Happy New Year!

The countdown has begun and festivities are starting all over the world.  I am wishing all my friends and family good health, love, peace, and contentment.

And stay safe!

It Was Quite a Story

Little Miss E is growing quickly and starting to roll over and sit up all on her own.  Here she is telling PaPa a story on Christmas Day.

Stay safe, folks!

A Funny

A very timely funny that I am sure applies to many families.  "Pickles" appears in our local paper.

Stay safe, folks!

Got to "Nip It In the Bud"!

Once again a lot of us are asking, "what the heck is wrong with people?".  All over the country there were fights in malls yesterday.  There were three fights at the mall close to us.  Police were called and the fights were broken up, but no arrests made because no one was seriously injured and there was no property damage.  But still... really?????? If this is a new trend or tradition getting started, STOP IT!

If these fights are because people are just worn out by the holidays with the company, cards, cooking, gift buying, decorating and so on, take a deep breath, take a walk, read a book, take a nap and get over yourself!  If you're fighting because you are mad that you didn't like a gift and had to go return it... GET OVER YOURSELF!

This is supposed to be a time of peace and joy, not fist fights and hair pulling and property damage.

I have to ask, since mostly the fights are among young people and teens, where are your parents and why haven't they tried to teach you how to act??

Shame, shame on you, fighters.

The rest of you, stay safe!

Happy 26th!

I hope everyone is well and happy.  If you've been out shopping and returning, I hope the lines weren't too long.  I was out early (7-ish a.m.) to go to Starbucks and to stop to buy more bananas.  That's it for me going out today.  I have been busy working here in the house and have heard sirens several times.  So there are traffic problems around our area.

I have been un-decorating and cleaning. I am satisfied and happy.  :)  I have been carefully wrapping and packing up things.  Everything except the living room tree and the outside decorations is done.  It did not all go up in one day and it's not all coming down in one day.  Tomorrow I will work on the living room tree.  The outside decorations need to be dry before they are packed away, so they will probably be done later this week.  I have been doing laundry and cleaning the floors as I put things away.

Golfer is out playing golf.  It hasn't warmed up as much as the forecast said it would.  But at least it hasn't been raining on him.

Here's a last look at this year's living room tree.

Stay safe and enjoy the rest of the day!

It's Been A Very Good Christmas!

We got to spend time with both girls and their families.  Laughs were had, memories were shared, kids were hugged even if they didn't like it.  :)  Many meals were prepared.  Beautiful decorations were displayed and enjoyed.  Gifts and cards were exchanged.

We talked to Bikini this morning.  Nurse J and family came over for a noonish dinner and visiting.

It is now Christmas night.  The furry boys are resting.  They found new toys in their stockings along with some treats.  Even our little shy boy, Cecil, got in on the fun this morning.

Tomorrow is December 26th.  My family teases me, but it is true, I will be un-decorating starting tomorrow.  I truly enjoy everything during the time between Thanksgiving and Christmas, but then I am done.  On the 26th I am ready for Spring and warm weather.  I never get it, but I am ready!  The un-decorating takes a couple days.  I like to pack carefully and remember all the old ornaments.  And I clean as I work.

I hope you have all had a wonderful Christmas and will have a great New Year!  Stay safe!

Merry Christmas!

Golfer and I wish you all a very Merry Christmas and a wonderful New Year!  May all be calm and bright!

I  like to acknowledge others' work but I don't know where this picture originated.  It came from a shared post on Facebook.  So, thank you to whoever took this pretty Christmas picture!

Busy, Happy Days!

I hope everyone is well and happy and ready for Christmas!  We had an early one here.  Bikini and family were here for a few days.  We worked around school and work schedules and for the first time in quite a while we got everyone together.  On Sunday we had Christmas dinner and gifts.  Dinner was set up buffet style since our dining room doesn't hold all eleven of us now.  There was much visiting and lots of laughter.

During those few days, Bikini, Boxer, and BeyB went to an Escape Room.  They got out!  Golfer, Bikini, Boxer and I went to see "Rogue One".  Very good movie, we all liked it.  I especially enjoyed the recliner seats in the theater so I could put my feet up!  Brief took Bloomer to the hotel to swim in the pool.  And.... we had pictures taken by our friend, Rick Hopson. If you are on Facebook, you might have seen some of his nature pictures that I've shared.  He was very patient and got some great shots.  We are in the process of deciding which ones we want.   Our last group photo was before Cutie Girl and Little Miss E, and IT Guy was working and in school.  So these photos have everyone this time.

The time passed quickly and Bikini and all are back home now.  Nurse J and family will be coming over for the second Christmas dinner on Christmas.  :)

Our weather has been varying and is currently cold and cloudy, with rain in the forecast for tomorrow.  I have everything all caught up and am enjoying a little reading and "down" time.

Here are a couple pictures from our fun times.

Little Miss E's first Christmas celebration sitting on PaPa's lap.

Auntie Bikini pointing out the baby picture ornaments to Cutie Girl and Little Miss E.

Life is good.  Stay safe!

Smiling Finnigan!

In my last post I mentioned how it's hard to get posed pictures of the furry kids.  I got a fantastic, cute picture of Finnigan, purely by accident.  I was working in the kitchen and he was interested in a small box I had just unpacked.  I snapped a picture of him, not seeing his expression at the time.  I love it!

"I got a box!"

Stay safe!

COLD!

And BRRRR!  It was down in the teens last night.  All the way up to 24 right now as I am writing this.  Golfer and I bundled up and went to breakfast this morning.  It is a usual golf day, but there are limits, you know, so no golf today.  :)  Although not all that long ago the guys were known to put a cover on the golf cart and use the portable heater in it.  I have been told those days are over.

Anyway.... It's been a busy week with the all the usual stuff, errands, grocery shopping, and getting ready for our early Christmas this weekend.  Bikini and family will be arriving on Saturday.

I did get some yard clean-up done.  Then we had some strong windy days and now there needs to be a stick pick-up out there.  Not happening today!

We got a new projection light for the front of the house.  Looks really nice with what we already had out there for decorations.  And the blinky lights entertain the furry boys when the lights shine in the dining room windows!

I keep seeing pictures of furry family members dressed up for Christmas.  Here are two of the cutest I've seen.  (not of our furry kids)  I learned a long time ago that in order to get a good picture of the furry kids wearing their reindeer antlers or a hat I need at least four more hands and quicker reflexes, so I don't try that any more.  :)

Have a happy day and stay safe!

Hey!

It's another bright, sunny day here.  It's up to 40 right now.  Golfer layered up and headed for the golf course.  He texted to tell me there was a frost delay, but they are probably out on the course by now.

I'm going to bundle up and go out to do a little yard clean-up that's been bugging me.

Nothing else going on here right now.  The coming week will be busy getting ready for Bikini's visit and our early Christmas with her family and Nurse J's family all here.  Can't wait!

Stay safe!

Feeling Better!

Our weather is still going back and forth, but today is bright and sunny.  Of course, it is only 31 degrees outside, but at least it's cheery!

Golfer decided to skip golf due to the temps, so he's been on the computer, reading, and watching the recorded shows I don't care for so much.  And pitching in when I've said I needed help with something.  He has also been the official taste tester for the cookies I've been making, packing up and freezing.

I've been taking care of all the usual stuff, yesterday was Commissary day, and some errands.  I've already been out early today to do a couple errands.  I know how bad the traffic and the crowds in the stores gets, and I don't like it, so I go early.

So, all is well, all is good.

I posted a picture recently of our front decorations.  I took one the other evening with the lights on.  It makes me happy.

While I was out that evening, I looked at some of the other decorations in the neighborhood.  A couple of the neighbors have the projection lights that cast the light and images on the front of the houses.  Pretty.  Others have some of the inflatable decorations.  I miss the family that used to live on the next street that we always called the Griswold's every year.  They went all out and lit up the neighborhood with their decorating.  And then there is this......

At times the string of lights has been hanging down over the garage door opening.   I can only imagine the conversation.

Spouse 1: We HAVE to decorate the house.  I'm doing all the shopping, baking, cards, and decorating inside, you do the outside.   (much grumbling follows)
Later..... Spouse 2:  Okay, it's done!  (followed by much eye rolling)

At least they tried.

Have a great weekend and stay safe!

Blah

And sigh.  Again it is dark, rainy, and cold. I do not do well in dark, rainy, and cold.   But household chores are under control and Christmas preparations are on schedule.  You know what's good for blah days?  Snuggling under a Christmas quilt with a furry little boy!  Angus was helping me relax.

Stay safe!

Time to Take a Breath! Or Maybe a Nap!

I think the decorating is done.  The cards are mailed.  The shopping is finished and there is just a little wrapping to do.  Things have been cleaned, the laundry is done, errands have been run, and the yard has been worked on.  Right now the leaf clean-up is almost a constant activity.  But life is good!  Next up will be a little baking.  But I am tired, and I am taking some down time.

We had a couple "too warm" days this past week and it is now once again cooler and feeling more like December.  Sunny and bright today.

All is well.  So here are some pictures!

Dining Room Tree

Living Room Tree

Front decorations.  Golfer's Dad made the snowman for us years ago.  Golfer and I made the sleigh.

Quilted Tree hanging by Bikini

Crocheted tree made by my sister many years ago.

Old Christmas Card of my Mom's.  That is me with Scooter Kitty in the picture.

Stay safe!

'Twas the Night . . . . .

From "The Night Before Christmas" by Clement Clarke Moore

'Twas the night before Christmas, when all through the house, not a creature was stirring, not even a mouse. The stockings were hung by the chimney with care, in hopes that St. Nicholas soon would be there.

The children were nestled all snug in their beds, while visions of sugarplums danced in their heads………. 

Except . . . . .  it wasn't really the night before Christmas, there is always someone or something "stirring" in the house, there better not be any mice, the stockings were not hung yet, and if you look at this adorable picture closely you will see that they are nestled on someone's lap, not in their beds.  But really??!! What a great picture!  Love them!

Think happy thoughts, people, and stay safe!

Done!

Hey, all!  I hope Thanksgiving was good at your house.  It was a quiet one here.  I cooked and watched the parade during the morning.  We have always eaten Thanksgiving dinner as soon as the parade ends, so Golfer and I ate and then headed out to deliver food to Nurse J's. Just a "drop and run" type of delivery.  They are slowly getting better over there.  Did I mention that BeyB got sick sick, too??

I have been working on decorating the last few days. And I just finished!  Whew!  When I started pulling the boxes and containers out of the closet, I decided it was time for some of the things to go. So it has taken a little longer as I sorted while I worked.  I should add right here - don't worry, Nurse J and Bikini, none of it is coming your way this time!  I can hear their sighs of relief as I am writing this.  :)

Both trees are done and the outside decorations are finished also.  All is lovely and I will take some pictures later.

I have mentioned in earlier posts about our Star Trek collectible ornaments.  We love them and they bring happy memories.  But over the years it has gotten harder to keep them working.  They plug into the light sockets on mini light strings.  Those strings of lights have changed a bit over the years and the ornaments quit working with them.  Hallmark sold adapters and I bought those and that worked for a while.  Last year none of them worked and I discovered that for some reason LED lights did not work with them.  So this year, I hunted some "not LED" lights and purchased a name brand of better lights.  I have five or six of the ornaments working this year.  I suspect that over time they just wear out.  I looked at the boxes and the oldest one of ours is from 1992.  All the new ornaments have tiny batteries and do not plug in to light sockets.  If there are any techies out there looking for a project, please come up with a tiny battery pack for the older ornaments.  :)

The furry boys "helped" with the decorating.  During a break Angus and Finnigan were focused on something outside the kitchen window.  I suspect either a squirrel or blowing leaves.  It's been windy.

Along with decorating, there has been the cleaning and other normal chores to do.  Golfer has cleaned up leaves yet again.  They are still coming down.  But life is good!  Stay safe!

Happy Day Before Thanksgiving!

I hope everyone has a great day!

It is not going exactly as planned here.  Just about everyone at Nurse J's house is sick with various things and no one has been getting any sleep with two little girls being miserable and crying because they hurt and don't understand why.  And the grown-ups aren't well either.  I offered to mask up and glove up and go help but was told to stay away.  Nurse J doesn't want us to get sick, too.   So the decision has been made that Nurse J will try not to stress and worry about Thanksgiving and getting here for dinner.  I am still cooking and then we will take food over to them and pass it in through the door.  Hugs and kisses will come later when the germs are gone!

This is a year that Bikini comes for Christmas so they will be spending the day with Brief's family.

So, Life goes on.  I plan the haul out the containers with the Christmas decoration after dinner is cleaned up tomorrow.  During commercials on football watching, Golfer will set up the trees. :) Then on Friday I can take my time and do whatever I feel like decorating.

Today I am in the midst of some food prep.  The oven is never large enough for everything to be in there at the same time, plus it seems like everything needs a different temperature setting.  Today is sweet potatoes and pies!  I checked and the turkey is thawed.  I think this is the very first year I have not had to float it in cold water at the last minute and wrestle it loose.  So, yay me!

We have both spent time in the yard this week.  Lots of leaf clean-up and some pruning and cutting back of things.

Got to go check on things in the oven now.  Take care, stay safe, and have a wonderful Thanksgiving!

Holy Crap, It Got Cold!

Yesterday it was sunny and got to 80.  A front came through last evening with some strong wind and this morning we were in the low 30's.  It isn't getting out of the 40's today and it is still windy.  Brrrrrr.

The winds are really bringing down the leaves.  Golfer cleaned up the yard yesterday when he returned home from playing golf.  Can't tell anything was done out there today.  Tomorrow is bulk pick-up day (every other Monday here where we are) and we have a lot of bags to set out.

Because of the drastic temperature change, Golfer decided to not play today.  We went out for breakfast and then came home to read the paper.  Just been doing odds and ends so far today.  But we need to bundle up and go out to take care of a dead limb on the large holly tree.  He wants to cut it and get it out for pick-up.

Last we heard from Bikini, all was well at her house.  Bloomer was signed up for her first 5K race in December!  Good luck!

Things are not so good at Nurse J's right now.  Nurse J has had some sinus or cold issues and not felt well.  IT Guy had surgery for kidney stones and is doing okay after that but now has ear infections.  And Cutie Girl was taken to Urgent Care with a temp of 103.  She also has bilateral ear infections and possible strep infection.  As of last message, BeyB and Little Miss E were okay.  Nurse J was bringing out the Lysol and spraying things down.  I offered to help with anything and she said to stay away from the germs.

I remembered to take the turkey out of the freezer today, so Thanksgiving dinner preparations have begun!  It will thaw in the fridge.

I was doing some desk work and taking care of some emails and had help.  Here was my view earlier:

Finnigan was helping!  Here is the rest of him:

Stay warm and stay safe!

Friday Already?????

Well!  There have been thoughts and possible posts running through my mind all week.  Fortunately, I have a pretty good editing system in there, too.  So often there are things I write, that I just do not post.  I am all for peace and quiet.

Anyway, it's been a good week.  A busy one, but good.  There were some hugs and cuddles while I watched Cutie Girl and Little Miss E for a while.  That was fun!  And the leaf raking and sweeping is in full swing here.  Golfer has mowed and also used our leaf sweeper.  I've done some clean-up in the mulched areas and some raking there.

I've kept up with all the usual things.  Also made trips to the "Y", done errands, and worked on Christmas preparations.  Thanksgiving preparations don't usually take place until the day before, except for the shopping for the food.  :)  But with Christmas, you know how it is.... planning, gift buying, cards, wrapping, decorating, etc.  I don't shop on "Black Friday" but the decorating will be in full force around here then.

Golfer and I went to see "Inferno".  I don't know what the critics were watching, but we thought it was a great movie.  There are some other good ones we want to see, too.

Our neighborhood has been busy and the street has been full of trucks.  There has been work being done at several of the homes.  Some days it has been very loud with mowers, and jack-hammers, and carpet cleaners, etc!  But we're good here for now.

I hope everyone is well and happy.  Enjoy the weekend and stay safe!

BRRRRRRR!

We had our first frost yesterday morning.  Golfer and the guys had a frost delay at the course, but once they got to tee off, it was starting to warm up.  Turned out to be a beautiful day and was sunny and in the 60's.  However, today is dark, raining off and on all day, and I think it only got to 50.  I have been cold all day.

I did get out in the yard for a little clean-up over the weekend.  I had to take care of some of the decorating pumpkins and gourds I had put out.  I had hoped they would been nice until Thanksgiving, but that didn't happen.  Several were rotting, moldy, or nibbled on.  So I cleaned that up and made a little pile of the good ones around the Thanksgiving flag out front.  Also raked a few leaves and pulled a few weeds.  And used my new blower to clean off the porch, patio and deck!

The other big project over the weekend for me was to work on Christmas things.  Did some more "inventory", wrapping and straightened up the closet.  Worked on the cards, too.

I have an observation to express, so if you get easily riled up by election results and political talk, stop reading right here.  Before the election, the Trump supporters were criticized and  called all sorts of names.  There was speculation by the Democrats that after the election, when Hillary had won, the Trump supporters would not handle it well and would cause problems and protest. Well........if you've been watching the news you know how that turned out.  Personally, I do not think that Hillary supporters are setting a very good example with the protests, property damage, and violent behavior.  Hillary has said herself - on TV, in front of cameras - that everyone should work together and give President-elect Trump a chance.  Please listen to what Mr. Trump says, not how he has expressed himself sometimes, and hear the ideas. Things will get better.

Stay safe!

Happy Veteran's Day

To all Veterans, thank you for your service.  To Golfer, my Veteran, I love you.

I was looking through our pictures for ones of him in uniform.  I figured this one would make people smile.  Here we are at a Mess Dress occasion, with my big hair, our big glasses, and our party faces.  :)  Good times, really.

Merry Early Christmas to Me!

Golfer gave me an early gift last evening!  Something I had been wanting!  A new blower to use for  outside clean-up.

It has already been charged up and used. I cleaned off the patio, deck, and the porch this morning.  Works great!  It's a little heavier than the old one, but I can handle it.

In other news the garage door is working great - smoother, quieter, and I think faster.

Golfer is at his dental appointment getting two new crowns.

I will be leaving soon to go watch (play with and hug) Cutie Girl and Little Miss E.

Life is good.  Stay safe!

The Day After

I am blessed, pleased, optimistic, encouraged, and thankful.  I am hoping that people will stay calm and get to work and be responsible.  President-elect Trump has plans to correct a lot of things and I wish him well.  After the last eight years there is much that needs to be done.

And in other news.... It was supposed to be a golf day for Golfer.  And Starbucks for us both.  With the seasonal later tee times now, I was ready to leave before him and couldn't get the garage door to open.  I came back in and got him and he managed to wrestle the door up, we got both cars out, and then he closed it.  When I got back, I spent a big chunk of time on the phone, being transferred, being on hold, and getting annoyed.  But I finally ended up talking with the right person and someone came this afternoon to replace the big spring that had broken.  Sigh. The door is quieter now than it had been and works fine, but was over $700 to fix.  But it is done now.

The quarterly pest control visit was this morning, too, and I was trying to prep for that and get ready at the same time.  And after both service guys had left there was clean-up to do. And it started to rain, so there was no golf.  Everything is calm now.

Golfer has a dental appointment in the morning and we are watching Cutie Girl and Little Miss E for a couple hours.

Life is good!  Stay safe!

Civic Duty Day

Golfer and I have voted.  We went at different times but the wait and lines were not too bad.  Our voting place is in the elementary school.  This time they were keeping all the lines inside the building when we were there.  I voted and then did errands.  He went to the "Y" and then voted on the way home.

It was in the 30's this morning, but no frost for us here yet.  It has warmed up into the 60's and is sunny now.  Really quite nice out.

If you haven't already, remember to go vote.  If you don't, you really have no right to complain.  So be responsible, stay calm, and stay safe!

What Time Is It??

I hope everyone remembered to change all their clocks.  You never really realize how many things keep time until it's time to make sure they are all changed!  I think Golfer and I got all of ours done.  I do know that this was the first Sunday in a really long time that our newspaper was delivered early!

It has been a very busy week here.  Cutie Girl had eye surgery on Monday.  Other than a post-op infection, she is doing well and we are all hopeful that this has corrected the problem.  Little Miss E spent Monday morning with us.  She has been in the throes of teething and has not been happy, but she was very good for us.  Nurse J has cheered her up by getting a bouncy seat set up.  Little Miss E loves it and wears herself out bopping all around and playing with the toys.   BeyB had an allergy attack but is now better.  And IT Guy had another kidney stone that required a hospital visit.  Golfer and I helped out with the little ones and again, they were very good.  Nurse J is exhausted, but I think things are calming down and getting better.

We've talked with Bikini and she's been busy with work, various quilting related projects, and everything else she does.  Boxer's end-of-the-season baseball party is today.  Bloomer is still making beautiful pictures in art class.  All is well.

The landscaper finally (!!) got here to take away the dead holly tree and plant a new one.  So we have had an extra chore of extra watering for a while.  So far, so good.  It looks better out there.  I was just out doing a "walk around" to see if anything needed attention.  Things are under control, leaves are falling down, it will be time to rake soon.

It's been almost record breaking hot for a few days and is now cooler again.  The heat is back on.

We've been keeping busy with all the usual things around the house, going to the "Y", Golfer playing golf, and I've been working on the Christmas shopping and wrapping and other prep.  Also preparing for Thanksgiving and the pantry is filling up.

I don't remember if I mentioned we saw the new Jack Reacher movie.  It was very good.  I also just finished reading the book that the movie was based on.  There were some differences, but it was very close.  Next on my reading list will be several Christmas related books that are in my "stack".  They've been there for a couple years.  First, I forgot about them, then I got too busy, and then  Christmas was over.  I am reading them this year and getting them out of the stack!

I am sure this will be a stress filled week for some people.  So stay calm, stay happy, and stay safe!

Happy Halloween!

I hope everyone has a happy, safe day!

We are good here; been busy.  We had to have the A/C on again for a couple days in the 80's.  It's off again now, and only going to get into the low 60's today.  (maybe)  It's cloudy and breezy.

We were up a little earlier than usual this morning.  We had Little Miss E with us this morning while Nurse J and IT Guy took Cutie Girl to the hospital for her surgery.  It went well and they are now all home.  There will be follow up appointments and we're all hoping this corrects her eye issues.

Little Miss E was very good for us, just a happy baby.  She only fussed when she was hungry and then she took about a two hour nap.  So the play and cuddle time was a bit limited.  :)  BeyB has morning classes, in case you are wondering where she was during all this.

Since we knew Cutie Girl would need some quiet time to recuperate, going trick-or-treating this evening was out.  So we all went to a Trunk-or-Treat event at a local church Saturday evening.  The weather was beautiful, the people there were very nice and the girls had a nice time.  Cutie Girl said thank you every time she received a piece of candy and Little Miss E slept through the whole affair in her stroller.  I think she was exhausted from being wrestled into  her costume.  :)

The bashful little princess

The little ice cream cone - with sprinkles

The yard work is under control, although our large holly tree needs just a little attention.  Golfer mowed, I did a walk-around and a little clean up.  The household chores are pretty well caught up and errands have been done.  We'll be heading to the "Y" this afternoon I think.  And then catching up on some recorded shows on the DVR.  We've been watching the World Series - stressful, but good!  Go Tribe!

Stay safe!

Okay, Deep Breath, Score 1 to 1

Go, Tribe!

This is BeyB; she's 18 now.  NurseJ shared for #tbt on Facebook and I thought it was an excellent choice!

This Post Comes Bringing Smiles

Stay safe!

Finally Feeling Like Fall

We finally had to have the heat on a little.  It's off again right now as I write this, but the temps are supposed to get even lower, so it will be coming back on. I even heard them mention "frost" for some areas.   I love the crisp air.  I worked out in the yard a little on Sunday doing a bit of clean-up.  Sunny, breezy, cool........ahhhhhhhh!

This has always been one of my favorite Fall pictures.  Cinder looking out the window watching the leaves blow around.  She was a sweet little furry girl.

Golfer has made the clothing swap-out in the closet and has had to go with long pants some days for golf.  I know he always dreads that, but he layers up and has a good time on the course.

We had the traditional Fall snack of cold cider and powdered donuts recently.  It's more of a memory thing for me.  When I was a little girl, every gathering and event in the Fall had cider and powdered donuts. Church, school, Brownies, Halloween parties, seemed like everywhere!  So we have some token cider and donuts and memories.  It was a good snack, but not quite the same.  But then, what is?

So the yard clean-up was done.  Golfer hauled all of our bags that were stacked behind the shed out to the curb for pick up.  There is new grass coming up.  Leaves are coming down.  I don't know if we'll get much leaf color around here.  Right around us the leaves are just drying, turning brown and falling off the trees.  We've already raked several bags.  The hot Summer, a dry spell, and then the high winds with the storms have made the leaves just give up I think.

I've been keeping up with the usual daily "stuff", getting to the "Y", finishing up some projects, and  reading some good books.  Golfer has been enjoying the nice weather on the course.  He's also been finishing up some things.

The family is doing well.  Everyone is busy.  School is going well for BeyB, Boxer and Bloomer.  CutieGirl is busy, happy, and will be having eye surgery next week.  Little Miss E just got her first tooth!

Christmas shopping and preparations have been started.  We'll have everyone here for an early Christmas the week before the actual day.  There's another memory... when I was a girl, we always had "Sunday Christmas" at Grama's on the Sunday before Christmas.  My sister and nieces, Mom and I would go to Grama and Granpa's for dinner and visiting, and presents.  My Grama always had a live tree, colored lights, tinsel and she liked to use that Angel Hair white stuff on it.  I'm not sure what that was, but I'm pretty sure it would be banned today.  Mom and I always had a live tree, too.  Mom always wanted one with pine cones on it because she liked to hear the crinkles and pops when they opened up as the tree warmed up.

Sorry, got off on a Christmas side track!  I've been more nostalgic lately for some reason.

Anyway, we are doing well, keeping busy.

Stay safe!

Go Tribe!

First off, YAY! Cleveland Indians!

No matter where we have lived, we have always supported the Cleveland teams.  Golfer recently got to go to an Indians game with his brother when we were in Ohio visiting.

Watching the games on TV here at home is rather stress inducing and I won't go into that, but we really do hope they win!

I was out doing some errands this morning and thought I'd see about getting a celebratory shirt for Golfer.  I've had several emails for ordering them online, but I sort of wanted to actually see them.  First stop was Dick's Sporting Goods.  I figured they'd have shirts and whatever on display at the front of the store.  I mean, really, the World Series is a big deal!  I didn't see anything for either team so I asked the lady at customer service.  I was told "Oh, no, we don't carry anything like that". To which I said, "Why not?".  And she said, "We do not carry things like that, or baseball items".  And I said, "Too bad, you just missed a big sale" and I walked out.

Then I stopped at Penney's.  One of the emails I had gotten was from them so I figured I'd look.  Couldn't find them there either. The man at the counter said," We only sell those online".  I left.  Golfer has ordered a shirt from the official site.

This all makes me wonder who does the research and planning for the stores?? Or the training of the sales staff?  I've worked customer service and retail and I know a lot of the people I run into while doing errands would be out of work if I was in charge.  But then, I know and freely admit I am picky.

Again, GO, TRIBE!!

And stay safe!

Another Project Finished

Hey, all!

The weather is beautiful right now.  Sunny, slight breeze and in the mid-70's.  The windows are open and the furry boys are happy!

Golfer has  a two day end-of-the-season tournament with one of his golf groups this weekend, so he is busy with that.  I've been busy doing odds and ends, reading a good book, doing some Christmas shopping, and finishing up some projects.  Oh!  And I can't forget to say that all three of the boys have been clipped and combed!  That is not always an easy project, but I feel good when it gets done.

The latest finish was the painting in the garage.  I had asked Golfer to put up some panels of wood across the front wall in the garage.  Over the years we sort of "mis-judged" the locations of parking with our vehicles.  There were a couple large dents in the front wall.  (some vehicles were a lot longer than others!)  So now the spots are all covered up and I have finished the painting.  Originally I was going to do red paint, but decided we would get tired of that.  So, since the concrete block lower part of the wall needed to be repainted, I just did it all in gray.  Looks a lot better now!

I finished up the job by mopping the floor and now it's all cleaned up out there.

For now, there are no more "extra" chores to add to the usual daily ones.  That means more time to read.  Also time to start on all our Christmas things, like our letter, the cards, and shopping!

Stay safe!

Hey! Getting Back to "Normal"

I know that there are many, many people still dealing with the problems caused by Hurricane Matthew and all the flooding.  But right here, right now, things are getting back to normal.

Our friends are back in their homes in South Carolina.  J & B say they just had a lot of yard debris to clean-up.  And of course, the after-a-storm chores of putting things back in place.  I have not heard any more from E since she said they were on the way home and T had bought a new chain saw to deal with the mess their neighbors told them about.  I am hoping that the flood water did not get into their house.

Golfer and I have been busy around here.  We've both been finishing up projects.  I've  been keeping up with the usual household chores and errands.  He got the shed door painting finished.

I got out and did some yard clean-up for a few hours.  Feels good to get that done.  Golfer thinks maybe he will mow next week.  Right now we have a lot of new little grass seedlings coming up and we don't want them disturbed!

Kirk had to go to the Acura dealership this morning for what I thought would be a quick stop to get some air in the tires.  (Kirk's tires use the Nitrogen mix)  They found a nail in one and I waited while they fixed that.

It's been beautiful weather here - in the 60's and sunny.  Today has been a little warmer but a front is coming through tonight with some wind and is supposed to cool things off some more and only be in the low 60's for a few days.  The A/C is off and the windows are open.  Our furry boys are happy!

We had some computer issues that kept Golfer pretty busy for a while.  Our external drive we use for storage died.  Technology changes so quickly that it is not always a fast, easy fix when something needs to be replaced.  But it's all done now and everything is working.

I finally got a picture of our new weather vane that we bought in Ohio.

Stay safe!

Weather Update

Hurricane Matthew is almost completely moved out of our area. At the same time that he is moving onward out over the ocean, a cold front is moving in from the West.  I am hoping that this approaching front will help dry things out.

So.... We had a lot of rain.  The count ranges from five inches to twelve or more, depending on the area.  Our yard has puddles.  We had strong gusty wind.  The yard is full of LOTS of stuff to be picked up, but nothing major that we can see from our windows.  If we don't get any more rain for awhile, maybe a few days from now it will be dry enough for us to walk out there and clean up!  :)

The temperature has been in the 50's all day, and is supposed to be in 40's tonight. I had to put on a long sleeve shirt!

Right now, it is still windy but the sun is actually out.  So, yay! 

There are still flood warnings out for all the areas closer to the water.  I think it's almost high tide time again so there will be another report soon.

We did not lose power at our house, but Nurse J said theirs was out for a while.  They know they can come here any time, but it came back on and all is well so far.

Our friends from South Carolina are anxious to get back to their homes and see how much damage there is.  The storm was a lot worse down there.  J & B are traveling today and promised to let us know when they made it back.  T & E have said they would like to try to get home tomorrow or Tuesday.  We've been worried for them all and hope things won't be too bad.

Golfer is watching football and reading.  I just put some chicken in the oven and will make salad soon.  Other than that, I've just been doing some odds and ends and looking over the family's Christmas wish lists.  I always have a goal of getting most of the shopping done by Columbus Day.  That's a hold-over from when I was still working and had the day off for the holiday.  :)  FYI - so far, so good on the shopping!  I have even checked our address database to make sure it is up to date for cards.

Stay safe!

We're Still Waiting

It certainly does seem like Hurricane Matthew has been around for a long time.  It has done a lot of serious damage on its charge Northward.  The forecasts for here have been back and forth for a while but now they say we will just have "hefty" rain and wind this weekend.  I really don't think "hefty" is a technical meteorological term.  I'm pretty sure the local weather  people are just getting tired, and trying to not keep repeating themselves.

So, the "hefty" rain and wind are coming.  But right now there is a strong breeze, it's in the mid-70's and humid.  The sun has been trying to peek out between the clouds.  Golfer is playing golf.  The new neighbor's yard guy is over there mowing.  I've been cleaning and doing all the usual household chores. Also been catching up on some desk work and watching the recorded shows I slept through last night.  :)   I'll be heading to the "Y" soon.

P sent me this picture this morning.  I liked it so much I have to share.  It made me smile.

If you have been watching all the weather reports, you will have seen that a lot of people who live in areas threatened by hurricanes and tropical storms take them in stride, a fact of life, and they have a sense of humor about it.  You know, just something else to deal with.  But think about it... other areas have blizzards, tornadoes, flooding, hail storms, earthquakes.  Like I said, just something else to deal with.

Stay safe!

Just Watching the Weather

The last few days have been busy.  Golfer has been working on a couple home maintenance and painting projects.  I've done all the usual daily things and also got out and did a little yard clean-up of the mulched areas.  There won't be any mowing or trimming for Golfer to do for just a little bit because of the aeration and seeding that was done last week.

We've also been keeping up with the weather forecasts.  Hurricane Matthew has everyone on edge.  It's already done major damage in its path.  We have friends who live in the evacuation areas of South Carolina.  One couple is already at their cabin in the West Virginia mountains.  The other couple is packing up to get on the road as I type this.  We hope that they stay safe and their homes will be undamaged when they return.

As for us, the forecasts have been sort of all over the place.  They have been saying "just be prepared".  So.... the cars have full gas tanks, I went to the ATM and got some cash, the fridge and pantry are full.  As of the last report, it sounds like we'll get some rain and some wind, and the tidal flooding in the usual areas, but the brunt of the storm will miss us.  Of course, that can change with little notice, so we are being alert. 

Stay safe!

How Could I Forget???!!?

I somehow neglected to post a picture of this long-time "friend".  He has been celebrating Halloween in our home ever since Nurse J and Bikini were very young.  I won't say how many years that is.  :)  He has held up well!

Today was supposed to be the Community yard sale for Kiln Creek.  Nurse J and BeyB picked me up at 8:00.  We stopped at two houses and then it started to rain, so we did not do much shopping.  I think people were afraid of the weather forecast with "chance of rain" and not many were participating.  I'm going to check if there is a rain date.  And if it is next Saturday, we might have Hurricane Matthew here then!

I did make one purchase - a still in the sealed wrap Melissa & Doug wooden puzzle to put in our toy box for Charlie and Ellie!  For $1!

The Fall cleaning is pretty much done and that feels good. I had wanted to get out and do a little yard work, but after the sprinklers running this morning to keep the seed damp and then the rain, it is a little too wet out there for me to be comfortable. So that job is on hold.  That's okay, I have a good book I'd like to sit and read anyway!

Golfer is at Riverfront Course today and I am hoping the rain missed them.

Nurse J starts the class work for her Masters this coming week.  Everyone is well and busy at her house.  Most of the time very busy with a three year old and a four month old!

Bikini is having fun with her new mid-arm quilting machine.  (I may have that term wrong, but you get the gist)  They are all well there and busy.

Stay safe and have a good weekend!

The Last of the Decoration Pictures

Yesterday was a busy day and quite a few of the before-mentioned-chores were finished.  Still some more to do, but we've made progress!

I got the back door frame painted and Golfer got the weather stripping installed.  I got the new front step "spackled" and it's ready for a little sanding and then Golfer will paint it.  The yard guys came and did the aeration and seeding, etc. of the yard.  When they were finished Golfer went out and put down topsoil in some low places and then added more seed.  Then he adjusted the sprinkler system timing and we're all ready to watch for new grass!

Another big job was getting all the things for a DAV donation ready.  We put that out this morning and it's already been picked up.  I can now see the floor of the closet again!

We went out for breakfast this morning and Golfer is now at the driving range.  We'll be heading to the "Y" after lunch.

Here are the last two pictures of Halloween decorations.  And you get a bonus in one of them.  I'm seen taking the picture!  Just got a haircut yesterday.  :)

The frog always sits there.

Stay safe!  Enjoy your weekend!

More Pictures

As promised, here are a couple more pictures.

Back yard mulched area

Just a little decoration on my table

The Fall cleaning is winding down I think.  I got the upstairs room done and also went to the laundromat and washed all the large bedding.  That is all done and put away now.  Next up are projects.  Golfer and I have some maintenance chores and some painting to do.  Nothing too big.  Just need the right conditions to do them!  Almost all of the jobs are outside.  I also need to finish getting the DAV pick-up in order and have it ready. And then....... Christmas shopping!

Stay safe!

Just A Little Decorating

As you know, I've been doing Fall cleaning.   It's not like the old days when the rugs were all hauled outside and beaten with a rug beater (those looked like tennis rackets to me).  And we don't use the Playdoh-like stuff to clean wall paper any more.  But I do like to give things a good going over and get ready for cool weather.  I am approaching the end of the major cleaning, just a few more things to tackle.

I had a God-mandated rest day Monday when I had a sudden onset of flu like systems and spent the morning in the bathroom throwing up and the rest of the day sleeping.  Tuesday morning I was fine.  Don't know where it came from.  I hadn't been around any sick people.  Golfer and I had eaten the same things and he was okay, so it wasn't food poisoning.  So I figure God just wanted me to get some rest!

Anyway, as I've gotten things back in order after cleaning, I've put out a few Fall decorations, inside and out.  I've been asked for pictures, so here they are.

There are a few other small things around the house, I'll show you those on another post. And here is a picture of Finnigan the first time he realized the little chipmunks were there.  He was startled and backed up, then approached them very carefully.  He even patted them a time or two.  Evidently he decided they were friendly and they were okay.

Stay safe!  If you have Fall weather, enjoy it!  It's still warm and muggy here and going to rain some more.

Good-bye Old Friend, You Served Us Well

As I was working on the Fall cleaning, we had some issues.  At least five times the brush roller on our old Dyson vacuum stopped.  I had to stop what I was working on and get it going again.  The last time it stopped there was a noise.  Then a broken gear fell out and then there was a bigger noise and whoomph!

So there it went.  Out to the curb for the bulk pick-up the next day.  And there I went. To the store to buy a new one!

It is larger and more powerful.  Also just a little heavier, but very manageable.

So welcome!  We have already been working at the Fall cleaning.

I would like to add that it was an interesting experience making this purchase.  I had gone to Bed, Bath and Beyond because I knew exactly where the vacuums were in the store.  I went to get one and the box was empty.  So I called over a nice young man to help.  He hesitated and told me the vacuums were very expensive.  He was sorry.  They were not kept out on the shelves.  He seemed to think I would be upset by the price maybe.  I told him it was okay, I just wanted one put in my cart.  He had to call a floor manager and they both had to go back to the storage area and sign it out.  Then they had to accompany me to the checkout and let the cashier know I was making a purchase.  This is a lot of security for a vacuum.  I want to know how many they have actually had "walk" out of the store without being paid for.  I mean, really!!??  It's not like you could stick one in your pocket or slide it under your coat!

Stay safe, people!  It's a risky world out there!

Awww

While we were walking around D.C. we came upon this happy sight.  Outside one of the museums there was a young man, lots of body art and some piercings. In some situations you'd probably walk across the street to avoid him.  And here he was feeding this cute little squirrel!  And then he said, "did you get that picture?"

Remember that God made all people and there are many, many, MANY varieties of us.  Most good, some not. Try to keep an open mind but stay safe!  Life is good.