternative of being so cold my whole body aches is not something I look forward to.

This past weekend we went to DC to visit our daughter and her family. Friday it was actually hotter here, at 103, than there, 100 or so, but when you factor in the humidity and terrible air quality, no one wanted to be outdoors. Friday night we went to a concert that was lots of fun, but it was still quite hot when we left there. I heard that the low never got under 80. This is deep south weather, not the northeast.

Saturday wasn't much better. I didn't have much trouble breathing but the heat was oppressive. We drank a lot of water and lemonade and I had something happen that never happened before. I fainted in the car, seatbelted in. Thank goodness I wasn't driving. The entire incident probably took less than five seconds. I blamed the hot weather but now I'm wondering if it might not be a side effect of my new migraine medication. In either case, I don't want to feel that way again.

We had a great weekend. It was fun and we did a lot of fun free stuff. My husband helped my son in law take down two trees in their backyard and in return, he got my new computer all set up for me. Personally, I think he got the worst of the deal...there was a lot to do to make this work for me and he did a great job, especially when he could've been doing fun stuff like raking up brush.

My daughter is bringing the kids up here tomorrow so they can all go to Hersheypark on Wednesday. Then they'll go home on Thursday and start getting ready for their trip to Spain. They leave a week from Friday to spend a couple of weeks with their other grandparents. The kids really look forward to the trip and it's a beautiful place!! A vacation in paradise-how fun!!

Personally, I think that if the location is beautiful enough, you can put up nearly any kind of weather!! Spain would be lovely no matter what!

Another Friday...

2011-07-15T17:45:00.003-04:00

What a week.

It's been hot, for PA anyhow, and we had what they called the second "heat wave" of the summer. In PA, if you have three or more days over 90, it's a heat wave. Makes me wonder what constitutes a heat wave in other states.

We've been pretty lucky-this week it was hot, it didn't storm, and by yesterday it was much less humid and in the upper 80's. My AC has been off for over two days now. All the fans are on and when it's 65 at night, using a blanket suits me just fine.

Today I set up for what I hope is a successful liquidation sale of my Willow House/Entertaining at Home items. Few of the items are in the catalog now and because I'm pretty sure I'm only going to do online parties from now on, I went through my stuff, kept the things I wanted and the rest is up for sale. Pre-sales are going well, but I'm not so sure anyone is going to show up for the sale this evening and tomorrow. I really don't think anyone will be here on Sunday.

Whatever doesn't sell will be packed into boxes and stored for future wedding and shower gifts. All of these pretty things are new and unused so someone will appreciate them one day, I'm sure. Maybe I'll haul them all to my daughter's and let her friends and neighbors have a crack at some good items at VERY reasonable prices!!

In the meantime, I got beads to make earrings and while I'm waiting for everyone to show up at my house, I'll start making some new items. I'm hoping these turn out well and maybe I can add them to the necklaces I have for sale. We'll see. I won't sell anything I wouldn't wear myself so practice should make perfect!!

Next weekend we're headed to DC to visit the kids before they go to Spain for their vacation. Should be lots of fun!!

Envy...

2011-07-11T18:38:00.003-04:00

I just read a blog post about a group of women who went to high school together and after 20+ years, they've started getting together every summer. They're close to one another and you can see the joy in their faces in the pictures that were posted.

I envy them. I don't have any true close friends from high school. In my 12 years of schooling (I didn't go to kindergarten) I attended 7 schools, one for only half a year. You don't make many close friends that way.

In second and third grades I made a good friend and even at that young age, we managed to keep in touch-me moving all over every year or three, and her staying in one place. That's probably how we maintained our friendship. I could always write to her at her home and she'd always write back. To this day we stay in touch. We're not as close as we'd like, but our lives went different directions and she lives four hours away from me. It makes it difficult to be the kind of friends you'd like to be if you lived in the same town.

When I was reading the blog about the friends' reunion, I had two immediate reactions...first was envy. I envy anyone who has a close friend or more than one. I think everyone should have a friend they can sit down with, share a cup of tea and cry when you need to-or laugh when good things happen. I don't have a friend like that. My second reaction was that moving around did me a lot of good-I always managed to fit in somewhere (never with the "popular" kids though!) even though I was nearly always the new kid. I also learned to hide my feelings really well. When you're always walking into a brand new school, you get scared and you don't dare let anyone know it. I'll admit that each time it was a little easier, but finding my place was a very difficult, scary thing. And consequently, I never had those really good, friends-for-life friends.

Today, I have several high school friends that I'm in contact with on Facebook, and rarely get to see. Nearly all of them have moved far away and there's no one left to have that cup of tea with.

It's not until I read about how other people have good friends that I realize what I've missed. My sisters moved away long ago and we rarely see each other. I get lonely. I don't have a close friend-maybe because I never really learned how to make them. My sisters have friends-both from their school years, and now as adults with women they've met since high school. I mentioned one time before how I wished that my sisters lived nearby so we could be the kind of friends as adults that I always wanted. Now at my age, all of those things-making friends and sharing with them-have passed me by.

My sisters, and many of the women whose lives touched mine over the years, have that one good friend everyone needs.

I envy them.

Gold in the yard

2011-07-06T16:11:00.004-04:00

One of the things I like best about summer is bird watching. I have six feeders around my yard; three right outside my kitchen window.

Last year, I noticed that there were some beautiful goldfinches nearby, but never in our feeders. A customer of mine has several feeders so I asked her about them one day. She told me that they change colors in the fall and winter (I never knew that) and that usually you see them in pairs.

While I was looking online for suet blocks for my woodpeckers, I came across goldfinch feeders. I never knew that goldfinches are one of the only birds that can eat upside down. Upon further investigation, I found that they prefer thistle, which is REALLY expensive. But because they're the only birds who can eat upside down, if you use this goldfinch feeder, you're assured that only the golfinches will eat it. Squirrels don't like thistle so they leave the feeder completely alone.

So I ordered one. $16 dollars for a plastic tube with a yellow top and little holes UNDER the pegs they stand on. It arrived, I filled it with thistle. And waited.

And waited some more. It took a full week before we ever saw a goldfinch near the yard. But one day, I looked out the window and low and behold, there was a pair of them eating away. The other finches, who also like thistle, can't get to it because they can't eat upside down. The squirrels don't go near it.

Now I know we have two pairs of goldfinches because one day I saw a pair chomping down the thistle and on the other side of the house, there was another pair eating sunflower seeds. I haven't seen all four of them at the thistle feeder yet, but one day I will.

Hopefully they'll hang around when winter comes. If I didn't have four cats and two dogs, I'd have finches in a cage in my house. Some of them are quite beautiful. Last summer, I was watching the feeder and there were a LOT of house finches and sparrows eating. In among them was a brightly colored bird-smaller than a house finch. I grabbed my bird book and looked for it. It wasn't there. It wasn't until many weeks later when I was at the pet store that I realized that I'd seen a domestic finch! I'm guessing he got out of his house and joined up with a flock of other finches. He seemed right at home.

I never saw him again but I always wondered how he survived when the colder weather came.

For now, I just watch the wild birds that come to my feeders and enjoy them from the windows.

Unexpected Surprise

2011-07-04T13:04:00.002-04:00

Sometimes you get an unexpected surprise. Like finding someting on sale that you've been watching for months. Or you get a phone call from someone you've been missing for a long time.

And then sometimes it's as simple as a flower growing outside your back door.

Last summer I had a bird feeder near our back door. A few random sunflower seeds tried to grow there, but either they died off from lack of a deep root system or they got eaten by the little critters that inhabit our yard.

About a month ago I notice what appears to be a sunflower trying to grow. It must've been pretty determined because it had to be a seed left over from last summer. One of my dogs kept trying to eat the lower leaves but we kept saying no and the little sunflower kept growing, and growing. And growing.

One day I realized it wasn't going to be one of those giant sunflowers where it's all stalk and one huge sunflower at the top. This one looked like it was going to have four flowers.

Was I ever wrong! This one is going to have at least twenty flowers on it and it looks like there's going to be even more unless my dog chomps them off. It's a beautiful surprise outside my back door and never ceases to make me smile.

Enjoy my 4th of July surprise!

Home Improvement

2011-07-02T14:02:00.003-04:00

As nearly anyone knows, I keep my house pretty clean. I have six animals so it's really important to not only keep ahead of the furballs, but to just keep the house clean. I clean every week, and deep clean a room or two as I have the time.

Last summer we did two of our bedrooms over. The carpet was old and everything needed freshened up. They turned out really well-I like my mismatched furniture but every so often I think about how much better it would look if things were "pretty" again.

A few days ago, we finished getting all of the furniture out of our bedroom. There is now stuff everywhere. In our big closet, the computer room and even some in the back bedroom we're using in the meantime. My husband started the seemingly endless task of patching the cracks. Spackle, smooth, dry. Sand. Repeat. Right now we're on the first stage of the task with the spackle and sand part. Later, it'll dry. The spackle is white. Our room was white. Operative word here is WAS. Between radiator heat and the smoke from the wood stove (that you never see), the walls were a horrible shade of grey. REALLY BAD. The new paint, eventually, will make a world of difference. New carpet and then we can move everything back into the room. I'll have a fresh new room!

In the meantime, I've been leaving the attic door open to get a breeze moving through the back bedroom. Two days ago I realized just how BAD the inside of that door looked. So awhile ago I dug out the paint and just put the first coat of white on the door. I can't believe the difference and it's just one thin coat! When it's done, it won't look so bad when I leave the door open!! The only bad thing is that the landing inside the door is the same color the door was awhile ago...a very dingy white. I may end up painting the landing walls and up the stairs. It's one of those jobs where you can hardly stop anywhere. Think I'll wait until the rollers are out and do that space quickly a few days from now.

So how are YOU spending your holiday weekend??

Bargaining

2011-06-29T12:56:00.003-04:00

I've made a bargain with myself.

Over the past year, I managed to gain back five of the 20 or so pounds I lost. It took me 18 months to lose that weight but only 10 months to gain back five. My clothes are tight and I can't afford to buy more.

But I made a bargain with myself. I need to get a new computer, and my son is looking to get a laptop. I figure I can accomplish both by getting myself the computer I want and giving him my old one. I've been saving up the points I get from using my credit card and in another two months I'll have enough to get it and won't have to pay anything for it.

The bargain is that I'm not going to even look at new computers until I lose the weight. So far this week, just by getting back on "the plan", I've lost a half a pound. I'm excited about both losing the excess weight and getting a new computer by the end of the summer. I use it for a lot of things, but mostly for my business so it's not an extravagance. I can use it as a tax deduction and have something with everything I need on it.

The other part of the bargain is that I'm not going to buy one clothing item until at least the end of the summer. A few weeks ago I found a really expensive tank top on sale for $9 and got it, but even the thought of finding something really cheap isn't going to tempt me. Even though, here in PA, the summer is already a third over, I'm not going get anything new. With no vacations and no parties to attend, I don't need anything and instead will wait until fall and splurge on one new item-only at a bargain price!!

Do you ever bargain with yourself?

Sunday again...

2011-06-26T15:41:00.003-04:00

I got my hair cut. A lot. Funny though...so far only one person has said anything about it. Do people not notice or am I invisible? I'm not really sure.

I've been making necklaces for about a year. As time has gone on, I've gotten more creative and I think the pieces I make are nicer than ever. Someone suggested I sell some and someone else suggested I put some on Facebook for people to see. I sold one almost immediately, and actually had another person interested in that one too! I have two more sold to someone else-she's going to buy them one at a time though, and a fourth one committed. I'm going to put the money aside for more supplies and then save the rest to put towards a new computer. Today I signed up for a class in wrapping-wire wrapping beads to make earrings. Once I master that, I might even be able to make earrings to match the necklaces. I hope to eventually learn to wrap larger stones so I can create my own pendants instead of buying them. Time will tell on that one.

I have a list a mile long of things that have to be done before Tuesday. I decide that outside of errands after church, I'm not doing any of it today. I won't have a spare minute tomorrow but the rest of this cloudy day will be spent watching TV, reading and making dinner.

Now that Tessi has gone home, we're planning to start fixing up our bedroom. With any luck, we'll get some of the furniture moved tomorrow into the spare bedroom and my husband can start the long process of patching and painting. We're not going anywhere over the holiday next weekend so I think we'll spend a large part of those three days working in the room. In two weeks maybe we'll have a nice new bedroom!!

Speaking of Tessi, I've been in touch with her a few times via FB chat and she's doing well. She's adjusting to being back home and seems happy, now that she's an "adult" in Spain! I see her friend Ceren online once in awhile too...she was NOT looking forward to going home to Turkey but she told me on Friday that things are getting better. I'm glad...they both had good years here and it's good for them both to be home, beginning the rest of their lives.

Busy week ahead...not much free time for me until after the 4th. I hope everyone has a great holiday, does something fun and has good weather to do it in!

Do Unto Others...

2011-06-24T08:45:00.003-04:00

I've been in sales for nearly 30 years. I know how to treat people. If I don't treat them well, they'll find someone else to buy from.

About a month ago, we decided to get a new mattress and box spring for our bed. I don't even want to tell you how old the old one was, but I can tell you that my kids were still in elementary school. It was time.

My husband loves to shop, so one day he was out pricing at different stores and had it narrowed down to a couple of choices at one store. During a bad thunderstorm, we went out and did some testing. I found one I liked but during the course of the 45 minutes or so we were there something happened. The salesman started pushing. I backed away. "Buy it today and I'll blah blah blah. What can I do to close this sale right now?" And the kicker was "If you don't buy it now, I won't get the sale."

Now, as one who's in sales, there are things you never do. You don't push. You educate the customer, inform them about prices and quality but you NEVER push. Do unto others and all that.

I'd finally had enough and said that we had to think about it and he STILL kept pushing. I walked out. My husband said a few kind words to him and followed me out. In the car I told him that I would NEVER give my money to that man. Never.

We drove down the road to another place where we bought, practically on the spot, a new foundation set. The woman was friendly, educated us on all the different choices and then said to go try them out and she'd be at her desk. I decided right then and there that she would get our business. She got it.

Fast forward to this week. Starting next week we plan to FINALLY re-do our bedroom. Doing so will require us to sleep in the spare room for a week or so. (It's going to take a long time to patch all the cracks in there!) I layed down on the spare bed and knew right away it was time to replace it. With my bad back, I could never sleep on that bed for a night, much less a week.

So my husband went out shopping again and last night we went back to the first store where he'd found a good deal on something he liked. As luck would have it, the same salesman was there, and if it's possible, he was pushier than the last time. After pushing us to sign right then, I finally said no, we are NOT ready to decide tonight and we left. He acted annoyed. You can NEVER act upset or annoyed if your customer doesn't buy. They won't forget that.

We went back to the store where we got our recent bedding and Rose, our sweet saleslady, was there. We told her what we wanted and she directed us. We made our purchase a half hour later. And the interesting thing was that she said she'd been busy ALL day...customers non-stop since they opened. The other guy acted like he hadn't seen a customer all day until we showed up. I wonder why???

Do Unto Others Indeed!!

CH-CH-CH-CHANGES!

2011-06-20T14:07:00.003-04:00

Well, it's been a long couple of weeks. But the time has just flown by!!

Tessi is safely home in Spain. She left here on Friday with mixed emotions. She didn't want to leave, but she was also looking forward to being with her family. We chatted a bit on Facebook last night and she's settling in-but still on our time-it was 2AM and she couldn't sleep yet...it was only 8PM here. I did what any good mother would do-I talked with her for five minutes and then told her to turn off the computer and try to go to sleep. I think she did.

The two weeks before she left really did fly by. We did a lot of "last" things...a day at our daughter's house watching the little ones play soccer and shopping in stores I'd never seen before. A going away party at church (with cake!). Lots of small trips to stores for last minute things. A few gifts to take home.

One thing we discovered was very interesting. She had four boxes full of things she needed to take home. We packed up one box and took it to the post office for a price check. $70 for a 13# box. We took the box home. I had a HUGE suitcase in the attic and with careful organization we fit everything in. We figured she'd pay for an oversized and overweight suitcase and it'd go home with her. Wednesday evening, a friend stopped by. He travels quite a bit and suggested we use regular sized suitcases and keep them under 50# if possible.

So I dug out two other suitcases and we carefully transferred the stuff into them. The only things that didn't end up being packed were her school papers. They're tucked away in a safe place and the next time she comes "home", she can take them if she still wants them.

At the airport we were all holding our breath-would they be under 50# or not? The first bag, the free one, was under 50#. The second one, which costs $50, was 49.3 pounds. Whew. Sigh of relief. The third one which was $100 ended up being well under the 50# limit. So for far less than postage, she got all of her stuff home at the same time.

Her friend Ceren went home to Turkey on Saturday. She wasn't looking forward to going home and I think it was harder for her to leave than it was for Tessi. We went over to say goodbye to her and she was VERY sad. If there had been some way for her to stay in this country, I think she would've. Now she's talking about coming back here to go to college in a year. Time will tell!

In addition to all of this, I've been working, cleaning and getting the house into shape. In the next couple of weeks we'll be getting ready to re-do our bedroom. It's been WAY too long and because we didn't want to pile all of our things into Tessi's bedroom, we put it off. My next job, in my free time, is to find a color for paint. The carpet will be navy blue, the bedspread is chocolate and I'm thinking a very pale taupe for the walls. Any suggestions??

Another new beginning...this time with Tessi home in Spain!!

Sunday already?

2011-06-12T14:46:00.005-04:00

Just for the record, I don't like air conditioning.

I've been complaining for months about how cold I am, and then bang! Instead of spring, we've gone straight from cold and rainy to hot and humid. Two weeks ago we didn't have any of our AC units installed. They're all in now and our house is cool. I guess.

We have one unit that's installed in the wall of the new part of the house. It's on a 1-10 switch. Four seems to be too cold (the room goes down to 73 and it blows on me so much I have to wear long sleeves and at least knee length pants. My feet freeze. If you turn it up every so slightly, like 4.25, it zooms up to 80 within five minutes. So far, in the past two hours, it's been anywhere from 73.3 to 80.2 in this room. I hate it.

The bedrooms aren't much better. They're all on regular thermostats that you can set. If you set all three of them on 75, one room is very warm and another one can be very cold. It's frustrating to say the least.

Yesterday we went to DC for Tessi's last visit to see our daughter and her family. Their house has central air, which they keep very comfortable...not too cool and not too warm. It was a little on the chilly side for me but it was perfect for everyone else. Then we went to a kid's soccer game where it was at least 94 with very little breeze. It was VERY hot when you factor in the humidity. Afterwards, the girls decided to do a little shopping in downtown DC. The stores were FRIGID! At one point, I wanted to give up browsing just to go outside in the heat. These particular stores were PACKED with people-Zara and H and M. Very trendy, great clothing and decent prices. Lines a mile long for the fitting rooms. But they were also very cold! We did considerable browsing and ended up buying very little. It was a fun few hours for everyone from the ten year old to me. We also got some Orangina and Lemonade. Funny how such a small thing can taste SO good on a hot day!!

Tessi is busy doing "last" things. Today was her last Sunday at church and we had a little reception for her-cake, bagels and lemonade. Three of her favorite things. Everyone said goodbye to her and wished her well. Since she's been here, she's only missed three Sundays-one when her family was in NYC and they went to church there, and two weeks when she was sick. She had better attendance than some of our regular church-goers. When everyone was gone, she said she was feeling a little sad. The rest of the week is going to be this way, I think.

Packing is well underway and by the time the end of the week rolls around, I think she'll be done doing the "last" visits with her friends. Dinner with a friend tonight and something planned every day this week. Jubilee Day is on Thursday so her last full day in the US will be spent walking downtown, eating all kinds of food-both PA and others, and none of it healthy! Funnel cake, fried mushrooms, hot sausage, strawberry shortcake...and a hundred other things. It'll be a fun day for everyone.

So the end is getting closer. Four more full days, then a trip to the airport. She's keeping her phone so that when she's sitting in Newark for seven hours she'll have something to do. She can call people, text others and keep busy while she's waiting. We'll turn the phone off on Saturday. She can't use it in Spain anyhow...

So it's a busy week here between "last things", work and the last of the packing. Next Sunday Tessi will be at home, going to church with her family and catching up with her friends.

And things will never be the same for any of us!

The one with all the little comments...and a recipe

2011-06-04T14:48:00.003-04:00

Did you ever get a haircut that was just awesome but you can't do a thing with it? My stylist did exactly what I asked her to do and I walked out of there feeling great. I'm not sure if it's the products I'm using, the brush and blowdryer, the new flat iron or if it's just me. I think it's me.

Three days ago it was in the mid-90's. Two days ago the high was around 70 and it was 53 when I got up at 6AM. My perfect day would be 80, no humidity and some warm breezes. We had that yesterday. Today it's cooler, we're in long pants and the rain is to start soon. It hasn't rained since, oh, maybe Monday. This is spring?

I'd love to go somewhere. Other than work and church. Don't get me wrong...I really don't mind working and I enjoy church, but I need a vacation. June 4th and I already know it's not going to happen. My kids are going to Spain in August and I hope they send me lots of pictures to see.

Tessi will be home two weeks from now. She's started packing boxes to ship home and has taken down her pictures. It's still her room but it's not the same.

She spent the day at Hersheypark with a lot of friends yesterday. She had a GREAT day riding "every ride". Today she's too tired to stay awake.

She's going to graduate on Monday. She passed all of her classes and is thrilled that she wasn't one of the ones called out of the class meeting yesterday. Those kids won't be walking on Monday night.

I am SO tired of constant migraines. The rescue meds make me queasy but they usually take away the pain. It's a trade-off. This one has hung on since Thursday morning.

We got a new mattress and box spring on Monday. It's really nice but I'm not sleeping any better. The pain in my hips and legs is really bad at night and just to make it more interesting, I had cramps in my calf muscles for several hours. I don't think it's the bed. Like my hair, I think it's just me.

And here's the recipe...

Beef and Mushroom Stew

2 pounds sirloin, cut into bite sized cubes, trimmed of all fat, coated with flour
and salt and pepper
12 oz mushrooms, cleaned and sliced
1 onion, finely chopped
1 clove garlic, finely chopped
1 T olive oil
2 T butter
1 can beef broth
2 sprigs thyme
2 T flour

Melt butter with olive oil in a large deep pan, add beef and brown on all sides. Remove to a plate. Add onion and garlic to pan and cook a few minutes. Add mushrooms and cook for five minutes. Add beef back to pan and add beef broth. Add thyme. Cover and simmer on low for four hours. Put flour into a little water, stirring well. Add to stew and cook for several minutes to thicken a bit.

Serve with noodles and hot bread. Serves 4-6.

Iced Hot Chocolate

2011-05-31T20:10:00.003-04:00

Here's an easy summer drink for you.

A friend of mine was at Hersheypark last summer and bought an Iced Hot Chocolate. She came home and perfected it and she shared it with me. I made it tonight and it's wonderful. Make one and enjoy!

1.5 cups crushed ice
Enough skim milk to cover the ice
1 packet of hot cocoa mix, dry
1 healthy squirt of Hershey's chocolate

I used a stick blender to make it but you could probably do it in a regular blender.

It's cold, refreshing, fairly low in calories and DELICIOUS!!

LOTS of Random Stuff

2011-05-30T18:33:00.003-04:00

So how did you spend your holiday weekend?

It's been busy around my house. We planned to have a birthday party/family picnic for yesterday and for the first time in what seems like weeks, the day dawned sunny and promised to be nice. It was. It was HOT! We had around 20 people here for the usual picnic fare and after nearly everyone was gone, we had s'mores around the fire pit. Funny how you learn things quickly. Next time, we'll start a small fire with twigs and do it ahead of time. Last night's fire was smokey but we had wonderful s'mores!! Tessi got some great gifts and she and Ceren shared the cake.

Today we did lots of different things. Tessi spent the night at Ceren's house and while she was gone this morning we prepared our bedroom for the arrival of a new mattress and box spring. When we got our last set, the box spring didn't come in a split version (yep, it was that long ago) and we had to bring it through the bedroom window, after removing not only the window but the frame, and hoisting it up onto the porch roof. Thank goodness my brother was able to help. This time, the delivery people were doing the hard work and were removing the old foundations. The challenge THIS time was getting the box spring out. My husband ended up taking a circular saw and cutting it in half so they could take it out via the stairs. While the pieces were out of the bedroom, we were able to clean under the bed and I was amazed that it was as easy as it was. Lots of cat fur and some dust but it was a pretty quick clean up.

The new pieces were put in place and I headed out to buy a new dust ruffle. You'd think that would be easy. But I need one 18" deep and not ONE store I went to had that size. Now I'm rethinking my plan...I might try to find a bedspread that goes to the floor and forget all about the dust ruffle completely. I think it'll be cheaper since the dust ruffles I found were over $40 online.

While I was out I did a few other errands...Tessi needed a couple of things and I needed a flat iron. Several months ago my sister gave me her old one, but for some reason I feel like it's pulling my hair. Tessi got a nice one a couple of months ago and I used it twice and really liked the way it worked. So I got one today. Why now? Last Friday I got my hair cut. Not only is it several inches shorter but it's really layered. It's a challenge though...it looked REALLY nice when my stylist did it, but in the past three days, well, let's just say it looks like I did it without help, which is exactly right!!

For months I was complaining about the cold. Today my car said it was 97. Now I'm fully aware that many of you reading this live where that's not unusual at all. But you need to remember that I live in Central PA where the average temperature for this time of the year is around 75. We had weeks on end of cold rain and just last week, we had a night of rain and damaging winds-and three tornadoes touched down. (This area averages under 3 a year and so far we've had 11 confirmed.) Ten days ago I was wearing long sleeves, jeans and a sweatshirt. Now it's difficult to get cool. The heat gave me a migraine today. I don't want to complain though because I'd really rather be too warm than too cold. I'd just like to see a little spring before the heat wave begins. This weekend we'll get the AC units put in. Until then we'll have to deal with 85-90 degree heat in our bedrooms. Thank goodness the evenings cool down some.

Because we were so busy, I never got my recipe posted on Friday. So today, three days late, I give you Tessi's NEW favorite meal. Because it's not exactly like the original recipe, it doesn't have a real name. I'm calling it:

Delicious Chicken Burgers

Take three Portugese rolls and slice them lengthwise. (These are about 5 inches long and crusty.) Bake in a 450 degree oven until lightly browned. Set aside.

In a bowl, mix together 1 pound of ground chicken, about 1/4 C bread crumbs, 3-4 T of BBQ sauce with a kick, one egg and 1/4 cup milk. Make a meatloaf-like mixture. Then add in about a cup of shredded extra sharp cheddar cheese. Mix well.

Divide the chicken mixture into six equal portions and spread completely over the rolls. It'll be about a half inch thick-maybe a bit more. Bake at 375 for 30 minutes or until the cheese looks completely melted.

I had planned to have these for three people, but we ended up having 1 and a half leftover. They're very filling and I served mine with pierogies but you could have chips or fries with them. We'll be having these again before Tessi goes home!!

One last thing...my friend Jessica is now one of 100 semi-finalists for Avon voices. There were over 6000 entries from around the world and she's moving forward. I need EVERYONE to vote for her. This round, you'll be given 18 votes. Please use them all voting for her!!

Here's the link...http://tinyurl.com/jessicasing

If you aren't registered, it only takes a minute. Please go vote for her!!

New Favorite Website

2011-05-24T13:01:00.003-04:00

Take a few minutes to check out www.nomorerack.com.

You'll be glad you did! I discovered this website on The View one day and although I don't purchase often, I simply love the few things I've gotten. They post eight new items every day at noon, and they're for sale for 24 hours. Today I ordered a nearly-$500 watch for only $48. I had $12 in nomorerack credit! And shipping is only $2 per item.

Check it out every day. You never know when you'll find something at a price you can't afford to miss. Name brands at up to 80% off!

If you use this code when you register, we'll both get a $10 credit the next time we shop!!

http://www.nomorerack.com/?cr=361913

Have fun browsing!!

Friday Recipe

2011-05-20T14:47:00.003-04:00

Here's an easy one. If you're watching calories/points/carbs or anything else, you can enjoy this cake without guilt. Don't read it too fast or you'll miss it!!

Pineapple Cake (was 3 point for 1/8 of the cake under the old WW rules)

1 instant angel food cake mix
1 can of crushed pineapple in its own juice, not drained

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Do not grease an 8x13 pan. Glass and metal work equally well.

Gently stir pineapple into cake mix until it's all moist. Don't beat it...just stir gently.

Pour into pan and bake 30 minutes or until done.

Serve with fat free whipped topping.

No one will know it's a low calorie recipe!

Enjoy!

Changes

2011-05-18T13:29:00.002-04:00

Things are changing.

This year, not only is Tessi graduating from high school here in America, but I have a nephew and niece graduating as well. These two are the babies of our extended family and it seems like forever since my daughter, the first to finish school, actually graduated. And I guess it HAS been forever. My daughter finished high school 22 years ago, several years before the current graduates were even born.

Tessi turns 18 next week. She's excited about being "an adult" but I've tried to explain to her that as long as everyone is paying her way for things, she's not an adult quite yet. Until she gets a job and becomes somewhat self sufficient, she won't have "grown up". We laugh about it, but it's true. She's excited about finishing high school but has no real plans for her future. Sure, there are things she's interested in, but right now she's more interested in going to parties with her friends when she gets back to Spain, and travelling. I hope that in the next month we can show her that she needs to become responsible for herself and her future. She listens, at least.

Speaking of Spain, we have four weeks now until she goes home. It seems like just yesterday we made the decision to have her come to live in our home, then it was Christmas and now graduation is closing in on us. Tessi is thinking more and more about what she's going to do at home, is looking forward to seeing her friends again, and being with her family. She's started listening to Spanish music more lately...I think she's beginning to make the break from us. We'll always be a part of her life and family but she's moving more and more towards her future away from America. I don't even think SHE realizes it yet.

Once finals are over we'll have about two weeks to get everything packed up and into boxes-what won't fit into her suitcases! She leaves on a Friday and Ceren, her friend from Turkey, leaves the next day. It's going to be a difficult two days-Ceren is like a part of the family now too.

Everything is changing. Except the weather. We get teased with a day or so of really nice, pleasant weather, and then we get rain and storms every day for 7 days straight. I'm still wearing winter things, although under my sweatshirts I'm wearing SHORT sleeved shirts now. We've had nearly constant rain since last Friday, and it's not to end until this Saturday. The good news is that my herbs are doing well in the rainy weather-it's not COLD but I guess even the 60's we're having is good for them. My shallots are up several inches and a week or so ago, during a break in the rain, I planted garlic. Even some of those are coming up. If my herb garden does well, THAT will be a big change. I don't have a green thumb and I'll be amazed if things continue to do well!

The next month will bring a lot of changes. All good, I hope!

Friday Recipe, two days late

2011-05-15T21:34:00.003-04:00

It's been a busy week and I'm a couple of days behind in posting. Here's a recipe I tried tonight for the first time and it was awesome! A really good way to use spinach without it tasting like spinach!

Spinach Frittatas-serves 6. About 15 minutes to prepare, 30 minutes to bake.

8 eggs, well beaten
1 C skim milk
1/2 C shredded cheddar cheese
1/4 C finely diced onion
2 C fresh spinach
2 t olive oil

Mix the eggs, milk and cheese and set aside. In a small frying pan, cook onions in oil until soft and then add the spinach. Cook 2-3 minutes until the spinach wilts. Drain water off if necessary. Set pan aside to cool.

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Spray a 12 cupcake pan with non-stick spray.

Add spinach/onions to the egg mixture and stir well. Using a small ladle, fill each cupcake pan until 3/4 full. Bake for 30 minutes or until done.

Salt and pepper if you like and eat warm.

This was really delicious and I served it instead of a vegetable. Everyone liked them!

So How Does YOUR Garden Grow??

2011-05-11T14:50:00.000-04:00

Before I start this I have to give you a disclaimer. I'm not a big fan of gardening. The bugs love me and I hate them. I can barely sit outdoors on a chair for any length of time because the little buggers swarm me.

I'm a summer person-I love the heat. But I tend to enjoy it mostly from inside because I hate bugs.

So this year I decided to get ambitious. Last year, I planted a few herbs around the side of my house. That was a mistake for two reasons. One, they weren't conveniently located to my kitchen so I often forgot to use them, and two, the east side of my house doesn't get a whole lot of sun after noon.

A couple of months ago I discovered that three of my last-year herbs came back. Of course they ARE perenniels which I never knew. I moved them to the back, sunny side of the house. One of them didn't survive the move and the other one did-in fact, the chives are a foot tall now and look wonderful. I went to the garden store a couple of times and bought more herbs. And some shallot bulbs.

I planted them along the back of the house and two of them ended up around the corner of the house in a still-sunny spot. And because I read that shallots need sun, I planted them along the brick edging near the herbs. (If you look closely at the picture, you'll see little green sprouts. Those are the shallots.) I decide that what I have isn't enough...I forgot about dill completely and when I went back to the garden shop today, I found that there was another kind of chives and other kinds of a couple of the herbs I already had. Without counting, I have around 14 plants going now.

And today, when I got the dill, I intended to get more shallots. They were out of them so I bought garlic. Now you need to know that garlic isn't my favorite "seasoning". But I DO cook with it and it stores well, so I planted about 15 cloves to see what happens.

My gardening is complete. There aren't any bugs out yet so it was a pleasure doing the bit of work I've done to create my herb (and shallot and garlic) garden. I'd like to get mulch so it looks nicer, and I'll have to do some weeding from time to time but I'm happy.

The picture here is one I took a couple of hours ago. I'll post more as the garden grows.

The next project will be planting peppers and tomatoes...that'll be my husband's job. He digs, plants and ignores the bugs.

Just think...I'll have fresh spaghetti sauce in a couple of months!!

Friday Recipe

2011-05-06T13:48:00.002-04:00

Today I'm going to give you the recipe for the soup I'm making for dinner. It's really good so make sure you double the recipe if you have more than four people. I serve this with crusty bread and salad.

Enjoy!!

Baked Potato Soup

Five generous servings

INGREDIENTS
• 4 large baking potatoes (about 2-3/4 pounds)
• 2/3 cup butter
• 2/3 cup all-purpose flour
• 3/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon white pepper
• 6 cups milk
• 1 cup (8 ounces) sour cream
• 1/4 cup thinly sliced green onions
• 10 bacon strips, cooked and crumbled
• 1 cup (4 ounces) shredded cheddar cheese

DIRECTIONS

Bake potatoes at 350° for 65-75 minutes or until tender; cool completely. Peel and cube potatoes. In a large saucepan, melt butter; stir in flour, salt and pepper until smooth. Gradually add milk. Bring to a boil; cook and stir for 2 minutes or until thickened. Remove from the heat; whisk in sour cream. Add potatoes and green onions. Garnish with bacon and cheese.

Nutrition Facts: 1 serving (1 cup) equals 469 calories, 28 g fat (17 g saturated fat), 86 mg cholesterol, 563 mg sodium, 41 g carbohydrate, 3 g fiber, 14 g protein.
Test Kitchen Tip: Real bacon bits work great for the garnish if you don't have time to cook bacon.

Random Wednesday

2011-05-04T12:53:00.004-04:00

Last week we ordered two new dog beds. They arrived today in very small boxes. They were vacuum sealed and EXPLODED when I cut the tape. They're huge (50") and the dogs love them.

I had cereal for lunch. I haven't felt 100% since Sunday morning and cereal sounded good.

The Hawaiian Chicken BBQ was a big hit. It's going into the monthly rotation of menus. Who wouldn't love something that takes two minutes to prepare and tastes awesome?

Sunday we went to an opera in Northern Virginia-actually a half hour from our daughter's house. A friend from our church choir is an opera singer and she was in the show. It was funny and awesome. Good way to spend a rainy afternoon.

One of my son's best friends is getting married in Cancun this coming Monday. He couldn't afford to go so he's house sitting for them. I hope they bring him a great present.

My herb garden is planted and I'm excited to start using them in my cooking. I have ten different ones planted and they smell terrific!!

It rained again. Or rather it's been raining nearly every day at some point for a long time. I've seen standing water in places I've never seen it before and people who have never had water in their basements are losing everything they had in there.

And as I watch the pictures of what's happened down south, the rain seems somewhat insignificant around here. At least those who've lost furniture because of the rain still have a roof over their heads.

One of my sister's best friends moved to our neighborhood this past weekend. Her garage is nearly across the alley from our house. I stopped by last night with a pot of tulips for her to plant in her new yard. She'll be a good neighbor.

Another day, another migraine.

Maybe tomorrow will dawn sunny and warm, and maybe I'll even feel better!!

Friday Recipes

2011-04-29T19:55:00.002-04:00

Enough people have said that they like it when I post recipes that I decided that I'm going to post one recipe every week. Most of these are ones I've tried or have saved to try based on other recommendations. This one came highly recommended and I'm making it one day next week. Or maybe tomorrow. Enjoy!

So today I give you:

Hawaiian BBQ Pulled Chicken Sandwiches

Ingredients
• 3 pounds Boneless Chicken Breast, Thighs Or A Combo Of The Two
• 1 whole Onion (large), Sliced Into Chunks
• 1 can (20 Oz. Size) Pineapple, I Recommend Nibblits Or Crushed, Drained But Reserve The Juice If Using (See Note Below)
• 1 bottle (18 To 20 Oz. Size) BBQ Sauce Of Your Choice (Our Favorites Are Sweet Baby Ray's Or Open Pit If We Want To Give It A Little More Of A Kick)
• Hamburger Buns Or Kaiser Rolls

Preparation Instructions

If you use frozen chicken, make sure it is completely defrosted. If you cook it frozen, it will indeed cook but it will make a very “wet” sauce. Place your chicken in the bottom of the crock pot. Top with onions, then pineapple. Pour the entire bottle of BBQ sauce over the whole thing.
Note: If you want a sweeter BBQ, add up to half a cup of the pineapple juice you drained, depending on how sweet you want it. This is optional.
Turn your crock pot on LOW and cook for 8–10 hours (or on HIGH for 4–6).
An hour or two before it is finished cooking, carefully remove the chicken from the crock pot and shred it using two forks. Watch out, it will be hot! Place chicken back in the crock pot and stir well to combine. Finish cooking an additional hour or two so the chicken can absorb most of the sauce. Serve on hamburger buns and top with coleslaw if desired.
Note: When I had made it with Sweet Baby Ray’s and pineapple juice, it was a very sweet Pulled Chicken. It was great, and everyone loved it. But I have to say, using Open Pit BBQ Sauce and no pineapple juice was hands down our favorite! It had just the right amount of sweet and vinegar that we love in a good BBQ.

Easter Wrap-up

2011-04-27T12:16:00.003-04:00

A week ago yesterday I wrote about the week ahead.

It's over. Way too fast. And just this morning, a full day after the last person left, I realized that I didn't take ONE picture while we had a housefull of family. Not one. I felt like I wanted to call everyone and tell them to come back so I could get that Sheely/Hafner picture that I wanted. But since three of them are in Spain (safely arrived home) and seven others are two hours away, it can't be done.

I feel really badly that I didn't get that picture. Weeks ago, Tessi told me she wanted a picture with her two moms. We didn't even get THAT picture. I can't blame being busy because once dinner was out and ready to eat, my time was pretty flexible.

Monday and early Tuesday were VERY busy but Sunday went really well. I think everyone got enough food and enjoyed the dinner and desserts!

Tessi's family is awesome! We all got along really well and I think that if we lived near each other, we'd be good friends. All three of them had wonderful English skills and we had very few communication problems. I only wish they'd been able to stay here longer...two days wasn't nearly enough!

Two months to go and lots to do. I've been waiting for warmer weather for a long time and now we'll zoom into summer and then it'll be time for Tessi to head back to Spain. So much to do, so little time.

Goings and Comings

2011-04-20T12:58:00.002-04:00

This week is going to be one for the books.

Yesterday my daughter and her family arrived mid-afternoon. Around 5:30 we had 14 people here to celebrate my granddaughter's 10th birthday. We had so much fun, sitting around eating pizza, subs and cake-and laughing. It was a fun party.

After everyone left, the kids got ready for bed and my daughter and her husband got their last minute things ready to pack for their trip to Mexico today. The house was awake early today...people getting ready for the trip to the airport, one getting ready for school and the kids and I were getting ready to work all morning. My husband did the airport shuttle run and Tessi got off to school and the kids and I loaded the car for deliveries. Shortly before we left the house I realized that we had two people headed to Cancun at the same time Tessi's family was in the air, headed to the USA!

So they're going and coming. Tessi is going too-to NYC on Thursday evening to spend a few days with her mom, sister and her sister's boyfriend.

And by Sunday, we'll have 17 people here for Easter dinner. I only wish that my brother and his family could join us, but they always do holidays with his wife's family. Twenty people wouldn't be much worse than 17, would it?? Hopefully, they can stop by before her family goes home on Tuesday!

It's going to be fun getting to meet Tessi's family, and in the meantime, it's fun having my grandkids here. They read a lot, play outside when it's not raining and for the most part, entertain themselves very well. And they're really a great help to me. They tidy up, put things away and on Saturday while I'm making food for dinner on Sunday, they're going to help clean the house.

Now if I could just find somewhere to go, things'd be great!!

A blessed and happy Easter to everyone! Are YOU going or coming??

Thursday Thoughts...

2011-04-14T17:06:00.002-04:00

I just heard that one of the daytime shows I watch has been cancelled. I started watching One Life To Live when I was 17 and saw the very first show. I know that these shows aren't gathering much money for the networks now, but I feel badly that another show I like will be gone. Happens all the time in primetime and I hate that too. More REALLY worthless TV time during the day now. And lest you say that the "soaps" are worthless, it's really good entertainment and I know many smart, well-educated people who watch them.

I have an herb garden. A month or so ago I moved all the herbs I'd planted last year to the back, sunny side of the house. Two of them survived the move but the others haven't shown any sign of growth since then. So I made a quick trip to the garden center and brought home seven herbs. My soil is ready for planting so I took a half hour, put them in and watered them. Funny that I needed to do that since we've had nearly 2 inches of rain in the past few days. And this close to the house, maybe the rain didn't soak in very much. The ground was barely damp. Last year I couldn't find cilantro, I guess since I didn't get around to buying herbs till well into the summer. Now I have two kinds!!

The fake baby situation went well. Tessi was exhausted, and claims that she will NEVER have a baby. At one point she was saying stupid baby stupid baby as she tried to quiet it, after having been awakened five times the night before. We had very interesting reactions to her pushing the baby around the Mall in DC...most people did a double take, realizing it WASN'T real, someone commented on the teenager with the doll, and one young boy loudly said to his mother that "that girl is a teenaged mother". It was a real awakening for her...not that she was planning a family any time soon. But it drives home that it's SO important to be older and have a partner to share the care with. She was VERY glad to give the baby to her "husband". And they did well-they got an 87 and considering that, at one point, she didn't care if they failed, it was a good grade.

We're having a real taste of spring today. It's around 70 and sunny. After several days of near-constant rain, it's a real treat. Tomorrow it's to cloud up and then Saturday we're expecting another full day of rain. But I think we've turned the corner and will see more nice days than bad ones.

One of my favorite stores had everything on sale at half price today (and through Monday) so I took some of my Christmas money and got a few new summer things. I think I'm set now! All I need is the weather to wear them!

I saw the voice therapist yesterday and am officially being treated for Irritable Larynx Syndrome. No medication, but lots of dietary changes and breathing exercises. I know a lot of people who would NOT do this-no caffeine or de-caf products at all, no tomato based stuff, no spicy foods, no chips, pretzels or salty nuts, no chocolate...the list goes on. But if I can get rid of this chronic laryngitis it's worth it!! And the good news is that I'm allowed to sing since it's good for what ails me!!

A week till Tessi goes to see her family in NYC and then a few days more till they all come here for a visit. We can't wait!!

More Stuff

2011-04-08T20:52:00.002-04:00

The trip to NYC was great. I got to see some people I hadn't seen in five years. The bus trip there and back was a pretty awful time but the time there was worth it. Really.

We are the proud "grandparents" to Tessi's new baby for her Sociology class. She has the baby until Sunday morning and then the "father" gets it until Monday afternoon. Two diaper changes, a bottle and a burp, so far. She says she never wants to have children and she's only been a mother for 6 hours.

We're going to DC tomorrow. We couldn't go last week because Tessi was sick, but now we're headed south, regardless of the cold, rain and possible government shut-down. No museums for us if it's raining. Maybe.

I made chicken spaghetti again for dinner. It went over very well and there wasn't a scrap left. I also made an apple pie. Tessi's Turkish friend had never eaten apples other than in the raw state so I made a pie for her to try. She said it was ok. I think she was being polite. I think I'll let her try applesauce next.

My friend Jessica (known to me as Jas) is a finalist for Avon voices. Her page is up and voting begins on April 22nd. Everyone is allowed to vote 75 times. So please bookmark her page and go back on the 22nd and VOTE for her!

http://www.avonvoices.com/en/profile/wTcMwB

My sister had another good post today. The link is here on the right. Please take the time to go read it and comment.

I think What Not To Wear is one of my favorite shows. I think I'll watch one I have on DVR. Now!

Stuff

2011-04-05T15:50:00.003-04:00

Last night around midnight we had another car crash in front of our house. No hit and run this time-the guy stopped because his car (and the one he hit) couldn't be driven away. We called 911 again and the same officer responded. It's beginning to become a regular thing around here.

Tomorrow I'm going to NYC for the day. There's a big Avon event going on and I've been lookng forward to this for months. My challenge? Daily migraines (sometimes two) that just wipe me out. I hope tomorrow is a better day for me.

One of our friends had to put her greyhound to sleep this morning. Finn was a frequent overnight visitor to our house and our dogs got along so well with her. She'll be missed by many of us.

Speaking of greyhounds, we're going to foster one in a month or so. Some tracks (maybe all of them) in FL are closing and they have many dogs that need moved out to find good homes. Since we have two already, we won't fail Fostering 101. Someone will want a good cat-safe dog that can go up and down stairs!

One of my favorite blogs (pioneerwoman.com) has a whole page of cakes listed today. They look, without exception, delicious. And of course I'm back on WW for the duration trying to lose the four pounds I've gained. Cookies and cake are NOT good things for trying to maintain your weight.

There's a report out there saying that 25% of all baby boomers feel they'll never be able to retire. They didn't ask me, but I'm in that 25% group.

Last night there was horrible weather down south. I'm thankful that my sister and her friends made it through safely.

There's a possibility that the tuna migrating from Japan to the West Coast could be contaminated because of the radiation. I'm really glad I don't eat tuna (or any other fish for that matter).

We're going to attempt going down to DC this weekend. Everyone seems healthy and if the weather cooperates, we're going to see the monuments and have a belated birthday dinner. Should be fun!

Have a good week!! I hope to!

Chicken Tacos

2011-03-31T12:51:00.004-04:00

Every day I read several blogs. One is by a newly-single mom of 6 and her trials and successes. Another is by my sister and is about her homeless ministry.

One that I stumbled across quite accidentally a year or so ago is this one,
http://thepioneerwoman.com/. Sorry, I can't remember how to make it a link so maybe when this posts, it'll come in "link" form. Anyhow, I fell in love with this blog, partly because there are several sections to it and each is great by itself. Before I started writing today I was going to say that the food blog was my favorite section but I'm not so sure. Every section has giveaways, at least one a week. Some days it's a 35mm digital camera; other days it's an i-pad for doing a movie quiz, or some other kind of quiz. Yesterday it was a wonderful knife set. You just never know. And in case you think I've won something, the answer is no. Most of her contests have over 20,000 entries. Seriously.

Today my favorite part was a recipe she posted. I'm a pretty boring cook-I don't burn things but I'm not very creative. This blog has helped me expand my cooking horizons and I've made things like chicken spaghetti (not at all what you'd expect), delicious corn chowder, chicken pineapple fajitas, beef and mushrooms and today I discovered one for chicken tacos. I've never really cooked much using Mexican spices and ingredients but because Ree lives in OK, she often has recipes that not only use these ingredients but sound wonderful. And they are.

So today I'm sharing the Chicken Tacos recipe. It looks easy and I plan to make these as soon as I get all the ingredients pulled together. Enjoy!

Chicken Tacos

Prep Time: 10 Minutes | Cook Time: 30 Minutes | Difficulty: Intermediate | Servings: 8

Ingredients
• 16 whole Corn Tortillas (small Size)
• 4 whole Boneless, Skinless Chicken Breasts, Cut Into Pieces
• Salt, Cumin, Chili Powder To Taste (or Use Taco Seasoning)
• 2 Tablespoons Canola Oil
• 2 cans (4 Ounce) Diced Green Chilies
• 1-½ cup Finely Grated Cheese (cheddar Or Cheddar/jack Mix)
• Sour Cream
• Hot Sauce (Chulula Or Other Brand)
• 2 cups Thinly Sliced Romaine Lettuce (or Any Lettuce)
• 4 whole Roma Tomatoes, Diced
• Canola Oil, For Frying Tacos

Preparation Instructions

*Be careful frying with hot oil!*

Season diced chicken liberally. (You can use dry taco seasoning if you like.)
Heat 2 tablespoons oil in large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the chicken and cook for a couple of minutes. Dump in the diced green chilies. Stir and cook until chicken is totally done inside. Turn off heat and set aside.

Have all other ingredients—grated cheese, sliced lettuce, diced tomato, sour cream, and hot sauce—ready.

Also have a plate ready, as well as a stack of five or six paper towels to hold in your hand.

TO FRY

To fry the tacos, heat a couple of inches of canola oil in a heavy skillet over medium-high. Place some chicken in the middle of a tortilla, then fold tortilla in half. Clamp the tortilla shut with a pair of heat-proof metal tongs, then carefully lay the taco—one side down—in the oil. As you lay it in the oil, use the tongs to hold the top side down for a few seconds to form it in place. Once it stays put, repeat with two other tacos. Turn tacos after 30 to 45 seconds, or when each side gets light golden brown (not too brown.)

One at a time, remove tacos from the pan with tongs, holding sideways as you remove them to allow oil to drip out of the sides. Place the taco in the stack of paper towels. Fold the sides and corners around the taco to tightly hold it, then give it three or four shakes to remove excess oil. Remove it from the paper towels and place on a plate. Repeat with other tacos in the pan.

As you continue frying the other tacos, have someone carefully place some grated cheese inside the tops of the tacos (gently pry them open just enough to place the cheese in). Then just let them sit until ready to serve—the cheese will melt as it sits in the warm taco.

To serve, garnish in this order: a smear of sour cream, dashes of hot sauce, shredded lettuce, diced tomato. You’ll need to slightly open up the tops of the tacos to get all the garnishes in there.

Tacos will be hot for a minute or two after frying, so don’t rush into eating! They’ll stay nice and warm for a little while after frying.

A new day, a new baby!

2011-03-30T14:00:00.003-04:00

I've been really busy this past week or so. There isn't really anything to chat about, but suffice it to say that I haven't had much spare time.

My days seem to go like this...

Up at 6. Out of the house by 6:20. Work out. Go to the grocery store and then get home around 8:20. Put away groceries, freeze meat in separate packages. Eat something. Shower and get ready to go to the eye doctor to choose ANOTHER set of frames because the lab refused to put lenses in frames that our vision care didn't provide. That little chore took over two hours. Then to the grocery store AGAIN for five items that I forgot at 7AM. Home, made bran muffins and let the dogs out. Closed a Willow House party and checked e-mail. And it's only 2PM. This day is going to drag forever.

However...yesterday my sister's only daughter was induced and after nearly 17 hours, her first granddaughter was born. As I was checking e-mail, I realized that there was NO news there about this so I headed over to Facebook and the news there kept me busy for over a half hour. Apparently I missed a FB party last night, which lasted until wee Bailee was born. A number of my sister's friends, along with my other sister, hung out online and talked about many things. I didn't try to read it all because there were over 525 posts. Chatty bunch. But I did find pictures and my newest great niece checked in at 7#14, 20" and has strawberry blonde hair, which is what her own mother (and her grandfather!) have.

As busy as I've been, my niece has been busier, adding a little bundle of joy to the world. My love and best wishes go out to Krista and Brandon, and my sister, who are welcoming Bailee Kate to the family. And my lucky sister is going to welcome ANOTHER granddaughter in four months. Can't wait to see her too!

Here's a picture of Bailee, with her lovely mom in the background. Enjoy!!

And before you know it...

2011-03-21T17:13:00.002-04:00

...another week has gone by. They say time flies when you're having fun so I'm just going to say it's been VERY fun around here lately.

Our "temporary" exchange student left on Saturday morning for a trip to the Western US...Vegas, the Grand Canyon and LA. She's having a great time.

But before she left, we had five more people staying here on Friday night-family and a friend who arrived early and our great little Turkey Girl were all here. We had space for everyone to sleep and at 5:30 Saturday morning my husband drove her to the airport.

Later Saturday we hosted a party for my mother-in-law's family. About half of them came and we had 34 here from around 5 till close to 11. Enough food for 60 people and a huge cake for dessert. It was fun and exhausting. Thank goodness my daughter helped me out...extra hands are always welcome when there's a lot of people around!!

Yesterday we had a brunch to go to and when we got home I had laundry to do, and a lot of paperwork to catch up on. I finally had a chance to sit down around 8PM.

Today it's back to normal. Most of my bowling friends are complaining because it's Monday...today, I'm kind of glad the weekend is over. At least during the week, I have some semblance of a normal routine!! But I'm glad I was able to see everyone and spend time with my kids and grandkids! I wouldn't trade THAT for anything!

This afternoon I finally got in to see the ENT about my cough and laryngitis. I won't bore you with the details but things are generally ok. I seem to have something (as I understand it) like chronic laryngitis. It started with the bronchitis and because I'm still coughing and clearing my throat, it's just not going away. In two weeks I go to a voice therapist in the same office for some therapy. I'm not really sure what that means but I'll find out. If it helps me get rid of my laryngitis, it'll be worth the cost. Too bad therapy isn't completely included in our medical plan. I'll manage somehow. In the meantime, I'm to rest my voice. Ha ha. I have to talk with my job and although I won't be screaming or yelling, it's going to be difficult to "rest".

Here's to resting!!

BUSY!

2011-03-15T09:53:00.004-04:00

We're so lucky.

This past Saturday we got another exchange student! She'll only be with us for a week or so because she's moving to a new home. She's a good friend of Tessi's and it's been fun having a couple of teenagers in the house at the same time. I know we'll be very sorry to see her leave but she'll be back often for study and movie evenings!! By the way, she's from Turkey and is taking Spanish in school so Tessi has been helping her!!

What this means is that I have less time to do anything for a few days. The girls have late arrival at school two days this week and I have my usual busy things to do around here, so I might not find time to report in as often for awhile.

Saturday we're having our annual family birthday party for my mother-in-law's side of the family. We're expecting 30 people and my main job between now and then is to figure out enough places for everyone to eat dinner.

Fun week ahead at the international Sheely household!

So...what's new where YOU live?

Two minor rants...

2011-03-11T20:00:00.003-05:00

Rant number one.

Six days ago we sold my husband's car.

Today I had to buy new eyeglasses. Let's just say that even with what our (lousy) vision plan covers, I spent an entire car payment on them.

For the past two years I've battled with my current glasses. They've never fit correctly and even after being adjusted often, they continued to aggravate my migraines and slide down my nose.

This afternoon I found out why. For the first time ever, I was told that I have "two strikes" against me when choosing the right glasses. The bridge of my nose is wide and high. NO ONE has ever told me this. And it's probably the biggest single reason why my glasses for the past twenty years have felt bad. Because of the whole migraine-aggravating situation (just having glasses sitting on my nose can cause one) the optician suggested two styles of glasses, neither of which I had ever considered before. They're really expensive but he told me that the sample ones I tried on would fit EXACTLY the way the new ones will. I could barely feel them on my face. My current glasses are designed for the "average" face. Guess I'm not average, in this way at least! Eighty percent of all glasses are made for the average bridge. Ten percent are made for a narrow bridge, and the other 10% is made for the broad bridge area. And women tend to have narrow bridges and men have average ones. So if you're a woman, chances are, finding glasses that fit well will be a challenge.

Anyhow, I picked out the frame I liked better and the color (gold) and placed the order. It went pretty quickly since out of the thousands of frames there, only two of them were good for me. And charged a car payment's worth of money to pay for them. The good thing is that I like them and he told me they WILL be comfortable to wear and will NOT aggravate my migraines. Now I have to wait two whole weeks to get them. I hope I'll last till then.

And now a small rant. Today I heard that the Westboro Baptists are coming to Central PA to stage a protest at the funeral of seven young children who died in a fire three days ago. I don't know what they said specifically, because I don't listen to such drivel, but these people have to be stopped. I understand about first amendment rights and respect them. But I also feel that if the people who say they're going to block them do it EVERY TIME they show up somewhere, maybe they'll go away. Maybe not. But the thing is...if the antiprotestor protestors stand quietly and block their view of the church over and over again, they'll have to realize how much of a minority they are. They won't dare step on private property because someone would arrest them. But doing what they do by standing near a church or across the street from it is apparently within the law.

My first "experience" with them was several years ago. My nephew was in the Marines, flying helicopters and stationed in Djbouti in East Africa. A freak accident took place and two copters collided. My nephew, thank goodness, was grounded that day, but several of his buddies were killed. Two or three of them were from this area and one funeral was about four miles from here. I had planned to attend the funeral on my nephew's behalf but a family member died and his funeral was the same day. Later, on the news, I saw what that "Christian" group did at the funeral. I was appalled. This family was grieving the loss of their son and these people made a mockery of them.

Tuesday morning they plan to come back to Central PA and do it again. A peaceful show of non-support might help. It certainly can't hurt.

Highs. Lows. No Middles.

2011-03-07T14:51:00.003-05:00

The past few days have been a series of highs and lows.

Some of the lows have been hearing about people retiring, planning and taking vacations (from three days to three weeks) and really awful weather. Weather related lows include heavy steady rain yesterday and last night and then while we slept we got several inches of snow. But of course I had no idea until I got up at 6:05, got dressed, brushed my teeth, put on my coat and then called Curves to see if they were open. They weren't. Then I realized that there would probably be some sort of school delay so I settled in on my chair, wrapped in a blanket and watched the news, only to find out there was a two hour delay. So by 6:40 I knew what the day would be like. Tessi got to sleep in an extra two hours and I had nothing to do but watch the same news over and over. Before the snow, there was ice so all the crazies were out on the highways running into each other. One stretch nearby had three accidents within four miles.

Another low is this constant coughing and larygitis, which has been going on for just over two months. I have an appointment with an ENT but not till the 21st. So I talk; my throat aches. I sing; my throat aches. I cough. I get migraines nearly every day. (From coughing? From the weather?? I'm not sure.)

The other day my sister called me and I returned the call. She had called accidentally and we ended up talking for a few minutes. While I was talking to her I realized that my phone had been in my purse for a whole day and I never missed it.
I might get one phone call every couple of days and I only make calls to my family. How sad is that,LOL?? Why, exactly, am I paying for a phone anyhow?

The highs have been pretty good though. Saturday we sold my husband's car. That's a mixed bag-we're glad it's gone and we're not making any more car payments or paying insurance on it but my husband no longer has a nice car to drive. But it's gone and hopefully we won't need to replace it anytime soon. I'm getting a small rebate on the Sirius radio that I JUST paid for a week ago. Hey-any little bit of money is a good thing! I used my gift certificate at the bead store on Saturday afternoon and made a BEAUTIFUL necklace. I couldn't have afforded the supplies without the gift certificate. It was a nice "belated" Christmas gift!

Last night I looked on E-bay to see if I could find some pretty pendants to use for necklace-making. I should've looked there a long time ago. I already won 2 at dirt cheap prices and have one ending later this afternoon. Maybe I can start making gifts, if I can bear to part with them!!

Tessi's family is coming to America in April, around Easter. Tessi will take the train to NYC to meet them and then a couple of days later they're coming here. We'll be having Easter dinner here this year so they can join us. I wish they could be here for church (after all, we'll be at church Thursday, Saturday and Sunday) but it's not going to work out for that. They'll stay here a couple of days and then go back to NYC to fly home. We're all looking forward to meeting them!

My sister is going to visit her middle child, her son, on Thursday. She's really looking forward to not only getting away but spending time with him and his wife. I think she's really excited to just have some mother/son time with him. Her older son and daughter both live close to where she lives and she gets to see them often. She's told me that she misses not being geographically close to her middle kid and this is going to be a very exciting time for them all.

So why is everything either high or low? No middle ground for me, at least not lately!!

New Beginnings

2011-03-03T13:10:00.004-05:00

First, a disclaimer.

I don't like to garden and I don't have a green thumb. I don't exactly KILL things but if I'm outdoors, likely there'll be bugs and if there are a hundred people in the yard, the bugs will all swarm around me. I like the FRUITS of a garden though. If my husband plants tomatoes or peppers, I'll pick them, cook with them and freeze what I can't use right away. Last year I planted a few herbs. It's a good thing they sort of tend to themselves. I often ignored them and they still gave me a decent crop of seasonings well into the fall. We have two cherry trees and I pick, pit and freeze them. Fresh cherries in the middle of the winter are pretty good!

I don't grow much indoors either. We have one cat who likes to eat not only REAL plants, but silk and artificial ones. The end results of that are never good, if you get my drift. In the winter, I bring in the three pots of umbrella plants I have so they don't freeze, and then take them back out in the spring. And the cat ignores THESE plants for some reason.

This year, an early frost hit on a night we weren't expecting. I immediately brought in my three plants and knew that two of them were fine. One of them, which was easily 6 feet tall, was going to lose its few straggly leaves to the frost. This plant was more like a tree, with the leaves all at the top, and a "trunk" about 1.5 inches around. I decided to try something. I got a hand saw, and cut the tree off about 2 feet from the soil in the pot.

For the next three months I watched it, watered it, and nothing happened. Then about a month ago, literally overnight, I noticed something. All up and down the trunk there were little signs of growth-nine spots in all. The following picture is what the tree looks like now.

The amazing thing is that I really never did anything to encourage it to "get well". The kitchen is the coldest room in the house, rarely getting over 68 and quite often around 60 early in the day. This plant has decided to have a new life as a smaller plant with lots of green. Several of the places where new growth started have lost that growth, but there are still five spots that are doing really well.

I can't wait to see how it does out in the sun when it gets warmer! It might be really pretty! And I'm ready to go buy more herbs. The ones I moved don't seem to be doing very well-within a week after I moved them we got 6 inches of snow and then cold driving rain. I'm not going to dig them out just yet but I AM ready for new herbs for my cooking efforts.

Is Spring ever going to come to Central PA?

A Seinfeld-like blog

2011-02-25T13:32:00.004-05:00

I read a number of blogs every day. Two or three days ago, one of the bloggers said she didn't have anything to blog about that day but she ended up putting up a pretty decent post after all. The TV show Seinfeld was all about nothing, and was quite successful, but somehow, I feel that if I have to post something about nothing, no one will read it. (And I never liked Seinfeld so I'm not sure how this will go...)

This winter, at least three of my cats have been sleeping beside and behind me on my chair. In the summer, they're usually found sleeping on a window sill where the window is open or laying in the sun by the back door. This year, we got a new storm door and it's completely glass. One day last week, I found Fez, our almost-15 year old cat laying at the door. Here's the picture.

My cats are getting older. In addition to Fez turning 15 in April, Barney will be 14in a couple of weeks. The other two are approaching 8 and 9, I think. Even the dogs are getting older. Lindy will be 10 in the middle of March, and River turns ten just a few days before our granddaughter turns 10. We live in a home with aging animals. It's going to be difficult one of these days.

Last night we were to get VERY heavy rains and wind. Turned out that we got rain and no wind. However today, it's turned sunny after a drizzly, rainy morning and now the winds have started. The sun is mostly gone too. When it's windy like this, my dogs don't do well. The noise scares them and if they're not hiding (and it's hard to hide a greyhound), they're pacing and panting. Once the wind gusts start, it'll be worse. I guess March is arriving early.

Tessi is having a friend over after school. This girl is another exchange student named Ceren (pronounced Jeren, like Karen with a J) and she's from Turkey. She's a really nice girl and is staying for dinner and then they're going to watch a movie. They'll have a fun evening! Girls' night in!

Still coughing, still have laryngitis that comes and goes. Seven weeks and counting. It's making me crazy, or CRAZIER!

Maybe there'll be something interesting going on this weekend that I can make a fun blog out of. Maybe not, LOL!!

Have a great weekend!!

Updates

2011-02-22T15:02:00.002-05:00

We did get some slush the other day. However there was a second storm behind it, coming from another direction and last night we got six inches of snow. The schools are closed AGAIN and poor Tessi has gone from "yea, it's a snow day" to "when will we make up THIS day?". She and a friend built a snowman today though-the snow is soft enough to roll so now we have what they're calling an Italian snowman who can't talk. He has no mouth.

Today was Avon day...that means that my house is totally trashed for several hours and then it's cluttered for a couple more until people pick up their things or I get them out to them. With the snow, things are likely to be a little behind.

Last week we had record breaking heat. Tonight the forecast is for record breaking cold. They're predicting 10 as the low, but the weather guy said that it's to be clear and it's likely that it's going to get much colder than that. So in five days we'll have gone from over 70 to near zero. Gotta love February. Not.

Tessi and her mom are going to work on planning the dates for their trip to the US. Skype really helps since you can talk live and get immediate reactions and good discussions going. I'm anxious to find out when they'll be here. I can't wait to meet her family!

Another day, yet another migraine. Enough said.

Tonight is the Cheerleading end-of-the season banquet. It should be fun. And for those of you familiar with Jo Jo's here in town, there's going to be a buffet with subs, pizza, pasta and who knows what else!! Great meal ahead...and good photo opportunities too! Pictures to come!

So...for those of you who are planning vacations this year, where are you going? And can I live vicariously through you? We're not going anywhere but I enjoy hearing about what everyone else is doing! And I LOVE pictures!

Stay warm!

Sunday. Again?

2011-02-20T19:46:00.002-05:00

Spring is gone. Early winter has come back and is taking its place.

Friday and Saturday we saw temps in the 40's...creeping towards 50 but compared to the over 70's, it was downright cold. Tonight we're to see cold rain and snow, but they tell us that the snow will be slush on the ground-no accumulation. I'm not ready for warm weather yet-my summer clothes just aren't ready for wearing, so I'm happy sticking with what I have. But watch out when they tell us that Spring is here-I'll be digging those clothes out pretty fast!!

A few days ago Tessi ordered new glasses and while I was there at the store, our local "big box" place where you can get massive amounts of items you really don't need, I got a car dock for my Droid. The thing is amazing. Along with an app allowing totally hands free usage, the thing KNOWS when you put it in the dock and lets you know. I'm not sure WHY I need to know it's in the dock since I just put it there, but it does. I made two calls, and both of them were good-I can talk easily and hear easily. Now when I go to my daughter's I can talk on the phone in MD if I need to. They have a totally hands-free law and you can get a ticket for using a hand held phone. I'm good now!

Last night an old building a few blocks from me, now apartments, burned down. It was a big brick building and when I drove by today, I looked at it and can't figure out how it can be restored. My guess is that they'll probably have to tear it down. Such a shame...everyone got out safely though, so that's good.

Today I heard that Tessi's mom loves my blog. Teresa, I'm really happy! Now if you just tell me what you want me to write about, I'll see what I can do for you!!

Have a great week, everyone!

A Mini Heat Wave!

2011-02-17T15:02:00.002-05:00

I'm not whining today! It's February 17th and as you can see, we're havin' a heat wave! Now this isn't totally accurate. It's actually 67 outside, but in the direct sun it's over 90!! Inside the house, with windows open, it's around 70, a bit warmer upstairs.

Yesterday when I let the dogs out at noon, it was probably 62 out so I took forty minutes and did some weeding. We have flower beds around part of our house so I weeded and then raked up some of the detrius that's collected since fall. As I was weeding I realized that most likely, the ground hadn't frozen at all this winter. It IS close to the house and some of the earth I was digging was powdery-not even wet. As I worked my way around the house, mostly digging up wild garlic that was at least 6 inches down, I got to my little herb bed. As I raked, I looked closer and saw that four of the plants had tiny little green shoots coming out. So I quickly "transplanted" them to the back, sunny side of the house. That's where they should've been in the first place, and now with sun and warmth bouncing off the light colored siding, I'm hoping they make it. If not, then I'll buy new plants and put them in at the right time.

I finished my raking and gathered up a large box full of stuff to get rid of...most likely it'll end up in the composter. It's too heavy for me to carry out there, but my husband will get it there and dump it for me, hopefully tomorrow. And the ground is ready for whatever I plant this year-pansies maybe??

Tomorrow is to be just as nice as today, however the high Saturday is to be 45 and then there's a chance of snow in the forecast between Sunday and Tuesday. Time will tell...

But for now, I'm loving this "spring" weather and if I have to close things up for another few weeks after today, I won't mind quite as much.

A Very Random Wednesday

2011-02-16T11:24:00.004-05:00

I was thinking about what my first sentence would be today. I was going to say that a lot has been going on...but in reality, that's not true. I'VE been busier but not doing much that would be of any interest at all to anyone else.

As I've mentioned before, I've been sick, in one way or another, since the middle of December. Now, not all of the days have been BAD ones...but I truly haven't had one day where I got up in the morning and said WOW! I feel good today.

It's entirely possible that I'm going to cough forever. I had a really bad case of bronchitis, and I'm still coughing six weeks later. Some days are good, some aren't. So Sunday I made a decision. Instead of staying in bed when I'm exhausted in the morning, I'll get up and move through the day as though I felt "normal", whatever that is. I've been seeing customers, working out every day, doing paperwork, reading, sweeping outside and doing errands. And yes, I'm still SO tired when I drag myself out of bed in the morning. Today, for example, I got up at 6:10, worked out, did my grocery shopping, came home to put it all away and then I showered and went back out to make my banking deposit. (And waiting in line for over 20 minutes with seven other people is unacceptable. The poor guy at the drive through sat there TEN minutes until the ONE teller was able to wait on him. People all around me sighed, shuffled their feet and were clearly impatient. I noticed, during my time in line, that they've taken down the clock. Wonder why THAT happened? I'm giving serious consideration to changing banks. Note to self...check out other local banks.)

ANYHOW...I got home at 11:20 and sat down to check e-mail, coughing like crazy. I'm tired...REALLY tired. But I'm going to plow through my day and hope that one day soon I'll get up and have that WOW day.

Some interesting news...Tessi's family is hoping to come to America for a visit in late April. They're pricing tickets etc, and plan to do a few days in NYC and then come here. They'll all be staying here-they have no idea how big our house is and that other than only having one bathroom to share, everyone will have a bed to sleep in! They're hoping to go to DC and if it works out well, they might be able to save even more money by staying with our daughter and her family. My son-in-law works in downtown DC and can probably shuttle them back and forth when he goes to work. Everything is in the planning stages right now, but it's going to be a fun and exciting time for everyone!! (And we're HOPING to extend Tessi's stay here till the end of June. Maybe we can actually take a short vacation with her after school is out instead of packing her up to go home almost immediately.)

We've had a few "warm" days. Up to near 40 and sunny. Nearly all the snow in our yard is melted, however, if you go to any parking lot, you'll still see piles of snirt 3-10 feet high. Tessi asked me yesterday if the melting snow meant we wouldn't have any more. I explained to her that one of the worst snows we ever had was in the middle of March and we got over 36 inches in 24 hours. It melted rather quickly but we were truly housebound for three full days. NO one was allowed on the unplowed streets for those three days and as a result, my daughter got back to college from her spring break two days late-we couldn't get our cars dug out until a plow came through the alley out back...the college was open and said that her professors could've given her all zeros for those days because she wasn't there. It was her last semester in college and they were kind, let her make up the work and she graduated with another 4.0 that semester.

We're hoping that there isn't more snow. This week we're supposed to hit 60 on Friday and I'll have the windows open and will be praying that the groundhog was right!!

Yesterday I had something very funny/strange happen to me. I was doing paperwork, and had the Nate Berkus show on. At the end of the show they gave a car away to a viewer, and the viewer then chose a number at random and an audience member ALSO got a car. Imagine my surprise to see someone I know jump up as the winner! I kept thinking "that's Ellen, that's Ellen" and sure enough it was. My goodness!! It's always fun to see people win things but to see someone you KNOW win was amazing! Ellen worked for Avon in NYC and was laid off back in November. She and I have crossed paths for about 14 years now and she's so deserving! Congrats Ellen!!

Yesterday I also got something via UPS that I earned from Avon. It was a 32" LCD/High Def TV. Last fall there was an incentive that lasted for about 8 weeks and you had to accomplish certain things to earn a TV. I made it, by the skin of my teeth!! Yesterday, my TV showed up at my door. My husband got it set up last night and now we have a wonderful new TV to watch...and a very good "used" TV to find a home for. I can NOT have one more TV in my house, LOL!!

Last but not least, I want everyone to please take a few minutes to go read my sister's blog. I mention it from time to time, and it's something that we all need to hear. We all see homeless men and women on the streets. She goes under the bridges and into the woods to spend time with them, and to help make their lives better through prayer and friendship. She's lost several of her friends in the past couple of years and she understands that this is going to be a part of her work.

Please read her blog, bookmark it and come back to read more. They need money but they also need prayers. This is NOT a plea for donations. It's simply a moving, informative story of her life with her friends who normally don't HAVE many friends and I want you all to hear about it.

http://14thstreetbridge.wordpress.com/

Say a prayer, and then share the link with your friends. We're trying to expand her readership as much as possible. Ask her questions if you have them. Leave a comment. It will mean a lot.

Sunday night musings...

2011-02-13T21:22:00.003-05:00

Several weeks ago, our family agreed to host a party for the exchange students from our organization. Turned out that we had four girls here, along with their host families. A total of 17 people.

It actually went very well-everyone brought a main dish or salad and each family provided a dessert from their home country. Potlucks always turn out well. We had lasagna, a pasta dish, chicken, two salads and a rice dish. The desserts were delicious and when the party ended, it took us about 15 minutes to clean things up. I love potluck dinners!!

Two weeks ago the groundhog came out and didn't see his shadow. That means that spring is right around the corner. I think he got it right this time. Today it was a "balmy" 45 degrees. Although to be honest, with the snow cover, it didn't feel so warm. It's to be this warm all week so with any luck, the snow will melt by the end of the week and we might actually be able to enjoy some real spring weather!! Summer can't be too far behind, can it??

I saw a new camera the other day that I think I might get when I get some extra money. It's a Fugi instant camera-like a Polaroid only smaller and much better quality pictures. It's not terribly expensive, although I hear that the film is a bit pricy. I'll have to investigate further but it sure looks like a cute little camera to have when you want the picture NOW!

It's hard to believe it's been a week since I got home from NC. Every time I come back from seeing one of my sisters it makes me realize just how terrible it is living so far away from them. As I get older, I think about how, when I was young, that I really thought I'd spend lots of time with them when I was old. I never in a million years dreamed that they'd live so far away that a once or twice a year visit would be all I'd get...sometimes it's even longer. They have their lives and their friends. I miss them.

Another day, another migraine. I'm off to bed...

What a weekend!

2011-02-07T15:49:00.002-05:00

I just had the best weekend, although it was exhausting and I came home really tired.

On Friday I drove to DC to spend the night with my daughter and her family, and early Saturday morning my daughter, my granddaughter and I took to the road, in the drizzly, misty rain, to head to a baby shower in NC. In spite of the lousy weather, we made good time, even with a stop along the way. Four hours. Two hours from here to DC, and four on the road to NC.

I keep forgetting that PA seems to be the only place in the mid-Atlantic area that has piles of snow on the corners and at least four or five inches on the ground. By the time we were a half hour south of DC there wasn't a pile of snirt (OR snow) anywhere. We were headed south.

As driver, I got to choose the music and of course we had Bruce Springsteen on the radio the entire trip. Amazingly, in the 12 hours I was in the car, I only remember hearing one duplicate song. And today, in a matter of 15 minutes (the only 15 minutes in the car) I heard three of my favorite songs, none of which I heard in the past three days. But I digress...

We arrived in Wilson, NC around 12:30 and had fun visiting with everyone before the shower started at 2. I managed to arrive with a migraine so after taking my medicine, I got REALLY tired, but enjoyed it all anyhow. There were people there from my niece's workplace, college friends, family, extended family and friends whose husbands work with my niece's husband. The men mostly played in the "man cave" and there were four kids who, for the most part, got along VERY well and had fun.

My sister had some very creative games, and even with help with my nephew (who should've knows all the answers to one of the games) I didn't win. Even cheating wasn't good enough. But it was fun anyhow, and my nephew and I had fun together for a little while.

The baby-to-be has more stuff than she'll ever use. She'll be the best dressed kid in town and will have more bibs than a whole nursery full of babies. It was a wonderful shower for a great couple and their soon to be born baby.

After the shower was over, it was mostly family left. We ended up having pizza and leftover cake. Between the great food that was prepared for the shower and then the pizza "dinner", we were well-fed for the day.

Finally, around 10 Saturday night it was time to go to the hotel to get some sleep so we could get up early Sunday and drive home. We were lucky-it was a balmy evening (50 degrees!!) and the next day dawned sunny and bright. The drive home was much easier not having to use the defroster and wipers constantly. And of course, Bruce serenaded us the entire way.

I dropped my daughter off, gathered up the items I'd left there and took to the road for the last two hours in the car. I was home, and unpacked by 4PM. It was so nice having company in the car for most of the trip, and the shower was wonderful. Just seeing my sister and my niece was worth the trip, and then seeing the other family members was just the icing on the cake!! We all missed everyone who couldn't be there, but there were so many pictures taken that you'd almost feel like you were there!!

What a weekend!!

Friday

2011-02-04T09:54:00.004-05:00

We had two snow days this week. That meant that Tessi was home being bored except when she was on Facebook, watching TV or (heaven forbid) studying. She has a lot to make up for this semester and she's really (really!) working hard at improving her grades. So for two days, I cooked, did paperwork and did my share of watching TV as well as finishing up a book. My husband, on the other hand, actually DID work his full 8 hours-partly here at home, and then out on the road for parts of the day when the roads were clear.

This afternoon I'm headed to the DC area. My daughter, granddaughter and I are going to North Carolina tomorrow for my niece's baby shower. The weather HERE isn't to be so great, but south of us looks good so we should be able to get there. It'll be a lot of fun and I can't wait to see everyone.

I'm disappointed though, that I can't be two places at once. Tomorrow is Senior Recognition night for the basketball team and the cheerleaders, and unless the weather postpones it, I'll miss it. My husband will be there to escort Tessi and people will take pictures. It won't be the same but the shower was scheduled before this so I'm going to miss it.

It was 11 degrees when I got up today. The sun is trying to peek out but I don't know that it'll happen much, not with more rain/snow/sleet in the forecast for tonight through tomorrow.

I'm doing laundry today, and getting as much done before I leave as I can. I really don't want to come home to do housework Sunday afternoon-but I will if I have to!! (Sure could use that cleaning person this weekend!! Maybe Tessi and my husband will surprise me and do it while I'm gone!!)

Have a great weekend everyone!

The Big Storm

2011-02-01T13:45:00.003-05:00

If I have to live where it's cold, I almost wish I lived somewhere else.

This area is notoriously difficult to forecast when it comes to snow and other wintery things. For example...

At least twice this winter we had weather forecasted that never happened. And it happens every year. I can't blame the forecasters TOO much because I've heard many times that the "Cumberland valley", where we live, is unpredictable when it comes to storms. Some never get here, others are much worse than they tell us and still others are right on target.

So when you live around here, you listen to the weather with a grain of salt. I've come to realize that I don't pay TOO much attention to what they forecast-I wait until I get up in the morning and see what's outside the window.

I have friends in the Chicago area who are preparing for 2-3 FEET of snow, and then ice to follow. They'll get it-it seems that their forecast is always right. Yesterday we were battening down the hatches, getting ready for 1-4 inches of snow, to be followed by ice. We got less than an inch of snow and a LITTLE ice-enough to mess up the roads and close the schools. Now they're saying the "second punch" is to arrive later this evening-ice. Freezing rain. That will probably close schools for tomorrow, even if it turns to the rain they're telling us about. THAT'S supposed to occur later tomrrow AM. It'll melt but not in time to get the kids back to school. This picture shows what the first "storm" left behind. Remember that most of this was leftover from the LAST storm!!

I'm supposed to drive to the middle of NC this Saturday. That's assuming that I can get out of here Friday afternoon, go to my daughter's in Arlington and then leave early Saturday to drive to the baby shower. And this is all on the condition that the weather is good for us to come home. I really hope we make it down there...it should be a lot of fun!!

There'll be more snirt. I just know it!

2011-01-30T13:22:00.002-05:00

Today my Alabama sister said she's had enough cold weather and is looking forward to August. I think fall is her favorite time of the year since it's not too hot and not too cold. I don't like fall simply because it means that winter isn't too far behind. I think I'm looking forward to April first because that means that we probably won't see another snowflake for six or seven months.

We're supposed to get some pretty ugly weather this week...snow (and the snirt that results from the snow) is bad enough. But this week it's to be a one-two punch with ice and freezing rain AND snow. At this point, I don't care as long as Friday through Sunday is good enough for me to get down to NC and back with good roads.

The newest Mattern granchild (ok, GREATgrandchild) is due in early April. She's a she and the baby shower is this coming Saturday. I really have only one question. Why, when my daughter was little, did they not have such cute adorable things for little girls to wear? My daughter LIVED in corduroy pants and long sleeved tops. I don't think she had a pretty dress (other than her Christening dress) for a long time. And now? Well, even in Wal-Mart and Target you can find pretty little things at an affordable price. I'm glad that I don't have any little girls to buy for right now-I'd be broker (is that even a word?) than I already am!!

And my granddaughter is really growing up. My daughter told me that the other day she went to the grocery store and came home with a lot of stuff. She had other errands to do so my granddaughter offered to put the grocery stuff away. So off my daughter went and when she got home EVERYTHING was not only put away, but put away properly. The toothpaste was in the bathroom, and all of the plastic bags were in the recycling. She's going to be 10 in April and she did a great job!! I think I'll have her come here and put MY stuff away when I shop too!!

So...are you ready for spring or summer yet? Are you tired of winter weather? I'm ready to put on real shoes and put away my boots. All I wear now are boots and slippers. If I ever wear shoes again, my feet aren't going to know what to do!!

Random Saturday

2011-01-29T16:58:00.004-05:00

Today my Avon manager planned to come to my house for a short visit. What's amazing about this is not that she planned to come (and DID come!) but that this was her second visit in a month. My last manager, who was in our district for about 7 years never once tried to visit me, and to my knowledge, never tried to visit anyone. And it wasn't because I'm one of her top sellers-she's making the rounds of all her reps, no matter how much they sell. She wants to get to know everyone and is bringing us all little gifts of candy and samples. Kudos to Renita.

So...to get ready for her visit, we cleaned the house this AM. We clean every week, from top to bottom. With four cats and two large dogs, the house needs a good cleaning every week. My house is usually pretty tidy, but sometimes I think the furbunnies are going to take over. Two weeks ago we got an air purifier to put in the dining room where the wood stove is. I've had some minor allergic reactions to it the past couple of years and not only is the purifier eliminating that, but when I cleaned that room, the furbunnies were fewer. I realize that when she arrived, she only saw a small part of the house, but it gave us all a reason to get it all done before noon, which freed up the afternoon for other things. The house is clean! (Although I do wish I could have someone do this for me just once in awhile. What a luxury that would be!)

I also did lots of other things around here today, including seven, count 'em, loads of laundry. Sheets, dog bedding, my bedspread...and the regular wash. The last load is in the dryer, 8 hours after I started.

So what did we do on our "free afternoon"? Tessi went ice skating with her friends and we did errands. The list was long. Six stores, and just a one or two things in each one. It took us about two hours but now my baby shower gift for next weekend is wrapped, I got the diapers needed to take along and all the other things we were either out of or needed. I didn't buy one thing extra. That's amazing in and of itself.

Tonight I'm taking Tessi to the mall after I make pizza for dinner. She wants to get a shower present for me to take to the baby shower since she can't come next week. I feel badly that I won't be here though-it's Senior recognition night-but the plans for the shower were set before the night was chosen for this. My brother will take pictures, and my husband will escort her that evening. She'll have a great time and I'll get to see the pictures when I get home!

Am I the only person who still loves I Love Lucy? It's like a marathon on one of the stations and I've set the DVR to record them all. I've seen them all at least 25 times and practically know the dialog. But when I have an afternoon free, I can watch the shows and laugh. Nothing like a funny show to make you feel better!!

Today one of our stops was at the pet store for dog food. They had cats there for adoption. I saw one couple take three home-did my heart good. I know I can't have more but I went to pet the ones there-three were left today and they were all females and every one of them was beautiful. One all white one, one white one with a grey patch on her head (with big blue eyes!) and a dark calico. They were all young-like 6-9 months and so friendly...wish I had unlimited funds and the space for more. I told my husband that my next purchase, pet-wise, is going to be two finches. He glared at me. Maybe someday...

If you have time, check out my sister's blog...she's had PELICANS outside her house for a couple of days and there are some great pictures. Enjoy!!

Snow...

2011-01-27T15:12:00.003-05:00

We got about 8 inches of snow yesterday. Most of the east coast got more but this was our biggest "storm" yet.

This snow was interesting in that it fell really hard and fast but because there was no wind at all, it just piled up. Even on trees and wires it just sat there, even on thin branches. It looked really pretty.

But because it's cold here, we're not going to be lucky and have it all melt away. We're going to have dirty snow (snirt)for weeks to come. Piles of it at the ends of parking lots. More piles along the sidewalks. Even this morning, less than 12 hours after it stopped, it was already dirty and slushy.

Because it was dark last night, I wasn't able to get any really pretty pictures. But this one, of our wagon, looked nice because of how the snow was piled on it. Today, it's gone. And the wagon has been put back into use for bringing in wood or carrying orders to the car.

What a difference a day makes...

Things you can do while watching football playoffs OR the Super Bowl...

2011-01-23T19:31:00.002-05:00

1) Go shopping. Always a good choice.

2) Read a book. Or more than one book-the games are long.

3) Plan your week. If you're like me, it doesn't take very long since one week is pretty much like the next one.

4) Check out Facebook to see who's doing what. It's not very interesting since most people appear to be busy elsewhere, probably watching football.

5) Plan a meal and get lucky timing it to be ready exactly when the first game ends.

6) Figure out how long it is till you can get ready for bed. (I have 2.5 hours to go.)

7) Counting the days until spring officially arrives. And then count the days till summer.

8) Checking the TV guide to see if your favorite show is a rerun tomorrow. It's not.

9) Decide if you have the energy to go to another room to watch THAT TV. I don't.

10) Challenge the readers of the blog to come up with better ideas. I might take you up on one of them.

So what do YOU do while others are watching football on TV? Or are you a fan?

Cheese or not to cheese...

2011-01-20T18:26:00.003-05:00

As nearly anyone will tell you, I don't like cheese. I'll use it in things, like mac and cheese, or sprinkled on top of things, like spaghetti, but I rarely eat it. Like cheese and crackers.

Today I went to BJ's, which is like a Sam's Club (and is probably a local thing) to buy Tessi some new contacts and had 15 minutes to waste before the vision center opened. So I wandered around the store and on my way back up to the front, I passed by the huge cheese case. I still had five minutes on my hands so I started looking at the cheeses in there.

First of all, cheese is expensive. I buy American and Provolone cheese for those who eat sandwiches here at home (not me) and the aforementioned cheeses for cooking. But to buy cheese to just EAT? Never. As I was browsing the choices, I noticed lots of people there buying lots of cheese. (I think there was a coupon or something because I can't imagine THAT many people wanting cheese at the same time.)

As I stood there, I was really tempted to buy some. Cheese looks good. The descriptions of what it does ("melts easily" and "good for sandwiches") nearly got me. I picked up two kinds, looked at the prices and put them back. I imagine that in a real cheese shop the prices are probably even higher.

I know it's a good source of calcium so it IS good for you. I think I'll drink a glass of milk instead.

I'm still offering hot chocolate if anyone's interested!

Baby it's cold outside...

2011-01-18T17:06:00.004-05:00

It's always about the weather.

I don't care if it's hot or cold out, sometimes I feel like that's all people talk about-or care about. Yesterday, for example, there was snow and ice in the forecast. All I heard for most of the afternoon and evening was talk about what might be cancelled, and how will we do anything if there's snow/ice etc on the roads.

I tend not to worry too much about it. I won't take any chances going out in bad weather, but I don't worry about what MIGHT happen because, as everyone living in my area knows, the weather forecasters are wrong about as often as they're right. Today I had an appointment at 10AM about 20 minutes from here, and when I heard that the main roads were ok, I allowed extra time and I went. The weather doesn't tend to affect what I do. I can't change it and just go with whatever I'm up against.

Others wring their hands and worry about the what if's. Today I heard that we have a CHANCE of snow on Thursday night. That's two days away. Already I'm hearing "up to a foot of snow" and what will we do if this or that is cancelled? Me? I don't like cold, I don't like snow. But if I have things to do and can't get out, I'll reschedule. I always have a book handy and if there's nothing else to do, I can read. I'm not going to worry about it.

But I sure am looking forward to spring. I'm not going to wish my life away, but I would love to be warm again. I swear that my feet haven't been warm since October and they probably won't be warm again until April at least. Winter does that to me.

So for now, I'll just wake up in the morning, look out the window and figure out where my day is headed based on what I see. I refuse to let the weather rule my life. I just wish there were other, more interesting things, to talk about!!

Hot chocolate anyone?

Another Random Sunday

2011-01-16T18:55:00.002-05:00

I'm still coughing. Darned bronchitis anyhow. It's been 12 days today and I DO feel considerably better. But I'm still coughing and using the inhaler. I can't wait to say I feel GOOD again!

Mid-terms start on Wednesday. Tessi was holed up studying all day yesterday. She came out to eat and have a couple of short breaks. I hope it pays off. She has a friend here today and they're studying Sociology. This is going to be a tough one for her and I hope the review and discussions help. Another full day of studying tomorrow, then back to school for one day of classes and then exams.

My friend who's father has been so ill lost him yesterday. He went peacefully but leaves behind a big family who's going to miss him a lot. I had the good fortune of meeting him several times and he was a wonderful man and a good father. He'll be missed.

It's been so cold around here lately that when the temperature went up to 32 today, it felt almost warm out. Of course tonight it's to go down to 16 and only up to 23 tomorrow. That's what I get for liking the "warm" weather.

I'm making a road trip to NC in a couple of weeks. My niece is having a baby in a few months and the shower is going to be held at her home. It'll be me, my daughter and granddaughter, and Tessi. She needs to experience an American baby shower. Now to come up with fun and creative presents!

Football. Is it over yet?

Yesterday our local Mini Cooper club had a short rally (22 miles) and then had lunch afterwards. We went for the rally but opted out of the lunch. It was fun seeing over 20 Minis lined up, each of them the same but very different. We had one of the three Clubmans there and of the five red cars, there were no two the same. The rally was great and we happened to be second in the pack. Looking back at all the cars running one right after the other was a sight to see. Most people had two way radios so we borrowed one and listened in while people talked-they said that watching the reaction of passers-by was fun. In the front of the group you don't see that. It isn't until the 5th or 6th car that people take notice of what's going on. I told them I want to be in the middle next time and two others said they did too. Maybe we'll even stay for lunch next time!!

I see my migraine doc tomorrow morning. I don't know if I need to see her anymore. I'm still getting migraines but nothing prevents them, which has been our goal for the past two years, and as long as I have my rescue medication, I'm good. Then on Tuesday I have a mammogram. Hopefully I'll be done after this. I've had enough health issues lately-no more doctors or tests!!

I think I need a piece of peanut butter pie. That's pretty random, right?

Perspective

2011-01-13T14:27:00.003-05:00

Addictions aside...I'm sure you've all had a day where you get up and think that things are going to be awesome. Today my sister suggested that everyone decide that today would be a good day. I agreed.

I've been struggling for weeks with assorted illnesses. The bronchitis just won't go away and I'm tired all the time, and yesterday, I swear the coughing brought on a migraine. Regardless, I decide today would be a good day.

I worked and came home depressed. My business is going very badly and then on top of it I got two e-mails from people making returns. The little profit I was going to see for two weeks of work disappeared right before my eyes. At this point, I'll be happy to break even, but that won't pay my bills.

And then I decided to read the blogs I read every day. Things get put in perspective quickly. I fully understand that everyone has challenges. EVERYONE. It really all depends on where you are in your life as to how much you're affected by things. For those who don't have serious money issues, disappointment can come easily by a flight for a vacation being cancelled or your favorite restaurant being closed when you want to go there for dinner. For others, it can be struggling every day, and then finding out you have a medical issue that you can't pay for because you live without insurance. It's all a matter of perspective. For me, wanting a vacation I'll probably never have disappoints me sometimes...wishing I could be pain free is another. I live with the pain and the suggested surgery is no guarantee that I'll come out the other side feeling good for the first time in ten years. So I deal with it as best I can.

And then I read a blog today. I've mentioned this woman before. She's a new author and has six children ranging in age from around 5 to 15 or so. In the last year, her husband has left her and abandoned the kids. He still lives nearby but has had next to no contact with these children and as a result, two of her children are suffering from depression due to abandonment to the point where they're being hospitalized. She's divorced now, and is doing whatever she can to give her children the best. She has no insurance herself and has been in the hospital a couple of times in the past year. I don't know how she's paying for it. But today she said that her ex-husband got fired from his job-her children now have no insurance, and the two that need treatment can't get it. It's not a small issue-these kids are seriously depressed and are acting out in inappropriate ways. She's doing everything she can, and just when she thought things couldn't get much worse, the bottom dropped out. She's going to find a job but she also has to arrange for someone to be there when her kids are home because the kids can NOT be home alone. Her youngest isn't even in school yet.

When you hear things like this, you know that she's not the only one experiencing difficult challenges. But sometimes it makes YOUR problems less important. It's all about perspective. I used to wonder how the "wealthy" people could get upset over a missed flight, but to them, it probably feels the same as when I find I have to struggle to pay my bills because my work is so bad.

It IS all about perspective.

Maybe tomorrow will be that good day I'm looking for-and that everyone else wants too!

I HAVE AN ADDICTION!

2011-01-12T14:15:00.003-05:00

I'm addicted.

It's not to anything I've ever heard others say THEY were addicted to. I suppose out there somewhere there are people who might read this and say "YES!", and know exactly what I'm talking about.

It's recipes. I'm not a cookbook kind of person, although I have a handful with some terrific recipes. I'm talking about recipes I find on websites or get from friends. Some time ago I think I mentioned that I have two cookbooks that I created. I copy the recipes and file them under "food" and "dessert". The dessert section is much larger than the food section. (My other "cookbook" is one where I put clippings, although I haven't added anything to that in a long time.)

I think this addiction started a couple of years ago when I was beginning my weight loss program. About the same time, I found a blog where the author posts recipes on a nearly-daily basis. I started copy and pasting them into a computer file and then I started not only saving them, but printing them out to put into my newly created cookbook. When you're trying to lose weight, things sound really good. So instead of ignoring the recipes, I kept them to use in the future.

I've used many of them-some the way they were written, and others I tweaked to make them more diet-friendly. Peanut butter pie. Corn chowder. Bow Tie Lasagna. Beef with Mushrooms. Chicken/Pineapple Quesadillas. That's just a few of them. They're all good, usually don't take much time to prepare, and have (mostly) ingredients that you'd have on hand. My challenge is that this woman lives in Oklahoma and uses a lot of Mexican ingredients that I have problems finding locally.

Today the recipe was Dilly Bread. Easy to make and sounds delicious!

I swear that if I made everything I found there, I'd weigh 300 pounds. I could EASILY live on desserts and some of the recipes are so easy (like chocolate cake in a mug) that you feel like you just HAVE to make it NOW!!

Am I the only person with a recipe addiction??

Ted Williams

2011-01-07T20:36:00.003-05:00

Ted Williams, the man with the big voice, is all over the news this week.

In case you've been away from the news lately, he's the man who was homeless as recently as a few days ago. A news videographer saw him panhandling, took the time to speak with him and almost miraculously, he's now off the streets, has a voiceover job, many OTHER job offers and has reconnected with his mother after ten years with no contact.

My sister, who works with the homeless on a daily basis, is understandably sceptical. She knows that many of the men who leave the streets often return months or even years later. She says it's a part of them. I agree, it probably is. I've never been where they are, so I can only believe what she tells me and what I've heard elsewhere. The chances aren't often very good.

I, however, am choosing to be optimistic about this situation. Maybe Ted can be THE one who makes it. If he does, others can look at him and think that maybe THEY can too. Ted says he's been sober for two years, and even as he was talking on TV today, saying all the right things, you could watch his mother's face, knowing that she was thinking about all the times he said those same words to her many times before and never following through. He said he'd come to visit her. He never did. There were many things he never did.

I want to believe that he IS clean and sober. I want to believe that this man could be a shining testament to others who think that walking away from the streets is impossible. He said he wants to get a sponsor "here", and one can only assume that means in NY where he's already done a voiceover for the Kraft company. He says that the pressure of everything will likely get to him and he will need help getting through it all. I also hope that means that he HAS been going to AA or NA and had a sponsor back in Ohio.

Ted Williams could be one of the few success stories. I pray for him and his family. I pray that his mother, who's 90 years old, will have time with her son as the man she wants him to be, not the man he's been these past years.

The next time you see a homeless person, remember Ted Williams. You don't know why that person is on the streets. Maybe he's looking for that person who takes two minutes to talk with him and find out that there's a real person under the dirt and smelly clothes. Ted isn't the only one out there looking for a break.

Smile. Say hello. You don't know who you could really be talking to.

Happy New Year, maybe...

2011-01-04T14:19:00.002-05:00

This one is simple.

How do you start a new year in a happy way? Not sick. Simple, huh?

I had a cold that was lingering for two weeks and then BANG something horrible hit me. I was really sick for 24 hours and then less sick for two days. I finally had to call the gastro doc last night to make sure I didn't need an ER visit (I didn't!) and today things are much better.

I lost five pounds in four days. Losing weight is nice. Losing weight this way is horrible. Living on toast, rice, jello, applesauce and clear liquids is just no fun. None. Not even a little bit.

So I got out of bed today, not quite ready to set the world on fire but feeling a lot better. And now I have laryngitis. REALLY bad larygitis.

Happy New Year!

What's next?

It's all about choices...

2010-12-31T13:13:00.004-05:00

It's New Year's Eve.

Two weeks ago I thought I'd be writing to say good-bye, but here I am, trying again to create something for you all to read, and leave not feeling you've wasted your time here.

Yesterday one of my Spanish readers (actually an American living in Spain most of the year)told me she was glad I decided to continue. A former exchange student living in Belgium said the same thing. So I'll keep trying.

It was an interesting year. Mostly good, some not so good. One of the good things was a family wedding in late July where nearly all of our family was there, together for a few days. Some went early and stayed all week, others arrived right before the wedding and left the day after. My ONLY regret is that we didn't get one good picture with all of us together. We have some with MOST of the family, and one group one that, for some unknown reason, had really bad lighting so the faces aren't good. But in spite of that, it was fun seeing my nephews, spending time with my sisters and brother and enjoying a lovely outdoor wedding held on a beautiful day.

For the third year in a row, my job hasn't gone well. Since the economy took a nosedive, my sales have gone down and here I am, three years later, earning about half of what I made then. There's been no extra money for the things I normally pay for, including trips. My husband and I haven't been on a vacation together for about 7 years. I was hoping that things would improve and I could put a little aside for a long weekend this year. It's not going to happen. I still wish that being retirement age meant relaxing and DOING things instead of worrying about having enough money every week.

The thing is this...we're better off than many people. Yesterday I heard on the DC news that 200,000 children in Washington DC go to bed hungry every night. I can't imagine how many of those children are homeless, or how many homeless adults there are in DC (or any other city) who go to bed hungry. We don't go to bed hungry. Our house is warm and we have clean clothing every day. I DO have a job, unlike so many others, even if it pays me less every year. This year, I hope to be less upset at what I don't have and be happier with what I DO have. In the past year, I've allowed people to hurt me with their words, intended or not, and when it comes right down to it, it really doesn't matter. What matters is that the people who care about me DO treat me well.

So do your thing tonight on New Year's Eve. Go to a movie, go out with friends, or just stay home and watch the ball drop. Or go to bed early and get up tomorrow well-rested and ready to enjoy the year to come.

It's all about choices. The ones we make and the ones made for us. We can't change how people treat us but we can choose how we react to it. We can make the new year better or stay the same. It's all about choice.

Happy New Year!!

A little of everything...

2010-12-27T16:55:00.002-05:00

Christmas is over.

Tessi told me the other day that she was sad. I thought maybe she was homesick or upset about something. No, she just said that we all looked forward to Christmas for weeks and then, just like that, it was over.

Everyone had a great time. My daughter and her family arrived around noon and by 1 we were digging into the gifts. This year we didn't spend a lot on presents but got things that were needed or smaller things that were less expensive. Next year we might all try to save our money by getting each person one thing and saving the rest for a trip in the summer. Everyone agreed that we'd like to go back to Senegal and it would be an expensive flight-not expensive to BE there though. I don't know if it'll come to pass but we're thinking about it anyhow. You just never know!

Last night my brother and his family came over for a big leftover dinner. That's just the best kind of meal. We didn't put anything out until we'd surveyed the choices, and we ate on paper plates. There were at least 7 desserts to choose from. I said that next year, a buffet on paper plates would be a great way to have Christmas dinner too!! After dinner, we played a card game and by 9:30 we were done and tidying up.

Tomorrow my niece comes for a couple of days. She lives two hours away but they got over ten inches of snow. We didn't get anything. Her mom suggested meeting halfway since the trains are being delayed by drifting snow. I have to work, but everyone else is going to Lancaster to meet her and who knows? Maybe they'll do a little outlet browsing too! My husband is the family shopper!!

Then we'll be here a couple of days and then off to DC for my daughter's birthday on Thursday. The teenagers will stay there and then on New Year's Day Tessi will come back home. We don't go out on New Year's Eve so it'll be a quiet night here, probably watching TV and I know we'll be in bed long before the ball drops in New York City!

Everyone is talking about resolutions. I normally don't make them-I just try to improve myself somehow and try not to beat myself up if I don't always succeed. This year, in addition to losing the few pounds I gained over the holidays, I plan to be more tolerant of those people who say things-intended or not-to hurt me. I want to be more forgiving and less angry when it happens.

Do you have a resolution? And if so, what is it? Is it something you can DO or work on in the next 12 months?? Please share.

And have a Happy New Year!

A Holiday Wish...

2010-12-22T21:55:00.004-05:00

Today I started writing a short blog about how the holiday season seems to not only bring out the best in people, but also the worst. How people who only know each other superficially can pass judgment on someone, hurting their feelings and either don't realize it or just don't care.

I wrote my thoughts on it all, and the more I wrote, the more angry I became. Why? Because today some of it was directed at me. Someone decided to criticize me for no good reason other than to hurt. It did. Then I deleted it.

I do my best to be supportive of everyone and the decisions they make. I try to treat others the way I would like to be treated. And then someone with nothing better to do decides to point a finger when they shouldn't.

After waiting a whole day, I decided that my real thoughts on this don't matter at all. There are more serious things in this world than someone finding fault with me. Like my friend who has to put his elderly father into a nursing home this week and somehow feels like he's failed him. He hasn't-he's a good son-but he still feels really terrible about the changes in their lives. And my sister's homeless guys who are suffering through a really cold winter with only each other and a handful of others who care about them. Or the many people who are facing this Christmas without the loved one who passed on to a better place this year. Or the woman who's husband walked out on her, leaving her with 6 kids under 16, and he's having no contact with the kids at all. And now they feel so abandoned that one of the children is currently in the hospital because of severe depression.

My life is good. I have my family and a warm place to sleep at night and food in my stomach and a hot cup of cocoa when I need it. I might not have a lot of money, but I have enough. I might not feel good today, but in a few days I will. I'm lucky. There are many people out there who don't feel well today and WON'T feel well in a few days.

So the next time you think about saying something hurtful, don't. Instead, treat that person the way YOU would like to be treated. You'll be doing yourself a favor and will be giving that person a gift by your kindness. And then think about all the people who are less fortunate than you are. You know them. You know someone who's lonely or hungry or sick. If you can't do anything else, say a little prayer for them. You'll be better for it.

And maybe it's not really The End...

2010-12-20T13:44:00.003-05:00

It's funny how things happen.

Since I posted that I was going to close down my blog, I've had three people tell me that I shouldn't. Interestingly, all three of them live in Spain. Our Tessi's mom reads my blog, and my son-in-law's parents, who also live in Spain most of the year, read my blog.

Now I'm not so sure. I kept thinking that my life is pretty boring and that there's not much to report on. I was writing pretty often a few months ago, but the feedback was minimal. I just figured that since everyone I know is on facebook, they weren't coming here anymore. I guess that could be partly true because I don't hear much from my readers here in the US.

So once again, I'm asking for your input. Is what I write worth your time to come here to read? Is it really more interesting than the snippets we read on facebook? If I get enough positive feedback, I'll make a real effort at writing a more interesting blog in the future. Do you like pictures? What can I share that will keep you coming back here?

So leave me a comment, tell me why or why not I should keep doing this. New Year's Day is just 12 days away. I should make a decision by then.

Thanks for making me rethink this whole thing...I appreciate it!!

The End.

2010-12-13T21:36:00.003-05:00

This is probably going to be my last post. In nearly two years, I feel like I've really tried here but it's not going anywhere.

Facebook has taken everyone to a different level, I think. No one needs to read blogs-at least not the kind I write. I'm not hysterically funny, or extremely insightful. My life is pretty boring. I don't do a lot other than what keeps me busy here in the house. We don't go places; we don't entertain. My life and my thoughts don't hold much interest in the scheme of things.

I have trouble keeping up with people because hardly anyone writes letters anymore. I exchange frequent letters with one friend...everyone else uses facebook to keep the world updated. And because they do, I don't know what people are doing-most of the time anyhow. Many days I forget to check FB to see what's going on, other days I don't get there until late in the day and by then I've missed all the fun and important things that are going on in the lives of my friends.

Blogs don't seem important any longer. Everyone is living in a one or two sentence world. I'm still back in the days when people liked to write letters and made them interesting and fun to read.

I'll probably close the blog down on January 1st-exactly two years after I started it. I'm glad I at least tried to make this work.

And thanks for reading!

Changing Lives

2010-12-07T11:33:00.003-05:00

The holidays are creeping up on us.

It seems like just last week when I was complaining that fall was here and now, it's only 18 days until Christmas. I've always heard that as you get older, time seems to go by more quickly but I never really noticed it until this year. Suddenly, you're old and just as suddenly, the days pass by so quickly you don't even realize it's happened.

So many people are struggling this year. Well, not just this year but every year, but maybe I'm just hearing more about it. In our own home, our income has dropped enough that instead of being cautious with how we spend our money, we're watching even more closely. We had to take out a second mortgage on our home this year just to fix it up since it needed so much work. I never in my wildest dreams imagined that at the age where most people are looking towards retirement, travel and relaxation that I'd be working harder than ever.

I'm not complaining though-I have a roof over my head where many others don't. And that brings me to my subject today.

Everyone reading this blog knows a family who needs help or maybe you live near an area where there are homeless people. My sister in Alabama has spent years of her life helping those less fortunate. Sure, many of them have problems with alcohol, drugs or mental issues. But none of these people, whether they're homeless or just down on their luck due to loss of jobs or illness, has chosen to be this way. Stuff happens.

Take a look at your gift list this year. Can you cut back on a few things? Can you do without that item that your son/daughter/husband/wife/friend doesn't really need? Take some of your gifts and share them with someone less fortunate. Help at a shelter. Offer to take dinner to a group of homeless people. Buy a gift for a child who would otherwise not get one. Offer your home for dinner on Christmas Day to someone who's alone. Find a prison ministry and buy a gift for a child whose parent is in jail and might otherwise get nothing under the tree.

This year I gave my sisters their gift when I saw them in October. When my mother was sick back in the late 60's, it was common to send someone a tiny arrangement of flowers in a porcelain box. I had three of those boxes that I inherited when I got most of the furniture after my mother's death. I gave each of my sisters one of the boxes, and made them each a necklace and a pair of earrings. These gifts didn't cost me much but it made me feel good inside when I gave them the presents. When you don't have much, the pleasure of giving a special gift to someone special means a lot. I just hope they loved their gifts as much as I loved giving them.

So take a few minutes to stop what you're doing and think how you might make the life of someone else better in some small way. It doesn't have to be Christmas to do this either. My sister does it every day of her life in some way. She changes lives one day at a time.

I think we can all do it too...this is good time to start!

Sick Kids

2010-12-01T18:02:00.002-05:00

About ten days ago, my daughter told me that my grandson had awakened during the night and had been throwing up ever since. It lasted two days and then he was fine. When HE got better, my daughter got it. Lasted another two days. That night, when SHE was feeling better, my granddaugter got it. Yep, you got it. It lasted two days.

They came up here to visit over the weekend and everyone was healthy and doing well. Yesterday, a full three days after the kids left, Tessi came home complaining of a stomach ache. They had cooking class, made some sort of Chinese dish with rice and she said immediately after eating it she felt bad.

I think we've determined that she has some kind of intestinal bug and not anything food related. She took some pepto, went to cheerleading practice last night, felt good and came home to eat a dish of ice cream. This morning she woke up with really bad intestinal (not stomach) pains. She stayed home, slept most of the morning and has been lounging around ever since. She's wrapped in a warm robe and a fleece blanket. She still has stomach pains but no throwing up. I guess we can be thankful for small things. I only hope it's gone by tomorrow because she really can't afford to miss another day of school. No school, no cheerleading practice-and she really looks forward to THAT!!

Funny how things happen when you don't have kids in the house. You don't see this kind of illness much. I'm not around children much in my line of work, and my husband doesn't see kids on any kind of regular basis. You forget about all the stuff going around in the schools and how, no matter what, it gets brought home.

Me? I'm keeping my distance!

Happy Thanksgiving!

2010-11-24T16:55:00.003-05:00

I've been busy lately.

So for today, I'm just going to say that I wish you all a wonderful Thanksgiving. Whether you have turkey or just pizza (does anyone watch General Hospital??)I hope you spend time with friends and family and get some time to relax.

Be thankful.

Pictures

2010-11-11T12:50:00.002-05:00

I take lots of pictures. My camera sits next to my chair in the den so it's always handy. My new cellphone has a decent camera built in so I often use that when I'm not home. But my preference is my camera.

Over the years, I've taken thousands of pictures. In fact, about two months ago my computer was running really slowly and I took over 7000 pictures off and put them on CDs. Easy to access, lots of free space on the computer. From now on I'll do it once a year to make it easier. Last time it took nearly a whole day.

One of the blogs I read has a photography category where the blogger has contests. She has upwards of 40,000 entries (and yes, you read that right) for every contest she offers. This week, her contest was for anything with four legs. You can upload one picture a day and she narrows it down for 5 or 6 days in a row to around 10 pictures each day. Because I take lots of pictures of my pets, I had three really good pictures to enter.

Unfortunately, none of them was chosen. This blogger opens her contests to anyone. That opens them up to professionals as well as people like me who have no real skills or photoshop programs to "fix" pictures. I use Picasa, but it's very limiting as to what I can do. It does the job for me.

The picture here today is one of the ones I entered. When I look at the pictures that have been chosen as finalists, I can see why MINE wasn't chosen. But I like it and thought I'd share it here.

Have any of you ever taken a picture that you thought was a winner? Tell me about it...I don't have a way for it to be posted here on the blog but you can share your thoughts-where you took it, WHY you took it, and why you think it's great!

A chilly Sunday morning...

2010-11-07T07:32:00.002-05:00

Last night we turned the clocks back an hour. Everyone talks about "gaining and extra hour". All it does for me is mess up my internal clock.

I stayed up about an hour later last night watching a show on the DVR and this morning I was awake at the normal time. So actually I got the same amount of sleep, which is good, but I'll be hungry at the wrong time for days. It's like jet lag for me...it'll take me a week to adjust.

It IS nice seeing the sun so early though. Tomorrow when I get up at 6:10, the sun will be shining and I'll feel so much better leaving the house at 6:20. The difficult part will be working in the evenings now. It'll be dark an hour before I leave the house, and walking around in the dark is never any fun.

Ah, the joys of winter.

Another joy was waking up to 30 degrees outside. Even with the sun shining, it's still really cold and is to only get up to 50. It's gonna feel like a heat wave compared to this morning!

I know many of you are on Facebook. And many of you have reconnected with old high school friends or other people you've lost touch with. That hasn't happened with me but I DID discover Word Drop. Here's your fair warning...it's so addictive! If you like words, you will LOVE this game. Just make sure you go there when you have LOTS of time to waste!

Enjoy!

THOSE people...

2010-10-31T09:26:00.003-04:00

We all know them. Those people who want you to feel bad. Did you ever notice that no matter what you say or do, some people just look for the negative?

Lately, I've discovered that I can say and do the right things and certain people will just twist it around to make you wonder if you actually did or said what you thought you did. It happens all the time with these people.

Do they dwell on negativity? If you make a mistake will they hold it against you forever? A few weeks ago I mis-spoke...some fact or other was wrong. At least she TOLD me I mis-spoke. The fact that she had the printed information right in front of her, correctly written I might add, seemed to make no difference. She went on and on about it for so long that people, and not just me, were beginnning to become uncomfortable. Why does this happen?

Sometimes no matter what you do, some people just don't want to believe you or accept you the way you are. We all have flaws. None of us is perfect. Why do some people WANT you to feel badly about yourself? Does it mean THEY feel better when they kick you when you're down or try to humiliate you in public? I wish I knew.

All I know is that I come into contact with these people on a fairly regular basis and there's really nothing I can do to avoid them all the time. They hold a grudge. They do NOT follow the do unto others as you'd have them do unto you.

I have to wonder why not. Do YOU know people like this? Those people who want you to feel bad about yourself?

Or is it just me?

My Free Day?

2010-10-28T10:27:00.004-04:00

I have one completely free day a month. This month, it's today.

Now, that doesn't mean that I don't have things to do, but I can pretty much set my own schedule.

My original plan was to make a tied blanket. I got the fleece a couple of weeks ago and decided that on my next "free" day, I'd make it. Last night at choir, my hands and fingers started to hurt so much it was painful to turn the pages of the music. I know it's arthritis and it doesn't happen every day, but when it starts, it doesn't go away quickly. I decided that two hours of tying knots wasn't a good thing to do today. Maybe Saturday...

I also had an errand to do. A young man in our church is moving into his first apartment soon and his foster parents are providing him with furniture so he needs nearly everything else. They're having a "shower" for him Sunday after church. I offered to get him bath towels and washcloths. It took me about 30 seconds to decide on Target instead of WalMart-I'm liking that place less and less. Anyhow, I went to Target, got what I needed and came home.

Now I'm making bran muffins. I'd like to read, but my eyes hurt and I feel like a migraine is coming on (my teeth hurt-that seems to be a clue)so I might just watch TV and do mindless things like laundry.

Tonight is Trick or Treat in our town. It's always on a Thursday night and is from 6-8. Our exchange student is going to a friend's home and THEY'RE going trick or treating in her neighborhood so my husband and I will be handing out candy to the little princesses and rock stars. I'm thankful that it's not raining. My kids went out in the rain a few times and it's no fun for anyone. It's not going to be warm tonight but it'll be dry. I have my candy and I'm ready to go!! Hopefully there won't be any leftover.

While I was at Target, I needed to buy vitamins. I have very dry eyes and thought maybe I could find some that addressed that issue. I started reading labels. I discovered something very interesting. Some vitamins have 25 calories and 1 gram of fat! Because I do the Weight Watchers program, I'm conscious about fat in everything. I'd like to know why vitamins have a gram of fat. The ones I bought seemed to have the same things in them but there was no fat or calories. I don't get it. I think I'll stick with my fat-less vitamins!

And now it's time to go get some hot chocolate. On a sunny, chilly day, that should hit the spot!!

This N That

2010-10-27T14:51:00.003-04:00

A week or so ago, I thought winter was here.

Then, and I think it's because my sisters were coming north during the peak of the leaves changing, the weather suddenly got nice. Friday, to be fair, was sunny and cool and when we went to the football game, a winter coat, winter boots and gloves were in order. The rest of the weekend was really nice-sunny and on the warm side. We had a good time and I think they got to see nearly everyone they wanted to see. They went to a couple of get-togethers, a reunion and we managed to get our family, most of it anyhow, together for a meal on Sunday. Throw in a little shopping and it was a nice weekend.

Monday and yesterday we had amazing weather for late October. It's been near or over 70 and open-the-windows nice out. Last night it rained. A lot. And it continued off and on through the morning. The weather guy said that by afternoon it would be nice but it's nearly 3PM now and I'm still waiting. The windows are open and it's 66 outside but there's no sun to be seen.

Tomorrow is to be nice and then I suspect we'll have seen the last of our great weather. Highs the rest of the week are to only be in the mid-to-upper 50's. And probably, next week, everyone will be sick.

I go to the grocery store every two weeks. I work out at 6:30 and by 7:10 I'm in the nearly empty grocery store. Even if I take my time I'm still only there an hour. The best part is deciding what I'm going to make for dinner, knowing that nothing will need thawed.

Today I decided to switch up a couple of meals on my menu and we're having chicken and pineapple fajitas, although I plan to heat the wraps and make baskets out of them instead. This is such a great meal! In a half hour I prepped the pineapple and chicken and when it's time for dinner, it'll take me a half hour to get it ready. Not only is it a GREAT meal, but it's quick. Add some salad and that's it!! Tomorrow I'm making what I call Vegetable Beef Stoup. For a chilly day, it'll be a good meal with enough leftover for another dinner.

Tomorrow I have errands to do and Friday I'll be cleaning. Doesn't make for very interesting reading OR writing. Maybe something interesting will happen and I'll have something exciting to write about.

Or maybe not!!

Random Saturday

2010-10-23T19:06:00.003-04:00

My sisters are in town this weekend. One of them is having her class reunion so both of them decided to come "home" for homecoming weekend.

They're having a great time! Last night they met up with a lot of their friends both before and after the football game, they're at the reunion tonight and tomorrow our family is having a dinner at my brother's house before they all head home tomorrow and Monday morning.

Today one of my sister's friends had a brunch. It was really nice. The hostess went all out for them and provide wonderful food and lots of their friends were there. It was a great time. My sister's daughter and her husband were there too, which made it even nicer.

After that was over I took Tessi to get her hair done for the homecoming dance this evening. Her date fell through so she decided to go with a bunch of her girlfriends. As you can see, she looked beautiful and will be the belle of the ball!! I'm sure she'll have stories to tell later.

It's been great seeing my sisters. I wish they lived closer so we could see each other more often and do things together. They're funny and fun and I miss them a lot when we're not together.

I got a flu shot yesterday. I hadn't planned to get one but I was at my doctor's office dropping off Avon books and someone mentioned that they were having a flu shot clinic and had time THEN to fit me in. So I got the shot. My arm hurts worse than anything I ever felt before. Last night I woke up every time I moved because when I rolled on that side, it just throbbed. Hopefully tonight will be better!! I could use a good nights' sleep for a change.

Can't wait to see my sisters tomorrow...then they leave on Monday morning to head back to the warm south!! Lucky girls!!

Is Winter here??

2010-10-20T16:02:00.003-04:00

Winter has arrived.

Ok. So it's not winter. It's barely fall. But it's cold.

This morning it was 38 when I left the house at 6:25. That's pretty darned cold. I told Tessi it was 2 degrees C and she just gaped at me. How can it be THAT cold? Some people had frost on their cars. I was one of the lucky ones and my car was just wet.

Even when the sun is shining you don't feel that warmth you get in the late summer or late spring. It IS sunny, just not very warm. And I'll go dig out my gloves later since my hands never warmed up today. They got cold at 6:30 and have been cold ever since.

So I'm wearing layers, knee sox and am still really cold. 71 feels nice in the summer-in the house in the fall it's NOT so warm.

On the upside, it's not to be rainy the rest of the week. My sisters are flying into PA Friday and they should have a great day for it. High of 58. My sisters will have weather shock when they walk out of the terminal Friday around noon. The southern blood runs warm!!

Wake me up when winter ends, ok?

Sunday night...

2010-10-17T19:48:00.002-04:00

I'm happy again. Last night I slept well. My feet weren't cold when I got into bed and I never woke up chilly during the night. I DID, however, wake up with another migraine (two in two days) which has been nagging at me all day.

Today was our church's 130th anniversary party. Our committee planned it for six months and did lots of fundraising to make it not only nice, but to make sure we didn't have to take any money out of our church budget to pay for it. We had a catered dinner, buffet style, and the food was good and plentiful. We provided desserts and the table was full of carrot cake, brownies, cookies and fruit. We had a talent show that everyone loved and square dancing (which not everyone loved!!) but had fun watching. We had well over 100 in attendance and as they say, a good time was had by all!!

Yesterday was my birthday. I'll be honest. I was not looking forward to it because it's another reminder of things I'd rather forget. But Tessi made it nice because she gave me a sweet card and a pretty bracelet first thing in the morning, and my kids from DC arrived after lunch. They brought me some nice presents but best of all, they got me a mirror I'd seen at a market several weeks ago. It was thoughtful and really nice. My husband, who I'd told not to get me anything, got me a few small but thoughtful presents, including a gift card to Barnes and Noble so I can get a couple of new books for my Nook. My one sister sent me a happy birthday message and my other sister sent me a gift card and my brother and his wife stopped by with a card. I'm still not happy about getting older, but it was a really nice day because everyone tried hard to make it nice. I really appreciate that a lot.

Now I feel like I'm catching a cold. I seem to get sick every year in October. The worst walking pneumonia I ever had was in October a few years ago, and last year I was sick on my birthday...didn't even realize until after a surprise party at my daughter's house in DC that I'd had a fever for at least a day. I was pretty much down and out for several days. I hope this doesn't happen again!!

Nice weekend, good company and great cake!

Can't beat it!

Sad Day

2010-10-16T09:49:00.001-04:00

It's a sad day in my house.

Today I had to put the fleece sheets on the bed. I've awakened cold in the middle of the night one too many times.

Nuff said.