Weekly Theme: Old-fashioned:


This week I have two photos of things belonging to love ones who have passed.
The first is my maternal grandmother's typewriter.

This second photo is of my dearly departed mother-in-law and her mom and sisters (in their old-fashioned clothes). My mother-in-law, Hedy, is the second to the youngest.

A Taste of Spring


Last week’s weather was sunny and warm...it felt almost like spring. I enjoyed several days off the treadmill and actually was able to walk on the Sundial trails with friends, and feel the sun.

As always the sunny days energized me. I reorganized the garage, which needed Halloween -- Christmas boxes put away. I had purchased some shelves that I had to assemble first. I also worked in the yard and pruned the roses.









Today just 3 to 4 days later, we had snow. Of course,
it didn’t snow long and was only a light dusting, which melted quickly. So yes, it was only a short lived “tease” and we must wait a few more months for the real thing.

thought of the day: YAWN -- an honest opinion openly expressed.

this week's theme: IMPORTANT


Had to start off with family & friends with out
whom I'd not survive. Photos of late husband
especially important.


So many more choices, but I'll just add MUSIC!
Love all kinds, but jazz is my favorite!

This Week's Photo Hunt:
"SKINNY" (3 photos)



Disassembled artificial Christmas tree.

Spaghetti prior to cooking.

Sooo not my weight!







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Columnist Sharon Randall had the following questions
to ask ourselves about the past year 2007.


1. What was the hardest thing you had to do this year?
Having my mother pass away and all that goes with that.

2. What was the most fun?
My trips to Boston and Virginia in September!

3. What were the milestones?
My daughter turning 30 and my 13th year without my love.

4. What was your biggest accomplishment?
Taking care of things on my own and taking a college
class for fun.

5. What’s something you wanted to do, but didn’t?
Lose weight and go to more concerts.

6. What was you biggest surprise?
That my friends still like me after traveling with me.

7. What was the meanest thing you did?
Hurt my children’s feelings.

8. What was something you worried about that you don’t worry about now?
Both my children...they just keep maturing.

9. What made you proud?
Same as #8.

10. Finally, describe a moment you want to remember.
Time with my mom before she died and time with my
children and all family members.


thought of the day: "Every calendar's days are numbered."

This is how I feel today!

Weekly Photo Hunt: Delicious
Link: PhotoHunt

Finally, the Holidays are over!!


Christmas Eve, my son (28) and daughter (30) joined me for Christmas Eve dinner. We’d not been together since March...so it was great to have them both here. (She lives in Portland and he is local.) We shared a wonderful ham dinner. Later that evening, Chris left and Alison and I watched “It’s a Wonderful Life”, before bed.

Christmas morning, Chris arrived again for gifts and brunch. Then later that day we all went over to my niece Vicky’s home for Christmas dinner. There were 7 adults and 3 children. All family, spanning four generations from 71 yrs. to 8 mos. After dinner we had fun playing a game called “Apples to Apples”. As New Years approached, I was really on a roll. Monday evening was the movie,"Charlie Wilson's War" and dinner with a group of six friends. Tuesday evening was New Year's Eve party...much food and drink and "pictionary" (guys against the gals). Wednesday (New Year’s Day), was an afternoon get together (football-guys, chatting & martinis-gals), with a wonderful evening dinner. Followed by the fun dice game “Left, Center, Right”, which I taught everyone. Bob W. was the big winner! So now I'm trying to "reboot" myself after all the days of partying. And I started out strong with a workout at Curves and an half hour on my treadmill. Unfortunately, a big storm has arrived and with the wind (50-70 miles) and rain, I’m less motivated. But as they say, "there is always tomorrow!"

( Still struggling with photo placement on my blog.)

Thought of the day: "Lead me not into temptation, I can find it myself."

"Messy"


My first try at the "Photo Hunt" game. See link below.
PhotoHunt

Get ‘er Done...as they say!

It was early December and ahead lay the daunting task of decorating the house for Christmas. As a widow and empty nester, I must do all the work alone. So it is hard to get started...thus, I invited the “scrabble” group over to my house. I knew that would make me "get er done"!

First, I needed to locate everything in the garage (not put away as well as it should have been last year). I then, had to drag box after box into the house, dig through them all, in order, to find what I wanted. Since I use an artificial tree now, that had to be assembled--branch by branch. (At least, I had now learned to do this in the daylight, so I can match the color codes correctly). Of course, there weren’t enough light strands which worked...so out I ran to get more. After days of things strewn through out the house, finally, the tree was trimmed. I was able move on to the front porch, dining table, coffee table, entry table, and the guest bathroom plus, a very extra decorations here and there. Whew! Yet, all was completed, plus baking done for the scrabble game on Dec. 6th. Which I lost, as usual.

thought of the day: "Christmas is just plain weird: What other time of the year do you sit in frot of a dead tree in the living room and eat candy out of your socks?"

THE JOY OF JAZZ

I love music! Jazz is one of my favorite genres. So much so, that one wall in my living room has a jazz theme. Framed jazz posters and my Dad’s trumpet hang on the wall. I also, am currently taking a class at the local community college called “The History of Jazz and Rock”. What a great class! I’ve learned a lot and now wish to learn even more. The instructor is very knowledgeable, enthusiastic, funny and full of interesting trivia. He is also the conductor of the “Community Jazz Big Band” and the “Community Concert Band”. My sister and her husband recently sent me the book “Visions of Jazz” by Gary Giddins. Which I’m thrilled to have and anxious to begin reading it.





Aside: I recently dabbled in the Blues as I went to hear
Keb Mo perform...he put on a wonderful show.

Thought of the day: "Instant human, just add coffee."

Fall with Kids

I enjoy spending time with my youngest niece and nephews. One fall day, I took Billy and Emma out to gather acorns. They had a great time filling up their bags. Besides a fun activity with them, I had an ulterior motive... I wanted the acorns to be used in fall decorations at home. And hey, the kids are a lot closer to the ground than I am!!

Halloween is an obvious fall holiday...so I joined their mom in taking them “TRICK OR TREATING”. We went to the mall, a safe, weatherproof place where they can see lots of other kids. Emma was a “princess” and Billy was a “bat”. With bags loaded and heavy, we drove them home and Billy was asleep before we arrived. That trick or treating is hard work!





A few weeks later, I had to pull out my old school teacher tricks and so off we went again, this time to gather leaves, pods and small twigs, etc. I introduced them to leaf rubbings and wax paper pressed “windows”. Looks like I needed to have my flash on. But with kids you can’t get them to hold still long enough to take another shot.




Thought of the day: "Don't applaud, throw money."