Ahhhhhh....

Hey, all!

I am at work.  I admit it.  And mornings like this are why I have not "retired" yet!  The work is done until I get more info from others.  I have my Starbucks coffee.  I am listening to my new hit Broadway tunes CD.  The sun is out.  Life is good!

Happy New Year!  Stay safe!

Just Checking In

I hope everyone had a wonderful Christmas with low stress levels!

This has been a difficult Christmas this year.  I had some reactions to a new medicine that made my mood and thoughts rather dark and low.  I saw my doctor right before Christmas and told him I wanted to stop it and he agreed.  Not only was it giving me "issues" but it wasn't doing what it was supposed to do in the first place.  I am feeling more like myself now and my moods and thoughts are much better. 

In spite of my lack of enthusiasm for the holidays, Christmas was a good one.  I managed to get some decorations out, some cards sent, some shopping and wrapping done.  Thanks to a wonderful huge box of cookies from my sister-in-law, V, I didn't do as much cooking and baking as normal.  And that was great!

Nurse J and her family were in Illinois for Christmas with Cable Guy's family.  They got to experience lots of snow! BeyB made a great green snow creature! They are safely home now. 

Bikini and family came here for Christmas and we had a nice visit with them.  It's always hard to do Christmas at another house when you have little ones, but all was good. They had to go home on the 26th and are now safely back.

Golfer and I have been busy un-decorating.  We had already decided to retire our main tree after a whole section of the lights died.  We purchased a new one for next year.  You know how when you have a full closet packed with things, if you add or change something, it's a massive shift??  I spent a lot of time sorting and repacking everything.  So now the closet in the library holds two trees and all the inside decorations - plus the gift wrapping supplies and the furry kids' carriers!

As things have been put away, cleaning has been done and we are now pretty well scrubbed and cleaned up around here.  I did just notice the windows need to be washed, but that will wait for warmer temperatures!

As I almost always do, I have shifted into "clean-out" mode here.  I think that comes from when Golfer was active duty and we always wanted to be somewhat ready if he got orders.  Every January I want to clean things out!  Piles are already started in the garage for the DAV pick-up!

So here we are at the end of another year.  Even with its ups and downs, it's been a good one.  I am grateful for my wonderful Golfer, my husband and best friend, and our lovely daughters and their families.  Golfer and I have been blessed and have been able to do and see some wonderful things.

I wish you all a very Happy New Year.  Stay SAFE!

Merry Christmas, Everyone!

Golfer and I wish you all the best joys of Christmas!

Stay safe!

Childhood Christmas Memories from Ohio

I grew up in the small rural town of Navarre, Ohio.  The type of town where children could walk from one end to the other and not be afraid.  Someone would watch out for us.   

In my memory, we always had snow for Christmas.  Actually, in my memory, we always had snow from Thanksgiving until Easter some years, but that is another story!  On Thanksgiving Day we always made a green and red paper chain to count down the days to Christmas.  If we didn’t have construction paper, we colored the lines on a page of our school tablets and cut strips from there.  What fun to watch the chain get shorter and shorter!

The Kiwanis Club always sold Christmas trees at the closed-for-the-Winter ice cream stand.  Mom and I did not have a car until I was old enough to learn to drive, so we would pull my sled up the hill (again the snow!), buy our tree and tie it on and slide it back down the hill.  Mom always picked out a tree with little pine cones on it.  When we got it inside the pine cones would pop and crackle as they opened up.  That entertained Louie, our orange tabby cat.

We never saw decorations or really thought about Christmas until the day after Thanksgiving.  That was the day of the parade in Massillon ushering Santa to town.  And that evening the lights over the street would be lit.  Mom and I would sometimes make a day of it and ride the bus to Massillon.  What a treat!

On the Sunday before Christmas, Mom and I, and my sister and her family, would all go to my Grandma’s for “Sunday Christmas”. My nieces and I were always excited at the prospect of having two Christmases.  Mom always said it’s nice to spread out the good times. 

My Grandma always liked to have “angel hair” on her tree along with small lights that got so hot they would burn your fingers if you touched them.  I am pretty sure that that “angel hair” was really fiberglass and it’s a wonder we didn’t burn the house down with the lights and/or catch some horrible disease.  But we didn’t and we didn’t know any better at the time either!

People from the Church would bundle up and walk all over town one evening singing carols and enjoying looking at decorations and lighted trees in our neighbors’ homes.  The evening would end with hot cocoa and cookies.

We always had a Christmas exchange at school, too.  I seem to remember the price limit being something like twenty-five cents.  Back then that would buy a “Golden” story book, a ball, jacks, and other fun things!  The teacher always had a couple back-up gifts in case someone couldn’t afford to participate or forgot, so everyone was included.

In school we always had a Nativity pageant and heard the wondrous story of baby Jesus coming.  We did not worry about being politically correct or religiously biased.  We all celebrated together and sang those wonderful carols.  In Church, we always ended our Christmas service with Santa coming to hand out candy or fruit.  He would tell us about Baby Jesus, too.  I think it is sad that today’s children can not have this joy of the blending of Christmas.  For us it all fit together very well.  It was “right”.  It was “joy”.

Stay safe and have a very Merry Christmas!

A belated post on decorating...

Just wanted to share this picture of Finnigan "helping"!

Where to Begin?????

Golfer and I took a short vacation last week.  It was wonderful!  We took the train to New York City - the place of many people, lots of traffic, and a bazillion lights!

After the initial shock and stress of the the taxi ride (think shrinking Knight Bus in Harry Potter)  from Penn Station to the Marriott Marquis on Times Square, we settled in to a lovely room with a view of the Hudson river.  We had dinner the first evening in the View restaurant on top of the hotel.  It revolved and offered a lovely view of the city.

We had passes for the Grey Line tour bus for two days and about froze ourselves  riding around in the open tour bus, but what fun!  And thanks to Matt, tour first wonderful tour guide!  We were the only people on the bus when it started out and he just came and sat with us and talked to us and answered questions.

Sadly, we did not get to go out to the Statue of Liberty or Ellis Island.  The storm destroyed the docks and won't be rebuilt until late Spring next year.  We could have taken a ferry that would pass them, but would not stop.  So we walked around Battery Park and took pictures from there.  There are still areas of the city without power and there is repair work being done in many places.

One of my favorite things was the Top of the Rock visit.  We went up to the 67th floor and got out of the elevator onto a platform with ten-foot-high thick glass walls and had a great view of the city!  I, however, wanted to go to the very top, so I took a different elevator up to the 70th floor and got out on the platform that had waist-high pillars and rails (no walls)..... and a fantastic view in the sun and wind!  It was GREAT!  Golfer would have hated it, but he was busy texting folks from the waiting area on 67.  He has never kept his feelings about heights a secret.  And I truly appreciate that he went up to 67!

Rockefeller Center is as lovely as it is on TV.  People were skating and the lights were twinkling.

We saw "Jersey Boys" our last evening there.  What talent!  The lead sounded just like Frankie Valli!  We walked back to the hotel that night through Times Square.  at night. in the dark. by ourselves.  I think that shocked our daughters!

And then it was time to leave...  we took the train home and have been busy catching up and doing the final preparations for Christmas.  

Stay safe!

A Lighter Seasonal Note

I was driving through our neighborhood this morning on the way to get groceries and saw this in a resident's front yard.  It made me smile.  Keep in mind that a few years ago someone in our area got into trouble with the HOA for having a wreath made of different beer cans.  It was quite festive!  But he had to remove it.  I hope this flamingo is safe!

Something to Think About

Recently a question was asked - not directly of me, but it got me thinking.  What are you afraid of?

In descending order:

First, something happening to Golfer and finding myself alone.  He truly is my soul mate and best friend.

Something happening to our girls and their families.  I hold them all in my heart.

Becoming incapacitated, either mentally or physically.  I think this is why I push myself to do the exercises, go to the "Y",  and be so careful.  You never know what might happen and you have to take care.

Stay safe.

Thank You, Bikini!

Golfer and I were surprised with an early Christmas gift this week.... a new Christmasy quilt!  We love it!  Thanks, Bikini!

As you can see here, Cinder was first to get her spot on it.

Stay safe!

P.S.

I tried to load this on the post and it wouldn't load.  Finally got it!  This is Cecil looking concerned because Finnigan is in "his" spot on the tree skirt!

Tra La La La La!

Hey, all!


Well, thank goodness for the four day Thanksgiving weekend! I need to pace myself for various reasons and it took all weekend to get our decorating done.

The outside work was fairly easy. Golfer brought the containers down from the attic and had them by the front door for me. I did the garland and lights on the porch and only broke one bulb! He finished up by setting out our much loved snowman that his Dad made for us years ago.

Inside decorations were a much different matter. I had lots of helpering furry kids for that. Here is how it went…. Golfer got our trees set up. We made sure all the lights worked on both. On Saturday I decorated the dining room tree. BTW, it is really great. It’s one of those “pop up” trees so it’s easy assembly and already strung with lights. The furry kids were very interested in the red and gold ribbon I use on it for garland. And then even more intrigued by the shiny ornaments. And let’s not get started on the tree skirt. I cannot tell you how many times I have put it back in place.

Then on Sunday I started on the living room tree. I started with the silver garland and was about a third of the way done when the dryer dinged and I had to go get some clothes hung up. Then I went back to the tree and “someone” had “helped” and I started over with the garland. And that’s pretty much how it went. I sorted ornaments as I went because I had decided this year would be a year without glass or antique ornaments. I am sure you can figure out why!

This was the very first year that all our Star Trek ornaments lit up and worked on the very first try. Some of ours are from when they first started making them and light strings have evolved enough that we have to use some adapters that Hallmark sells. I was so happy! The only one of ours that no longer works is our Borg cube. Sad. I miss them!

Anyway, I got the tree skirt under the tree – again, and again, and again……… I think it was Monday evening we discovered that the entire bottom section of the tree’s lights had gone out. We spent a while working on that and replacing fuses with no luck. I have since gone to Wal-Mart and bought a single string of lights and put around the bottom of the tree. And we’ve decided a new tree is being purchased for next year, one like the dining room one.

The Hummel nativity set is safely displayed behind glass doors this year, as are some other favorite breakable decorations. And I have declared the decorating finished. Now on to other projects!

Stay safe!

P.S.

While I was cooking this morning I had the Macy's parade on.  It sure isn't what I remember watching all my life!  The school bands are hardly on.  I didn't recognize the singers or their songs.  And when did the Rockettes stop tap dancing???  If I'm going to watch the Rockettes, I want to see some tapping toes!!

I told Golfer they could have edited that multi-hour parade down to five minutes for me and just shown Santa!  And least he and Mrs. Claus looked good!

Sigh.  Stay safe and have a great holiday season!

HAPPY THANKSGIVING!

Hey, All!

I hope everyone is having a good day!  We're winding down here.  I had a flurry of cooking this morning.  NurseJ and family came for dinner about 12:30.  She is on call today so it was iffy if she would make it, but all was good.  We made it through dessert before she had to leave.  Cable Guy and BeyB stayed a while longer.  I think the tryptophan was kicking in for all of us!

Anyway, it's been a busy week around here.  Last Friday morning I confirmed that we had a flea problem.  Our furry kids do not go outside at all, so we still haven't an answer to where they came from, but it was something that needed immediate attention.  As it turned out, Cinder and Cecil were due for their check-ups and immunizations.  I have an understanding with our clinic that when I can get my hands on Cecil I will just call and they will work us in.

The fleas made this urgent.  And involved some maneuvering on my part.  Getting my hands actually on Cecil involved looking at him straight in the eye and him running under our king-sized bed.  Then I closed the bedroom door and opened the closet door.  And used the stick vac to "vacuum" under the bed.  At which point Cecil dove into the closet and I closed that door.  Then I carefully went into the closet and pried him out from under Golfer's hanging pants!  After that it was just a matter of calling and then getting Cinder.  While they were there, they got the Advantage flea treatment and I brought home some for Angus and Finnigan. 

This stuff is great!  Flea treatment used to involve an all day process where the cats would be bathed, dipped, and sprayed and the house would be bombed, sprayed and scrubbed.  The Advantage kills all stages of fleas.  No muss, no fuss.  I still cleaned real good last weekend.  The furry kids are doing well, not scratching as much.  I still haven't seen an actual flea, but what set all this off was the evidence of flea "dirt".

I think there is some improvement from the spinal injection I had.  Not as much so far as I was hoping.  But some has been set off my the fact I developed a major bladder infection.  Am now on strong antibiotics and doing okay.  And on the plus side, if there is an Anthrax attack, I'm all set!  The drug is the same they use to treat that!

We had to have work done on our relatively new windows.  When washing them recently I discovered a couple places where there had been leaks.  And also a spot appeared above the fireplace, so the guys worked on that, too.  While they were up on the roof they discovered the dryer vent was full of lint.  Different guys are coming tomorrow to clean that. 

Golfer has had to clean up leaves every couple days and we have a mountain of bags on the deck to put out for the next pick up.  He mowed yesterday.  Seems silly to still be doing yard work when we're getting ready to decorate for Christmas!  But that's the way it is.

So have a good weekend.  Be careful if you brave the crowds and go out to shop.  And stay safe!

Sending Out My Sympathies and Condolences

To all the Hostess Twinkie and Ho-Ho lovers out there, you have my thoughts.

I didn't really get to experience Hostess snack products as a child.  Mom was the retail store manager of Nickles' Bakery, in Navarre, Ohio.  They baked great bread and other wonderful goodies and shipped them all over the area.  So Hostess was the competition.

I used to watch the Howdy Doody show on a tiny screened black and white TV.  I remember they had a big contest at one time where the seals at the ends of the bread wrappers were pictures of Howdy and his pals.  (this was back when the bread came wrapped in something like a wax paper wrapper and folded and sealed)  My friends were collecting the picture seals.  I would see the ads on the TV.  I don't remember what the prize was going to be if you got them all, but every kid wanted to get them.

My Grama would get a loaf of Hostess white bread every now and then just so I could get a sticker or two.  She had the Nickles' bread delivered to her house regularly by the bread man, but would buy the Hostess bread at the grocery.  Grama was great!

I went to the Commissary this morning for the last of our Thanksgiving supplies and noticed the Hostess shelves were wiped almost clean.  There were a couple of beat up packs of orange cupcakes hanging on.

I am sorry for your loss.  Rest in peace Twinkies.

I Wish You Enough

This is a clip from an email that has been going around. Golfer and I received it from a friend. I researched the poem and found it attributed to several authors, so I am listing it as “anonymous”. This time of year it seems we are swamped with wishes and lists and wants. I felt this was quite appropriate for the season, even if that is not how it was originally meant.


I wish you enough sun to keep your attitude bright no matter how gray the day may appear.

I wish you enough rain to appreciate the sun even more.

I wish you enough happiness to keep your spirit alive and everlasting.

I wish you enough pain so that even the smallest of joys in life may appear bigger.

I wish you enough gain to satisfy your wanting.

I wish you enough loss to appreciate all that you possess.

I wish you enough hellos to get you through the final good-bye.


To all my friends and loved ones,

TAKE TIME TO LIVE.... I WISH YOU ENOUGH.

Stay safe.

Why Must Everything Be Such a Rush?

My "Fall" garden flag has been bothering me ever since I put it out after Halloween.  It was more faded than I remembered and I decided to get a new one.  I had no idea how challenging that was going to be.  My first stop was at A.C Moore (used to be Ben Franklin's).  I couldn't find the garden flags and asked one of the staff.  I was told all they had were Christmas flags.  And it was true - there was a whole row of those!  I said, "but it isn't even Thanksgiving yet".  And I was told they stock a season ahead.

So I went to another store and they had a lot Christmas flags, and one (1!) with a bright Fall colored turkey on it.  Not really what I was looking for but I bought it and it makes me smile out  there at the front of the house. 

This has made me consider some things and think about our society.  Why are we in such a rush and why do we pressure ourselves so much?  I recently said to Golfer that I felt like I was running behind this year.  I hadn't done much shopping for Christmas yet, had not baked and frozen anything, had not started the cards, and had not even thought about our annual letter.  He looked at me and said don't do the letter.  At first I was a bit upset and shocked that he would consider that.  But it didn't take me long to decide he was right.  Like he said, we have email, he's on Facebook, I write this blog, and we have phones.  What can we possibly write in a Christmas letter that we haven't posted, texted, written about or called to tell someone.

So folks, hang on to your hats!  This is the year I stop doing a Christmas letter.  I am sure some folks will not notice.  Some will probably say "thank God!".  A couple  might miss it.  But Christmas will come on time and all will be good.

There were already some changes planned for Christmas what with having some young, very active furry kids.  The decorating was going to be a little more laid back this year.  I will still open all the boxes and look lovingly at all the decorations.  But then I will be putting most of the breakable ones back in the boxes.  I will be hanging the unbreakable ornaments this year!

Don't worry, kids, I'll still try to make some cookies and there will still be presents for you.  But I have decided to not stress myself any more.  We're going for quality all around, not quantity and stress. 

I'll keep you posted.  Stay safe!

Just Some Observations

Golfer and I went to vote this early morning.  There was a fairly long line,  but it was orderly and we were dressed for the weather.  (It was cold.)

I have always been a "people watcher".  I think I get that from my mom.  Anyway, how did we get to a point in our society where people don't dress sensibly or appropriately?  As I said, it was cold this morning.  Golfer and I had on jackets and hats and gloves and our New Balance shoes. Very sensible footwear.  Because of joint issues, RA, and other issues, I pretty much wear New Balance shoes all the time except for rare occasions.

I saw people dressed in shorts and flip flops.  I saw people in what looked like pajamas.  I saw people in tee shirts and  no coats.  And I saw many, many women tottering around in ungodly shoes with spike heels, or platform soles,  or the worst, high heeled sandals.  Everyone one of them had horrible posture.  If only they knew what they were doing to themselves in the name of trying to be fashionable.  I notice things like that.  It has been drilled into me by arthritis class instructors, doctors, and physical therapists - "watch your alignment!"  And before these warnings, it came from my mom and granma.  I remember as a young girl being told to stand straight, sit straight.  We even had to be able to walk around with a book on our heads.  And we had to do it until we could make the distance without it falling off.

So, ladies, hold your heads high, keep your body aligned and straight and have a good day!

And stay safe!

Belated Happy Halloween and Other Stuff!

Hey, all!

Life has been happening and posting has not been accomplished.    But you've already figured that out!

Golfer and I spent several days in Ohio visiting family.  There were plans for golf, a major high school football game and a Browns' game, besides all the visiting and such.  Let me just say that "Sandy" and her assorted weather issues were not conducive to all of that.  The first of the golf round was okay and then the wind and cold hit.  The guys finished. 

Our planned visit to the cemetery to put Fall flowers on our parents' graves was done in windy rain.

The next day the high school football game was watched on Golfer's brother's big screen TV in the comfort of the house.  Very cold and rainy that day.  So in preparation for the Browns' game Golfer and I went shopping and got him a rain suit large enough to fit over his heavy jacket.  He and his brother headed to the stadium and toughed it out until half time when they had had enough of the cold and heavy rain.

In the meantime, here at home, NurseJ and CableGuy came over and secured all our deck furniture and outdoor items.  L, our "kitty sitter", had plans to pack up our furry kids if necessary and take them to her house in Williamsburg.  As it turned out, all that we had right here at our house was heavy rain and wind.  Our sympathies go out to all those who were hit harder.  Parts of our area closer to the water did have some flooding and minor damage though.

We considered staying another day and coming home on Tuesday, but the forecast wasn't any better.  Alternate routes took us through the snow areas.  So Golfer and I decided to just get on the road and get home.  It was stressful, but we did it with no real problems.  And we are happy to be home.

Golfer got some yard clean-up done and we have many bags waiting for pick-up.  I've been busy cleaning, doing laundry and getting back to work.

Our furry kids are happy and content and as busy as ever.  The time change has concerned them a bit.  Their dinner isn't coming when they think it should!  I put away the few Halloween decorations we had out and put out some Thanksgiving ones.  I have already glued the head back on a small turkey.  And the pilgrim man has been used as a hockey puck a bit.  I am in the process of thinking about Christmas decorations.... no antique glass ornaments will be displayed this year!

So, life is happening all around us and on we go.  Tomorrow is election day.  We are hoping the phone calls and "junk" mail will stop.  Good luck Mr. Romney!

Stay safe, folks!

Apropos

I saw this while looking at the LOL Cats site.  I thought it was appropriate for today

Stay safe.

The "Babies" Are Getting Big!

I call this photo "We claim this bag and all that's in it!"

Angus and Finnigan are going to be big kitties when they are done growing.  Some small differences have developed and most of the time now I can tell them apart without looking for Finnigan's clipped tail hairs. They are always busy unless they are sleeping. 

A couple nights ago as Golfer and I got to a crucial part of a show we were watching, Finnigan unplugged the electronics.

They have a huge fondness for my bag that I use for going to the "Y".  Several times I have found things pulled out of it.  Once Angus was rolling around on my towel in the bedroom doorway.  And one time they dragged my "Turby-Twist" towel into the library and Cinder was sleeping on it in the cat bed!

I have also found one of my slippers in the library.

They frequently remove things from the top of Golfer's dresser.

Through all of this, Cinder and Cecil often give us looks that say "what were you thinking?"  But they are all lovable and life would be dull without them.

Stay safe!

Some Product Reviews

Hey, all!

I realize it's been a while since I posted.  I had things getting composed in my head, but life took over and they did not get written.  All is well here.  Golfer had a couple bad days where he didn't feel well, but he's fine now and out playing golf. 

Our weather is back and forth this time of year.  We've had some really cool days and then it will warm up, then cool down - back and forth. Today is cool and sunny and I had to turn the heat back on.  That did not stop me from going to the car wash with Duke (our Mustang) and then doing some detailing.

Here's a picture of our Fall decoration.  I can see it out the window from "my" chair!

So.  I have some comments on some new products.  Our Commissary has had some specials and intro offers on some things. 

I thought the Orville Redenbacher's white cheddar popcorn sounded good.  Don't bother.  It's nasty.  The corn itself was nice and fluffy, but the seasoning packet you get to sprinkle on it leaves a bad taste in your mouth.

Don't bother with the Bruce's baked sweet potatoes in a can either.  Also nasty.  As Golfer said, they looked like something we would clean up from the kitties. And they also leave a nasty taste in your mouth.

On a positive note though, Golfer received a small bag of Herr's mini sourdough pretzels in a goodie bag at a tournament.  He said they were the best he had ever had.  Not as rock hard as most are.  We've been looking for them ever since and have not found any to purchase, but the search will continue.  I have found them online, but I'm reluctant to purchase a whole box of them!

Bikini and family are doing well, even if they are a bit stressed.  All their new furry kids are still adjusting to each other and some days are better than others.

NurseJ and family are doing well.  Their bathroom "re-do" has just been finished and it looks lovely!

Take care and stay safe!

Too Warm for October!

Hey, All!

It's been feeling like mid-Summer around here.  Almost broke the record for high temperatures!  The A/C is back on and things are muggy outside.  Supposed to start cooling off a little soon though.  I'm ready for Fall weather.

Golfer has been having some back troubles but is slowly feeling better.  He's seen our regular GP and his chiropractor.  The test for how well he's feeling is this morning when he goes to the driving range to see if he can hit a golf ball!  He's missed playing golf for a while.

I am doing okay with the new medicine and the fuzziness has gone away.  I have not noticed any improvement in my right leg and foot, but I do think I'm sleeping a little better.  Dr. Hoff had said it takes a while for the medicine to get in my system and start working, so we'll see.  I'm adjusting to the compression stockings okay and have have also been doing the new pool exercises. 

Things are busy in Georgia.  Bikini and Brief have added some new furry family members - Jett, Morelli, and Nina!  Fred is adjusting.  For pictures go to http://www.hiptobeasquarepodcast.com/ 

Things are busy at Nurse J's house, also.  More details on that at a later date.  :)  BeyB's school had "80's Day" and BeyB had fun with that.  Although Bikini and Nurse J don't think they ever had that look!  (That's what they think!)  :)

Golfer had his "Welcome to Medicare" appointment with our doctor this morning.  He said that was "interesting".  Some new tests are being ordered.

I go for an MRI of my back this afternoon.

Also happening this afternoon will be the visit from the GE guy to replace the recalled part on our dishwasher that is a fire hazard.  And the Geek Squad is scheduled to come to adjust our electronics.  They just haven't been right since we had to replace the DVD player.

The work on our side yard looks very good and I  think the drainage problem is fixed..  And the sprinkler system adjustments have worked out well.  So, as you can see, we've been busy and life goes on.  Take care of yourselves and stay safe!

Georgia Was on our Minds

Hey, all! It’s been a busy time around here. Golfer and I went to visit Bikini and family for a few days. Golfer’s brother went also and the two of them went to see a round of the Fed-Ex Championship tournament. They had a good time and the weather was great. It was wonderful to spend some time with Bikini. The kids were on school break, so it was a more relaxed time.


They are all missing Zapper and Zoom, who had long battles with different cancers. But the kitties had a good, loving life. I am sure soon there will be more furry kids in the house. Currently there is Fred, a little dog who was abandoned at the airport where Brief works. Fred sounds like a good little guy, but unfortunately has some medical problems of his own. He will be treated for heart worms soon.

Speaking of furry family…. Our Cinder had surgery this week to remove two growths on her neck. She handled the surgery well and is now at home recuperating. The first lump turned out to actually be her thyroid with a growth on it. Don’t know yet what the second lump was, but her doctor is having them both analyzed. When I was talking with the doctor I asked about medication, figuring Cinder would have to take Synthroid or something and the doctor said Cinder’s other thyroid would pick up the slack and Cinder should be fine. I never knew that cats had two thyroids!

The furry boys are doing well and are as busy as ever. I’ve caught Cecil playing with Angus and Finnigan a couple times!

There were a few days of catch-up after Golfer and I returned home. And we’ve had some doctor appointments this week. I saw a new doctor, a pain management specialist. He was very nice and we had a long talk. For starters we’re trying some new exercises for in the pool, a cream to put on my lower right leg and foot and a new prescription. I took the first pill last night and am feeling a little “off” this morning, but it is gradually getting better. I figure it’s worth a try. If it turns out to not be helping, I’ll tell him I don’t want to take it. He’s also ordered an MRI and some blood work.

The Garden Center people came and did the work on our side yard. It looks good. And as it is supposed to rain this weekend, we’ll find out if the work and changes solve the drainage issues. The new small mulched area with a Soft Caress Mahonia looks good. (I had to look that one up when the lady mentioned it!)

Nurse J is doing okay and they are all busy at her house.  BeyB is doing fine with high school.
It’s Friday and I’m glad. You all take care and stay safe!

Headlines and Other Things That Make Me Wonder

Hey, all!

We've been having some lovely weather here in Virginia.  It is such a relief to be able to open a window and not feel a heat wave come in!  Golfer and I have been busy taking care of some things around the house and in the yard.  All is well.

There have been some thought-provoking news items lately that I would like to mention.  They just make me wonder what the world is coming to. 

This is an area with a lot of water around it.  That means to get somewhere you usually have to use a bridge or a tunnel.  This weekend the powers that be have decided to schedule work on the Hampton Roads Bridge Tunnel - closing the Eastbound section from Friday evening until Monday morning.  At the same time, they are closing the Southbound lanes of the James River Bridge.  That leaves the Monitor Merrimac Bridge Tunnel (the M&M) as the usable option to get anywhere on the "Southside". Even on a really good day it doesn't take much to make traffic a real nightmare around here.  What do they think will happen this weekend??  Great scheduling guys!

Earlier in the week I read a headline that made me chuckle:  "Pilot checking plane's brakes ends up in ditch."  Now, really.  If you were checking the brakes wouldn't you head in a direction other than towards a ditch?  I'm pretty sure Brief, our son-in-law aircraft mechanic, would agree with me on this!

There have been several articles on West Nile Virus and Ebola and other assorted "exotic" diseases.  Is it really necessary to tell people "do not mess around with dead animal carcasses."????  That just seems like common sense to  me.

Then there are the warning signs in the ladies' locker room at the "Y"..... "CAUTION!  WET FLOOR!  Again, common sense.  It's a locker room with bathroom area, showers and hallway and door directly to the pool area.  Women are going to be wet.  That means drippy water.  And someone complained about a wet floor??  So they put the stand-alone signs around that you can trip over.   Geez!

So, life goes on.  Life is good.  Have a great weekend and stay safe!

AHHHHH!

Hey, all!

Today is beautiful here!   It rained last evening as a front came through and this morning it was in the mid-60's.  Started out a little cloudy and then the sun came out.  I had to go to the Commissary and do a couple errands and it was lovely in the Mustang with the top down!  Most of the Summer it has been way too hot to have Duke's top down.

It's been a rough week around here for technology and electronics.  First the hacker with our computer and then the DVD player died.  It was only about two and half months old, so that was especially annoying. And, as if we don't all have enough to worry about, today's paper has an article about how hackers can get into our cars' computers and mess them up too.  Crap!

I got some yard work done yesterday - first since we got back from the beach.  There was some clean-up, pruning, weeding, and other usual stuff.  I replaced the ailing geraniums out back with two lovely yellow chrysanthemums.  Our yard is still soggy from all the rain, but looks pretty good right now.

I hope everyone is doing well.  Stay safe!

Hello!

Well, it's been a couple weeks since I posted here.  Things have been busy.  And I have been battling a sinus infection and bronchitis.  I made some improvement after the first visit to our doctor and starting on the meds. We went on vacation and when we returned it really relapsed.  I am now on some new antibiotics and am feeling better.

So.  Vacation was good.  The trip down to Myrtle Beach was a little rocky with some bad weather and LOTS of rain.  Our friends who didn't leave as early as we did got caught up in the closing  of  I-95 and detour.  But we all got there safely and had a good week.  The guys were playing in the World Amateur Championship.  There were over 3,000 players in the tournament.  The weather was really good the first two days there and then it was off and on rain.  Golfer did not have any rounds canceled, but there were some days others did.  It was a good week.

We returned home last Saturday and we had catching up to do - cleaning, laundry, yard work, etc.  Also, cuddly times with the furry kids!  They were good while were gone and Lisa took good care of them.  We have had to move a few things around.  Finnigan is a master gymnast and is up and around everything.  We have removed most of the bird collection and the large driftwood and shell pieces on the top of the entertainment center.  He has also been up on the mantle, and on the antique side-by-side in the dining room.  Sadly, my small red compote dish  did not survive one of his runs.  Angus is active, too, but is not the jumper that Finnigan is!  Cinder and Cecil are doing well and are quite tolerant of the youngsters!

I thought about writing earlier, but we have had some computer problems at our house.  Some nasty #@*&%#!!!! hacker got us with something that froze our CPU.  We had to take it in and have a "geek guy" wipe it and clean it up for us.  Golfer is in the process of loading programs and recovering things.  Geez!  I asked how this could have happened and he said the hackers are getting smarter and sometimes you don't even have to click on something, just run your mouse over it and it opens.  So be careful!

So, school is now in session.  BeyB has had a good start to high school.  Boxer and Bloomer are almost ready for a break in Georgia (they start the first of August there).  Halloween decorations are out on display in stores.  I have started our Christmas shopping.  And life goes on!  Take care and stay safe!

AWWWWW, a Milestone

Our furry babies are growing up.  I've found two little baby teeth while cleaning.  I tried to look in their mouths and make sure all was okay but they would have none of that.  It was wiggles all over.  I didn't have enough hands to try again!  Sweet babies.

In other news it is dark and rainy here.

All is well.  Stay safe!

Furry Kid Pictures

I've been asked when I would be posting more pictures of the new furry kids.  Well, they're cute as anything and move so fast it's hard to get pictures.  So here are some of them after they've romped, run, jumped and hurled themselves around the house!

First one is Angus.

Finnigan is between leaps in this pose.















Third one is of both of them  trying to sleep where my silk hydrangeas USED to be!

This fourth one is of Finnigan.  He likes to sleep in this chair while Golfer and I watch TV in the evenings.

And just so they don't feel left out, I'm including pictures of Cinder and Cecil. They're still just as cute as ever!  They all cooperate in many things and you can see Cecil is on the large doily that is supposed to be on the antique sewing machine!  Cinder says all these boys are wearing her out!

Stay safe and keep your furry kids safe, too!

Relections of Elvis

I was out and about this morning doing errands in our car that has the XM radio.  I love the Elvis station and that is what I usually listen to while I'm driving.  They were doing a recap of Elvis week in Memphis.  Elvis died on August 16, 1977.  He would have been 77 years old now had he lived.  And who knows, he might be out there somewhere now singing his heart out. 

But it all got me to thinking about Elvis and how I have always been a fan.  I was raised by Mom and Granma who both loved him, so you could expect no less.  Mom lived to be 101 and was a fan until she died.  She had Elvis cards, posters, scarves, pictures, plates, etc.  We played Elvis Gospel songs at her funeral.

When I was about eight years old, Mom and I went on a vacation with Granma and Granpa.  Mom didn't own a car until I was ready to learn to drive, so the trip was a big deal.  We were going to visit some relatives, and since it was close to Memphis, we planned to see Graceland.  As a side note, Granpa was a great guy; he was actually my step-granpa.  But when you were in the car with him, the rule was if something wasn't on the right side of the road, he didn't want to stop. (this may be why I have absolutely no problem making u-turns!)  He did get outvoted on seeing Graceland!

Somewhere in a box of old photos there is a picture of me standing right in front Elvis' front door.  This was back when Graceland was just starting to be a big attraction and there I was in my eight year old chubbiness just grinning away.

Several years ago Golfer and I took a road trip and stopped in Memphis.  We stayed at the Heartbreak hotel.  I'm glad we got to do that before it was closed.  It was fabulous!  The decor was similar to some of the rooms in Graceland.  The breakfast buffet included peanut butter and bananas!  We took the Graceland tour.  It's all impressive.  This photo is me standing in front of the door smiling.

Stay safe and while you're at it, listen to some good Elvis music if you can!

As the World Turns..

To sort of quote the announcer from a soap opera I used to watch a long, long time ago - "As the world turns, so do the days of our lives"  or something like that.  The gist of that is time is moving on!

The grocery stores are filled with Halloween candy.  Commercials on TV are shifting to Fall and Winter scenes.  The Hallmark store has the Christmas ornaments and cards out and on display.  It's the middle of August!

Here is Virginia it's been the hottest Summer in a long time.  It's just sapping everyone's energy and motivation.  We've had some occasional rains and storms and so far our yard is looking good.  Of course, the sprinkler system helps with that even if it does bring a higher water bill.

Golfer and I are in the midst of having a generator installed so we will be ready for our next big storm or power event.  Peace of mind!  We have plans to power wash the siding and clean the windows, but the heat has been pushing that to later.

The furry kids are all doing well.  The little ones are getting bigger.  When they first came home I could lift one of them in one hand.  Have to use two hands now!  One of their new favorite activities is unrolling and shredding the paper towels in the kitchen!  They've checked out the toilet paper, but evidently it isn't as much fun.

School is going well for Boxer and Bloomer and they are adjusting to homework.  BeyB has a couple weeks yet before high school starts. 

Political ads are increasing.  I find most of them annoying.  I think they should all adhere to the truth in advertising method.

So, life moves on.  All is well with us.  I hope the same for  you.  Stay safe!

Happy Birthday, Golfer!

I love you!  xoxo

Let's Hear It for Chicken!

Free Speech!  Chic Fil-A has been in the news recently because someone high up in their company has had the nerve to voice his opinion on marriage and other related areas.  This has spawned demonstrations and support for Chic Fil-A.  And those have caused plans for a "Kiss-in" by the folks on the other side of the subject.  For the record, my stand on this is marriage is one man and one woman.  I am not against people having significant others, or having committed relationships, but those are not marriage.  God made all people and I think He would really like all of us to "just get along".

Anyway, back to the Chic Fil-A issues.... The owner of a North Carolina independent Wendy's franchise is now in hot water for voicing his support of Chic Fil-A.   He posted his support on all his stores' signs.  Evidently Wendy's main corporate leaders are against free speech within their company and made him remove this message.

What next??

Golfer and I went to Abuelo's for dinner and had some wonderful Mexican food last evening! 

Stay safe!

Education

This morning’s paper featured a first-page article on education. I admit, I don’t read every article in the newspaper every day, but this one caught my eye. Schools have been using the SOL or Standard of Learning process for quite a while. Basically what has happened is the teachers “teach to the test”. Scores were measured by AYP – Adequate Yearly Progress targets. Now under the new system the pass rates will be based on AMO or Annual Measured Objectives.


Then the multi-page article goes on to explain the various categories and “classes” of these objectives. And here is where I have a problem with this system. It divides the students into the following groups: all, Asian, White, Hispanic, Black, English language learners, economically disadvantaged, and students with disabilities. These groups have different pass percentage rates. Now I certainly agree that a student with a disability, either physical or mental, should be taught and graded accordingly. But to divide all the other students like this smacks of prejudice and bigotry, the very things the USA is trying not to have! And yes, I realize that they aren’t really going to be physically separating the students into these categories; they are just sorting their scores.
 Why should one group be required to have a higher score to pass than another?   Why is one “class” required to do better than another? Why the differences? Seems to me the students should be tested on the same scale and scored by the same. It should not matter where they came from or what color their skin.  How about just having all the students studying and trying to do really well?

What is wrong with going back to having qualified teachers spend their time actually teaching a subject? The students should do their work, study and when they take a test be graded accordingly. If they work hard and do well, they get a good grade. If they goof off or don’t care and don’t do well, they can study harder and try again. If they don’t pass, they can take that grade over again the next year. This system worked years ago; I know, I was in it and I worked hard for my good grades.

I would like to see children know how to tell time on a regular “old fashioned” clock. I’d like to see them be able to find countries on a map. And count change. And write in script. Old fashioned? You bet!  but good basic knowledge. They should learn about classic literature and history and be able to add without a calculator and using their fingers. And let’s throw in memorize and recite the Bill of Rights, Declaration of Independence, and the Gettysburg Address, too.  And of course, make sure the students are well schooled in the ever changing technology of our time!

The whole mind set in schools of “everyone needs to be a winner and get a trophy” bugs me also. Do well and be rewarded. Don’t and suffer the consequences. That applies to adults as well as children.

And these are my thoughts for the day. Stay safe!

Some Random Thoughts and Things I Expect and Want

I expect courtesy, honesty, and manners.

I want to hear "please" and "thank you".

I want other drivers to obey the yield and stop signs, all laws, and stop texting, tweeting and phoning (unless it's a Blue Tooth device)  And on the topic of driving, I really don't want to be sitting next to you in traffic while you are behind the wheel putting on your make-up, reading the paper or shaving!

I want people to be kind to animals and children.

When I ask someone a question, I expect an answer; even if it's just a "no" or "I don't want to talk now".  Don't ignore me.  I'm flexible, I can ask you again later.

And my most recent want  . . . .  when I go into Starbucks, I want the coffee I like to be brewed and ready and the barristas actually paying attention to the customers!  They are a coffee shop.  How can they let the coffee run out??

Stay safe.  (I'm trying Starbucks again in the morning!)

Happy Birthday, BeyB!

We love you!

Yep, We're Still Here!

I just realized it's been a while since my last post.  Things have been busy and time flies right along!  And add to that the extremely hot and humid weather that just sucks the energy right out of a person and well . . . . nothing got written!

But Golfer and I are fine.  The furry kids are all doing great.  They are all getting along well, and the little ones are growing and still as feisty as ever!  Maybe even more so as they get into something new every day.  But gee, they are lovable!  They do so many cute things and move so fast it's hard to get pictures though. 

Last weekend Bikini and family came for a visit!  It was her 20th high school reunion weekend.  In between reunion activities we worked in some family time and Nurse J and family came too!  It was great to get everyone together.  To be honest though, I am not totally convinced that the kids liked the roasting of marshmallows as much as the adults!

Golfer and I had to get new tires put on our Mustang.  Seems like it's always something.  Now we're waiting for the work to be scheduled for the installation of a new generator.  That will give lots of "peace of mind" during our stormy weather around here.  The yard is holding it's own for now in spite of the weather, but I'm not sure I want to look at the next water bill. 

It is almost August and that means Summer is starting to wind down although the hot weather will certainly last a lot longer.  Boxer and Bloomer start back to school in Georgia August 1st.  BeyB will be starting high school after Labor Day.  Seems impossible!  Sees like they were all just tiny babies!

I had one of my semi-annual eye appointments this week.  All is okay, except I need new glasses.  It's been a couple years.  Thank goodness for insurance!  They've been ordered.

That's about it from here.  Time to get busy.  Stay safe!

Just an Observation

First off, let me be quite clear that I don't really care if people get upset with the President.

But it seems to me, if they were trying to build up support for a campaign, the President's "people" would have enough sense to NOT schedule multiple visits and appearances on a Summer Friday afternoon in an area with lots of bridges and tunnels and bad traffic even on a good day.  You pick a Friday afternoon in a high tourist area and you are just asking to annoy people!  DUH!

Stay safe!

Happy Birthday, Bikini!

We did not know you shared your day with Han Solo and Capt. Picard!  Love you!

What Fun!

And the joy of being a kid again!

Golfer lit the first fire in our new fire pit this evening.  We roasted hot dogs for supper.  Then we feasted on toasted marshmallows for dessert!  YUM!!!!  Had been a lot of years since we had done anything like that.  It was FUN!

In other news  - - it's still hot and humid here.  The weather forecast is for more hot and humid. 

The furry kids are all fine.  Actually they are all resting now.  The flurry of chowing down their supper is over and it wore them out.

The plumber came today and said we needed to order a couple parts for the kitchen faucet.  Said to call him when we got them and he'd come back.  I think it's a warranty issue.  Supposedly the gutter guys were here, but neither of us saw them and there's no evidence of mess, so either they were extremely neat and clean or they lied on the note they left in the mailbox.  We'll see when we have the next hard rain.

That's about all from here. Stay safe!

BULLETIN!

This morning's coffee and paper were interrupted by the sudden splashing of a small kitten, Angus P.,  flailing around in the dish water.  Evidently during a happy romp up, over, and around everything, he slipped and fell in.  He was rescued by Golfer, wrapped in towels and dried off.  Then the kitchen was cleaned!  His brother, Finnigan, was patiently sitting nearby looking innocent.  No sign of the older siblings, Cinder and Cecil, but I thought I heard giggling.

Stay safe!

Cecil saying "WTH"???

Cecil is not hiding quite as much as he was when the furry babies came home.  We've even heard him growl a tiny bit, so I hope that means he's going to stand his ground. It's hard when you are afraid of everything! 

So far things are going well.  There have been no violent outbreaks.  Angus and Finnigan really want to play with Cinder and Cecil and at times provoke them, but so far, so good.  All is quiet right now.  Cinder is back in the box I had prepared for the little ones.  Cecil is napping.  Angus and Finnigan have probaly passed out under the bed.  They were having a quite a romp with a ping pong ball while I was working in the kitchen.  I have to be careful, they are both "leg twiners".

Golfer just got home. Hot day on the golf course.   Our area is under a heat warning and an air quality advisory.  So we're in for the day now.  We had a big storm during the night and there was debris (limbs, twigs, leaves, etc.) all over the yard.  After I got the grocery shopping done this morning and things all put away I went out with my grabber and a bag and cleaned up most of it.  Some areas had a lot of damage and many trees knocked down, but we are okay.  NurseJ checked on us and said they just had some limbs and debris from their neighbor's tree.

That's it for now.  Stay safe!

Cinder trying to rest!

You will notice that her rest was not as peaceful as she hoped!  (and I did use the auto-focus on the new camera!)  The blur is Finnigan.

and another!

Angus posing.

and more....

Here's a lovely picture of my silk hydrangeas that Finnigan is enjoying!

Finally had time to use new camera!

Here's a picture of Angus and Finnigan on their first night at home!

"Zoo Diary"

Day Six

I am grossly outnumbered.

Golfer served the furry kids their breakfast and the younger ones scared off the older ones.  There was much pigging out.  When the babes were satisfied, we took up the empty dishes and put down the full ones for the older furry kids.  I hope they ate.

Golfer left for the golf course.   I did my usual morning routine stuff.  Then the fun began as I tried to read the paper.  There was much jumping and running.  Finnigan seems to feel a need to try to climb the lamps.  He can already get to the top of the tall scratching post in a single leap.  He's been eyeing the mantle.

Then Angus knocked over a large glass vase flower arrangement on the kitchen table.  It is weighted down with glass "marbles" but still he could move it.  This made a huge noise and scared all the others so there was more leaping and running.  Nothing broke, but the flowers look like they've been in a wind storm.

And then Angus moved on to the dining room where he did wheelies on the table and then wound around the glass decanters and candy dishes on the china cabinet.  He was joined by Finnigan who decided to do slides on the table and ran from the foyer onto the table, slid across and onto the antique sewing machine.  At which point he decided to make a nest in my lovely large flower arrnagement of silk hydrangeas.   The damage was already done, so at this point I went and got my new camera and took a couple pictures.  This weekend I will get them loaded onto the computer to show you!  Cecil had come back downstairs and was sitting in the dining room growling and meowing (he hardly ever does this).  The youngsters didn't listen to him and he gave up and took up a sentry post at the top of the stairs.  Cinder took a viewing spot about halfway up the steps and both were giving me the stink eye as I left for work.

I hope I have a house when I get home.

Stay safe.

And wish us luck.

p.s.  All of this activity is definitely worth it to have those two cute babies sleeping with us last night!  :)

Furry Baby Update . . .

Hey, all!

Things are going well at our house.  Geek Squad came yesterday afternoon with our new TV and other equipment.  Golfer is in love with his new remote - I think it does everything!  And they were great Geeks, too!  Very patient and explained everything.  Didn't act like we were asking dumb questions and such.  They took all the packaging and trash with them so no clean-up needed.

Now for the update!  We opened the library door last evening.  Angus and Finnigan had been acting like they knew there was something on the other side of that door.  We carried them to the large litterboxes to show them where they were and then let them explore. They ventured out very cautiously.  They seem to like the office and had a great time rearranging things on the computer desk.  They explored the smaller bathroom.  This was all accompanied by Cinder and Cecil staring at them with some occasional rumbling sounds, but nothing violent.  The babies went back to "their space" in the library for the night.  The door was left open; they seem to feel safe there.

I  hope our house is intact when we return this afternoon.  When I left this morning for an early appointment with my rheumatologist, all three boys were under our bed and Cinder was under the ottoman in the living room!  And all seemed quiet.  But under our bed is Cecil's safe spot.  When he went to run under there this morning he stopped halfway and let out a small "grrr" (the babies were already under there) and then went on and I didn't hear anything else.  I hope they are all "making nice"!

My appointment went well; go back in November.  I got to the office early so I have time to do this post.  In just a bit I have to go to the dentist for my broken tooth.  Busy day.

Have to get to the office work now.  Stay safe!

Am Overcome with Kitten Cuteness and Energy!

The babies have arrived!  They've been home about two hours. The library is set up as their temporary space for adjustment.  They've always been confined to a large cage, so aren't used to big spaces.  So far they've peed, pooped, turned over their water dish, got the kitten crunchies all wet, tried to climb the window treatments and knocked over the things on the table.  Then they ran around the room and few times until they were panting and had to lie down.  They are ADORABLE!  And just look at me with the cutest little faces like, "what? I didn't do that, Mom."  I can't wait for Golfer to get home and take over!  Pictures soon!

Cecil is hiding; he took off upstairs when he saw me setting up the room this morning.  I think he thought it would be him that got put in there.  Cinder is chillin' since I gave her one of her calming treats.  She does go by and look at the closed door every now and then, but makes no comments.  All is good. 

Stay safe!

Happy Anniversary, Golfer!

It's been a great 45 years.  I love you!

Hey, All! Summer is Here!

And with a vengeance!  It's been close to 100 here for a couple days.  And after the nice open-window weather we had been having, it's rough.  But a slight change is forecast for tonight with a little rain, so it might be better this weekend.

We had dinner with friends at the new Surf Rider restaurant in Poquoson this week.  It was very nice, right on the water and the food was good.  And it's always nice to catch up with friends.

Golfer and I went to see "The Avengers" again.  It was even better the second time!  And a nice cool way to spend a hot afternoon.

I know Bikini has mentioned "Dallas" in her Tweets and podcast.  I have to say, she must be right about J.R.'s eyebrows being planned.  I can't imagine a reputable barber would have let him out of the chair without even mentioning doing something about those!  (that was the scene where J.R. pulled the razor on John Ross and told him he knew what he was up to)  They're all up to something!

Angus and Finnigan are scheduled to arrive about noon on Sunday.  The shelter lady has several deliveries to make that day.  All of that litter have found their forever homes.  And they're all happy, healthy kitties.  We'll have a room all ready for them.  They need some secluded adjustment time since they've only ever been in a large cage since they were rescued.  A couple days should do it and then we'll bring them out to explore the house.

So, it's Summer and life goes on.  Take care and stay safe!