tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21755585792454893872024-02-06T23:49:29.996-05:00What Was I Thinking?How Life Happens While We're Making Other Plans...Donnahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01013376686591317365noreply@blogger.comBlogger222125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2175558579245489387.post-74373799594531386092019-03-25T11:35:00.000-04:002019-03-25T11:35:21.949-04:00I'm repeating myself...It's been a long, long time. My last post was last year at this time. I've decided to pretty much stop blogging here. We live a pretty quiet, uneventful life and now that our daughter has graduated and moved on to start her new life I don't feel the need to put myself or my family out there. So if you are one of the very few who have read my blog and keep checking back, I'll say good bye for now (nothing is ever over in cyberspace) but who knows, maybe I'll visit again. I understand my high school class is planning an ''at sea" reunion for our 50th - WOW! So maybe that will be a good starting off point. So, everyone out there, stay healthy, be happy and be kind to one another (thank you Ellen!)<br />
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<br />Donnahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01013376686591317365noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2175558579245489387.post-84556540720622777092018-03-12T12:14:00.002-04:002018-03-12T12:14:37.201-04:00Back to Basics - Scrapbooking!I have a great group of scrapbooking friends. We've know each other for close to 20 years, yikes! For the most part we met, one way or another, through a store in the Rochester area called Scrapbook Creations. The store is sadly gone but the friendships live on. Long story short, most of us first met while attending a weekend scrapbooking retreat sponsored by the store. Over the years our little group split from the main group, met independently, and have continued to do so for the last 15+ years. This past weekend was one of our gatherings and, I sadly had to miss it. I work almost every weekend along with Thursdays and I would have had to have taken off two weeks in a row because I had eye surgery the week before. I didn't want to do that to my boss and fellow co-workers who would have had to cover for me.<br />
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One of my scrappy-scrapertons (don't ask, we have so many goofy names for ourselves, many not printable on-line!) made a very serious, extremely selfless donation to a little girl miles away who needed a new kidney. Wow! you hear of these stories but this is the first time someone I know has been on either end of this type of kindness to others. Anyway, Amy, my friend, asked if we would help create a Disney album because little Miss Hazel was going to Disney World! Bummed that I couldn't go on my retreat and knowing I had leftover Disney stash, I put together a few pages. I still think I have a few more in me before I mail these out to Amy but here is my creative work for the week.<br />
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These are 8x8 pages so don't freak thinking they have to have huge pictures. I think I may have a few photos left over from my own visit to Disney last year. Maybe there will be some 12x12 pages in my future, after I finish my kits for class, the travel album I need to create, birthday cards for my sister-in-law and nephew, and Easter card for Lex...maybe!Donnahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01013376686591317365noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2175558579245489387.post-13727781091155898432018-02-05T13:47:00.000-05:002018-02-05T13:47:58.717-05:00It's been a Long.....TimeI feel like bad blogger, bad blogger. I just haven't been in the mood to write or post on the blog since we lost our sweet Abigail. I've also become a lot more cautious about writing personal stuff period. The social media world is so vicious and I'm not crazy about it's being a tool or more accurately a weapon for others no mater how innocent I think my posts may be. I'm also more protective of my family and friends. So, if I don't write about me and what I'm doing or what my family and friends are doing, what do I write about? See my dilemma? I'm thinking I need to go back to my creative hobby and post what I create. My only problem is that I've been terribly bad at being totally original in my creativity. I'm a great scrap/card/idea lifter. Not a stealer! I always, always, give credit for my inspiration to the originator and I do not sell my creations. So maybe I'll go that route.<br />
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My daughter (who HATES when I write about her) is doing a semester abroad. Her birthday is coming up so I had to quickie make something to send her. You may know I'm not quick under any circumstances and this is no exception. The good news is the card is in the mail, the bad news is she won't get it on time, the better news is she we will be away from her home base on her birthday so it won't matter! She'll get it when she comes back! Valentine's Day - forget about it! No way will a card arrive on time! Unless, maybe, I get it in the mail today or tomorrow...<br />
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Anyway, here is the card I did for her, kudos to Lawn Fawn (their die box) and My Favorite Things and Pinterest for stamps and coloring combo.<br />
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We'll see what else may come down the pike, but for now at least I feel better I posted something for 2018!</div>
<br />Donnahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01013376686591317365noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2175558579245489387.post-41204113674916343312017-06-12T10:02:00.000-04:002017-09-25T00:53:04.359-04:00AbigailWe had to make the painful decision to put our cocker spaniel, Abigail, to sleep last week. She had endured too much and her future was in serious doubt. We couldn't, in all good conscience, let her suffer anymore.<br />
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I'm kicking myself because I can't find a picture I had of her as a puppy. It was taken within a few days of when we brought her home. She was adorable! A classic cocker spaniel. Abby was our second cocker. When Norm and I lived in Keuka Park we had our first cocker, Kasey. He was our dog and not too crazy about anyone else! He was a black cocker and I only have a few pictures of him and none that are digital. He was happy being an only child and wasn't too crazy about us going away for two weeks, leaving him with family and friends and then coming back bearing Alexa! They had a typical sibling relationship. Kasey would try and steal food off Lex's plate and she would in turn bop him on the nose!<br />
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When we moved to Buffalo we thought we would get another dog. We went to the local Buffalo AKC show and looked at many different breeds but came back to the cocker spaniel. We found a breeder up in Wilson and got on the waiting list for one of her dog's puppies. We were sent photos of the litter when they were around two weeks old and I picked out the one I liked and sent the photos on to Norm for his opinion and we agreed, Alexa - not so much...She liked another puppy in the litter but we chose Abigail. We didn't even change her name. The breeder had named her puppies and we thought the name fit perfectly. I have a picture somewhere, but again I'm kicking myself because I can't find it, argh!!<br />
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Abby was a human's dog, not a dog's dog. She loved her humans! All equally, but differently. Here she is with my mother-in-law, Joyce. Joyce loved Abby. She's been especially hard hit by her loss. I was skeptical about getting a dog with Joyce living with us but these two hit it off. Abby was a wonderful companion for Joyce when no one was home. She would sit next to Joyce up in her room and look up at her with her soulful eyes which Joyce interpreted as her saying, "I love you Grandma, I'll keep you company."</div>
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Abby and Alexa had a bit of a sibling relationship. Lex would get exasperated with Abby at times but every year we had to have a photo session with antler ears under the Christmas tree - whether Abby liked it or nor!</div>
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Most of all Abby loved Norm. She was content to stay with me or Joyce during the day but when Norm came home from work, that's where she wanted to be.</div>
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This is my favorite photo of the two of them together. Norm was the dog walker and by that I mean Norm loves to walk. He'd take Abby with him and they would walk for miles! Abby was always up for it especially if it meant she'd get to chase a squirrel or a deer or a rabbit - once a turkey. Luckily she never caught anything or any of the rabbits that live around our back yard.</div>
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Abby would hang with Alexa when she came home from school and parked herself on the recliner with Lex the day she got her wisdom teeth removed. (Lex, forgive me the photo). </div>
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She would also be on the look out for the bus when Alexa was younger and took the bus to school. Later Abby is watching from the window as Lex is taking her driving lessons.</div>
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She had her share of injuries and ailments - this is the famous bot fly infection aftermath. I have to go through more photos and see if I can create more scrapbook pages of her. I'm pretty sure I have a few already.</div>
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She also had a not so fun side. Human food could never be within reach. She would gobble up anything she could find! She got into Norm's stash of dark chocolate nonpareils a few years back with a trip to the emergency room and some serious treatment afterwards. Tissues, food wrappers were her favorites - all garbage cans, pails, containers had to be kept out of reach. She hated thunder as many dogs do but she also hated the sound of my guillotine paper cutter! If I was cutting paper for cards or scrapbook pages and she could hear that cutter blade drop, she would run for the hills, hiding behind anyone she could find!</div>
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Abby developed a spinal infection a month after she had had ACL surgery. We ended up taking her to the Orchard Park Veterinary Hospital but they couldn't manage her pain and recommended we take her to Veterinary Specialists in Rochester for more extensive testing to determine what was wrong. Both facilities were wonderful to Abby and to us. They treated Abby with deep care, compassion and expert knowledge and experience. However, her system had been through so much that it just could not rally. She was a fighter till the end. She gave us kisses and love until the end. She was our sweet, sweet girl and we miss her every day but are comforted in the knowledge she is no longer in pain or suffering. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGHs-U3YgPxYI7wMdMkjycIj8alSQRziMHtFXBNp85Iu9JVAx6hXpkRdUWyOoby6tbukjDjY4JO79ZcJhXL4csV3luF9fvZid64L2GN344j-21R50meo4zXi2epAQxVA3Sj8FyJEkc-_2T/s1600/IMG_5213.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGHs-U3YgPxYI7wMdMkjycIj8alSQRziMHtFXBNp85Iu9JVAx6hXpkRdUWyOoby6tbukjDjY4JO79ZcJhXL4csV3luF9fvZid64L2GN344j-21R50meo4zXi2epAQxVA3Sj8FyJEkc-_2T/s400/IMG_5213.JPG" width="300" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9YYVbUOGYpX5O29fyXGAcbkC5PJMv6YNzS6hZ5wn-T1liKw5jDrDfbc52VObHLZhDuvP2M508uev3s2duEOfPhzTYdinXoKbF3J78kDVW8G2LYo0OBN0qZdIHeEJCzT3bjvg-O_UFIpkH/s1600/IMG_5227.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9YYVbUOGYpX5O29fyXGAcbkC5PJMv6YNzS6hZ5wn-T1liKw5jDrDfbc52VObHLZhDuvP2M508uev3s2duEOfPhzTYdinXoKbF3J78kDVW8G2LYo0OBN0qZdIHeEJCzT3bjvg-O_UFIpkH/s400/IMG_5227.JPG" width="300" /></a></div>
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We love you Abigail. You will always be in our hearts.<br />
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Donnahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01013376686591317365noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2175558579245489387.post-83590750532939158522017-06-11T14:10:00.000-04:002017-06-11T14:34:58.037-04:00Bad Blogger, Bad, Bad, Bad...**THIS IS NOT MY LATEST POST! PLEASE SCROLL DOWN TO 'ABIGAIL' FOR MY LATEST POSTING**<br />
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I've been a very bad blogger, It's June and I haven't blogged since January. Technically, however, that's not entirely true. I have been doing my weekly store blogs for Buffalo Stamps and Stuff, but home, not so much, nothing really.<br />
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One of my mottos is 'Life is what happens while we are making other plans." and technically that's what has been my "life" for the past six months. Nothing hugely going on except for my daughter's last six months of high school - HUGE, I know, but...I have had other things going on and frankly I've been a bit overwhelmed by everything, certain family issues and health issue particularly. If you know me, you might get that I don't want to talk about them here, I don't want to talk about them anywhere, really, especially if I can't make a funny, joke, or just laugh about it all. So there it is. Enough said.<br />
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Instead I'm going to share a few photos of the last six months for your viewing enjoyment and shameless proud parent promotion...<br />
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January 2015</div>
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This may not look bad at first glance but Abigail is standing on top of snow that's frozen hard enough for her not to sink. Norm had to go out and shovel a path for her to walk out on because the snow was too high for her.</div>
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February 2015</div>
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Alexa's 18th birthday dinner. I am done with birthday parties, yeah! Russell's eh, not impressed...</div>
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February in NYC, Brrrrrrr! It was frigid! Alexa and I went to visit NYU. She ended up being wait listed. I got to go to the Ink Pad and to the 9/11 Museum. Alexa got to shop...</div>
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To be very honest, I will never set foot in this place again. It is hallowed ground. It is incredibly moving and powerful and it was too upsetting for me. That's not to say it wasn't worthwhile, it totally was and should be visited by every American. Even though I did not personally know someone who lost their life that day, I'm a born and bred New Yorker, and a downstater even though I've spent almost more of my life outside of the metro area. I am close to people who did lose loved ones and acquaintances. My sister-in-law's cousin is a NYC fireman and by the grace of God was off duty that day and couldn't get into the city. If you go to NYC it must be on your Must Do list and you must take your children so that they see and understand. </div>
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As you go higher in Macy's in Herald Square they haven't replaced the original escalators they are still made of wood!</div>
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Alexa before the last winter/spring dance. </div>
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March 2015</div>
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Norm's birthday at the Chocolate Bar, Alexa's choice, of course and this is my drink, a chocolate martini. Dad wouldn't go that far!</div>
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March Retreat! Go my Scrappin Sistas!</div>
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April 2015</div>
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Alexa and I took one last trip to Boston in April. Our story was we were going to confirm Alexa's choice for college. Alexa was going to find a prom dress...the Ultimate in Peabody, MA. This place was your typical dress store - ON STEROIDS!! What you can see here is only a fraction of the selection. </div>
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We spent a day at Boston University and then met up her friend Renuka and her dad at Northeastern. Alexa was accepted at both and both put on quite a presentation to get you to say yes to their school. </div>
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I lobbied for the Duck Boat Tour!</div>
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That's the Boston City Jail in the background...</div>
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Sailboats on the Charles with our original nightlight, the Pru rising from the Back Bay. </div>
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May 2015</div>
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But in the end her choice was...</div>
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June 2015</div>
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Here we are, June. The first big event is behind us PROM! It was not without teenage drama. </div>
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The Big Reveal!</div>
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Alexa and her date Simon. </div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue light" , , "helvetica" , "arial" , sans-serif;">Some fun photos - the Cornell Crew </span></div>
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Lex and Laryssa</div>
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Selfie Stick time</div>
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The Charlie's Angel shot</div>
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It was like sending them off to kindergarten the first day! All the parents watching and waving as our kids got on the bus! Then we went inside had a drink or two, nibbled the food they left behind and talked about our kids and college!</div>
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Now for the summer! Alexa needs a job and I need a vacation...preferably on another planet.</div>
Donnahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01013376686591317365noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2175558579245489387.post-65817511878066241952017-06-11T14:01:00.000-04:002017-06-11T14:01:06.453-04:00Latest ChallengeThere are decided advantages to having a child early in life and the same can be said for having a child later in life. When you are younger you have more energy, you are physically more limber, able to connect to your child when playing and as they grow older it's easier to keep up, physically. There are tons of other things but frankly, I don't have the patience to list them all.<br />
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This brings me to the advantages of having children later in life. You are more experienced, you are more established in your career, hopefully you are more financially prepared for kids, you've learned the art of patience. If you are like me however, that doesn't mean you actually have more patience...<br />
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As many know I have whip smart, beautiful, demanding, self assured know-it-all daughter.<br />
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I say this with love when I'm not beating my head against the wall.<br />
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My daughter has started the college application process. <span style="font-family: "helvetica neue light" , , "helvetica" , "arial" , sans-serif;">I'm the lucky? one who gets to fill out all her financial aid/parent info/anything else portion of her college applications. Folks, I'm pulling my hair out, even the gray ones that have turned gray over night. </span><br />
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The number of schools she wants to apply to changes every day. The most current list from her contains 11 schools, at least two of which I don't think she really has any interest in but she considers them 'Safe' schools that she is fairly certain she can get in with no problem, but I digress.<br />
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Mom gets to fill out the CSS profile, the FAFSA form, the TAP form and I'm sure several others that I don't know of yet. The acronyms floating around are on par with NASA or the military - 529b, the already mentioned CSS, FAFSA, TAP, plus PEL not to mention the resources I need to have on hand, W-2, 1040, TIAA-CREF, and more! I know what you're saying - yes, I went to college, yes, my husband when to not only undergraduate but two graduate schools! I worked at a college or two in my time, my husband is a VP at a college! BUT, but! here's the thing. We worked in the academic end of things, NOT the admissions, financial aid, student affairs, etc.<br />
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We won't go into how clueless I am about all the terminology used, i.e. my taxes! Hey, I pay someone to do them because I go into a cold sweat and vapor brain whenever someone starts talking figures, dollars, exempt, untaxable, taxable, deferred, income, benefits, investment - you get the idea, to me.<br />
So here is my life right now, at least until February 15 - the latest any and all of this stuff can be submitted is all about the money! So here my desk. I don't expect to see the surface until spring...</div>
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Donnahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01013376686591317365noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2175558579245489387.post-74281275878369560942017-03-25T12:11:00.000-04:002018-02-05T13:52:28.857-05:00Eating with bigger fishes!Last chapter of our Florida Reunion saga. We were scheduled to leave Florida on Sunday night. Unfortunately (or not), Mother Nature intervened and our flight was cancelled due to bad weather. Can you say tornados? Long story short, Alexa worked her phone, got us a nice room at Embassy Suites while I rebooked our flight for Monday night, 10pm, the last flight available the next day. That was all the good news. The bad news was that they lost my luggage. We finally got to the hotel around midnight. The room was great, breakfast was very nice - made to order omelets but we were faced with what to do for the whole day while we waited for our flight. We had to check out of the hotel by 12:00 but we knew they would hold our bags for us.<br />
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One of the features of our Discovery Cove visit was that it came with FREE admission to Sea World and Sea World's water park for 14 days from our initial DC visit. So we went for it. We had done Disney, Discovery Cove, Universal and we were going to finish with the last big park attraction in Orlando, Sea World!<br />
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We'd used up all our free or discounted Uber sign-ups so Alexa loaded Lyft onto my phone and we took advantage of their sign-up discounts and away we went! The weather was a little chillier than the days before and it was very windy. We made our way directly to the first roller coaster Alexa could find - The Manta...As the winds were kicking up we were the last group to ride the coaster before they closed all the park's coasters down, whew! Saved my butt, seriously! Now don't get me wrong, I love roller coasters but my body not so much. This is very distressing to me. Barb has had issues with coasters for a while now. I have other friends of the same age who also say they can't handle coasters anymore and I'm thinking - wimps! But to be honest, when Lex and I hit Space Mountain our first day I can honestly say I didn't remember being buffeted about as much and my head and neck hurting as it did this time. I had the same reaction on several of the more strenuous and extreme rides we road this time around. So I was very glad I only had one coaster this day especially since the other big coaster, Mako - scared the sh*t out of me to look at! Even more, the Manta had you strapped in head to foot and then lifted you up so that you were hanging from the top, parallel to the ground before it took off!<br />
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Rides off my mind, we hit all the other animal attractions including the Shamu theatre and show. I love these beautiful, graceful animals and while they are being "held in captivity" I truly believe they are cared for and not exploited as some animal activists would have us believe. I worry about how our species careless disregard for the other species that inhabit this planet as we invade and destroy their habitats and decimate their populations. Sea World and other organizations do their best to preserve the species and educate us as to the wonders of these majestic creatures.<br />
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We also saw flamingos - I love flamingos!<br />
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We were in time for sea lion feeding!<br />
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Then we had dinner with the orcas! In one of the smaller pools adjacent to the large theatre pool they had a dining area with a buffet and you could have dinner while sitting not six feet from the edge of the pool, separated by a plexiglass window. We watched the orcas as they were playing with large 'toys', a plastic drum with holes in it that would push in the water and toss.<br />
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After we ate the trainers came out and we got a front row feeding and educational session with the orcas with a few tricks in too. These photos were taken by just leaning over the plexiglass. We were very close and it was so cool!<br />
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At the end of our day we used Lyft to get us back to our hotel, collected our luggage and headed back to the airport. We were home just after midnight and up and away the next morning by 10 to get Alexa back to school for classes. We had a wonderful time and even though we thought we'd only get a chance to visit one of the parks besides our scheduled visit to Discovery Cove, we managed to hit three Disney parks and close it down, a full day at Universal, a wonderful relaxing day at Discovery Cove and dinner with Shamu at Sea World - couldn't have done it better if we planned it. The best part of the whole trip was having Alexa meet my old high school friends and spending time with Barbara. That was just priceless. It was a great, great trip!Donnahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01013376686591317365noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2175558579245489387.post-30396548728808681622017-03-14T12:06:00.000-04:002017-03-14T12:06:05.974-04:00Swimming with Fishes...<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Remind you of Gilligan's Island? Welcome to Discovery Cove. We had a wonderful day at this great nature theme park. There are no rides, no characters jumping around in costume, no repetitive music playing in your head all day long. Just soothing, calming water and nature.<br />
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As I mentioned in my prior post, Alexa had swimming with dolphins on her bucket list. She did her research and found Discovery Cove. Operated by SeaWorld and just across the street from the main park. Discovery Cove offers a unique experience for it's visitors. The price for the day was all-inclusive. We got our breakfast, lunch, snacks and drinks along with our snorkeling equipment, lockers, wet suits and life vests as part of our cost. I will not lie, it's not cheap, but it was so worth it!<br />
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We arrived at 8:30, signed in and had our photo badges and id's checked and created. Walked to where they were serving breakfast - very nice I might add and afterward we walked over to the dolphin lagoon.<br />
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We had a check in and met our trainer who gave us some basic instructions, told us what to expect, checked that we would all be OK with being in the water and then we walked into the lagoon.<br />
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We met our dolphin, Aries and spent some time learning about his anatomy, how to touch him and doing some basic commands. Then we got to swim out, in groups of one or two about 20 yds. from where we were standing to another trainer and one by one we got to ride a dolphin into shore. Pictures were taken (mine were awful!) but Alexa was one happy girl! I'm adding a link to a blog post (where I found this map) about a family that had a similar experience. The photos on this blog illustrate our experience very well and will give you a good idea what to expect of Discovery Cove.<br />
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http://www.comebackmomma.com/family-travel-review-discovery-cove-orlando/<br />
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After the dolphins, we went to the Grand Reef. I have to say, this was great! I really enjoyed myself snorkeling and wish I had stayed there longer. The giant manta rays at my feet really freaked me out though, I have to say. It was like swimming with the fishes in 'Tanked' the show about the fish tank builders in Las Vegas. I could have sworn I saw fish that I see on that show.<br />
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We walked over to the aviary - great fun, informative and what beautiful birds!<br />
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There were trainers everywhere and they gave us not only tips on feeding the birds but what we were feeding them and why.<br />
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We finished our day - after a very nice lunch, on the Wind Away River. It's like a lazy river, current always moving you but it's attached to several small beaches, one large beach with a grotto with waterfalls and several waterfalls along the route. You can use a noodle (wuss girl, me did) or you could just swim along. There were several areas where the bottom would drop to 8 ft. and others where you could easily stand. We loved it so much we went around twice and ended up late getting back for our reunion launch!<br />
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I would go back there in a NY minute! I hope to be able to take Norm and visit. It's the one park I think he would really like.<br />
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Next up, my last vacay post about our last (or so we thought) theme park and our trip back.<br />
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Donnahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01013376686591317365noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2175558579245489387.post-46288093267888546332017-02-13T11:36:00.000-05:002017-02-13T11:36:27.158-05:00Florida, Part Deux or How I'm getting old!OK, so the reason I went to Florida was for my high school unofficial reunion. The reason Alexa went is because:<br />
1. She's a great student, daughter and I really wanted her to meet my friends.<br />
2. I'm a mother who can't say no...<br />
3. She whined, "I want to go to Florida too!"<br />
Just guess which one, I dare you...<br />
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As soon as I 'caved' and said yes, Alexa's minions started researching. Alexa has a bucket list - I'm 60+ and I don't have a real bucket list. On this list is swimming with dolphins. So Alexa did her due diligence and found out that SeaWorld has a sister park called Discovery Cove. It's right across the street from SeaWorld and it has a 'dolphin experience' package. Long story short, Barb was onboard with the idea, we booked reservations (a must, especially if you are looking to do the dolphin experience), booked our air trip allowing for an extra day incase the weather in NY or NH delayed our arrival and we were off!<br />
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This plan gave us an extra day in Orlando before Discovery Cove and before the reunion. Theme parks here we come! After of months of negotiation, consultation and gnashing of teeth, we agreed on Disney's Magic Kingdom. Before we left we didn't think two old broads and a soon to be twenty something could manage more than one park in a day. There's the physical strain (Barbara has a bad ankle from a nasty break a number of years ago), Alexa wanted to see everything, and I did not want to go on the Tower of Terror - no, no No, NO!<br />
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So what did we do on our lazy, relaxing day at Disney? MAGIC KINGDOM, HOLLYWOOD STUDIOS AND EPCOT! We closed the park down! Last monorail to the transportation center, last tram to our parking lot - last car in our parking lot! It's all because of Alexa's mad iPhone app skills, a motorized cart and a mom who can't say no. Here are some photos.*<br />
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First things first, Mini Ears! We spent the first half hour, easily, searching for Minnie Ears (hint: they were everywhere! But we needed the right pair)</div>
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* I don't have a lot of photos - however, we stopped every 30 seconds to take photos - Alexa had to have a selfie of EVERYTHING! Needless to say, the photos are all on her camera! We also had park photographers take pictures of us, her EVERYWHERE! Again, stored on her ticket so I got nothing!<br />
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Tower of Terror - the ride I was not, not, NOT going on...I went on it, under duress, under extreme protest, with my eyes closed, tightly!<br />
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OK, here's where the 'old' comes in. Neither Lex or I had ever been on the Aerosmith,Rockin Roller Coaster ride. I was really looking forward to it. I discovered on our first ride, Space Mountain (one of my all time faves) that my head and neck were really getting buffeted around. Same with this ride. I was uncomfortable - what's up with that! I admit that there are some rides I just look at and I don't want to get on (more of that a little later), but rides I like aren't fun anymore?!? I'm seriously bummed!<br />
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<br />Donnahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01013376686591317365noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2175558579245489387.post-23124622126589727092017-02-07T13:09:00.002-05:002017-02-07T13:09:55.521-05:0045 and Counting2016 marked the 45 anniversary of my high school graduation. If college was all about my husband, high school was all about my friends. They were and are a great group. Facebook has been a wonderful thing in that I've been able to reconnect with many of these people that I've lost contact with. Using Facebook we were able to communicate and arrange an informal reunion in Orlando Florida. So I thought I'd share a few photos.<br />
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First night in Orlando we met my BFF, Barbara and went to Disney Springs for dinner at the House of Blues<br />
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Rock On!! Barb and I at the Rockin' Roller Coaster at Disney Hollywood Studios.<br />
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Some of the 'old' gang - myself, Sandy Bernstein, Frank Fish, Barbara O'Dea and Sandy Butterworth.<br />
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We had an old fashioned 'Sandy's Pool Party!" on Saturday although we were so busy talking no one went in the pool!<br />
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Steve Anderson and Dave Scherer. Dave was the driving force behind the reunion and he and his wonderful wife, Sandy (yes, another Sandy) made all the arrangements. What a great couple and they did a marvelous job of hosting us all.<br />
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Dave had a friend who was opening a bar the Saturday night of get-together so we all went over for a drink or two. (Sandy, Barbara, Frank, Steven and Dave)<br />
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Comparing notes! Barbara, Steven, Dave and Sandy (Dave's wife)<br />
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We had a wonderful, wonderful time and Sandy Bernstein, our fearless leader in high school, had a great idea - for our 50th - CRUISE! All aboard! I'll have another post soon about our 'side' visit with Alexa and some serious park hopping!<br />
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<br />Donnahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01013376686591317365noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2175558579245489387.post-33536440162653694102016-08-22T11:51:00.001-04:002016-08-22T11:51:33.857-04:00It's a New Year! Kinda...The calendar starts in January and goes to December, right? If you are like me, you have several different calendars whirling around in your head besides the classic January to December one. For most of my life my main calendar begins in September. Even before Alexa, calendars in our house begin in September as we have been an academically based household since college. It's a good thing and it has it's drawbacks.<br />
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GOOD - we have off the same holidays our daughter has off.<br />
BAD - it's much harder to take a holiday or vacation any time of the year that does not revolve around a school schedule. So taking a trip after everyone goes back to school - not so easy.<br />
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GOOD - 2+ month Summer Vacay!<br />
BAD - my DH works year round...<br />
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So you see, it's good and it's not so good!<br />
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We did do a lot (for us) traveling this summer. It was our 40th wedding anniversary this summer - no clue how that happened! With a kid in college we've been trying to keep expenses down so that trip to Hawaii or Europe was nixed pretty early. We talked about going to Canada for a day...no offense, but we could do better than that, so we decided to go to a Yankee game (what else, duh!!) in CHICAGO!!!<br />
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Norm has been to Chicago several times but I have never been so we checked the schedule, found out they were playing the White Sox a week or so after our official wedding date and decided to make the trip. We had a great time and managed to sneak in a second game across town with the Cubs at Wrigley Field.<br />
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Getting to and from the games was so easy. We took the El to both. Nice to know NYC subways don't have the corner on crowded subways!<br />
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I'm awful with names - getting worse as I get older...I keep wanting to call this Cominsky Field even though I know it's not. U.S. Cellular? How about where the White Sox play?! While we were waiting to get in I helped a cameraman from the YES Network do a color check on his camera. Didn't help get us any perks, but I saw that YES logo and had to help out!<br />
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We had the BEST hotdog at this park! Smothered with sautéed onions and a little sauerkraut, it was the best hotdog I've ever had at a ball park.</div>
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Funny story - a few posts back I talked about our trip to Toronto to see the Yankees and how my brother saw us on TV - completely taking us by surprise. In Chicago we had similar tickets and of course, I looked to see where the cameras were and thought, no - he can't see us, we're not in the line of camera - WRONG! I get a ping on my phone an it's my brother complaining I'm not wearing Yankee swag...! Of course I protest, texting back to him, and he comes back telling me what Norm is wearing along with the guy sitting on the other side of him!</div>
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Then I posted on Facebook, as I usually do, and I get question from a friend asking what the Cubs score is - I'm not at the Cubs game...but I find out they are in town also, making up a game or two that got postponed. I get on StubHub and find out the Cubs are in town and buy tickets for the game the night after next! This one I KNOW my brother won't see us at because we are in the rafters of Wrigley Field -- in the rain!</div>
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It poured! The game was held up for a good 40 minutes. We had to run through the downpour just to get into the park from the El and we couldn't see the iconic Wrigley Field sign that's behind home plate. We were about 12 rows from the top of the stadium - that was the good news because our seats were dry and we were protected by the overhang.<br />
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The game finally started but not before some idiot fell over the ivy covered outfield wall on to the warning track!<br />
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I walked around to the other side of the field and took this photo of the stands built on top of the buildings across the street from the ball park.<br />
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We did do other things than baseball while in Chicago. One of the funest things we just stumbled upon was a local Beatles tribute band called Kaleidoscope Eyes. They were at the base of the Hancock Tower and they played for about two hours. They were great! As you can see they were down in the lower level off the Michigan Ave entrance and we were up on the street level looking down. They were just fabulous and one of the surprise highlights of our trip. We went down and talked to them after their set to see if they were playing anywhere else while we were in town and unfortunately they were out of the city the rest of our visit. </div>
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We did go up into the Hancock Tower and took some great photos of the city. During our visit we walked along the waterfront, pictured directly below this photo, along the beach front and over by the park section opposite. You can also see the Navy Pier jutting out and we spent some time there also.</div>
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They have a 360 degree view and we walked all around.<br />
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Our hotel is the center one in this photo below with the rounded side and patch of green on top.<br />
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This is looking north along the lake.<br />
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I wanted to go to the Art Institute and it did not disappoint!</div>
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VanGogh<br />
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Norm taking a photo of the Seurat.<br />
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Monet's waterlilies!<br />
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Grant Wood's American Gothic<br />
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Georgia O'Keefe<br />
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We also saw 'The Bean' and met a very nice woman who gave us directions commenting on how when she was new to Chicago someone did the same for her.</div>
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We also HIGHLY recommend the Architectural River Tour. This was great! You tour down the Chicago river and get an informative and fun guide to the history of Chicago and the wonderful buildings and architecture of the city. We had a beautiful day to be on the water and the views were amazing!<br />
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Our guide even took our picture!<br />
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Remember the photo of the shoreline looking across to the Navy Pier? This is from that park edge looking back over to the city.<br />
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I said we did a lot of traveling, but I guess we didn't do that much, it just feels like it. Alexa did two trips with friends, one to NYC and another to Toronto.<br />
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Our other big excitement was my boss's daughter's wedding. Congratulations to Kaitlyn and Dave!<br />
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Lastly, Miss Priss is back at school and living in her sorority house. We brought her back to Cornell last week and helped her set up her room. She's a sorority sister now so she'll be someone's 'Big' come spring semester. She went back early to help with freshman orientation. We're hoping she has as successful a year this year as she did last.<br />
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That's it for our summer. I'm looking forward to the fall. I/we have a few little trips planned for the fall and January so that will give me something to write about. I'm also looking forward to cooler weather. I HATE the heat!! (and sound like a broken record saying/writing about it!) I hope you enjoyed my summer travelogue and I'll see you in October!</div>
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Donnahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01013376686591317365noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2175558579245489387.post-71895056335196536972016-05-02T11:28:00.001-04:002016-05-02T11:28:17.473-04:00Time Flies When You are Having Fun...or Not...Yeah, I know, only 5 months since my last post! If it's any consolation I do post every week on my store's blog - it's my job...<br />
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ANYWAY...How you all doing? Me, meh...That's it for my SOMU - State of Mind Update. On to what's been happening.<br />
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1. Daughter back to school - Oops! coming home for summer in two weeks! That time flying again. Lex had a busy, stressful and hopefully successful spring semester. She joined a sorority, came home at Easter and had all four wisdom teeth pulled and has secured an internship for the summer! Busy girl, busy life! I'm happy and hopeful her internship provides her some insight into what she would like to focus on, or not, in her academic career. It will also provide her with her first full time work experience. Welcome to the real world honey! Lastly, she's getting paid! Whoopee!!<br />
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Lex and her 'Big' along with the paddle Lex made for her.</div>
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2. Easter wasn't a fun time. I was sick but pulled it together to take a photo or two and go to brunch.<br />
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The next day Alexa had all four wisdom teeth pulled, poor baby!</div>
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3. Norm and I went to Toronto for a Yankee game and had Norm and Donna's wild ride!<br />
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<b>The Good</b>: Wahlburgers for dinner! Loved, loved, loved it! Great burger, better onion rings or straws if you will, sorry we don't have one here in Buffalo.<br />
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<b> The Bad</b>: While we had great seats, the Yankees lost...<br />
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<b>The Ugly</b>: On the way home we had a flat tire on the QEW - not fun...my phone wouldn't call AAA, we had to walk about a mile, in the dark, along deserted service roads...to a Ramada Inn and the wonderful, kind, helpful, night manager called AAA Canada for us and they came, picked us up at the hotel, drove us back to the car, checked and changed our tire (we couldn't even get the lug nuts off!) and was just wonderful to us. Thank you Canada! We drove home at 55 MPH and arrived back in Buffalo at 2am. The kicker was we had just had the car inspected the DAY before!<br />
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4. I made a class for the store...no one signed up :(<br />
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I made birthday cards for family, hoped the recipients liked them...<br />
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And I'm done! That's all for now, hopefully I'll post before the next five months go by!Donnahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01013376686591317365noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2175558579245489387.post-34252874846165924022016-01-05T11:04:00.000-05:002016-01-05T11:04:04.787-05:00Cha, cha, cha, Changes!...<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Out with the old and in with the new! Happy New Year everyone! I've decided to make some changes, starting with my blog! New Year, new format. Cleaner, simpler - hipper?!? Using hipper just dated me, not so new. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Anyway, I'm taking the new format for a test spin and see how I like it. I created my blog over 10 years ago and frankly forgot how I did it! So I just jumped in and started changing templates and backgrounds and color. It's looking like simple is better. Hubby and I have decided to simplify around the house too. We're going to start cleaning out drawers, closets and the basement --- OMG! the basement! Can I fit a bulldozer down the basement steps? or better yet, transporter technology or a shrink machine! That's the ticket! I'll try and post on our progress. Nothing significant will probably happen until Lex goes back to school, but we've already started with a few things.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Speaking of changes, here is a big one. We had dinner the other night with a group of parents and girls from FCC - Families with Children from China, our Rochester chapter. We aren't active anymore as Alexa is in college and we live a good distance away for regular get-togethers but one of our moms had the great idea for some of the families with college aged girls to get together. We hadn't seen many of these folks for awhile and even though we keep in touch via Facebook. It was really great so see these old friends and to see how much our 'little' girls had grown. We had the grown-up table where we commiserated together about the commonalities of having college aged kids and we had a 'kids' table where all the girls sat together with phones in hand, sharing - whatever! Lex was a little hesitant at first to go as she hadn't kept in touch with many of the girls but by the end of the evening phone, email and address info had been exchanged with promises of getting together. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">On the parent's side, as a group we marveled at what an amazing group of young women were sitting across the way from us. I think we all had our own personal and unique reasons for adopting and for adopting from China specifically and to see our girls and how they have grown over the years was just the best. We have all been a part of each other's journeys and I know we can't wait to see where and what these amazing, beautiful, intelligent women become.</span><br />
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<br />Donnahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01013376686591317365noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2175558579245489387.post-18299059118022243092015-12-22T12:44:00.001-05:002017-06-11T14:27:57.479-04:00Merry Christmas Decorating to All!Christmas is just a few days away and I'm shamelessly stealing an idea for this post from a friend of mine who blogs all the time. We can't really travel for the holidays and our families live a good distance away so borrowing this idea I thought I'd share some of my favorite Christmas decorations and share my house with whoever!<br />
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I have two trees because our family tree is personal. It's filled with ornaments we've collected over the last 40 plus years. Back then I didn't want a glass bulb and tinsel laden tree with no sentimental value, plus we lived in apartments for so many years that we didn't have the storage room for a lot of stuff. I made many of the ornaments, especially the Santa's and others were made by my mother and grandmother. Many more I picked up at craft shows and specialty shops. Here are a few of my favorites. </div>
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In my previous crafty life I did counted cross stitch. Over the years I made over 20 of these Santa's on perforated paper. I have a good 18 more to do! I also have my mother's. Behind the first Santa is a beaded Santa. I also have a variety of over 20+ mini beaded ornaments I made.<br />
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Before my cross stitch period I did crewel embroidery. This is one of the very first ornaments I made. </div>
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I love this guy! Soft sculpture and embroidery. </div>
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Our first "kids"' Megan and Shane, our cabbage patch kids each got their own stocking. Behind the sticking is a bunny with a little blue velvet sailor suit and holding a toy sailboat. I got him at a craft show back in the 80's. </div>
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Somewhere along the line, in the 80's, I saw this wooden ornament in a store but I couldn't afford it and reluctantly passed it up. A few days later I went back, I REALLY wanted that ornament, but it was gone. After I kicked myself a few times, every time I went to a Christmas store I looked for this ornament again. I'd given up finding it when I found it at a little store in New Jersey. </div>
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My Grandmother made this one and three others I have of a similar style. So grateful to have these. </div>
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First, in the upper left corner is a hand stitch felt ornament from Hungary. The bird in nest ornament I got at a wonderful Christmas shop in Binghamton. In the center is our ornament for our Julia. </div>
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Another craft show find. A crafter made these little mice and each one had a little theme. I have a cross stitch one, one that's holding a tray a Christmas cookies and one who's carrying a chopped down Christmas tree. </div>
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In the late 70's we lived on Long Island and there was a cute gift/Christmas shop that had these German wooden ornaments. I have three. Each one has Mr. & Mrs. Claus in a different vehicle - a car, a plane and<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue light" , , "helvetica" , "arial" , sans-serif;"> a truck with presents in it.</span></div>
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I've got lots more, but I have a few other things to share. Stockings! Growing up my brother and I had personalized felt and appliquéd stockings. They stayed with my parents so I made a cross stitch stocking for me and a felt appliquéd stocking for Norm. For Alexa's first Christmas one of my mother's best friends made a personalized stocking for her.<br />
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I love this decoration for our dining room table. It's a Santa in a large, oversized coffee cup. It's sitting on a table runner either I made or my mother made. It's been so long I've forgot who!</div>
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I always liked nutcrackers so I have a 'little' collection going.</div>
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This year I have a cookie decorating elf loose! Alexa did all these!</div>
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Lastly, my parents crèche. I hope you enjoyed some of my Christmas treasures and I hope you have a Merry Christmas and a Happy New a Year.</div>
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Donnahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01013376686591317365noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2175558579245489387.post-58132002246118850712015-11-18T11:36:00.003-05:002015-11-18T11:36:50.680-05:00Where in the World?!?<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Are you coming from and why are you viewing me? Egypt, Thailand, Elbergen, Germany, Brazil, Jaya, Selangor - I don't even know what continent that is!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">That's my question for today. I get curious as to who is reading my blog. It's not like I'm a celebrity, even in my own little world, but as I look at the Feedjit Live Traffic Feed and Map widget on my blog I'm seeing places I have no clue about or why people from these distant countries would be reading my blog. When I began my blog I added this widget so I could see who might be looking at what I write (I'm vain that way :-) and because I needed to fill up some space and not look like the amateur I was, am.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">When I first started, like a lot of moms, I posted mainly about my daughter and about the dull, but sometimes amusing things that happened to me, casual observances, travel, yada, yada, yada. If I posted once a month that was huge and as the years wore on I posted less. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">I'd mentioned to friends that if you wanted to know what was going on in my life, read my blog. Thus the Feedjit strip that goes down the side of my page that shows who's been visiting my blog and when. At first, I knew most of the locations because friends were the ones reading my posts. Then I'd keep seeing my own location because I was reading my posts to see who else was reading my posts (no one!) </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Lately, there has been an unusual trend in who is stopping by my blog and where they are from. I'm seeing flags and countries I have heard of but know no one there and flags from countries I've never heard of! So my question is, "Who are you out there and what is so interesting about a housewife from upstate NY?" This means YOU Las Palmas, Canarias!!</span>Donnahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01013376686591317365noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2175558579245489387.post-28277477219665387212015-11-02T10:09:00.000-05:002015-11-02T10:09:49.863-05:00Two Months In...<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Finally Fall! Yeah! Lex has been away at school for two months now and somehow we've visited or seen her way more than I thought we would. We just came back from Parent's Weekend and since we've live the college life for the most part, we just did what Lex wanted to do - shop! We did 'make her' give us a small tour of where her classes are held especially her business classes that she will be more involved in next semester and in the future. </span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjg7s77tuPm5Z85UdPdosxlzy1AijjZPWVf9Cd670mQ01YcWj_g9Vk2Em8mE13SCVvMsZyBcbcDYbOkILPhO-8AO_1MtIwVMQo6TC2kXhuEGUSp97VV-6ZQ4ePlXcS7WfJ0zkqW0yk-kaAZ/s1600/IMG_3416.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjg7s77tuPm5Z85UdPdosxlzy1AijjZPWVf9Cd670mQ01YcWj_g9Vk2Em8mE13SCVvMsZyBcbcDYbOkILPhO-8AO_1MtIwVMQo6TC2kXhuEGUSp97VV-6ZQ4ePlXcS7WfJ0zkqW0yk-kaAZ/s320/IMG_3416.JPG" width="240" /></span></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpCv_lQhlV4xEiy3RAnDoHN4hJsW0v4xFbC6CbsO_1oFAp1Abbt8vZGagEMBHk__R8k05FWd8MSRm64znJqx0v1DKEzHo9R-QB5kJ8gh8mjn0KBYDhS1Nsf-uuYcLaBG3iBsIxn1D2T7ia/s1600/IMG_3418.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpCv_lQhlV4xEiy3RAnDoHN4hJsW0v4xFbC6CbsO_1oFAp1Abbt8vZGagEMBHk__R8k05FWd8MSRm64znJqx0v1DKEzHo9R-QB5kJ8gh8mjn0KBYDhS1Nsf-uuYcLaBG3iBsIxn1D2T7ia/s320/IMG_3418.JPG" width="240" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Of course, I have a picture of the building she has Entomology in - bugs! which has nothing to do with her major! Basically I liked the ivy turning colors. We did take the obligatory clock tower photos, too. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">We got a late start on Friday and we had dinner reservations for 5:00. As we got closer to campus we texted Lex to let her know where we were and to BE READY but also that we needed to change clothes as we just wore jeans and sneaks and thought we needed to spiff up a little. Lex comes back with this...</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">LEX: OK can u guys change in the bathrooms downstairs? Bc there r a bunch of people in my room working on Halloween costumes.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">US: Sure, we're just your parents, nobody important, paying for your college education, just drove 3 hours...in the bathroom?!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Guess where we got dressed...</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Here is a picture of Alexa and her friend Taylor in their costumes...</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">It's still all about the shoes! Thank goodness we got this photo AFTER Halloween night and saw her bright and early, well not that early the next morning!</span>Donnahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01013376686591317365noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2175558579245489387.post-57720461394154969272015-08-30T11:04:00.000-04:002017-06-11T14:21:15.848-04:00What goes around, comes around...It's been a week now that Alexa has been officially a student at Cornell. Technically we are empty nesters but with my MIL living with us it doesn't feel like that. We just eliminated the teenage element. The move went pretty smoothly. Cornell has it's act together when it comes to moving in. We had to display a loading permit in our windshield that showed the date, time, and dorm we were moving into to just get into the lot. They had lots of staff and students in red shirts directing traffic, handing out hand cart tickets, calling out directions with a loudspeaker, checking the rooms offering help, even maintenance was there to collect boxes to be thrown out. Here is a little pictorial.<br />
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Donlon Hall. The kids in the red shirts under the overhang were responsible for directing people into the dorm and matching up families with students who had hand carts and were loading up possessions (like the gentlemen in the forefront) to take up to rooms.<br />
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As soon as you got permission to enter the unloading circle right in front of the dorm you were directed to where to park and instructed to quickly unload your car, place your belonging on the sidewalk or grass behind the barriers and then to move your car! No dilly dallying around here! They also gave you a ticket - for a handcart to help move your stuff inside, which was good as Alexa is on the fourth floor and yes, they have elevators, thank you! They were on number 360 when we got there and our number was 415...</div>
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Norm was directed to a lot or more appropriately a grassy area about a mile away from the dorm to park the car. He started to walk back but luckily they had shuttle buses and was able to catch a ride. The parking lots were like Disney World, license plates from every state you can image.</div>
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These shots are from the week before, when we got to bring 1/2 her stuff early. Thank you Sharon for the hand cart! As you can see we moved furniture! placing her bureau under her bed. We had to buy a step ladder because she couldn't get onto the bed it was so high!</div>
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Here are some of the 'afters'. AFTER we had everything brought in, after we put together her lamp and cubbies, after her roommate moved in, but BEFORE she had a chance to clean up/put away anything.</div>
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I could not resist this one, sorry sweetie! It was all about the duvet and duvet cover! Lex got the duvet in the cover but the cover is larger than the duvet and was not laying flat so Lex 'dived' into the duvet, inside the cover to straighten it out.</div>
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I still have a list of things to return, exchange and finish for her. The bulletin board in the first picture above needs to be hung. Got to send her the fixings for that. No extension cords but she can have power surge protectors with longer chords. A new mattress cover because the one we had had a broken zipper, more Command hooks. The list goes on and on. Also, I have to finish an art project or two, or three for her.</div>
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Lex sent away for these wooden monograms for herself and her roommate, Katie. I got one-two coats of paint on them but they need more, a little sanding and maybe a coat of poly. (Lex's is the pink one and yes, I know, it's backwards. I painted both sides).</div>
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The campus is beautiful and HUGE! After we moved her in we had booked a hotel room the closest I could get - Skaneateles, and we had about an hour drive to get there! It was a very nice drive but we had to find a laundromat because we had to do Alexa's laundry from the week before! I know, we shouldn't have but lets call it our parting gift. So this is how we spent our Friday night, doing laundry in Auburn...</div>
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Back to campus. We arrived the next day after doing her laundry, picking up fruit, granola bars, milk and the step ladder I mentioned. Dumped it all in her room and left! Lex was heading to lunch, she had orientation meetings after so we were pretty much done! Norm and I decided to walk from North Campus to Central Campus and go to the bookstore. We needed some Cornell swag... and took in the sights along the way. </div>
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Looking from where the tower (below) was down the large quad hill to where my BFF Barbara lived when she was a student. You can see Lake Cayuga in the upper right corner.<br />
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The bell tower. They were having tours but after finding out I'd have to walk all the way up, I decided I need to at least her junior year before I had the stamina to do so.<br />
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Ithaca is Gorges! This is from the one of the bridges that crosses over to the central campus, just beautiful! Below is a reprint from an old magazine about the same spot, Triphammer Falls.<br />
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Lastly, what goes around comes around. If you are friends with me on Facebook you saw this picture recently. The duck on the left comes from the hotel we stayed in in San Francisco on our way to China. The duck on the right came from the Cornell Bookstore. What a trip!<br />
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Donnahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01013376686591317365noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2175558579245489387.post-19347060274147469652015-07-19T10:08:00.001-04:002015-07-20T09:35:35.110-04:00She's Moving on Out!Not permanently, but it's beginning to look like it!<br>
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Alexa has been getting ready for college by staying up really late, sleeping in really late and shopping a really lot!<br>
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UPS has been making daily deliveries as so much of the college list is only obtainable on-line, for Alexa that is...Yes, I know, there are real brick and mortar stores that carry bedding, linen, printers, clothing, etc. but none that are acceptable for our Miss Priss. It's also of the utmost importance that her color scheme coordinates with her roommates colors... Then there is the storage. Even I'll acknowledge that dorm room are woefully short on storage, but seriously, how much does she think she'll be able to squeeze into this room!<br>
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Lex's roommate, Katie, is a Long Island girl, yeah! They seem to be getting on very well, on-line so far, and I do have a sincere wish that they hit it off and are compatible and comfortable living together. I have been of very little help to her on that front. I had a terrible time with roommates. Over three years of my college rooming experience I had 5 roommates, all of which I had no choice in selecting. My best roommate was someone I would have gladly roomed with again, but she had decided to move off campus with other friends for the next year before we were matched up.<br>
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My first roommate was very shy, very studious, a huge early bird both getting up and going to bed and totally freaked by my having a boyfriend (my future husband). My second roommate had her own boyfriend - at a different college, she was a year behind me and had no interest in being friends. Her boyfriend transferred to our school for the next semester, she moved out and I don't think I ever saw her again! My third roommate was a slob - now I don't say that lightly because I am not neat by any stretch of the imagination, but this girl was way over the top! Academically, she didn't do so well and dropped out before the end of the semester.<br><br>
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Huntress Hall (don't you love the name!)</div><div style="text-align: center;">We even had a live in ghost, Harriet Huntress whose wheelchair could be heard rolling around in the attic on occasion </div>
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I was then 'asked' to move up to the third floor and move in with Melissa. The girls on the third floor of my dorm had a certain wild, party-girl reputation and I was a bit nervous to move upstairs. However, Melissa was great, we got along fabulously which surprised us both. I'm sorry we couldn't have roomed together the following year. My third year I was matched in a large double with a girl who was basically nice and we did get along but she was never there on weekends, she smoked, was several years out of the traditional high school direct to college time line and I think was seeing a married man on her weekends. Just the impression I got from her very cryptic answers whenever I asked about her weekends and where she went.<br>
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Senior year I requested a single. I was done. It worked out great as I had student teaching my first semester (what a nightmare that was!), I was engaged and I was obviously not roommate material. Here's hoping my outgoing, friend-heavy daughter has much, much better luck than I do!Donnahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01013376686591317365noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2175558579245489387.post-62438234886004266722015-06-30T09:45:00.001-04:002015-06-30T09:45:12.184-04:00Graduation<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
Seventeen years ago, on this date, we were in China. We had had Alexa for a total of 4 days as of June 28, 1998. Look where she is now. Alexa ranked 7th in her class, graduated with honors and is attending Cornell University in the fall. </div>
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They awarded the class officers their diplomas first then they honored the top ten students in the class by awarding them their diplomas and having them stand together as a group. I don't dwell a lot on what Alexa's birth parents went through in deciding to give her up, nor have I thought a lot about them over the years, but Sunday I wish they could have seen her and known how she has thrived and how much she has accomplished since they entrusted her to our care. I'd like them to know how much we cherish this precious gift they gave us.<br />
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Lex and Laryssa<br />
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She spared us just a moment for a picture or two<br />
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With some of her friends<br />
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Again, with proud Mom and Dad<br />
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On to the next chapter...Donnahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01013376686591317365noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2175558579245489387.post-8703914554686916742015-01-16T12:46:00.000-05:002015-01-16T12:46:19.679-05:00Buffalo Solid....I enjoy sports, watching sports that is, I'll never be an enthusiastic participant. From my early days when every school coach took one look at me and thought they had a new player for their basketball team - until I touch the ball...till today when my husband still insists I throw like a girl, well DUH! I like watching sports - I'm a veteran of everything from the PGA, PBA, MLB and NFL. I also enjoy NASCAR, an occasional tennis match, the Wesminster Kennel Club Dog Show and curling when I can find it (I still need someone to explain the rules to me though).<br />
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Buffalo is a very sports savvy town. Being a New Yorker, all be it a downstate NYer, who grew up on the Jets, Giants, Mets and Yankees (who never really considered Buffalo part of my NY, yes I'm a snob, I know it). I have been know to switch alliances over the years. I grew up a Met and Jet fan. Oh, the days of the Miracle Mets! I even conned my mother into turning over her World Series ticket to me so I could take my brother to a game during the 1969 series via the Long Island Rail Road. That is a story for another day. Baseball today, I've been turned to dark side as I say - I'm now a dyed in the pinstripes New York Yankee fan (blame my husband).<br />
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Anyway, I was also a Jet fan thanks to my friend Barbara who LOVED Joe Namath when we were in high school. My football allegiance lasted until shortly after college. I went to school in New Hampshire and we lived in Boston the first two and a half years we were married. From then till now my football heart belongs to the New England Patriots (a dangerous team to support these days especially in this town!) I'm not a Bills fan and I never will be. That doesn't mean I dislike the Bills, they are kinda endearing in a hapless sort of way. But the one thing I will say about Buffalo is that they LOVE their pro teams. Everyone loves the Bills and the Sabres (hockey). What I especially find admirable is that this love is not just from the guys out there it's from the women of Buffalo also. I don't know about other football towns but how many morning drive djs made up of a man and a woman combo both get genuinely excited about a new football coach coming to town, or a veteran hockey player getting his number retired.<br />
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My daughter listens to Kiss 98.5 here in Buffalo and now that she is driving my car radio is set to this station more often than not. The other day the morning jocks were all gaga over Rex Ryan becoming the new Bills coach. They did a remix of a song, plugging in Ryan and his comments from his first press conference. The woman especially knew about his history, the Bills history, what they need, what they were good at, what they were bad at and how Ryan could make the team better! I was impressed.<br />
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It goes farther than that. Women in Buffalo love and know their sports teams. My daughter has friends who follow hockey! They know the Sabres players, how they are doing, etc. I have acquaintances at work who follow Bills games and everyone, I mean EVERYONE knows the Pegulas - or Terry and Kim, as they are affectionately know here. It's a very nice thing to see. I'm still a Patriot fan, (love my Tommy boy - hate Belichek, but doesn't everyone!) and will be excited at maybe seeing a game if Alexa goes to school in Boston. But Buffalo has it solid with it's love, loyalty and support of the Bills and Sabres (no matter how awful they are)! You have to admire and love that and I do.<br />
Donnahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01013376686591317365noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2175558579245489387.post-36046739097390148672014-10-13T11:58:00.000-04:002014-10-13T11:58:48.545-04:00Celebration Weekend...We had a beautiful weekend here in western NY. We had the honor of being invited to the wedding of one the first friends we made when we moved to Buffalo, Lisa Marsherall. Lisa married Jeff Faunce this weekend. It was a second marriage for both and it was a beautiful ceremony, perfect for these two wonderful and deserving people.<br />
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Both Lisa and Jeff work at Medaille and Norm got an honorable mention in the ceremony and shares March 11 with the happy couple. They had their first date on March 11 at a Dunkin Donuts and March 11 is Norm's birthday! Karma!<br />
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On Sunday I got to go to my boss's daughters's baby shower. We love Jessica and Scott and are so happy for them. They are having a baby girl and everything, I mean everything was pink!<br />
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There was also pink wine, tons of pink and adorable baby clothes and accessories and Jessica wore a pink top. Here she is judging the 'How big is Jess's belly?' contest.<br />
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There were games, although the dirty diaper game was a bit much for me. Relax, it was little diaper filled with baby food and we had to guess what flavors they were by sniffing them. I passed on that one ;-)<br />
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It was a wonderful weekend and to top it off both the Patriots AND Browns won! Fall doesn't get any better than this!Donnahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01013376686591317365noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2175558579245489387.post-37093252947906891272014-09-15T13:46:00.002-04:002014-09-15T13:46:13.437-04:00Fall is FINALLY here!Do you ever look at the lottery drawings, watching all those little balls bouncing around in those clear containers each one with a different number and possibility and say - "That's what my brain must look like inside?" Well, I do...<br />
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So many thoughts, too little brain, too much pinging going on in my lottery container. Let's see what pops up first!<br />
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In no particular order, Alexa's 'Last, First Day of School' I've taken a photo of Alexa's first day of school for the past 13 years. Here is the last one...I've got to dig out the film version of her first one to look back on. (Now, don't tell anyone I said so, it would ruin my image as a cold, unsentimental grump, but God, she is so pretty and I love these two so much...tears are forming).<br />
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Next up! I've been doing a two page layout each month since the first of the year using the new Graphic 45 releases. I love this paper but I struggled with this layout. Photos of my tennis star, aka, Alexa will grace these pages. I've also got done my Halloween layout and may start my Nov/Dec layouts using the "Raining Cats and Dogs" and Christmas paper (I can't remember the name of the collection).<br />
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Photos, photos, photos! Getting senior photos these days is like getting wedding photos. You go to a studio, you have location shots, formal shots - 400 proofs! Well, Heather, our photographer took 400 digital photos we now get to choose from 75 of them, 10 to be re-touched.<br />
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We also have to 'buy' a senior parent page. Lucky parents get to buy a 1/4, 1/2 or FULL page in the yearbook to congratulate their child on graduating high school. On the plus side, you get to choose your photos, even embarrassing childhood photos, and you write a heartfelt message to your child that everyone will get to read. On the down side, whatever happened to students selling space to local businesses to help fund the cost of the book! Do you know how much these page selections cost?! As Alexa is on the yearbook committee/club, as I said above, we've been told we MUST buy one of these ads (and create it or pay someone else too!) KA-CHING!!<br />
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My hair is a mess and my hairdresser suggested I might want to change my color. How does red sound/look to you? All my stress goes to my hair and skin. I'm like that poor character in Ocean's 13, the reviewer who checks into Al Pacino's casino only to be visited by every plague, illness, condition and misery that Clooney and his pals can come up with. I'm starting to look like him. So I'm not sure changing my hair to red so it matches my itchy, flakey, red, blotchy, rash like skin is that great an idea. Plus, my hair doesn't look like this! It's flat, limp, straight as a board and will not hold a curl for any longer than 5 minutes. I'm open to suggestions...<br />
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Shopping with my daughter for myself. I usually don't do it. To say our tastes in MY clothes are different is an understatement! I bit the bullet (more like a shotgun cartridge) and let her come with me as I looked for some summer tops. These are her picks...<br />
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These are mine...<br />
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Out of about 15 tops tried on, I came home with three. On the plus side, and size, two were Alexa picks. Maybe I should let her come more often...</div>
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That is a short? recap of the end of summer and the beginning of fall here. Oh, and I have all this time to type this because of this...</div>
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Alexa has her license, a junior license (because she didn't go through the 300 hours+ that NYS requires for a 17year old to get a regular license) and she can drive by herself, up to 9:00 pm and with only one other non-family individual in the car. Whereas I cringe every time she leaves the house, (she still needs a lot of experience) the only way she will improve is to practice and drive more. So I'm home typing my blog and she took the car to school and will be able to drive herself home after tennis tonight. Change is good, change is good, change is good...</div>
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See you soon.</div>
<br />Donnahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01013376686591317365noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2175558579245489387.post-73653929068905545862014-07-28T22:52:00.001-04:002014-07-28T22:56:20.434-04:00The Muir's Victory Garden...We live on a very nice street, with dutiful neighbors who tend to their yards, religiously, or have a lawn service that does. The people who owned our house before us had a landscaping service and we were excited when we first saw the house because we thought if the inside looked as good as the outside we found our Buffalo home. <div><br></div><div>We had a lovely red Japanese maple, a string of manicured evergreen bushes that framed the front of the house and a hydrangea bush in the front right. Well the hydrangea went first. Winter was not it's friend. We had to pull it out. The lovely little red maple went next, along with the bushes in front of the door. They turned an ugly shade of rust and we had to pull them out. Last winter was the final straw, almost<span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"> </span>everything died. <div><br></div><div>We'd get regular 'reminders' from my MIL about how nicely all our neighbors kept their yards and wasn't it too bad Norm didn't 'get' his father's talent-desire-ability-gene-pride - whatever, for keeping the yard 'perfect'. The shame was unbearable...we were homeowner failures :-( So we sucked it up, put our big girl and boy pants on and...paid someone to pick out the right shrubs and trees, design a plan and plant it! Here is the result.</div><div><br></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiG12XK1YQcOdasUp4STG22kxAirE4YkRdDA0VEjJjn3OZGD0VVslYV0IVip5RJ_96YBizIL4elctglztM4l_wIN1XoVWfCpvKl4uOEWwwjZwWoiZYgckqc8qmtESERFyGpNFKX2xF8OpCp/s640/blogger-image-140119606.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiG12XK1YQcOdasUp4STG22kxAirE4YkRdDA0VEjJjn3OZGD0VVslYV0IVip5RJ_96YBizIL4elctglztM4l_wIN1XoVWfCpvKl4uOEWwwjZwWoiZYgckqc8qmtESERFyGpNFKX2xF8OpCp/s640/blogger-image-140119606.jpg"></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">I picked out the flowers, petunias and geraniums! We can know show our faces in public. Our neighbors are speaking to us again, victory is good and blooming!</div><br></div></div>Donnahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01013376686591317365noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2175558579245489387.post-80708028992301830022014-07-04T12:57:00.004-04:002017-06-11T13:50:56.449-04:00Stuff...I love Stuff! I think I've said this before... I thought I'd share some of my stuff. I'm also a hopeless copy-cat. I have several friends who have started various collections and I've shamelessly started the same kind of collections. They are terrible enablers...<br />
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Let me give you a little back story, First, I have a friend who travels all over the world. She collects, among other things, floaty pens. You all remember floaty pens. These are ball point pens that have liquid in the upper portion of the pen and when you tilt them a picture/object/whatever slides up and down in the upper barrel usually advertising the place you are visiting. Easy to collect, easy to pack, takes up very little space - sometimes hard to find. I cannot visit any attraction, museum, airport, touristy thingy without looking for floaty pens. I send my husband, daughter and friends on floaty pen searches! I'm excited because my friend Barbara brought a pen back from Paris!!! for me. I carry around a pen from Boston in my pocketbook because I want to carry it with me and play with it!</div>
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OK, that's one collection. I've got a little collection of old globes because of my same traveling friend. I do specialize in pre-WWII though. The older the better, but, I'm getting off track. The topic was STUFF!</div>
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I have a small bedroom in my house that serves as a mini guest room, my computer room, my craft room and my Stuff room...I love everything in this room, clutter and all (and there's lots of that). I've covered the walls and every surface with things that bring a smile to my face. It's my happy place when I'm home. So here's a little peek at some of my stuff.</div>
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Every year there is a craft show at the Fairgrounds in Hamburg. Usually there is an artist who makes these miniature flowers out of clay. I've got a collection of mini-orchids; all types, but mostly cymbidiums and phalenopsis - love them! Behind them I have one of the last pictures of my parents with myself, Norm and Alexa. Right where I can see it, everyday.<br />
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My motto - "Life is what happens while we are making other plans." It's the title of my life. It's not a negative and in many cases in my life for each negative there are many more positives to off-set. It also helps keep me humble.<br />
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More orchids, pictures of Norm with Kasey, my grandfather who I never knew and my little teapots. Also, the tip of my stamps. I keep several stamps at my desk that are there more for their words, wicked and true, and just because they make me smile.<br />
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Old stuff and new stuff. There is a gift store near me that sells these hand made embroidered felt and bead ornaments, I have everything from mini stockings to butterflies, bunnies, fall wreathes, birds - I'm always looking for something new. I also collect key chains - unusual key chains. The one in this photo is Achmed the Dead Terrorist, one of the puppets Jeff Dunham has created. This key chain even talks! Most of the rest of my key chains are hanging from my big Cropper Hopper that I take to scrapbook crops with me.<br />
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The keychain and butterfly are hanging from two old bottles I found at various estate sales. This is my boss, Sharon's fault! She got me started going to garage sales (didn't care so much for those) and then going to estate sales. I check them out every week. I started by looking for salt and pepper shakers that were made in Occupied Japan. They aren't worth a lot, but I like unique ones, colorful ones, different ones and I'm always on the lookout for the stamp 'Made in Occupied Japan'. The orange ones in the photo below (right back) were my first. Little beakers, unusual bottles, quirky little things, 'smalls' as they are known, are my thing.<br />
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On top of the ancient TV in my room I have these stuffed Basset Hounds. The smaller one is WebKidz, remember those?! My daughter had to have many, many of them! The larger was made by a woman from Penn Yan who used to work for one of the companies that made collectible bears. I also have a blonde panda bear she made, but I have a fond affection for Bassets as my first dog as a child was a Basset Hound, Duffy. Like my RCMP salt and pepper shakers? The little wreath on the wall behind the dogs I've had for close to over 30 years. Norm and I would go to a yearly craft show in Chester, NJ and there was a vendor who made tiny mice that were like pin cushions. Hand sewn, very detailed and just adorable. I've got several including several Christmas ornaments. This one was set inside a miniature wreath with ribbon, silk flowers and leaves. Love it!<br />
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My daughter the artist! These are all pieces of artwork Alexa did in elementary school. I think they are so cool and if she reads this she will be so embarrassed! So it's worth the post! When she was in Kindergarten or first grade she made a picture that Norm and I loved so much and thought was so good we had it framed. I couldn't get a good picture of it but it is also hanging in my room.<br />
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This is my Mom shelf. When Alexa was younger and would pick out presents for mother's day or my birthday, I took to clustering them together. She made the paint can, picked out the 'Donna' on wheels and the little stuffed animals. The movie clapboard was a gift to my Dad from me the year he 'starred' in his first movie, <u>The Hudsucker Proxy</u>. I've posted the picture many times here on my blog and on Facebook of him standing in his costume outside the door marked "Extras". It's hard to spot him in the film (he mostly ended up on the cutting floor), but I swear I see his nose in one shot! I'd know that nose anywhere!<br />
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Just more goodies from estate sales, an old wind up duck, spools, a chid's top and several Swedish horses. My Uncle Karl came from Sweden and my aunt always had them in her house. I started collecting them wherever I could find them. I have several sizes and colors. Love them!<br />
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Another phrase I live by. I do have what some would call a pessimistic bent to life, but really, I do look for the best and expect the best. I just want to remind myself that life is not perfect. It is not always fair and you don't always have control. You need to change what you can, accept what you can't and 'It is what it is' with the rest. As one of my stamps says, "Put your big girl panties on and deal with it..."<br />
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Lastly, the ultimate goal in my crafting life.<br />
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I'm in the running for this and I won't be beat! Welcome to my stuff!</div>
Donnahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01013376686591317365noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2175558579245489387.post-14607650360593069162014-06-01T15:25:00.001-04:002014-06-01T15:25:39.271-04:00Ah, Summer, Ah, Youth<div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4KTweDCUdAx5gNvvGoiMIgaNSLJu8r8r4aUtLuil4F10HG3FvJPtGmDYyVifsLCe0De-6_FXnL8y5fblIe5zj_tXfPIqH1vGALHnX-Bh5UPQbmOzcilGPtSDZqo-90gkhIUSW8uT0dL9l/s640/blogger-image--137739056.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4KTweDCUdAx5gNvvGoiMIgaNSLJu8r8r4aUtLuil4F10HG3FvJPtGmDYyVifsLCe0De-6_FXnL8y5fblIe5zj_tXfPIqH1vGALHnX-Bh5UPQbmOzcilGPtSDZqo-90gkhIUSW8uT0dL9l/s640/blogger-image--137739056.jpg"></a></div><br><div>It' a lovely weekend here in Buffalo and Alexa decided to kill two birds with one stone - start her summer tan and do her homework. School is almost over and apparently pretty boring as she has already done all her AP class exams. I've been trying to get her to start applying for a summer job and we're going to start driving lessons, by taught by someone else! </div>Donnahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01013376686591317365noreply@blogger.com0