What Was I Thinking?

I've got a New Obsession...

2012-01-14T22:53:00.002-05:00

I don't spend enough time on the computer? Between email, Facebook, the blogs I read on a regular basis, doing the banking, game playing, getting my news on CNN - I had a few minutes to spare. I knew about Pinterest from friends and was determined not to get sucked in. Well, scratch that!

I think I have about nine boards set up and I can spend way too much time re-pinning. Now I need to figure out how to pin my own photos or images.

If you want to take a look I'll put a link here but let me warn you - you may not be able to stop...

Winner, winner - better than a chicken dinner!...

2011-12-06T13:36:00.001-05:00

Yee Haw!! I won Day 4 of Tim Holtz's 12 Tags of Christmas! WoooHoooo!!!! Zippedee DoDa!! Cool Beans!!

Can't wait to see what Santa Tims helper, Mario sends! I'm not using periods in this post, way too excited!! Go to www.timholtz.typepad.com to see the first six days of tags! (I'm not loving today's but if I could use ink instead of paint I see potential for serious fun!)

My Homage to Jeff Foxworthy...

2011-10-12T20:43:00.000-04:00

Dear Debbie, Kat and Dimitra:

If you gave up smoking because you had to choose between the stamps you wanted and your cigarettes...you might be addicted to stamps

On marketing day you came to the stamp store first because if you went to the supermarket you might not have enought money left for stamps...you might be addicted to stamps

You've asked your LSS owner for the "Christmas Wish List" form and it's not even Labor Day yet...you might be addicted to stamps

If you wait until your husband goes to bed and then creep into the garage in your pj's to bring the bag of stamps you bought that afternoon so he won't see them...you might be addicted to stamps

If your "Vacation to Hawaii" piggy bank is suspiciously empty...you might be addicted to stamps

If you complain that your stamp store doesn't have a ground hog stamp - to celebrate the holiday...you might be addicted to stamps

If you start a petition campaign to your congressman demanding a mandatory, federal, three day weekend devoted to stamping...you might be addicted to stamps

You turn your child's room into a dedicated stamping studio and he/she is only starting 4th grade...you might be addicted to stamps

You have every take out and delivery restaurant within a five mile radius on speed dial and your kids have memorized the numbers...you might be addicted to stamps

If you start making up relatives to make cards for...you might be addicted to stamps

Any other symptoms anyone??

The Boob Tube...

2011-09-21T19:27:00.001-04:00

Remember when TV was called the 'boob tube' by those who thought it would be the ruination of all future generations. That's a topic for another day especially considering all the junk that is on today. I want to go back to when getting a TV was a big deal and that first color TV put you on the map and hyped up your prestige on the block with the other kids.

I'm a child of television. I was seriously, seriously addicted to TV. I can remember the TV we had when I was a young child. It had a screen about 24", came in a cabinet with doors that closed and was black and white. Our next TV was a bigger model that had a color picture. I remember them delivering that TV!

I watched TV like going to church. It was a religion to me. To my parent's extreme frustration, I watched Saturday morning cartoons until about 12:30. The cartoons came earlier in the morning and shows like Sky King, Roy Rodgers and Rin Tin Tin came on later. Also on Saturday was Wonderama with Sonny Fox. There was another show that was a combination of games, cartoons and Johnny Carson on Sundays, also with Sonny Fox. He would sit at a desk like Johnny and had a small couch or chair next to him. Both the Sonny Fox shows had a live audience or bleachers of kids that would serve as contestants for the games. They gave away AWESOME!! prizes.

My parents weren't too fond of my TV addiction and my grandmother, much to my mother's dismay sealed my fate by giving me a portable B&W TV for my birthday. I don't know how old I was but it was well before high school and I quickly became adept at turning it on and off with the littlest amount of noise possible and watching it with the volume turned down so low it couldn't be heard downstairs. You see, my room was on the second floor - all by myself... My dad would send me to bed and I would get ready, turn out the lights, close the door as much as I dared and turn on the TV and watch all those 10:00 p.m. shows I couldn't stay up to see. My dad was a firm believer that a child needed 9-10 hours or more of sleep per night. Me, I could easily get by on 8 or less, but dad didn't buy into that.

Weekends were great. I'd go up and clean my room every weekend and watch Million Dollar Movie on WPIX. I discovered Fred Astaire and Ginger Rodgers, Eleanor Powell, Gene Kelly, and all the great 30's and 40's movies that filled up airspace on the local channels in NYC like WOR and WPIX and channel 5 which I can't remember the call signs for. It was like discovering a whole new world!

As I got older and my grades got lower, my TV was banished to the basement. That was fine, I had my rocking chair, a refrigerator and at Christmas time, my mother's cookies to snack on as I watched my evening shows.

I watched sports with my mother on the weekends. Bowling year round with Chris Schenkel and the Professional Bowlers Tour on Saturday afternoons, followed by the "thrill of victory and the agony of defeat", Wide World of Sports with Jim McKay. Golf during the spring and baseball - the Mets during the summer and the Giants during the winter. I also got a smattering of tennis, ice skating, and car racing.

When it came time to go to college - I admit it, I panicked. No TV in my room, what would I do? The dorm had one TV in the basement lounge. I became a permanent fixture. My dorm mother always knew where to find me. On weekends my future husband and I would be the only ones there and we would get take-out grinders (subs), push the couches together and settle in for an evening of TV watching.

It's true what they say about college students scheduling their classes around their favorite soap operas. Our dorm was a designated "Young and the Restless" viewing site. Commuter students, students from other dorms, guys - would show up to watch Snapper, Jill, the Chancellors and others on a daily basis.

I'm a lot better now, I'm not as bad as I used to be. I don't have to have the TV on as background noise like others turn on a radio. I don't watch soaps everyday, sometimes I don't see them for weeks at a time. I do have my favorite shows though and DVR'ing is a must at times. I don't get a physical reaction (all right, maybe a little one) when my favorite shows are cancelled and the last episode is shown, sniff, sniff.

For the most part I still watch far more TV than most. I still have very eclectic tastes. I stopped buying the TV Guide way before they changed the format and ruined it. But I still look forward to the beginning of every new season, just not as avidly as before. I am more melancholy about TV knowing what great shows have gone before and dwindling amount of just as good show that have replaced them. This week I'm especially sad as I have watched the last week of All My Children. But, I think I'll come back to comment on that later in the week. For now it's time to check the listings to see what's on tonight.

Donna 2.0...

2011-08-15T15:27:00.000-04:00

Ah, technology. Remember the days before remote controls, cell phones, cable, dish, HD, 3D television and computers? Unfortunately, I do. All of these came during my life time so you'd think I'd have a pretty good learning curve. After all it's not like I was Rip Van Winkle waking up to all these new fangled changes. That's what you'd think, right...well, not so much...

I swear, as much as I like technology and I do like technology, it's doing it's best to pass me by and thumb it's nose at me on the way. I feel like I've reached my technology plateau. It's like my mind is not capable of handling another upgrade, another newer, better version of what I already know and I'm questioning why do I need a tablet when I already haver a desktop, laptop, mini laptop, and a smartphone.

I feel like my operating system is obsolete and is incapable of accepting upgrades! I'm officially stuck at Donna 2.0. What is even more frustrating is my 14 year old can just look at a piece of technology, fiddle with it for a few minutes and have it mastered! That is so unfair! I used to be the go to for fixing the TV/VCR but no more. Now with the DVD player and the Wii plus the Fios hookup, I'm clueless. I want to watch a video but I have no clue how to change the wiring and connections to change from Wii to DVD. I've got an iPhone and I'm still struggling with using it. I want my old Blackberry back!

What will we do when Lex goes to college? We'll be at the mercy of our appliances that will talk to each other, our electronics that will talk to each other, our computers that talk to each other and none of them will talk to us! The only thing that I can hold over all this technology - I still buy the batteries!

Good and Bad...

2011-07-06T19:04:00.004-04:00

It's been a while, how are you all doing? Me, just ducky - quack, quack...

Part of the reason it's taken so long for me to post has been a lack of creativity on my part, a little laziness and a just a little busy-ness for me. No major news to impart except that my hubby is back from Asia. My daughter has graduated from middle school, the dog is groomed and my MIL has started her dental implant procedure, scintillating, right - right...

This is where the good and the bad comes in. I like to think of myself as an optimistic pessimist. No, that's not an oxymoron. It's an accurate description of my thought processes and how I approach life. I am always hopeful, positive and optimistic about life. The glass is always half full - (it got that way because it has a slow leak...)

I don't expect bad things to happen, but I'm never surprised when they do. I reserve the right to not be surprised when things go south... get it? Some examples:

GOOD: I finally got my haircut and I still think I like it!

BAD: I look like Justin Beiber - just 50+ year old female version...

GOOD: It's finally summer! Sunshine, vacation, warm weather!

BAD: The sun hates me (and I hate the sun) I'm the type of person who goes out and burns going directly to red, peeling and either freckling or I go right back to white...I can't afford a vacation (and I desperately need one). My daughter has her heart set on going to NYC and I know we will be there during the hotest week in July (Kenzie's rule - whatever can go wrong, will go wrong). This brings me to warm weather - my internal thermostat is permanently in the HOT position and I will be a dripping, sodden mess two minutes after I walk out of the air conditioning...

GOOD: It's been a full year since my hysterectomy surgery and I have suffered NO complications or bad effects - Yippeee!!!

BAD: I gained back all the weight I lost....not.another.word.

GOOD: My daughter graduated from middle school with a very, very, very good average. (Very proud mama and papa here)

BAD: OMG! my daughter starts HIGH SCHOOL this September! ARRGGHH!!! Panic to follow...

I will have to drive her everyday as she chose to go to a different high school than she was assigned to. Can you say 7:45 a.m. start time! I can't get my left eye opened at 7:45 in the morning...

BAD BONUS: College in 4 years! We haven't saved enough money!!!! Is there a lottery drawing tonight?

So, you see - an optimistic pessimist. The perfect combination of both worlds...

Get your MAD on!...

2011-05-21T12:21:00.004-04:00

Disclaimer: Sorry about this but I've just got to get this off my um, chest...

I have had a 'mad on' all week. I'm desperately looking for a way to get rid of it. So, I thought I'll pass it on to the unsuspecting people who read my blog.

It all started over last weekend when we had a taken a combined school field trip and family trip to Cleveland. Details not withstanding, we came home with a not so happy 14 year old.

I thought to solve her problem and cure my grump by doing some retail therapy for us both. WRONG!

Long story short...We bought Alexa a phone, but she wasn't happy, mom became even MORE unhappy, dad just shook his head. But the bottom line is I've been a *b*itch all the rest of the week and still can feel some twinges now. I started last weekend out like this..

...and finished the week - and am still smoldering like this...The only thing I like about the second image is I kinda look good in a bikini for the first time in 40 years. But the rest, Alexa doesn't want to ride in the car with me as I scared the bejessus out of her last night - but back to me.

Like the plots of many of the Incredible Hulk shows, I started out mild mannered and then something ticked me off. Well, I've gone through the week as the Hulk and like poor Hulky-poo even when I tried to do good, something would happen to tick me off again and again and again and AGAIN!

I could have beaten Lou Ferrigno out for the original part and wouldn't have needed the green makeup - I was already that way! My only consolation in all this is I got a new iPhone - been jonesing one of these for a long, long time. HOWEVER - I have already had to buy a new protective case because I dropped the phone before even owning it 72 hours, have spent at least $35 on how to books because I can't get the danged thing to work (my own personal internal techno chip is obsolete and they don't make a replacement part) and I have to spend the better part of today or a day in the very near future figuring out how to download or just manually enter all my calendar appointments on to my new phone.

OK, Maybe I'm being a little over the top here. Maybe this can be turned around to a positive experience. Do you think the networks would buy a pilot of a middle aged housewife with a teenaged daughter who turns into the Incredible Female Hulk? Maybe we could get Sela Ward to play me. That would make me feel better!

American Made...

2011-05-18T23:21:00.008-04:00

I don't like to buy American made cars. Now I know why. We have too much in common.

You drive an American made car until you hit a mystery mileage point and boom! it starts to break down. Well, I hit 50 and like those cars in the driveways across the country - I started breaking down. I'm starting to feel and look like this classic...

I think we were even made in the same year (or close to it).My hair won't curl and the color is gone, the eyes don't work, my ears are giving me trouble, my skin is giving me grief, my plumbing needs work and my temperature controls are STILL are still out of whack even after the major repair work done last year!

I don't even want to talk about my system's internal control. My RAM - random access memory is definitely that - random. It works when it wants to and when it doesn't I need something to jump start it.

I wonder, am I on my way to being a 'reconditioned' model? I wonder what my CARFAX report would look like!

What a lovely wedding!

2011-04-29T19:41:00.002-04:00

I am a sucker for a wedding and today's was just lovely. I was up at 5:15 a.m. just in time to watch Princes William and Harry leave St. James palace for Westminster Abbey. Over the years I've gotten up early to watch Princess Anne, Fergie and Andrew, Princess Diana and now her son, Prince William get married.

A long, long time ago Norman and I got to go to London and I've been in St. Paul's Cathedral and Westminster Abbey and traveled many of the streets seen in this morning's celebrations. I loved it there. I remember just arriving and wanting to see something famous. We watched buses pass and finally one passed that said 'Whitehall' and I remember thinking, that's somewhere important so we got on. The ticket taker asked us where we were going. We looked at each other and looked back to the conductor and asked, "Where is this bus going?" Once we established that we were literally just off the plane and were generally clueless, we found out you paid by how far you went and that eventually we would end up at Whitehall (houses many government offices and official departments) and would be just a short walk from Parliament and Westminster Abbey. This was one of the first of many helpful and considerate Brits who helped us get around and answered our questions during our stay.

When it was time (Whitehall) the conductor told us it was our stop and wished us well. I remember walking past these buildings and thinking that this was an entirely different world from the U.S. - you could just FEEL the history. I remember thinking some of these buildings were here before our country was even established. I had that feeling many times as we walked around London.

I long to go back. So, today on such a joyous and hopeful occasion, with my own wonderful memories coming back to me, I wish both William and Kate a future of happiness and wonderful memories of their own.

My Weekend...

2011-04-05T01:04:00.004-04:00

Here is what I did this past weekend... 1. Abandoned my sick family for a weekend of rest and relaxation - for me ;-) 2. Learned what pudding shots were... 3. Learned I liked pudding shots... 4. Had some seriously good food, made by my fabulous scrapping friends...(loved the artichoke dip, chocolate chip cookies, soup, baked potato and two fabulous salads - and the recipe for the corned beef reuben dip!) 5. Actually got out of bed before 11:00 a.m. - one day by 9:00 a.m.! 6. Still missed a hot, just made, fab breakfast (but a microwave will heat up in a pinch)... 7. Learned my friend Penny has the cutest cock - named Robbie (who has his own harem)... 8. Discovered gray is beautiful - gorgeous Colleen! 9. Had a lemon drop or lemon shot - didn't like it :-( 10. Had the best &%$#* time with my peeps, gals, mental health counselors, buds - whatever, in the world! Thanks, Jess, Lynn, Colleen, Laurie, Penny, Suzanne, Mary, Chris, and Jen - you ROCK!

Cards, cards, who's got the cards...

2011-03-24T20:39:00.004-04:00

I've taken my life in my hands and started to try and come up with card classes for the store. Sharon, Debbie, Mona, Linda and Laura can come up with cards in 30 seconds flat - me, more like 30 days if I'm lucky...

First they want me to stamp. I DON'T STAMP!! Maybe it I say it often and loud enough I may begin to believe it. I have the largest collection of stamps of anyone I know who doesn't stamp! So I decided to stick with what I think I can do - again, a stretch, thinking...

So here are photos of the samples of my March/April classes at Buffalo Stamps and Stuff.

I wish the photos were better. Above are three cards done with Tapestry peg stamps and Versacolor inks. I've always been intrigued with these stamps so I thought I'd try and give it a go.
My first favorite stamp company was Lockhart Stamps. I loved the simple style and coloring these stamps. They have a series they call 'windows' and I made a set using transparencies, popping the feature in the window and cutting out the window to view the inside of the card. The coloring was easy, the rest - OMG! It took me forever and I had to use inspiration and hints from the Lockhart design team.
These are also Lockhart images. Again, coloring was a piece of cake, but making the card...Each time I tackle a card class I say "never again!" In this class there is a cute bug in a jar - Caught a Bug? A comfy easy chair with a throw blanket, a cute little teddy bear and a bunch of ducks walking in a row. They are really cute, and with a little help from my friends - Thank you Debbie! I got the colors right.

Is it Spring yet?????

2011-03-20T19:15:00.002-04:00

I've been working hard at maintaining the fantasy that I'm a sweet, cuddly black bear hunkered down in my cave sleeping away the winter - ahhhhhh. Well, not so much. Heaven knows I can sleep! but the baby bear, MIL bear and papa bear keep insisting I wake up! If it's spring I've got no problem, but if not - then leave me alone! I've got claws remember....

So much for my fantasy life. It's mid March. We've done the day light savings thing but our backyard still looks like a swamp and the grass is a sickly yellow-brown. Alexa is finishing up her last semester of middle school and then it's off to high school in September.

We had to attend an assembly for all incoming high school parents. I figured it was your usual sex, drugs, drinking kinda thing and boy was I right. The school system has officially put the fear of drugs, drinking and the law in us! Norman and I have been in education for the past thirty years or so and we are aware of what goes on in college, but we got a huge eye opener about the 12-20 set. Something that rattles me is that I know all Alexa's middle school friends and have met and spoken to all the parents. Next year she is going to a different school than all her friends save one. So all new friendships will be made and we're going to have to make an effort to know these kids and their parents if possible. It is a scary world out there.

On the good side, Alexa and her friends are responsible kids and I think she will seek the same kind of kids at her new high school. As far as Alexa was concerned this meeting was a must attend by us because if we didn't -- she wouldn't be allowed to go to Homecoming, Prom and other school activities - the only perks of high school...

Back to spring. My Hillside Scrappers will meet in a week or so for another relaxing, contemplative soul searching, bonding, creative weekend - yeah right, bring on the Country Pub II! No, seriously, I missed November's retreat because I went to New York for a a fabulous weekend with some Buffalo and around the US friends and I'm so looking forward to getting back with my peeps, posse, rick-rack pack!

So as I stretch and yawn and try to stay out of bed...Spring, here I come!

Alexa's 14th, LaBoum, The Melting Pot - Oh My!

2011-02-20T18:57:00.012-05:00

I was so looking forward to a relaxing, quiet, let's hibernate like the bears January and February. Did I get that, NO! I mean what is this deal with having to provide birthday parties, party dresses, tennis lessons, and pantyhose for your teenager? Was that written in the orders you got when you went home from the hospital or in our case in the adoption documents? What happened to my nap time, weekends watching old movies - having money! All those are distant memories now...

Alexa's birthday was the 8th. It finally ended yesterday, the 19th. On her birthday she made me make her breakfast - breakfast! I never make her breakfast, unless it's for dinner! All right, I was a good mom and made her french toast for breakfast. Then came dinner - Olive Garden, here we come. It's Alexa's favorite (until she finds the most expensive restaurant in Buffalo that she can't live without). Then the day with south. I made the horrific mistake of buying Alexa gray tall Uggs on that web site that looks just like the real thing but is not... As soon as she opened the box, Alexa looked at them for less than a minute (I do not exaggerate here) and broke out in tears that the Uggs were not real! Meltdown followed. Long story short, we owe her REAL Uggs. I may have to take out a second morgtage...

Then it was time for Alexa's first fancy dance, LaBoum! This dance required a few important things and was missing a few important things. Requirement #1: A fancy party dress:

I have to admit, going dress buying was fun. Alexa looks good in almost everything she tries on. She's a size 1 - ONE! I've never been a size one in my life! I've been one size fits all, but never a size 1.

Requirement #2: Sparkly Shoes! these puppies cost almost as much as the dress! Must be strappy, must have bling and must have heels, CHECK!

Requiremnt #3: Have a BFF to go with! Alexa went dress shopping with her friend Grace and they went together to the dance and met up with their friends there. Don't they look so grown up!

Now for the the things that are NOT required for your first fancy dance- BOYS! It was my understanding (although information was very limited in coming) that boys and girls do not go together, don't dance together (with very, very few exceptions) and they have very little contact. Her father is thanking is lucky stars...

Since we've now started the dress, dance, possibly boy thing, can't we drop the birthday extravaganza thing? How many years more do I have to come up with birthday ideas? I'm voting for "I'm done!" But, not this year... Alexa looked at a variety of options and finally decided she wanted - The Melting Pot restaurant. We had never been there, but it looked expensive. As always, Alexa had done her homework and had the web site memorized. It turned out we could have her core group (plus mom and dad) and have a very nice time for what I probably would have spent for Alexa's usual birthday bash.

From left to right: Sarina, Laura, Grace Brenda, Alexa, Melissa, Haley and Frannie.

As the steam rises the girls get ready for the cheese fondue. they had apple pieces, veggie pieces and bread pieces to dip.

For desert Alexa had three types of chocolate. Mom and Dad had the Ying/Yang choice, dark and white chocolate in a ying yang pattern - sooooo good!

These were the dipping pieces, banana, strawberries, marshmallows, rice krispie treats, brownies, pound cake and cheesecake! The girls had a really good time and it was a new experience for several of them.

Another birthday year for Alexa is over. It's snowing outside as I type so maybe there is a chance for a little hibernating nap yet.

Yikes! It's been a month...

2011-02-02T23:47:00.003-05:00

It's been a month since I blogged! As Sarah Palin would say, "WTF!" - That is my only and LAST reference, quote, mention and thought from Ms. Palin (not that she has an intelligent thought in her head that's worth repeating).

ANYWAY...It's been a busy kind of a month. Big doings at the store - Sharon is out in the land of fruits and nuts - and SUN - stuck at CHA, yeah, right... So I've been helping hold down the fort at the store. It's been keeping me pretty busy. I've also got two card classes I'm teaching at the store that took me forever to finalize because I'm so nervous and insecure in my card making abilities. Good news is that they are going well, at least the first one. We'll see about the next.

Alexa's birthday party has been finalized and while we thought about inviting Prince William and his fiancee, Alexa decided that may be just a little too much... She is having a small, select group for dinner at the Melting Pot. Mom's happy - no dishes, no cleaning, no clean-up and her father and I get to eat too since we're footing the bill! I'm still trying to remember what I got for my 14th birthday. I think socks...

Snow. We finally got some sizable snow but not as much as we expected and certainly not as much as my downstate family has been barraged with this winter. We have a very nice neighbor who goes up and down several houses on either side of his house AND across the street (us) up and down several house with his snow blower to do our sidewalks. Thank heaven for retirees!

The good news is that the trees are almost down. One is completely down the other is devoid of all decorations, which are boxed up but the tree itself is still sitting in the center of the living room, along with all the packed up boxes of decorations. Super Bowl Sunday is this week so it will probably take me until then to get DH to help get everything back in the basement where it's stored.

Lastly, I get to do one of the time honored joys of motherhood with a teen aged daughter - dress shopping for her first fancy dance. La Boum, it's called. This is the 8th grade winter dance. Mind you, boys go with boys, girls go with girls and I've got no clue as to why this means she has to get a fancy dress. She has no intention of dancing ESPECIALLY with a BOY! I'm liking her friend Brenda. Brenda isn't even going - she refuses to wear a dress...

Oh well, pictures to follow...

No Photos, Please!!!...

2011-01-08T16:09:00.002-05:00

I'm thinking of becoming a horror movie star. Yeah, really...You oldsters might know of Lon Chaney, especially if you stay up late and watch TCM or AMC. Anyway, Lon Chaney was known as the man of a thousand faces (also the name of a movie about his life) because he used make-up to create so many characters - many of them horror quality - think the Hunchback of Notre Dame.

Well, I think I can out-do him (at least this month) without any make-up at all! My face is falling apart. Not to be un-done by my body, my face has decided to become it's own horror mask. From the top down:

My Hair - don't look too close or you'll see my beautiful gray hair mixed with my drab dirty blonde hair. Of course, it's tipped with my 'wish it was natural blonde' that is growing out way too quickly. To top it off, my hair has decided to go to sleep and is straight as a board and does not want to curl, hold a curl and laughs in the face of styling mousse and a curling iron.

My Eyes - Paul Newman is so safe...(God Bless) I never had his baby blues to begin with, mine are a drab gray blue. But my real problem - let's just say John Paul Jones couldn't have said, 'Don't fire until you see the white's of her eyes!" Mine are redder than Santa's suit! I had pink eye a few weeks ago and I looked like something from Twilight and just for fun the deep red keeps recuring, just to make me look weird!

My Ears - My ears itch like crazy! I cannot leave them alone! Nuf said...

My Nose - I've had a rash like dry skin on both sides of my nose for it seems like forever. Last week a friend told me she thought it was eczema! The good news is now I have a handle on WTF is going on, the bad news is how do I get rid of it?

My Lips - Welcome to winter! Chapped lips rule!

Put it all together and you have a horror mask that would do Lon Chaney proud! Everyone else, I don't think so and I'll apologize now. Well at least it's another good reason not to have my picture taken...

Another Year...

2011-01-03T17:25:00.003-05:00

I've been itching to write a new entry but have felt obligated to come up with something witty. It's not quite happening so I'm just going to tell it like it is...

My New Year's Resolutions for 2011

1. To make a sincere effort to be on time! - (It's January 3rd, how's that working out...)

2. To get up in the morning at a NORMAL time! - (I was up at 7:00 to get Alexa out, basically telling her to hurry up while I sat at the kitchen table with an Oreo or two. I digress - I also went back to bed and since Joyce went out shopping, I stayed in bed until - 2:43 p.m.)

3. To put away our Christmas decorations before Easter...(How about SuperBowl Sunday, unless the Patriots are playing! GO PATS!!

4. To never, never, never, never, never, NEVER!! watch - 'Bridalplasty' - This one will be easy. I'll have Snooki and The Situation over for Jello shots before I watch this show!

5. To make a sincere effort to finish projects on time! Including scrap projects, organizing, cleaning, etc. Notice how time is a recurring theme in this post? Opps! Time to watch PTI so I'll have to get back to this later...

Merry Christmas - 2010

2010-12-26T19:11:00.005-05:00

Here are my belated wishes for a Merry Christmas to everyone who stops by my blog. We had a really nice day and were joined by two Medaille students from China. Bella spent Thanksgiving with us this year and was able to join us for Christmas. She is a delightful young lady and we really enjoy spending time with her.
Here are Bella and Jon who joined us for the first time. Jon was very interested in Norm's book collection and ended up borrowing a number of books and DVD's. We had a combined Chinese and American meal. Ham for us traditionalists and some Chinese food (don't get excited, it was take-out) for Alexa, Jon and Bella.
I never get into my pictures so I thought I'd include these with me and the kids.
Both seemed to enjoy the tree and the decorations. Santa brought them both a gift and stockings. Jon loved Christmas Peeps! Alexa was happy with her Juicy charm bracelet and charm, Norm liked his customized Browns jersey, I was ecstatic over my Vagabond and 'Hip, Hip, Jorge!' t-shirt, but the winner this year was Joyce's hubcap for her 1996 Chevy Geo!

My day after was made even better by a win by the Patriots, unfortunately at the expense of the Bills, to secure a first round bye and home field advantage for the playoffs.

Scrambled Eggs...

2010-12-12T20:12:00.002-05:00

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I rarely watch Jimmy Fallon, but I couldn't resist when I saw the promos for the show a day or two ago. Fallon was all googly about having McCartney on the show. You could just see it in his eyes, he was like every 15 yr. old kid that got a ticket to a Beatles concert back in the 60's.

So check out this video of Sir Paul and Jimmy singing Scrambled Eggs - you'll recognize the tune as soon as they start. According to Paul this is how he remembered the melody to this song that we all know by another name.

Spa Thursday...

2010-11-04T11:35:00.002-04:00

Not for me mind you, for Abby! Yes, my cocker spaniel gets a 'spa day' and I don't.

When Abby has to go to the groomer, we call it her spa day. She gets to go and hang out with other dogs, loves her groomer, er, stylist and comes home looking extra beautiful and sweet smelling!

Me, I get a dog free day! Now, I LOVE my puppy girl but I cannot go anywhere in the house without her dogging (pardon the pun) my heels. She follows me everywhere and if I sit down, she's in my lap. So today after I check my mail, news and blogs, I'm going down to the basement to do laundry and work on my stamp/scrap cabinet that needs to be stained and finished. It's raining and miserable out so today is the perfect day.

Two for Tuesday...

2010-10-26T00:34:00.002-04:00

Well, so much for posting everyday. This week I thought I'd start on Tuesday and see what happens.

1. This is one of my new viewing pleasures. I love 'American Pickers' and I'm starting to get into 'Pawn Stars'. A new show started tonight, 'American Restoration'. I'm REALLLY looking forward to watching this.

2. My next guilty pleasure is tied this web site. Several of the girls at work are really into going to estate sales, flea markets and antique stores. If you've ever been in Buffalo Stamps and Stuff you know Sharon loves old cameras and antique items. They are all over the store and they are a wonderful background for all the stamps, papers, and supplies we sell.

Much to my daughter's dismay I've taken to going to the occasional estate sale. She thinks it's weird that I'd want anything that is old. Since I'm old it doesn't bother me at all!

Mixed Marriage...

2010-10-19T23:08:00.005-04:00

Did you know Norm and I started out our marriage as a mixed marriage? Yes, he was a Yankee fan and I was a Met fan. It was enough to make our early years fraught with tension. To make matters worse, we lived in Boston, Massachusetts the home of the dreaded Red Sox.

I got my love of sports from my Mom. She'd watch anything and everything. My Dad, not so much Army vs. Navy was about it and not so much at that. Golf, tennis, ice skating, car racing, football and baseball. Remember the Pro Bowler's League on Saturday afternoons with Chris Schenkel? Watched it every weekend, ABC's Wide World of Sports - everything from cliff diving in Acapulco to curling in Canada. The only sports we didn't watch were hockey and basketball, but I knew about them!

Once I married Norm he and the Yankees slowly corroded my ability to follow the Mets. The only time I was able to keep true was the 1986 Mets. I had support from the guys at work. But I have to tell you, they almost killed me!

We moved to Kentucky in 1992 and it almost killed baseball for both of us. No Yankees or Mets in Louisville. No baseball in Louisville - at least no pro ball. We finally moved back to NY or baseball civilization as Norman would call it and all was well with his world. I have to admit I may be responsible for a portion of my current status as I bought Norm Saturday season tickets to the Yankees when we lived in New Jesey. That's how I came to know the Yankees and only the Yankees.

So today I have (in the words of a avowed Red Sox fan) turned to the 'dark side'. After 34 years of marriage I am a solid Yankee fan and have been typing this because I can't bear to watch tonight's game. We were doing OK then we lost Texiera and Texas scored like five runs! It's the old 'if I don't watch, they'll do good!" - I hope...

I do the same with football - now that's another story!

Monday Morning with Grover...

2010-10-17T18:11:00.003-04:00

I've been terribly remiss in sending updates to my blog. So I thought I'd try something new. So far I'm going to try and do a "Monday Morning Message from ?" This can be anything! Words, Pearls, or whatever to start the week. I'm also thinking of borrowing shamelessly from Nora Griffin, "Tuesday's Ten", which will be ten to do's for me or for someone else - that could be interesting...

But today we start with my main man, Grover! Is this guy a stud or what! I think he does a way better job than that other wimpy guy on those Old Spice commercials...

With my tongue firmly planted in my cheek, happy Monday from me to you!

Better late than never...

2010-09-22T19:45:00.004-04:00

I'm finally getting around to posting pictures of Alexa's first day of school. I know it's getting a little old as she is 13 now and going into 8th grade. But I think she expects it of me! She doesn't complain, she even poses for the pictures. As long as I don't take pictures when the bus actually arrives, I'm cool.

Dad hangs around for the first day too. Lucky too because he looks much better in the morning than I do! Please take note of the matching lunch bag and carry-all. All perfectly coordinated with her top and skirt. Lastly, her toes were polished (by moi) to match her nails and set off with white flip flops! Ahh, the first day of fashion, er school...

Bad Romance...

2010-09-18T21:21:00.002-04:00

I've got losts to post but I found this via my Facebook page from Sandy Parmenter and even though I'm not a fan of Lady Gaga, I'm lovin other people doing LG. I'm a 'Gleek' and I loved the version they did on 'Glee' and unlike the guys on the show, these guys have got it goin' on! Enjoy!

Another Sunday night...

2010-08-29T22:38:00.003-04:00

It's another Sunday night and I'm watching the Emmys. If they could just eliminate the speeches, it would probably be a decent show. Case in point - Al Pacino - boring!!

ANYWAY...School is almost upon us. Alexa and I managed to do her school supply shopping without spilling any blood, tears or yanked out hair. Believe it or not, as Alexa gets older, the supply list gets shorter! (Except for the $100.00 calculator). I'm not looking forward to any clothes shopping, but luckily she has almost everything she needs for the fall semester, just a couple of pairs of new jeans and we'll be set until the end of October.

Our last challenge will be decorating Alexa's locker. Going into 8th grade (the last before high school!) Alexa still wants me to put up her locker paper and help her set up. This from a child who does not want me to set foot in her school under every other circumstance. We had to buy double sided wrapping paper, pink, of course and she mounted her schedule with pink and sparkle silver paper to be posted on the door. I figure this is the last year. I will gracefully retire from locker decoration at the end of this year and let Alexa do whatever decoration needs to be done in high school.

What I did on my summer vacation...

2010-08-11T19:57:00.012-04:00

It's been so long since I posted that I forgot my password! For most of the summer I was the supreme lurker. I've been looking at everyone else, everywhere else. I've been asked if I was OK? Yes. Have I been away?, No. Am I still alive?!? Definitely!
I know I posted much earlier this summer but I've been gone for a while and have just now managed to get some of my pictures downloaded to the computer. Bogspot hasn't been too helpful in letting me move picture so I've been working on this for several days, taking time off so I don't take a sledge hammer to the computer. ANYWAY...here is June, wonderful, creative, Tim's visit June!

One of the cool things we did was arrange personal shoppers for Tim's visit. Everyone got a paddle with a number on it at there placesetting. We had shopping bags to match each paddle up buy all the supplies Tim used in his classes.

Tim would show us something that he did and if you wanted the product you rasied your paddle and one of the salespeople would put that item in your corresponding basket! How cool is that! Some of those bags got very heavy...

We also had to have a picture with Tim with everyone who helped out so in the picture above going clockwise from the upper left hand corner is Laura, Mona, Elisabeth, Mark, Tim, Sharon Marty, Kaitlyn, Jamie, Debbie, Jessica, and me! Mario was our picture taker so he isn't in the shot :(

Here we are again on Sunday, me, Jamie, Mona, Dimitra, Sharon and Debbie. As you can see by the table set up, Tim was incredibly organized and he brough EVERYTHING YOU SEE ON THE TABLE WITH HIM!!

This is a sample of the Patchwork Pandemonium sample we had. (If you come to the store now there is a framed version done by Dimitra and framed by Debby on display behind the register).

This was one of our welcomes to Tim. Dimitra's vintage typewriter with a welcome note to Tim!

We had a fabulous weekend with Tim Holtz! Four classes, 90 women in each class! Tim was wonderful, a great teacher, funny, and as he says, he's just Tim! Here are some more photos:

Don't you just love the look on his face! Sharon felt a little empowered when she got to use the microphone. Below is a shot of everyone working and below that is a shot with Elisabeth who came all the way from New Jersey, and Debby right next to her. Me and Tim...and yes, I was a blithering idiot most of the time, incapable of a coherent sentence or thought. I hate small talk :(

JULY was another story. Long story short, I spent about four days in the hospital after having a hysterectomy. Not a way I would recommend spending the fourth of July holiday, but the fireworks show outside my window was pretty spectacular! I had only one little minor blip, which my OB/GYN fixed quickly and I was home.

I did pretty good at home I think as my DH told me last night that I "manned up" and didn't whine, complain, make excuses or anything during my recuperation. I guess I did good!

I think I'll do the rest of my saga on another post as I have a couple more things to add and it's still a good 2 plus weeks until school starts - Yeah!!!

Flip Side...

2010-07-07T20:51:00.004-04:00

I ended up staying in the hospital for an extra day because of my BP and blood count going a little wonky. That's my doctor's story and it's working well for me. I was slightly ambivalent about coming home. In many ways the hospital was like a hotel with your own ladies maid.

Think about it, someone comes and checks on you every hour, offers you ice water, pillows, blankets and pain meds. Those came in really handy! They were really nice too. I've never been called 'Honey' so many times in my life.

Food - no cooking! Breakfast, lunch and dinner brought to you every day on a regular schedule! The tray was also taken away and there were no dishes to do!

Sleep - sleep all day long! (nuf said).

Now the Flip Side...

I felt AWFUL!! I had to have a blood transfusion, two uncomfortable CT scans (with the bumpiest trip to radiology I never want to take again!)

Even though ALL the nurses and nurses aides were extremely solicitous, understanding, compassionate and downright good at what they do (an extremely hard job) I had a new RN/NA every eight hours my entire stay! I don't think I saw the same RN/NA twice! Thank heaven that most of them wrote their names on the wipe board I stared at 24/7 and they had name badges.

They demanded answers to questions like, are you dizzy, nauseous, unsteady on your feet, can you walk, what is your name, how do you spell it and what is your birth date - every time they gave me an IV, pain med or took blood (and that happened way too much!)

Who could eat that food, really, come on. You know what I'm talking about. They brought me dinner after I'd been out of recovery for about an hour and I could barely open my mouth it was so dry and cottony. They gave me macaroni and cheese, hot coffee, other things I can't remember and I could not eat any of it, heck, I couldn't stand the smell! Nurse, ice water PLEASE!

Sleep, glorious sleep, ahhh...Yeah, right! I've been in elementary schools and ball games that are quieter than daytime on a hospital floor! Then when you do finally go to sleep, they try to sneak in and take your BP, temp, or are doing it for your roommate and just because she's awake doesn't mean you are!

Those beds! Hard mattresses, scratchy linen and blankets. Haven't they heard of sleep number, tempur-pedic, serta, anybody???

So you would you think that I'd be delighted to be home. Well, I am but...the dog has gotten out of the yard three times since I've been home and all times but one, DH has been off bike riding, walking, out with Lex anywhere but here to help. The one time someone was home it was Alexa and she stepped up to track Abby down.

Alexa barges in to the bedroom with no knocking, balks at doing anything to help unless she is in the mood. NO ONE CLOSES THE DOOR! Norm, Lex or the dog. The Dog, that's a whole nuther story! Abby has been off the wall since I've been home and since we've all been home. She has been a terror going after everything she can get her cute little teeth on and since getting up and down is the most taxing thing I can do, she has been running me ragged.

So with hubby's sometime benign neglect, daughter's denial, and puppy's pandemonium, I'm ready to check into a hotel! Anyone have the number for the local Marriott?!

Kinda Sorta...

2010-07-06T14:05:00.002-04:00

I'm back home after my surgery and I feel - blah! I am very grateful for central air conditioning, our recliner and my daughter's friends who have kept her very busy since I went to the hospital. Outside of that, I'm done-in and content to sit here and veg. So that's what I think I'll do. stay cool everyone.

TTFN...

2010-06-30T11:00:00.002-04:00

I'm going to be enjoying? a few days of R&R, rest and relaxation at the hospital before I have to come home for recovery from my "woman's surgery". Although, I know hospitals are notorious for being places where you can't get rest, I'm not sure coming home to dog, daughter and MIL will be very relaxing either. As it is, Norm is planning on stopping by for a quick hello, how are you, bye! on Friday afternoon and then going to the baseball game (Bisons) Friday night - such devotion! What can I say - wife, baseball, wife baseball...see the scale teetering towards...Baseball!!! Now, if only I was Derek Jeter...oh well, ta, ta, for now!

Gone are the days...

2010-06-21T19:38:00.006-04:00

Gone are the days of getting together with your friends and talking about boys and rock bands...

Gone are the days of getting together with your friends and talking about fashion and jobs and boyfriends...

Gone are the days of getting together with your friends and talking about weddings, honeymoons, and sex (not necessarily in that order)...

Gone are the days of getting together with your friends and talking about should you get pregnant, OMG I'm NOT pregnant, OMG I'm pregnant, what do I do now that I'm pregnant, sex and sharing each other's horror story of labor and delivery...

Gone are the days of getting together with your friends and talking about your kids, ages birth to forever and sex (or lack thereof)...

Gone are the days of getting together with your friends and talking about your husband or SO, sex and your "friend"...

Welcome to the days of talking about your aches and pains, your thyroid and your gall bladder, your lasic surgery, sex and (GASP) Botox...

Yes, welcome to being our Moms and for some of us, our grandmother's.

Think about it, the last time you spent time with your girlfriends (no guys included), didn't you talk less about your kids and more about your health? Your talk included what meds and what food changes you've made in your life along with your new exercise regimen. Our bodies and what they are doing or NOT doing have taken the place of talking about other things such as books, movies, hairstyles and hot men.

Besides noticing these subtle changes creeping into my life I'm about to have one of those "woman" operations that definitively tell you that that time in your life is over - I'm having a hysterectomy in a week or so.

I'll save you the gory details and reasons. My bottom line is "the equipment never worked right in the first place so let's get rid of it!" (I'm also hoping they'll do some lipo suction on my tummy while they are there). I'm also hoping that giving rid of all this excess baggage will "Free Me", let me begin the best years of my life, let me come into myself, yada, yada, yada - just like Oprah says...

But right now, I'm just worried about not acting like a fool under anesthesia...and should I scrap this?

What a Weekend!...

2010-06-15T14:41:00.009-04:00

You can take your Robert Redford, your Robert Pattison your Justin Beiber. We have Tim!

A week ago today Tim Holtz arrived in Buffalo for four Awesome , Wonderful, Creative, downright Fun workshops. Sharon has been jones'n this guy for our store for over two years. Thanks to her persistence, talent and generous nature we finally got a commitment to his coming to Buffalo Stamps and Stuff this year.

We started with thinking 50 students per class. We kicked that up to 75 and then we finally got the OK for 90 - How many do you think we got per class to sign up? 90 in the first three classes and 95 in the last class!

Beautiful, wonderful, talented Dimitra made lunch for each day, chicken to die for!! So good!! We even had buffalo shaped cookies - delish!

Sharon found this darling antique chalkboard. If you rolled the knobs at the top it would scroll through different school lessons like how to tell time, state capitals, grammar rules, etc. We used the sign to direct customers to the store we used for the workshops. Tim loved the board so much that Sharon gave it to him as a thank you for such a wonderful weekend.

Personal shoppers! Who knew?! We gave everyone a numbered paddle (what you can do with tongue depressors!) and as Tim used a product if a customer wanted it they would hold up their paddle and we would put the product in their corresponding bag - what service!

Memorial Day...

2010-05-31T18:07:00.004-04:00

I once was in scrapbook journal swap that had the topic "My Favorite Holiday". Most people chose Christmas or Thanksgiving but I chose Memorial Day. I have happy memories of this holiday from when I was a child. When I was in elementary and then junior high school I was a girl scout. Every Memorial Day we would march in our village parade. That was pretty cool! What I enjoyed even more were the visits we made to the cemeteries in Brooklyn and Queens.

On my dad's side of the family his father served in the WWI. My dad served in WWII in the Navy. The story goes that he went to my grandmother and said "You might as well sign to give your permission for me to enlist because I'm just going forge it if you don't" My grandmother signed her permission. My dad was a tall lanky kid and was several months shy of the legal limit when he enlisted. My dad was also the man of the house as his father (my grandfather died when my dad was 12 or 13). My grandmother was a fairly independent woman for her time. For years she worked in the central Post Office in Manhattan to support herself and my dad. A working woman way before it was in vogue.

She belonged to the VFW Auxiliary and was very patriotic. Every Memorial Day weekend my dad would drive out to Freeport to pick her up and then drive into the Lutheran cemetery in the city. I loved to go along! We would drive into Queens and stop at one of the many florist shops outside the cemeteries and pick up a few arrangements or wreaths and then go in and place them. (From what I can remember the Catholic, Jewish and Lutheran cemeteries were all butted up to each other and covered a huge area.) My dad always brought his clippers, a few yard tools some cleaning stuff to straighten up the grave sites. We also made sure we brought small American flags.

I loved going to the cemetery I would roam around while my dad tended the grave site. This cemetery didn't look like today's cemeteries with their flat grave markers and flat land with very few trees. These cemeteries were built on rolling hills with parkways (highways) bisecting them with twisty narrow roads in and out. Family plots were often marked with two foot high wrought iron fences and gates. There were elaborate headstones and mausoleums. Everything was very crowded together. We'd pay our respects, place our flags and wreathes and leave.

We'd always see a veteran outside the cemetery or on a street corner in the area selling crepe paper poppies for the Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW). In my house it was next to a sin not to buy a poppy or two or three, which we did every year. My grandmother would play "God Bless America" on the piano or the "Battle Hymn of the Republic" and sing - my grandmother could not sing...I was taught to respect the flag and my country and the soldiers who had fought and died for our freedoms.

On the more fun side of our trip we also managed to find a street vendor near the cemetery selling large soft pretzels - three for a quarter! What a deal! These pretzels were warm to hot with salt and incredibly soft and delicious, just the best, ahh, what memories.

For me Memorial Day isn't just about the hot dogs, hamburgers and picnics. Nor is it about the parades. It's about remembering what and who came before us. Not only the soldiers but the families that supported them and remembered them in their hearts and in their actions. The sacrifices these past generations made for us to be able to live in this glorious country today. Freedom is never free and to honor those who have made the ultimate sacrifice for our freedom is the least we can do. Remembering them and showing the next generation that their deaths were not in vain is our duty to them today and every day.

I'm every woman...

2010-05-17T19:09:00.005-04:00

From the sexist commercials of the seventies - "He thinks he'll keep her", to the anthem of the 90's - "I'm every woman!" women have been trying to redefine themselves since before we had to fight for the vote to getting the "pill".

Well, I'm here to say, "I'm every woman!" - Just not all at once, at the same time to the same people. Frankly, I'm over 50 and am tired of it and it's just starting for me! Could I have not planned my life any better or is it worse, I don't know.

I'm an end of the line baby boomer who missed out on all the rebellion stuff - which was good as I'm as about as rebellious as a piece of over done toast - put a fork in me, I'm done...

I was pathetic during the disco daze - can't dance to save my life! Have no clue as to what is proper or improper bar etiquette - don't really drink.

I had to wait to see Sex in the City until it came on in edited re-runs on TBS, plus I'm closer to Samantha's age than Carrie's and NO ONE would mistake my panda bear mind set for that of Samantha's cougar personality.

I'm either a day late or a dollar short, or both... so back to this woman thing.

My household consists of me, my DH - Norman, my DD - Alexa, my MIL - Joyce and Abby, The Puppy. I'm also a member of the sandwich generation. Although my DH and I are closer in age to retirement. We have his 78 yr. old mother living with us and our 13 year old DD - Alexa across the hall. I need a full time referee from the NFL just for those two alone. Since we were all having such a good time we decided to get a dog! Perfect compliment.

Norman and I wanted one because we missed our last dog who passed away suddenly, Alexa wanted one for the cuteness factor, "I'm not picking up any poop!" can still be heard in our house a year later... Joyce didn't want a dog at all - at least nothing she had to deal with (she hated our previous dog).

Now the Puppy looks at me as pack leader. She will obey me... most of the time and while I baby her I also realize she is a dog. I'm still Mommy to her. During the day she will follow me around, sit in my lap and is for the most part agreeable and obedient. We get along very well. I close doors, don't leave food, clothes, tissues, knee highs, pens, highlighters, baseball cards, underwear and other assorted human dog treats out where she can get them. I've dog proofed the area she is allowed in in the house.

To create peace with the other humans in the house and for the duration of the Puppy's first year, she was restricted to our kitchen, family room and sometimes to the Florida room. This weekend the DH and I decided - ENOUGH! Family get ready - here comes Abby! we took down almost all the gates and cleaned up in the other common areas and everyone was instructed to do the same OR close your door! Simple enough, right...WRONG!

MIL doesn't want her scratching at her door (she can't take the pathetic sound) and she doesn't want the dog she loves (yes, she does, whole other post and story) in her room because there is too much for her (Abby) to get into so MIL will just wait until Abby is "trained not to eat her things..."

Alexa has a room like, well, you know, you've seen it. Just go down a few posts. So she wants the dog to come in but to leave all her stuff alone. This will never happen and Alexa will never clean her room so I periodically will hear a scream for "MOM! Abby's in my room and won't leave my things alone!" Did she think I put her there? It's an idea, but Alexa's shriek is much worse than Puppy's bite.

DH - you'd think I'd have a partner, a like thinking, dog proofing, sympathetic hubby - NOT !! He expects Abby to be Lassie, or Rin Tin Tin or at least every well behaved dog that walks besides it's human behaving perfectly in all those dog food commercials. What was I thinking? This man leaves pens, highlighters, papers, sports magazines all over the house - shoes, socks - don't get me started on the socks!

So I can either be a mother, wife, DIL to my human family and deal with them or I can be Mommy to the Puppy and deal with her - NOT BOTH - at least not at the same time! Abby was fine all day long, we went for a ride in the car this morning, got a biscuit at the bank and a bagel chip at Bagel Jay's - yum! We did a little laundry, ran around the house, she barked at the traffic walking and driving past the front door. We played Frisbee in the backyard, she told me when she had to go out. She had a little lap time while Mom watched 'Young and the Restless' - overall a very good day.

Then the two legged family came home and all hope was lost. She got into MIL's room and scarfed down a chocolate bar - I know BAD, very BAD! Alexa just stood there and yelled to us describing what she was doing in her perfect local reporter style, while doing NOTHING!! MIL threw in her 2 cents on what we were doing wrong (with Alexa too, for good measure). DH's presence just incited the dog to jump up and run around even more. he made dinner (YES) while ignoring all bad behavior, shaking his head at HIS mother's comments and walking away as soon as possible and who was left to clean up and in the middle - ME!

So I promptly ran upstairs, sat down at the computer and wrote this. Can you tell!!!!!! I'll never be every woman - and frankly, in this house, it would kill me first!

Shopping til you drop...

2010-04-24T18:45:00.005-04:00

I'm surrounded by shoppers, at home and at work - shoppers, shoppers everwhere! The funny thing is they all fall into different categories, let me explain.

The Shopaholic Diva: One guess as to who this is...Alexa, duh! She loves to shop, so much so that she keeps the shopping bags (only the cool stores, of course) as souvenirs. When she gets home she shows us everything she bought, emphasizes the items on sale and then she goes up to her room and photographs her buys! I kid you not. She's got a ton of pictures on her camera of her clothes - oh, to reminisce about the good times!

The Vegas High Roller: This one might be a little harder to guess. It's my MIL (mother-in-law) Joyce. Joyce is on a fixed budget and her one really big joy is the equivalent to hitting it big at the craps table in Vegas - using coupons! She grabs the Sunday paper, takes the circulars with her and goes over them the same way Phil Ivey sizes up the other players at the featured table at the World Series of Poker! Very often at dinner she'll announce how much money she saved that day (along with how many cute babies she saw during her travels!)

The Secret Shopper: Who's left - Norman. Norm will just run out to Dash's after dinner...and come back with all kinds groceries for I don't know what! Or, he'll just go out to run a few errands and come home from BJ's with more stuff for the freezer and paper goods than we need for a few months! My favorite is his favorite Friday evening, after dinner exercise, perusing the aisles of Barnes & Nobles - and coming home with a pile of books whose cost will not be mentioned...

The Lucky Shopper: no, not Abby, Sharon, my boss. She has the most amazing luck when she shops garage sales, antique stores, flea markets and estate sales. The store is decorated with many of her finds. Last weekend I got to go along with Sharon and Dimitra on a shopping adventure down to Caledonia. A story too long to repeat so check it out here.

Now, don't get me wrong, I love to shop but I usually don't take pictures of my finds. How excited can you get over Tylenol sinus and knee highs? I've never been the one for coupons. I'll be sure I won't need the Michael's or JoAnn's 40% off because I'M NOT SHOPPING THERE THIS WEEK AND I DON'T NEED ANYTHING!!! and sure enough I end up at either one or the other. Same with those never ending coupon cards from Macy's - 20% shopping pass! - You pick the date! The weeks I bring them - I don't go. The weeks I go, I forget them or don't bring because (refer to the bold print above).

I go food shopping and find my husband has already bought what we need and not told me, or he comes home the same night with the same thing!

Clothing - I don't even want to go there. Even when I do buy something new, Alexa gives it the once over and I get,"New top? I wouldn't wear that!" Duh! "How much did it cost?" and the twenty questions go on and on...

Wonder finds? - I'm the kind that likes nice even aisles, coordinated displays and everything out in the open. Half the time I walk past the best stuff! I have to know exactly what I'm looking for and I was never good at haggling over a price.

That said, I did come across something at an estate sale and went wild an woolly and got it because it was 30% off. Want to see?
I found these at an estate sale. The couple selling the house had lived in China for a number of years and the house had a lot of Chinese art, pictures and furniture. This is Chinese embroidery. It is just lovely. Brilliant vibrant colors and the artist's chop (signature) in the lower right corner. In front of it is a jade bowl with silver lattice work around it. Don't know if either is worth much, don't care - I just like them!

Oh, and the Shopping Diva - she left earlier this evening for a horse riding, sleep-over, shopping trip with her friend Brenda. She also asked for the Macy's charge before she left because she had both the 20% shopping coupon and $20 off coupon ready to go!

Warning: Parents of Teenagers BEWARE contents!

2010-04-13T11:22:00.004-04:00

Exhibit A

You've been warned... So have I for that matter. I'm the mother of a teenager, a full fledged, fashion loving, selective hearing, selective behavior, Jekyll and Hyde teenager - and the female of the species at that - much, much more dangerous.

We've been having that age old tug of war between Mom and Dad and Darling Daughter - CLEAN-UP YOUR ROOM! It was so bad a little over two weeks ago that we grounded her for two weeks. Didn't work. We got her an organizer drawer set for her hair, makeup, beauty, skin, nail, etc. tools - Didn't work.

Exhibit B

Abby loves Alexa's room. She never knows what delightful (to a dog) wonders she is going to find. Adding to the problem is the fact that the door won't latch closed, so all Abby has to do is push it open with her paws, (she usually takes a running jump), and she's in - makes it her favorite room in the house.

So today when Abby(our other demon child) got into her room and disappeared under the bed and could not be coaxed out for love or biscuits (until she decimated whatever it was she found so appealing) I decided it was time to go public.

Exhibit C

Here the 'other daughter' is enjoying her find...Now believe it or not, the room was worse. You could not see the carpet two weeks ago, at all, not even a piece big enough for a big toe to fit.

Now, I admit it, I'm not neat by ANY stretch of the imagination, my craft room is STILL a mess, but the dog doesn't go in and grab my stuff and hide and chew it all to bits. I can still find stuff in my room and my door doesn't latch just like Lex's. With Alexa's room things just kinda migrate into it from their normal locations, like phones, cameras, chargers, food, other people's scissors, markers, glue and adhesives, nail polish remover, you get the idea. This has just gone too far and yes, I know, it's only going to get worse.... HELP!!!!

Let's just forget last week, OK....

2010-03-15T09:03:00.005-04:00

Last week sucked - sorry for the language (that is one of my least favorite, never use unless desperate or really true)... So glad it's over and I'm starting on a new week. Nothing big happening, just taking care of some stuff that is long overdue, like the coin that weighs a ton that Alexa decided to roll a few weeks ago...not sure how I'm going to get it the bank (carry that is).

Puppy is getting her stitches out today and is going to groomer on Thursday. We'll have our beautiful, fluffy puppy back!

Norm got short changed on his birthday last week, plus he had to deal with my melodrama. I owe him a dinner...

Alexa is Alexa - spent from Friday afternoon when she got picked up from school by a friend's mother, to yesterday (Sunday) at friend's house for a two day sleep over with shopping thrown in...

Me, well I'm finally going to get some professional help for a pain that has been plaguing me for about 35 years now - enough said...

Good news - The Hillside Scrappers retreat is only 10 - count'em 10 days away! WAHOOO!!! We're going to have a Martini tasting party - if all goes well. Anyone got any good recipes out there??

Sunday - Funday...?

2010-03-07T12:04:00.005-05:00

I'm too in a rush to move these so I'll pre-empt my blog notations by showing you a few recent layouts in photo form. Sorry there isn't a lot of close-up detail, but you'll see below I'm kinda-sorta-not-right-now-working on it.

Glam 13 - Alexa's 13th birthday party. The girls had their nails done, cake by Dessert Deli, games like 'Tin Foil Dresses' and make-up and glam photos by moi. The collage of photos was done by Walgreens - who knew?!?

I am always telling customers in the store that I don't stamp, I scrapbook! (usually in hushed tones) So here is a layout that features that statement - i don't stamp! {That's MY STORY and I'm sticking to it} I'm a scrapbooker! I put examples of my favorite stamp lines along with a list of them (yeah, that many).

I took a 5x7 of Alexa's school picture for this year and I'm trying to channel some of the designers I most admire from My Creative Scrapbook Kit Club to do a layout of our girl.

Several months ago I did a layout with a photocopy of a vintage photo of my mother as a baby, my grandparents (my grandmother, on the left, is so young and pretty in this photo) and my great grandparents on my grandfather's side (I think) using Graphic 45 paper and Prima flowers. The black oval scallop in the center is where my journaling should be - I'm getting there.

Now on to my blog entry for today:

Someone, Connie I think, accused me of not posting lately :-( Well, I did just this past Thursday, but I thought I'd give it a go again. My scrap room looks even worse than after the last time my so called organizing tornado swept through so because I have a whole Sunday at home with hubby and DD downstairs to keep Puccini (the puppy) company, I'm going to spend the day in my room cleaning - or a similar facsimile thereof...

Mind you, the tornado has spread to the hall where I've stacked organized stuff so I can get at my unorganized stuff...and later today I hope to ooze down to the living room to lay out paper for sorting (It's the only room big enough, without foot traffic and doggie paws).

So of course I'm starting my day by doing nothing related to this clean-up at all...trying to figure out how to post layouts and stitch layouts better on 2Peas. Since my layouts are all at work, I've gotten a reprieve from doing that but the governor of scrapping has denied my appeal for delay again, on starting to organize and clean. So here it is, a new post for Connie a photo attempt of my latest layouts (till I can do it the right way) and a shout out for Brian Vickers to come in in the top ten or PLEASE top five in today's 'Hotlanta' Nascar race.

Girl, in the immortal words of DW - Boogity, boogity, boogity!!! Let's go cleaning????

Happy Birthday Abby????...

2010-03-04T12:52:00.002-05:00

Today is the puppy's 1st Birthday! That's the good news! The not so good news is she is spending the day at the vet's getting spayed :-(

Poor baby came through her surgery OK and I'm going to pick her up in a few hours. What a birthday present!

Sorry no image, computer doesn't seem to want to access my photos today, what else!?!?!

Winter Hibernation...

2010-02-22T10:40:00.003-05:00

Just call me "Bear". I'm really getting into this hibernation idea. Get up in the morning, have some coffee, let the dog out, settle in to read a little, then watch afternoon at the Olymics - Curling is my favorite for a relaxing afternoon. Slide into the 5:00 news, have a quiet little dinner, do only what you have to until 8:00 p.m. when you settle in with the remote and a dog on your lap and watch the evening Olympics until midnight. Your options for the end of the day are: wait until the news is over (preferably with a Law and Order re-run) and watch the Olympic review, watch the shows I DVD'd or go quietly and sleepily to bed, having been lulled by your daily hibernation routine - now complete. Wake up the next day and repeat...

Yep, just call me "Bear".

I've pretty much been an Olympic junkie since last Friday. I do make a few exceptions like "Jack" (24) on Mondays, but I pretty much will tape anything else I normally watch. Outside of that it's been pretty much me and puppy. Alexa is back to school after the week off. She went shopping, had two sleepovers, went ice skating and managed to collaborate with a friend on a frightfully creative cell project - complete with midocondria and protozoa in a colorful 3-D display.

My equally intelligent husband is leaving for Taiwan on Wednesday with his boss to finalize an agreement with a university there. He's already looking forward to the warm temperatures. His "Silly Game" season gets underway shortly as the cards from Strat-O-Matic came in the mail last week. For those of you who have never heard of Strat-O-Matic sports games - BE THANKFUL!!!! This game is one of my DH's very few vices. Every year since he was in high school (we're talking 40 years!) he sends away for a new set of cards that reflect the statistics of every major league baseball player from the season before. Norm sits down with all these cards and an atlas (yes, ATLAS) to create his own teams and name them after cities, and towns all the country. Then he divides his teams into two leagues (American and National) and starts playing.

Now, this will give you an idea why my DH is so techno challenged. This game has no batteries, no lights, no fancy spinners or game board, no automatic scoring and uses no electricity! You have scorepage, you roll the dice, match the numbers on the dice with what it says on the card and somehow get a full nine inning game of baseball out of it - not counting games that might go extra innings...Norm starts playing in March and plays until he has played an entire schedule of games, post season and World Series. He usually finishes around July or August with a stack of scorecards of each fame about three inches tall (because you score by hand)!

This is Norman's idea of relaxation, excitement and just down right fun. The only thing that would make him happier would be to be in Italy, in a Tuscan villa, playing this "Silly Game". Me I'd rather be on Lake Como with George Clooney - but hey, I always have scrapbooking in Buffalo!

Still Working on it...

2010-01-23T15:54:00.002-05:00

OK, now that I've found and tried another "pretty my blog" site I still have no clue to what I'm doing. I'm sending out a full blown HELP!!!
1. How do I get my title on the header? I think I have to have it fit on the lined tag - ACK!!
2. Am I supposed to put a picture (mine-ACK!!x2) in the box on the right.
3. How do I get the header to stretch to edge of the border?
4. How do I get the label off the top of my printing?
5. Why am I so lame at this?!?!?!

This does nothing to help my feelings of inadequacy. I think I need computer therapy (and the other kind too)...

Changes...

2010-01-20T23:35:00.002-05:00

Hi gang! You know the title of my blog just above this posting, especially the sub-title, Life happens when you're making other plans? Well I think I just put my words into action.

I've been cruising many blogs looking for card, stamping, scrapbooking and other paper arts ideas and I came across this 'make my blog beautiful - for FREE' banner on several very artistic blogs so I thought I'd give it whirl.

Sure enough, I've screwed up the whole thing. What you see now is what is left of my original blog template and design. It doesn't help that it's 11:44 at night and I'm working on my laptop instead of on my desktop with my original artwork and the majority of my photos etc.

I hate it when technology and my lousy typing reminds me how incompetent I really am on a computer!

Anyone know how I add a growling smiley face???

New Year 2010...

2010-01-01T15:18:00.006-05:00

Happy New Year?! The good thing about a new year, besides the cool number 2010, is that it gives me an excuse/starting point/reason to begin a major organization of my scrap room. There is a challenge on 2Peas that has a method for organizing a space that will have a new chapter every week. This first week is to do a scrap audit of your space, and to do a layout - and as you do it write what works about your space as you work and what doesn't.

These are photos of my space before my last purge and update. This bookcase is gone replace by a white cube storage system that is not working for me because I haven't organized it well enough. I've got three tiers of large white cubes in 3 drawer, one large drawer and two 6 shelf cubes. Above the two shelf drawers are two of the smaller Michael's cubes, part upright shelves and part two shelve cube. On top of this are my paper cutters and finished projects and other decorations that make me happy. Also on the end is a two tier Clip-it-Up storage rack. On the wall behind it is a small spice rack with MM paints.

The bookcase in this photo is still here the ribbons have been replaced by a four self unit that stores projects completed on top, ribbon in jars on the second shelf (which I'm not sure that I like now that they are stored that way, assorted plastic drawer storage (not working) on the third shelf and open storage of assorted stuff on the bottom shelf (again, not working). There is a wire cube behind the bed that stores my cardstock paper by color. Piled in front of the cubes are a few plastic drawers and a tackle box I use for embellies. Needless to say, it's hard to get to any of it let alone remember what I've got. The bed has way more stuff on it now and the floor has lots of stuff too.

Well, nothing like a rousing start to the new year! Do they make a twelve step plan for scrapbookers?

What's on your new year's list of things to do???

I found it, I finally found it!...

2009-12-27T16:43:00.004-05:00

And what might "It" be - my camera!! Happy New Year to me! Alexa was going to have a sleepover so we dragged the trundle mattress out from under the day bed in my craft room. All the stuff piled up on the floor of my craft room in front of the bed is now on top of it and I was able to search underneath with a flashlight and I hit the daily double. Not only did I find my camera but I also found my watch that I had misplaced even longer ago than the camera!

I found a picture of Abby in one of her favorite positions - sitting on our laps or legs as Norm or I sit in the recliner. She has a complete view of the family room, the outside through the Florida room and anyone coming in from upstairs. The queen oversees her domain! You can also tell it's an older picture because she has hair! All of this is gone now, ahhh...Hopefully she will be back to her glorious, cute as a button look within a couple of months. I consider this a good sign for the year to come. Got camera, got luck!

God Bless Us Everyone!

2009-12-24T20:50:00.001-05:00

I want to wish all my friends, family and blog readers here in the US and around the world a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.

Three more shopping days til Christmas...

2009-12-21T20:34:00.003-05:00

I've just about had it with retailers. They are playing mind games with me. The Christmas decorations and promos started BEFORE Halloween around here. For months I was working on the consumer delusion of having so much time until you really had to get serious about Christmas.

I fought if off, had it under control and then like Abby with the zoomies...it was gone. Did you realize we've PASSED the last shopping week until Christmas? Wasn't Thanksgiving last Thursday? I could have sworn I just watched the Rockettes dance past Macy's front entrance and Santa go HO, HO, HO as he turned the corner and passed a Duane Reed...

I had the "formal" tree up right after Thanksgiving, I even got the lights on the bushes out front before Thanksgiving. So how did come to pass that this Friday is Christmas!?! I'M NOT READY!!!

They really ought to give us more warning...

I'm Pictureless!...

2009-12-06T14:01:00.003-05:00

You may know I've "misplaced" my camera. Don't you love those lovely euphemisms? Previously loved cars - Used car! Let's be honest here. Misplaced camera - all right, I lost it, I admit it... I'm convinced it's buried somewhere in my craft room but I haven't been able to find it. I had been planning on telling you all about some of the stuff going on but I keep getting an error message when I try to upload Alexa's SD card to my printer(I've been using her camera). I'm striking out all over so you will all have to use your imaginations...

Fool that I am, I invited five of Alexa's friends (the core group) over to decorate gingerbread houses. Each year Alexa decorates a gingerbread house whether it comes from a kit, or the Dessert Deli's house decorating event or a Wegman's house that we put together and then she decorates. She wanted to do houses with her friend Brenda, so I figured in for a penny in for a nickle and had five friends come over. Lex took pictures, as did I but they will not load!! So you need to imagine our dining room table, covered in a pink plastic table cloth and six chairs around. At each place is a 8D"X5W"X10H gingerbread house on a cardboard base. There are six snowman marshmallow peeps, one at each place setting, and a piping bag filled with royal frosting.

Running down the center of the table are various bowls of Twizzler - strawberry and multi-fruit colored, cinnamon dots, 10 packages of Necco wafers, gum drops and wreaths, square, grid shaped pretzels, hard holiday candies in different colors, mini fruit flavored and colored jelly half circles, marshmallow mini Christmas trees and stockings and fruit shaped Skittle type candies. Also three cans of decorative icing - two white and one green and turtle crunch crumbs (for dirt or walkways). Needless to say the girls made good use of EVERYTHING! The houses came out great and more importantly, Alexa told me they all had a good time and loved their houses.

Now picture this, not hard because you can scrawl back a couple of posts and probably see pictures of Abby. Abby was covered in matted fur on her tummy, and dingy fur on top, head and ears because she's been out in the mud and stuff in the backyard and it's been raining and or snowing lately. She's also a little stinky...but beautiful still.

I took her to the groomer on Thursday to get her monthly bath and cut and told Jackie that she would probably have to have her tummy shaved to get rid of the mats there and her side coat taken down a bit. If she had to have a puppy cut, so be it, but she needed a serious trim. I left puppy at the groomers and ran my errands and called back at 4:00 to see if she was ready. Well, it turns out we no longer have a stinky, dingy, and matted but beautiful cocker spaniel. We now have a clean, sweet smelling BALD cocker spaniel...This one I'm almost glad you can't see! Her head is still as it was but from the neck down fuggetaboutit! The one good thing, kinda, is that we now know how she gets up on stuff - she's got the longest legs! She looks about four inches taller when you see how long her legs are now that they are not hidden by hair! Same with worrying about her weight - she's a slim trim girl!

No pictures need for this...I've got a solid handle on our toned down Christmas. We aren't going to Long Island this year - saving money, letting hubby relax at home and no worries about the dog. As always I have Alexa's computer written, including pictures list. This year she improved it by adding coupons and discount numbers for on-line ordering - where applicable!

I'll try to post as soon as I get the tree(s) up. I'm challenged by Abby as to what I can put up and what I can't. That vertical leap of hers is scary and I'm not willing to have my tree and 30+ year old handmade ornaments damaged or destroyed. So an update will be posted.

On the work front I did a paper covered nutcracker, a Maya Road Christmas tree chipboard book for the store and I have to do 25 ATC's (altered trading cards) for a swap at work. I also have several things to mail, more shopping to do (but no more money at the moment!) and the ever dreaded Christmas cards to do...and can you see the top of my desk? No...you could for about 24 hours a day or two ago, but now, not so much ;-)

So take care, I'll post when I can find a camera, a workable SD card and whatever else! Enjoy, only 19 more days till the jolly red suited guy arrives!

Let it snow, let it snow, let it snow!

2009-12-01T14:27:00.002-05:00

The first snowfall of the season. Just enough to make roads slussy and messy but not enough to call out the snow plows. Norm carved a path in the grass for Abby this morning. When I went out with her she wanted to eat the snow and then bury her nose in it and swish it around! Now I have not only a dingy, scraggly puppy, I've got a wet one too!

A Few Thoughts...

2009-11-24T09:15:00.003-05:00

It's been awhile, I know. All kinds of things going on but nothing really noteworthy so I think I may just ramble a bit to catch y'all up.

Abby is a mountain goat - I bet you didn't know that cocker spaniels led double lives, did 'ya? You can't leave a chair out, anything within six inches of the edge of a counter or a glass on an end table - what, are you crazy! She climbs chairs, the couch, the back of the couch, the kitchen table - loves to grab all the napkins in her mouth and trot away dropping them as she goes saving a large enough amount to chew and spread all over the family room, in pieces, lots of pieces - many, many, MANY pieces - 'enuff said...This is Abby caught in the act of eating a magazine...

Alexa has a cold or something. She is a very resistant, resilient kid. She doesn't catch every germ going around the school or gym. She is rarely sick and when she is, her personality and actions are like a light switch turning off - makes it real easy to tell when she's just whining or is truly not feeling well. She's got the current rage going round - sore throat, cough, and low grade or no fever. I kept her home yesterday as it was a half day anyway but she went to school today. I'd really love her to be able to kick the sore throat...and yes, I'm keeping a very watchful eye on the temp for a relapse.

Yes, I still scrapbook! That was Alexa's question to me. Do you ever just make a regular layout? Something NOT for the store? Yes, Alexa, there is a scrapbooking mother in me. Here is a page to prove it - about you! I did this at the retreat last weekend along with three 2 page, 12x12 layouts, ten 8.5x11 layouts for last years vacation book, the chipboard Christmas tree I talk about later and a baby book for my friend Sarah. I'd write about the retreat but to be honest, much of he conversation is unprintable - we were naughty, big girls, but we had fun! (Sorry about the glare in the shot)

Christmas is coming, yada, yada, yada...I know, I'm a grouch :-( (welcome to my REAL world). We are staying home for the holidays this year. Money very tight, puppy concerns for traveling and staying in a hotel or even whether we should take her with us. Wondering how I'm going to put up a tree with danger dog in the house. She eats one of my handmade ornaments or faves and she is a dead dog!

Excited too because the store is going to be all decorated and we're doing our day after Thanksgiving Holiday Make 'n Take for the family the store will adopt for the holidays. I've already done two pieces for the store. I covered a wooden nutcracker (unfinished) with paper. I took the idea off the cover of a magazine and used the Basic Grey Eskimo 6X6 paper pack. Keeping with the BG theme only this time in 12X12, I covered the Maya Road Christmas tree chipboard ring album.

Keeping with my ever increasing cluttered-couldn't-find-my-head-if-it-wasn't-attached state of mind, I STILL haven't found my camera. I took Norm's to my retreat last weekend (if I can find it now, I'll see if I have any pictures to post to illustrate sentiments above). My craft room is still uninhabitable...and I don't even want to talk about the rest of the house (our bedroom is starting to look as bad as Alexa's!)

So, I think I'll go look for the camera (his) as I wait for the heating guy (third visit in week) don't get me started...and then try to make a dent in straightening up the house-I need a maid, butler, Merry Maid, cleaning droid, or whatever to do that. On that note (er, plea) I'll sign off and wish everyone who stops by a Happy Thanksgiving - a safe and successful Black Friday and best wishes for a good and healthy start to the holiday season!

27...

2009-11-05T00:20:00.004-05:00

The New York Yankees win their, count'em 27th World Series!!!!

Go Godzilla!! Hideki Matsui - the first designated hitter named World Series MVP!!

The 'Core Four' - Jorge Posada, Mariano Rivera, Derek Jeter and Andy Petitte - #5 guys!

We are the CHAMPIONS!!!!

Back again....

2009-10-08T12:14:00.001-04:00

Blog hiatus over, I hope. It's not like I didn't have anything to blog about, I've been busy all summer and fall. My big problem is I can't find my camera. If you saw my craft/computer room you'd understand. Have you seen that show 'Hoarders' ? Well, that's my craft/computer room right now. I'm convinced my camera is in here somewhere, I just haven't found it yet!

Abby is another reason. I can't let her up here because she'll just take off into any room she can and find whatever she can to chew up. She especially loves Alexa's room because Alexa never cleans up or puts away her clothes, clean or dirty... If I could fix Alexa's door so that when it closes it stays close (something is off about how the locking mechanism meets the jam) that would help. I'm putting it on my list of things to do.

But I do have a little update on our sweet little puppy. First, she's part mountain goat! She climbs anything and everything - the couch, chair, end tables, the kitchen table, counters if she can find a step up. She can fit through the slats of the stairs and tries to cut through those to reach the upstairs. So every once in a while I feel guilty leaving her alone as I go out and run errands. I love to bring her with me, but she wants to drive the car and she hasn't gotten her learners permit let alone her license...

I took Abby with me to run some errands last week. First, we went to the bank - but I went inside so no biscuit for puppy :-( then we went to Best Buy to pick up the copy of my hard drive as my laptop's mother board was being replaced (another reason for not posting - most of my current photos are on my laptop). Again, puppy not allowed in Best Buy. We also hit Starbucks, no lattes for puppies and the post box - Abby doesn't fit into the slot.

Then we went to Delta Sonic (local car wash, gas station, oil change and convenience store). I noticed that my MIL's car inspection sticker expired three months ago :- \ , plus it needs to be washed inside and out - all those puppy nose marks on the windows... Turns out they did do inspections I just had to leave the car at the bay door, leave the keys and they'd do it right away. I couldn't leave Abby in the car so we went for a little walk around the green area near the Delta Sonic. I was told 20 minutes for the inspection and we started back to wait at the outside waiting area. We were almost back to the garage when a truck pulls up and there is a DS employee inside and he says "We can't do your car" - Shocked, I said, "Why?" - turns out I kept the keys and didn't leave them in the car. So I hand the keys over and Abby and I walk around a little more and get the car back about a half hour later.

But, were not done. I put Abby in the car and walk into DS to buy my carwash and arrange for gas afterward. I go back to the car and the car is locked. I didn't think I left it locked, oh well, I'll just open it. I go fishing for my keys...and find them in the ignition. Locked in. Abby locked in. Back into DS and ask if anyone can help me get my door open. Longer story short - they can't. AAA, I think! What have I been paying them for all these years! I go to call and I can't get my phone to work! Back into DS to use their phone. 400 questions later, with continual assurances and promises of the quickest service they say they'll be there in no later than 45 minutes! It's an emergency because there is a pet trapped in the vehicle...

I go to wait by the car with Abby so she doesn't get too stressed. I'm still trying to figure out how the door got locked. Then Abby jumps up on the window ledge to sniff hello and it hits me. Abby locked the car! While I was inside DS she jumped up on the window ledge and pushed the button down. I was going to be right back to the wash the car so I left the keys in the car. Thirty minutes later, the window jimmied open by AAA we finally were able to pull into the car wash portion of DS.

It was a first for Abby and I'm not sure she really liked the experience. We go through the water, soap, drying, waxing and pull around AGAIN - for the inside cleaning. We sit down again outside and wait the fifteen minutes for the vacuuming, window washing and dash cleaning. I put Abby in the car and we...pull over the the gas pumps. I pump my gas and go back into DS for I hope is the last time. I paid for my gas, got my discount and decide to purchase a lottery ticket. Mega Million is $105 mil - gotta be in it to win it and my luck can't get any worse! Maybe this whole disaster is a sign! I'm finally gonna hit the big one!

I'm on my way out to the car, keys firmly in hand, puppy looking out the back window for me to return and I hear a voice behind me - "Mam, you forgot your lottery ticket!" I sheepishly turn around, smile, grab the ticket and go straight home, no more stops, no more chances, and looking for police cars all the way home...

And it begins again - I can hear the music!

2009-09-03T09:52:00.008-04:00

Another September and school begins again today. Alexa and I managed to prepare for the start of the school year without either of us coming to blows. We did all her school supplies last week and supplemented her ever growing wardrobe this week. The rest of the house was clueless that she even started school today! Her dad and my MIL thought she started next week. Sure, that's why I've been running around like a chicken with it's head cut off for the past two weeks! So now I'm doing the happy dance - it truly is the most wonderful time of the year!

It was a little harder to take the usual pictures as she is getting so grown up. We finally got her hair cut last night and despite having that lovely Vera Bradley large tote her father got her last year, she went and bought a new Aero portfolio to be her usual styling self. She's not carrying so much because last week we did the ritual decorating of the locker. This year we did (or I should say I did) all four walls in a contrasting print of pink and purple flowers and purple solid. She also had the appropriate hand sanitizer, mirror, wipe off board, and metal racks - pink, of course.

Our garage sale was a success. We did a really good day on Friday. Before I started to bring things out at 7:30 a.m. I had a neighbor from down the street ask about Alexa's swing set. I put an ad on Craigslist at about 11:30 the night before advertising the sale and listing our swing set for free for anyone who was willing to take it. Boom! before 8:00 a.m. we had a taker and our sale didn't offically start until 9:00 a.m. We were busy the entire day and stayed open an hour passed our advertised closing. Saturday we had rain early in the morning. It cleared fairly quickly but we didn't do anywhere near what we did the day before.

Alexa made out like a bandit. She kept track of all her sales and even learned to haggle a bit and cut deals in order to sell her items. Her total take accounted for a quarter of our total profits! The good news is she wants to bank over 90% of it and only keep a nominal amount of cash. We must be doing something right.

Shameless Self Promotion...

2009-08-26T19:42:00.006-04:00

It's been a while since my last post. I guess I went on summer vacation from posting. Now that's not to say I actually went on vacation. We decided (or rather our lack of funding and the puppy)that we couldn't swing a vacation this summer so we decided to do the next best thing - have a garage sale...

We've been collecting (or rather not throwing out) stuff for the last 30 years. Combine some things of my MIL and my late parents and we've got a lot of stuff. So this weekend August 28-29 is it. I planned the date carefully around Norman's work. Didn't want to interfere the beginning of the school year. In my fervor to assure Norm's presence I neglected to plan for my own...

I can't ask for the day off work because the Stamp Show and Convention is going on this weekend down in Hamburg. Sharon needs me at the store while she sets up the store's booth at the show. You'd think I'd be good for Saturday though, but no I've got a class scheduled, not to take but to teach and I've got 10 people signed up, 10 people! Heaven help me! So Norm and Alexa will have to run the show.

Lex has really gotten into it. She's a pricing and make money demon. She even told me that we might have to spend a little money to make money! She also wants to get personal credit for everything we sell that's hers. She's already counting her pennies!

If you are interested the sale is running Friday and Saturday from 9 to 3 both days. We have assorted household 'stuff', CD's, books, children's toys, games and books and a lot of craft supplies. Specifically, I have a lot of counted cross stitch towels, cloth, pattern books, my mom's cookbooks, and her baskets. My mom made baskets from scratch and I have a wonderful large collection of beautiful useful baskets. So stop on by if you are in the area. We're at 146 Ranch Trail in Williamsville.

There, that's my bid at shameless self promotion. Have a great weekend everyone I'll be back to posting once this weekend is over and the school year is ready to go. Next week I have to deal with clothes shopping with Alexa (oh, boy) and decorating her locker (trust me, you don't want to know!) and some serious puppy training with Abby. Here's a hint on the last one...

Unreasonable Demands...

2009-06-30T08:52:00.006-04:00

It's Tuesday morning and I'm listening to the rain outside while I watch 'West Wing' reruns, ahhh...nirvana. School's out and my house is being invaded by sleepovers, playdates, last minute 'things' and the first week of vacation is only two days old... I want my days, alone, again. I'm a bad mother, I know. It's going to be even more of a challenge when my darling daughter finds out she's going to be responsible for more around the house. Here is my list of unreasonable demands, 1. Rinsing off dishes and loading the dishwasher (she is already responsible for emptying the dishwasher, a job she hasn't totally mastered after two years) 2. Walking the dog once a day. In an effort to be fair she will have her choice of morning or afternoon. I may have to negotiate the picking up of poop with a poop bag... 3. Learning how to do her laundry - because I don't do her's often or fast enough. Mind you the only thing I asked before was for her to put her dirty clothes in her own designated hamper, which I even moved into her room to make it easier. This is a task she has yet to master after two plus years. I know, she's an only child, she's 12, she's a girl. I'm far too demanding and I'm starting a countdown until school starts again...

"The Dog Ate It..."

2009-06-09T23:02:00.003-04:00

To all the teacher's out there - it can happen! The old chestnut of the "dog ate my homework" almost came true at our house, with a slight twist. Abby, in her constantly chewing on anything and everything mode didn't chew Alexa's homework, she chewed MY computer! Late last night I was sitting on the couch doing I don't know what on the laptop we use downstairs and I had to run to the bathroom. I came back into the family room and the laptop had been dragged off the couch turned upside down and Abby was happily chewing on the letter "G". She had also managed to pry off at least four other keys and had 6-10 more off kilter. I'm so glad I got the full warranty and service package with this puppy, er computer. I ran over to Best Buy this morning, computer in tow and sheepishly told the Geek Squad - "The dog ate it..."

How time flies...

2009-06-02T09:27:00.008-04:00

It's been a while hasn't it. I've said it before but having a new puppy in the house is like having a baby again. Your life isn't your own anymore. The good news is that I actually get up earlier in the morning. The bad news is I don't actually get more done. As with a baby, you live your life around poop and piddle. So I do get out of the house earlier...to walk the dog - this morning in my pajamas - and met the neighbors - and a school bus stopped to ask if Abby wanted a ride to school...

I've taken the puppy to the vet for her check-up, made arrangements for puppy obedience school and am still trying to get a hold of the groomer as she needs a bath and haircut, badly. My hands are a wreck. My cuticles are all torn and bleeding. My nails are chipped and broken and my skin is as dry as sandpaper and covered in bite marks as Puppy is teething - on us. So I've got scratches, scabs and bruises everywhere. Throw in a little ink from CKC last week and my hands look like they belong on a corpse!

I don't have a lot of pictures right now. I'm too busy chasing Abby around to take pictures of her but I do have a nice one of her and Alexa.

Creative Fun...

2009-05-07T11:51:00.005-04:00

We had a guest artist at the store this past weekend. Wendy Vecchi, who is an exclusive certified Ranger Art demonstrator, on the Maya Road design team and also has her own line of stamps with Stampers Anonymous came and taught four classes and a make and take at the store. Because of my busy weekend with Abby I could only attend one class - her 'Make a Better Bird" class. What fabulous fun! Wendy posted pictures of many of the birds on her blog and here is mine.

I've been told that my bird is very 'me' and here I thought I was going out of my comfort box zone! I just wanted to share with my out of Buffalo friends.

Photos of Abby...

2009-05-06T10:06:00.003-04:00

I've been so busy chasing after Abby that I've had little time to take pictures! I took the camera out with me yesterday when we had a little run-around play time.

She loves to chew - everything...

As your can see, she's very well read...

And sometimes she is rather camera shy...

She is delightfully rambunctious, loves to chew on Alexa's shoes (incentive for her to put them away for a change :-) She sleeps though the night and is taking to housebreaking quite well. I do feel like a new mother though, not wanting to leave her alone long enough to do household chores or even change clothes and take a shower. I'm a little nervous about going to work today and leaving her alone, although my MIL dotes on her as much as we do.

We'll I'm getting puppy kisses as I type so I think I'll go play with my new baby.

Puppy Home!

2009-05-04T08:56:00.003-04:00

Houston, the Puppy has landed! We picked up the puppy on Saturday afternoon. She is absolutely precious! Although, right now she's diving under the couch in the family room and randomly attacking the furniture, my slippers, her lead, the wastepaper basket, the computer cord and running back and forth behind the couch...

After weeks of wondering what her name would be Alexa ended up choosing the name given her by her breeder. She is officially Abigail - or Abby. She's smart, daring, loving, funny, super affectionate and right this moment bouncing all over the family room. She can't quite get up the three steps to the kitchen where her water and food is but she's able to get up the carpeted living room stairs. Right now she's working off her morning energy without the benefit of Alexa. I'd have more pictures but I'm too busy trying to keep up with her! Pictures will follow.

Creative Juices...

2009-04-27T12:31:00.003-04:00

My creative juices have been running a little dry lately. I got several pages and projects done during the last meeting of our sweatshoppe scrap retreat but I wasn't jazzed by any of them. I saw a project in a magazine a couple of months ago and I used it for inspiration for a page I created to showcase some of the photos from a trip Norman and I took to Louisville, KY and Indianapolis, IN last summer.

It was just as much about color as it was about where we were. I used Graphic 45, one of my favorite lines for this travel page. I'm really happy with how it turned out. It's on display at the store and I'll be doing it as class in May and June.

Puppy Countdown...

2009-04-26T20:07:00.005-04:00

We're hoping that we'll have our puppy a week from today. In anticipation and preparation for her arrival we hit the local Pet Smart today. Alexa spent about two hours last night reading to me from one of the new puppy books we got in preparation for today's shopping trip. Needless to say she is now an expert on puppy needs and training! Here are the results of our first shopping trip...

There is an underlying theme if you can see it - Pink! She has a pink bed, a pink collar and a pink lead. I put my foot down though when she wanted pink poop baggies!

Puppy Update!

2009-04-11T15:41:00.003-04:00

Here is an updated photo of our baby girl:

Isn't she adorable! We hope to bring her home around May 1-3. Still no definite name. Alexa is biding her time until we meet her to make her final decision. It's still looking like either Lily or Chloe. What do you like? Let me know!

A Night to Remember...

2009-03-21T14:31:00.006-04:00

No, it wasn't an invasion from Mars. It was sleepover night!

Alexa had a sleepover last night. Four girls total, one, for her very first sleep over. We really lucked out when we moved to Williamsville. Alexa started at a great school and made friends very quickly. This core group of girls are still friends and do a lot together. What makes it even better is that they are all such nice girls. For last night's event I read them the riot act when they arrived - where they could and could not go, when quiet hours started (Lex was aghast at that!) and then I slipped away. We left the girls on their own for the rest of the night except for one invitation to judge a game they were playing (photos to follow). Norm heard them a couple of times during the night, but by 9:00 am. they were fast asleep - having finally gone to bed at 6:15 a.m.!

Here are some highlights...

The morning after: Brenda, top right, is still a little shelled shocked. Alexa and Haley - raring to go!

The story on the top picture is that Alexa found a game on-line where you create an outfit out of aluminum foil and see who could come up with the best design. Brenda really got into it and did leggings and shoes to go with her outfit! She walked like the Mummy mind you, but it was really cute! Laura came up with a cute mini dress with fringe on the bottom and a foil flower in the middle. She also made a cute little purse to go with her outfit.

Then came kitchen time. Our house was chosen for this sleepover because we had an integral ingredient to Alexa's Ice Cream recipe, Kosher salt...don't ask, we just do! ANYWAY, the girls made their concoctions then had to shake them for 10 minutes, which in twelve year old time means 10 years! I'm told the icecream came out quite good. I'm hoping the toppings below helped.

In the morning Norm made a Timmy's run and the girls left around 11:00 a.m. I'm sure naps will be on the agenda for all of them today.

Counting the days...

2009-03-16T13:31:00.003-04:00

I've been counting the days for two big events. First, the first weekend in April is the semi-annual Sweatshoppe Spring Retreat. I missed the last one because of Norman's traveling schedule but I WILL be there, by hook or by glue stick! Colleen has started a countdown coming up with little known trivia about each day as we count down. We are now at T-18 and counting!

The second big event is our puppy coming home! Alexa is going to wait until we meet the puppy to give her her forever name. I've been waiting for Susan to post an updated picture of the puppy but there isn't one yet. I do have a picture of her mom, Jingles. Here she is...

Isn't she beautiful! I've been reading the site puppy blog where other parents of High Calling Cockers post pictures and updates on their puppies as we anxiously await our new little girl!

We're having a baby...

2009-03-08T17:18:00.004-04:00

Not me silly - gotcha! We're getting a puppy! Her current name is Abigail and she is 4 days old! Here is one of her first pictures. * For those who have asked, the new puppy is a buff cocker spaniel.
We've been waiting for a while and finally got the word on Friday that puppies were available. Alexa was a little bummed out that we didn't pick her first pick, but she's over it and concentrating on what she is going to name our new little girl (yes, we gave the puppy naming honor to her - within reason...). We'll be able to get our new baby around the end of April and I'll try and post pictures weekly of her progress. We are soooooooo... excited!!! (at least I am :-)

Valentine's Day...

2009-02-17T13:02:00.002-05:00

You may or may not know I'm not big on holidays. I had to do one of those internet surveys once where they asked what your 'Favorite Holiday' was and I was stumped. I just don't have one. Valentine's day is especially hard for me. I was so excited our first Valentine's day together (Norman and me). I was expecting a classic Valentine's of candy and/or flowers. We were freshmen in college at the time and Norman was still at home after an extended weekend because he was sick (mono, I think). He called me on the phone and told me to ask his RA to let me into his room because my Valentine's present was there. I was so excited, I got Bill to let me in to Norm's room and there was my first real Valentine's present from my future husband - a book...

A BOOK! No hearts, no flowers, no heart shaped box of candy, no token of romance and love, a book! Hildegard Neff's biography, A Gift Horse. To say I wasn't thrilled was an understatement. From then on Norm bought me roses, red roses. After the first few times it became apparent that roses were the automatic default regardless of the situation or reason. Roses are nice, don't get me wrong. But my favorite roses are a coral colored rose named 'Sonia'. After we were married and money was tighter than tight Norm bought me red roses, again and I told him to stop. We couldn't afford them and frankly they were not my favorite. Well, Norm took that to mean forever and ever... Fast forward to many, many years later. My MIL was living with us and for Valentine's Day Norm bought us the same generic spring flower bouquet basket. I wasn't happy. I know we want men to read our minds and expect it, but I didn't take any chances. I told Norm that giving me the same flowers he gave his mother was not a good thing...

This year...after heavy hinting and clear and concise statements I got my favorite flowers - tulips. I keep telling Norm to read my blog and if he did he'd see the red tulip on my profile strip. I also have a red tulip in my craft room. So this year he finally got it right and I'm so very, very happy.

Another one for the books...

2009-02-16T19:29:00.008-05:00

On February 7, we had Alexa's party at Dessert Deli. I'm thinking this is a good idea! Low key, girls get to make some cupcakes, not tons of screaming kids around and relatively inexpensive. WRONG! Well, right for the first three but oh so wrong for the last! Don't get me wrong, they did a wonderful job, the girls had a great time, I had a great time, my mother-in-law even came but I broke the bank. Worse, I have to take the blame :(

I had to have a guarantee of ten girls. So I told Alexa to invite a few more because I already knew that two wouldn't be able to come. I figured between weather, illness, other activities, family commitments, etc. it would be hard to come up with the 10. Wrong, again, we had thirteen total. I had also hired a caricaturist to draw a picture of each girl for them to take home - what was I thinking! Don't get me wrong again, they came out great. Then with all this planning (which really wasn't a lot - DD did almost all the work) I figured I'd get some great party shots - wrong, again! I got about five to six pictures taken and my battery died! I whipped out my new phone (with camera) and started taking pictures. Norm whipped out his also. Mine filled fast and refused to do more (and we still hadn't gotten to the cake) so Norm went across the street and bought a throw-away camera! (I still have to get those pictures finished and developed and I still have to download the pictures off the phones!)

So, long story - long, here's what I have for the day. The girls had a great time sitting in the back of the bakery at a long table decorating two cupcakes, one vanilla, one chocolate. The DD provided icing in bags - all different colors, decorations, and instruction in piping and making flowers, etc. Then while the girls were having birthday cake, the bakers awarded prizes to each set of cupcakes. Things like, Most Unusual, Best Use of Color, etc. When the cupcakes came out, they were each handed their goodie bags with their cupcakes.

Alexa got some cute presents and all the girls had a really nice time. (Hopefully, she's working on the 'thank-you notes' as I type.) It was a Saturday afternoon so the bakery wasn't too crowded and they had the dining room almost all to themselves.

On Sunday, Alexa's birthday, she had a gymnastics meet. We've really been trying to instill "teamwork" and responsibility to others in her and she really wanted to blow off this meet. As it was only her second meet (we couldn't get out money back) and her team needed her, we insisted she do the meet. She did very well, keeping consistent with her marks from the meet before and improving a little and she won one third place trophy for her vault. I'm not allowed to take flash pictures at meets, USGA rules. So without using a flash I'm pretty limited in taking pictures. Plus, if I could get close enough, I don't want to spook her or make her more nervous when she's on the balance beam!

We finished the day with a trip to Carabbas for her birthday dinner. Mind you, all she had was plain pasta with red sauce, but no never mind, she was the birthday girl after all!

I'm working on it...

2009-02-12T19:27:00.003-05:00

Just a quick note to let you know I'm still here. I've got pictures to put together from Alexa's birthday weekend. Yes, weekend, not DAY - the diva must have a whole weekend and as it was filled with a lot of stuff, I'm still getting it all together. Also, I pulled a muscle in my back so I've kinda confined myself to the heating pad for the past day or so. Never fear, I'll be back!

Survey 2009...

2009-01-28T13:36:00.004-05:00

I found this on my friend Chiara's blog. It a bit different than the usual survey and by some quirky twist, I've managed to do many of the more a-typical things than the easier ones. I've done the things in blue. What have you done?

1. Started your own blog

2. Slept under the stars

3. Played in a band

4. Visited Hawaii

5. Watched a meteor shower

6. Given more than you can afford to charity

7. Been to Disneyland

8. Climbed a mountain

9. Held a praying mantis

10. Sang a solo

11. Bungee jumped

12. Visited Paris

13. Watched a lightning storm at sea

14. Taught yourself an art from scratch

15. Adopted a child

16. Had food poisoning

17. Walked to the top of the Statue of Liberty

18. Grown your own vegetables

19. Seen the Mona Lisa in France

20. Slept on an overnight train

21. Had a pillow fight

22. Hitch hiked

23. Taken a sick day when you’re not ill

24. Built a snow fort

25. Held a lamb

26. Gone skinny dipping

27. Run a Marathon

28. Ridden in a gondola in Venice

29. Seen a total eclipse

30. Watched a sunrise or sunset

31. Hit a home run

32. Been on a cruise

33. Seen Niagara Falls in person

34. Visited the birthplace of your ancestors

35. Seen an Amish community

36. Taught yourself a new language

37. Had enough money to be truly satisfied

38. Seen the Leaning Tower of Pisa in person

39. Gone rock climbing

40. Seen Michelangelos David

41. Sung karaoke

42. Seen Old Faithful geyser erupt

43. Bought a stranger a meal at a restaurant

44. Visited Africa

45. Walked on a beach by moonlight

46. Been transported in an ambulance

47. Had your portrait painted

48. Gone deep sea fishing

49. Seen the Sistine Chapel in person

50. Been to the top of the Eiffel Tower in Paris

51. Gone scuba diving or snorkeling

52. Kissed in the rain

53. Played in the mud

54. Gone to a drive-in theater

55. Been in a movie

56. Visited the Great Wall of China

57. Started a business

58. Taken a martial arts class

59. Visited Russia

60. Served at a soup kitchen

61. Sold Girl Scout Cookies

62. Gone whale watching

63. Got flowers for no reason

64. Donated blood, platelets or plasma

65. Gone sky diving

66. Visited a Nazi Concentration Camp

67. Bounced a check

68. Flown in a helicopter

69. Saved a favorite childhood toy

70. Visited the Lincoln Memorial

71. Eaten Caviar

72. Pieced a quilt

73. Stood in Times Square

74. Toured the Everglades

75. Been fired from a job

76. Seen the Changing of the Guards in London

77. Broken a bone

78. Been on a speeding motorcycle

79. Seen the Grand Canyon in person

80. Published a book

81. Visited the Vatican

82. Bought a brand new car

83. Walked in Jerusalem

84. Had your picture in the newspaper

85. Read the entire Bible

86. Visited the White House

87. Killed and prepared an animal for eating

88. Had chickenpox

89. Saved someone’s life

90. Sat on a jury

91. Met someone famous

92. Joined a book club

93. Lost a loved one

94. Had a baby

95. Seen the Alamo in person

96. Swam in the Great Salt Lake

97. Been involved in a law suit

98. Owned a cell phone

99. Been stung by a bee

100. Read an entire book in one day

Well, it seems like a lot. I don't know if that is good or bad, though!

Tool Time...

2009-01-28T13:30:00.002-05:00

I love hardware stores, home improvement stores, tile and carpet stores, gravel yards, lumber yards and furniture stores. HGTV is one of my default TV stations. I've been watching 'This Old House" since the days of Bob Vila. The smell of fresh cut lumber is like perfume to me. Watching a craftsman fit a mitred corner of crown molding or install custom made bookshelves is like an artist painting a masterpiece. Hand tools, the pounding of nails into wood, the sound of a trowl spreading adhesive that will adhere glass tiles to a back splash is like music to my ears...
As much as I admire these things my ability to use them, develop a talent or skill with them is limited to oogling the aisles of Lowe's and Home Depot and annoying any contractor, plumber, electrician or installer that I've had to hire to do what I aspire to and am completely and totally inept at.

We have plumbing issues...Our 'new' master toilet has been running on-and-off since before Christmas. I'm not great with plumbing problems, so I asked Norm to look at it, he jiggled the handle and said "It's still running" and walked away. So we went out to Lowe's and bought a new 'flapper', installed that and it still ran. So, we went back again and bought a whole new 'flush valve'. It stayed in the bag for several days, hoping Norm would take the initiative and attempt to install it, but alas, I took the plunge (No pun intended) and tried to install it myself. Thank heavens it was a Sunday because I needed help! Who you gonna call? - my brother! I had the cell phone on speaker as I was on the bathroom floor trying to loosen the anchor screws. I had visions of emailing photos to Brion to show him what I was seeing. He's my handy man in abstentia.

My wonderful, intelligent, handsome husband is the 'anti-Norm', Norm Abrams that is. He's closer to a bad Tim Taylor. He is so NOT - Mr. Home Depot. Norm's dad was wonderful around the house. He built a great storage area in Norm's childhood garage, cedar closets in the basement and handled almost all home repairs with dexterity and skill. Which of these skills did my Norm inherit - NONE! My dad was the same way. He had a great little shop in the basement with a standing saw, a workbench and a homemade ceiling lazy susan made out baby food jars that held all sorts of nails, fasteners, nuts and bolts. He even let me help when he bought bar stools for the basement from Yield House and we had to assemble them and stain them. When we first married I thought my Norm would continue in the tradition of both our dads, WRONG! I became the keeper of the tools, the holder of the hammer the driver of the screws.

My dad never left any job undone or put off doing fix-it jobs around the house. When my parents came to visit he'd start looking for jobs to do. I began to make lists before they visited first to get jobs done and then just to keep him busy. In the trunk of the car was not only my mom's cookies, but my dad's tool bucket! Now, I need my brother to visit more often...I need a handyman to help me around the house so now I make a list for him!

Oh, and that toilet - it's still running...

Let the festivities begin...

2009-01-11T12:50:00.004-05:00

Yes, it's that time again party fans. Alexa's 12th birthday is less than a month away! She had four possible venues (this girl should be a wedding planner) Coldstone Creamery, an ice skating party at the Pepsi Center, Dessert Deli (cupcakes and decorated cakes are us), and a return favorite GBGC - her gymnastics center. May I have the envelope please....(drum roll, tat-a-tat-tat...)

And the winner is...Dessert Deli! (Please hold your applause until the end of the posting, thank you)

Apparently, Alexa has a reputation for having cool parties (I've got to take the blame on this one). So I came up with the idea of the Dessert Deli, a local bakery that specializes in desserts, wedding cakes, cookies and cupcakes. The young ladies will get a tour of the kitchen area, see cakes being made and decorated and then get to decorate their own cupcakes and getting a little lesson in how to use the piping bags and make flowers, etc. There is also going to be a special surprise for the girls, a caricaturist will make a sketch of each of the girls that they will get to take home.

Over the top, yes, I've gone over the top - heaven help me for when she turns 13, 16 and the wedding. Norman's already whispering in Alexa's ear, "Elope, Las Vagas, elope, Las Vegas, elope...".

Update: I've been corrected by Alexa. She says she's the one who came up with the Dessert Deli idea...and Elisabeth, I didn't make the invitations. We bought them at Party City. I was tempted but I probably couldn't have made them up to Alexa's standards!

A New Year...

2009-01-04T12:04:00.002-05:00

A new year is a double edged sword - especially as you get older. For some it's a great way to take stock, the perfect reason to clear out that basement, get those bills under control, plan all those things around the house you've wanted to do, start saving for the fabulous family vacation you've been promising yourselves. For others it's just a reminder of all the things you didn't get done last year. You get the idea, it's just in how you look at it.

Or you could be me. All that planning - bah! That's for you younger folks. Me, I'm older, wiser, I've been down that road many, many times before and you know what I've discovered? It will all be there next year! Let me show you what I mean. My last year's list of things to do included:

1. Cleaning up my scrap/computer/guest room.
Progress this past year: NONE! It's still the messiest room in the house, but with more organizational stuff. I got new drawers and shelves and a few new storage bins and an over the door shelf and guess what? They are either all filled with the new stuff I bought or they are blocked by all the old stuff and I can't get near them to fill them or organize them!

2. Organzing my paperwork.
Progress this past year: NONE! I've got a dandy shredder but the pile is bigger than the shredder and pulling all those staples, what a task! I thought I could bribe, er, pay my darling daughter to shred the past 5, 10, 15, 20...some-odd years worth of paperwork, but she's not buying into it. Guess I'll have to get another storage file for all that paper...

3. Lose Weight.
Progress this year: NONE! I'm not even talking about this one, and if you're smart, you won't either!

4. Have a garage sale.
Progress this year: NONE! I've got the basement of three houses. Ours, my parents and my mother-in-law (although she'll tell you she sold or gave away all her good stuff because I didn't want any of it). My MIL thinks I should hire that guy that's on Oprah who cleans out peoples houses that have piles of garbage and stuff piled to the ceiling in every room. I think I need to add 'Find a therapist' to my list...

5. Finish scrap projects and begin our adoption scrap story.
Progress this past year: NONE! Well I really tried on this one. I was all set. I had several almost finished projects all packed up for my retreat, all set to put closure to these projects and guess what? Norman had to go to China and I couldn't go on my retreat. Guess I'll need another retreat to get that job done. On the bright side, I did actually think about the adoption book this morning. That's progress!

I could probably list a few more tasks, but I think not. Let's just try and tackle these. The moral to my post. There is none, just like with New Year's resolutions. Impossible to make, impossible to keep and they'll be there next year anyway!

Wonderful, Welcoming and Wii...

2008-12-31T10:20:00.011-05:00

We had a wonderful Christmas! It was the best for me because I got to go back to Long Island and see my brother and his family. I also got to spend an afternoon with my BFF, Barbara. But first, we spent Christmas Eve at Aunt Joan's. Aunt Joan is my sister-in-law, Margaret's aunt. The family tradition is to have everyone meet at Aunt Joan's on Christmas Eve. Over the years new generations have been added, extended family members have been welcomed and it's a wonderful party for all. The youngest is Danny, the baby of the family who is adored by everyone. Danny is about 2 years old and the center of attention. The elder of the family is Aunt Joan at the youngest 80 something I've ever met!

Santa arrives around 8:00 and hands out presents for all the 'kids'. This year the presents were widespread and included a couple of bottles of Patron. Santa knows how to shop! Anyway, the house is so full of people you can't move. The younger ones are in the basement watching movies, the guys are in the dining room talking sports, the 'Captain' holding court. The teens and 20 somethings are in the kitchen and spilling out to the living room and the rest of the cousins are eating, talking, laughing spread out everywhere else.

This year there was a sing-a-long. Not exactly the traditional Christmas music, this was a Springsteen, Meatloaf kinda caroling. The college kids and 20 somethings started the show. What was great was that their parents and grandparents joined in! Aunt Joan was rocking along with everyone else. When I pointed out Aunt Joan's singing prowess to my brother he said, "Aunt Joan has been to more Springsteen concerts than I have!" After Springsteen, they rolled into Meatloaf''s "Paradise by the Dashboard Lights" with Aunt Joan right in the middle. (She's the cute little elf with the green Santa hat on the left, below).

Christmas morning we were all at Brion and Maggies' opening presents. Alexa FINALLY! got her decorated can. She's been bugging me for years to do a can so this year I finally got with it and did her can and hid her pink iPod Nano inside. Don't ask about hooking up the iPod and adding music because right now I'm doing this entry because I can't get her computer to connect to the internet do just that, arrgghh!$%&#@!

Here are a couple of photos of us opening presents...That's Norm with his "Filthy Shakespeare", compliments of me LOL! and Maggie with tickets to 'Guys and Dolls' from her daughter, Mehgan for a Mother-Daughter girl's night out! Next is Mehgan on the left with a new external hard drive for her computer and Brion trying to figure out what the heck to do with hickory slabs (they're for the grill he's going to buy for his boat with the GC that came with the slabs!)

Montana, the wonder dog, waiting for a buscuit, or a shrimp, which ever came her way first,

and Norm, Alexa and me enjoying a wonderful Christmas!

The next day we trekked into Manhattan and to the Metropolitan Museum of Art. Who knew my brother liked Picasso!?! He didn't until he saw some of his work. The museum was very busy and a good portion of the second floor was closed for renovation. Here are some of my faves and two of us. Who knew we could take pictures of the artwork!

Maggie, Lex and me in front Louis Comfort Tiffany's 'Wisteria'. Norm, Brion, Lex and Maggie in the Egyptian temple exhibit.

Brion deciding he doesn't care for Van Gogh as he looks at his "Irises". Finally, John Singer Sargent's 'Madame X', and Monet's 'Water Lillies' - how gorgeous!

After we left the museum we went to Tony diNapoli's on 83rd and 2nd for dinner. We picked...there was nothing left of family style platters of Veal Parmesan, Shrimp Scampi, Chicken Francais and Penne in Marinara. Then came dessert - can you say Chocolate Decadence?? we could, we did, we finished the plate! We should have walked back to Bayshore, but we caved and took the subway back to Penn Station and the LIRR home. It was a wonderful day and Alexa got to sleep over her aunt and uncle's house - a perfect ending!

Next day, Saturday, it was warm, in the 50's but we had a light rain. I met Barbara at Katy Daly's in Massapequa. This restaurant/bar has been there for well over 30 years. Barbara and her husband Mike used to go on dates there. We stayed until the bartender started giving us the evil eye and then moved on to a local diner because, of course, we weren't through talking! To tell the truth we weren't through when we finally had to say goodbye, bummers! Here we are holding the camera out at arms length trying to get a photo at Katy Daly's...

We hooked up with Vicky and Ed, Maggie's brother and sister-in-law and their foster daughter, Samantha and went to a Japanese restaurant Saturday night. It was the first time for the kids, Joe included. I think they really got a kick out of watching the chef put on a show. The girls, Samantha and Alexa also managed to wangle a sleepover at Aunt Maggie's house after dinner so we were girless for two nights! Here we all are and here is the chef doing his hibachi thing...

Lastly, I did include 'Wii" in my header, didn't I. We have been telling Alexa for several years now that no way, no how were we ever going to get one of those video game boxes, x-boxes, whatamacallits - not us!

Well, we caved, what else is new! We bought, for the family mind you, a Wii console and Wii Fit. Alexa's grandmother got her 'Dance, Dance, Revolution' for Wii also. We left all the Wii stuff at home and had a second Christmas with Norman's mother when we got back from the island. Needless to say, Alexa opened the Wii before I could get in place to get a reaction shot from her. So here is a very happy, if not posed shot of Alexa and the Wii! That's about a wrap (ha, ha) for our Christmas in New York - both of them.

I finished this post a little after 1:00 a.m. on January 1st. We stayed up and watched the ball drop - very anti-climatic, but Alexa wanted to see it. Her first words of the New Year were, "For my birthday I'm thinking about a skating party..." You see, she's not allowed to talk about her birthday party until the first of the year. I think she set a new record, 12:01, January 1, 2009.

Happy New Year!

On the second day of winter...

2008-12-22T12:26:00.003-05:00

Mother Nature gave to me...

A bright and white winter's day...

P.S. - and both DH and daughter home for the day!

Welcome Winter... what!?!?

2008-12-21T16:15:00.002-05:00

Welcome to the first day of winter in Buffalo! This is the view out our large picture window! We had snow on Friday that kept the schools closed and we woke up to white out conditions this morning. Here are a few other views...

I stuck the camera out the front door and pointed it down the street to the right...Then I pointed the camera to the left. The plow guy was here shortly before I took this photo. The snow is now pushed up almost to the top of the plow marker on either side of the drive...

Finally, this is right in front of the front door. We have a row of short hedges in front of the house. We had about 8 inches on Friday and I think we've gained another 6 today. Alexa is already lobbying for no school tomorrow - and Tuesday!

Mom says, - Let those school busses roll!!!

Back in the day...

2008-12-20T15:57:00.008-05:00

Everywhere I go these days I keep hearing the phrase "Back in the day". Now, for me, back in the day would be a day a very, very, very long time ago, like turn of the century or earlier. What I'm slowly figuring out is that back in the day, today, means -- when I was a kid or teenager. Not good, not good...

I've been Christmas shopping and observing my Christmas 'traditions' such as they are. Here are some of my Christmas 'Back in the Dayisms".

Our dining room table with our coffee cup Santa, a handstitched table runner (I think I made it. If not, my mom did).

Back in the day...I'd make my Christmas list and hope my parents and Santa knew about that doll or game or book I wanted. It was always a toss up if I got the items on my list. Santa seemed to be a very independent minded individual back then and I sometimes got what he thought was best vs. what I thought was best.

Today - I have to beg to get a list from Alexa. When I do, it's typewritten, on the computer along with photos and URL's to websites with the specific items and accessories listed.

Back in the day...My dad would get out the card table, his master address list, several boxes of cards and a roll of stamps and write out all the Christmas cards. That was his job. I never recall seeing my mom do them. Maybe because she did all the cooking and cookie baking.

My nutcracker collection.

Today - I do all the Christmas cards. I pick them out or pick a picture and send away for photo cards. I had all the addresses on my computer but I need to re-do the list, so this year I hand addressed them all. But I must confess, I haven't done cards the previous two years so just to let people know we haven't fallen off the face of the earth, I'm sending out cards.

The mantle in the family room. My Santas are along the top and our stockings hang below. All were handmade except the one on the far right. From l-r Normans (by me - felt applique), Alexas (by Eleanor Engelmann - quilted) and mine (by me - the 12 Days of Christmas in cross stitch).

Back in the day... I'd go out with my dad to buy a live tree and my dad was in charge of trimming the bottom and setting the tree in the tree holder and then raising the tree. My mother, in the role of the "Boss" would supervise and direct the operation once the tree was in the house.

This is the living room 'Wegman's Tree', a first this year.

Today - I bring up the trees - plural, from the basement because we haven't done a live tree in several years and we now do four trees - the family room traditional tree, my color coordinated Wegman's tree, Alexa's 4 ft. girly, girl tree and a small 2 1/2 ft. tree that I won in a charity Chinese auction. This does not include the ceramic lighted tree I made for my mom over 35 years ago. My husband, the dad - does nothing, except maybe watch from the sofa. Note: Norm will say I do it all because I'm too picky to let anyone else do it.

Back in the day...My mom was in charge of placing the ornaments on the tree. I was allowed to help, but I had to adhere to mom's master plan.

Today - I decorate all the trees except Alexa's- she's in charge of that one. One reason she has her own tree was because I thought it would be special for her. She thinks that she's entitled to one and my decorations are boring! Her decorations are much more 'with it' or whatever...pink, shiny, lotsa glitter! Norm - he may look up from the couch and nod once in a while.

Alexa's tree...

Back in the day...My dad was in charge of putting up all the outside lights and decorations, buying the wreath for the door. A week or so after Thanksgiving dad, on his own, would pull all the decorations out, check the lights and bulbs and climb the ladder and string the lights. Mom - did nothing, except come out and inspect when all was done.

Today - The lights outside don't get done...unless I do them. Even if Norm thinks to get out the lights, I'm either expected to help or when he can't figure out how to connect them, I get to do them all. If I don't get a chance to get them out before the weather turns, then I get Alexa on my case wondering , "Mom, when are you doing the lights outside?" Either that or my MIL, not to subtly, points out that the neighbors across the street have all their lights out right after Thanksgiving. She saw the neighbors stringing lights early the day after Thanksgiving, in the rain, snow coming down, minus freezing temperatures - and they're even older than we are. That's the way it was done in her day...you know - Back in the day!

Our family room tree, with all our favorite ornaments. Many are handmade including over 20 cross stitch Santas on perforated paper made by myself and my mom. There are also a few crocheted balls made by my grandmother and a couple of crewel ornaments made by me.

Well, I'm always a day late and an ornament short, but here are my trees and decorations and as in back in the day, I'll probably get to put them all away too!

Well, that's it. I want to wish everyone a wonderful holiday season and a happy, healthy and prosperous new year. DM

"Christmas is coming the geese are getting fat..."

2008-12-03T19:25:00.007-05:00

I've always liked that old English Christmas song -."..won't you please put a penny in the old man's hat. If you haven't got a penny a hay-penny will do. If you haven't got a hay-penny, God bless you! "

Christmas IS coming and I'm trying to a bit more HO! HO! HO!and less BAA HUMBUG! than I've been tbe last two years. I'm 90% done with shopping and the rest is easy. I finished my 25 tags for our tag swap at the store.

I'm 95% done wrapping what I've purchased so far. I do have one, maybe two projects to finish for gifts - and the reservations are made for Long Island - Maggie, please make your homemade Baileys!

I'm so looking forward to spending Christmas with my brother and his family. I'm also looking forward to a New York pizza one night. I not only go home for the family, I go home for the food!

But I digress...I've managed to put up one tree - that's right, one, meaning there will be more than one. The last two houses we've lived in have had large picture windows in the front. I've always wanted to have one of those beautiful color/ornament/ribbon/trim/garland - cordinated trees - you know, like the ones in Macy's or heck, even Wegman's (this year's inspiration and shopping source). How bizarre is it that I bought 99% of the ornaments and decorations for this tree in a supermarket. Those of you out there that don't have a Wegman's, you don't know what you're missing! Alexa and I had lunch at Wegman's the other day and this is looking down from the sitting area to the center of the gourmet/deli/bakery/fish/meat aisle. You can see the sushi makers directly below us.

Like a good little do-bee, I ran out on Thanksgiving night, hit Michael's 50% off all artificial trees lighted over 7.5 ft. and by Saturday noon, the tree was up. I had boxes of coordinated ornaments in red, green, gold and white. I put all the ornaments on and lit'er up! From outside it looked great, from inside, not so much... it needed MORE! more balls, more specialty ornaments, more garland, more coordinating picks - you know MORE! So on the guise of picking up a prescription, I was the mad shopper gobbling up all the coordinated ornaments that went on my 'Wegman's' tree . I didn't even have to travel to several Wegman's to get what I wanted.

Now I just have to decorate the rest of living room, the dining room, the family room and Alexa's room - yes, she gets her own tree - green with pink, purple and lime green ornaments! I also have a little surprise for her which I'll post when it's done. Don't forget to check out the BSS Blog for pictures of our day after Christmas make n' take and some Christmas decorating photos.

Who needs Google with readers like you!

2008-11-25T13:51:00.005-05:00

I made what I thought was going to be a rhetorical question about 'catsup' and 'ketchup' and I got several replies telling me of the origins of both the words and the product. Can I send you Alexa's homework questions? I could really use the help sometimes.

I've been a bad, bad blogger, not checking in, no posting, but I have been busy. Let me go back a bit. First, we had a wonderful weekend in Cleveland - as we do every year.

As you can see, Norm has his Browns gear on, I've got my Browns gear on...Alexa - that's another story. She's willing to wear Browns gear as long as it "doesn't have 'Cleveland', 'Browns', or 'football' written on it anywhere OR as long as it's NOT orange or brown. That kinda cuts down on the options.

They were celebrating Veterans Day at the stadium so they did a really nice pre-game show with members of all of the armed forces and a fabulous fly-over that was timed perfectly with the end of the Star Spangled Banner. It was very, very special.

On the home front. I've been working a lot at the store as Dimitra is still in Greece. First, we had Stamp Camp, then breaking down Halloween and setting up for Christmas and in between we started a 25 Days of Christmas tag swap. We have 25 people signed up, everyone picks a number from 1-25 and we are all creating a tag - and 25 copies! We'll use a Bind-it-All to attach them all together and each one of us will have a complete set. It's a lot of work and I've got to get them finished tonight! I'll post a picture once we've exchanged tags (don't want to let my 'design' out of the bag!)

I also did a class project based on mirrored frame that Karen Lockhart sent us after she did a class at the store. I love her stamps and decided to recreate it with a few changes. I didn't have anyone for the class, but I did have 3 people sign up for a class kit. It took a day to put it all together along with instructions. Here is what the final project looked like.

Lastly, Happy Thanksgiving to everyone out there. I'm ditching my cooking responsibilities and we're going out to dinner on Thursday. With the four of us, it's sooooo... much easier. No tackling the Black Friday shopping crowds either. I'm almost done shopping and there's nothing I need to brave gridlock for. So if I'm a good girl, I'll get a tree up and or do Christmas cards for the first time in three years - and no, I didn't make them - let's be serious here. I'll be back soon and I hope you all have a wonderful holiday weekend and as my friend Marty recently drummed into my brain - Isn't it ironic that the only thing a turkey can say is "Gobble, Gobble"? (it took me a day to get that one!)

Catsup or Ketchup - Whatever!

2008-11-12T11:30:00.003-05:00

Just a short post to let you know I'm still here. I was supposed to join the ladies, my Sweatshoppe girlies for a weekend of relaxation and scrapbooking but as they say, life happens when you're making other plans. Norm had to fly off to China for 10 days and Alexa needs her 24/7 chauffeur. I'll fill you all in later on Cleveland, China, Halloween and what's new but I've got to hustle for work.

P.S. - why would anyone name a tomato puree "Catsup"? What's that about anyway?
P.S.S. - is ketchup any better?

Yes We Can!

2008-11-05T11:29:00.003-05:00

This past weekend we made our yearly trip to Cleveland to see the Browns. We got the Browns and then some. Senator Obama had a huge rally scheduled right outside our hotel, between the hotel and the Browns Stadium. What made it even better was Bruce Springsteen was his opener! We went to the game, (Browns lost, bummer) and then we joined the 80-100,000 waiting for Springsteen and Obama. The crowd was very large and very diverse. Young, old, middle aged, white, black, every combination you could imagine. We couldn't see the stage but they had big screens set up and we could see Springsteen on them. He was great! After he finished, he introduced Obama and the cry of "Yes we can!" sprang up in the crowd.

Obama was eloquent, focused, confident and respectful. Alexa has been asking a lot of questions about the election and we've both been trying to explain the process and the candidates without overly influencing her to think our way. It's been difficult. For Alexa it comes down to who is 'good' and who is 'bad'. She's very black and white, no pun intended. Getting her to see shades of gray and learning that in many cases there are no absolutes is a challenge. So I've told her it comes down to respecting both these men for what they have done, who they are and what they want to do, and how they want to lead our nation. I've been very careful to try and get across to her that while I truly do respect John McCain and even like him - he's a hero for the sacrifices he made for our country during the Vietnam war and for the years of service he's given Arizona and our country in the Senate, that I don't always agree with all of his decisions or how he wants to institute change. I'm more comfortable and in sync with Senator Obama.

Alexa stayed up as late as she could manage, watching election results! Who knew?! She also told me what all her friend's parents were saying, who they were going to vote for, who her teachers where going to vote for! (Heaven only knows what Alexa tells her friends about us! I shudder to think about it!) Even this morning she was trying to figure out if McCain could still win because there were states that were still undecided!

Writing this post has been difficult for me. I do not like to air my political views in public. I'm very old school. What's that adage, 'Never talk about politics or religion" - well that's me. This year has been different. This election has been different. So I'm coming out of my political closet.

In the end, I was moved to tears by president-elect Obama's speech last night. I was touched and moved by Senator McCain's speech also. Both gave me hope that change can happen. That we can work together in the best interest of all Americans and not just of those who think like we do. I'd never seen crowds of people spontaneously pop up on election night all over the country the way they did in New York, Chicago, Washington, DC, cheering and joining together the way Americans did last night. It made me very proud of both candidates, and of our country, and the promise of a better America. It made me proud to be an American.

Double Nickles...

2008-10-31T00:01:00.003-04:00

It is 12:01 on October 31. It's safe to admit it now...yesterday was my birthday. I'm birthday phobic and have been since I turned twenty eight (you can do the math). Anyway, as I was awake after midnight last night, I wished myself Happy Birthday and then stared at the ceiling for another hour or so as I couldn't go to sleep - my first birthday present of the day. My next present came as I got to have my daily struggle to get Alexa up and out for school. An argument a day keeps I don't know what away...

Screw this! My next present I gave myself - a chai tea latte with a piece of reduced fat blueberry coffee cake from Starbucks, ahh...peace and deliciousness! Off to work - not a hardship for me. Waiting for me was a lovely, sinful, decadent chocolate mousse truffle. An orgasm for the taste buds!! and a beautiful handmade card from Marty - THANK YOU!!!

I got home and found an Edible Arrangement of fruit, more deliciousness! This lovely present came from my bestest friend Barbara, who coined the 'double nickel' phrase on the card that came with the fruit. This has been a very gastronomic birthday so far. The trend continues...

Last week I got a box tower from Harry and David compliments of my daughter, Alexa. She was annoyed that they sent it so early but I have some serious nuts, truffles and moose munch in my future.

My last tasty treat for the day - a small package of mini-carrots came with the pizza and wings we had for dinner from my 'sweet baboo' otherwise known as Norman, my husband. Norm tossed them to me and said, "Here, Happy Birthday!" Norm admitted last night that he didn't have anything planned for my birthday. Instead I get to take him to Cleveland this weekend to see the Browns vs. Ravens. Now don't get me wrong, it's a fun trip, one I enjoy every year - until Norm and Alexa start complaining that I'm keeping them up with my 'breathing' (aka - snoring...) I love sleeping in the bathtub or on the floor!

Ah, well...at least today (Friday) it will get a little better, Sharon, my boss, is buying me lunch - a whole sandwich! My fave, turkey and swiss with a little lettuce, tomato and onion on a sesame bagel. Now that's a bithday present!

Happy birthday to me!

Halloween Past...

2008-10-26T20:18:00.006-04:00

A project I have on display at the store was begun by Alexa. She had come to work with me one day and wanted something to work on. Sharon gave her this cute Maya Road Owl chipboard mini-album. Alexa finished the cover and was not happy with it (she is such a perfectionist). I decided to take it home and do something with it so as not to waste the album. I came up with the idea of gathering all of Alexa's previous Halloween costume photos and making an album out of them

This is the cover. I took four different colors of Prima flowers and cut the petals off and layered them on the owl to look like feathers. The eyes are googly eyes and the nose is heart shaped rhinestone. Alexa's gold paint job shows through and I added some stickles to give it a little sparkle. I'm going to try and add the rest of the pages as a slideshow.

Here's what I've been doing lately...

2008-10-17T18:37:00.007-04:00

I know I say I work in the BEST STAMP AND SCRAPBOOK STORE IN WESTERN NY (heck, the only stamp and scrapbook store in western NY it seems), well anyway, there is very rarely any ocular proof of this statement so I thought I'd post a mini-album I put together last weekend for Norman's cousin's daughter's bridal shower. I used a Basic Grey black chipboard shapes album and the new Basic Grey Line, .

First I have to apologize for the blurriness of the photos. Not sure what was going on there but I hope you can still get an idea what the pages looked like.

Each page was a different shape. I left a space for a picture to be put in a mat and some journaling.

Two pages were 1/2 hearts. This is the backside of one half. Here is the heart opened.

Cutting out the scallops on this page was fun - not!

As you can see, I used coordinated rub-ons and chipboard shapes along with flowers, coordinated brads and gemstones. A little ribbon finishes the tag pages.

This was the final page. It had three windows cut out of it. I just folded the paper around the frames fitted in a strip of the mat paper and then covered the backside with another sheet.

I'll take a picture, hopefully a better one, of a frame I made using Karen Lockhart stamp designs for the holidays. I brought it to work for display. I also have a little Owl mini book I made showcasing all of Alexa's Halloween costumes - very cute.

Meet the Mets, meet the Mets...

2008-10-13T11:53:00.003-04:00

I knew that song by heart and sang it during at the beginning and end of every game as a kid. I know I talked about the Yankees - but they were and are my 'adult' team. As a kid, I was a Met fan, a fan of the hapless, clutzy, find a new way to lose each game -- Mets. They built Shea Stadium to coincide with the World's Fair of 1963 at Flushing Meadows.

As a 10 year old this was a really cool time! We went to games often and once, while the fair was still running, we had dinner at the restaurant at the fair and then walked over to the stadium to watch the game. I even think we once ate at the Diamond Club, a restaurant in the stadium that overlooked the field. That was way cool!

It was so much easier to drive into Queens from farther out on Long Island where I grew up than to trek to the South Bronx which, at the time, didn't have the best of reputations. Plus, the Mets were fun to watch even when they lost, which was often. The Yankees on the other hand were painful to watch lose.

That all changed with the 1969 season. I was in high school and the Mets were actually in contention for the pennant! I smuggled into school a small transistor radio (boy, am I dating myself!) and listened to the game between classes sometimes leaving the radio on because the Mets were up and I had to hear how the inning ended. Some of my teachers were even sympathetic to the cause, but most made me turn the radio off. Several of us had the radio on after school during Bisonette practice, much to the annoyance of our coach - frankly, we didn't care! Those days the playoff games were held in the afternoon and it was before the wild card was brought into play. But the kicker came when my Dad managed to get two tickets to the 1969 World Series. My mom was going to take the train in and take my 'little brother' Brion. I was shocked, I was horrified. I was devoted to the Mets, I deserved to go! What did my brother know - nada, nothing. Just because he was a boy he deserved to go! I lobbied, I pleaded, I begged, I whined, PULLLEEEZZZEE let me go!! I can take the train! (I had with my girlfriends). It was easy! Just get on in Massapequa Park (my hometown) change at Jamaica for the Flushing line and get off right outside the stadium!! PULLLEEEZZZEEEEE!!

Well it worked! My parents let me take Brion and we went on the train together to the World Series! I gotta tell you, the game is one big blur. I think Seaver pitched and I know they won that game but the rest I have no clue. It was the ride home that stands out in my mind. We got back on the train to go to Jamaica but instead of changing trains to take the Babylon line, we stayed on the train and ended up in Hempstead or Hicksville, not where we should have been. I screwed up big time. Not good after convincing my parents I could get to and back from the stadium with my eyes closed! I managed to get directions to the bus station and got us on a bus that was going to Massapequa. We got off in Massapequa (not Massapequa Park) because I was afraid the bus wouldn't stop at our town and I knew I could bluff my way through an excuse as to why I got off there instead of my home station.

Years later, when Norm and I were living on Long Island while he was pursuing his doctorate, we would go to Met games with friends. It was a relatively cheap evening. We'd bring dinner, tailgate and we'd go to nights they had fireworks. We'd bring cards or Yahtzee with us because it took us forever to get out of the parking lot. We'd sit there for an hour or so after the game and wait for the jam to subside.

Flash forward to 1986. I was working at Quest in New Jersey and we had two cool salesmen, Dan and Tom. Dan had one of the company TV's set up in his office and we'd watch the games in the afternoon, finding excuses to walk back and forth from his office. Then we'd camp out after work ended because these games were nail biters. I can't tell you how many times the Mets were down to their last out, or their last strike! Still, they came back. I didn't want to leave work and drive the 30 minutes back to PA for fear of what I would miss! We did that for two or three days.

Today. I don't follow the Mets anymore but I managed to catch the last game ceremony on one of the NY sports networks because they too have built a new ball park right next to the old one. No more 'Shea' now it's going to be Citi Field or something. They were introducing the 'Old Timers' but these guys weren't old to me. These men would walk out onto the field and I sat there saying to myself "I know you...OMG! Bud Harrelson!, Ed Kranepool, Ron Swoboda, Jesse Orosoco, Gary Carter, Cleon Jones, Tommy Agee, Jerry Grote, Jerry Koosman, Lee Mazzilli and 'Tom Terrific' - Tom Seaver. There were other names, some there, some not - Nolan Ryan, Gil Hodges, Casey Stengel, Yogi Berra, Willie Mays and Tug McGraw...

The Mets were my youth. I grew as they did. They were fun to watch, even when they lost. They provided me with my love for baseball today and have given me wonderful memories. Shea was no palace. It definitely didn't have the mystique that Yankee Stadium has. But it was the home of my baseball roots and I will miss it.

The Real 'Old Blue Eyes"

2008-09-28T12:50:00.003-04:00

I know Sinatra is known as Old Blue Eyes. But Paul Newman was MY Old Blue Eyes. I came within six feet of him - TWICE!!! Both times were at racing events. Back when the Indy style race car was governed under one body called CART - I was a big fan. I even managed to cajole my husband (who at the time didn't care for racing) to go with me to the annual race held at the Meadowlands Sports Complex. Basically they created a course through the roads and parking lots of Giants Stadium and what was the Brendan Byrne Arena (where the Nets play). Well, Norm put up with this for the first year. (He wasn't too thrilled when I got us there at 9:30 in the morning for a 4:00 p.m. race.)

The following year Norm couldn't go for some reason, so I asked my brother, Brion if he wanted to drive over from Long Island and go. He said sure, we agreed to meet in front of Giant Stadium at the main ticket entrance. As usual, I was there early and I wandered around the area where they park the haulers to see if I could catch a driver or two for an autograph and just see the cars. I walked over to the ticket entrance where CART had a trailer for officials and stuff and just as I was going to cross the street I noticed a Volvo station wagon parked in front with a blonde woman sitting in the front seat knitting. I did a double take and realized it was Joanne Woodward. I started getting giddily (I know, not a word - deal) excited. I wanted to go over and say hello - or something, but I was tongue tied and pretty much frozen to the spot. After a few minutes the door to the trailer opened and a man came out with one of those sloped racing caps on. You know, the kind men wear when driving a convertible, and I did another double take because he had a beard and I almost didn't recognize him. It was Paul Newman. You couldn't have blasted me out of my spot. In my head I was screaming and jumping up and down, waving my hands, calling out "Paaauuuulll". In reality, I just stood there and gave them both their privacy. I watched him get in the car, say something to his wife and drive out of my life, ahhhh...

I was still a basket case and couldn't wait for my brother to show up so I could become a babbling idiot to him - "Do you know who I just saw?? Joanne Woodward and Paul Newman, Paul Newman - PAUL NEWMAN!!!!"

My brother must have been the charm because the next time I saw Paul and Joanne Newman was at the Nazareth CART race. Again, I was with Brion and one of his friends. We were walking through the garage area and a convertible was trying to navigate through the crowds. Again, Paul Newman and Joanne Woodward. I was much cooler this time and just gaped as they drove by, trying not to look like a total idiot.

I had seen several of his movies on TV when NBC had 'Saturday Night at the Movies' back in the late sixties, and seventies. I remember going to the movies and seeing 'Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid' and 'The Sting' one of my favorites. I saw him with Jackie Gleason in the 'Hustler' and 'Cool Hand Luke' another one of my favorites. Lately, he was the voice of the old car in 'Cars'. But those blue eyes, oh, those blue eyes - piercing, warm, funny, seductive, charming, roguish, intelligent, soulful, and just plain gorgeous.

He was a good American, a good actor and a great human being. He bucked the Hollywood norm and lived a honest, meaningful life. He didn't just show up and give a sound bite. He put his actions and his money and power to meaningful and good use, giving back to society. Newman's Own, started on a lark - a bet between two friends has given over $175 million dollars to charity and the 'Hole in the Wall' camps, established for children with serious illnesses are two of the most public examples of his generosity.

He was a good man and will be missed by many for many reasons, but I personally will miss those wonderful blue eyes.

Take Me Out to the Ballgame...

2008-09-22T11:56:00.006-04:00

Last night Norman and I said goodbye to a old and dear friend. We didn't see her as often as we used to these last fifteen years or so and that made me a little sad last night. We try to made it down to New York City to see her at least once a year but this final year I'm sorry to say we missed saying goodbye in person.

My husband was born a Yankee fan. His dad and cousins growing up in Rochester and then later in Connecticut served as the foundation of not only his love of the Yankees but of baseball. Nothing brings Norm more pleasure than announcing to us how many days until pitchers and catchers report to spring training. Norm was there the day they honored Mickey Mantle and placed his plaque out in Monument Park. (I remember listening to that pre-game show on the radio.)

I should have been a born Yankee fan as my dad grew up in the south Bronx, just off the Grand Concourse and sold peanuts at Yankee stadium as a boy. Harry M. Stevens - the concession company that sold us mountains of peanuts, cotton candy, soda and hot dogs - there is nothing better on this earth than a hot dog at a ball park - my dad remembered working for him.

However, I grew up a Met fan. My dad may have worked at Yankee stadium, but he wasn't a big fan of the game, my mom was :-) My dad used to get tickets for the new team that played in Flushing - the Mets. I'll tell you more about them in another post because they are also saying hello to a new home next year.

But this is more about goodbyes. I used to tease people that I had a mixed marriage. I was a Met fan married to a Yankee fan and in New York, you are either one or the other. I had very little knowledge of the Yankee's when I met Norm. What I did know were distant memories of my childhood. When I was somewhere between 6 and 9 years old my dad took me to a Yankee game. We had great seats, right along the third base line, right in the first row! A friend of my dad's even gave me an autographed ball. I think Mantle played that day but he didn't do well. What I remember the most is that after the game, they let the fans walk out on to the field and cross over the outfield and walk out under the bleachers. I thought that was really cool. My only other early memory was seeing the New York Giants play in very cold weather in Yankee Stadium. Again, my mother was the Giants fan and my dad was just the ticket broker.

Fast forward to the early and mid 70's. Here I am married to this Yankee fan who says "Who?" whenever I ask what the Met score is! We managed to live in harmony through the 70's. We even went to one of the playoff games in the Reggie Jackson, Tommy John era. Norman and one of his grad school classmates drove into the Bronx just to buy tickets and a group of us trekked into the city on a cool and blustery Friday night and had 'nose bleed' seats. Last night they talked about the stadium rocking when a crowd of 60,000 get excited. Well, I can testify to that! We shook!

I had a bit of a Met's heyday in the 80's but I was coming over to the 'dark side' after 10 years married to a Yankee fan. You can get the Yankees on the radio almost anywhere in the US. "The New York Yankee Radio Network" - it's called, so for the next ten years or so, it was all Yankees all the time. The Mets became more of a fond distant memory and a lot of them migrated over to the Yankees, Tom Seaver, Doc Gooden, David Cone and many more. I began thinking of them as Yankees not Mets. Then in the late 80's early 90's we were living in New Jersey and for Norm's birthday I got him Saturday, season tickets - 13 games. We would pack a lunch or hit the deli and drive across New Jersey on Route 80, across the GWB (George Washington Bridge) down the Major Deagan and into the parking lot under the Degan and the Metro North line. We'd cross the bridge with the flutist playing the F-Troop theme (among others) with his case lying open with a buck or two of change in it.

We'd come down the stairs to the big metal bat, cross into the stadium and walk up the ramp to the greenest, most beautiful stretch of grass you'd ever want to see. The interlocking NY right behind home plate, the arched facade in the outfield and beautiful blue sky overhead.We'd attended a number of 'Old Timers' games over the years and very early in our lives they would always introduce Mrs. Lou Gehrig and Mrs. Babe Ruth. I rarely ever got a good luck at these ladies because they didn't come down to the field. They sat up in the owner's box and received the ovation their husbands would have. Last night, God bless her, Julia Ruth Stevens, Babe Ruth's 92 year old daughter threw out the ceremonial first pitch!Norm and I celebrated two very important events at Yankee Stadium. We were at a game in the summer of 1991 and after we got to our seats I got up to go the stadium store. I had something to buy. I came back and handed Norman the bag and a card. He opened the bag and found a little Yankee's onesie. He looked a little puzzled then opened the card that had a lion on the front and the sentiment inside said "Shhhh! you don't want to wake the baby!" I had chosen Yankee stadium to tell Norm that we were pregnant.

Fast forward six years. We had arrived back from China barely a month earlier, 40 days to be precise and we were back at Yankee Stadium with Alexa and my brother and sister-in-law and nephew. I managed to get this welcome request in...

It was a surprise more for Norman than Alexa. As you can see she was a little young at the time to know exactly what was going on!In the top shot she's being held by Maggie with Norman right in front and in the shot directly above she's sitting on favorite uncle Brion's lap wondering what cousin Joe and aunt Maggie have. She wasn't hugely impressed! We did manage to take Alexa to several more games over the years and even though she won't admit now, she did have a favorite player in the mid 90's - Paul O'Neill! She even flirted with an interest in Jason Giambi, but she'd deny it vehemently now.

So last night we sat there and watched the Old Guard, Yogi, Whitey, Larsen, the middle guard, Reggie, Willie Randolph, Chambliss, Nettles, Winfield, Mattingly, O'Neill, Williams and young guard, Pettite, Posada, Mariano and Jeter say goodbye to the House that Ruth built and that we have all come to think of as our home away from home. I wasn't sad until Jeter gave his thank you to the fans. I teared up a little during that. Norman, he cried through the whole thing. The pre-game honors and the post game celebration. Like Jeter said, we will carry our memories across the street next year and the fans will still do the roll call, ask for a curtain call and buy another hot dog and toast to the memories of old and the beginning of new ones.

I'm in a rut...

2008-09-16T14:38:00.003-04:00

I think I've been down this road before (that's why it is beginning to have a groove down the middle). I'm in a rut. Well not exactly a rut, it's more like massive indecisiveness. I have all these great ideas at night (after 12:00) of what I'm going to do the next day and the next day comes and ...nothing...I have a massive clean-up to do in the house and my scrap room in particular. I've got to call Dell about getting Alexa hooked up to the Internet because she spends her homework time on my computer! I've got laundry piling up that needs to be done, I need to take a shower and get ready for class - colored pencils, tonight and I'm still contemplating -- taking a nap ZZZZZZ!!!

I had one semi boost of energy one evening and started going through the mountain of magazines that I've accumulated and flagging the pages of layouts and cards and projects I like. We got the cutest cards and stamps in for Halloween from Memory Box and I went on line to find out how they did them because they are so cute and reminded me of Edward Gorey in their simplicity. So now I've got 4 stamps to make Halloween cards and Thanksgiving cards. Oh, did I mention that I don't send Halloween or Thanksgiving cards (I haven't sent Christmas cards out in two years) and I DON'T STAMP!!

I know it's not a requirement but a treat, but I desperately need to get a pedicure. My fingernails are in terrible shape and a manicure wouldn't hurt but my Anglo Saxon guilt complex is saying I shouldn't do any of those things until I at least do the laundry so that my poor indigent daughter has clothes to wear to school...I don't have any new photos for you but as we are still waiting on hearing about a puppy I thought I'd share my 'niece' Montana. Isn't she a sweetie!!

Well, Priss gets home in an hour so I better at least do her underwear. Gymnastics tonight so the joint will be jumping after five. Time to get up and dig that groove a little deeper.

OMG!!!

2008-09-07T16:26:00.006-04:00

OH! MY! GOODNESS!!! What a summer, what a first week of September. Are you like me and totally overwhelmed and feel like you've lived a whole year in just the last two or three weeks? It's been a whirlwind at our house and my head is buzzing like the last lightning bugs of summer.

Where to begin?? Alexa is back to school - Oh, happy days! I know, I'm a mean mom. In my defense --- I have no defense, I'm so happy to not have to deal with the daily "Mom, I'm bored, can I have a friend over, go to the pool, have a sleep-over, go to Darien Lake, go shopping for school clothes, take a class at the store, come to work with you..." it went on and on and on...

So here's the first day of school...

Norm is such a softie. He stayed home to see Alexa off on the bus for her first day of 6th grade.

Here is my yearly new shoe photo. As you can see it's missing the shoes...well, you get new flip flops at least. If you asked Alexa, the most important part of the photo is the pedi she talked me into the night before.

We really liked this photo of her with her new Abercrombie tote getting ready to get on the bus. I'd like to say I did the happy dance and got a ton of stuff accomplished once she was on her way, but I decided to do something much more enjoyable --- I went back to bed!

We had a bit more of a peaceful time shopping for school supplies. However, (I always have a but!) WHAT A LIST!! I thought last year was bad, I could open my own Office Depot for what I had to get for this child. We moved to this house and town because of the quality of it's school district. Little did we know we needed to take out a home lone to afford the yearly school supplies! Here is a small sampling...

You will note we have everything from swimsuits to safety goggles, pencils to post-its (all 24 required packs!) Antibacterial wipes to over 20, count'em OVER 20 pocket folder in specified colors. Three, not one, not two but THREE locks and three or was it four jumbo cloth book covers at $4.99 apiece! What happened to cut up groceries bags - oh, yeah I fogot - "Is plastic OK?"

ARRRGGGGGG!!!!!!

Lastly, my parting shot is of this gorgeous looking specimen of male youth...Alexa had to take another bag of stuff to school. You had to know she used one of her multitudinous (my word, deal with it) Abercrombie shopping bags. Thus begins the 6th grade!!

I'll be back, really!

2008-08-23T10:29:00.003-04:00

It's been a bit of a whirlwind two weeks or so since my last post. We did another road trip, this time to Connecticut to visit my father-in-law and his wife, then I had to make a quick trip to Long Island two days ago to attend the funeral of my sister-in-law's mother. Today may be another catch-up day as I have kits to make up for the class I missed, Alexa is chomping at the bit to go school shopping and she's conned her dad into taking her...(don't even want to deal with that one!)

The countdown for the start of school is on - only a torturous 11 days to go! I'm getting my dancing shoes out and polished. Mind you, I'm going to be more than broke before it's over, but what's a mom to do!

So, I'll be back with more details, hopefully pictures and hair pulling commentary (mine of course) soon. Wish me luck! (and Norman too as he's going with her today)

Vacation - Part IV

2008-08-08T11:23:00.007-04:00

The endless summer...and I haven't even been to beach and let's not even consider me on a surfboard. Anyway...the last portion of our vacation was our annual trip back to Keuka Lake and Keuka College for Chinese Culture Weekend. As I've mentioned before, our Rochester Families with Children from China (FCC) organizes and runs a fabulous weekend of fun, camaraderie, Chinese daughters and sons (we have a great deal more than we used to!) and Chinese arts, crafts, culture and history.

Alexa has been lukewarm on this event for the past two or so years but this year she was anxious to go and to see her friend Rebecca. This is the only time all year the girls can get together in person as Rebecca lives a good three hours away.

We've had a few challenges the last two or three years in that our first group of children are starting the pre-teen and teen years. Finding activities for them to do without abandoning what we do for the younger ones has been a challenge. This year we had a DJ driven "Sock Hop" on Friday night. I'm told it was a big success - but we missed it as we came after work and didn't arrive until close to 9:00 p.m.

Another big part of the weekend is what we call the Culture Trail. We use the first and second floor of Hegeman Hall (classroom and offices) and set up stations according to a theme. This year I believe we did the Silk Road (a retread for the older girls, but new for the younger ones). The older girls had "Free Time" during this part of the weekend or many of them are CITs - Counselors in Training. Alexa was not interested in being a CIT last year when the program was formed but she expressed an interest this year to do it next year. Our parents do a wonderful job! Here is a prop designed to be a Chinese fishing boat. At each station the kids get a little history/fact background and do a little craft or activity. They get a sticker that they've completed the stop and go to the next. At the end of trail they get a bigger gift. They year they got a nice red canvas tote and a really cute stuffed panda bear! The Bradley-Donnelly family live near Keuka in Penn Yan and they have a large barn on their property and they are kind enough to not only store our props but they make many of them. This boat was just awesome!

We also had the mountains (above) the plains and a walk across the great wall!

As we live so far away, we only do this one event with FCC. However, I've taken it upon myself to do a scrapbook page each year for the past four to five years. This year I had a new design team member - Alexa! She designed the page you see and helped tremendously in getting all the letters cut, bagged and the kits assembled because I had to work on Friday. We put together 85 kits!

One of the themes of the weekend was Famous Chinese Americans. Alexa designed a 'Facts About Me/Just Imagine..." page. Each of the circles with the picture on it is attached to the page with a brad. Just swivel the picture circle aside and you will see facts about the person underneath. We used Yo-Yo Ma, Michelle Kwan, I.M. Pei and Amy Tan. The kids could put a picture of themselves on the mat provided and then fill in the questions on the bottom with facts about them, favorite food, favorite sport, favorite person, etc. and what I want to be when I grow up.

Because I had to work, I 'contracted' out the job of finishing the kit ingredients and packing for the weekend to Alexa! She had a specific list of things to do and a pre-set, agreed upon price for accomplishing this list with a bonus clause for work above and beyond what was contracted. Needless to say, with the money incentive -- she got the bonus!

The page went over very, very well. I gave complete props to Alexa for her design and to Dove of the East, a paper company that specializes in culturally themed scrapbook papers for giving me the papers at a wholesale price. Here are some of our girls and families working on their pages.

As you can see, we not only have Moms helping out but we have Dads helping out too! That is what I love the most about this group. Our Dads are just as hands on with our girls and boys as Moms are! The page may seem a little simple but my challenge this year was to make a page that could be a complete 'take away'. The page had to be simple enough for totally non-scrapbookers to do with minimal tools (glue sticks and kids scissors) to something that could be taken away by the older kids and done at home again, with only minimal supplies. I enclosed an instruction sheet in each kit with a picture of the final page as a reference. I think next year I'll probably have the same kind of challenge. I'm already thinking about what I can do!
Here are all our girls and boys on the steps inside the newly renovated Ball Hall. (Alexa is in the top row all the way on left with the turquoise top). We ask the kids to dress in Chinese clothes if they have them and want to. Alexa usually balks at this but this year she was willing but we didn't have anything that fit her anymore. Norm will have a shopping list the next time he goes to China! We usually use the horseshoe sitting area in the back of Ball but the weather was not our friend this year. We had to squeeze ourselves in a very little area. We had a total of 51 families registered with 89 kids! WOW!!

This marks the end of the Muir Family Summer 2008 Vacation Tour. Do I get a T-shirt with the tour dates and locations on the back? School starts in approximately 3 weeks. Next, school shopping!! Can't wait...

Vacation - Part III

2008-08-04T11:46:00.007-04:00

I'm getting to old for this! I thought we were going to have a quiet, boring, "There's nothing to do Mom!" summer. We haven't stopped since school let out. Vacation part II was a couples only affair. Norm and I went to Indianapolis to see NASCAR's Brickyard 400. We had been to the Indianapolis Speedway before, 15 years ago to see the Indianapolis 500. You and 250,000 of your closest friends - major league fun!

This year Norm's boss sold us his tickets (he goes every year) and we flew into Louisville, KY on the Friday before the race. We lived in Kentucky for three years before moving back to NY and I really enjoyed it there. We got to lounge around on Friday and Saturday and then drove up to Indy on Sunday. We used my new favorite bit of technology, the Garmin.

We used it in Pennsylvania, Virginia, Kentucky and Indiana. I just love this thing! Normally I'm a map girl but this little toy is so much fun to use and didn't steer us wrong once. In Kentucky we went to the Louisville Slugger museum and Norm ordered his own personalized, signature bat

This isn't it, a little small don't you think? The real one will be coming in the mail in a few weeks. Norm is standing at the base of a bat that is outside the factory and as tall as the building.

Just down the street there were these delightful red penguins atop a downtown hotel. The chandelier was outside the hotel also.

We headed up to Indy on Sunday. We intended to get some sandwiches and drinks and fill a couple of ziplock freezer bags with ice from the hotel so we wouldn't have to fight the crowds during the race. We forgot that Kentucky has different blue laws than NY does. Businesses don't open until 11:00 a.m. or noon. So we ended up with nothing. Not a problem except that we parked about a mile away from the raceway in a church parking lot and walked to the speedway. Once there we found that we had another mile and half walk around the outside of the speedway to the short chute between turns three and four to get to our seats. I'll try and give you an idea of the crowds...

People for a mile and more from the Speedway sell space on their lawns, driveways, whatever to people coming in for the race. Yards are decorated. They sell water bottles, ear plugs they have grills going and banners and flags of their favorite drivers flying. It's like a parade walking to the Speedway.

Once inside and as you approach the gates there are vendors everywhere. From the semi-truck size driver based souvenirs, to the official Speedway gift shop kiosks and the food vendors.As you walk around the Speedway, there are these big banners hanging from the stands. They show famous milestones of the Speedway. This next one is for all you oldsters who remember Andy Granitelli. He owned the car the year Mario Andretti won the 500. His suit is covered with the sponsor's logo, STP.

Once inside we found our seat, which continued our tradition of sitting in nosebleed land - we were the top row, the third and fourth seats from the end of the row. This was - good because we could see more than anyone else. Bad, because they were impossible to get out of if you wanted to get something. Good, because it was 85+ degrees and we had a wire fence to our back with a breeze!

We had a large screen in front of us so we could see the front stretch and the cars when they were in turn one and two. At the end of the national anthem they released the balloons from the start finish line. I tried to zoom this shot but I hope it still gives you an idea of how far away that was from us - a good mile.

Here the cars are coming around during one of the pace laps and in the next photo the race has begun.I wanted to get a photo of my man, Smoke - Tony Stewart, but let me tell you, it was hard at the speed these guys go around. I was able to get this shot because THIS WAS THE WORST RACE I'VE EVER SEEN OR BEEN TO!

Now, don't get me wrong, I loved going to the race, but the race itself was awful! Apparently, the tires they had for the cars would only go about 8-10 laps(20-30 miles) and then need replacing. This was a 400 mile race! Finally, we heard through the people with earphones and radios that Goodyear was bringing the tires it had set aside for the Pocono race the following week because they were going to run out of tires and were trying to get a longer lasting tire in hopes of actually having a real race!

It was a race of yellow flags and caution laps interrupted with the occasional green flag racing! Jimmy Johnson won and our man Tony finished well behind in 23rd.

Well, that's about it for chapter III. One more chapter to go - Chinese Culture Camp!

Vacation - Part II

2008-07-24T12:59:00.003-04:00

It was pure, blissful, undisturbed silence for the almost 4 hour trip from Hershey to Williamsburg...ahh! Again, technology comes to our rescue. The first leg of the journey Alexa was more than occupied with her Nintendo DS and the Guitar Hero game. Ear plugs are a wonderful thing! She could jam away and we didn't have to hear it! Then from Hershey to Williamsburg, a portable DVD player and '27 Dresses' was our salvation.

We arrived in Williamsburg and the tradition of the cheking out the hotel continued along with the evaluation of the other swimmers - how many adults, how many children, how many kids Alexa's own age. You get the idea.

Next morning we dived into Williamsburg. Now, to say that Alexa wasn't totally on-board with this portion of the vacation would be an understatement. History - blah! pilgrims* - blah! Watching the re-enactments - blah! The village is a little different from when we were there last about 15 years ago. Today they have actors recreating scenes from Williamsburg 's history and they have townspeople talking about their lives. We got to 'listen-in' to two slaves talking about how to help a slave child whose mother had been sold. That evolved into a scene between a young man and woman on the brink of an engagement - being interrupted by his family leaving for England as his father was a loyalist. The son, a young man, was a patriot and refused to go back with his family. He was leaving for Massachusetts and was signing up to join General Washington. The young woman, the daughter of a patriot family was torn over her suitor leaving. Alexa was bored...

*My incredibly intelligent daughter was a little mixed up with the historic time line - colonists not pilgrims, dear...

We had to cajole, fight, demand, insist Alexa take this picture of us! The obligatory trapped in the stocks photo! Could we get her in the stocks - NO WAY! (she just wanted to get to the shopping at the end of the street!)

We traveled down the street and heard the governor, speaking from the balcony of the capitol building announcing he was suspending the Virginia House of Burgesses due to the people's sympathic response to the Boston Tea Party. We walked down the street some more and came across a public tar and feathering! A man had been accused of spouting loyalist sympathies and putting down the patriots and was subjected to a 'court' of his peers (toursits) right there on the street.

He was saved at the last minute from the man you see on the far left. 'Jack' managed to convince the men to let the 'prisoner' go if he apologized and praised the patriot cause. As the prisoner hurried away he was heard to say he was boarding the next boat back to England.

We moved from store to craftsman working our way down the Duke of Glouster Street. Alexa did seem interested in the tradesmen as they talked about what they did and how they did it. The photo below is from the wig makers store. Oh, those folks had some serious fashion issues!

I've got some more pictures for another day. My color-artsy-fartsy photos that I'll post another time. Tomorrow we're off to Louisville and Indianapolis for the Brickyard 400. Norman's boss has yearly tickets and he sold them to us. So we're going to fly into Louisville, do some sightseeing there and then drive up to Indy on race day. Alexa is staying with Laurie and Ryann which is a very good thing because she and her grandmother have not been getting along (what's new!) So hopefully, the MIL will have some peace from her wicked granddaughter and Alexa will behave at Ryann's. Us, we'll have a blast at the race! Gentelmen, START YOUR ENGINES!!!

Vacation - Part I

2008-07-23T11:24:00.006-04:00

We're back from vacation. What a trip. Seven days in a car and a hotel room with an 11 yr. old! Thank heavens for hotel pools! It's the first thing Alexa does when we go anywhere - check out the pool. Heck, she checks out the whole hotel! She has her standards of excellence, so far the pinnacle is the Cleveland City Center Marriott. We stay there each fall when we attend a Browns game. It's within walking distance to the stadium and the Rock n' Roll Hall of Fame and most everything downtown.

Anyway, we left for Hershey in a downpour and it stayed that way almost all the way there. The hotel was mobbed! I think there was some kind of cheerleader or dance competition in town because besides all the families there was an inordinate number of young pre and teen girls. Some were even dancing in one of the meeting rooms. Very crowded - glad we stayed only one night! But the chocolate, the CHOCOLATE!!!!

We went straight to Chocolate World. Hershey's combination retail center, tour center and activity center. They take you on a simulated factory tour to show you how chocolate is made and have a movie you can watch and what Alexa wanted to do more than anything - make chocolate 'stuff''! So, needless to say, we bought a lot of chocolate, shipped some home, because idiot that I am I did not connect Chocolate + July + Virginia + 90 degree heat!! I also went out the first night a bought a little cooler and we refilled freezer bags with ice cubes from our hotels the whole trip so that the chocolate we didn't ship would survive our trip.

The next day was Hershey Park! Alexa is a roller coaster freak of nature! She is totally and completely fearless. She never hesitates, questions or even considers if a coaster might be too much. Scare doesn't enter her vocabulary - just "Hurry Up!!" and "It's not THAT bad Mom, really!" I used to love roller coasters when I was her age. I just never had the opportunity to go on many and they simply didn't have the amusement parks they have today. But all I have to do is look at some of these monsters and nope, not happening, not today, NOT EVER!!

The biggie at Hershey Park was something called "Fahrenheit", 90 degrees straight up and 97 degrees straight back down...No way Jose! Alexa, however, was determined to go on it, and she did - alone! Norm couldn't go on the rides because of his kidney stone situation so it fell to me to go on as many as I could handle, just not this one!

I did manage a few other ones and to be honest I could have handled this ride if not for the top photo. The rest seemed pretty harmless as shown directly above. But that straight up and straight down, FUGETABOUTIT!!!

Part II of Vacation 2008 to come soon - along with my new BFF!!

Planned Obsolecence...a.k.a. getting older...

2008-07-10T19:35:00.003-04:00

We're going on vacation next week and I stopped in at AAA to check our arrangements and make some changes. Was I adding a fun new stop to our itinerary? Checking on different and new attractions where we were going? Looking into some nice romantic getaway?

No, I was checking for when I had to give cancellation notice for our destination in case my husband's kidney stones started REALLY acting up. Now I know what the American couple has in common with the American auto - we both go for only so long then we start to break down, one part at a time!

This week alone we've dealt with kidney stones, follow-up laser zapping for previous cataract surgery and renewing a handicap parking tag for my 75+ yr. old mother-in-law! All the while wondering how we're going to handle the highlights of our vacation, not restricted to, but including...(the)Battering Ram, Escape from Pompeii, Alpengeist, Roller Soaker, Wildcat, Griffon, SOOPERDOOPERLOOPER and last but not least, Loch Ness Monster.

I need to make sure I pack Tylenol, Extra Strength Tylenol, Tylenol PM, Back and Body Ache Bayer Aspirin, Claritin, my thyroid pills, Preparation H, support shoes, a portable fan for me, oh, and sun block and bug spray for Alexa. (They say to be prepared when traveling with children).

I'm why I won't buy and American car - I know it's going to break down just the way I am! Our last three cars have been Japanese or Korean and they were and still are great! Going stronger than we could have hoped for (considering we ran two of the three into the ground, well past what an American car could have tolerated)!

Now to solve the problem of how two over-the-hill, past the warranty date, 50+ American model parents are going to keep up with our super-charged, shiny, mint condition 11 year old Chinese daughter!

Wish us luck!

Moving On...

2008-07-03T00:20:00.004-04:00

I can't bear to open my blog and see that picture of my wedding one more time! Time to move on! It's been a busy week. Alexa finished school (I'm crying and wondering how I'll survive the summer). I can't tell you how many times I've already reminded her that I'm not her personal chauffeur or slave!

We decided that as she is a growing girl, she needs a new bike that fits her. Her current one makes her look like one of those clowns in the circus riding a ridiculously small bike. So we took her over to Bert's Bikes to do a little look-see at what they had.

Now keep in mind this is Alexa we're talking about so you should be able to guess what the primary consideration would be when picking out a bike, check one:

____ road bike or mountain bike

____ auto shifting w/pedal brakes vs. manual shifting and hand brakes

____ color

____ size - youth vs. adult

Now, if you chose the first or second option, what were you thinking??? She's pretty clueless about all of that. The third option, kiddie bikes are definitely out, but the color, it's ALL about the color. Pink bikes YES, silver, black, red, green*, blue*, purple*, beige, white all NO!

Now I have to explain the (*)'s. If it is the right shade of green (limey, but not too), blue (with flowers and not too dark or too light), and purple (again, not too dark or light or with an icky brown seat and handle bars) -- then maybe. Oh, and did I mention the accessories? You know how some people won't buy car if it doesn't have enough cup holders? Well, Alexa wanted the bike that had a hidden compartment under the seat. The rest of the entire bike didn't matter, it was all about the seat!

So, we ended up traveling to two Bert's, one on the Boulevard and then over to Transit as they had the bike she liked the most, in the right size for her to test drive. She picked out.., wait for it, a BLUE bike (but it has little flowers on it that sealed the deal). It was available in her size with room to grow (because trust me, I'm not doing this again!)BUT and a biggie here - the coup de grace was that we would not buy it....until her report card came and her grades DESERVED such a big ticket item. (We have principles, we're not the pushovers she's made us into - we have standards!!)

Well, she's smart, what can I say. So with a year ending 95.9 average we went back and got the bike. I still need to take a picture of her on it, but not tonight. Tonight her father and I went bike riding - 6 miles. Pretty good for an old broad who hasn't ridden regularly in 2 years and gained 30+ pounds. Maybe that would be the better picture. No, not happening! I figured I could at least show you her new bike (from the catalog).

Tomorrow I think she has me going somewhere to paint pottery. Wish me luck!

How many things do you have that have lasted 32 years*?

2008-06-26T11:47:00.004-04:00

Today is our wedding anniversary. Norman and I were married (drum roll or a chair to catch you when you faint...) 32 years ago today. Aren't we cute!

No disaster stories to tell. Instead our wedding was a great party for those who attended. Me, I was too nervous about how things were going and obsessing over whether we were doing things "right" to really enjoy myself.

Times have changed, colors have DEFINITELY changed and for better or worse, some of the people have changed. From left to right in the photo are: Ted Lundquist, Norm's best man. Ted was a friend from college who Norm asked as he really didn't have a best friend from childhood or any siblings. Ted was a pip! Funny, great with the ladies (especially the grandmothers!) and an all around good guy. We lost contact with Ted and haven't heard or talked with him in over 28 years.

Next to Ted is my maid of honor, Barbara Scandurra O'Dea. To this day, Barbara is my best friend. The sad part is we only get to see each other once every few years. This has me bummed immensely. Luckily she reads my blog and is much better at calling me than I am her. Her daughter, Laura graduates high school - probably this week. I owe her a call and a whole lot more for all she has done and meant to me over the years. She out distances Norman by 10 years as we have known each other since we were 13 years old!

The bride - me. Story goes I met Norman on the 2nd day of freshman orientation for college. He was with the roommate of the only other person I knew in the state of New Hampshire (where I was going to school). He says he saw me playing volleyball on the lawn in front of the Commons and I looked really cute in my hot pants and great legs! We started dating about a month later and have been together ever since. That's where the (*) comes in above. I want life experience credit for the five other years between meeting and marriage!

Next is Norman. Isn't he the cutest thing!! Girls, I lucked out in the cute department. He was prettier than I was at the wedding! Truth be told now, he has the cuter legs. I inherited my grandmother's thick ankles which kicked in about 15 years ago - bummers :-( Story goes he was dating Mary Betha Fales (my friend's roommate) but spending all his time with me! Took him a month to get it right.

Next is Suzanne Hensler. I had known Suzanne since the first grade when as a new student, brought into my class in the middle of the semester our teacher asked me to show her to the girl's room. Suzanne was my daring, dangerous, not mom approved friend. But she was cool and fun and non-judgemental and didn't make fun or tease me like my other childhood friends would do. So Suzanne and I formed a friendship that lasted a number of years. We had one really big falling out as kids. I don't remember what it was about but the bottom line is we didn't speak to each other for a year! We made up only to have her move away to upstate New York within the next year. We kept in touch, I spent a week up at her house almost every summer and then we drifted apart again. We continued to stay in touch but her life took a different direction from mine. She married her first husband about a year or so before my wedding. It wasn't a good relationship and although she was my bridesmaid, she spent very little time at the reception and in the prep stages before. She had a lot more problems with her family, her husband and her health. The break came in 1999 when she told me I had to believe her way or it was the highway for our friendship. She was into a lot of fundamentalist, zealot, doomsday stuff and believed(truly) that the world would end at the stroke of midnight starting the year 2000. I told her that while I could respect her decision to live her life a different way and believe differently, I could not accept that it was her way or nothing for all mankind (let alone little old me)and that I could not live my life according to her rules. So we ended our friendship and I haven't heard from her since.

Last, but certainly not least is the Boy Wonder, my brother Brion. The only major glitch in the wedding date was that the next day my brother would graduate from high school. My mother saw this as not a great omen. Brion was allowed to bring a guest to the wedding so what hot date did he pick...Richie Papperno (sorry about the spelling). Well, he and Richie had a great (and I mean a really good time!) Brion was dancing away with his cousins, he was the life of the party. Come to find out later that while we were winging our way to Florida the next day, Brion was hung-over with a barf bag under his robes, graduating from high school!

So that's what I was doing 32 years ago today and yes, we decided to renew the contract for another year...

Update: Norman just got home and for our anniversary and this is what he said, "Because I care enough to give the very best. I did extensive research and discovered that chocolate cake from the Medaille college cafeteria is what is given on your 32nd anniversary." With that I got a piece of chocolate cake from my honey.

Observations and Updates

2008-06-17T13:19:00.006-04:00

I have some observations and comments about other events and news from the last week or so.

I got an envelope from a former student of mine, Kelly O'Malley Dutton last week and when I opened it look what I found! The beautiful, absolutely adorable, Claire Marie Dutton! I was so excited. Kelly was a work-study in my former office and she was not just a student worker, she became a wonderful friend, and an absolute delight to have in my life. I was honored to attend her wedding and absolutely thrilled to introduce her daughter to world!

Buffalo's Favorite Son...

Tim Russert's sudden passing last week has left Buffalo, western NY and much of the nation in shock. I'm not a political person - verbally. I let my vote do my talking. In this day of biased, left wing vs. right wing political reporters and networks Tim Russert was an example of what a reporter is supposed to be. Someone who challenges our political leaders, someone who does not let his own political bias rule and dictate his reporting. A reporter who demands the truth from our politicians and holds them to task. It is getting harder and harder to find a journalist and/or reporter who is willing to submerge his or her political opinions and personal ambitions and bring to the American people BOTH sides of an issue. The type of reporter and journalist Tim Russert was is what we need in this country more than ever right now.

On a local level, Tim Russert was Buffalo's favorite son. This city has been in mourning since we received the news last Friday. He was loved by Buffalo and he loved Buffalo. The son of a city worker who grew up in the blue collar Irish Catholic neighborhood of south Buffalo, Tim never left his roots behind. He was proud of Buffalo - something many of the city's leaders and citizens today - are not. He announced the opening day line-up via the big screen every year for our AAA baseball club, the Buffalo Bisons. Her returned to the city often to visit his dad, Big Russ and he never turned his back on his roots. He will be missed here as much as he will on Sunday mornings by the rest of the country.

What Fun!

I'm a couch potato that really likes to watch sports - on the couch! I get my love for spectator sports from two people, Jim McKay and my mother. Saturdays we would watch Wide World of Sports. This was way before ESPN. Jim McKay covered everything from ice skating to barrel jumping to the Kentucky Derby to the Indianapolis 500 to Arnie's Army. Many, many weekends I'd sit with my mom and watch WWS on Saturday and then the final round of a golf tournament on Sunday. My mom really liked Arnold Palmer and like me she was the spectator in spectator sports. The most active she ever got was her Monday night bowling league when I was a kid. But thanks to both mom and Jim McKay I watch golf, ice skating, gymnastics, football, baseball, auto racing and the Olympics to name a few.

I had the best time watching the U.S. Open this past weekend and Monday. Watching Tiger Woods and Rocco Mediate was a gas! I haven't enjoyed a golf tournament this much in a long time. I'm a big Tiger Woods fan. I think he's the greatest thing to hit golf since Arnold Palmer - my mom's favorite. This weekend was a tour de force of excitement, skill, luck and good sportsmanship.

So, while we say a tearful and thankful goodbye two broadcasting icons, as a nation, life goes on. Welcome Claire Marie.

Heat and Sex, not necessarily in that order!

2008-06-09T11:40:00.003-04:00

I had a girl's night out last night. A bunch of us from the store went out to dinner at the Oliver Garden and then went to see 'Sex and the City'. What fun!!

We don't have HBO, but while the show was still on the air, every time we were in a hotel that had HBO I'd be looking through the TV listings to see if it was on during our stay. The only trouble was the trip would have to be sans Alexa as the ladies could get a bit risque. Then they started showing 'abridged' episodes on TBS. I finally got to see most of the series - and I wanted more!

Now, the movie! I could have dragged Norm (under extreme duress) but it was so much more fun to go with Sharon, Dimitra, Linda, Marty and Elisabeth. We went to dinner first. Trying to fill in the ladies who didn't know the show in a public restaurant was a bit of challenge. So was our waiter (another story). It was like in the movie. I needed words to substitute for the more graphic and earthy language, like in the movie. Coloring was good, but I needed polite euphemisms for different types of coloring and other coloring instruments and accessories! Luckily, the beginning of the movie explained each character and their individual backgrounds. Being with the other ladies meant I could laugh out loud, cry (yes, I cried, more than once) and revel in the joy of girlfriends!

It was so good I went out this morning and bought the first three seasons on DVD - now I want to see the unabridged version! Again, maybe I better wait until Alexa is in bed - maybe even Norm too!

P.S. - AC is fixed, living in a comfortable 75 degree house - but, the manufacturer's rep is coming on Thursday to check out the unit because we asked for a new one. To be continued...

How I knew it was the beginning of summer...

2008-06-07T08:30:00.003-04:00

Summer has begun - I'm not a summer person. I know most people look at the calendar counting the days until the "official" start. Me, summer really begins when I have to turn on the air conditioning. If you are a faithful reader you know I already have issues with heat - the internal variety. Now, not only is my internal furnace working past what is required, mother nature is hitting me again with external heat!

But, I digress. We've 'enjoyed' and I use that term very loosely, two days of 80+ degree temps. So yesterday when I turned on our central air (one of the reasons we bought this house), guess what didn't work...again. When we moved here four years ago the house had central air. As a 50+ year old woman, yippeee! I thought, my misery is solved! Well, the AC worked great the first year but the second year, no go. So we called the company that the former owners used. They came, they saw, they advised and we bought a whole new unit. I have another name for the 'new' AC - LEMON!

Every year on the first hot day, we turn the AC on and it doesn't work! This year was not exception. I've slept in the basement the last two nights - I want my bed - any bed again! I am a hot, unhappy, hot flashing, camper! Stay tuned for updates

P.S. - Had to change the color, green wasn't working for me!

Ooops!! II - Mea Culpa!

2008-05-26T12:26:00.003-04:00

I think I'd have 'Old Timers' if I hadn't been doing this all my life. Doing what you ask? Forgetting peoples names and faces. I am awful, terrible, mistaken, confused, befuddled and NOT amused!!

I haven't been able to remember names since I was a kid. High school wasn't that bad, college - who remembers? Jobs - that was a toughie. Not good to forget the boss's name or an important client. When I worked at Keuka it was still bad - but thank heaven, students are more forgiving and there was one of me and 900 of them!

My husband and I would run into someone on the street, in a store, at a restaurant and we'd have a lovely conversation with them for a few minutes and then say goodbye and walk away. Id lean over and whisper to my DH - "Have I met them before?" Norman would just shake his head and tell me when and where.

There are two lovely ladies that I have know for four years now. First, we took classes at Michael's together - they are friends of Debbie Shuh and today they crop at the store on Wednesday afternoons when they are in town. Both are named Susan, but one goes by Suzie and the other by Sue or Susan - do I know which one is which - NO!! (I'm so sorry ladies, I've admitted it publicly now, please forgive me.) They are so nice, they ask about Alexa every week and how things are going and I can't remember which is which!

The kicker came this week when I saw Marty at the store and she pulled me over and told me that I labeled her husband with the wrong name on my blog in the entry that included the store move pictures. She's telling me it's Kirk - I apologized profusely, I'm so sorry, I'll post a change - I'll change it - Kurt, Kurt, Kurt, I'm muttering to myself. Marty gently says, no, not Kurt - KIRK - finally the light bulb goes on - Kirk, like Captain Kirk - Yes! I've got it now!

So first, let me apologize to Kirk. I'm so sorry for the mistake and I'll change the post as soon as I post this. For everyone else out there who has spoken to me and gotten a totally blank or questioning look - please forgive me, it's not you it's definitely me, - what's her name...

New Layouts

2008-05-20T19:46:00.003-04:00

Bear with me, I'm still trying to get the hang of scanning and stitching. I hope I've gotten it right and my layouts down to size. These layouts are two I'm doing for the store. They are my first shot at teaching a class. Both are very, very simple and easy. Both can be used with vintage pictures or heritage shots.

I created the one above on my last Sweatshoppe retreat back in March. It's my favorite picture of my dad. He signed on with several of his golfing buddies as extras for a movie being shot in Wilmington, NC. The movie was an early Coen brothers piece called "The Hudsucker Proxy" - a cute, quirky film about the invention of the hula hoop (not a true story). It starred Paul Newman, Tim Robbins, Charles Durning and Jennifer Jason Leigh. My dad was an extra in the mail room scene and although we never quite saw his full face, I swear I saw his nose!

This is my mother's high school graduation photo. I just love this picture! I apologize for the lousy scanning and stitching job, still working on it, but I put this together at the store one Friday night during the crop.

Both layouts for the store are designed to be used with a single 5X7 photo. There are a few slight variations on each and a sample is on display in the store. Check them out if you are interested.