July 17, 2007
First stop on our vacation
Boy, there sure is a lot to do after you get back from a vacation! Now I know where the expression comes from: "I need a vacation from my vacation!" Still, I am not complaining as we had such a wonderful time. Before I go out to one of my appointments I wanted to share a couple of pictures I took.
One of the coolest parts of our vacation was that TB and I felt free to make side trips and visit places on the spur of the moment. We both enjoy exploring wherever we are.
On our way up on 95N, we pulled over to use the restrooms at one of those places that has tourist information and brochures. We'd seen mention of a castle in a Connecticut guide booklet we'd received from AAA and it sounded like just the place to go. According to the book, it wasn't that far away from the rest stop. I asked the volunteers about the castle and they enthusiastically told me it was worth a visit and that we should ferry across the river.
Sounded right up our alley! So we took a little detour and stopped in East Haddam to visit William Gillette's castle. We wanted to take the ferry and so these are the first pictures I'm sharing before I have to go to my doctor's appointment.
Here we are in line to get on the ferry to cross the Connecticut River. We didn't mind the wait--we were in no hurry!
In fact, I got to take several pictures of whatever caught my interest. I liked the wildflowers growing along the side of the road and here's how one of them came out.
I even took pictures of just your regular average bushes!
After a wait of maybe 15 minutes, we got to the ferry. It's not very big but I think it could fit up to a dozen cars.
We were parked smack dab in the middle and towards the rear so we couldn't take great pictures but we sure enjoyed the ride!
April 25, 2007
April 22, 2007
Earth Day at our house
Want to see what TB, Linda and Kristin did to celebrate Earth Day? Click the pic! Heidi was at work today and what did I do? I was the photographer! 
April 18, 2007
Play
We're impatiently waiting for more spring like weather too! Our play has been indoors lately. This picture was taken at the Children's Museum.
April 15, 2007
What can we do on a rainy miserable day?
We can play Candy Land!
I was saving the game just for a day like this one...raining cats and dogs and just totally miserable outside.
I opened the game board and took out the pieces and the cards, leaving them out for a little while until Tomas noticed them. He enjoyed the colorful trail leading to the candy palace and marched the people around. For a while, I played the game with all the pieces, moving them from colored space to colored space. Tomas does a lot of watching from the corner of his eye and I'm sure it won't be long before he's playing this game the conventional way as well as his own imaginative Tomas way.
Candy Land is back in my life once again! I played it as a child, played it innumerable times with my kids and now am appreciating it all over again as a nana!
April 11, 2007
April 08, 2007
Happy Easter 2007
It is so cold out today! I heard on a weather report that the high today will not come close to the temperatures we had on Christmas Day. It makes me wonder!
We are off to TB's mom's house for dinner today but first I wanted to wish all my friends and loved ones a Happy Easter and I wanted to show off the lovely flowers in our bedroom.
Yesterday, TB gave me this lovely arrangement:
and then this morning Kristin surprised me with this lovely lily
I so love flowers!
The pictures I've taken for Easter so far are here. I may be adding more later!
April 07, 2007
Spring Reading Thing
I'm getting started on this a little late but as the saying goes: better late than never!
I am so glad that I found this site. I love to read and so this just fits in with one of my favorite activities.
Here are the rules:
Make a list of books you want to read (or finish reading) this spring. Your list can be as long or as short as you'd like.Write a blog post containing your list and submit it to this post using the Mr. Linky below.
Get reading! The challenge goes from today, March 21st, through June 21st.
Check out other participants' lists and add to your own to-read-someday pile!
If you're so inclined, write reviews of the books you read along the way.
Write a post about your challenge experience in June, telling us all about whether you reached your goals and how the Spring Reading Thing went for you.
I'm not as fast a reader as I used to be and so my list is going to be modest to start. I figure I can read a book in a week to 10 days.
My list:
Pervasive Developmental Disorder: A Different Perspective by Barbara Quinn & Anthony Malone
I am reading this one to get a better understanding of what is going on with Tomas.
Cell by Stephen King, my favorite horror author. This one is better than many of his books recently written!
Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince by J.K. Rowling--I figure I better get this one read before the last one comes out, eh?
Living Well With Depression & Bipolar Disorder: What Your Doctor Doesn't Tell You...That You Need To Know by John McManamy
I'm reading this one because the females in this house have one thing or the other
On the Road by Jack Kerouac. I'm reading this one because my goal has been to read a classic for every 3 other books I read.
Icy Sparks by Gwyn Hyman Rubio because it's on Oprah's list and because it looked like a good read to me. I am drawn to hardship tales told by precious girl/orphan children.
Do you want to participate too? Go to Callapidder Days and sign up!
April 04, 2007
Happiness Is ...
...precious time spent with family and loved ones!
This picture was taken last July at the Cape May Lighthouse. We sure did enjoy our vacation with three of the grandchildren from Tennessee, Brandon, Ryan & Taylor. We miss them! And Billy, our son who has been away at college, will be home next month!
April 03, 2007
Spring!
10 Things You Love About Springtime
1. The weather is milder
2. You can go to the beach on a beautiful day and not have to pay to park
3. Blossoming flowers, beginning with the daffodils
4. Robins come back
5. You can go for a walk in a park and not have to worry too much about ticks yet
6. The sun stays out longer
7. Hope comes with each spring as new life grows
8. Outdoor events begin thanks to the milder weather
9. I can go on nice long walks with Tomas before the school bus comes
10. Billy will be home for the summer in May
March 31, 2007
A Lovely Day
I actually took these pictures a few days ago, on a gorgeous day in the mid-70s.
Is there a better activity for a kid on a lovely day than climbing a tree?
Kennan came over to visit and Tomas enjoyed playing with him!
Kristin cleaned out the bunny cages--boy, did they need it!
Time to see if the slide is working!
Listen...do ya wanna know a secret?
There are more lovely days on the way!
For more pictures, click here.
March 23, 2007
Running on Empty...
| You Are Running on 57% Adrenaline |
 You often feel like you are running on empty. And it doesn't feel great! |
March 18, 2007
Guess Who Joe Hill Is?
Okay, I admit it...I'd never heard of Joe Hill, except for the one in the song.
I remember dedications by one of my favorite writers to his wife and children but this writer just said "Joe" and not "Joe Hill". I hadn't heard of any of Joe Hill's books but I will have to go and give them a try now. Why? He is Stephen King's son! I looked at the picture and thought, oh, of course.
The article and picture are here but I'm also going to cut and paste it into my extended entry.
It is so hard for kids with famous parents to try and make a name for themselves! Hey, I am always looking for new writers to read!
Secret of horror writer's lineage broken By JERRY HARKAVY, Associated Press Writer Sat Mar 17, 7:32 PM ET
Joe Hill knew it was only a matter of time before one of the publishing industry's hottest little secrets became common knowledge. He just wished he could have kept it under wraps a bit longer.But when Hill's fantasy-tinged thriller, "Heart-Shaped Box," came out last month, it was inevitable that his thoroughbred blood lines as a writer of horror and the supernatural would be out there for all to see.
After 10 years of writing short stories and an unpublished novel under his pen name, Hill knows that the world is now viewing him through a different prism — as the older son of Stephen King.
Hill, 34, took on his secret identity to test his writing skills and marketability without having to trade on the family name.
"I really wanted to allow myself to rise and fall on my own merits," he said over breakfast in this coastal city. "One of the good things about it was that it let me make my mistakes in private."
The moniker he chose did not come out of the blue. He is legally Joseph Hillstrom King, named for the labor organizer whose 1915 execution for murder in Utah inspired the song, "Joe Hill," an anthem of the labor movement. His parents, who came of age during the 1960s, "were both pretty feisty liberals and looked at Joe Hill as a heroic figure," he said.
"Heart-Shaped Box," a title drawn from a song by the rock group Nirvana, is a fast-paced tale of another man with dual identities. Judas Coyne, born Justin Cowzynski, is an over-the- hill heavy metal rocker with a strange hobby: amassing ghoulish artifacts.
When Coyne learns that a suit purportedly haunted by a ghost is up for grabs on an online auction site, he can't resist adding it to his creepy collection. Things turn ugly fast after Coyne learns that the suit's occupant is a spooky spiritualist bent on vengeance following the death of his stepdaughter.
The book has drawn good reviews, with The New York Times' Janet Maslin calling it "a wild, mesmerizing, perversely witty tale of horror" that is "so visually intense that its energy never flags." And with its cinematic, and bloody, ending, Warner Bros. snapped up movie rights six months before the book hit the market.
As excitement percolated about "Heart-Shaped Box," so, too, did lingering questions about its author. Inklings about Hill's family background started appearing in online message boards in 2005 when his collection of short stories, "20th Century Ghosts," was published in Britain.
Similarities in subject matter and appearance — Hill has his father's bushy eyebrows and the dark beard he sported decades ago — were enough to stir suspicion among followers of the horror genre.
"It got blogged to death," Hill recalled. But only when his identity was trumpeted in Variety last year did he realize that the secret was gone for good. "That was really the nail in the coffin," he said.
Still, his pen name had a good ride. The editor of "Heart-Shaped Box" was unaware of the King connection and Hill's agent remained in the dark for eight years before the author spilled the beans two years ago.
Hill's decision to follow his father's career should come as no surprise. His mother, Tabitha King, has been turning out novels for decades. His younger brother, Owen King, came out in 2005 with a well-received novella and short story collection that is more literary than horrific and laced with absurdity.
Like Hill, Owen King wanted to cut his own path and his book did not mention his parentage. But he decided against a pen name, figuring it would be too much trouble to try to go by an alias when meeting people or having an agent, manager, publicist or personal assistant handle details of his professional life.
The only sibling who has yet to make it into print is Naomi King, oldest of the three, who has switched careers from restaurateur to Unitarian minister. But Hill said his sister is working on a nonfiction project: a book-length study of the sermon as literary text and its place in American culture.
The King children's interest in books and writing took root early on. "It sounds very Victorian, but we would sit around and read aloud nightly, in the living room or on the porch," Hill recalled. "This was something we kept on doing until I was in high school, at least."
In an era of celebrity worship, the family has prided itself on being able to maintain as normal a lifestyle as possible despite Stephen King's fame and fortune. Hill and his brother attended public high school in Bangor, Maine, before going on to Vassar College, where they overlapped for one year.
After graduation, Hill and Owen King collaborated on a couple of screenplays. They sold one, but it has yet to be made into a movie.
The first half of "Heart-Shaped Box" is set in New York's Hudson Valley, the area around Vassar, where Judas Coyne lives with his latest Goth girlfriend, who 30 years his junior, and two devoted German shepherds.
At first, Hill envisioned his tale of a suit with a ghost attached as grist for a short story. But as he added depth and back story to his characters, it ballooned into a novel 10 times longer than what he originally planned.
The choice of title was pure serendipity. Hill's initial idea, "Private Collection," went by the wayside when the 1993 Nirvana song popped up on iTunes as the author was getting ready to write the episode in which UPS delivers the haunted suit to Coyne. It was then that Hill decided to package the suit in a heart-shaped box.
"Coyne is fiction and (Kurt) Cobain was a real guy," he said, "but I felt that the song fit very well with the book. The song is about a guy who feels trapped and desperate, and the book is about how someone uses music as a hammer to beat at the bars of his own cage."
Hill and his wife, whom he met at Vassar, live in southern New Hampshire with their three children. He is reluctant to say much about his private life, recalling how a crazed fan broke into his family's home in Bangor in 1991 and threatened his mother, a frightening episode that evoked the plot of King's earlier best seller, "Misery."
Stephen King declined a request for comment on his son's novel. "He's trying to go along with Joe's wishes and let him do this on his own," said his spokeswoman, Marsha DeFilippo.
But at a recent panel discussion in New York, King told a questioner that he wouldn't rule out a collaborative book project with his son.
"I guess anything's possible," he said. "I took them on my knee, read them stories, changed their diapers, and now they're all grown up and they have become writers, of all things. I am really proud of them. I guess we'll see what happens down the road."
___
Associated Press Writer Colleen Long in New York contributed to this report.
___
On the Net:
http://www.joehillfiction.com
March 06, 2007
Instead of my serious post...
I spent a lot of time writing a post about "the solution to pollution is dilution" but when I hit the button to upload it, nothing happened for a long time. Then I got a message saying the webpage couldn't be found. ACK! I hit the backspace button and, of course, that page could not longer be found either. I was very mad because now I have to reconstruct the post. But instead of kicking my computer I decided to post something funny instead. Some of these clips I've seen before but many are new.
Yeah...and this time I saved the post as a draft first!
February 27, 2007
Tummy Tuesday
Amber says, oh, all right, I'll be the first brave soul to bare the tummy tum tum.
Brave, shmave, says Kosmo, you just weren't quick enough to get out of camera range like Mousie and me.
Hmmm...we'll see!
How fun, more catblogging stuff!
Tummy Tuesdays are featured on Carnival of the Cats.
I also found a lot of cat blogs I've never seen before on Stumble, a program I've really been enjoying. You have to download it onto your computer, though, and then it sort of surfs for things of interest to you.
February 25, 2007
a How Rare Is Your Personality & Other Sunday Memes
| Your Personality is Somewhat Rare (ISFP) |
Your personality type is caring, peaceful, artistic, and calm.
Only about 7% of all people have your personality, including 8% of all women and 6% of all men You are Introverted, Sensing, Feeling, and Perceiving. How Rare Is Your Personality? |
| You Will Be a Cool Parent |
 You can tell when it's time to let kids off the hook, and when it's time to lay down the law. While your parenting is modern and hip, it's not over the top. You know that there's nothing cool about a parent who acts like a teenager... or a drill sergeant! |
Name your seven favorite pieces of American architecture.
1. The White House
2. The Washington Memorial
3. The Lincoln Memorial
4. The Wall (Vietnam War Memorial)
5. The Jefferson Memorial
6. The Smithsonian -- the original, the castle
7. The Empire State Building
- Soldier :: hero
- Lipton :: tea
- Reason:: purpose
- Terms :: of engagement
- Positive :: negative
- Example :: for instance
- Legacy :: remembrance
- Solo :: alone
- Instrument :: guitar
- Later :: not now
February 18, 2007
Sunday Fun
Sunday Seven
Name your top seven favorite soft drink flavors or varieties.
1. Diet decaffeinated Coke
2. Diet decaffeinated Pepsi
3. Diet cherry Coke
4. Diet cherry Pepsi
5. Diet vanilla Pepsi
6. Diet black cherry vanilla Pepsi
7. Diet root beer
No more regular soda for me, I'm afraid, especially not with the way my sugar has been running this week.
Your ScoreYou got 4 correct out of 10 (40%)
Of the 5561 times this quiz has been taken:
Average Score: 3.4 / 10 = 34%
High Score: 10 / 10 = 100%
OOOPS!
Your ScoreYou got 7 correct out of 10 (70%)
Of the 7611 times this quiz has been taken:
Average Score: 5.4 / 10 = 54%
High Score: 10 / 10 = 100%
So what's the difference between American and U.S. history?
Your ScoreYou got 9 correct out of 10 (90%)
Of the 6758 times this quiz has been taken:
Average Score: 7.1 / 10 = 71%
High Score: 10 / 10 = 100%
| Your Linguistic Profile: |
| 45% General American English |
| 40% Yankee |
| 10% Dixie |
| 0% Midwestern |
| 0% Upper Midwestern |
February 17, 2007
Unexpected
| You Are Pretty Logical |
 While you don't have perfect logic, you logic is pretty darn good Keep at it - you've got a lot of natural talent in this area! |
February 16, 2007
What Color Is Your Brain?
| Your Brain is Purple |
 You tend to think wild, amazing thoughts. Your dreams and fantasies are intense. Your thoughts are creative, inventive, and without boundaries. You tend to spend a lot of time thinking of fictional people and places - or a very different life for yourself. |
February 11, 2007
Carnival Is Up!
Kitten and cat lovers, the 151st Carnival is up at one of my favorite blogs, When Cats Attack!!
I say... and you think ...
- The best thing :: love
- Hold :: keep
- Rapture :: bliss
- Cover :: hide
- Restrictive :: least
- Baker :: cake
- Author :: book
- Pill :: medicine
- Months :: year
- Valentine’s Day :: flowers & candy
Lostaholic
Without a doubt, my most favorite show on TV is Lost. I wasn't in on the first season but was intrigued with all the commercials I saw for the second season. I thought I'd give it a try and, by the end of the season opener, I was hooked. I bought the first season on dvd to catch up on what I'd missed from the year before, joined some fan email lists and got TB hooked on the show as well.
Check this out! It basically describes how I feel about Lost! This is a commercial from ABC that appeared during last year's Super Bowl.
I think what I like best about the show is that the characters are "lost" in more ways than one. For those few out there that haven't heard of the show, the basic idea is that a plane carrying passengers from Australia to Los Angeles goes off course and crashes onto some unknown island in the south Pacific...maybe. In that way, the survivors of the crash are "lost"--they don't know where they are. They are also "lost" because this is not your typical island. Magnetic north is off kilter, there are polar bears on this tropical paradise, monsters in the jungle, and "other" groups of people up to no good. The characters themselves are "lost" in their lives--they are at crucial turning points or are in need of redemption.
Another thing I really like is that the producer and the writers pay attention to what the fans say. Of course, this is not necessarily a good thing. When it worked well, the writers would "shout out" to the fans. Fans who are really into the show watch the episodes over and over, looking for clues and more details. So in the opening episode of the second season, two of the main characters find and watch a very important video. One says to the other, "We have to watch this again." Or the VIPs would take note of questions the fans had about something on the show and they'd have an episode that srt of answered the question.
The downside to all this of course, is that old cliche "if you give them an inch, they want a mile." Fans began to be more critical and demanding, wanting to know the answers to everything right now instead of being patient and letting things play out. Fans complained about the number of repeats last season and I was with them. The network has a stupid policy of beginning the season late (October) and then running repeats because of the World Series, the Christmas season, March madness and all kinds of ridiculous reasons. Who wants to watch 3 new episodes followed by 4 repeats, some of which aren't even from that season? This season, the Lost VIPs convinced ABC to let them do a "mini-season" of 6 episodes, followed by 14 long weeks of nothing, and then a full season starting last Wednesday and running for the next 15 weeks--with NO repeats.
You'd think the fans would be grateful but no, they bitched and moaned about the hiatus too. There is just no pleasing some people.
As for me, I was riveted to the seat by the opening of the "new" season. I thought it was one of the best episodes ever, with a marvellous cast well thought out plot and lots of action!
My theory about where the castaways are: I think it's an alternate reality, a totally different place that they got to via a wormhole or something. As for "the Others", I think there are several groups of inhabitants. The castaways found an old slaver abandoned in the middle of the island. I think one group is descended from that ship. There's another group, scientists, who are affiliated with "The Dharma Initiative" which was a seemingly benevolent bunch of researchers studying behavior, magnetism, zoology and lots of other stuff.
Recently, there's been a new introduction of another group that may or may not be related to Dharma, called the Mitelos Institute. They are more openly sinister (committing murder to recruit a fertility specialist) and may be into the grimmer aspects of the Others' behavior. Maybe they're behind the brain washing and other acts of violence. At least one group of Others is obsessed with chlidren and babies. Maybe their women can't have children and that's why they need fertility specialist Juliet Burke.
Maybe there's yet another bunch of others that have broken off from either this group or the Dharma initiative.
Then there is a lone other: Danielle. She was part of a team that crashed or somehow became "lost" 16 years ago. Her teammates all got some kind of sickness and she ended up killing them. She had a baby girl, Alex, who was baby-napped by the Mittelos Others.
It's going to be fun, these next 15 weeks, watching how things fit together. As one question is answered, another one comes up. That's all part of the fun and intrigue of the show too. I love it!
February 10, 2007
Saturday Memes
1. A friend arrives from out of town and wants to go to dinner at a nice locally-owned restaurant: where would you take her?
Anapa's on Rt. 38 in Browns Mills
2. Your friend then says he wants to learn something about the history of your city: where would you take him first?
Hmmm...well, I guess to the Browns Mills Railroad Station. There's a museum there now.
3. Does your current hometown have any specific kind of weather threats (i.e., tornado alley, etc.) or natural disaster threats (i.e., earthquake faults, volcanic activity) that concerns you?
There's a near-terminal lack of things to do which concerns me
4. Take the quiz: What city shares your personality?
 | You scored as Killarney. You are Killarney, Ireland! You are probably somewhat quiet and thoughtful. You don't mind frequenting the city pubs with your friends, but you also enjoy peaceful time alone.
Which city shares your personality? created with QuizFarm.com |
Cool!!!!
5. Have you ever visited this city or lived there before?
No but I want to visit. I have Irish relatives in County Sligo.
6. Based on what you know about that city, either firsthand or from others, do you think it would be a good fit for you? Do you think it would be a better fit than the city in which you now live?
Yes and yes
a weighty sat-8.
1. are you over- or under-weight, or "just right"?
Way over
2. what do you consider a "healthy weight" for yourself?
A hundred pounds lighter than I am
3. in your past, have you struggled with weight issues?
Oh yes, even when I was at a healthy weight it was still a struggle to keep the pounds off
4. give us an example of a comfort food for you.
crunchy cheese doodles!
5. aside from eating when hungry, are you a 'snacker' when you are bored, stressed, or emotionally upset?
Not any more.
6. on nightline last night, the host was talking about models at fashion week being on "the nicotine diet." i've seen people GAIN weight from stopping smoking, but not smoking to lose. have you every smoked to keep thin, or known anyone who has?
Not per se but I have known people who wouldn't quit because they'd gain weight. For a long time, that was my reasoning, too.
7. i've never been a dessert person, and rarely eat desserts; all of my girlfriends are the same way. do you regularly eat dessert when you go out to a restaurant or eat at home?
Used to have dessert regularly, now only if I'm hungry
8. if someone close to you asked your advice on the best way to lose weight, what would you tell them?
Stay away from fad diets, they don't work. Make small permanent changes you can live with and exercise!
How Misanthropic Are You?
| You Are 36% Misanthropic |
 You enjoy being friendly with people you encounter, but if you're having a rough day, watch out! |
February 01, 2007
Oh boy...
| The Movie Of Your Life Is A Black Comedy |
 You may end up insane, but you'll have fun on the way to the asylum. Your best movie matches: Being John Malkovich, The Royal Tenenbaums, American Psycho |
January 28, 2007
So Much Stuff Going On, So Little Time To Post
We've been very busy! Here are some photo highlights from December...click on the picture for the full album!
Here's a picture of Kristin playing the sax along with other members of the band in her high school's holiday concert.
This is a shot from our Christmas Day photo album.
This is the one picture I got of Kristin just before we left for her Princeton trip. She participated in a 4 day conference, the National Young Leaders' State Conference, and she sure got a lot out of it! She made new friends and learned a lot of valuable skills
This is Kristin's birthday cake ... and I really like the fact that she's very much an individual.
What is your rising sun?
| Your Rising Sign is Capricorn |
 You have a tough exterior, and you can be intimidating when you want to be. Hard working and ambitious, you can survive in the most cut throat work enviroments. Outside of work, you are a true friend to everyone in your small inner circle. You may have had a difficult time earlier in life. Capricorns are late bloomers and you may be coming into your own right now. |
January 23, 2007
What Happened TheYear You Were Born?
| In 1954 (the year you were born) |
 Nautilus, the first atomic powered submarine, launches Senator Joseph McCarthy begins leading televised hearings into alleged Communist influence in the Army Roger Bannister, a 25 year old from England, breaks the 4 minute mile with a time of 3:59 Supreme Court rules unanimously that racial segregation in public schools is unconstitutional Hurricane "Carol" hits the Long Island - New England area killing 60 and injuring 1000 Senate condemns Joseph McCarthy for contempt of a Senate elections subcommittee during his Army investigation hearings Playboy magazine issue features Margie Harrison, the first playmate Howard Stern, Oprah Winfrey, Christie Brinkley, John Travolta, and Jerry Seinfeld are born New York Giants win the World Series Cleveland Browns win the NFL championship Detroit Red Wings win the Stanley Cup Lord of the Flies by William G. Golding is published |
December 30, 2006
What's Your Celtic Horoscope?
| You Are A Fig Tree |
 A hard worker when you want to be, you play hard too. You are honest and loyal. You hate contradiction or arguments. You love life, and you live for your friends, children, and animals. A great sense of humor, artistic talent, and intelligence are all gifts you possess. |
Saturday 8
Whew, taking some time out from a busy day of cleaning to do a fun meme! We are having a large Christmas/New Year family party tomorrow here at the house and we wanted it in tip-top shape for the revelers. TB tacked some white plastic to cover that ugly hole in our ceiling. Roofer Giordano came and totally fixed the outside; now we just have to do the inside...when we have money. It's all gone, mostly drained away for various reasons and never to be seen again. Let's not get into all that, eh? Anyway, almost everyone in TB's family is coming except for his brother Jon & family (in Florida), our daughter Michele & family (in TN) and nephew Tim Jr. and his new wife (prior commitment as a youth pastor to an event at their church). We're not sure about Linda, she's on some weekend date or something, haven't seen her since late yesterday.
1. new year's plans?
Just this family party
2. i don't do new year's resolutions, but i think that we all look forward to doing something differently in the new year. what will you do in 2007 that you didn't do in 2006?
Check my blood sugars every day at least once.
3. in the past 24 hours, i have reconnected with 3 old friends that i've not spoken to in years. if you could reconnect with someone from your past who would it be, and why?
Daina, my friend in junior high and high school. I really enjoyed her friendship a lot and am sorry we lost touch with each other. I think that happened after I moved from the Baltimore area.
4. i live my life not regretting anything ... or at least try not to regret anything that i've done, and look at life as a learning experience. do you have anything that you would have not done/done differently in 2006 as you look back?
Well, things can't be undone so I'd rather just see everything as a learning experience too.
5. going back to my ex-friends that i reconnected with, one of them REALLY let me down as she chose a guy over our friendship. she wrote to me that she would think back over these past 14 years and kick herself, and wonder what had happened to me? do you have someone that you wronged/wronged you and wonder where they are? what happened to that friendship?
Yes, there was someone who started out as a good friend. Then I fell in love or in a crush or whatever with him but he didn't reciprocate and I was pretty bitter about it. So yes, I've wondered once in a while whatever happened to him.
6. one of the other ex-friends is an ex-boyfriend that i had when i was 16. he cheated on me when i was 17, and then i 'got over it' and we had a cordial non-friendship. i'm married and he's married, so i don't have any problem talking with him as there is NO chance at stirring up any old flames. if you had a chance to reconnect with an ex, who would it be, and why? or would you let sleeping "dogs" lie?
Let them lie.
7. i'm eating to join a weight-loss study. that's right ... i'm about 10 lbs. shy of the weight goal and am actually porking out this coming week as i get free vitamins/supplements, a free registered dietician for two years, and i also get $600/mo. to participate for two years. i'm VERY tall (over 5'9"), so this is going to be difficult! i'm gaining 10 lbs. to lose my original goal of 20 lbs., which will now be 30 lbs. (hey, i want to get back into a size 6 after being a size 10 for a few years!). to gain those 10 lbs., what do you suggest that i eat? any "fun" fattening foods that i should try?
Definitely have at least one Jim Dandy from Friendly's
8. i'm heading to disney today with the family and friends. what is your favourite theme park, and why?
It's hard to choose between them but I'd go with Sea World in a pinch. I love sea creatures, think they are totally fascinating and water has always been soothing to me.
December 29, 2006
Will You Keep Your New Year's Resolution?
| You Will Keep Your New Year's Resolution |
 |
December 27, 2006
What Kind of American English Do You Speak?
| Your Linguistic Profile: |
| 45% General American English |
| 35% Yankee |
| 15% Dixie |
| 0% Midwestern |
| 0% Upper Midwestern |
December 25, 2006
December 24, 2006
What Is Your Holiday Stress Level?
| Your Holiday Stress Level is Moderate |
 Take it easy! You can have a fun holiday without running yourself ragged. |
Christmas Eve and the tree is dressed!
Even though the weather outside is balmy and I wish we had some good snow like the Genuine family, we still managed to get into the Christmas spirit. Kristin decorated our tree and Billy and I watched A Miracle on 34th Street.
It's never too late to start making Christmas cookies either.
To see all the pictures in our Christmas 2006 album so far, click here.
December 23, 2006
If Cats Wrote Christmas Cards...
If Cats Wrote Christmas Cards
Meowy Christmas from your loving cat.
Aren't I cute?
Now leave me the hell alone.
We, your cats, at Christmas say,
Thanks for caring for us each day.
We love this season, all green and red,
And by the way, the hamster's dead.
As watchman-cat, I've done my job,
The house is safe once more.
That shiny stuff that stormed the tree
Is dead now on the floor.
Wrapping paper! Ribbon! Bows!
Tree! Tree! Tree! Tree!
Shiny! Shiny! Christmas balls!
Wheeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee eeeeeeee!
{CRASH!!}
Hee hee! I wish I could take credit for these but they're actually from a joke newsletter written by Moni.
December 10, 2006
We Have Lights!
Oh boy! For the first time in years, we have lights on our house and in our yard!!!!!
I have always been a little kid about decorating the house for Christmas. The year before Rich died was the first time I think we didn't string lights all over and that was because it was just too difficult for him. I couldn't do it either with my physical limitations ... so we did just the inside of the house. After he passed, I just didn't want to that first Christmas. When TB and I got married, I thought to do up the house then but we had a shortage of outlets, were involved in blending our families (no easy matter), and it just seemed easier to just do the inside. Then TB got hurt and I just put outside lights out of my head until this year and ...
Voila! Click the picture to see the other shots in our Christmas lights album.
Also check out TB's entry.
Today is also special in that it's Oma's birthday. She is 96 years old today, God bless her!
November 07, 2006
November 04, 2006
Day Trip!
With all the stuff going on, TB and I need to get away from it all and just have some fun. Originally we were going to drive to an ocean beach but decided to go exploring instead. I'm really glad we did because we came across Tuckerton Seaport. I've seen it listed in the sights to see in NJ and have been wanting to go there. As we were driving along TB and I talked about how the Pine Barrens just sort of grow on you. The trees are rather ugly but they have their own kind of charm.
Tuckerton Seaport is around 20 years old--at least, the idea for it is. According to the self-guided tour brochure, a group of baymen were concerned because their way of life was passing away and no one would remember. Eventually their discussions led to the opening of this sort of "campus". A lot of the items TB and I saw belonged to these men and to others who donated them. The exhibits were nice but what made everything especially interesting were the volunteers who explained how things worked and what people did back in those days.
We also learned some interesting factoids. Now I know that scungilli is made from whelks (or conchs). I also learned that the critter in the pretty shell was considered to be a pest because they'd punch through the shells of the oysters and clams to eat them. Baymen didn't appreciate that much!
TB took lots and lots of great pictures. To see the whole thing, just click on the picture!
November 01, 2006
Halloween Pictures
TB uploaded the pictures I took on and around Halloween. First up, Kristin dressed up as ... an angsting photographer I guess ... for her friend's party on Friday night.
Heidi dressed up to go hang out with her buds but didn't tell me what or who her character was...mainly because she didn't know!
And Linda won most original costume or best costume at work!
A good time was had by all and hopefully Little T will be into wearing a costume next year!
October 31, 2006
Happy Halloween!
This is a lot late but it's been a busy day! I took pictures of Linda, Heidi & Kristin in their costumes but haven't had a chance to upload them yet...soon! Tomas wanted no part of dressing up although he might want to next year after watching a parade of toddling characters collect bags of goodies from us!
10 Great Movies for Halloween
1. Night of the Living Dead
2. Invasion of the Body Snatchers
3. Psycho
4. Poltergeist
5. Shaun of the Living Dead
6. The Exorcist
7. The Bad Seed
8. The Shining
9. House on Haunted Hill
10. Audrey Rose
1. Do you celebrate Halloween? Explain:
Not really--except for handing out candy. I don't get dressed up any more or decorate the house...I sort of lost interest as the kids got too old for mommy to go trick-or-treating with them. I might become interested in it again when T is old enough to enjoy it.
2. Do you hand out candy and/or go door-to-door trick-or-treating?
I buy it. Then I get someone else to hand it out while I answer memes and surf the web.
3. What was the scariest Halloween costume you had and why did you pick out that costume?
I dressed up as a vampire one year when my cousin and I shared an apt in New York. Why that one? I don't remember...
4. Do you prefer a “trick” or “treat”? Explain:
A treat! How can I resist a piece of chocolate?
5. Do you think Halloween is scarier now than it was when you were younger? Explain:
Well...that's hard to say. When I was a kid (mid 60s) we used to have razors-in-apple and poisoned candy scares too. I worry about my kids while they are out but I suppose it's not any scarier than it was when I was a kid.
October 30, 2006
Today In History
I always found this to be fascinating...
WELLES SCARES NATION: October 30, 1938Orson Welles causes a nationwide panic with his broadcast of "War of the
Worlds"--a realistic radio dramatization of a Martian invasion of Earth.Orson
Welles was only 23 years old when his Mercury Theater company decided to update
H.G. Wells' 19th-century science fiction novel War of the Worlds for national
radio. Despite his age, Welles had been in radio for several years, most notably
as the voice of "The Shadow" in the hit mystery program of the same name. "War
of the Worlds" was not planned as a radio hoax, and Welles had little idea of
the havoc it would cause.The show began on Sunday, October 30, at 8 p.m. A voice
announced: "The Columbia Broadcasting System and its affiliated stations present
Orson Welles and the Mercury Theater on the air in 'War of the Worlds' by H.G.
Wells."Sunday evening in 1938 was prime-time in the golden age of radio, and
millions of Americans had their radios turned on. But most of these Americans
were listening to ventriloquist Edgar Bergen and his dummy "Charlie McCarthy" on
NBC and only turned to CBS at 8:12 p.m. after the comedy sketch ended and a
little-known singer went on. By then, the story of the Martian invasion was well
underway.Welles introduced his radio play with a spoken introduction, followed
by an announcer reading a weather report. Then, seemingly abandoning the
storyline, the announcer took listeners to "the Meridian Room in the Hotel Park
Plaza in downtown New York, where you will be entertained by the music of Ramon
Raquello and his orchestra." Putrid dance music played for some time, and then
the scare began.
I saw a movie made about what happened and it seems that people who hadn't been listening right from the beginning really fell for this.
An announcer broke in to report that "Professor Farrell of the Mount Jenning Observatory" had detected explosions on the planet Mars. Then the dance music came back on, followed by another interruption in which listeners were informed that a large meteor had crashed into a farmer's field in Grovers Mills, New Jersey.Soon, an announcer was at the crash site describing a Martian emerging from a large metallic cylinder. "Good heavens," he declared, "something's wriggling out of the shadow like a gray snake. Now here's another and another one and another one. They look like tentacles to me ... I can see the thing's body now. It's large, large as a bear. It glistens like wet leather. But that face, it ...it ... ladies and gentlemen, it's indescribable. I can hardly force myself to keep looking at it, it's so awful. The eyes are black and gleam like a serpent. The mouth is kind of V-shaped with saliva dripping from its rimless lips that seem to quiver and pulsate."The Martians mounted walking war machines and fired "heat-ray" weapons at the puny humans gathered around the crash site. They annihilated a force of 7,000 National Guardsman, and after being attacked by artillery and bombers the Martians released a poisonous gas into the air. Soon "Martian cylinders" landed in Chicago and St. Louis. The radio play was extremely realistic, with Welles employing sophisticated sound effects and his actors doing an excellent job portraying terrified announcers and other characters. An announcer reported that widespread panic had broken out in the vicinity of the landing sites, with thousands desperately trying to flee. In fact, that was not far from the truth.Perhaps as many as a million radio listeners believed that a real Martian invasion was underway. Panic broke out across the country. In New Jersey, terrified civilians jammed highways seeking to escape the alien marauders. People begged police for gas masks to save them from the toxic gas and asked electric companies to turn off the power so that the Martians wouldn't see their lights. One woman ran into an Indianapolis church where evening services were being held and yelled, "New York has been destroyed! It's the end of the world! Go home and prepare to die!"When news of the real-life panic leaked into the CBS studio, Welles went on the air as himself to remind listeners that it was just fiction. There were rumors that the show caused suicides, but none were ever confirmed.The Federal Communications Commission investigated the program but found no law was broken. Networks did agree to be more cautious in their programming in the future. Orson Welles feared that the controversy generated by "War of the Worlds" would ruin his career. In fact, the publicity helped land him a contract with a Hollywood studio, and in 1941 he directed, wrote, produced, and starred in Citizen Kane--a movie that many have called the greatest American film ever made.
Now that was a fascinating study into what happens during a mass panic!
Fright Night
1.Where does Halloween fall on your "holiday excitement scale" (ie. Does it top Christmas, New Year's, your birthday, the whole shebang? Or is it just another day?)
It's not just another day but has nowhere near the excitement level of Christmas or my birthday. It's more like New Year's ... something I enjoyed a lot once when I was younger and now it's no big deal.
2.At what age do you consider someone to be too old for trick or treating?
When the adults handing out candy tell you or they sort of draw back in fear because they're afraid if they say something you'll destroy the house. Probably 15.
3. What was your lamest Halloween costume?
Lame? I had no lame costumes!
4.Is handing out candy fun for you, or more of a nightmare?
It's a big pain in the hiney. Up down up down up down...
5.Do you see Halloween as an excuse to show some skin and get away with it? If not, what do you think of people who dress this way?
Ah, no. And for those who dress that way, doesn't bother me unless it's my own kid...and thank God it hasn't been.
October 29, 2006
Fried Coke?
I saw the headline and that was my first reaction: fried Coke? Hee hee. First, how do you deep fry Coke? Second, isn't that stuff bad enough (melts auto parts left in them over night, etc) without us frying it now too? 
Well, different snacks and foods have to start somewhere and this reminds me that the ice cream cone got its start at a fair in 190-something and the same thing happened with french fries or potato chips I'm sure.
I'll leave this new treat for those with younger and stronger tummies than mine. Read the article here.
- Costume :: Halloween
- Beg :: Trick or Treat
- Hottie :: Josh Holloway
- Celebrity :: Joan Collins
- Saturday :: Sunday
- Buckle :: my shoe
- Doorbell :: ring ring
- Rude :: impolite
- Absence :: not there
- Hyper :: active
October 24, 2006
Backwards Update: Picking Pumpkins
The first Saturday of this month was absolutely gorgeous. It was a perfect day to go to a local farm and pick some pumpkins and go for a hayride! Tomas really got into the pumpkin picking part. He wasn't so sure about the hayride at first but I think he enjoyed it once we got underway. By the time we got back, he was definitely smiling--maybe from relief? Anyway, we all had a wonderful time!
For more pictures, click here.
October 20, 2006
Feline Friday: Laser Tag
I think this is the first time we've gotten all three kitties on camera at the same time!
Whoever catches the little red light wins!
Okay, who's going to be the first to call it?
Me, me! says Kosmo. I got it!
Want more Cat Friday stuff? Check out _blank">Carnival of the Cats!
October 19, 2006
Backwards Update: Trip to Troy
So much has been happening in the past couple of weeks it seemed silly to go way back there and move forward because I just don't remember as much. This past weekend, Ted, his mom, the girls and I went up to Troy to visit Billy. It was a great weekend to go--the weather was just right and the fall colors were lovely! There was a festival going on at the time so we got to see a juggler and some animals. Most important, we got to spend the day with Billy, got a couple of things for his efficiency to give him more room (a bookcase & computer desk with shelves), and did a little local sightseeing. It was wonderful!
To see more photos from our trip, click here.
September 29, 2006
!Feline Friday: Tumblebush
Someone sent me a variation of the floppy girl tumbling and falling amongst the bubbles--or whatever they are. This is President Bush. Whenever I feel frustrated about how things are going or not going here and around the world, I play this game. Amber enjoys it too, even though she hasn't been able to "catch" the tumbling Bush.
More Feline Firday? Check out Carnival of the Cats
August 30, 2006
Back to School Pt.2/More Mystery Thrillers
Today Heidi started classes at the community college. It's such a dreary day I didn't take any pictures. Sorry, kiddo--she doesn't really like to have her picture taken. On Friday, she's going to make an attempt at passing the written driving test and then we can get her lessons on the road. Soon she'll be able to drive the car she bought from Gram! Today she's got a math class--that's it. Not too bad.
I was so happy to hear from my cousin Anne. She and her husband Gil came down from Long Island to NJ so that she could attend a company conference. They arrived the day before and so TB and I met them for dinner. We had such a wonderful time. I was glad to see them again--the last time was right before I married TB so it's been more than 4 years! We're planning to go up to LI to visit them in October--after Parents weekend at RPI.
I've been so busy it's been hard to find time to read, never mind write, but I did manage to finish 3 good books recently. This summer, I wanted to keep it all "light" and so I've been reading mysteries and thrillers. I enjoyed Cabinet of Curiosities so much I decided to go back and read all of Douglas Preston & Lincoln Child's books featuring the charmingly weird Detective Pendergast. The very first one was Relic and I was not disappointed, although Pendergast was a secondary character in this one. Still, I found myself turning the pages and reluctant to put the book down until the end. What a twist--I was expecting some kind of weirdness with the killer character but certainly not what happened! A very good read.
Next, I read Life Expectancy by Dean Koontz. He is another favorite of mine because of the frequent twists and turns he takes and because of his wacky humor. This was an absolutely amazing story of two families intertwined together in a series of predictions made by a dying grandfather. Well, it was really hard to keep up with all the twists in the book but I was determined to do it because it was so good. I spent a lot of time laughing. This is a great book for someone to read who is always waiting for the other shoe to drop...that is, someone who wonders what bad thing is around the corner even when things are going well. It's a good book to read if you've got a family member with an illness and you're just not sure what's going to happen or when. I've read a review that says it's a good book to read to teach you how to cope with unexpected tragic events like 9/11--well, I don't know about that. All I know is, it's a great book. Read it!
Lastly, I read Dr. Death by Jonathan Kellerman. I'm not all that fond of the Dr. Alex Delaware character but I have several of these group of books through Paperback Swap. I'm going to read them and then pass them along. They've been just so-so, not so terrible I'm going to put it down but not so great that they'll be stories to remember. In this one, the mystery surround the murder of a doctor who's been notorious for "euthanizing" his patients--kind of a fictional Kevorkian. It turns out an obscure, never seen serial killer is the culprit and I just sort of shrugged. So it goes.
Two out of three ain't bad.
August 21, 2006
Garden State Museum
What a great place to take a kid--actually, kids of all ages. TB, Heidi, Kristin and I took T to this museum yesterday and it was so much fun I think it would be well worth it to get a family membership and come back again and again!
August 15, 2006
Another Chaotic Month
There have been ups and downs all month, lots of stuff going on. Tomas and Linda are living with us, part time at first and now full time. Linda's got a job and so TB and I are watching our little T when she's away. We've been to lots of places and had lots of fun and probably the best I can do is post a couple of pictures and links to the pictures in our gallery:
We went to Adventure Aquarium again last week and had another wondeful time. I know TB's been longing to tour the Battleship New Jersey and so we got combo tickets. What an impressive ship! Pictures from that day are in this album:
Day Trip
Kristin got a pair of bunnies from her best friend. She and TB worked together on building a hutch for them and then she painted it so they'd have a nice home. She did a great job--got all paint spattered!
I've been uploading albums whenever I had some spare time and here are the links for the most recent ones:
Smithsonian Air & Space Museum">
July 10, 2006
Family Party
It's been a hectic couple of weeks! It's hard to believe it's been almost 2 weeks since Michele and David visited and left Brandon, Ryan and Taylor to visit with us. We started off with a party TB's mom held in honor of his brother Jon and bride Karen.
TB was the official photographer and here is a picture of the guests of honor:
Karen and Jon are pictured here with her son from a first marriage, Cody. Jon has two sons from a previous marriage, Kyle and Jonathan. This is the first time I met Jon and the first time he's been back in NJ in a long time.
Nikolas and Michele
David
Brandon & Ryan
"img src="http://www.twhgrafx.com/gallery2/main.php?g2_view=core.DownloadItem&g2_itemId=754&g2_serialNumber=2.jpg">
Taylor
Linda and Tomas
TB's brother Tim and wife, Ana
TB's nephew Tim with his new bride, Alicia
TB's neice Julie and her son Nicholai. He's a few weeks younger than our Little T.
Niece Heather, who just graduated from high school too
Our sister-in-law Kim and two daughters Amanda and Amber. Kim is married to TB's youngest brother, Jeff.
Amanda, Kim and Jeff
Billy and Tomas
Kristin enjoys posing for pictures
TB's one and only sis, Pam
Mike, Pam, Linda and Alex
Cousins Amber and Alex. Alex is Pam's son
TB's cousin Joan
Gram's cousin Curt and wife Carol
We all had a great time! Unfortunately, Heidi had to work and TB's brother Chris and family were unable to attend because of a previous commitment.
I have more pictures to post of all the fun and be sure to check out Nana & Pop-Pop's House for more pictures of the grandkiddies!
July 01, 2006
Hot Fun In The Summertime
Michele, David and the kids are somewhere in Pennsylvania and will be arriving either around midnight or sometime tomorrow morning, depending on if they stop somewhere for the night.
So it's going to be busy busy busy for the next several weeks and, it seems, hot hot hot! Hopefully the weather will cooperate, the money will last and we'll all have fun fun fun till vacation time is over.
I don't know when I'll get a chance to post again. Here's my thoughts as of this moment:
Sly & The Family Stone
Hot Fun In The Summertime
(Sylvester Stewart (aka Sly Stone))
[All:] End of the spring and here she comes back
Hi Hi Hi Hi there
Them summer days, those summer days
That's when I had most of my fun, back
high high high high there
Them summer days, those summer days
[Rose:] I "cloud nine" when I want to
[Freddie:] Out of school, yeah
[Larry:] County fair in the country sun
[Sly:] And everything, it's true, ooh yeah
[All:] Hot fun in the summertime x 4
[All:] First of the fall and then she goes back
Bye bye bye bye there
Them summer days, those summer days
[Rose:] "Boop-boop-ba-boop-boop" when I want to
[Freddie:] Out of school, yeah
[Larry:] County fair in the country sun
[Sly:] And everything, it's true, ooh yeah
[All:] Hot fun in the summertime x 4
June 21, 2006
Graduation Daze
Yesterday surely was a day to remember for us! We had two graduation ceremonies to attend with one daughter graduating high school and the other graduating junior high!
The highpoints: the pride in watching the girls graduate with honors and awards. Heidi wore a gold cord with her gown indicating her B-plus GPA. Kristin won just about every award given out at her ceremony. We are so proud of them both!
Everyone was so excited and happy and everyone looked "spiffy"!
The lowpoints:
Kristin's graduation was held at the community college gym and we all had to sit on bleachers for 3-4 hours, depending on what time we arrived. Why the gym and not a comfortable auditorium? There was a speaker from Ft. Dix who quoted extensively from some obscure colonel's memoirs about making a charge at the battle of Gettysburg--this at an 8th grade commencement?
We had passing showers all afternoon. The high school commencement was supposed to be held at the middle school football field--I don't get that at all if it was sunny. If it was raining, graduation would take place at the community college. At 4:30 the superintendent was supposed to make a decision and it was to be posted on the education channel--but it wasn't. Several of us weren't sure where we were supposed to go so we went first to the community college--and it wasn't there. Heidi was pretty upset at the chaos but I think it was a little better because her friends' families were going around in circles too. It wasn't just us. Anyway, we all made it to the middle school and not a drop of rain fell thankfully. Meanwhile, at home just 10 miles away the power went out in a storm. Go figure.
Here's our view of the field for Heidi's graduation. I am so glad that it ended up being outside! I don't think I could have endured any more sitting on the bleachers. TB and I brought our folding chairs (nice soft canvas), plenty of drinking water and his camera. We watched with the family of one of Heidi's closest friends throughout high school.
More pictures coming up!
June 15, 2006
8th Grade Formal
What a busy month! We have two kids graduating from schools this year: Heidi is a senior, graduating high school and Kristin is moving on up from junior high. The 8th grade class has a formal at the school last Friday and Kristin was escorted by one of her good friends, Ryan. Ryan's mother and TB must have snapped 2 dozen pictures before the kids were able to get away and enjoy the party!
I'm not sure what this was about, but she sure is expressive isn't she?
Ryan arrives with corsage...
After much papparazza-ing, they finally manage to get out the door, into the car and off they go to the dance. We went to pick Kristin up when the evening was over and everyone had had a wonderful time!
By the way, Linda fixed Kristin's hair, isn't it pretty?
June 02, 2006
Prom
Another event filled day! I picked Heidi up just before noon and took her to have her hair done for her prom. She didn't want an "updo" and decided she would have her hair cut a little in front and the curls ironed out. Well...Heidi's hair doesn't want to be straight! Still, she looked so pretty!
Click on the extended entry for more pictures!
Heidi's corsage
Getting ready for the prom, she endured having her picture taken. She doesn't like it but knew this was a special occasion and so she didn't complain! :)
Seven of the 12 kids going together posed for pictures. The other 5 were somewhere in the house, getting dressed or hiding from the parental photographers.
Check out the prom coach! The dozen friends split the cost of this luxurious limo.
My baby's off to enjoy her prom. Have a wonderful time, dear Heidi!
June 01, 2006
Awards Night
Kristin's school presented awards to the students this evening. In spite of the heat in the auditorium (why aren't un-air conditioned schools better ventilated???) we had a great time. Kristin got to sit with most of her friends--although she was going up to the stage more times than she was sitting! She got so many awards and pins we just about lost count. We are so proud of her! Some of the pictures from this evening:
It wasn't easy for TB to take pictures because we were sitting all the way in the back and the lighting in the auditorium was off. Kristin is hugging one of her favorite teachers who is retiring this year.
Kristin got awards for her participation in Model Congress, ROGATE, the student council, drama, honor roll, Teen Arts...and one that was a complete surprise but big honor was for most improved in band. She started learning the saxophone in September and did so well she was performing with the band within just a few months.
"For those of you who are going to rock on, we salute you!" I think that's what they said...
Afterwards, we got the friends together to pose for some pictures.
These are some of the best days of their lives! Rock on, kids!
May 30, 2006
We went to the Aquarium...
...and it was great, so much fun! It was just really really expensive! The original plan on Saturday was to take T to a local farm and do some strawberry picking but it got too hot quickly. My Plan B was a children's museum in Cherry Hill but since Kristin was with us, it ocurred to me we might all enjoy a trip to the aquarium. I think Tomas was a little nervous in the darker hallways but I must say he loved the shark tunnel!
He reached out several times as if he was going to try and touch the fish and sharks that swam by.
I think Kristin loved watching the sharks most of all as well.
TB's camera did a great job taking pictures! Here are some more:
Cool looking crab!
I don't know if this is clear enough to see, but this is a dragon fish--it looks like it could breathe fire and yet is so tiny!
I wasn't able to get up close and look at the octopus because there were a lot of pushy people there who didn't take much notice of a small child in a stroller, drat the inconsiderates. Well, TB's picture is pretty cool.
Here's one of the sharks that went right over our heads in the tunnel. Tomas' eyes were huge! I thought the tunnel might frighten him but I am so glad that he enjoyed it most of all.
Little T did not like the hippos, though. Or...maybe it was all the people trying to get in to snap a picture of it. I was pretty amazed at how gracefully it was swimming.
We stopped halfway through to get some lunch. TB took several cute pictures of Tomas' changing facial expressions. In this one, he seems to be saying, hey, what are you taking my picture for? I'm not a sea creature!
We sure had a great time!
April 22, 2006
Everyone Wants To Be In The Dog House
Our Buddy says it's not just the cat who wants to take over his modest little crate. This has been an on going issue since puppyhood.
They say that two is company...
...but this is ridiculous!
Hey! Three is definitely a crowd!
Buddy sez, I don't think my crate was made for teenagers, was it?
It's not for toddlers either, come on!
Ack! The ultimate indignity!
April 17, 2006
Spring Has Sprung
The weather has been so gorgeous around here lately! I can remember years where we just seemed to turn from winter to summer with no indication of spring inbetween. This year has been a blessing. We've had the windows open and put up with the very high pollen counts because it's been so beautiful, nice gentle breezes and sunny days. TB ordered some azaleas and some flowers and bushes so that we could begin making our front yard look pretty. We waited and waited for the plants to grow enough to be shipped and, finally, they arrived in the mail.
Neither one of us has a particularly green thumb but the company we ordered the flowers from sent a layout to help us. The plants were labelled with letters of the alphabet (as well as their real names) and we had a "map" of sorts to show us where to plant the flowers and bushes for the best effect.
Kristin was our volunteer heavy duty laborer. Even though TB had already rototilled the ground, there were so many rocks and roots under the earth! TB's main job was to jump on the shovel. Kristin would then use her little shovel to dig the dirt out and plant the flower, root or bush.
Sometimes she had to do her own chopping. The tree we had taken down had some long deep roots! We were very surprised that there didn't seem to be any worms!
She did find one that seemed to be encased in a block of dirt and roots. She's not particularly squeamish and wanted to set it free. Then Heidi came out and wanted to see.
Here is another daughter not afraid to handle slimy things.
I think I hear TB outside with the mulch. I had a job too--taking pictures. So I'm going out again with my camera!
April 03, 2006
Guitars
My guitar is about 35 years old. You wouldn't be able to tell it was that old if you looked at it. I've been very careful with it over the years. I used to rub it down with lemon oil to keep the wood shiny. I bought it with my own money (saved from babysitting and allowances) and I used to play it every day for hours and hours. As I got older, I played it a little less. When the kids came along, I stopped...there just wasn't time in the day. I wouldn't ever give it up or give it away even when my fingers and wrists began to ache with injuries and arthritis. I didn't care if I never played again, I love that guitar.
A few times in recent years, Heidi said she'd like to learn the guitar. I would say well, maybe I can teach you. She'd say yeah but that was about as far as it got. Not long ago, she spoke wistfully of having a guitar and I remembered how I felt when I had my guitar and was able to play it. Kristin began talking about wanting to play too. Originally, I thought I might give my guitar to Heidi but then I thought, hey, why not just get the beginning kit? You get an acoustic guitar and a few other basics. This way each girl could have her own.
It didn't quite work out that way. Those guitars aren't very big--I guess they are mostly meant for kids who want to learn. We went to the flea market not far from here and picked up two really nice acoustic guitars. My, how things have changed! There wasn't one guitar in the place with nylon strings. I hadn't seen any in the music store either. Doesn't anyone play with nylon strings anymore?
I used to tune my guitar with a pitch pipe. It's hard to describe it, a funny looking little thing with six little tubes, one to tune each string of the guitar. You blow into it and it makes a harmonica-like hmmmm sound. Then you tune the string as best you can to the sound you hear. I'd learned to tune the first string to a piano and then the others, by ear, to the 5th fret of the preceding string--except for the second one. You held down the 4th fret of the 3rd string to tune that one.
Okay, anyway, I asked the guy for a pitch pipe and he looked at me like I had six heads. I said, "You know, to tune it." Ohhh. He came up with a couple of battery operated digital (I guess) tuners. One has a suction cup that attaches to the guitar. The other one is much more sophisticated. It tunes any instrument once its calibrated. Well, I had a devil of a time trying to tune the girls' guitars with that thing. A mere fraction of a turn one way or the other and you'd have a sharp or a flat instead of a regular note. Argh! TB had to help out the first time around.
It sure brought back lots of memories. I played that guitar in all moods--whenever I felt lonely, sad or depressed and also whenever I was feeling really happy and everything in between. The songs I learned were mostly folk although there were some from the times--the early 1970s--like "Leavin On A Jet Plane" and "You've Got A Friend" and "Hey Jude".
I kept all my music over the years. Unlike the guitar, the pages of music show their age. The first song I learned to play was "He's Got The Whole World In His Hands" and so that was the one I taught the girls. It had just 2 easy chords in it and I figured it was a good place to start. But I also remember how cool it felt to play music I listened to so I went online and looked for some popular songs with easier chords and found a few.
If there's a downside it's how much my hands have aged in 35 years. I have good fingers for playing the guitar, long and slim. I could play bar chords and stretch my fingers over several frets. I could pick and pluck the other strings and it sounded great to me although I know I'm no Eric Clapton. It was fun to play for myself and for my friends and family and feel the joy of making music. Now my fingers are stiff and thick and clumsy. I can't string my guitar right and it's so frustrating. I need to unstring and do it again and probably will need to have someone's help getting it started. Once I get it strung, though, I think I'll be able to play and play and the "how to" memories will all come back. I forgot how much I loved it. :)
April 01, 2006
School Play
Last night, Kristin's school put on its performance of "The Music Man". TB and I were impressed with how good the production was. Everyone did a terrific job! I think he must have taken a couple hundred pictures. He was one of the few who listened and didn't use flash. It was ridiculous--after the principal said the flashes could distract the kids most of the parents ignored the request. Flashes went off all during the play.
Here are just a couple of the pictures TB took:
Kristin played one of the "Pick-a-little" ladies, the town gossips.
Pick a little, talk a little, cheep cheep cheep...
The dancing was awesome!
Everyone did a great job!
March 22, 2006
More Goofing Off
You know how people try to make a point of smiling when their pictures are being taken? Well, Kristin makes a point not to smile--at least not for the spring pictures. This tradition started the spring (or maybe the one after) Rich died and I thought it had to do with grieving. Maybe it does. Maybe not. We decided to ask Kristin and she says her friends think she photographs better grim faced. TB and I don't happen to agree but I'm not forcing the issue. TB did have a little fun with photoshop though.
Before:
After:
I thought his effort was adorable, especially adding the elfin ears. I thought Kristin would get a big kick out of it too so I asked TB to print a copy of the picture for her. She didn't like it though. My daughter, who is into Hellsing the Vampire Hunter and other similar genre, was creeped out by the elf ears and the smile. Or...it was probably being photoshopped that creeped her out.
National Goof Off Day
I'm glad that today is National Goof Off Day. This means a day where I can legitimately not do anything constructive and a day when I don't have to think about George Bush, Iraq, bird flu, Iran or any other disturbing news story.
Before I learned what day it was, I found myself very annoyed about the latest outrage in Florida, Debra Lafave travesty of justice. This is a woman who was a school teacher and took advantage of her position to have sex (more than once!) with one of her 14 year old students! If she was a man or even a woman who wasn't blonde and pretty and cute, she'd be sitting in jail now. Instead, she's not going to be doing any jail time because a prosecutor dropped the charges against her.
Long story...let me back up a bit. This woman had sex with the boy in more than one county in Florida. There was some plea bargaining and it was a ridiculous agreement--three years of house arrest. Well, the judge in one of the counties recognized it for the stupid decision it was and threw the agreement out. She was supposed to go to trial but then the prosecutor decided it would be too emotionally damaging for the boy to testify and dropped all charges. What? The whole case rested on the testimony of that poor kid when there was so much other evidence that could be presented? Like ... her confession, her conviction in the other county, another witness...grrrr!
To add insult to injury the woman claims she has bipolar disorder. I suppose if the case had gone to trial she would have used that as an excuse? She was in a manic episode and so engaged in risky behavior by having sex with the teenager? Like that would excuse it? Please. What was annoying to me was that such a defense would help to negatively portray people with bipolar disorder. There are lots of people with all sorts of emotional problems who do not commit statutory rape on a kid.
But...I remind myself it's National Goof Off Day. Participate in my trivia quiz of the day (link in the entry at the top of the page). Play computer games like Chuzzles or Tumblebugs.
Watch movies! Watch TV--there's a new episode of Lost tonight, yay!
There wasn't a new "Are You More" meme up yet, but Wednesday's Mind Hump is all about Goof Off Day!
1. What's your favorite way to goof off?
At the moment, it would be playing Chuzzles or Tumblebugs on my computer
2. How much goofing off do you do on an average day?
A couple at least
3. If you got paid to blog, how would you goof off and not do your job?
I would surf the computer, play computer games and go read other blogs!
March 20, 2006
New Daily Trivia Challenge
TB is working on setting up a daily question/poll I can have on my blog because he knows I love that kind of stuff. In the mean time, I created a daily challenge trivia quiz here! and wanted to invite everyone to play along and have fun! If I can figure out how to make a sticky, I can keep this little announcement at the top of the blog 
March 05, 2006
Which Lost Character Are You?
Sun |
63 % | ||
Hurley |
50 % | ||
Sawyer |
50 % | ||
Ana-Lucia |
38 % | ||
Dr, Jack Shepherd |
38 % | ||
Mr. Eko |
38 % | ||
Locke |
38 % | ||
Charlie |
25 % | ||
Shannon |
13 % | ||
Kate |
0 % |
You score as: Sun
You are just like Sun. Sometimes people get you down, but you endear yourself to them with your quiet, caring way. The small things you do, and the important things you say make a real difference to the people who matter
Which LOST character are you? Created at Quiz.ws
March 04, 2006
Peek-a-boo Baby
Our little T likes to have his picture taken and he is so photogenic!
What a smile!
Where's Tomas?
Peek-a-boo! Unfortunately, the camera wanted to focus on the clock!
A little kiss for Nana.
Tomas was tired this morning and so he and Linda stayed just past noon. We would have loved a longer visit but we want T to be comfortable with us and happy. We'll see him again soon!
sat-8 :: spring fever
1. have you gone on spring break before? if so, where, and if not, why?
The only two vacations I can remember during a spring break were during the kids' from school. One was day trips to Washington DC in the mid 1990s and the other was a trip to Orlando, Florida in 2002.
2. do you take a spring vacation?
Every day is a vacation for me now. ;)
3. if you had (or have) a spring vacation, what would be your first choice to do? skiing in vermont? a week in the keys?
I think I'd want to go back to Orlando and spend the week at the Epcot Center and Sea world.
4. in your home/apartment, do you do spring cleaning?
Not always
5. in your area, what is your weather generally like in mid-march?
It's hard to tell because the weather has been flipping back and forth. Today it's windy and chilly.
6. spring is my favourite season ... do you share my sentiment, prefer another season?
Fall is my favorite season
7. do you do anything differently in spring than you do any other time of the year? (plant flowers/garden, take off the snow tires, etc.)
Not really
8. what are your plans for this weekend?
We just had a nice visit with T. Tomorrow I'm taking Kristin shopping. Other than that, we're probably just chilling.
December 31, 2005
Happy New Year!
I found this poem on a card at Care2 and I just loved it so much I searched and searched until I found it at author Joyce Rupp's website:
A New Year BlessingI hope for you in this new year ...
That the single, most significant dimension of life is your relationship with the Source of Goodness who never ceases to sing love songs to your soul
That you find meaning, purpose, and vitality in what you do daily
That you treasure your loved ones and let them know how dear they are to you
That you make choices and decisions that reflect your truest self
That you look in the mirror at least once a day and smile in happy amazement
That you remember relationships are what count above all else - more than work or money, or all the material things we spend so much time tending
That you live in an uncluttered manner, enjoying the freedom to be content
That you keep your sense of humor when things don?t go the way you want
That you find adventure in each new day and marvel at the wonders of creation
which constantly present themselves to you
That you never give up on yourself when others turn away or do not understand
That you are attentive to the health of your body, mind and spirit
That you take risks and accept the growth-full challenges that come to you
That you draw on your inner strength and resiliency when you are in need
That you carry peace within yourself, allowing it to slip into the hearts of others
so our planet becomes a place where violence, division, and war are no more
? Joyce Rupp January 2004
December 25, 2005
Merry Christmas Day!
Everyone had a very merry time this morning, even Amber and Mouse!
Mouse sat and waited for her gifts to come to her...
while Amber wanted to be more "paws on"!
The best gift, of course, is that we have each other to love and to celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ. We enjoyed a Chinese dinner with Ted's mom and tomorrow we are on our way to Tennessee.
Merry Christmas, everyone! :)
November 15, 2005
New Jersey Needs A Slogan
I couldn't resist this story from my yahoo news page:
Get a Load of This! N.J. Seeks New Slogan By JOHN CURRAN, Associated Press Writer Mon Nov 14, 6:40 PM ET
Make us a slogan we can't refuse, the state of New Jersey said. We got your slogan right here, the people replied.A push to come up with a new slogan for the Garden State has become an excuse to crack New Jersey jokes. Among the not-so-serious entries:
"New Jersey: You Got a Problem With That?"
"NJ: How You Doin'?!"
And "Most of Our Elected Officials Have Not Been Indicted."
The search yielded nearly 6,200 possibilities in all, many of them attempts to sum up the land of Bruce Springsteen, "The Sopranos" and smelly interstates in one pithy phrase. The deadline for submissions was Monday.
"We're really pleased with the response and proud that New Jersey residents take so much pride in their state," said Kelley Heck, a spokeswoman for acting Gov. Richard J. Codey.
The program began last month after Codey rejected a consultant's recommendation ? "New Jersey: We'll Win You Over" ? as too negative. That slogan, developed as part of a $260,000 contract by global image consultants Lippincott Mercer, was shelved a day before it was to be unveiled.
Instead, the state opened the process to the public, establishing a Web site and telephone hot line to receive suggestions, which included the lyrical ("The Ocean, The Motion, The Magic") along with the satirical.
New Jersey, which once used "New Jersey and You: Perfect Together," has not had a new marketing slogan in four years. "Get Away, Without Going Far Away" has been used in the interim, but tourism officials say it does not resonate with out-of-staters.
"We have the opportunity to craft a new message for our tourist literature to reflect the pride we have in our many parks, open spaces, farmlands, quaint villages, boardwalks and beaches and our exciting cities," Codey implored would-be slogan writers on the Web site.
The governor and the state Commerce, Economic Growth and Tourism Commission will "pare down the suggestions and go from there," said Karen Wolfe, a commission spokeswoman.
The state's musical legacy ? Frank Sinatra called New Jersey home, Springsteen still does ? led one person to suggest "From Ol' Blue Eyes to the Boss: Jersey Is Singing Your Song." Another entry: "Born to Fun."
Others found New Jersey's reputation for mobsters, toxic waste sites and lowbrow taste fair game. "Bada Bing! Choose New Jersey" was one suggestion.
The campaign was run by the state, but newspaper columnists, talk radio and "Saturday Night Live" got into the spirit, too.
"New Jersey: It Always Smells Like This," one Philadelphia Inquirer reader suggested. "New Jersey: Come Glow With Us," another said.
Codey and his staff will evaluate the slogan proposals and within two weeks pick five or 10 that will be put to a public vote, perhaps in the same way the suggestions were collected.
The governor, who is filling an unexpired term, expects to announce the new slogan by the time he leaves office in January, Heck said.
With the way I feel lately about government, our officials, politics and legal matters in general, my own person favorite is the one that brags none of our elected officials have been indicted. I would just add "yet".
Ten Favorite Movie Characters
Some of these are oldies:
1. Elwood P. Dowd from Harvey
2. Teddy Brewster from Arsenic and Old Lace
3. Forrest Gump from Forrest Gump
4. Indiana Jones from the series of movies
5. Norma Rae from Norma Rae
6. Scarlett O'Hara from Gone With the Wind
7. Rooster Cogburn from True Grit
8. Evelyn Couch from Fried Green Tomatoes
9. Daisy Werthan from Driving Miss Daisy
10. Tie: Brewster sisters from Arsenic and Old Lace
There's many many more but the meme asked for just 10
October 31, 2005
Happy Halloween!
Kristin and Heidi in costume:
Heidi as Jackie the Ripper
Krispin the rock star...looks like Alice Cooper, doesn't she?
Obviously, these pictures were taken over the weekend or earlier in the week. Both girls went to parties with their friends and had a great time. Tonight, Heidi's handing out candy and Kristin's going trick-or-treating with her "gang"
-- they are going as a rock band!
Happy Howl-o-ween!
October 22, 2005
Which Serenity Character Are You?
 | You scored as Simon Tam. The Doctor. You have a gift for healing that goes beyond education. You took an oath to do no harm, even when your patients have tried to kill you. You are out of place where you are, being used to refined society. However, if you take that stick out of your arse you should be fine.
Which Serenity character are you? created with QuizFarm.com |
October 16, 2005
What a weekend...
...and now it's almost over! TB and I picked Billy up from the Greyhound station late Friday night. He came down to participate in a karate tournament in Bushkill, PA. We drove him there on Saturday (about 3 hours one way) and met Fred and Alberta for lunch. We stayed together all afternoon, watching the competition and enjoying ourselves. We didn't get back until late. Today we just basically sat around and chilled. It was so beautiful today--the rain finally stopped! A couple of hours ago, we took Billy back to the Greyhound station. What a fast weekend! Well, he'll be back for Thanksgiving.
Pictures from Saturday:
Billy represented Star Karate.
Billy competed in "forms" which was individual moves. Each participant had to introduce himself to the judges, say which school he/she was from and what they were about to do.
This was right after Billy's performance. I didn't want to take pictures during because I didn't want to startle or distract him with the flash.
Here he is about to begin a sparring match.
We're proud of Billy for his dedication and performance! :)
- On the verge:: of a great discovery
- Tempestuous:: stormy
- Coherent:: clear
- Near death:: experience
- Illiterate:: literate
- Why not?:: Because
- Period:: End
- Long lost:: love
- Torrid:: hot
- Nail:: hammer
September 25, 2005
How Is Your Inner Child?
| Your Inner Child Is Surprised |
 Meaning, you're rarely cynical or jaded. You cherish all of the details in life. Easily fascinated, you enjoy experiencing new things. |
