Christmas Pics

Christmas is past and New Years is just around the corner. What a blur this past month has been. I am looking forward to getting the beautiful Christmas decorations put away for another 11 months and having an uncluttered (as best as possible) house again. I love the house being decorated, but once Christmas is past I am ready for the decorations to be put away. It didn't feel completely like Christmas this year because the temps were in the 50s and 60s all week. We are now starting to get colder temps but still not December weather.
Casey left for Maryland today with her friend Shon. They are visiting Mary and then the 3 of them will take the train back up to Shon's house for New Year's Eve. We won't see her again until January 1 and then she goes back to school on January 3. The time went by so fast.

I am working on my goals for 2007. They are ambitious ones and as usual, by February I will have forgotten completely about them and decided I had too much on my plate. Hopefully not this year. One thing I want to accomplish is get gifts made ahead of time so that I am not as pressed for time in December. More to come later.

Christmas Tree 2006

Our tree this year is a long-needled Scotch Pine. It certainly was easier to hang ornaments on the tree because we didn't get our fingers pricked by the short little needles of years past. I like our tree, but I think it needed more ornaments. The longer needles does make it harder to hang ornaments and I think that is why we stopped putting them on there.

The penguin is new this year as are the 3 penguin ornaments hanging on the tree. Greg loves penguins and it is pretty cool that the common theme this year is penguins. Macy's had quite a few of them. Maybe because this is the first time in probably 6 years that I am working full time, but boy does it make a difference around the holidays. I haven't done a single Christmas card yet and don't think I will do many this year. I have mailed all my packages (thanks to Larry), had our annual Holiday Open House party last Sunday, finished all my shopping for everyone and wrapped them as well and made about 4 batches of buckeyes. It is no wonder that I am exhausted lately. I really enjoy Christmas, but I also enjoy the quietness of January and February.

As always, with one year coming to a close and another one on the horizon, my thoughts drift to what I intend to accomplish next year. I will try not to make my yearly To Do list too long or else nothing will get accomplished. Maybe I will strive for 3 big things to get accomplished. More on that later!

Off to the treadmill. I am down 13.25 pounds in 7 weeks and hope to keep at it. Pizza for dinner tonight didn't help, but the treadmill will get a good workout tonight.

Christmas Time

My Kinsman Christmas Ball. Years ago when I worked at Kinsman Garden Supply (in the office), these were being sold at Christmas. I thought they were beautiful and bought myself one and Mom and Dad one. Mine broke, but I have Mom and Dad's now and it is beautiful. It is very delicate and made of very thin glass. I just love it.

A Glimpse of Christmas

I love these carolers. They were from Mom and Dad's house and were very lovingly packed up by Mom each year after Christmas. Just looking at them make me happy and thankful for wonderful Christmas memories. Of course, they fit perfectly into Mom's plaid theme. I had the small tree that she decorated every year after we were all gone. It was covered in plaid ornaments. The tree was falling apart every year and I finally got rid of it last year. I still have the ornaments and will probably buy another small tree to decorate in plaid in Mom's memory.

December Sunday

This weekend was a very busy but fruitful one. I knocked out all of the gift shopping for little neices and nephew. Now I just have to wrap and mail the packages. I also came up with some other gift ideas and received in the mail Larry's Christmas present which I think he will REALLY like. All in all, pretty successful. Greg and I went to Target last night and he had lots of fun picking out baby items for Christi and Jon's new baby boy - Nathaniel Jordan Cirillo. I hope to see Christi, Jon and Nathaniel before Christmas, but if not soon thereafter.

Because we got so much done at Target and didn't have to wait in line long, we decided to go to BJ's afterwards and pick up party supplies and food. Again, it wasn't crowded and I was able to get most of the items on my list. I especially needed eggs as today I made a batch of snowball cookie dough, a batch of "healthy chocolate cookies", and brownies for the freezer. I also made one more batch of buckeye dough. With Casey coming home for school tomorrow night, I am hoping that she will be baking the cookies for our party on Sunday.

I still have some shopping to do, but not as much as usual. I am feeling more relaxed about the holidays because I have a lot of shopping already done. It also helps that both yesterday and today I took 2 mile walks. Yesterday's was to clear my head and do some thinking, today's allowed me time to have a nice phone call with John.

Off to finish dinner prep - biscuits in the oven, healthy stew in the crockpot. YUM!!

Lots to be Thankful For

A whirlwind of a Thanksgiving weekend, but definitely a lot of fun. It was great to have Casey home for the holiday and we look forward to the start of her Winter break next week. This picture of her laundry bag is precious to me because that laundry bag belonged to my mom. When we were cleaning things out of their house, I took this blue denim laundry bag and a white cloth bag that we used every year when we went to Maine. At the time, I didn't know what I was ever going to do with the laundry bags, but when we headed to Ireland this summer, those two laundry bags went with us. The white bag was Mom's laundry bag in nursing school and still has the remnants of her name, Marjorie McDonald, and her classmates. Casey used the blue bag while in Ireland and when it came time to pack up for college she took it with her. So the other morning, I came downstairs and saw the laundry bag full of dirty laundry sitting by the washing machine. The memories flooded back.
Our Thanksgiving morning breakfast was the result of a very cooperative effort. Larry squeezed the OJ, Greg made scrambled eggs, Casey made pancakes, and I took care of the bacon. What a feast and what a nice tradition!!

The day after Thanksgiving, Casey and I were at the mall by 6:30 am and selfishly shopped for ourselves. It was fun and didn't seem as crowded as past years. We came home and enjoyed the absolutely beautiful day before going to cut down our tree at Holiday Farm.

We have cut down our tree every year at Holiday Farm since 1990 and we have 16 Christmas mugs to prove it. It wouldn't be the same without our annual trek to the tree farm. The house is now decorated and putting me in the Christmas spirit. I have lots of shopping still to do, but I am trying not to stress out about it. This holiday season is hectic enough, but I volunteered to run the blood drive at work as well. My goal is to get a big turnout for the blood donation day on December 21.
I have always donated my time to Wrapping Presence and visiting nursing homes with gifts, but this year I was unable to do that because of my work schedule. So this year, instead, I am taking part in something just as close to my heart - blood donation. I remember how many times my Mom had to have platelets given to her to keep her alive. This year, my community service will be giving back to something that gave me more time with my mother. So I close on this bit of "blood trivia" -
Despite all of the technological advances, one thing hasn't changed: blood cannot be stockpiled. It has a limited shelf life and must be constantly replenished. For example, platelets for leukemia and cancer patients last only 5 days, while plasma for treatment of burns or shock can last 1 year, frozen. While a limited amount of whole blood can be frozen, not all of its vital components can. New blood donations are needed every day.

Ohio State Goes Undefeated

The Ohio State Buckeyes beat Michigan 42-39 today! Going to the National Championship game!!!!! In honor of the buckeyes, I made buckeyes. YUM!!! The first batch of many that will be made during the holiday season. I realize that I have probably been making buckeyes or helping to make buckeyes almost 40 years. Wow!! This is probably why I can limit myself to just one or two each year. I have had them for so many years, that I have lost the desire for them. That's good for me as it will be hard enough staying on WW during the holiday season. I have lost 11 pounds in 4 weeks and want to keep losing up the good habits.

No Braces - Oh Happy Day!

Well today was our appointment with Greg's orthodontist. Greg did not want to go for fear of having to get braces as recommended by our dentist. It turns out that he has a slight overbite that doesn't need to be corrected by braces unless he wants it done. The orthodontist asked Greg if he wanted braces and he resoundingly said no. He may get fitted for a mouth guard to wear at night to prevent grinding, but he doesn't need braces!!!! Dr. Burns showed us pictures of Greg before he had palate expanders in elementary school and it is amazing how different his facial structure was. He definitely had a crooked jawline because of his bite. The expanders corrected that completely.

So after the appointment we went to Staples to see the desk unit Greg is getting for his room for Christmas. While there, Larry showed me this awesome desktop that was marked down to $25 (originally $250). It is perfect for a scrapbooking table in the basement so that I can have my other table back as a quilting table. I missed not having a surface to cut out fabric on. Now that I have my table, I had better get busy quilting again. I think I would like to make a Christmas quilt. Not for this year, but for next (it will take that long).

Off to exercise!!

Happy Veteran's Day

In honor of my Dad and all of the men and women who have served and continue to serve our country, we honor you this day. I won't forget what you have done for us and continue to do for us. What a different world this would be without the brave men and women who fought for our country.
We lose more and more veterans every single day and I am thankful that my father eventually shared some of his stories with us. I miss you Dad and I think of you every day.

Morning Pictures

I was out walking Kitty this morning and I noticed how beautiful the sun was filtering through the trees and bushes. After our walk, I brought out my camera and took these pictures.


Here's a nice picture of Greg waiting for the bus. He was embarassed that I was outside taking pictures and I know he was hoping I would go in before the bus came. I did so that he wouldn't be completely embarassed.
It was almost springlike today - warm and sunny. They had to put the AC on at work because everyone was complaining about the heat.

A Quote for the Day

"To be really great in little things, to be truly noble and heroic in the insipid details of everyday life, is a virtue so rare as to be worthy of canonization."

Harriet Beecher Stowe

Very Busy Saturday

Following a pretty busy week at work and getting nothing accomplished in the evening after work, I decided to get a lot done this weekend. I also had a lot of energy, being on a bit of a high after losing 4.2 pounds this week, making it a total of 8 pounds for 2 weeks of Weight Watchers. Keeping busy keeps me from snacking. Well after a long walk with Kitty this morning, I had the hottub draining by 8:30 am. I went out to check on how far the water was down, when I came upon this little bird sitting on the deck. It must have bumped into the door and stunned itself. He (or she) just sat there for about 10 minutes. I ran in and grabbed my camera and took photos and continued working on cleaning the walls of the hot tub. I turned around later and watched it fly off. I was worried that it was a goner, but luckily he/she recovered and headed to the sky.

My list of accomplishments today include:
- drained, cleaned, and refilled the hot tub
- brought in and repotted my rosemary plant
- swept the leaves out of the garage
- washed the kitchen floor
- three loads of laundry (all mine)
- gave Kitty a bath and 3 long walks
- made Chicken Stew and Orange cake for dinner
- found a funny Ohio State joke and forwarded to my brothers
- cut some articles out of the Dartmouth paper to add to a notebook
- ran dishwasher and unloaded it
- wrote out a menu and did my grocery list for next week

Whew! I accomplished quite a bit today. Maybe tomorrow I will run to Target and do a little Christmas shopping. Greg and Larry were busy today as well. Greg volunteered to help clear wild roses at Honey Hollow Environmental Center. The Environmental Club went to help out. It was Greg, Katie, Ivan and Mr. Elvey. Larry drove him over and came home to get changed so that he could help as well. He went back over with apple cider (Solebury Orchards, of course), snacks, and garden gloves. They were both pretty tired when they got home. I'm proud of Greg for following through on his commitment to the environment and the club. He always volunteers for things and always shows up. I'm glad both of my kids are concerned about the environment. I know they make me think of it daily.

Here's the Ohio State joke:
Two boys are playing hockey on a pond in a Toledo Park when one is suddenly attacked by a rabid dog. Thinking quickly, the other boy takes his stick and shoves it under the dogs collar, twists it breaking the dog's neck and saving his friend.

A reporter who was strolling by sees the incident.

"Toledo Rockets Fan Saves Friend From Vicious Animal," he starts writing in his notebook.

"But I'm not a Rockets fan," the little hero replied.

"Sorry, since we are in Ohio, I just assumed you were" said the reporter and he starts writing again.

"Buckeyes Fan Rescues Friend From Horrific Attack."

"I'm not a Buckeyes fan either," the boy said.

"Oh, I assumed everyone in Toledo was either for the Rockets or the Buckeyes. What team do you root for?" the reporter asked.

"I'm a Wolverines fan," the child said.

The reporter starts a new sheet in his notebook and writes,




"Little B@$tard From Michigan Kills Beloved Family Pet."

Off to do some scrapbooking now.

Happy Halloween

October 31 and I'm home alone passing out candy to the 6 or 7 kids that will come to our door. Greg is off trick or treating with friends in another neighborhood and Larry is teaching.

It was 9:00 last night when an idea of what Greg should be for Halloween occured. It was then about an hour and a half to put the costume together. Making another political statement, Greg went as Harry Whittington. For those reading this who don't remember good ole Harry, he was Dick Cheney's hunting partner who got mistaken for a quail one fine day in the woods. Greg had a lovely bullseye target on his back with lots of buckshot holes that completely missed the center of the target. He wouldn't go for wrapping his head in bandages though. I think it was a coolness thing. Anyways, he was off to school this morning in costume. He was entered in the creative division and unbelieveably he won. This is the second time he has won the Halloween contest at school. His previous win was as a Florida election ballot, complete with hanging chad. He was amazed at how many people had no idea who he was or even who Dick Cheney was. A lot of people didn't even hear about the hunting accident which is old news. Greg was shocked. I guess we just have a teenager who is more aware of current events than his peers. Thank goodness for smart kids.

Well Happy Halloween to everyone. It doesn't mean the same as it used to when the kids were little and we would tire ourselves out walking this neighborhood. What great memories those are.

Windy Weekend

This past weekend brought rain and lots of wind to the Delaware Valley area. We had a soaking rain Friday night through Saturday morning and then the winds came. These pictures show what happened to our large willow tree by the garage side of the house. Thank goodness the tree isn't right next to the house or we would have had damage. Part of one branch landed on the neighbor's fence but there wasn't any damage.

This is a favorite climbing tree of Casey's and there isn't much left to climb anymore. Each time we get a big windstorm, a little bit more of it comes down. The tree is now heavy on one side from the loss of branches on the other side. Blogger is acting funny tonight so I will add more photos later. The winds have died down and it is supposed to be 70 degrees tomorrow.

Halloween Memories

It’s been an interesting week. The weather here has definitely said that November is just around the corner. It has been chilly and very windy and the leaves are blowing all over the place. Thursday night Larry, Greg and I went to the Del Val Haunted House and Hayride. Larry was a judge again and we went along for the fun. The haunted house was really nice and because he was a judge we got to go to the front of the line and had a guide with us for the evening. We were with the President of the College and his wife. The students did a great job in the house and we especially liked it when the scary dude in the big clown feet came sliding across the floor right into Larry. That was funny, rather than scary. We walked down to the hayride and again, got right on. It was a beautiful night with many stars. The scenery in the woods was very well done. My favorite was the group that dressed up as Michael Jackson and did the thriller dance behind the hay wagon. The group of dancers were great. There were a lot of chain saws and screaming, but no bungee jumping from the trees. I haven’t been for a few years, and I really enjoyed it.

Saturday we woke up to this “lake” in the backyard. It rained so hard and long that the lake formed pretty quickly. The wind was howling as well.

Went to the King of Prussia mall on Saturday and believe it or not, they had quite a lot of Christmas decorations up already and more ready to be put up. We actually bought a few decorations ourselves (penguins are the theme this year). Bought Casey some Christmas presents, but not telling what they are (sorry Case).

With Halloween occurring on Tuesday night, I thought it would be fun to post these pictures of Halloween past that I found. Notice who is dressed as a pirate? Notice that Jim is dressed as a clown both years? Once a clown, always a clown!!!! Did you also notice that Joe, in the second picture, is wearing the same pants that John had on in the first picture and the hat. Mom was always very thrifty and hand me downs were a regular part of life.

I remember being so excited to go around Lincoln Village. We visited quite a few houses and looked forward to stopping at the Kneales house on Darbyhurst for hot chocolate and cider. I also remember how Dad would take the glass insert out of the front door so you wouldn’t have to open the screen door, but only open the heavy door. I hated getting apples for treats, but that usually wasn’t too many. I think my favorite at that time were the peanut butter MaryJanes. Nowadays, they would destroy the fillings in my mouth, but I sure loved them then.

Well here’s to another month is 2006 passing by. Thanksgiving is up next and then Christmas and then a whole new year. Where does the time go? Make every day count and don’t wish the days away.

Cat Fight Saturday

A beautiful fall Saturday afternoon in Pennsylvania. A slight chill in the air and some clouds and sun. I spent at least 1.5 hours walking Kitty outside because it was such a beautiful day. Inside though, the cats were bored and decided to have a little cat play in front of me. This was initiated by Chocolate by Lucky quickly followed suit and joined in.
It's fun to watch these two go at it in play. Even though Lucky does not have front claws and is at a disadvantage in these battles, Chocolate never pulls out his claws in defense. There is more neck biting than anything else.


Hard to believe that another year is ending. The days just seem to fly by anymore and I don't know if I am enjoying each day enough. It just seems that I fail to just stop and be thankful for all that I have. I am thankful for everything, but I don't stop to think about it enough. Some days when I am out walking in the quiet morning, I watch the sunrise and think about how lucky I am that I am able to be out in the peaceful morning experiencing such beauty. Then I go in the house and have to do all of the daily things and I forget about the beauty of the morning.


I'm sure that most people go through these exact same thoughts and then others never ever stop and take time to experience the beauty around them. I guess I should be thankful for those rare moments that I do stop to enjoy all that I have and not lament those things that I don't have.

"Lord, remind me how brief my time on earth will be. Remind me that my days are numbered, and that my life is fleeing away." Psalm 39:4

A Short Visit Back to Ireland

Still on Day 4 in Ireland,we left Waterford and the crystal factory and headed to New Ross to visit a replica immigration ship. The original Dunbrody was used for immigration between 1845 and 1847. It was shocking to see such a small wooden ship that was used to transfer Irish immigrants in search of a better life in America. The conditions for the lower class immigrants were horrible and I couldn't imagine the horror they endured in pursuit of a better life. My Irish ancestors came over on such a boat and I admired them even more for that. The way it was set up was that when you arrived you were given a "Passengers' Contract Ticket" that indicated what type of passenger you were. I was Mary Rodgers, 19, traveling as steerage to New York. Character actors portrayed the different classes of passengers on the ship. We learned that steerage passengers only got porridge to eat and only 1/2 hour of time on deck daily on a voyage that took 50 days. These ships were often called "coffin trips" because of the many who died on them.

That was an interesting stop but was very crowded because of the hordes of teenagers from Spain visiting at the same time. It is very common for Spain to send thousands of teenagers to Ireland to learn English for the summer. We saw them everywhere!!

After the Dunbrody, we went back on the bus and headed to Tulleroane for an evening of authentic Irish food, music, sport and storytelling. On the drive there, we passed through the town of Inistioge where the movie "Circle of Friends" was filmed (had Minnie Driver in it). It was a very pretty town.

We arrived at Tulleroane and was greeted by Frank who is the caretaker of this place. We saw a thatched roof that was built in the 1600s by the Kelly family and is the oldest thatched roof in Ireland. The house was eventually passed on to the Maegher family and Lory Maegher was considered the greatest sportsman ever in Ireland.


There was a musuem of Irish sport and Frank showed everyone the sport of hurling. Greg loved it and of course, we came home with 2 hurlers and slithers (sticks and balls). Frank was quite a character and you could tell he loved sharing Ireland with the tourists. After a dinner of cabbage, ham, spuds and pie, we headed over to the old kitchen of the house and listened to Irish music and storytelling with Paddy and Jim. They were very entertaining and the music was very enjoyable. Our tour bus driver showed up with Irish coffee with whiskey and we all shared a few toasts before boarding the tour bus for a trip back to our farmhouse. It was a very long day, but lots of fun.

Next up Day 5 and we head to Cobh - formerly Queenstown and the last stop for passenger pickup for the Titanic!!!

Beautiful Fall Day

It was a beautiful fall day today - slight chill in the air and a nice breeze to rustle the leaves. Lucky has been driving us crazy with his desire to go outside so today I took him out on the leash. He was very good while outside but not happy to come inside. Hopefully that will keep him happy for a few days!
I got most of my chores done today so tomorrow is playday for me. Maybe a trip to memory lane and Michaels for some not needed scrapbooking supplies. I have been scrapping quite a bit lately and have some creative ideas for Christmas cards. With the cooler weather and the boys watching baseball all the time, I spend evenings in my scrapbook room.

The front of the house looks nice with the pumpkin and mums. We need more pumpkins to complete the look. There is a big streak of bird poop on the door, but I creatively took the picture so that the post blocked it out. Have to get out there and clean it off.

I love this time of year - can you tell? Even though the days are getting shorter and it's dark so early I don't mind too much. Tonight when I was walking Kitty I could smell the woodsmoke coming from our chimney. I love that smell. It is definitely a fall smell.This last picture is of the hot air balloon that flew right over our roof top this morning. You have to look very closely between the trees to see it. I was outside with Kitty when it came over top of the house and Kitty freaked out. I was able to talk to the people who were laughing at how Kitty was running in circles and basically a basket case. I could see what the people were wearing - that's how close they were. I took Kitty in and brought Greg out to see it. By the time I got my camera and camera card it was not as visible.

Foray into YouTube

Free Hugs Campaign. Inspiring Story! (music by sick puppies)

So cool - love this music. A very powerful message that made me really think "would I go up and hug somebody holding a free hugs sign?". When the video started, I thought probably not, but by the end I was thinking why not.

Sunny Tuesday

Not a whole lot going on in my life lately. It seems that all I do is get up, walk the dog, feed the animals, go to work, come home, walk the dog, feed the family, feed the animals, few chores, check email and then go to bed. Not too much excitement. I need a shakeup -- something out of the ordinary. Maybe I need a weekend all to myself to just window shop or read a book or I don't know what. Even when I tell myself that I am going to have "me" time, I'm always thinking about something that I need to do. Sometimes you just have to stop thinking about what has to be done and just "CHILL".

Fall is here and the leaves are putting on their annual show. I love this time of year. The air smells of woodsmoke, the sunrises over the mist-covered yard, and the crunch of leaves are underfoot. It's been Indian summer around here, but that is supposed to change sometime this week and the temperature will drop. That's okay, the nesting instinct will take over and hopefully some major home renovations will begin to take shape. Keep posted.


Thought I would include a picture of Greg's cast as it might be going away this week. His appointment is Friday and he's hoping that it comes off then. There is no guarantee and I keep telling him that it might not happen (it's only been on 4 weeks). Anyways, here it is minus the boot which is slowly falling apart. They were enjoying a round of paintball shooting at the targets.

It's been 3 years...

since my Dad passed away. It's been 3 years and 1 month since my Mom passed away. I still miss them everyday and wish I could have one more conversation with them. I always regret that I couldn't have done more for them. I always regret that I didn't get to say goodbye to Dad. I said goodbye to Mom when I left Columbus that August - I told her that I was really going to miss her. I didn't get to say that to Dad and it still hurts.

Living My Dash

Here's hoping that I post more often in October. I don't think much excitement is going on in my life lately so I feel that I would just bore everyone (not that many people read this blog).

Today is Casey's 18th birthday. I am still surprised at how quickly the time passed. I can still remember her as a little curly top girl who was curious about everything. She still has the curls and the curiousity, but she seeks her own answers and doesn't consult me too much anymore. That's okay because I know that it means that we did our job in raising her to desire to learn and be independent.

We had a really nice visit with her last weekend. She is doing very well and enjoying college life with all of its opportunities. Oh to be young again and have those opportunities. Maybe it's all in my head, but it seems that the older you get, the less time you have for creating new experiences. I sometimes feel weighed down with the pressures of work, cleaning, laundry and all the other stuff. Maybe I need to put some of that aside and make time for real fun again. I'm rambling, but I am trying to get more joy out of each and every day. I read something lately that said when you turn the page in your daily calendar, you have lost that day and won't have the day to live over again so make it count for something. I also read the following:


I read of a reverend who stood to speak
at the funeral of his friend.
He referred to the dates on her tombstone
from the beginning...to the end.

He noted that first came the date of her birth
and spoke of the following date with tears,
but he said what mattered most of all
was the dash between those years.

For that dash represents all the time
that she spent alive on earth,
and now only those who loved her
know what that little line is worth.

For it matters not, how much we own;
the cars, the house, the cash.
What matters is how we live and love
and how we spend our dash.

So think about this long and hard,
are there things you'd like to change?|
For you never know how much time is left.
(You could be at dash mid-range.)

If we could just slow down enough
to consider what's true and real,
and always try to understand
the way other people feel.

And be less quick to anger,
and show appreciation more
and love the people in our lives
like we've never loved before.

If we treat each other with respect,
and more often wear a smile,
remembering that this special dash
might only last a little while.

So, when your eulogy is being read
with your life's actions to rehash...
would you be pleased with the things they say
about how you spent your dash?

Love the message in this. I think I will do a better job of living "my dash".