Random Pictures

Some of my favorite shots of my family.


Sara and Hunter on Easter Sunday


Mike and Sara at the Red Sox/Orioles game



Callissa and Alexander holding new cousin Amelia



Callissa, Nicole and Alexander


Patrick and Renee


Sara & Eric



Love


Nikki, Amelia, Jon



This is a family picture of my Dad's side of the family circa 1958. That is me sitting on my father's lap in the lower left hand corner with my mother standing behind. My paternal grandparents are in the first row in the center.

The Hunt For A Key

I am so bad at keeping up with this blog. Such a slacker! Oh well, I don't know how people get bored when they aren't working. I can always find things to do. The problem is I start projects and get sidetracked, and it takes me 3 times as long to accomplish something that should take 10 minutes to do. Like yesterday, for example. I started out by looking for my locker key for work. I knew when I went on disability it would be a few months before I was back at work, I never thought it would be 8+ months. I was very careful to put my key and badge and a few other things where I would not lose them. I was so sure I knew where they were. Wrong. I searched my night stand, my top dresser drawer, then had the bright idea to look in the purse I was using at the time. I opened the closet door and saw all my purses hanging on a hanger. Grabbed them all and started going through them, checking every compartment and unzipping every zipper. Didn't find the key or the badge but found several credit cards I didn't remember having. Also found some pictures of Sara at one of her proms, a few pics of an ex boyfriend, some 3 inch floppy disks that I know were full of pics but I had no way to view them so not even sure what they were and probably shouldn't even care. Then I got the bright idea to hook up an old PC and see if I could view them before tossing them out. Spent an hour finding cables and connecting the dinosaur to an old monitor in the junk room only to find out the files were unreadable. Ok so cleaned up that mess...tossed the disks and went back to the junk all over my bed.

One purse in particular had a lot of paperwork in it. Mostly receipts and physicians instructions, a lot of things I didn't want to lose or throw away that were related to my surgery and subsequent doctors appointments. Anyone who has dealt with insurance companies knows what I am talking about. I had things from the company that provided me with the meds I needed for infusion when I had the infection, the visiting nurse stuff and my physical therapy. So I found an empty folder and started going through everything, filing what I may need and tossing what I don't. That lead me to another folder of paid hospital and doctors bills so I went through that too and spent a lot of time organizing everything. I am not even sure why or for how long I should keep everything but I am guessing once I am back to work and all bills are paid for and the case is closed I can probably shred it. So...another 90 minutes later, the mess that was contained to my side of the bed, is now overflowing to the entire bed and a a box on the floor. And I still haven't found my locker key.

Move onto lunch, decided to make ham salad out of the leftover ham from Easter dinner. (Happy Easter to all by the way, hope you had a great day!) Got the ham all chopped up and realized I was out of Mayo. Had planned to go to the store to pick up a few things for dinner anyway so figured it was as good a time as any and headed out. 45 minutes later I am back home, (15 minutes to the store, 15 minutes to get what I needed and 15 minutes back), get the ham salad made, sandwich made and sitting at the kitchen island eating while watching the Chew. UPS guy comes to the door with a package (wedding shower gift). I open the package and find one item damaged. Called the company, dealt with that. By now it's 2pm and I still haven't found my locker key. Back to the drawing board.

I got my 6 or 7 purses back on the hanger and hung them up in the closet. In the back of the closet I found an overnight bag I used to keep in my car. Back in the day, I used to keep a change of clothes in there, just in case. The bag is now empty but it's cute and I decided to toss it in the washer so I can use it for my shorts and tee shirt that I use for Physical Therapy. I rounded up a few other items and started the washing machine. Back to the mess on the bed.

I'd given up in findng the key at this point. It was getting late and I still have 2 weeks before I head back to work so I figured I would straighten up the mess and try another day. I cleaned off the shelf on my night stand to put the insurance paperwork aside and found a pair of earrings I had been looking for. I was pretty happy about that because I had been through a similar afternoon searching for those several months ago! I also found dusty magazines several months old, that were also headed for the trash. Of course, now there is a layer of dust that is visible so I dusted the night stand and one dresser, and made my way to the other dresser, which was going to take a little longer because there was a stack of clothes on top of it. Yes, it is my dresser and my clothes but I have an explanation. After hip surgery, I was unable to bend and reach the bottom 2 drawers of the dresser so the clothes that normally went in there, stayed on top so I could easily reach them. Anyway, this task was going to take more than a couple minutes so I dusted just the areas I could see without moving all the clothes, I could do a proper job another day. Once that was done, I put the laundry in the dryer and headed to the kitchen to start supper.

Fast foward an hour, George gets home from work and we sit down to dinner. I am telling my tale of the unfound locker key and he points to the key holder tacked on the wall and asks if it's on there. It's not, but that triggers something. I got up, opened the drawer directly under it and tucked in the corner of the drawer is my locker key, my safety glasses and my badge, right where I put them 8 months ago. Success! hahaha

A day in the life, eh??

So anyway, that's my story and I'm sticking to it. I will be back to work part time for a couple weeks to ease back into a full time schedule. I am very happy being at home but it doesn't pay the bills. I usually can entertain myself most of the time but I do miss the social aspect of working. It will be good to see all my buds again. I just hope they will be as happy to see me!!

Wishing For Spring!

I hope my friends in the mid west are staying warm and safe. The blizzard that has been slamming them is heading to New England with 5-10 inches expected here in Central New Hampshire. Apparently the storm is staying to the south of us so that's a good thing. This will be the third weekend of stormy weather in a row. I am definitely ready for Spring!!

It's been a very busy month for me. George and I spent our 4th wedding anniversary in the Carribean on a cruise ship. We left from San Juan Puerto Rico, stopped in the Virgin Islands, Aruba, Curacao and Nassau, then disembarked in Miami. We had a glorious week of 80+ degree weather, sunny days, romantic moonlit nights and too many umbrella drinks to count. I have tons of pictures but will go through them and post a few when I have a little more time. I love cruising and hopefully we can do it all again real soon. I am not at all frightened or daunted by the bad luck events of the Carnival Triumph or Concordia. I'll take my chances.

We met some wonderful people on board and one couple especially from Puerto Rico. Juan and Zenada had dinner with us a few nights and were in the stateroom across the hall from us. They were wonderful company and lots of fun. I hope we can see them again sometime soon. Maybe we will plan a vacation in Puerto Rico next time. I think that could be a good time, especially when you have someone there who can show you around!

While we were gone a lot of things happened here at home. George's brother and his wife moved into their new home. They have been renovating it for 6 months after totally gutting it and making it handicapped accessible and finally everything was ready for them to move in. Their son Kris also got engaged! We're all very happy for Kris and Tasha, although I haven't had the chance to meet her yet. Hopefully soon!
My daughter has met a really fun and sweet guy. They started seeing each other while we were away and we met Mike last weekend. I really like him. I hope things work out for her, she definitely deserves happiness. I'm just so happy to see a huge smile on her face. I know she is happy because her visits and phone calls have diminished by 50%. LOL That's fine with me. Entertaining her can be a huge chore! I can only do so much shopping (and I HATE shopping). Now if only Eric can find someone wonderful, then I can stop worrying.

George's son Patrick and his fiancee Renee have set their wedding date. They are tying the knot on September 7th at a beautiful, rustic venue in North Conway, NH. It should be a lovely, intimate gathering and I can't wait for it all to come together.

We have another wedding to attend this summer, as well. George's nephew is getting married at a beachfront hotel in Maine. I guess I better start shopping for a couple of dresses. Can't even wear the same dress cos it's the same side of the family.

Physical Therapy has been going well. My recovery has been slow but steady and I hope to be back at work in another month or so. I've had a couple of acupuncture sessions and I think I have another one on Monday. Not sure just how much they are helping but it is obvious that I have a few areas that really need some kind of help. Here's hoping! I also like the soft tissue massage. My last session was so relaxing I almost fell asleep. It does blow my mind at how tense I really am though. It's amazing when those muscles do release. Let's hope we can keep them relaxed!

I suppose I should shut this down and get something else done around here. Stay safe everyone...I hope Spring is truly around the corner for all of us!!

New Pic of The Kids

Here you go, Iggy!

New photo of my kiddos, taken on Saturday night at Eric's company (belated) holiday party. I must admit...they clean up well! Sara accompanied her brother as she did last year and they had a great time.

Physical Therapy is going well, she wants to try acupuncture in the coming visits. Has anyone ever had acupuncture?? It will be something new for me. I guess I will give it a try. Might help with the muscle spasms and tension I am having. She explained that some of my muscles in my right leg are so tense and hard and it is probably from constantly tensing up when anyone would come near me, kind of a defensive action to protect my hip or anticipating the pain, and even now, when I am not in pain, I kind of freeze up automatically, for no good reason. She put some pressure on one muscle in particular and man did it hurt...but after a couple of minutes of soft tissue massage, it relaxed and quieted down. I don't understand how needles on certain pressure points will help but I am willing to give it a try. Guess I better shave my legs before my next visit, eh??

On that note...I shall go. Stay warm, people. It's a cold one out there today!!

Christmas 2012

I was definitely in the mood for the holidays this season and it started very early on. We got the tree up during Thanksgiving weekend and I did 90% of my Christmas shopping online this year so everything was shipped and wrapped well before Christmas Eve, unlike years past.

Some of my shopping was reduced because of a decision made by George's kids that we only buy for the little ones this year, which we went along with with the exception of George's youngest, since he has no children yet. My family also does a Secret Santa instead of buying for everyone which is fun and a lot less costly considering how many there would be to buy for.

I was my son's Secret Santa this year. He is a difficult person to buy for because he usually just gets what he wants when he wants something. I had to be creative and knowing Eric's love for fast food, I decided to make the rounds and get gift cards to all of his favorite spots. I then picked up a bottle of his favorite booze and wrapped all the gift cards and taped them to the bottle. I thought it was a great idea and he was cracking up when he opened them. Then he said, "Well so much for my New Year's resolution to stop eating fast food." Oh well...I tried.

Eric opening his gift cards.

My brother Dave and Sara

Great Niece Kendall pretending to be swallowed up by the sofa

Group shot with a couple people missing

We stopped to visit my Brother in law and his family on Christmas Day and had a great visit. This is a shot of my brother in law Ray and my sister in law Diane with George's grand daughter Amelia, who was also there visiting.

Amelia

All in all it was a fun couple of days but I have to admit, I was happy once New Year's was over. Sara arrived at the house on December 21st and didn't go home until January 1st. I love her to pieces but she leaves a trail everywhere she goes and there wasn't a single inch to spare on my bathroom counter with all of her hair and face products. I spent January 2nd cleaning her room, changing the bed linens and straightening up the bathroom.

So on to 2013 and hopefully it will be a great year!

I'm A Little Bit Country...

One of the highlights of my summer was attending a Keith Urban concert. I know, anyone who knows me knows I love music but the country genre was not something I ever bothered with. But 2 years ago after I bought a car that had XM radio installed in it, I started listening to a lot of different kinds of music. I landed on a certain station that plays modern country music which, to me, is what I normally listen to with a slight twang. I found myself really enjoying what I was hearing and within a month I was singing along with just about every song.

When I saw that Keith Urban was performing in my area, I made sure I purchsed tickets. It was a long 4 month wait for the day to arrive but it was well worth the wait. If you are ever in a position to see him live...GO! 90 minutes of non stop singing, dancing and that man has some incredible guitar skills! I was not disappointed. The crowd was on their feet the entire time. We were able to get some good pictures because Keith was all over the pavillion. It was a great night that I did not want to see end! It won't be the last country concert I will attend, for sure!

Hello 2013!

Well I don't know if anyone will read this since I have been AWOL for a looooongggg time butI find I have a lot of time on my hands so why not post something.

Where do I begin??

Some of you are aware that I recently had hip replacement surgery in October. It's been a long road to recovery but I am almost there. 11 days after surgery I had to be readmitted to the hospital because I had an infection at the incision site. Luckily for me it was caught quickly because any infection deep in the tissue or around the hardware would have been a disaster. As it was, opening up the incision to clean it out was bad enough but I'd take that over removal of the prothesis any day. So three more days in the hospital and 6 weeks on a very intense anti-biotic infused twice a day treatment program and so far so good. I don't know when I will start to relax about the whole infection thing...it still looms overhead like a dark cloud, but at least it is more gray now than black. I have the BEST doctor who took all the precautions in the world, even postponing surgery for 2 years because I had less than perfect lab results, but in the end, it didn't matter, I got an infection anyway. But that's how I roll...nothing ever goes easily for me. I hope that by my next appointment, he will be more relaxed, and then perhaps I can relax. But I feel pretty good and the terrible pain I was in 24/7 is now gone and I can actually sleep more than 45 minutes at a time at night now, which is awesome! In fact, most nights I sleep 5-6 hours at a stretch now.

The holidays were really good for our family this year. Thanksgiving was here at my house, George helped with the turkey lifting and basting and Sara and I did the rest. My Mom did bring a few of her specialities such as her cranberry relish and some home made rolls which were completely devoured. The guys watched football and my neice, daughter, mother and I played some board games after dinner. My nephew Sean stayed home so we were able to have a drama free Thanksgiving.

Christmas Eve was spent at George's son Patrick's place. Pat made several sauces and set up a pasta bar for dinner. Pat's fiancee was our mixologist and made some very creative drinks for the occaision. Of course, the grandkids got spoiled rotten and I was very happy to have both Sara and Eric with us this year. We had an ugly Christmas sweater contest which was won by Patrick although George did everything in his power to win including attempting to bribe the judges by taping dollar bills to his red bow.

Patrick, George and Jon

Christmas Day was spent at my parents house. For the most part, it was a good day. Sean was there and he may be 21 years old but my great niece, who is 4, is better behaved than Sean is and I just had to keep away from him. I could go on for hours about everything that bugs me about this kid but it's not productive and will just make me upset so suffice it to say he came very close to ruining my day but I wouldn't let him. We just went home a little earlier than planned. New Year's Eve was spent at home, very quiet, just George and myself. New Year's Day we went to dinner at my parents house and by then I just wanted it to all be over!! I couldn't wait to get the Christmas tree down and put away and after having Sara here for 12 days...my house was in dire need of a straightening!

So now we are a week into the new year and things are changing already. George's daughter and her husband have called it quits after 8 1/2 yrs of marriage. This saddens me greatly especially since there are 2 young kids in the mix. I suppose we can hope for a reconcilliation, who knows what might happen but I don't see it.

On a positive note, George's son Jon and his wife Nikki had a baby girl this past September. Amelia Elizabeth is a happy healthy 4 month old now with a huge smile and very cute chunky thighs!! We love her to pieces.

Grampy and Amelia

I guess this is a good place to stop. I hope everyone is well and I will definitely try to make more frequent stops here. At least until I am back to work. Then who knows how much time I will have.