So Lucky They're Mine

Before Casey went back to school in September we celebrated her 19th birthday. About a month before, Larry and I were in Superfresh and decided to order her a pirate birthday cake. She had seen it before, but never in a million years thought we would get it for her birthday. So the night before she left for NH we had a special dinner, opened some of her presents and had cake. This was probably the richest cake I have ever had - but boy was it delicious. The icing as about an inch thick and being that icing is my favorite, I overindulged. The left over cake was taken to school with Casey and enjoyed by her and her friends (even though it didn't travel very well in the heat and was dropped in the parking lot[in the container]).


Casey is back for her sophomore year and I miss her. We had a nice trip up to school and worked hard to get her dorm room all set up. I think her room was full of character and a nice location.
Since the beginning of September we have been busy going to Greg's baseball games. This is about his 5th year playing fall ball and I have to say one of my favorite coaches. His coach Mark is such a nice guy and thinks the world of Greg. Of course, Greg is so coachable and willing to play any position and play it well. Mark has had him mostly catch and play third, but last Friday he had Greg pitch. Greg pitched 3 innings allowing 0 hits, facing 9 batters, and only throwing about 33 pitches. A fantastic outing. Mark was shocked.

The next day they had another game and Greg caught the entire game and played exceptionally well having many plays at the plate and catching a popup to end the game with a victory. He pitched again last night with less success, but his team's defense did not help him at all. He had 2 singles and a triple (which once again Larry missed because he got there late). The game ended in a tie, which was fine for as hard as both teams played. One thing that was so nice about this was that I was trying to take pictures of Greg through the netting and the other team's coach at third offered to take them for me. I passed the camera to him and he stood there taking pictures of Greg. I thought that was so nice.

I Miss You Dad

Hard to believe it's been 4 years. I miss that smile of yours and how you were always puttering around the house. Whenever, I work in the garden I think of all of the gardens that you planted and how you took such pride in it. Those years after your stroke must have been so hard on you when you lost something so dear to you - your ability to be out in the yard and the neighborhood.

This picture was taken when Dad was stationed in Japan. If you look closely at his shoes, they are Japanese slippers. The picture folio it was in is full of Japanese writings.

A long overdue update

Boy does life ever have a way of quickly passing by. September draws to an end and I haven’t even recorded what I have spent the month doing. Greg started his sophomore year of high school and was surprisingly happy to be back at school. I think it is such a social thing for him that he misses his friends over the summer (everyone is off to camps, working, etc.). He has a full course load once again, but is already saying that it is too easy for him. He loves AP Stat and Chemistry and is even taking Journalism. He is working for the school paper, mainly concentrating on the national sports scene. He signed up for fall ball in Flemington once again and is enjoying that. It just isn’t the same without our friends, the Mercolinos, but it is still enjoyable sitting in the cool evenings under the lights watching baseball.

Casey enjoyed a quiet early September before heading off to school last weekend. Her boyfriend came for a visit and we went apple picking and made scarecrows (something we haven’t done for a few years). She won the Common Knowledge – Jim Kramer Mad Money scholarship contest and earned $500 towards college tuition. Just a drop in the bucket, but every little bit helps. Her and I enjoyed a nice weekend taking her back to school and getting her dorm room set up. I miss having her around – not only was she a big help to me, but we enjoyed nightly walks together.



In wrapping up the summer projects accomplished, we had our new storm doors installed yesterday and what a difference it makes. I just wish we had done this much sooner. Lucky likes to sit and look out the doors.

This weekend I am busy stocking the freezer in order to have quick prep meals during the week. My recipes include homemade pizza sauce (made from the bounty of tomatoes my neighbor gave me), Cincinnati chili, beef stew, chicken and broccoli fettucine, roast chicken, and cookie doughs. I am trying out some new recipes and using some old favorites. My plan is to spend every other weekend doing some cooking prep so that we always have something to pull out of the freezer. We’ll see how long this lasts!!! Maybe next weekend I will make Dad’s spaghetti and meatballs in his honor.

Yes, it is that time of year when Dad and Mom’s death hits me pretty hard. Even 4 years later, it still hurts to believe that they are gone. I remember Mom asking me to pray for her and Dad and I’m happy to say that I do that every night. She also asked that I keep on top of the family history. I haven’t done too much of that unfortunately. I did resubscribe to the Rumford paper in the hopes that I can keep track of those family members. I can’t beat myself up about this, but I know that I should be doing more. I think it just overwhelms me at times.

September 1 and Missing My Mom

It is so hard to believe that it was 4 years ago today that Mom left us to go to a greater place. I miss her everyday and hope that her and Dad are happy in heaven together. I really miss those long telephone conversations that we would have. It was so similar to the conversations she would have with her sisters in that we could talk about anything for quite a long time. I always knew that I could pick up the phone if I saw something on TV that she would get a kick out of. We discussed everything and the time would just fly by.

Mom was a very smart person and never let any of us settle for less. I know that my strength today comes from her (and Dad, of course). Often, I will see something and the first thought that comes to mind is "Boy would Mom have loved that". She would have loved the technology to do genealogy, all of the new stores available, and the old tv shows on dvd.

I made her a promise that last day I saw her before slipping into a coma that I would continue to keep the family history going. Unfortunately I haven't done nearly as much as I should have. I plan to change that immediately. She did so much work and left such a rich collection of photos and notes. I just want to add to it and keep it updated.

Thank you Mom for the 43 years I had with you. It wasn't enough but that was all that I was given. Someday we will meet again and until then, my memories of you will have to do.

Another Weekend, Another Ball Game

We hit the road again this weekend and drove 2 1/2 hours to Baltimore to catch the Red Sox/O's game. I have never been to Camden Yard and it was very nice. We got to see Curt Schilling pitch for the Red Sox. The O's won in the 10th inning, but unfortunately Casey and I didn't see it as we had decided to leave in the 7th inning so that we could walk along the Inner Harbor area and get cheesecake at the Cheesecake Factory (YUM!!!).


I enjoy going to baseball games and this year I have been to a Phillies game and an Orioles game. Larry and the kids will be going to a Cardinals game in St. Louis when they are there next week. I know Greg is excited about that.

As the summer comes to an end, we still have lots of things going on. Our new roof starts getting done this week, we are planning a trip to Ohio/Illinois, our new stove was delivered last Friday (pictures to come) and our microwave will be delivered on Thursday (the one delivered on Friday was damaged and sent back).

I like my new job but going to Manhattan weekly may start to wear on me. Hopefully it is just for now and won't be as necessary once I get going on projects. I do happen to love the relaxed atmosphere of the office and enjoy not having to answer somebody else's phone or do copying. It is a good thing that I am an independent worker because my job seems to require a lot of independent working and thinking. I like that.

I am going to put this in my blog and try to remind myself to do this weekly - start working on the genealogy. I promised my Mom that I would do it when I saw her for the last time and I feel pretty guilty that I haven't done as much as I should. She left a treasure trove of information that needs to be added to and distributed. I think the problem is that there is so much information that I am not quite sure where to start. I need to start small with one person and go from there. Each month I put this on my monthly goals, and each month I fail to do anything. Not anymore. Maybe I need to document what I am doing here so that I am more accountable. We shall see!

Where Have I Been Lately?

It's funny that we have lived in this area (2 hours from NYC) for over 17 years and I can count on 1 hand the times we have actually been in the city. During the past week, I have been to NYC twice.

Last Saturday we went to St. Malachys church near Times Square to see a friend's daughter get married. These were friends from Pittsburgh and Southern California and we haven't seen them since there son's wedding 4 years ago. It was a great wedding, the church was beautiful and the transportation terrific. We drove to the Meadowlands Sheraton and were bussed into the city for the wedding and then bussed back to the hotel for the reception. It was a great reception as Katie is an actress and most of the young people at the reception were involved in theatre, dance or singing. The reception danced floor was it's own broadway performance. St. Malachys is known as the Actor's Chapel as it is in the theatre district and a favorite place for actors to wed.

I started my new job on Monday and think this is going to be a good fit. I have to say that in my nice dress pants and shirt I was way overdressed for the office. Jeans, capris, or shorts seem to be the choice of dress. That's okay with me! On Tuesday, my boss asked if I would go to NYC to meet the NY office of the company as I would be working closely with them. Of course, I wouldn't say no, so Thursday morning I caught the 8:19 am train from Princeton to Penn Station and arrived in NYC at 9:15. It was very hot in the city but I only had a 8 block walk to the office. The people were great and the office looked out at the Empire State Building. The energy in the office was so different from the PA office, but I liked it. My dress clothes were appropriate for that office!!!





My boss knew that I was nervous to go into Manhattan, and he was quite relieved to see me on Friday. Did I mention that as I was leaving to catch the 4:39 pm express to Princeton, the co-owner (and I guess my NY boss) said "see you next Thursday"!? It looks that I will be going into Manhattan once every few weeks especially at the start of this job. I don't mind too much, but I think it will become old soon. Maybe I will only have to go once a month. I did like the people and the office, so that isn't a problem.

Tomorrow morning we are off to Baltimore to see the Orioles play the Red Sox. We have had nothing but whirlwind weekends lately. Maybe next weekend we can stay put so I can get other things done.

More to come.

August Already!

Wow, where is the summer going? It seems like just yesterday that Casey and Greg finished their respective first years (college and high school). Casey doesn't go back until the end of September and Greg starts the day after Labor day. As for me, the new job starts on Monday. Only a year ago at this same time, I was looking forward to my new job at the car dealership. How quickly a year passed and how things changed from the first 2 months on the job. I am excited about this new phase in my career development and hope that this job lasts quite some time and is enjoyable.

During my 2 week break between jobs, we have been quite busy. We have been to Reading for shopping, went to a Phillies game, played some tennis, did lots of yard cleanup, and much more. I also volunteered at the Creating Keepsakes convention in Valley Forge and took Casey with me. Afterwards, we had dinner at the Cheesecake Factory (YUM!). Friday I take the first part of the A+ certification, so if you were in my neighborhood you would see me walking around with review questions in my hand. The first part is a 2 hour test and then the second part focuses on a particular concentration based on my choice. I'm not sure which second part I will be taking yet so I am holding off on that one.


On Sunday, we said goodbye to our friends for the last 16 years. They are moving to North Carolina. We will miss them, but look forward to visiting them next summer on a trip to look at southern colleges with Greg. We talked about that time when maybe all of us will be living in North Carolina.

I need to end with a picture of 3 wonderful young women who have made such an impact on my life. Nikki, Christi and Dani came into our lives shortly after moving here in 1990. All 3 of them were babysitters to Casey and Greg and quickly became a part of our family. I can't imagine not having them in our lives. Speaking of time quickly passing, these three young women are all moms or soon to be mom and I couldn't be prouder of them. The picture was taken at Dani's baby shower and I loved watching their interaction with each other. The love among these 3 sisters is so evident. Their Mom should be so proud of them.

Recipe of the Week

Here is a very healthy recipe for using all of those zucchinis that your neighbor gives you.

Baked Zucchini Chips

2 med. zucchini cut into 1/4" slices
1/2 cup seasoned dry breadcrumbs
1/8 tsp ground black pepper
2 tbsps. grated parmesan cheese
1/4 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp oregano
3 egg whites

Preheat oven to 475 degrees and grease a large baking sheet.

Combine breadcrumbs, cheese, garlic powder, oregano, and pepper in a small bowl. In a separate bowl, lightly beat egg whites.

Dip each zucchini slice into egg whites and then into dry ingredients mixture. Place on greased baking sheet. When sheet is full, lightly spray each slice with PAM spray.

Bake for 5 minutes in preheated oven, then turn over, very lightly spray with PAM, and bake for another 5 to 10 minutes until browned and crispy. Makes 4 servings.

ENJOY!!!

Trying Out Some New Things

I have to admit that I am loving this 2 week break before starting my new job. I am accomplishing so much. Yesterday, Greg and I completely rearranged the living room. It looks much bigger and my internet connection is stronger because it doesn't have to go through so many walls. Today Casey and I helped drag big tree limbs to the yard waste piles after Larry trimmed the evergreens. I also washed the wood floors, cleaned out the pantry, cleaned out the plastic container drawers, changed bedsheets, studied 2 chapters for my A+ exam (only 2 more to go), sent some emails, and took quite a few walks with Kitty. Still on tap for tonight is tennis under the lights. It's almost like a nesting taking place, but that is definitely not a sign of anything else.

I added the link on the right side to Greg's sports blog. He is doing this for school but also because it gives him an outlet for his sports knowledge and opinion. We have all refused to go into long sports discussions with him unless he is updating his blog regularly. I am also experimenting with Google AdSense. It is something that I am learning about lately.

A Quick Update

It's been pretty busy lately since returning from our SC vacation. I haven't even had time to upload or print any pictures. My tan is already starting to fade - can't have that.

Well, first off, Kitty went to the vet for her yearly checkup and 45 minutes and $400 later we found out that she has a double ear infection (those long beagle ears) and Lyme disease. She is now on ear drops nightly and medicine for the Lyme. She will have to have a follow up blood test in a few months to make sure it's gone. Pilling her isn't too hard as long as the pill is wrapped in meat or cheese. The first night she had it in peanut butter, but won't eat that now.

I had my 4 hour dentist appt. this past week and for as nervous as I was going in, it turned out okay. After over 12 shots of novacaine to completely numb my entire facial area, and the use of tens (muscle stimulators on my jaw) I started the procedure. The dr. did 9 crown preps and 1 root canal and scaling on all of my teeth to take care of the gum disease. It was a lot of work, but I am actually doing pretty well. I am on antibiotics to ward off infection and painkillers every 12 hours. My teeth feel great, but I have a lot of facial pain from all of the shots. I go back in 2 weeks for another root canal and the bonding of my appliance to my teeth to straighten out my jaw. I have told everyone who asked that I highly recommend this dentist for any serious work. He was very patient, thorough, and professional.

Larry is in Illinois with his brother to move his mother to a nursing home in Texas. They have a 16 hour drive tomorrow to get her into the home on Monday. He will be back on Wednesday after an emotional and long journey. I can certainly understand what he is going through and it is bringing up some not-so-happy memories of 3 1/2 years ago.

Job hunt continues and so does the trying to make money on the side. More on that later.

Happy 4th of July

Back from vacation and already enjoying another holiday from work (paid,I might add). We had a very nice family gathering in Litchfield, SC. We had lots of good food, lots of laughter, lots of sun, and lots of water. I love this picture of Greg and John. Greg is my family guy - he loves being with family and even agreed to visit a plantation because he would get to spend time with his uncles. I love that!!!! He talks about his uncles all the time and you can tell he just thinks the world of them (who would have thought that!).



We enjoyed a meal of Dad's spaghetti and I know Mom and Dad would both be very happy to know that we make it important to get together. I just wish Joe would think the same way as we do.

More to come later and even more pictures.

Happy 15th Birthday Greg

Hard to believe he is already 15 and we will be going through the driving issue again in one year. It seems like just yesterday Casey got her license. Where has the time gone? I say this all the time - but it's true. It seems a lifetime ago that these young adults were attached to my side all day long. I miss those days sometimes, but when I look at the wonderful young adults they have become, I am so proud of them and love this age as well. By the way, in the picture, Greg is showing how happy he is to get the 1975 Reds vs. Red Sox World Series on DVD (all 6 games).

In other news, Casey is home from college and look how she spends some of her waking time - helping Larry to paint the house. She has been a big help in painting those hard to reach places.

Here's hoping that I will be a better blogger in July. Hopefully I will be able to blog about my new job!

My Ohio Trip

It has been almost 2 years since I was in Columbus, yet it felt as if I had just been there the month before. It is amazing to me how quickly I slipped back into the role of Aunt Joan and sister. I guess that is what family is all about. You can go to far away places and be away for quite some time, but family always welcomes you back and makes everything seem so familiar again.

Loved spending time with Danielle and meeting Andrew. How blessed Jim and Michelle are. I forgot how tiring small children can be. The kids were great, but I realize how hard it must be to have children when you are older. We got to see the Grove City Memorial Day parade. I took 3 pictures and that pretty much covered the entire parade. It was so small that the entire parade fit on 1 1/2 city blocks (small city blocks). However it was stirring when they played God Bless America and the Star Spangled Banner and the requisite candy came flying from a tank (like my Dad's).

A Cabinet Full of Dishes

These are pictures for you Casey. This is the cabinet that Dad brought back from Illinois that is over 100 years old. It is for Greg if he wants it, but after he saw how many pieces in came in he may have second thoughts. The dishes inside are for you to do with as you please. I have shown a picture of one piece so that you can see the pattern. They are beautiful dishes and for dishes that are over 60 years old, they are in remarkable shape. I only found about 3 pieces that had chips or other slight damage. The gold leafing is wearing off, but they still retain quite a bit of it.

On top of the bookcase are the 2 history books from 1890. They are quite fragile but quite remarkable to look at. (I just used remarkable for the second time and I haven't used that word in a long time.) Dad also brought back 2 first edition Dr. Doolittle books and 2 first edition Mother West Wind books. They were added to the collection in the dining room.

These Two Are At It Again!!

The other day I posted the picture of Lucky in Greg's laundry basket. He was so cute and perfectly content to be there. So last night I was turning out lights and accounting for all of the cats being off of the porch when I came across Chocolate. He was sleeping in the laundry basket this time. Lucky was also on the table on top of a beach towel on the other end.

I think these 2 sweeties are more alike than we think. First I catch them on different days eating out of the big cat food container and then I catch them, again on different days, sleeping in the laundry basket. How cute are they? Chocolate has been venturing upstairs more lately and has taken to sleeping on my head some nights. I can tell when he slept there even if I don't see him, because I usually have a stiff neck in the morning. Chocolate seems take up a lot of space on the pillow!

Pretty Pictures

Okay, so this is what we spent last weekend doing. I finally finished my front bed project of taking out the lambs ear and spiky purple things and replacing with azaleas. The balance is much better and I know that I will still have some lamb's ear popping up because the underground root system was quite extensive.

The peas and lettuce sprouted last week and the garden should be full by mid-June. Yum!!!!

Finally, the big project this past weekend was putting up another section of fence in the courtyard. It is amazing how much bigger the courtyard is now. This weekend we will be planting tomatoes, peppers, green beans (up the pole left standing from the previous fence structure), and anything else that we fancy. If we can keep the rabbits and groundhogs out, it should be a nice garden this year.

Another Quickie

What do these 2 pictures have in common you ask? They represent two cute but stinker cats who seem to enjoy eating out of the large cat food container right after I have filled it up. I don't know what is wrong with the bowl of food on the floor or what makes this container so special, but within 2 weeks, I have caught each of them in the container of food as I was filling it.

They are both so darn cute and so concentrated on eating their prize that they didn't mind having their pictures taken.

UPDATE Time!

A few Lucky pictures today. This was his choice of sleeping locations the other day. The basket contained clean laundry and now contains furry laundry!!

On Sunday we extended the fence in our courtyard and while we were doing some weeding, we decided to let Lucky out there. Greg took the picture of Lucky and a bunch of Kitty as well. Lucky was very good and didn't try to go over the fence at all. I think he was happy with his bigger yard area. This week I am going to get the courtyard ready for planting the vegetable garden. Maybe Greg and I can get it done before Larry comes home from Illinois.
Casey, these pictures of one of your favorite trees are for you. The tree was in perfect bloom on Saturday so I took a bunch of photos for you. We woke up Sunday morning to a very windy and quite cool day and a lot of the flowers fell to the ground. The entire yard is coming into bloom. The azaleas will be blooming by the weekend, the apple tree is in bloom, the trees are all green, and the poison ivy is coming out (yech!). The peas, lettuce and spinach have all sprouted and we hope to have a bumper crop of peas when Casey comes home.
Can you tell I love spring? I love fall even more, but it is nice to see life budding everywhere after a cold winter. I even got my winter clothes out of my closet last weekend. Of course, the day after I did that it only reached 50 degrees. Not today though - high of 75.

A Trip Up North

Parent's weekend this past weekend and we got to visit with Casey!!! Yea!!! We got up there around 10:30 pm on Friday and made plans to pick up Casey early Saturday. Saturday we decided to drive through Vermont and stop at a few places along the way. We had a ball, stopping at a store and buying Casey and Larry hats, stopping to feed on Cabot cheese at the Cabot Cheese store, looking at items in a Scottish store, and walking along the Quechee Gorge (how pretty). It was fun and relaxing for all of us.

Sunday morning we picked up Casey after our stop at the King Arthur Baking Store and picking up some goodies and took her to lunch at Applebees. We did the grocery run and a few other things before heading back to campus. Casey gave us a nice tour of Phi Tau and the engineering building. It is hard to believe that her freshman year is almost done. Likewise for Greg, only 30 days of school left. Wow!! Where did the year go?

Couldn't wait until it was in the bowl

This first picture was taken on Sunday April 15 as a nor'easter came into town. Thank goodness it wasn't snow or we would have ended up in double digit snow accumulation.



Isn't he just the cutest? He was doing some seriously chowing down of the cat food as I was filling the kitchen counter container.

Second Varsity Win

Not the greatest photos, but he looked good out there. He and Collin won 6-1, 6-1 and Greg had quite a few aces. It's amazing how fast his game has picked up. I was glad that I got to see yesterday's match. It is probably the last match of the season as rain and Reading Olympics will cancel out tomorrow's match. Unless they make it up next week, he may be done for the season.

In other news, I found out today that I am moving out to the showroom at work on Friday. No I am not selling cars, I am moving because my office area is the first scheduled for remodel. Not looking forward to where I will eventually end up, but there is nothing I can do about it. I may need to speak to Nancy if she continues to dump her work on me all the time.

First Victory as a Varsity Tennis Player

Here he is after his first appearance on the varsity tennis team. He and his partner Collin won their doubles match 6-4, 7-5 and the team made a clean sweep of Christopher Dock. Tonight he played doubles with Collin on JV so that Stephen could play varsity. They won 8-1 in a pro set.

Cute Furry Picture

Great picture of Chocolate sunning himself yesterday when it was 60 degrees out.

Rainy Sunday, Monday, Tuesday....

I am sitting here and listening to the sump pump continuously pump out water from the basement channel. It has been raining all night and day and will probably continue into Monday and Tuesday. This is a Nor'easter according to the weather channel. I guess it could be worse in that it might be snow. Hopefully Casey isn't getting the snow part of this. We have already had to get the ladder out this morning in the pouring rain and fix the gutter on the front of the house. Rain was cascading down the front windows and would be ruining them for sure if we didn't fix the gutter right away. We did and now it is just an incredible amount of water everywhere.

I have to post something wonderful that happened to Greg yesterday. I know it is hard to read but here is what this email from Greg's tennis coach to four of the freshman players says: "I am very impressed with all of your tennis talent, enthusiasm and commitment to the team. As freshman and 1st year members of the team I see your future with NHS Tennis to be very rewarding for all of you. I have decided that Greg's total commitment and dedication to the team has earned him a spot on varsity. We will now have 13 members....You will earn your Varsity Letter by helping your fellow teammates raise the bar on how well all of you play.

Without sounding smug...I believe that it will mean a lot to you and your College prospects by the time you are seniors to be a 4-year Varsity member of a team that will be winning Districts and possibly States by your junior or senior year. Thanks for being such positive, fun to be around players. Coach A"



This is such a great thing for Greg to know that all of his hard work is paying off. He is always at practice giving 100% and listening to and respecting his coaches. We are so proud of him and look forward to more great things from him. I think it is amazing that his coach believes that she has such young talent as to expect a District Title and maybe appearance in the States tournament before they graduate. It is a talented group of freshman and I am so glad that Greg is having such a great time. It is amazing how far he has come in such a short period of time and if you look at his bulletin board you can see what he wrote: "THE BEST HAS YET TO COME". He would probably be embarrassed that I put this on my blog, but I think it speaks volumes of him.

Just a Few Random Thoughts

I found a new favorite movie this past weekend - The Holiday. This movie starring Cameron Diaz and Kate Winslet is such a cute movie. It is probably very predictable to most people and just a regular old movie but something in it stirred me. I liked the relationship between Iris and her next door neighbor and the character Miles. I also thought Graham was a great character with a few surprises. I have watched it twice and plan to watch it again tonight before it has to go back to Blockbuster.

I have been finishing the binding on my blue and yellow quilt. I only have one more side to finish and then it is done. I will definitely have to take pictures. I probably should start a scrapbook of my finished quilts. Hopefully Casey will remind me to take a picture of her quilt when she brings it home this summer. (Hint Hint!)

I finally finished Lesson 1 for the Library of Memories class I am taking at Big Picture Scrapbooking. I spent an entire week organizing my photos and putting them into albums. This is a long term project and will probably take all summer to complete.

I am back on the treadmill after taking it easy for the month I was sick with bronchitis. I actually did 40 minutes last night - none tonight as ironing and other chores had to take a priority.

I am hoping to see an update from Casey very soon!!!!

Things to Ponder

I saw this on K. Smith's blog and thought it was something to think about. I need to start altering my course. Sometimes I just get caught up in doing the same thing day after day. Last week I decided to take a walk around Lake Galena on my lunch hour. I decided to start walking around the lake and after 15 minutes I would turn around and go back to my car and back to work. Those 30 minutes were so refreshing and necessary that I vow to do it more often. By altering my course of lunch activities (usually just running errands), I had a very peaceful and happier afternoon.

I Have Updated - Have You?

Message to Casey - Update your blog!!!!! You got on me, now I am going to get on you about it!!!! Put down the coloring books and crayons and update!!

Picture taken 3/24/07

Saturday's List

I thought of list of things would be fun today!

10 things that irritated me yesterday:

1. Sitting in FB's office and printing emails for 2 1/2 hours.
2. Using over 500 sheets of paper to print said emails (what a waste).
3. Being asked if I had done a few items that I would have done had I not been printing emails for hours.
4. Being told to be back from lunch by 2 so that I could answer Nancy's phone.
5. The look Nancy gave me as I met with MG for 2 hours going over audits that I do monthly (a little bit of jealously on her part maybe).
6. Having to put gas in my car that cost $2.79.
7. Reading in the paper that the CEO of Comcast Cable received $27.8 million in compensation last year while our cable bill continues to rise steadily.
8. Not losing any weight at WW yesterday.
9. Getting my paycheck and realizing that I didn't quite get 80 hours over the last 2 weeks.
10. Getting my paycheck and realizing I had less than 1 hour overtime.


9 Things I am Grateful For

1. My family and the fact that we really enjoy each other (most of the time).
2. My pets and the unconditional love that they give.
3. The ability to get out of bed everyday.
4. The fact that I have a job and can pay my bills.
5. Springtime and all of the beauty of it.
6. Finding a good book to read.
7. Remembering that there is always something to learn.
8. Having my health and the health of my family.
9. Technology - for the most part it's a good thing.

8 Things I Worry About Too Much

1. Money
2. Getting my TO DO list done daily.
3. Weight
4. My kids' future - it's their future - not mine
5. Having a clean house.
6. Honoring my parent's legacy
7. What other people think (sometimes - not that often)
8. What to fix for dinner

7 Things I Ate Yesterday

1. Lite English Muffin
2. 2 lite sausages
3. Lean Cuisine Pizza
4. Grape Tomatoes
5. Fiber One bar
6. 2 FF hotdogs
7. 3 soft pretzel bites

6 Things on My To Do List This Weekend

1. Laundry
2. Vacuum entire house
3. Dust
4. Yardwork - pick up sticks and tear out dead stuff
5. Call John
6. Update blog

5 People I talked to Yesterday

1. Greg
2. Larry
3. Casey
4. Carol
5. Michael

4 Goals for April

1. Finish quilt binding on yellow quilt
2. Scrapbook more
3. Plant peas and much more
4. Get to the dentist

3 Books I read in March

1. The Ultimate Gift
2. Beverly Nye's "A Family Raised on Sunshine"
3. Beverly Nye's "A Family Raised on Rainbows"

2 New Plans for Today

1. Take Greg to a Bowling Birthday Party
2. Hang out by myself - I thought we were all staying home today

1 Thing I Accomplished Today Already

1. Got Easter presents ready to mail on Monday.

Updated per Casey's request

Had a wonderful visit with Casey for the 2 weeks she was home. I miss her and feel surrounded by too much manliness - need my girl talk. I really enjoyed our drive back to Dartmouth on Sunday. Off to Buckingham Pizza for dinner. More to come later.

I'm back now and full of stuffed rigatoni and garlic knots (WW be damned!). Just kidding about the WW part - I plan to do the bowflex workout machine tonight. Haven't exercised very much over the past 3 weeks due to this illness that just won't go away. However, at least now I know it is bronchitis and am happily taking my antibiotics. For the first time in 2 1/2 weeks, my voice is starting to sound somewhat normal and not like I am going through puberty. I think my voice was wearing on everyone around me.

I have to post this little bit of information about motorcycles and head injury as my cousin's husband has been removed from life support following a serious head injury sustained in a motorcycle crash:

Motorcycles, Bicycles, and Head Injury

The increase in bicycling and motorcycling has focused attention on injuries sustained during these activities. Most of these injuries are traumatic brain injuries (TBI), caused by the lack of rider head protection. This exposure of the rider accounts for the particular types of injuries seen during these activities.

• Although the crash scenario often dictates the area of the body injured, fatal crashes are most often a result of traumatic brain injury. Often these are isolated head injuries with no other serious injuries.
  
  
• Fatal traumatic brain injury occurs more often in adults than children, although children are more often injured in bicycle crashes. This simply reflects the greater proportion of children using bicycles, as well as the lack of experience of younger riders.
  
  
• Many studies have documented the particular risk of brain injury when riding a motorcycle. The increased speed of a motorcycle and use in vehicle traffic adds risk of injury far beyond that of a bicycle.
  
  
• Traumatic brain injury certainly can cause death, but it also can cause disabling injury requiring extensive and costly rehabilitation. For many people, a brain injury triggers a significant change in lifestyle and function. Brain injury can vary from essentially minor disability to prolonged dependence on a ventilator to breathe and permanent loss of normal function. These serious brain injuries take their toll on families caring for an injured loved one.

Ron was riding his motorcycle without a helmet when he crashed. Naturally my cousin is devastated and unplugging him from life support has to be the hardest decision that she has ever had to make. Though Ron was an odd person, he was probably the best person for my odd cousin (she had her quirks and I don't believe they were all the result of her own actions - she went through a lot over the years).

In happier news, Greg won his tennis match today. He was playing doubles when his partner dislocated his shoulder during the 2nd game of the match. The kid was taken away in an ambulance and Greg was forced to forfeit his match. He ended up asking one of the kids on the other doubles team to play a match and the kid agreed - so they played singles. Greg won even though it didn't count in the overall match score. He also got a 98 on his big math test. He was in a great mood today.

I hope to update even more this week. I have some nice pictures of my two "little ones" coloring!!!!

No WW Update This Week

WW meeting cancelled yesterday because of the ice storm we were having. Bummer!!! I know that I had probably lost a few pounds due to the fact that I have been sick all week and not able to really eat much. Unfortunately, I haven't exercised either. Last night I did 30 minutes on the treadmill - the first exercise (other than walking) for 10 days. I am still not able to talk without my voice cracking and hope that my voice comes back soon. A week without a voice is not a good thing (though some people would disagree).

You Will Be Seeing Less of Me These Days!!!

23.8 pounds less of me!!! Weight Watchers today and I didn't want to go mainly because I was sick and hadn't exercised for 2 days. Well, I lost 5 pounds. Go figure! I guess having the flu does that to you. It's not like I was throwing up or anything - it's just that I am not hungry. Even tonight, I was only able to eat 1/2 of my hoagie at Buckingham Pizza. Maybe, if I am up to it, this weekend I will take some measurements so that I can track that as well. This 5 pound loss this week was definitely motivating for me. I haven't been feeling very motivated lately and haven't been writing down what I eat. This upcoming week I will do it since we are all exchanging food journals on Friday as a motivator to get ourselves to write down what we eat.

My goal is to be down 30 pounds by our June vacation. I can do this!!

Look Who I Saw!

I spent all day yesterday with Donna Downey. She taught 4 classes at memory lane scrapbook store and I took 3 of them. I took:

• Creative License - where we used scrap materials (chipboard and a grocery bag) and made a 12 x 12 album. I liked the album and would consider doing this again because I liked the way the pages were made.
  
• File Album - loved this little album. A fun photo file to highlight an event or trip. I am pretty sure I will be making another one of these.
• Bookbinding 101 - I am now confident that I can make my own journal. It was a lot of work, but well worth it as I love the finished product.

I will post pictures of all of the finished projects when I get a chance to finish them up. Overall, it was a lot of fun. Donna is pretty cool and I could definitely see hanging out with her. It is amazing to see all of these women who are the store groupies. I met some really nice women and watched the antics of the groupies. I guess this is their outlet and they use this as their chance to be loud and crazy. They were a talented group of scrapbookers and I think they probably all wish they were the Donna D., Ali E., Heidi S. of this area. It's not for me. I am not a very social scrapbooker and prefer to scrapbook by myself. I do love going to these classes and learning new procedures and seeing new projects. I think I will stay with the online classes. I don't think I will even go to CKC this year.